Ritchie

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Jump to navigationJump to search
"Hiroshi" redirects here. For the character of the day in Curbing the Crimson Tide, see Hiroshi (Kanto).

Ritchie
ヒロシ Hiroshi
[[File:File:Ritchie2.png|{{{size}}}]]
Ritchie and Sparky
Gender Male
Eye color Blue
Hair color Auburn* Blond*
Hometown Frodomar City (dub only)
Region Kanto
Trainer class Trainer
Game counterpart Red
Anime debut A Friend in Deed
English voice actor Tara Jayne
Japanese voice actor Minami Takayama

Ritchie (also Richie, Japanese: ヒロシ Hiroshi) is a nominally recurring Trainer in the anime.

He is named after Hiroshi Yamauchi, former President of Nintendo. His Japanese name means "far and wide" (溥), while his English name is a diminutive for Richard, which is generally agreed to mean "brave power" in Germanic (from the elements ric "power, rule, ruler" and hard "brave, hardy").

Ritchie is often seen as a clone of Ash Ketchum because all of his Pokémon relate to some of the Pokémon that Ash owns, or owned at one point (Sparky and Ash's Pikachu, Zippo and Ash's Charizard, Happy and Ash's Butterfree, Rose and Ash's Swellow, and Cruise and Ash's Larvitar).

In the anime

Ritchie first appeared in A Friend In Deed and quickly befriended his fellow Pokémon League competitor, Ash Ketchum. This led to problems in the next episode, Friend or Foe Alike, since the two were matched up to battle against each other. Ritchie won the match, since at the very end Ash's Charizard refused to fight Sparky and took a nap on the battlefield instead. Even though he lost in the next match to Assunta, he made it to the Top 8 position in the league.

Ritchie showed up again in the anime when Ash and co. visited the Whirl Islands, starting in The Mystery is History. He was searching for a mysterious Pokémon that can be found there, which turned out to be a Lugia.

He also appeared in three Pokémon Chronicles episodes; Oaknapped, Celebi and Joy and The Search for the Legend. The second of these makes him one of at least two notable characters to travel through time with the aid of Celebi, the other character being Sammy Oak. May also traveled back in time in Time Warp Heals All Wounds, but with an item other than a Celebi.

Pokémon

This listing is of Ritchie's known Pokémon in the anime:

Sparky
Main article: Sparky
Debut [[]]
Zippo
Main article: Zippo
Debut [[]]
Happy
Debut [[]]
Cruise
Debut [[]]
Rose
Debut [[]]

Ritchie had at least 3 other Pokémon during Indigo League competition. It is uncertain which ones belonged to him. However, the beginning scene in Friends to the End narrowed the situation a bit. Pokémon that could possibly belong to Ritchie presented in this scene include Spearow and Tentacool.

Mentioned

133.png
Eevee
(dub only)

Ritchie consults Professor Oak for advice on evolving his Eevee in the Pokémon Chronicles episode Oaknapped. This was only mentioned in the dub.

Voice actors

Language Voice actor
Japanese 高山みなみ Minami Takayama
English Tara Jayne
Dutch Niki Romijn
Polish Artur Krajewski (EP078-EP080)
Unknown voice actress (EP220-EP222)
Brazilian Portuguese Alex Wendel (Indigo League)
Francisco Freitas (Whirl Islands)
Thiago Longo (Pokémon Chronicles)
Spanish Latin America Ana Lobo
Manuel Díaz
Spain Chelo Vivares


In the games

The only game Ritchie appears in is Pokémon Puzzle League. However, some have speculated that, like Ash, he was based off the hero from Pokémon Red and Blue. In fact, besides differences in color, his outfit closely parallels that of Red's original design.

In the manga

File:Richie EToP.jpg
Ritchie in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga.

Ritchie is a character in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. His personality is very similar to that of his anime counterpart. However, he has blond hair instead of auburn.

Pokémon

File:Sparky Sprite.png
Chuchino
006.png
Charley
012.png
Happy

Trivia

  • He marks his Poké Balls with stars on top so he can tell them apart from those of other Trainers.
  • Two versions of his name can be seen in the fandom, Richie and Ritchie. However, Pokémon Puzzle League, as well as Pokémon Chronicles subtitles, spell his name with a "t". Because of this, he is more commonly identified as Ritchie.
  • He shares three notable traits with Professor Oak. Both traveled through time with the aid of a Celebi, while both, as of the last known appearance of their Pokémon, have a Charmeleon, and they both share the same English voice actress (when Oak was younger).
  • Despite changes in the Pokédex's design, Ritchie continues to use the oldest model as of the last episode it was seen in.
  • Much like Shigeru and Satoshi are default names for the rival in Red and Green, respectively (being a default for the player in the opposite version), Hiroshi is a default name for the rival in Blue.
  • He is the only rival to nickname his Pokémon.
  • Ritchie's outfit features the colors green and yellow, while Ash's clothes are predominantly red and blue.

