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80-432: Approximately 90 minutes in length, the plot follows Ash Ketchum , Misty and Brock as they travel to a contest to win the much sought-after Diamond Badge. The event turns out to be part of a plan by the evil organization Team Rocket and its diabolical leader Giovanni to take over the world. The show was successful, but received mixed reviews from critics. Despite the official Pokémon website mentioning plans for it,

160-604: A transgender woman , a friend of her later metaphorically describing the character as "a human trapped in a Pokémon's body." In both their games and anime portrayals, Team Rocket have been cited as some of the best villains in the Pokémon franchise. Chris Carter of Destructoid called the English voice team for Jessie, James, and Meowth (Lillis, Stuart, and Blaustein) "some of the show's finest work." The relationship between Team Rocket and show's central cast has been noted as

240-602: A Japanese version of Pokémon Live! . This show may be based on televised anime, but its antecedents lie in American musicals from The King and I to Annie to The Lion King , with the Solid Gold Dancers and the Backstreet Boys mixed in. If you have a rudimentary knowledge of Pokémon and an enthusiastic underage companion, you'll find that you're having a good time even as your eyes roll towards

320-499: A Secret"). Soon, all five of them converge in the forest. Delia tells Ash that Giovanni has Pikachu in his hideout and that Team Rocket kidnapped him. Ash is furious, determined to get his Pokémon back and win the Diamond Badge. Before he can leave, Delia tells Ash of her past with Giovanni. Ash is shocked by the news and is in a hurry to leave. Suddenly, Jessie and James appear on scooters, ordering Ash to come with them. The team

400-633: A branding revamp rather than the conclusion of a satisfying and coherent emotional arc". The Radio Times cited, however, that the change was a positive one, as despite Ash's iconicity, "If Ash can't grow, how can the show itself evolve and develop? It's admirable how long Pokémon has managed to recycle the same themes and ideas, but even with new generations of cute little pocket monsters to catch, there's only so long we could have watched Ash lose his tournaments over and over again." Team Rocket Team Rocket ( Japanese : ロケット団 , Hepburn : Roketto-dan , Japanese: [ɾo̞ke̞t̚to̞ dã̠ɴ] )

480-465: A character that "each new generation of Pokémon fans could relate to." The character's farewell from the series drew a massive response, with the hashtag "#ThankYouAshAndPikachu" trending on Twitter following the announcement of the character's departure from the series. GamesRadar+ highlighted Ash's significant impact on the series, stating that "New Pokemon might grace my screen, but Ash and Pikachu would be an unchanging presence, anchoring not only

560-732: A child. Team Rocket is the central antagonist in the 2000 stageplay Pokémon Live! , in which Jessie, James, and Meowth successfully steal Ash Ketchum's Pikachu and use it to train Giovanni's Mewtwo . Team Rocket characters additionally frequently appear on cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game , most notably in the Team Rocket expansion released in 2000. As comic relief characters, Jessie, James, and Meowth are very popular among Pokémon viewers. Yahoo! -writer Jay Castello notes that as Pokémon fans grew up,

640-614: A commercial challenging all Pokémon Trainers to win the one-of-a-kind Diamond Badge by defeating him and his Pokémon in a battle. Ash declines to join his mother Delia , and Professor Oak to a lecture on sleep disorders among Snorlax , because he has decided to accept the mysterious Gym Leader's challenge. As he prepares for the journey, Misty chastises him for not taking her to the movies for her birthday as promised three weeks ago. Ash promises to make it up to her somehow, but adds that Pokémon are his friends too ("You and Me and Pokémon"). Together with Brock , Ash and Misty head off for

720-510: A core part of the show by children, as was their moral ambiguity, due to their positive actions contrasting with their antagonistic role. Their complex relationship with the main cast was highlighted as an element that was a core part of the television series, acting as a contrast to Ash while viewers are also made to sympathize with them. Their role in Pokémon The Series: Black and White was cited by Polygon to be one of

