Talk:Ash Ketchum

Talk:Ash Ketchum

This talk page is for discussions about the contents of Ash Ketchum.

Notice

Ash was confirmed 10 years of age in the first episode of the Best Wishes series, in the Sun & Moon series character profiles, and in the Pokémon Journeys character profiles. Please do not make posts questioning his age. Thank you.

Archived discussions: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6

Contents

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Close table of contents

• (Return to top)
• Rotom Pokédex in "Unofficial" Segment
• Ash staying 10years old
• In the games section
• Taking Care Of segment for Pokémon Egg
• Poke Ride
• Split suggestion
• Picture
• Ash's Xy section
• Sun and Moon Ash Statement
• Higher Quality Sun and Moon character artwork
• Possible M20 split?
• Poké Ride Stoutland picture
• Ash Kalos Full Party
• Split
• Ash's Buzzwole
• Catching Poipole
• SM055
• SM061
• Released Pokemon
• Z-Crystals
• Artwork
• Fan speculation
• Changing Ash's design
• Orange League
• Goodra not technically released...
• Seaking
• Ash's Pokemon Section: Are Greninja, Goodra and Naganadel "Formally Released"?
• Ash's Dragonite and Mimey
• Ash's Gengar
• Pokemon World Championship ranks?
• Article split suggestion
• Researcher
• Ash's physical strength
• "Champion of Alola League"
• Adding Information/Details
• Pokémon Masters EX
• Page split by media
• All of Ash's official Pokemon in ownership order
• Ash splitting into multiple pages discussion
• Split by media (cont.)
• Larvitar and Nebby in wrong section
• For encyclopedic purposes, Bulbapedia does not consider these to be official captures.

Contents

Rotom Pokédex in "Unofficial" Segment

The Rotom Pokédex qualifies under that category and travels alongside Ash and his buddies. Should it be included? If so, the template will need a minor adjustment for this to work. Pikatwig (talk) 03:05, 3 December 2016 (UTC)

I'm all for its inclusion. - unsigned comment from Missingno. Master (talk • contribs) 21:51, 11 December 2016 (UTC)

Ash staying 10years old

The convention in Delaware with the original voice actor of Jessie when asked Ash's age said he was still 10 because the show is an evergreen show.--Pokemonfansuper 13:46, 13 December 2016 (UTC)

In the games section

Should we have a section of Ash's appearances in the games? He's appeared in Puzzle League and implied to be the writer of the letter at the beginning of the Sun and Moon demo. He's also present in all the SEGA Pico games, and there are event Pokémon based on his Pokémon (like Ash's Pikachu back in Generation IV and now Ash-Greninja). TeridaxXD001 (talk) 08:52, 14 December 2016 (UTC)

I was about to ask the same question before I saw it had been asked already, so I wanna draw attention to it again because I agree. TheFatPanda (talk) 13:47, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

Taking Care Of segment for Pokémon Egg

Since both he and Lillie were tasked with watching over the Pokémon Egg, it should be noted on both of their pages. Pikatwig (talk) 18:17, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

Poke Ride

Why don't we add the Poke ride Pokémon that Ash uses? I had added Sharpedo, Tauros and Lapras but they removed? Why should Poke Ride be listed on Kiawe'd page but not Ash's? Diamond Lanturn CodeName: 05308 17:53, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Everything that Ash uses or interacts with in any way should not (IMO) be notable. He rides Poke Ride Pokemon. So? That's what they're there for, he doesn't own them or anything significant. I really think random Poke Ride Pokemon should be removed from others' pages too, but I removed them here in particular because Ash just has so many Pokemon listed, and these ones really didn't deserve it (again, IMO). Tiddlywinks (talk) 18:10, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

But he actually using them in the series as Kiawe have Pokemon to ride at school as it shown own his page. He doesn't own the Taurus from the Pokemon school or the wailmer. If I'm correct, dose that mean Ash on his article should have those Pokemon own his article. Ash shown to use few Pokemon that aren't in the game to ride on such as Wailmer and pelipper. Should we add those Pokemon it seems important for the series articles. --DragoAlex (talk) 19:29, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

Split suggestion

I propose that we split off the lists of Ash's Pokémon into a secondary article, which could be titled "Ash Ketchum's Pokémon," "Ash's Pokémon," "Ash Ketchum/Pokémon," or anything similar. By my count, the anime list alone takes up a full quarter of this page's ridiculous size (25k of ~100k bytes). In my opinion, this page should keep whatever Ash has in his party or in rotation, since that's what's relevant to the current anime, and everything else would be visible on the secondary page without cluttering up this main page. Thanks for your consideration. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 19:21, 19 January 2017 (UTC)

I think it's the temporary Pokémon section that's taking up the most space and should be split off the page. We do have a List of Pokémon temporarily owned by the Team Rocket trio, so we can do the same for Ash's temporary Pokémon. However, everything else is too important to place elsewhere.--ForceFire 03:46, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

I second Force Fire's suggestion! Diamond Lanturn CodeName: 05308 12:34, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

I've started a page, feel free to edit it and make suggestions.--ForceFire 05:44, 22 January 2017 (UTC)

I'm also with ForceFire. And what do you think about putting together released, traded away, given away and unofficial Pokemon to "lost Pokemon"?--Dominikololo (talk) 15:09, 18 February 2017 (UTC)

I agree with Pumpkinking0192 as in we should split the page, the anime isn't likely to stop soon and Ash is bound to get more pokemon as time goes on Though I do believe that there should be a page with pokemon that reside at Oak's laboratory and a section for Ash's pokemon and one for Gary's (if there are any known) and have this page link to it instead of listing all pokemon that Oak is keeping for Ash. If we don't split the page eventually it'll take an hour to quickly scroll to the bottom and yes I realize that at the top there are links to send you to the area you want quickly but there are also people in this world who dislike using those links. - unsigned comment from Pokegail (talk • contribs) 20:11, 25 September 2017 (UTC)

I also second Force Fire. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 04:25, 30 September 2017 (UTC)

Wouldn't it be better if all the Pokemon out of rotation were added to that page too? Considering Ash has caught so many Pokemon, the page will fill up quickly, and even after removing the temporary Pokemon, this page will still be big enough to cause problems. → PikaTepig999 05:22, 13 November 2019 (UTC)

Picture

First off I realized that Pikachu was edited in Ash's picture when in reality he should be alone like this: Can someone remove pikachu from the picture?

Also for when the 20th movie comes out should we change his picture to his movie appearance? - unsigned comment from Theexploringgamer (talk • contribs)

The image will not be replaced, because the movie is a standalone thing, whereas his current outfit will go on for a while after the movie airs, so there's no point in changing it for the movie and then changing it back afterwards when the next Sun and Moon episode airs. Playerking95 (talk) 13:37, 21 February 2017 (UTC)

Ash's Xy section

Don't you think there's a bit too much on Ash's xy section? I think it's a bit too long and detailed to the point where it spoils important parts of episodes or just that it has minor unnecessarily parts. I feel like it is like this with characters like Bonnie, Serena and xy in general - unsigned comment from Mowahib (talk • contribs)

Obviously so. I've been planning to make heavy, heavy trims once I've watched all of XY, but that may not happen for awhile. In the meantime, you're welcome to do it yourself. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 14:30, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

Sun and Moon Ash Statement

A friend brought this up to me earlier today and it has an official comment from the sound director on Twitter. So... uh... I'm going to mention this. http://satoshipediaeng.altervista.org/sun-moon-is-not-continuation-of-xyz-the-main-characters-are-completely-new-ash-and-pikachu/ Pikatwig (talk) 16:20, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

That article doesn't make a lot of sense and seems like overly agitated ramblings. It's much, much more likely that the tweet is simply misinterpreted: "not a continuation of XYZ" just means that it's a new season, just like Best Wishes could be seen as "not a continuation of DP" and XY as "not a continuation of Best Wishes". And "a completely new Satoshi and Pikachu" is patently ridiculous to take literally; it's probably referring to his character design, or else is a metaphor for, again, starting fresh with a new season.

Let me ask you this: if Sun & Moon Ash were really a new character who's not the same as Ash from previous seasons, then how would he have been able to refer to his Tauros in SM001? It's that simple. It's the same Ash as ever, period. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 16:36, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

The phrasing is up for interpretation, they could've meant it's not a continuation of XYZ in tone (which sound is a huge part of), since XYZ was of course much darker and intense than SM is, and that Ash is different to his XYZ version because he's more lax than semi-serious as he was in XYZ. I think if it was an entirely different reality they would've made a much bigger deal about it Azure/ChromeVoid42 (talk) 16:39, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

I'm simply bringing this up is all. Pikatwig (talk) 17:23, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

While I'm (sadly) leaning towards this being possible (consider the 20th movie being a drastically altered retelling of the first few episodes, and that reboots in general are for some reason huge in the entertainment industry right now), the article also argues that the Best Wishes series is a separate continuity, which is definitely untrue. TeridaxXD001 (talk) 20:05, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

Since the tweet also contains pencil artwork of the SM series, I think the director is most likely referring to the new art style. Satsjoe (talk) 20:36, 28 June 2017 (UTC)

Higher Quality Sun and Moon character artwork

I just found character artwork for the Sun and Moon series in a larger and higher quality. They are found on the Gulli (French TV channel) website. It also includes Ash without Pikachu.

