Ash Ketchum is named Satoshi in the Japanese Pokémon animated series.
The character’s Japanese name honors Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of the original Pokémon concept. In the English localization, he was renamed Ash Ketchum, while his rival Gary Oak was called Shigeru, reflecting Shigeru Miyamoto’s Japanese given name.
Ash debuted in the television series’ first episode, which premiered in Japan on April 1, 1997. He began his journey from Pallet Town and received Pikachu from Professor Oak after arriving late to choose a conventional starter Pokémon.
Ash remained the central anime protagonist for more than two decades. In 2022, he became the Pokémon World Champion after winning the Masters Eight Tournament. His story concluded in subsequent episodes, after which Pokémon Horizons introduced Liko and Roy as its main characters.