What if Ash had got another first pokémon ?

[Fact Checking Gardevoir]

I do not know if this was discussed before but, what if Ash's first pokémon had not been Pikachu, but one of the regular starters, or another ? Or if he had started in another region than Kanto ? Which pokémon would you have wanted it to be ? Would you have this pokémon evolve ?

 

[Sweet Serenity]

This is perhaps the ultimate "what if" question. I can't even imagine Ash without Pikachu. If Ash didn't pick Pikachu, I'm sure whatever else he'd pick would share a strong bond with him just the same. I can't imagine what that Pokémon would be though. It could literally be any Pokémon. I would still want his partner to be Pikachu. They are two peas in a pod. They are perhaps among the most iconic duos in all of entertainment.

 

[sabrina_diamond]

I could imagine Ash getting a Growlithe, since it's quite protective and playful... Ash and Clefairy though? Quite hard to picture. 😅

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Originally Ash was going to have a talking Clefairy, which was honestly a very odd choice... so I am glad they never moved forward with that idea.

In most of the sagas, Ash always has one pokemon that he bonds extremly well with. If not Pikachu, Charmander would have been Kanto. Johto once again focused more on Pikachu that others, but I feel like he bonded more with his Donphan. So that could have possibly be he pokemon in Johto if that is where he had started. Hoenn it was Treecko, so that would have been his choice. Sinnoh was Chimchar. Unova was probably his Krookodile, Kalos was obviously Geninja. Unova was Lycanroc. And finally Journeys was Lucario.

I think over all, Riolu should have been his starting pokemon. Maybe it didn't evolve for a while, but that would show his growth with Lucario. Lucario went through an entire sagas worth of development in a season which I didn't like. Maybe Riolu would have finally evolved in the Unova League like Cameron and then that bond could have carried over into Kalos where he got Mega Lucario or even a Battle Bond Lucario. And then got a new form in Journeys. Ash has always had a strong aura as shown in the Lucario movie, Sinnoh series, Kalos with Greninja and Journeys.

 

[Fact Checking Gardevoir]

I, for one, would see Ash getting his Caterpie as alternate best friend, watch it evolve into Butterfree and go through every season with it.
Had the anime started with Johto, I would totally see Cyndaquil. For Hoenn, my choice would be biased (^^), though imagining Ash having an evolving pokémon as number one, with a growing maturity and its species' characteristics, could have led to interesting scenes.

 

[Alex_Among_Foxes]

Just gonna necro a thread real quick, don't mind me...

I've never watched the anime, but from a story point of view, I think whatshisface could have started out finding a lonly Cubone who lost its family, went through the whole first season with it, it evolves close to the end of the season, then they find its family in the last episode of the season and the Cubone-now-Marowak chooses to stay with bassketchup instead. I think it would be a nice nod to the Cubone story in Red/Blue, and I honestly like the look of Marowak as a Pokemon in general.

 

[SprigatitoLove]

Thanks to Ash waking up late to have fate to let him meet up with Pikachu. It seemed he was a lot interested in Bulbasaur, but since he was a genuine lover of Pokémon, he wouldn't have minded the other starter choices.

 

[cloa513]

For Ash to really start his pokemon journey development of earning respect, charmander is best standard starter but it would need to exceptional in character.