Here's the link to the artwork: http://www.gulli.fr/Chaine-TV/Dessins-animes/Pokemon/Dresseurs (Pansagetrent9 (talk) 15:43, 16 July 2017 (UTC))

Hey, this also includes high-quality artwork for most of the SM cast, nice!

The pictures have artifacts and the colors are a bit off, but I'll try to clean them up and upload them later. Thanks for the info! --Gabo 2oo (talk) 02:54, 23 July 2017 (UTC)

Possible M20 split?

Unlike the other movies, M20 is not filler. It's been said to take place in a different dimension than the main series. In other words, M20!Ash=/=MS!Ash. Should we split the page, so that all the information concerning M20!Ash does not contradict the main page. Another reason is that the two characters lived different lives, had different outfits, different companions, etc. We would no place to write the exploits of M20!Ash. It could be like what the wiki did when separating EToP!Ash from the main Ash page. Iml908 (talk) 19:03, 2 August 2017 (UTC)

I've started a page for the other Ash within my user page, if anybody wants to expand upon and use it? TheFatPanda (talk) 13:42, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

Poké Ride Stoutland picture

I removed he that picture for Poké Ride Stouland https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/File:SM032.png because it was updated and now don't fit for that space. I actually don't have permission for reverting or upload files. Can someone put this file instead [1] Luan (talk) 16:42, 5 August 2017 (UTC)

Done. Satsjoe (talk) 15:26, 15 August 2017 (UTC)

Thank you! Luan (talk) 18:54, 15 August 2017 (UTC)

Ash Kalos Full Party

May i have the previous photo from Kalos Full Party to save for myself please? Didn´t thought you guys would remove.--Robin Maximo (talk) 13:04, 15 August 2017 (UTC)

Right here a:File:Ash Kalos Team.png --Raltseye prata med mej 13:21, 15 August 2017 (UTC)

Split

I disagree with splitting Ash's Pokémon from this page. I think listing them here is important. Most of his Pokémon are only links to their own pages, so don't take up much space anyway.

However, I do think it would be a good idea to split "Ash's temporary Pokémon" to a separate page, much like List of Pokémon temporarily owned by the Team Rocket trio. They do take up a lot of space, and don't have much relevance to Ash as a character. --SnorlaxMonster 02:49, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

I do believe that's the consensus that was reached above, in case the reason you're making a new section is that you didn't see that one. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 04:30, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

Ash's Buzzwole

It's currently listed under "Temporary pokémon", but it's the only pokémon in this category at the moment that Ash actually caught in a pokéball. Since Ash actually caught and then released Buzzwole it should be moved up to "Released Pokémon". The description of "Temporary pokémon" does not fit as Buzzwole is neither a wild pokémon Ash teamed up with nor belongs to another trainer. There's precedence for this in Beedrill, which Ash also actually caught in a pokéball, which is now in its own category above the one for "temporary pokémon". Mijzelffan (talk) 12:56, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

I agree with this. Only major thing we'll have to do is make a page for Buzzwole. Super10ZX (talk) 13:02, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

I think that case is the same of Seaking, catching in Johto. Ash doesn't use Buzzwole like the others Pokémon, just catch it. --Lockheedpryde (talk) 13:39, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

Seaking has less going for it than Buzzwole. Seaking is caught as part of a game which has the rules to be released after, similarly to something like the Battle Bingo. It's even caught in an anime-only Lake Ball which seems to have a 100% catch rate and might not be an actual pokéball. No such arguments can be made for the Buzzwole however, which was caught as an ordinary wild pokémon in a legitimate pokéball. After catching it Ash even does his traditional "caught a pokémon" pose. Mijzelffan (talk) 13:59, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

Seaking was caught as part of a structured competition that requires Trainers to release their Seaking back into the Seaking's natural habitat afterward; Buzzwole is caught as part of a structured team effort that requires members to release Ultra Beasts back into the UBs' natural habitat afterward. I feel like they're much more similar than you're giving them credit for. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 17:01, 9 February 2018 (UTC)

Also, similar question. Why is Charjabug in Temporary section if it was caught and by the same episode gave to someone else like Beedrill?--Dominikololo (talk) 15:02, 4 March 2018 (UTC)

He never actually caught Charjabug in a Pokéball so it wouldn't count.--BigDocFan (talk) 15:05, 4 March 2018 (UTC)

Catching Poipole

Is it safe to say Ash will catch Poipole as his 5th Pokemon judging by the Intro Japanese Future Connection? like opening animation spoilers the capture of poipole --Use Brave Bird (talk) 16:04, 20 February 2018 (UTC)Feelitstill23

Sadly Bulbapedia isn't for speculation and won't be added until the episode Ash catches Poipole, assuming he does airs.--BigDocFan (talk) 16:25, 20 February 2018 (UTC)

SM055

This paragraph was removed under the reasoning that Ash was not heavily focused on in SM055.

In The Professors' New Adventure!, Nebby disappeared, leaving Ash feeling sorry for not able to thank it for its help. Later, Ash discovered that Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet had decided to get married. After learning they weren't planning to have a wedding, Ash and his classmates arranged a surprise wedding ceremony, with Ash acting as the ring bearer. During the reception, Lusamine, Wicke and Faba approached Ash and his friends, with Faba apologizing for his earlier actions. The three then invited Ash and his classmates to join an Ultra Beast response unit called the Ultra Guardians, which they all agreed to. By the end of the ceremony, Ash saw Nebby flying through the sky and thanked it before Nebby disappeared.

I would disagree considering that joining the Ultra Guardians was a major plot point and lead-in to future episodes, and the Pokémon School students are directly involved in organising the wedding ceremony (in Ash's case, including waking up Professor Kukui and being the ring bearer). Also the Legendary Pokémon Ash was gifted by the Island Guardians for ten episodes (who helped with the rescue of Lusamine) leaving does seem pretty major regarding Ash and Nebby to me (that's not me saying to include EVERY capture, evolution, departure and hatching across the various regions in Ash's history section though). TardisTybort (talk) 23:33, 22 April 2018 (UTC)

It's important to note that some pages, particularly Ash's here, can get very big very easily. The history should probably be pretty broad strokes. Take a look at the Advanced Generation section: that hardly references any specific episodes, and (...without being involved in the anime much) IMO that's probably a good idea for the whole history section. (DP and BW look alright too perhaps. OS, XY, and SM can probably use greater or lesser amounts of cleaning up or compressing.)

Just glancing at what's above, I'd say that in particular the wedding may not be that important. Tiddlywinks (talk) 23:53, 22 April 2018 (UTC)

I do in broad terms understand being more sparing with space and compressing when a character is around for over 5 years, never mind 20 like Ash. Although I'm not 100% sure about outright being vague with citing episodes, especially when the individual series span over a hundred episodes (or at least 3 seasons) each. At a minimum, I'd feel like mentioning "after badge X" or "after town Y" or "the Z league" and put in a more chronological order than I've seen (for instance, this bit correcting how in XY, Ash's travels with Korrina come BEFORE the Summer Camp).

Specifically regarding the events of the episode, though, I still defend what I said about Ash, Nebby and the Ultra Guardians for the reasons I already said, even if I get just for space reasons we don't need to blow-by-blow mention everything that's plot related from Ultra Adventures (though off the top of my head, I think that would depend heavily on the anime character's page). TardisTybort (talk) 01:35, 23 April 2018 (UTC)

Maybe my issue is I just have a vague distinction in my head between compressing/simplifying/making something less run-on vs. burning it all down. TardisTybort (talk) 01:42, 23 April 2018 (UTC)

I wouldn't encourage "After X/Y/Z" one after another either, this isn't a grade schooler's report on how to make peanut butter and jelly. This should be a well considered, encyclopedic summary. The AG section really is a good overview. It reads very well.

