I once wrote a short bio of Ash that turned into a rediculously long rant. Anyway *clears throat*:
Many people complain about how stupid Ash is, but I think he?s smarter that everyone gives him credit for. He is as gutsy and stubborn as all get-out, he tends to act without thinking first, he?s so focused on pok?mon that his knowledge of other things (such as girls) is somewhat limited, and he?s often naively cheerful and optimistic; but none of these things make him stupid. If he doesn?t win an important battle, he usually comes close with either a boatload of determination and trust in his pok?mon or tactics that are much more creative and effective than anything I could come up with.
Probably the most important trait about Ash is that he?s really close to his pok?mon, especially Pikachu (the first one he?s ever had). Sometimes his faith is what gives him the edge in a match. Many people in the show have commented on how it?s almost like he has a telepathic connection with them. On his first day traveling, he saw the legendary phoenix-like Ho-oh, a pok?mon that left humans hundreds of years ago and vowed not to return until the hearts of pok?mon and humans meet again as one. Ash seems to be the only one Ho-oh will appear to, as he is always alone save for Pikachu whenever he sees it. He also has almost given his life for Pikachu several times and one time did die to save it and the rest of the pok?mon. A pok?mon named Mewtwo was convinced that humans only wanted to enslave pok?mon for their own selfish interests and decides to destroy the human race. After seeing Ash sacrifice his own life to stop a match that would cost Pikachu and several other pok?mon?s lives, Mewtwo decided to forgive the human race. The pok?mon somehow gave some of their energy through their tears to bring him back to life. The movie ends with Ash seeing Mew, a pok?mon who only appears to pure-hearted people, but none of his companions can. A year later, we learn that Mewtwo has gone to an island on a harsh mountain lake because he feels that he doesn?t deserve to be with the rest of the world. Giovanni came after him and Ash basically came to protect him and convince him that he isn?t just a freak of nature and he needs to stop punishing himself. At the end of the movie, Mewtwo tells Ash, ?If one day you hear my voice, know that it is my spirit, calling across time and space to yours?. Ash can hear his voice in the next scene, but once again none of his traveling companions are able to. In one of the more dramatic, action packed episodes, there was a special stadium set up by the main villains of the show that caused trainers to feel all the pain that their pok?mon feel during the battle. It was meant to dampen Ash?s enthusiasm for battling, but it instead has the opposite effect and make him want to work harder for his pok?mon. There was an episode when Ash had to lend Bulbasaur to Professor Oak to help with some problems. It turned out that solving them more difficult than originally thought, so Ash had to give his ownership of Bulbasaur to Professor Oak. At one point, it looked like Bulbasaur was about to be killed by a huge boulder. There where a bunch of flashbacks of Ash and Bulbasaur. Ash wakes up from his nap and looks a little puzzled as if he senses something, but can?t identify what. He looks up at the sky, smiles, and says Bulbasaur?s name. It goes back to the scene with Bulbasaur and it turns out that it learned an ability, called dig, which bulbasaurs aren?t even supposed to know to avoid being crushed at the last minute. In one episode, a really strong pok?mon trainer froze Charizard, nearly costing its life. Ash painstakingly nursed it back to health, finally convincing Charizard that he really does want the best for his pok?mon. One could argue that Ash and Charizard became even closer that Ash and Pikachu. In one tearjerker episode they came upon Charicific Valley, which is sort of a prestigious training camp for charizards. Charizard dreamed of entering the camp and Ash decided that it would be wrong to keep it from accomplishing its dreams and decided to let it stay. At the end of the episode he had a difficult time saying goodbye to Charizard and at one point says something to the effect of, ?I don?t want a weak charizard, anyway?. Charizard is surprised, but not really mad, as he knows what his friend really means. Ash tries to say goodbye to it, but gets too choked up and has to run off before he can change his mind. The episode ends with Ash running away from Charizard and crying, silently begging Charizard not to forget him. Occasionally Charizard comes to help Ash out of a tight spot. In yet another episode, there was an egg that hatched into a larvitar, but there was a problem ? this one was sick. Ash tried his best to nurse it back to help, but with no luck. He fell asleep holding it and had a dream where he was inside the egg, being kicked around by people and nearly getting run over by a truck. When he woke up he somehow knew that it was Larvitar?s nightmare that he was experiencing. He figured out that Larvitar wasn?t sick, but simply scared. He eventually befriended it and helped it get used to the world. I think those things are a pretty good indication that he and his pok?mon are really close.
One thing that he does have trouble with is when one of his pok?mon doesn?t return the loyalty. When one of them disobeys, he usually ends up either begging or yelling, which as you can imagine gets absolutely nowhere. He?s gotten them all (Charizard, Primeape, Pikachu, and Bayleef) to trust him eventually, but it?s usually taken more than one episode. It took a whole two seasons before Charizard finally befriended and respected Ash.
One of his other bad traits is his ego, especially after a certain number of victories. Usually when he loses an important match, it?s because he gets overconfident. Sometimes he can even get ****y and a bit obnoxious. Usually when he has this attitude, something happens to humble him down before long. He?s gotten much less egotistical as the series goes on, but he is still in no way humble.
The fifth, but in no way the least, important trait is that he?s really passionate about pok?mon. He dreams of becoming the greatest pok?mon master of all time, a dream that most people would consider so great that it is folly to even try. He gets angry with anyone who in any way abuses pok?mon and usually kicks his or her butt. In one episode, Team Rocket tried to steal the flame that represented the virtues and honor of the Kanto League. Ash gave sort of a speech on how they where trying to ruin the honor of trainers everywhere. They use the flame to try to kill him, but the fire doesn?t affect him at all. It instead forms a legendary firebird pok?mon that protects the honor of the Kanto League, Moltres, who defeats Team Rocket.
EDIT: Eh? Why was "****y" censored?