800-429: A good pay. Soon, several trainers face off against MechaMew2, which copies the attack of its challengers and uses it against them to defeat them. Among the moves it learns is Self Destruct , which it is not ordered to return as doing so would destroy it. Giovanni praises his mechanical Pokémon and gloats that as soon as it learns every Pokémon's attack, nothing will stand in his way ("It Will All Be Mine (Reprise)"). In

880-588: A home video release never came to fruition. A planned television release was also scrapped. A cast recording CD of the show, however, had a limited release. Plans for 2002 performances in the United Kingdom were also made, but later cancelled. Pokémon Live! was invited to perform in Dubai , U.A.E. at Al Mamzar Park in March 2001, coinciding with the annual Dubai Shopping Festival . A Portuguese version of

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960-462: A new region. Ash also comes into conflict with the criminal organization Team Rocket , primarily in the form of the trio of Jessie , James , and their talking Meowth . While the trio are primarily depicted as comic relief, they often attempt to capture Pikachu in various schemes in order to send it to their boss, Giovanni . Ash also frequently goes up against "rival" characters, such as his former childhood best friend, Gary Oak . Ash's main goal

1040-555: A part of his appeal, being compared to Aristotle's virtues of friendship. Pikachu saving Ash from the Spearow flock in the first episode helped to establish "a level of equality" between the two characters, highlighting the idea of how a reciprocal friendship helped ensure further success. Their "symbiotic" relationship was described as a reason for the "personal flourishing" of Ash as a character. His interactions with his friends and companions have also been described as having helped build

1120-442: A recurring character in the series. James was originally voiced by Eric Stuart . The two actors quickly started to play around with their voices, giving the characters a "prissy" attitude that contrasted with their inability to succeed. Meowth was voiced by Maddie Blaustein for seasons one to eight of the series until her death in 2008. James Carter Cathcart took over the roles of James and Meowth in 2006, and continued to voice

1200-402: A serious and affluent crime syndicate aiming to capture and steal Pokémon for profit. The games present Team Rocket breaking and entering , murdering a mother Marowak , and chopping off the tails of Slowpoke to sell on the black market. In Pokémon Gold , Silver , and Crystal , it is revealed that Team Rocket's leader Giovanni had disappeared after being defeated in the original games, and

1280-404: A strong camaraderie. They are not ideologically aligned with Giovanni and therefore frequently find themselves siding with the series' protagonists. Due to how frequently Jessie and James are shown to crossdress across the series, they are commonly read as queercoded . In 2011, the Pokémon series was building up to an arc in which Giovanni faces off against rival organization Team Plasma, but

1360-534: A valuable lesson that was "relatable for everything from going to a new, unfamiliar school to experiencing defeat in a sport". They stated that Ash's indefinite style of journeying provided a sense of comfort to returning fans, while also symbolizing the Pokémon series' core themes. The book Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Em All , highlighted Ash's role, citing him as a constant and comforting companion to viewers due to his longevity, and as being

1440-442: A world that feels vast and unknowable at a young age, and that the journey to learn about this world is best taken together. I don't know many people who watched Ash's story unfold in its entirety, but every Pokémon fan I know has taken that spirit with them as they've embarked on their own journeys." It drew minor criticism, with Polygon highlighting the retirement of the character as "evolution by forced means of companies seeking

1520-547: Is a fictional crime syndicate in the Pokémon franchise. Team Rocket is a primary antagonist in the original Pokémon video games Red , Green , and Blue , as well as in the long-running Pokémon anime TV-series . In the latter, Team Rocket is primarily represented through the trio of characters Jessie, James, and Meowth , who are major secondary characters throughout the Pokémon TV-series. Team Rocket

1600-431: Is angered and tells him to leave his mother out of this. Jessie and James enter announcing their capture of Ash, missing that he had already entered the arena, and celebrate having done two things correctly in one day. The Boss grows annoyed with them and orders them to leave, and they crash their scooters upon exiting. Joyfully reunited with Pikachu, Ash prepares to battle Giovanni and is shocked when he reveals himself to be