The current SM section practically comes off more as a journal, with an episode title starting basically every paragraph. I understand that it may seem difficult since that's ongoing. It's still subpar; not what we should really want. ...Or, heck, I could be half wrong. Maybe we could try to only have a broad strokes overview of most of the previous/current episodes, but—as it is the ongoing season—perhaps we could try to go into some more specific detail for the latest significant episode (such as, say, Ultra Guardians); but even that should remain as limited as possible, not letting half a dozen episodes' worth of specifics build up at the end of the section. (...I'm not demanding that the SM section change. I'm not part of the anime enough to keep that in check all the time. I'm just emphasizing that there are better things we could do—or will need to do once the series is over, at the very least.) Tiddlywinks (talk) 01:58, 23 April 2018 (UTC)

Been thinking about this, and I think while I understand the way the paragraph beginnings look may not be ideal or sufficiently encyclopedic, I'm not hugely in favour of them being unsourced in any way either (or only sourced as far as "in the Advanced Generation series" and so forth, even though the anime more often than not changes regions long-term within the same series). Whether this is on Ash in SM or in already-completed series. I just took "in [episode whatever]" thing as a kind of inelegant stopgap. TardisTybort (talk) 11:42, 24 April 2018 (UTC)

Kind of want to hear more opinions in the community before making any decision (I've been editing here a month, and Tiddlywinks by their own admission isn't involved much with anime characters). But for now, on this page I'm going to hold off additional "in [episode]" stuff when adding or changing info until I have a better idea for what's...par, I guess? TardisTybort (talk) 19:18, 2 May 2018 (UTC)

I would agree with Tiddlywinks on this one. Given Ash is the main protagonist of the whole anime and we will be following him for years to come, our criteria for episode plot inclusion should naturally be much more stricter. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 05:50, 3 May 2018 (UTC)

SM061

Why aren't we counting Buzzwole as a fully owned Ash Pokemon? it's with the ones like Pokemon he borrowed and yet he clearly caught it so why don't we have a page with "Ash's Buzzwole". Sure he only had it for 7 seconds but a catch is a catch and I think it should be under released and have a profile of its own. He got a Pokeball, threw it at the Pokemon and caught it. He even did his, I CAUGHT A POKEMON! putting it with random Pokes he's borrowed or made friends with is misleading IMO because he literally caught itMuur1234 (talk) 03:04, 7 July 2018 (UTC)

The same reason Seaking is under temporary and not released, he had it for less than an episode. It's not notable for its own article, regardless of it being an Ultra Beast. There's literally nothing more you can add if it were given an article.--ForceFire 04:37, 7 July 2018 (UTC)

I don't care too much about the article but more about the placement of the Pokemon on his page.Muur1234 (talk) 05:11, 7 July 2018 (UTC)

The entire purpose of the Ultra Guardians is to catch and release Ultra Beasts back to their homeworlds. It was caught by Ash for the Ultra Guardians, not as a new addition to his personal team. It's not his Pokemon nor was it ever meant to be his, so there's no real reason to treat it as such. Ataro (talk) 10:11, 7 July 2018 (UTC)

Released Pokemon

As an Ultra Guardian, Ash has caught many ultra beasts that were afterwards released. Why are they not recorded in his released Pokémon section? - unsigned comment from Elite4Alola (talk • contribs)

Read Ataro's comment in the above section. The releasing of Ultra Beasts is not the same as Ash releasing his other Pokémon.--ForceFire 04:53, 9 November 2018 (UTC)

Z-Crystals

Sorry if this was answered before, I don't see it. But why was the decision to favor "Trials" over "Z-crystals" made. I find it absolutely troubling that NOT all of Ash's Z-Crystals are listed simply because Grand Trials and Trials somehow take precedence. Wouldn't it make more sense to focus on Z-crystals in this case OVER trials/grand trials since the Z-crystals are more important from a wikipedia/encyclopedia perspective (at least in my opinion). Granted maybe its simply because the section was about "challenges/tournaments/whatever you want to call them" and that's why. But I definitely don't understand the reasoning behind not putting ALL of Ash's Z-crystals on the page in some fashion. Seems incomplete and inaccurate to me. But that's just my opinion, I primarily just want an explanation for why all the Z-crystals aren't listed only focusing on the ones Ash got from trials/grand trials. --Dman dustin (talk) 18:11, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Artwork

Shouldn't we add the image of Ash from New series in the artwork section? - unsigned comment from Yash Sonbhurra (talk • contribs)

We will eventually, there's uncertainty whether this is normal Anime Ash or Movie Reboot Ash. And please remember to end comments with four tildes (~) Azure/ChromeVoid42 (talk) 13:31, 29 September 2019 (UTC)

Understood most but the movie reboot part. Can you please define? --> 『★¥♠§H♂』 (『†@!K™』) 13:32, 29 September 2019 (UTC)

Movies 20 and 21 do not follow the same Ash as the anime, they follow an AU Ash. There's uncertainty because artwork and font is similar to Movie 21 Azure/ChromeVoid42 (talk) 14:42, 29 September 2019 (UTC)

For reference, Ash Ketchum (M20). GrammarFreak01 (talk) 05:37, 1 October 2019 (UTC)

Fan speculation

Can someone lock the article so that only autoconfirmed users can edit it? This is due to speculation crackdown. --TheICTLiker4 17:03, 3 October 2019 (UTC)

If it becomes a problem, then it will be protected. It doesn't need to be protected yet.--ForceFire 04:54, 4 October 2019 (UTC)

I think the protection level should be this:

Action	Protection level	Expiry date
Edit	Block new users	infinite
Move	no change

So, did you understand well? --TheICTLiker4 12:11, 4 October 2019 (UTC)

Like I said, there's no need to protect the page. There is no problem.--ForceFire 12:38, 4 October 2019 (UTC)

Why are you insisting the article needs to be protected? Nothing's happened so far that would warrant this. Are you just saying it needs to be done as a precaution? GrammarFreak01 (talk) 20:06, 4 October 2019 (UTC)

Changing Ash's design

I have tried to update ash's picture to his current design but something went wrong. Can someone fix this? - unsigned comment from Dan333 (talk • contribs)

Don't do that yet. The Sun & Moon series hasn't ended yet. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 01:14, 1 November 2019 (UTC)

Orange League

Why isn't he listed as Champion of the Orange League any more?Roserade57 (talk) 03:31, 24 December 2019 (UTC)

Not sure, to be honest. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 04:54, 30 December 2019 (UTC)

The template should be updated to allow multiple champion listings.Roserade57 (talk) 08:26, 30 December 2019 (UTC)

Goodra not technically released...

Goodra should be added to "In training" since it was left in the care of another person like Squirtle and Primeape, and Ash has shown the ability to recall Goodra when he wants to.

Panky.. (talk) 12:36, 26 December 2019 (UTC)

This has been discussed before. Goodra isn't under the care of anyone. Keanan is not the same situation as Anthony, Jenny, or Liza, where those Pokemon joined those trainers to become stronger (hence, In training), Goodra just went back to its home which just happens to be owned by Keanan.--ForceFire 12:55, 26 December 2019 (UTC)

However, Ash still has its pokeball as shown in Sun and Moon Episode 1. Paree24 (talk) 06:55, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

Seaking

Now that Mimey seems to be considered a Pokémon Ash formally owned/owns, should Seaking be moved from the 'Temporary' section to the 'Released' section? Just like Mimey, it is also included in the Heisei History of Pocket Monsters: From Tuesday to Thursday, and Then Sunday special, alongside Ash's other Pokémon. Based on the list Seaking is considered to have been one of Ash's Pokémon, rather than just a temporary one. Satsjoe (talk) 15:52, 30 December 2019 (UTC)

Ash's Pokemon Section: Are Greninja, Goodra and Naganadel "Formally Released"?

This article mentions Goodra, Greninja and Naganadel as "Formally Released Back Into the Wild".

However,

   We never see the release animation like we saw with Butterfree, Pidgeot and Lapras

   Both Goodra and Greninja were outside their pokeball when they parted ways

   Goodra is literally under the care of the person who is in charge of the swamp

   When Ash leaves Greninja with Zygarde, Zygarde says "Greninja will be under my care".

   Goodra has comeback after being left in the swamp (like Gliscor and Charizard), it was never recaught.

   In the first episode of Sun and Moon, Ash gives 5 pokeballs to oak implying that Ash still owns both Goodra and Greninja

   When Naganadel comes back, Ash recalls it to its beast ball instead of recatching it. [Implying he never released it]

But, as we know, Once the Pokémon is released, it is removed from the player's possession and cannot be encountered again.

So stating that Ash has "Formally Released" them back into the wild is not true.

Here is what i think: Goodra: Should be under the care of Keanan Greninja: With Zygarde Naganadel: Its World

They aren't formally released as long as these evidences are not invalidated. - unsigned comment from Paree24 (talk • contribs)

The anime constantly changes over the years and the release animation of before is not going to be the same as it is now. And they are also known not to be consistent and forget things.

And? Doesn't mean they're not released. They could've been released off screen and departed on screen.

Keagan owns the swamp but is not looking after Goodra. Goodra just went home, it didn't go to Keagan to get stronger. Same with Greninja.

Games=/=anime. Who says he needs to recatch it if he's already created a close bond with the Pokemon? And who's to say he needs to dispose of the Pokemon's Poke Ball after he's released it? It's all speculation. And Ash has met up with Lapras, so yes, a released Pokemon in the anime can be encountered again. Because the anime is not the game. It has its own rules.

All three Pokemon returned (or were released) to the wild, they are not being cared for by another trainer.--ForceFire 07:39, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

If That is the case, why does the article say "Formally Released Back to the wild" and proceeds to link to a page which defines releasing as per the game definition? Isn't it contradicting what you said? Also Squirtle didn't go to train with Jenny/Make it more stronger, why is it in the training list if thats the case? Both Goodra and Squirtle can be called upon when needed and we have seen it in the anime. Also Squirtle was last seen in Oak's lab with the Squirtle Squad and Jenny wasn't even there/mentioned so how is Goodra different from Squirtle?

