With all the battles and experiences Pokémon he’s lived, and the fact that he spends most of his time with people older than him, it’s easy to forget that Ash Ketchum is only 10 years old. However, there are times when he acts like he is his age, for which he has paid the price.
Even in the later series, Ash says and does certain things or acts in a certain way to remind us of precisely how old he is, whether it’s being naive, being jealous, or being cocky. However, these occasions are accompanied by a harsh lesson in maturity.
10 Tried To Use Electric Attacks Against Alolan Geodude
Ash encountered an Alolan Geodude when he picked up what he thought was a rock. After the Rotom Dex explained that the Pokémon is a Rock and Electric type, Ash attempted to catch it by having Pikachu use the Electro Ball. However, the move was ineffective, something Ash should have known, since Rotom’s Guide had told him. Pikachu then used Iron Tail and Ash threw a Poké Ball, but the Alolan Geodude hit him in the face and escaped. Like the kid he is, Ash got carried away and forgot about the guy’s effectiveness.
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9 He Lied To Impress Others
Ash had to give a speech for Family Visit Day at the Alola Pokémon School, but he was so nervous that he used the Rotom Dex to record his voice and deliver the speech for him, just the kind of ruse that a kid from 10 years would inventory. While he was making the speech, the Rotom Dex malfunctioned and Ash’s ruse was exposed. In the end, Ash was able to deliver his speech to the praise of the class, but not before spending what must have seemed like a lifetime feeling mortified and embarrassed at his failed attempt to fool everyone.
8 Offended Everyone With His Opinions On Perfume
At first, Ash and Misty had a rather contentious relationship. Like feuding brothers, the two often engaged in pointed exchanges, which is perhaps why Ash didn’t think to make sarcastic remarks to women.
When he walked into a perfume shop in “Pokémon Judgment!”, he couldn’t help but offend everyone with his negative thoughts about the substance, offering his unfiltered opinion when no one asked. Ash was kicked out of the shop and had to resort to dressing up as a girl in order to fight Gym Leader Erika.
7 Fell For Nanu’s Tricks
Ash believed he had found Nanu, the island’s kahuna that he had to find as part of the island challenge. But Nanu, feeling lazy, told Ash that he was Nanu’s colleague and that the person Ash was looking for was on patrol. Ash took Nanu at her word, despite being told that he would meet Nanu at the Ulla’ula Island police station. Nanu then cajoled Ash into taking care of his pet Alolan Meowth, of which he had several. Ash’s naivety caused the Pokémon to scratch, bite and choke him, while someone with more street smarts would have picked up on Nanu’s lies or been more assertive.
6 He Only Used A Palpitoad Against Elesa
After hours and hours of planning, Ash decided to go to his match with Elesa, Nimbasa’s Gym Leader, with only a Palpitoad, even though it was a three-on-three match. He thought that since Palpitoad is resistant to electric attacks and Elesa’s team is made up of electric types, Palpitoad would suffice. As expected, this reckless strategy did not pay off, as Palpitoad was eliminated and Ash had to go to the Pokémon Center to get another Pokémon. An older and wiser trainer would have at least gone with reinforcements instead of using a single Pokémon.
5 Tried To Catch A Harpoon By Throwing A Stone At It
Ash was perhaps the most immature in the first episode of the anime. He fell asleep, argued with Pikachu, tried to catch a Pidgey with his coat, and threw a rock at a Spearow, causing an angry flock to attack Pikachu. This also led to Ash borrowing and destroying Misty’s bike, for which he suffered in other ways. To be sure, the writers left plenty of room for Ash to mature, which he has done over the last two decades…for the most part.
4 He made a joke and got a scare for the inconvenience
In episode 23 of the anime, “The Tower of Terror”, Ash needed to catch a Ghost-type Pokémon, so he headed to the Pokémon Tower with Brock, Misty, and Pikachu. Before entering the tower, Ash thought it would be a good idea to prepare them for what they would find by putting a skull mask on them and scaring them. The others didn’t take it very well, and Pikachu got especially angry and hit Ash with a thunderclap.
3 Fell off a mountain because of jealousy
While Ash was climbing a mountain as part of a test, Misty, riding in a gondola with Brock, told Navel Gym Leader Danny to be very careful, without extending the sentiment to Ash. Feeling slighted, Ash asked why Misty cared so much about Danny and not about him, causing him to slip and fall.
He managed to grab onto a ledge and was about to send Bulbasaur away, but if he did, it would fail Danny’s test of not using his Pokémon to help him. Ash managed to get up, but his jealousy nearly cost him dearly.
2 He Used Pokémon That Weren’t Obedient Yet
Ash has had trouble disciplining certain Pokémon, and perhaps the best example of this was when Ash went up against Ritchie. Ash had many other Pokémon at his disposal, but his lack of foresight caused him to go with the most powerful, Charizard, even though he wasn’t ready to obey it yet. Charizard lay down on the ground and refused to fight, giving Ritchie the victory. With more experience, Ash would have used Pokémon that, even if they weren’t the strongest or fastest, would at least have followed his command.
1 He Had A Big Head Early In His Career
Like most kids who win a game, Ash has been shown to be quite braggart and obnoxious, especially early on. Before his battle with AJ in “The Road to the Pokémon League”, Ash was bragging about the badges he had earned, much to Brock and Misty’s annoyance. The battle was incredibly one-sided, as AJ took down Ash’s Pidgeotto and Butterfree with just his Sandshrew. It was a harsh lesson that showed that it doesn’t pay to be overconfident.
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