1680-499: Is evil, MechaMew2 feels it must stop his plans no matter the cost. MechaMew2 puts Giovanni in a headlock and prepares to Selfdestruct , telling Mewtwo to take an unconscious Ash somewhere safe. Mewtwo exits with Ash and Pikachu, but not before explaining to Giovanni that Ash was the one who defeated MechaMew2. Giovanni breaks free of MechaMew2's grip and runs just before it blows up. In the forest, Ash's friends ask him what happened, but Ash can't remember Mewtwo's sudden appearance or how

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1760-401: Is never, ever going to be allowed to actually finish what he started. If Ash ever won, it'd be over. If he ever actually became a League Champion in the series, that would be it. The end. How could the story go on? It couldn't. And so every time he gets close, the writers make sure he falls short." They also criticized the "floating timeline" the character was stuck in. Ash's journey never ending

1840-479: Is paired with Pikachu. Ash appeared in the manga series The Electric Tale of Pikachu , and Ash & Pikachu , which follow similar plots to the main anime. Manga author Toshihiro Ono cited Ash as one of his favorite characters to draw for the series, stating, "I want to go on a trip with Misty just like him! (And forget about job, rent, etc.)". The book The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture cited Ash as an example of cultural identification, with

1920-523: Is portrayed as a serious crime syndicate in the video games series, stealing Pokémon. In the TV-series, Team Rocket has a largely comedic role, as the trio of grunts repeatedly fail to steal Pokémon while operating increasingly flashy mecha . The Team Rocket trio in the anime is beloved by Pokémon fans who relate to their roles as young adults . Team Rocket first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red , Green , and Blue , where they are portrayed as

2000-536: Is something at which they're successful ("The Best at Being the Worst"). With that, the Rockets set out to find Pikachu again. Using their Magikarp submarine, they manage to catch up with the trainers at Cerulean Blue Lagoon, where Ash declares that he's going to use Pikachu against the gym leader ("Pikachu (I Choose You)"). While the kids get caught up in the song, Team Rocket captures Pikachu when he dances near them. By

2080-537: Is to become a "Pokémon Master", and as a result often attempts to defeat the Pokémon League ;– a competition of the strongest Trainers in a given region – in whatever region he is in. Though his attempts are typically unsuccessful, he eventually succeeded in becoming a regional Champion in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends , and later became ranked as

2160-496: Is utterly shocked when Ash agrees to join them without a fight. The others try to follow, but Meowth says Giovanni only wanted Ash. As Ash and Team Rocket leave, Delia laments that she gave Ash even more of a reason to confront Giovanni. ("Everything Changes (Reprise 2)"). At his headquarters, Giovanni tells MechaMew2 that soon, their conquest of the world will begin. Ash runs in and demands that his Pikachu be returned. When Giovanni hears his surname and realizes he's Delia's son, Ash

2240-518: The BBC . Kat Bailey, writing for VG247 , highlighted this as a part of both Ash and the Pokémon anime's success, stating that "Pokémon set out to teach kids the meaning of fair play, good sportsmanship, and perseverance. Whenever Ash got knocked down, he would pick himself up again, dust himself off, and keep doggedly pursuing his goals." Ash's defeat in his first tournament was praised, due to his inability to raise his Charizard resulting in his loss. It

2320-508: The XY series, he received minor changes, such as a decrease in the size of the thunderbolt shaped 'birthmarks' on his cheeks. Ash received a major design overhaul for the Sun & Moon anime series. In Japan, Rica Matsumoto has provided the original Japanese voice of Ash since the series' start. Matsumoto highlighted a past experience in which she recorded a message for a hospitalized child as

2400-968: The "Monarch", of the Pokémon World Coronation tournament in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series , dethroning Leon to become recognized as the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world. He also successfully defeated all of the Battle Frontier's Frontier Brains in Pokémon: Battle Frontier , and became Honored Trainer of the Orange Islands in Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands . Ash appeared in Pokémon Puzzle League , acting as