Also by the definition of released according to the linked article, it can be caught by another trainer which is totally not the case if ash still owns them but left them somewhere. So, technically, Butterfree can be caught by another trainer but Greninja/Goodra/Naganadel cannot be since he still owns them. Releasing them offscreen is a speculation and is not fact. Infact the whole Greninja release(in care of zygarde and not released imo) arc took place on screen and there was no involvement of either pokeball/release animation either. Paree24 (talk) 09:00, 7 January 2020 (UTC)

Ash's Dragonite and Mimey

I think that Ash's Dragonite and Mimey don't be in "On hand" section, because they are kept in the Sakuragi Institute, this information was confirmed in SS011.--Lockheedpryde (talk) 21:56, 4 February 2020 (UTC)

Ash's Gengar

I think that Ash's Gengar maybe is shiny due to they different color.--Lockheedpryde (talk) 21:56, 4 February 2020 (UTC)

Pokemon World Championship ranks?

What do you think about adding Ash current Rank in the Pokemon World Championship in the main information section and add possible Rank Changes as a separate column in the Achievement section, with hyperlinks to Episodes in which his Rank changed (Similar to Badges/Frontier Symbols obtained), e.g. 1.4.6. Pokemon World Championship 1.4.6.1 Normal Rank (< Top 1000)

1. 3763 - win against Visquez (SS018)

etc. - unsigned comment from Lord Godwin (talk • contribs)

I think that may cause a clutter, it may suit easier to show his End of Season rank once the series is done; badges are finite, rank is continually in flux Azure/ChromeVoid42 (talk) 20:30, 22 March 2020 (UTC)

At the very least Ash's current rank should be listed (presumably the information box like under trainer class or something listing his PWC rank), that is updated any time it actually updates and we have solid indication what the rank is. So right now somewhere it should say 3763 as of writing this. --Dman dustin (talk) 21:42, 22 March 2020 (UTC)

It's probably fine to have it where it's at for now. If it gets too much, as in his rank changes every single episode (which I doubt), then we'll do something different.--ForceFire 05:07, 23 March 2020 (UTC)

Article split suggestion

It's been months since it was proposed and, seemingly, reached the consensus to split this page to exclude all temporary pokémon (including Ride ones), with Force Fire also starting an userpage which would be ready to be added into the Mainspace. My suggestion is to go further than that. Considering Ash is first and foremost an anime character, I think Ash's appearances in other media should be split into another article. I believe Ash is such an important character to deserve this split, and the navigability of the page would be much better.

So my idea is to have:

• Ash Ketchum (including all anime info – History, Character, Pokémon, Achievements, Voice Actors, Artwork and Trivia)
• List of Pokémon temporarily owned by Ash Ketchum (info about Temporary and Ride pokémon, which really need to be split into another article)
• Ash Ketchum in other media (including the In the games, In the manga, in the TCG sections)

I think it's time we start to think about the user performance on such pages, as it became impossible to navigate through Ash's page. --★Criққѳ~* 15:02, 5 April 2020 (UTC)

Also, Template:Ash's Pokémon is nearly unusable. Do we really need to include temporary and ride pokémon there if they don't have a personal page themselves? I would keep only the pokémon with separate pages and the Electric Tale only ones because of Ash's Fearow page.--★Criққѳ~* 15:16, 5 April 2020 (UTC)

I agree with the page split, as navigating his page is inconvenient. The template, on the other hand, doesn't really need changed.--Rahl (talk) 20:12, 5 April 2020 (UTC)

We can easily link the subpage on the bottom of the "Ash's Pokémon" once the page is split. We already do that for Team Rocket. - Chosen (Talk) 20:18, 5 April 2020 (UTC)

Exactly, the template could look like below. How many contributions do we need to reach a consensus? Sorry, first time proposing a major change here. --★Criққѳ~* 13:48, 6 April 2020 (UTC)

Ash's Pokémon
In rotation:	Pikachu
For a list of other Pokémon Ash has commanded, see here

After some discussion with staff we decided to split off Ash's temporary/ride Pokemon, as well as his achievement section onto separate pages. I also edited the "Ash's Pokemon" template to remove the temporary/ride Pokémon to make the template less cumbersome on pages as well. The article is still pretty long, but that is partially just because he is such a massive character with a lot of information to cover, so that's kind of going to be expected. However, we can definitely help things by cutting down on unnecessary portions of his history/character sections by summarizing where we can and perhaps using less detail in some places. Thanks again bringing this issue back up again for renewed discussion! --Pokemaster97 19:20, 7 April 2020 (UTC)

Thank you! Glad I could be helpful. I still think the appearances in other medias could be split into another page too, as they're mostly trivial information. But right now it's already much better. --★Criққѳ~* 08:25, 8 April 2020 (UTC)

A suggestion that I think could be adopted, I saw in Marvel wikis mainly, the following: in the biography of a character like Captain America, a summary by decade and a link that went to a bigger page with the description of that time. Something like a page for Ash's journey in Kanto, Johto, Diamond & Pearl, Unova and co. It was going to help solve a good part of the said space problem. It only left the events that are constantly remembered (ex: Liga Kanto, the Ho-Oh incident, Gary Vs Ash, more or less) and that influence the canon of the character as a whole. Here: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Steven_Rogers_(Earth-616) https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Steven_Rogers_(Earth-616)/Expanded_History Hikaru Wazana (talk) 19:35, 07 April 2020 (UTC)

Researcher

Since both Ash and Goh present themselves as researchers today, is it not worth putting that in their Trainer Class and a paragraph talking more about it in his bio?-Hikaru Wazana (talk) 17:14, 07 July 2020 (UTC)

Ash's physical strength

It lists Larvitar and Hippopotas as heavy Pokémon he can lift, but what about Cosmoem, which weighs a whole metric ton, or 1000 kg (and is the heaviest Pokémon, tied with Celesteela)? Or did the writers just forget, not know, or disregard that Cosmoem's weight in the Dex is a metric ton? - unsigned comment from ThighFish (talk • contribs)

The article just lists examples, not an entire catalogue. The rest goes in the Anime physics article.--ForceFire 04:02, 30 September 2020 (UTC)

"Champion of Alola League"

Shouldn't it be listed as Manalo Conference, since Ash is not a champion in the game universe, while Ash is, indeed, the champion only of the Manalo Conference in the anime universe? — Rockapheller (talk page) 18:15, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

He's the Champion of Alola, i.e. the Alola League. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 18:53, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Alola and Alola League are different, and Manalo Conference has never been referred to as Alola League if I am not mistaken? Even the link directs you to the game details while Manalo Conference remains unlinked on the template. Which seems off to me. — Rockapheller (talk page) 19:05, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

It's actually referred to as Alola League in the anime all the time. And League is more than just the League Conference. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 19:12, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

it also needs to list the orange league, hes the champion of two regions.Roserade57 (talk) 07:28, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

But...it does... GrammarFreak01 (talk) 08:04, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

no it doesnt, only alola. screenshot. Roserade57 (talk) 03:24, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

Oh. I thought you were talking about this section. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 09:00, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

nah. the infobox needs to be coded to allow two champion listings for ash. right now its only listing one... and its annoying that orange was switced with alola. we had orange listed for what, 15 years? *both* need to be there.Roserade57 (talk) 09:15, 6 January 2021 (UTC)

That's something for the admins to figure out. GrammarFreak01 (talk) 10:51, 10 January 2021 (UTC)

Adding Information/Details

Hey there! I am new to this site and just wanted to begin by saying how much I enjoy this site. Secondly I was wondering if I could edit this page by adding a bit more detail to it. I'll leave this as an example...please let me know what you think. This covers Ash's journey from when he acquires Pikachu to defeating Brock. Thank you for your time! Gotta Catch em All!

In Pokémon-I Choose You! Ash Ketchum, who lives in a small settlement called Pallet Town, is ten years old which means that he is able to pick a starter Pokémon and begin his journey as a Pokémon Trainer. As Ash sleep the night before he chooses his starter Pokémon, he accidently breaks his alarm clock which causes his to oversleep. Ash hurry’s to reach Professor Oak’s Laboratory, but discovers that all three starter Pokémon have already been chosen by other trainers. Ash asks Oak if he has any other Pokémon left and Oak tells him that he does have one other Pokémon but it is very unusual. Ash tells Oak that he’ll take the Pokémon which is revealed to be the electric-type Pokémon, Pikachu. Ash tries to give his new starter Pokémon a hug, but receives a massive electric shock. As Ash begins his journey, he has to drag Pikachu around with a leash because he refuses to go inside his Pokéball and doesn’t like him at all. Ash releases Pikachu from his leash, but discovers that Pikachu’s attitude hasn’t changed when he commands Pikachu to battle a Pidgey and Pikachu refuses to do so. In frustration Ash throws a rock at what turns out to be Spearow that ends up attacking Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu uses a thunder shock on the Spearow which cause it to cry out, causing a large flock of Spearow to attack Ash and Pikachu. Ash and Pikachu decide to make a run for it but the Spearow catch up to Pikachu and severely injure Pikachu. Ash picks up Pikachu and is forced to jump into a flowing river to escape the Spearow. Ash is on reeled in by a young girl named Misty and Ash “borrows’ her bike so that he can get Pikachu to a Pokémon Center, and because the Spearow have caught back up with him. As Ash pedals as fast as he can but he eventually crashes his bike, not wanting Pikachu to get hurt he tells him to get into a Pokéball and stands in front of the Spearow in order to protect his Pokémon. Seeing that Ash is willing to sacrifice himself to save him, Pikachu leaps into action to save Ash and uses a massive thunder shock attack to defeat the Spearow. It was at this point that Ash and Pikachu formed and extremely strong bond and an unbreakable friendship.