External links

Anime characters
Protagonists Ash Ketchum (Pikachu) • Misty (Togetic) • BrockTracey SketchitMayMaxDawn (Piplup) • Iris (Haxorus) • CilanSerenaClemontBonnie (Dedenne) • LanaKiaweLillieSophoclesMallowRotom PokédexGoh (Grookey)
Rivals GaryRitchieHarrisonDrewHarleyMorrisonTysonSolidadPaulNandoZoeyKennyConwayBarryUrsulaTripBiancaBurgundyStephanGeorgiaCameronAriaAlainMietteTiernoShaunaTrevorNiniSawyerGladionHoracioHauLeonRaihanHoraceBeaLeague Conference participantsCoordinatorsPerformersWorld Coronation Series participants
Antagonists Jessie (Wobbuffet) • JamesMeowthGiovanniButchCassidyDr. NambaMatoriPierceDr. ZagerGozuTabithaMaxieShellyArchieHunter JSaturnCyrusMarsJupiterCharonColressAldithGhetsisBarretMalamarLysandreMableCelosiaAlianaXerosicBryonyTuppZippRappPlumeriaGuzmaVirenRoseOleana
Professors Professor OakProfessor IvyProfessor ElmProfessor BirchProfessor RowanProfessor CarolinaProfessor JuniperDr. FennelCedric JuniperProfessor SycamoreProfessor KukuiProfessor BurnetProfessor CeriseProfessor MagnoliaSoniaProfessor Amaranth
Relatives Delia KetchumDaisyVioletLilyJames's parentsFlintLolaForrestBrock's siblingsNormanCarolineJohannaChiliCressGraceMeyerLana's fatherLana's motherHarper and SarahRangoSimaMimoKiawe's grandfatherMohnLusamineGladionSophocles's parentsMolayneAbeMallow's motherUluWalkerCamilleHalta
Supporting Officer JennyNurse JoyMagikarp salesmanTodd SnapCharles GoodshowCaseyLizaSakuraLanceClairRaoul ContestaMr. SukizoSteven StoneVivian MeridianRobertScottLilian MeridianSolanaBrandonMarianYuzoRhondaCynthiaReggieAngieLookerIzzy and CaraLyraKhouryTobiasDon GeorgeElderAlderLukeFreddy O'MartianIngoEmmetJervisVirgilNAnthea and ConcordiaPorterAlexaSophieCosetteClembotSanpeiMairinAstridDianthaKorrinaGurkinnMonsieur PierrePalermoKeananMalvaSamson OakAnelaHobbesNinaAnnaLakiDanaYansuWickeFabaIlimaAcerolaDiaChloeChrysaRenParkerTaliaLeiDanikaQuillonHopGym LeadersElite FourFrontier BrainsIsland kahunasMany temporary characters
Supporting Pokémon FearowHo-OhSquirtle SquadPink ButterfreeHaunterJigglypuffMewtwoMimeyLapras herdGranbullPichu BrothersLugiaSilverDelibirdWynautLarvitarKyogre and GroudonArticunoDeoxysLake guardiansForces of NatureMeloettaReshiramSuper-ancient PokémonWooperFlorgesSquishyZ2Guardian deitiesBewearToucannon's flockStoutlandOranguruNebbyStuffulUltra BeastsGrandpa ForestNecrozmaLunalaShayminMewRotom PhonesPelipperThievul trioEternatusDrone RotomLegendary heroesLatiasRecurring wild Pokémon
See also: Pokémon Horizons characters
Trainers in League Conferences
Indigo
(Kanto)
MandiPeteGaryJeanetteMelissaAshRitchieAssunta
Silver
(Johto)
DarrenSalvadorJacksonMacyGaryAshHarrisonJon
Ever Grande
(Hoenn)
JumpVivicaGilbertGavinDominickClarkJohnny
KatieMorrisonAshTyson
Lily of the Valley
(Sinnoh)
JeffreyNandoBarryConwayPaulAshTobias
Vertress
(Unova)
RadleyMikaelUltimoKendrickTripBiancaEmmanuel
GeraldoStephanFloraKentonManningAsh
KatharineAntonioRussetRamoneCameronDinoVirgil
Lumiose
(Kalos)
TrevorTitusAstridTiernoRemoSawyerAshAlain
Manalo
(Alola)
HirokiPikalaMr. ElectricMad MagmarRappZipp
TuppPlumeriaDJ LeoMaster fishermanOluoluKahili
FabaIlimaSamsonMallowMina"Jessina"Acerola
Lillie"Jamesio"HauSophoclesLanaKiaweGuzma
GladionAsh
Main characters
Ash KetchumPikachuGary OakRitchieMay OakProfessor OakDelia KetchumJessieJamesMeowth
Gym Leaders
BrockMistyKogaSabrinaGiovanniRudyDrake
Other
A.J.AyaBillDamianDarioDuplicaEevee brothersGiselleJeanette FisherOfficer JennyJoeNurse Joy
Lara LaramieMahriMelanieMikeyMimiProfessor OrvillePotterFlorinda ShowersRubySamuraiTommy
Project Anime logo.png This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.