2480-487: The Boss in a fistfight ("You Just Can't Win"). Tiring of the scuffle, Giovanni orders MechaMew2 to attack Ash with Hyper Beam, but Mewtwo appears to save Ash with a forcefield. He then attacks MechaMew2 with a collection of Ash's happy memories, like his love for Pokémon and Misty. MechaMew2 speaks for the first time and rebels against Giovanni, revealing that it learned about love and goodness from Ash. Recognizing that Giovanni

Pokémon Live! - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-421: The English dub, he was voiced by Veronica Taylor in the first eight seasons and Sarah Natochenny afterwards. Ash is a young man who travels with various companions, aiming to fulfill his dream to become a Pokémon Master; his Pokémon lineup constantly changes over the course of the series, with its sole constant member being Pikachu , Ash's first Pokémon. Ash is loosely based on Red , the player character from

2640-681: The Generation I games Pokémon Red and Blue . Satoshi Tajiri , the creator of Pokémon , has stated that Ash represents the 'human aspect' of the series, and that Ash reflects what he himself was like as a child. Ash has been criticized for being stuck in a ' floating timeline ', as well as for his long-lasting inability to win many major Pokémon League competitions in the series. However, his longevity and persistence have also been positively received, and his character has received attention for teaching important and relatable lessons to children. Ash ultimately became Alola League Champion in Pokémon

2720-474: The Gym Leader from the commercial. Giovanni mockingly gives Ash the Diamond Badge, saying he'll retrieve it after Ash loses. Ash orders Pikachu to Thundershock, then Thunder MechaMew2, but the attacks do not affect it. MechaMew2 then returns the attacks, rendering Pikachu unable to battle. With that, Giovanni proclaims his victory because his Pokémon has now learned every single attack. Undaunted, Ash engages

2800-662: The Gym using a map downloaded from the Diamond Badge website. Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth get a call from Giovanni ordering them to go to his headquarters. When they arrive, he gloats about his ultimate creation, MechaMew2. The mechanical monster—based on the powerful Mewtwo he had late in the anime's first season and Pokémon: The First Movie —will soon be unstoppable ("It Will All Be Mine"). He orders Team Rocket to capture Ash's Pikachu , because it has Thundershock and Thunder Attack , two techniques that MechaMew2 doesn't have. They promise to do as he says after he promises them

2880-1172: The Rockets arrive with the captured Pikachu ("Double Trouble"). Giovanni orders them to battle MechaMew2 using Pikachu. They attempt to command Pikachu, but Pikachu shocks the Rockets instead, knocking them into the cages and allowing Oak and Delia to escape. Giovanni is unconcerned with his prisoners' escape. He realizes that Pikachu's trainer is necessary to make it battle, so he orders Jessie, James, and Meowth to bring Ash to him. They agree and set off to capture Ash ("Double Trouble (Reprise)"). Meanwhile, as she and Brock search fruitlessly for Pikachu, Misty admits that she just wanted Ash to realize that he's alienating his friends—specifically, her. Brock realizes Misty really likes Ash, and Misty denies it by saying Brock wouldn't know anything about liking someone—after all, he's always chasing Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny ("Two Perfect Girls"). Not far away, Delia and Professor Oak continue their discussion about her past and conflict over whether or not to tell it to Ash. Meanwhile, Misty continues to lament over her feelings for Ash. Elsewhere, Ash tells himself that he may have to go on without Pikachu, even if it hurts ("I've Got

2960-399: The Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends , and World Champion in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series . Due to the huge popularity, success, and longevity of the Pokémon anime series around the world since its debut, Ash has gone on to become one of the most well-known and recognizable fictional characters of all time. He is considered a pop culture icon and a figurehead character of