In Pokémon Emergency! Ash arrives at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City and has his Pikachu healed. While waiting for his Pikachu to recover, Misty finds Ash and demands that he get her a new bike after hers was destroyed by Ash. As both of them continue to wait for Pikachu’s recovery the Pokémon Center is attacked by Jessie, James, and a talking Meowth who are part of a criminal organization that steals Pokémon called Team Rocket. Team Rocket is defeated when Pikachu recovers and both he and Ash send Team Rocket blasting off and, after seeing Pikachu’s power, they make it their primary objective to steal him. Ash starts making his way to Pewter City and is followed by Misty, who decides to follow Ash until he gets her a new bike.

In Ash Catches a Pokémon Ash catches his very first Pokémon, a Caterpie. Not long after catching Caterpie Ash also manages to catch a Pidgeotto. Ash’s Caterpie quickly evolves into a Metapod and in Challenge of the Samurai he evolves into a Butterfree.

In Showdown in Pewter City Ash, Misty, and Pikachu arrive at the Pewter City Pokémon Center where Ash notices a poster promoting a tournament called the Pokémon League Championship and decides to join. However, Misty points out that before he can enter he need to defeat eight Pokémon Gym Leaders and earn a Gym Badge from each as proof of his victory. Ash goes to the Pewter City Gym and challenges its Gym Leader, Brock, to a Pokémon battle.

Ash begins the match with Pikachu while Brock starts off with Onix. Pikachu is quickly defeated when Onix uses a bind attack, and Ash forfeits the match when he sees Pikachu in pain. As Ash leaves the gym, he is approached by a man named Flint who tells him that he may be able to defeat Brock if he super-charges his Pikachu. Flint leads Ash to a hydroelectric plant, where Flint hooks up a generator to the electric sacs in Pikachu’s cheeks. Ash runs on the large water wheel to generate electricity until the generator overloads and Pikachu’s electricity lights up the night sky.

The next day, Ash returns to the Pewter City Gym and challenges Brock to a rematch. Brock starts off with Geodude, while Ash sends out Pidgeotto. However, the normal and flying-type Pokémon cannot hurt Geodude, and is knocked out. Ash recalls it and sends out Pikachu.

Ash has Pikachu perform a thunder shock attack, which easily knocks out Geodude. Brock recalls his Geodude and sends out Onix. Pikachu once again performs a thunder shock attack, but due to him being afraid he doesn’t aim his attack and damages the gym instead of Onix. Onix wraps Pikachu with its bind attack and Pikachu counters with his new thunderbolt attack, which manages to inflict pain on Onix. As Pikachu is on the verge of passing out, Brock calls of his Onix as he doesn’t want to harm Ash’s Pikachu. However, Ash protests this decision, as he wants to finish the battle. Suddenly, the gym’s sprinklers are set off due to the damage Pikachu’s thunder shock had caused earlier. As water sprays over Onix, Misty reminds Ash that rock-type Pokémon are weak against water. Seizing the opportunity, Ash has Pikachu perform a thunderbolt attack, which brings Onix one attack away from defeat. Ash was about to command Pikachu to finish Onix off, but Brock's brothers and sisters all crowd Ash and beg him to stop. Brock orders his siblings to not get involved, but Ash recalls his Pikachu. Ash explains that if he defeated Brock now, it would only be because of the sprinklers being set off. He decides he wants to win his Badge fair and square. As Ash leaves the gym he is approached by Brock who hands him the Boulder Badge, stating that Ash defeated him in battle and in being kind to Pokémon. Brock asks Ash to fulfill his dream to travel the world, but Flint arrives and reveals himself to be Brock’s father. Flint tells Brock to travel with Ash and he will take care of his siblings, and Brock joins Ash on his journey. Getitdunn1991 (talk) 02:29, 17 January 2021 (UTC)

While we appreciate the effort, the issue with the main character pages especially is they start to get quite long (as evidenced already by this page) and a lot of the information is essentially already on the episode pages, so we try to only list significant events to the characters themselves on their pages, unlike Characters of the day who can afford to have more in depth information due to their single episode appearances. --Spriteit (talk) 11:07, 21 January 2021 (UTC)

Completely understandable! Just thought I'd offer. Getitdunn1991 (talk) 14:21, 22 January 2021 (UTC)

Pokémon Masters EX

Ash & Pikachu:

• Weakness: Ground
• Known moves (as I've seen): Electroweb, X Accuracy, Iron Tail, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, and Dire Hit +
• Sync move: Sync Move (It just say "Sync Move")

ReignBough (talk) 02:45, 28 July 2022 (UTC)

Page split by media

I've been noticing that this page is getting exaggeratedly huge. And with that I've been thinking, otherwise it would be better to share her content by media, and we left here essentially only what refers to the anime.

For example, instead of putting Ash's appearances in games, we could make a page where this information was present. For example, instead of putting Ash's appearances in games, we could make a page where this information was present. And within it, other links that would lead to the detailed pages of each counterpart.

To make it clearer, something like this here.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Lane
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Lane_in_other_media
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man#In_other_media

Since Bulbapedia uses the Wikipedia system more than Wikias in general, I think it's a more valid system to adopt. Ash's base page suffers a lot from the lack of pattern between some images (for example, the version of the Journeys manga doesn't have all the images of the Pokémon in this manga yet) and put it like this, we can work with each counterpart in an isolated way, it was even one of the reasons I created a page for Ash from the Pokémon Journeys Manga and I think both the Ash and Pikachu version and the Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl manga could benefit from that. Anyway, is there any opinion on this?--(Hikaru Wazana (talk) 17:05, 28 August 2022 (UTC))

I mean the page is stupidly long, it'd be beneficial to split it up. Roserade57 (talk) 00:39, 25 September 2022 (UTC)

All of Ash's official Pokemon in ownership order

I've seen that Ash's Lapras is supposed to be his "thirteenth" official Pokémon, but I couldn't seem to find the "twelfth". Could somebody please give me a full list in release order? MrWii000 (talk) 22:00, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

Mr. Mime is the twelfth. Check this page if you want to count for yourself. --Rahl (talk) 22:47, 2 October 2022 (UTC)

Ash splitting into multiple pages discussion

So it says that it is suggested that this article should be split into multiple. So I thought, well, how about making an Ash for each anime season? Example: we xould make on page that has all the info on Ash in The first anime, titled Ash (Indigo League), as well as one for the Johto anime, titled Ash (Johto Journeys), and one for the Hoenn anime, titled Ash (Advanced) and you get the picture. So if there are any mods /admins who see this, be sure to talk about it and discuss your opinions on this. Thanks, IsaacBoi123 (talk) 22:22, 24 December 2022 (UTC)

Honestly, I don't even feel like it's necessary to split it anymore because we know they are retiring Ash as the main character. Also, I don't really like the idea of having each anime season of Ash being a different page. Maybe one page for his manga variant, one for his anime variant and one for his game variant, but I feel like everything pertaining to anime Ash should be on a single page. Torpoleon (talk) 03:24, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

Splitting by series seems confusing and unnecessary, yeah. Splitting by media would be better. Landfish7 07:11, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

Agreed, splitting by media sounds like the better option. Animaltamer7 (talk) 10:49, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

cutting it like that would be absurd. splitting off manga, games, and other misc stuff would cut down on the page a lot and is a good solution. the reboot ash already has his own page, and those otehr versions are basically reboot ashs too since theyre techincally not canon to the anime. Roserade57 (talk) 11:21, 15 January 2023 (UTC)

Agreed. It's better to split the page up to his anime (plus M20 timeline Ash), games, and manga, and not by series, since all the series are canon to each other, also all the movies up to M19 and some specials. That said, however, even with his being retired as a character, his biography is extremely massive as it is, so sooner or later we will have to do something about that bit if we are to keep the page from becoming too big without drastically reducing his biography. Maybe we could follow Wikitroid's example with Samus Aran and create a separate article like, I don't know, Biography of Ash Ketchum (anime) or something like that. Weedle Mchairybug (talk) 13:31, 15 January 2023 (UTC)

Split by media (cont.)

