Who is the first protagonist shown in the Pokémon anime?

Ash Ketchum is the first protagonist shown in the Pokémon anime.

He debuted in the first episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”, which premiered in Japan on April 1, 1997. In that episode, Ash oversleeps and receives Pikachu from Professor Oak, beginning a journey through the Pokémon world. The character's Japanese name is Satoshi, a reference to Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri.

Ash is loosely based on Red, the player character from Pokémon Red and Blue, but he is not the same character. Red is the controllable hero of the original games, while Ash was created as the anime's central television protagonist. His constant partner throughout the long-running series was Pikachu.

Ash remained the anime's main character through its first 25 seasons. He eventually became World Champion in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, after which Pokémon Horizons introduced new central protagonists Liko and Roy. That later change does not alter Ash's status as the original anime lead.