3040-519: The US purchased more items featuring Ash and Pikachu, his Pokémon, together. He stated that he felt the character represented the human aspect of the franchise, and was thus a necessity. The character was given a rival named Gary Oak (Shigeru Okido in the Japanese version, after Tajiri's idol/mentor Shigeru Miyamoto ), loosely based on Red's rival Blue . In an interview Tajiri noted the contrast between

3120-568: The antagonists in the anime who actually provide comedic relief through the characters Jessie and James, with Meowth portrayed as a "clever cat" who stands out among other Meowth. The book also mentions Jessie, who possesses a charming allure, as the leader above James. Although the Team Rocket trio is positioned as antagonists, they are not hesitant to help Ash Ketchum and his friends on several occasions, especially when they find themselves in difficult and dangerous situations, as often depicted in

3200-615: The battle ended. He does, however, understand that his mom is still his mom, and he loves her regardless of her past. Reaching into his pocket, Ash pulls out the Diamond Badge, saying that he must have won it after all. He gives the badge to Misty as her birthday present while everybody else celebrates his triumph ("Finale"). Just before curtain call, the entire human and Pokémon cast appear and dance, including Giovanni. The play received negative reception from critics. Little Review said "Maybe it's different in Japan, but it's hard to imagine

3280-514: The biggest missed opportunities with their characters, due to the sudden cancellation of several episodes leading to Team Rocket's character changes in the series being for "nothing." American rapper Lil Uzi Vert named the eighth song on their mixtape, Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World , "Team Rocket", along with other Pokémon references on earlier songs. The book Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese Animation Masterpieces reviews Team Rocket as

Pokémon Live! - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-517: The cause when they pull out the supports and fall into their own trap, leaving a frustrated Meowth to run off for a rope to pull them out. In the meantime, Delia and Professor Oak approach the old, run-down building where the Snorlax lecture is supposed to be held. After Delia confesses that she feels that she is losing touch with her son, the Professor reassures her by saying that things never stay

3440-426: The character going through similar motions players of the games had to in order to progress through them. It additionally emphasized the character's growth and development as the anime series progressed. The Guinness Book of World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition lists Ash as coming 37th out of 50 in a readers' poll of their favorite video game characters. Ash has been described as a "truly admirable hero" who develops as

3520-543: The character, which she stated caused her to feel "more aware of the work I was putting out there." This caused her to change her approach to voicing the character. Her role has been considered highly iconic. Matsumoto voiced Ash as a kind character, and stated that she did not stray away from that portrayal in her performance, even under special circumstances. Hana Takeda briefly voiced the role in Pokémon Journeys: The Series , portraying Ash when he

3600-601: The characters until 2023, when he retired from Pokémon due to oral cancer . Team Rocket appear as the main antagonists in several arcs of the Pokémon Adventures manga, including the Red, Green, and Blue, Yellow, and Gold and Silver arcs. The Team Rocket trio from the anime appear in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga adaptation, where Jessie and James are shown at the end to be married and expecting

3680-576: The characters' relationship in the games and anime; while in the games they were rivals, in the anime, Shigeru represented Satoshi's master. When asked if Satoshi would equal or surpass Shigeru, Tajiri replied "No! Never!" Ash's character design was initially overseen by Sayuri Ichishi, replaced by Toshiya Yamada during the Diamond & Pearl series of the anime. Ash received a redesign in the Best Wishes! series, which included larger brown irises. In

3760-406: The deaf trainer sends out Jigglypuff , who instantly starts singing, which makes everyone fall asleep, after which Jigglypuff draws on their faces. Some time later, Misty wakes up and wipes Jigglypuff's drawings off Ash's face, singing about her unrequited love for him as she does so ("Misty's Song"). Ash and Brock wake up as well, with the former wondering aloud who was singing just now. Misty claims

3840-399: The dramatic core of the series as a whole. The relationship between Serena and Ash has also created a fan community of people who ship them together, with the ship name being called "AmourShipping," with speculation being made that Serena and Ash would end up together. Ash has also garnered praise for serving as a role-model to children by sources such as Business Insider Australia and