I personally support the idea of splitting the page by media. Since he's an anime character, first and foremost, that should be the main focus of his main page, while sections like games and manga could get their own subpages. That'd shorten this page significantly. There's precedence, since his achievements were already split into their own page years back. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 19:27, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

Agreed, this page is really really bloated. It's better for anything not anime related to get their own pages so this page is more navigable. Totomeister (talk) 22:18, 12 March 2026 (UTC)

Larvitar and Nebby in wrong section

Larvitar and Nebby were never owned, or caught, by Ash. Therefore they cannot be released by him. So, they should not be in released section. They should be in the travelled with section. Please, move them accordingly. Horn (talk) 13:02, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Multiple official sources show them amongst other Pokémon owned by Ash, so Bulbapedia counts them as his Pokémon, despite them not being officially caught (same also applies for Misty's Togepi and Mallow's Shaymin). Examples include JN132 (where Larvitar is included among Ash's Johto Pokémon and Solgaleo is included among his Alola Pokémon) and the endings of the To Be a Pokémon Master arc (which similarly included those Pokémon among Pokémon that Ash had officially owned). --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 13:07, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

I don't think this answer is sufficient. Bulbapedia should be precise encyclopedia, not encyclopedia that just cites official sources. And the fact is Ash never actually caught those Pokémon. So, in precise encyclopedia, they should not be listed alongside caught Pokémon. Not to mention it causes confusion when other people are quoting Bubapedia as the correct source, when it, in fact, is not correct in this case. And the same should also be true for Misty's Togepi and Mallow's Shaymin (thank you for pointing them out). They similarly should not be listed next to Pokémon Misty and Mallow respectively caught. Because otherwise, it opens up a Pandora's box for other Pokémon that were not actually caught and owned by their "trainers". Like Dedenne for Bonnie. Or Deoxys for Tory. See where this is heading? So, I think these misinformations should be corrected before they will start spreading uncontrollably. Horn (talk) 23:50, 18 June 2026 (UTC)

Bulbapedia makes decisions with official sources at the forefront. There are also other examples of Pokémon not officially caught in a Poké Ball that are still counted as belonging to those Trainers, with Misty's Togepi/Togetic being a notable example. As for Dedenne, we know that it was officially caught by Clemont, so it's officially counted as his Pokémon, with Bonnie just looking after it with Clemont's permission. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 01:04, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

Do the official sources really consider it strictly "released" or something more general like "no longer under ownership"? Putting it under "released" is factually wrong. Rocket Grunt 12:27, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

"Released" is for Pokémon that were officially owned for longer than one episode that are no longer under the character's ownership. Based on the evidence we have, this applies to Togetic for Misty and Solgaleo and Larvitar for Ash. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 12:54, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

"Released" imply caught. If they were never called "released" there's no basis for keeping them under that group. Rocket Grunt 14:54, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

I mean, if you wanna get super technical, Ash has never released any of his Pokemon. SM confirms he still owns the Poke Balls of all his Pokemon, including the ones he's sent back into the wild. So like... there's that. Blast Resort (talk) 19:02, 19 June 2026 (UTC)

But that's the point. Evidence is only pointing to the fact that Solgaleo, Larvitar and Togetic were never caught and therefore actually owned by their respective "trainers". Therefore, they cannot be released by them in any meaning of that word. So they should not be listed as released in the first place. That's what I was saying in my initial post. I really don't care what evidence you are using to support your claim that they were owned, because they were not. They were taken care of and therefore, like Dedenne for Bonnie, they should be in this section, not in released section. Because, honestly, their fate is not much different than that of Dedenne, except that they were not actually caught by anyone else. Horn (talk) 00:43, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

What category are we moving them? I propose "No longer under ownership". Rocket Grunt 16:06, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

I think this needs an admin opinion before anything is moved. The evidence based on official sources still supports their current placement. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 16:39, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

What evidence? Being put along with other Pokemon that Ash used to own doesn't conflict with specifying the type of ownership. Putting them under "Released" conflicts with reality, because it implies they were caught first. Rocket Grunt 19:40, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Misty's Togetic is also considered released, despite having never been officially caught. Official ownership doesn't necessarily have to include capture if the official sources say so, which they do in case of Larvitar and Solgaleo. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 19:46, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Again, evidence? Rocket Grunt 19:54, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Listed in an earlier response: JN132 (where Larvitar is included among Ash's Johto Pokémon and Solgaleo is included among his Alola Pokémon) and the endings of the To Be a Pokémon Master arc (which similarly included those Pokémon among Pokémon that Ash had officially owned). -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 19:57, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Exactly, owned and let go, not "released". Rocket Grunt 20:06, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Letting go is the same as release in this context. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 20:07, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

It can, but as you can see it creates confusion, in Pokemon there's a important distinction if Pokemon was caught in Poke Ball or not and the word "released" is associated with "caught". Rocket Grunt 20:11, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

They never were under ownership. That's what I am trying to say in the first place. They were taken care of by their trainers. Therefore the right category for them should be the same as Bonnie's Dedenne, which has category "Caring for!, only in this case in past tense, so the category should be "Cared for". That would avoid any confusion IMO. Horn (talk) 00:38, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

The official sources I've brought up in this conversation (including opening theme songs and alike) have included them amongst Ash's officially owned Pokémon. It's similar to Misty's Togepi, which also wasn't caught but is still counted as one of her Pokémon. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 05:22, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Yes, well, we are turning in circles. They were not owned! No matter what the official materials imply. It's the same for all three of these Pokémon, Larvitar, Solgaleo and Togetic. Bulbapedia should be accurate according to what actually happened, not what official sources claim. If Wikipedia claimed Kim Il Sung is god based on official North Korean materials, everyone would have laughed at them. And rightly so. Here, I see the same thing, official materials conflicting with facts. And I really think facts should take precedent over official claims. Especially if facts are right in your face as it is in this case. Conflicts between official sources and what actually happened can be mentioned, but cannot be claimed as a fact if Bulbaoedia still wants to be taken seriously. Horn (talk) 10:03, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Official stuff is the same thing as facts, in this case. Bulbapedia based its stuff on official sources, because that's what's canon. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 11:23, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

I can't anymore! This defies logic so much, that I can't even find logical counter to this illogical nonsense. Just because official materials contradicts facts depicted in the anime itself doesn't mean they are canon. On the contrary, actually. If official materials supplement anime facts, then they should be taken as canon. But if they outright contradicts facts depicted in the anime, as is the case here, they should never be considered canon. That's what common sense says. Horn (talk) 12:31, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

It's clearly not "common sense" if multiple people disagree. We're not talking about real events here, we're talking about a work of fiction, so of course official sources from its creators/owners are relevant (especially since some of these sources are actual scenes from the anime itself). Hewer (talk) 12:40, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

It doesn't matter how many people defy logic if it is illogical. If one hundred people told me US President is Arnold Schwarzenegger, I still wouldn't take it as fact, because it clearly is not. And in this particular case, only two people actually disagree with me. That is, technically, multiple, but not enough to tell that is any significant disagreement.

So, let's go over the scenes in the anime. Japanese openings are not canon. I was hoping that was established long ago. Imagination and memories of another character may be consider canon, but in this case, it only proves what we already know, that these Pokémon were cared of by Ash and Misty respectively. It doesn't prove in any way that they were owned by Ash and Misty. So, what other material is there that clearly claims Larvitar, Solgaleo and Togetic were ever owned by Ash and Misty? No one shown me any yet. The facts are clear, though, these Pokémon were never caught and therefore were never owned by their trainers. They were only taken care of them. And materials shown in the actual show does not disprove this fact. Any other material outside of the actual anime should not be taken as canon. Case closed. And this article, as well as all others regarding the same misinformations, should be changed to reflect facts that were shown in the show itself. Horn (talk) 15:07, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Even if it may seem illogical, it's still stuff coming from the show's creators, meaning it's canon unless stated otherwise, regardless of one's personal feelings. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 17:33, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

But no one yet shown me any official material that claims these Pokémon were owned by Ash and Misty respectively. Therefore, that fact is not canon and should not be taken as canon, The only canon proved even by official materials I saw and mentioned so far is that these Pokémon were not owned. And that is also the only canon Bulbapedia should stick with. Horn (talk) 23:43, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Examples of official evidence have been previously mentioned in this discussion. Specifically, it's the fantasies featuring all of Ash's Pokémon from JN132 and the opening theme song to the "To Be a Pokémon Master" arc. In both cases, Larvitar is shown with Ash's other Johto Pokémon, while Solgaleo is shown with Ash's other Alola Pokémon. As for Togepi, there are numerous instances of Togepi being referred to as "my Togepi" by Misty or "your Togepi" by other characters in multiple episodes. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 08:54, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

As I already mentioned, these scenes in Journeys are not evidence they belonged to Ash. It is only evidence that they were taken care of Ash.And Openings are not, and never were, canon. As for Togepi, well, the same things were told about Bonnie's Dedenne. And we don't consider Dedenne Bonnie's Pokémon. So, no, these are not any evidence pointing to the fact they were owned. If you want to take that as evidence they were owned, fine. But Bulbapedia should not. Horn (talk) 09:50, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

(resetting indent)Again, don't forget about Togetic. It was never officially caught, yet it has always been counted as her Pokémon and is counted as a released Pokémon for her. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 20:17, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Since you're not disagreeing with the distinction, but rather consider "release" just a broader option, I don't think separating these Pokemon is something anyone is truly against. We still can think of "departure" as a type of "release". I went ahead and made some changed. If anyone has anything to say, please do. Rocket Grunt 22:36, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

I still respectfully disagree. I did not say I agreed with the distinction. Having two separate titles that effectively mean the same thing. They both should stay under the "released" header, at least for now, until we get a third opinion from an admin or alike. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 22:59, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Also, as I brought up before, none of Ash's Pokemon were ever officially released. Even if the label were to be changed, I'd sooner propose it be changed to "In the wild" or something, which would also leave room for Larvitar and Solgaleo to be included. Blast Resort (talk) 01:59, 21 June 2026 (UTC)

Agreed also, I think this discussion is a bit excessively hair-splitting. (Somewhat related, it would probably be a good idea to overhaul in general the way we list Pokémon owned by anime characters, since the whole "On hand", "Released" etc. headings were clearly thought up back when we thought Ash's journey would go on forever and we'd always have a relevant "present" point to base it on, but that's a bigger discussion.) Hewer (talk) 13:41, 21 June 2026 (UTC)

Fine, but it seems that no admin wants to join the discussion. For me, the best option would be to merge some of these categories, because there are no meaningful differences between them. Does it really matter how Ash lost some of them, rather than simply that they're no longer his?

My proposal would be:

"With Professor Oak/In rotation" + "With Kukui and Burnet/In rotation" + "At home" = In rotation

"In training" + "Released" + Aipom = No longer with Ash (perhaps excluding Squirtle, since Ash used it again after leaving it with the Squirtle Squad)

"Temporarily owned" + Raticate + "Given away" = Temporarily owned (for episodic cases)

Rocket Grunt 20:53, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

I think the current format is perfectly fine as it is. I feel it's important to note where each Pokémon is by default. Also, why was the notion of Bulbapedia not counting temporary captures as official captures removed? As of writing, those captures do not count as towards Ash's total number of officially owned Pokémon. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 21:59, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

The problem is that there is no "default" anymore, the show has ended. I don't think it makes much sense for us to prioritise the last few episodes of the series as an eternal present over any of its other eras (which are all just as concluded), and anyway I don't think that the various final fates of Ash's Pokémon are really the most crucial or helpful thing to immediately communicate about them to the reader looking at Ash's page. Perhaps a more helpful and neutral distinction could be to segment it by the Pokémon he obtained in each region/series, since let's be real, Hawlucha and Greninja (for example) are both equally no longer part of Ash's current Pokémon roster once he moves on to Alola, they just happened to have slightly different narrative circumstances surrounding their departures. Hewer (talk) 23:07, 23 June 2026 (UTC)

1. Only you, FinnishPokéFan92, think this is fine. As you can see there are more people who disagree. Making small distinctions like "On training" used to make sense because it implied they could be used again by Ash, but that's not the case anymore.

2. I deleted the part about "Bulbapedia counting official catches" is arbitrary. They're still separated from the rest so it doesn't change anything except this site pretending to be an official source. Rocket Grunt 11:04, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

This site is not pretending to be an official source. We're just basing the information we present on official sources. You shouldn't remove stuff like that without admin approval. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 11:27, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

It literally said "do not count (...) by Bulbapedia". It's not something that could be backed up with any source. It's claiming Bulbapedia is the judge, which is super weird and doesn't fit any standards here. Rocket Grunt 11:58, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

And also, we really don't need admin approval for every little change, especially not if it's agreed upon by other users. Being an admin doesn't (or shouldn't) mean their opinions automatically have more weight. Hewer (talk) 12:02, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

Regardless, it'd be an important note to maintain as to not confuse readers on why these Pokémon aren't counted towards the total number of Pokémon owned by Ash. And yeah, not every "little change" needs to consulted, that's true, but edits that outright alter an article format in a way not presented anywhere else should probably be consulted on before being made. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 12:07, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

I didn't say not to consult, just to remember that admin opinions are not inherently more valuable than those of other users. Hewer (talk) 12:17, 24 June 2026 (UTC)

The reason is already provided, they're Pokemon that appeared for only one episode which make them less important narratively, there's no reason to claim anything more. What's more important is the change for the page structure. Seems like we have the majority of people who are willing to voice their opinion for the change. Admins seem to not choose any side and leave the resolution for us. Rocket Grunt 09:40, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

It's ultimately up to the admins to decide what big changes are approved. Pokémon like Raticate and Beedrill getting their own articles is because they were notable in the episodes they appeared in and were essentially characters of the day, which also have their own articles. This is also why they're included in their current sections and aren't counted as temporarily owned Pokémon. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 10:54, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Well it shouldn't be ultimately up to the admins, it should be up to user consensus. Hewer (talk) 12:40, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

resetting indent

We made a separation within the released section to visually distinguish the two groups while maintaining the header that represents what is most easily understood within the franchise's context. Along with reading the accompanying note, interested readers are welcome to visit the individual pages. ^Maverick_Nate 11:25, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

That's an acceptable solution. However, I'd like to ask whether we could make this page more universal now that Ash's journey has ended by merging some of the categories, as I suggested above. For example, Ash can presumably retrieve Pokémon from either Professor Oak or Kukui at any time, so I'm not sure there's much value in separating them. Likewise, I don't see a strong reason to distinguish Pokémon based on the specific method by which Ash lost them. Another possibility would be to organize Pokémon in rotation by the region or series in which they were caught. That might make the page easier to navigate for readers who are interested in a particular series. Rocket Grunt 12:11, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Depending on how other pages for completed series handle content, I think it's reasonable to adjust certain things now that the series is concluded. Switching to past tense and stuff like that. I do however think there's still quite a lot of value in knowing where the Pokémon are at the conclusion of the story. Taking it down to a sort of binary of in party vs "in storage" vs "gone" (for ease of conversation), I think that's simplifying things a bit too much. I believe that simpler binary is better treated by the third-tier headers, while still allowing the fourth tier headers continuing to drill down more.

For the point about easier parsing of party/storage data for his Pokémon, I agree with you. It's very difficult to have to read through 20+ years of episode story content to try to find how Ash's Pokemon makeup changes overtime. I think there are quite a few Userspace drafts trying to work through that idea, so maybe that can be a nice next expansion project to make Ash's page(s) better. A new section on this talk page would be good to work out further details there. ^Maverick_Nate 15:14, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

Seconded, in regards that it's important to know where each of Ash's Pokémon is at the moment. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 17:30, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

I think this is acceptable compromise. But the same thing should be done for Togetic on Misty's page. And those Pokémon's articles should be changed from Ash's Larvitar/Solgaleo and Misty's Togetic to Larvitar (anime), Nebby (anime) and Togetic (anime). Ash's and Misty's prefixes should redirect to those pages, but should not be official titles of these articles. Horn (talk) 15:27, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

The page titles have been vetted through rounds and rounds of challenge and discussion throughout their existance (you can read up on them on the talk pages). Since there is no new evidence or any new angles to be considered, the most recent decision of being "titled with the trainer they are most well known to be owned or commanded by" still stands. ^Maverick_Nate 16:40, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

But there also are not any evidence that tells these articles should be titled with misinformation. And it is misinformation that they are those trainers' Pokémon, when they, in fact, are not. And Bulbapedia should not spread misinformations, right? Horn (talk) 23:36, 25 June 2026 (UTC)

There is in-show evidence that shows these Pokémon are officially considered Ash's, despite not being caught. For example, these two screenshots from JN132, which show Larvitar and Solgaleo amongst Ash's other officially obtained Pokémon, as well as the Japanese opening to the "To Be a Pokémon Master" arc, which also listed them amongst Ash's other Pokémon. -- FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 09:01, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

See my comment above. No, these scenes are not evidence that they were officially owned. And Japanese openings were never canon. If you want to ignore facts and spread misinformations, fine. But Bulbapedia should not. Horn (talk) 09:55, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

Why are you acting like you're the ultimate arbiter of what's "canon" and what isn't? Everything that's part of the show is "canon". The point of bringing up these sources is that they prove the whole "never caught in a Poké Ball" thing to be a hair-splitting distinction that official sources don't actually care to make when showing Ash's Pokémon, so we at Bulbapedia don't need to make the distinction for them and say that we know better than the anime's creators/owners. Hewer (talk) 09:59, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

The JN132 scenes, certain openings, promotional poster for To Be A Pokémon Master including both Nebby and Larvitar points to the creators of the show considering them to be Ash's Pokémon, even if they were not traditionally caught by him. And if the creators are consistently placing these two Pokémon alongside Ash's other Pokémon, then that should be a clear indication of their intentions. Also, the JN132 scene also has Primeape and Ambipom, two Pokémon that Ash no longer have possession of, but you're not arguing whether Primeape should be considered Ash's. As for Togepi, it chose Misty. Misty was the first thing it saw and chose her is its mother. At least, that's what I remember the explanation being in the episode it hatched.--ForceFire (talk) 10:16, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

The articles are titled that way because those are the most identifiable names for those Pokémon, since they spent the most time with those trainers. The opening paragraphs clearly specify that these Pokémon were not caught in PokéBalls, so no "misinformation" is being spread.