3920-627: The episodes were cancelled following the Great East Japan Earthquake . Team Rocket departed the series at the end of the Pokémon Journeys anime. The team also appears in Pokémon Origins and Pokemon Generations , in portrayals more closely aligned with their in-game counterparts. The names Jessie and James reference famous American outlaw Jesse James ; their Japanese names Musashi and Kojirō refer to

4000-429: The forest, Brock chases cute girls and Misty laments that Ash is ignoring her in favor of his Pokémon. Ash tells his friends that he wants them to travel together forever ("My Best Friends"). Jessie, James and Meowth dig a pitfall trap for Ash and his friends to fall into, but the heroes walk right over it without incident because the Rockets forgot to remove the supports. To their misfortune, Jessie and James only realize

4080-623: The game's main playable character. In Pokémon Sun and Moon 's demo, the player receives a letter from Ash, along with his Greninja , which is capable of assuming its "Ash-Greninja" form through its ability Battle Bond. Ash also makes a cameo in the Abandoned Thrifty Megamart location in the main game, where a blurry photo of him and his Pikachu is plastered on a wall in the back room. Ash later appeared as an unlockable Sync Pair in Pokémon Masters EX , where he

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4160-469: The licensing, prompting a shift in recording studios. Natochenney has cited Matsumoto's performance as inspiration for her performance as Ash. Ash first appears in the anime's first episode, " Pokémon, I Choose You! ". The episode takes place on Ash's tenth birthday as he wakes up late to receive his first Pokémon, resulting in the Professor, Oak , giving Ash a rebellious Pikachu. Ash and Pikachu bond after Pikachu saves Ash from an angry Spearow flock, and

4240-399: The movies. The book Japanese Influence on American's Children's Television: Transforming Saturday Morning describes them similarly, citing them as comic relief or as a tension breaker despite being the series' core antagonists. It describes Jessie as being a strong female character, acting as James's superior, as well as how she did not fall into a stereotypical female role. Meowth's role on

4320-492: The pair become close friends. Ash acts as the main character of every series of the anime up until Pokémon Horizons: The Series . Ash travels with many traveling companions throughout the series, starting with the characters Brock and Misty in the original series . His companions tend to rotate throughout the series, as do his Pokémon, with Ash tending to leave most of his Pokémon (Barring Pikachu) in Oak's care when he visits

4400-464: The possible default names players could select for the player character in Pokémon Red and Blue , and the surname tying into the tagline for the series, "Gotta catch 'em all!". He is loosely based on Red, the player character of Pokémon Red and Blue . Tajiri noted in an interview that between Japanese and US reactions to the series, Japanese consumers focused on the character Pikachu , while

4480-538: The primary antagonists of early seasons of the series, where each episode they attempt to kidnap the protagonist 's Pikachu . In the earliest produced episodes of the anime, the trio was halfway intelligent and at times were very formidable foes; while they have assumed a more sinister role in various parts of the series, most notably in the Black and White anime, the three mainly act as comic relief. The characters are presented as simple-minded, bringing slapstick antics to

4560-408: The projection of Haunter on the ceiling." Ash Ketchum Ash Ketchum , known as Satoshi ( サトシ ) in Japan, is a character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo , Game Freak , and Creatures . He was the protagonist of the Pokémon anime for the first 25 seasons, as well as the protagonist of several manga series. In Japanese, the character is voiced by Rica Matsumoto . In

4640-567: The same for long ("Everything Changes"). Suddenly, several Rocket Grunts rush out of the shadows and surround them, and Giovanni says that the lecture was a trap to lure Professor Oak to them. When the Boss also recognizes Delia, she insists that anything between them was in the past, to which he says that some things don't have to change. Giovanni orders the Rocket Grunts to take Delia and Oak to an (offstage) helicopter and to his headquarters, where they'll witness something that will change

4720-417: The samurai Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro . In the English dubbed anime, Jessie was initially voiced by Rachael Lillis , until the dub switched production from 4Kids Entertainment to The Pokémon Company International in 2006, when she was replaced by Michele Knotz . During her audition, Lillis was instructed to make Jessie "sultry" while also keeping her "tough." Lillis did not expect Jessie to be