Plus, catching a Pokémon in a PokéBall is not the only way of "owning" a Pokémon. Even the games have shown various NPCs who do not keep the Pokémon in Balls. Thus, saying that just because they were not "caught" in the traditional sense, that they were not "owned", is also wrong. → SuperPikaPool13 10:23, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

Saying that catching Pokémon is not the only way of owning is exactly what is wrong with this debate. Games shown NPCs that don't have Pokémon in balls, yes, but never said these Pokémon were not caught in ball. And for player, catching Pokémon in ball or trading it with another Pokémon they caught in a ball is the only way of owning Pokémon. That was made clear in games. Heck, even in Alola games Lilie never called Nebby her own Pokémon, just Pokémon she cares for. That should tell you enough about how games treat owning a Pokémon. And Bulbapedia should go with that, not creating its own broader definition of "owning" for anime when it's comfortable.

I am saying these Pokémon were cared for by their respective trainers, to the point that they were treated the same way as their own Pokémon. I don't dispute that. But they never were owned, because they never were caught. And Bulbapedia should make that clear.

But at this point, I am giving this up. It's obvious I am in minority with my attempt to stop Bulbapedia from spreading misinformation about these Pokémon. So, go on Bulbapedia, spread misinformation about these Pokémon being owned. All I can do now is to point the facts on other pages, whenever Bulbapedia is quoted there. I tried here and failed. Now, I will have to go and spread facts elsewhere. Horn (talk) 11:10, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

If we're using the games as an argument, the fact that it is possible to own a Pokémon without having caught it in a Poké Ball is actually a minor plot point in Legends Arceus, with several characters in the game owning all of their Pokémon in this way. And by extension, it comes up again in Masters, with the wording of this scene pretty unambiguously suggesting that ownership of a Pokémon doesn't necessarily depend on it being in a Poké Ball. Hewer (talk) 01:49, 27 June 2026 (UTC)

OK, I will still answer to this. PLA is a past before balls became common. You can't take that as a canon for modern times. Masters is not canon. Plus, that line doesn't contradict that catching is owning. On the contrary, actually. The line confirms that. Irida doesn't want to catch Glaceon, because she doesn't want to own it. So, it confirms my narrative not yours. And no canonical mainline game that takes place in modern times said that there are other ways to own Pokémon than catching it.Horn (talk) 17:02, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

The line is "I was a little uncomfortable putting my Glaceon inside a Poké Ball" - notice the use of "my Glaceon", as in, the Glaceon she owns (despite not keeping it in a ball). The fact that Legends Arceus takes place in the past doesn't change anything, the point is that it shows that owning Pokémon without a Poké Ball is a valid way to own them, just one that's no longer common in modern times. Also, once again, I don't know why you're acting like you get to decide what's "canon". Of course Masters is canon, it's an official game. It may or may not be a part of the narrative continuity of the core series, but that's not relevant to this discussion (which is mainly about the anime anyway, also not part of said continuity). Hewer (talk) 20:51, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

The sentence you feel is important in that narrative is not the sentence I see is important in that narrative. I feel more important is the next sentence: "It felt like we wouldn’t be equal anymore – like it would make me her ‘master’." In this one sentence Irida confirmed that not catching by ball is not full ownership. Hence my narrative is confirmed and not yours, She calls Glaceon "my" after she actually caught it as said later in that monologue.

The fact you yourself said it may or may not be part of the main continuity is the important part. If there is doubt if something is canon it should be treated as non-canon until proven otherwise, ideally by the Pokémon Company. And the same goes for anime canon as well. Unlike you, I don't feel like the last arbiter of what is and isn't canon. I just feel that if something was not fully confirmed as canon it should not be treated as canon in the first place. That's how Bulbapedia should treat canon. Not what some editors feel is canon or not. Horn (talk) 15:24, 9 July 2026 (UTC)

I'm still not really getting why you think "canon" is so important to this discussion in the first place. If something is stated in officially released media, then that makes it relevant for our purposes, so effectively any officially released media is "canon". The idea that things are non-canon until proven canon is also just wrong, since by that logic nothing is canon (no Pokémon games have had official statements regarding their canonicity to my knowledge). Whether Masters is part of the core series continuity shouldn't matter either way, just like how no one calls Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon "non-canon" for not taking place in the same continuity as the original Sun and Moon.
The scene in Masters is referencing the fact that Irida and other characters in Legends Arceus own Pokémon without keeping them in Poké Balls. The lines about how they see each other as equals reflect a pretty common theme in the franchise that doesn't really change the ownership situation (like, I'm sure Ash would say he sees Pikachu as an equal but that wouldn't be cause for us to say he actually doesn't own Pikachu). Maybe Mai's Munchlax is a better example of this. Currently the Legends Arceus character pages do consider this to count as "owning" the Pokémon, so those would need to be changed as well if you still disagree. Hewer (talk) 14:54, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

Let me give you an example from another franchise, Star Trek. For years The Animated Series was not considered canon by Gene Roddenberry and the community respected that and clearly stated its non-canon status. It was later retconned to mainline canon and only then the community accepted its canonical status.

That is something we in Pokémon community should do too. Yes, I understand in our case it is more complicated, because we have plethora of different canons, but then, it is even more important to know what is and isn't canon for that particular canon line. Otherwise, someone will start to say that M20+ continuity is canon for mainline anime (and some actually tried with Ash's father). Do you see my point? Horn (talk) 23:34, 12 July 2026 (UTC)

That analogy doesn't work at all because, as I've been saying, no authorities on the Pokémon franchise have been telling us which official media is and isn't canon in the same way. I don't think they've ever made a statement that Masters (or any other game) is non-canon. Either way though, as I've also explained, you don't even need to look at the evidence in Masters at all if you prefer, I only brought it up because it clearly re-affirms a plot point that was already present in Legends Arceus (the fact that it is possible to own Pokémon without keeping them in balls). Hewer (talk) 01:20, 13 July 2026 (UTC)

And, of course, you totally ignored that 1) what is said in Masters doesn't confirm your narrative, but my narrative the way it's said and 2) As I already pointed out, you can't take PLA, which takes place before balls became common things as a canon for modern times. No modern game ever stated that owning is not catching. I already pointed out the case of Nebby in Alola games, which you ignored too, because it simply did not align with your odd definition of owning. But unfortunately for you, in modern timeline games, the only way to own Pokémon is to catch it. So, case closed. And please, cease bringing PLA to this debate again, as that clearly is nonsense for our debate. Horn (talk) 11:19, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

I didn't ignore either of those things, I addressed them in previous replies. Read my comments again if you need to. Hewer (talk) 18:57, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

English is not my native language, but I feel skilled enough to know that you never clearly addressed anything I pointed out. You walked around them and either outright ignored them or came up with excuses worth of preschooler who broke a vase. Therefore I feel continuing in this debate makes no sense. We are just uselessly spamming this comment section. Horn (talk) 15:41, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

...So anyway, might as well ask this since it's semi-related: Should Haunter be considered a gift Pokemon? There's multiple statements from the Sabrina arc that suggest it was caught offscreen (a la Squirtle) and if that's the case it would qualify as a temporary Pokemon rather than just a travel mate. Blast Resort (talk) 16:23, 26 June 2026 (UTC)

I think we should also tackle this topic as there's no substance behind calling Haunter "Sabrina's", it's either Ash's or wild. Rocket Grunt 19:15, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

There is no clear evidence Ash caught Haunter. So it should never be called Ash's, just like Solgaloe and Larvitar should not. If Ash caught it, I am sure the anime would be clear about it if nowhere else, then at least at the end showing Ash giving Sabrina Haunter's ball. That did not happen, so I think it's clear to say that Haunter was not Ash's. But I agree that calling it Sabrina's is not right either since we have no clear evidence she caught it. So it should be kept as Haunter (anime). Horn (talk) 15:35, 9 July 2026 (UTC)

It'd probably be best if we moved this discussion to Talk:Sabrina's Haunter. That said, it'd also be good to check to see if there's any new evidence that hasn't already been discussed at length on that page (especially on the archived talk page). Landfish7 20:28, 9 July 2026 (UTC)

For encyclopedic purposes, Bulbapedia does not consider these to be official captures.

I don't support this note because it doesn't appear to provide any information beyond the existing disclaimer: "This section is for the Pokémon Ash temporarily caught and released within a single episode." That statement already explains why these Pokémon are separated from Ash's canon captures.

My main concern is the wording that "Bulbapedia does not consider these to be official captures." This frames the distinction as a judgment made by Bulbapedia rather than an organizational choice. Bulbapedia's role is to document and organize information from the source material, and I do not think it is necessary to invoke the concept of an "official" capture when the section criteria already explain the distinction.

I suspect most readers intuitively understand why Pokémon that remained under Ash's ownership for only a single episode are separated from the rest of his Pokémon. If they were treated identically to other captures, they would presumably need to be distributed among the existing categories based on their current status, which would make the page structure less practical.

More broadly, now that Ash's story has concluded, it may be worth discussing whether his Pokémon should continue to be organized primarily by current status at all. Alternative approaches, such as grouping them by series, by region, or simply by whether Ash still owns them, could potentially make the page easier to navigate. Regardless of how that broader question is resolved, I do not think the "official captures" disclaimer is necessary, as the section description already provides sufficient context. Rocket Grunt 14:34, 15 July 2026 (UTC)