4800-427: The series progressed. As the Pokémon series evolved, the Team Rocket trio uses an increasingly large number of vehicles and mecha . Most notably, they travel in a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon throughout the show, and use a Gyarados -shaped submarine in its early seasons. Later on, Team Rocket became known for their large number of mecha and gadgets. The Team Rocket characters have sympathetic backstories and share

4880-455: The series. Team Rocket's Meowth - a common species of Pokémon- is unusual within the Pokémon canon, as he is the only Pokémon creature able to speak the human language, whereas all other Pokémon in the series only utter syllables of their own names. Jessie and James originally had an Arbok and a Weezing as their signature Pokémon, respectively, and the trio were later joined by a Wobbuffet as one of their only major recurring Pokémon as

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4960-486: The show goes along, with his willingness to delay his own goals in favor of helping others being highlighted. Ash's role in the anime has received a positive response overall. IGN , in a retrospective for the series, highlighted how Ash's divergence from the games helped the anime come into its own as a series. They described Ash's character as "trustworthy and reliable" and his role in the series as "comforting". His friendship with his Pokémon has also been highlighted as

5040-399: The show, but the entire franchise. It won't matter in a big way, but I'm quietly devastated that now, they won't be there anymore." Kenneth Sheperd, writing for Kotaku , wrote about Ash's longevity as a character and his influence over many generations of children, highlighting his departure as a sad one. He stated that "For fans, myself included, Ash symbolizes learning about who you are in

5120-895: The show, produced by television company SIC , was performed from March 21 to March 27, 2002, at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon , Portugal. A Dutch adaptation of the musical was performed on April 6 and 7, 2002, at the Sportpaleis in Belgium . Footage of the production did not surface until Chris Mitchell, the Production Stage Manager for the US tour, posted videos of the complete performance in Milwaukee's US Cellular Arena (dated December 30, 2000) in seven parts to his personal YouTube channel in 2012 and

5200-499: The song was Jigglypuff's, and the heroes notice that the deaf trainer kept his end of the deal and left his map for them. The group continues on to the next part of the path, this time with Misty carrying the map. Meanwhile, Meowth gets Jessie and James, who have also danced to Jigglypuff's song, out of the pit while complaining about their incompetence. Realizing that Meowth is right, Jessie and James lament their status as failures. Meowth cheers them up by telling them that being failures

5280-414: The struggle of "twenty-somethings who couldn't quite find their place in the world or succeed at their ambitions" became increasingly relatable, and a sub-fandom dedicated to the trio sprang up. The LGBT community largely embraced Team Rocket's queercoding, interpreting them as bisexual drag artists . Blaustein was inspired by Meowth-focused episode "Go West, Young Meowth" to come out and transition as

5360-605: The syndicate is disbanded. Giovanni himself reappears in the 2009 remakes Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver . Each subsequent set of Pokémon video games has its own villainous teams, such as Team Aqua and Team Magma in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire , and Team Galactic in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl . Team Rocket and Giovanni returned as a major antagonist team in the 2017 video games Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon , as "Team Rainbow Rocket." Team Rocket

5440-515: The time Ash realizes Pikachu is missing, Team Rocket is long gone. After an intermission segment in which Ash's Pokédex Dexter explains his important contribution to Ash's continuing success and gathers data from the audience ("What Kind of Pokémon Are You?"), the heroes return to the forest. Ash is positive that his favorite Pokémon has once again been kidnapped by Team Rocket. Misty, still upset about being ignored on her birthday, suggests that maybe Pikachu has just left Ash of his own will because of

5520-410: The trainer's new habit of ignoring his friends. She runs after Brock, leaving Ash to ponder her words and worry that Pikachu did leave on his own. Ash bids an emotional farewell to Pikachu ("The Time Has Come"). At the Gym, Delia and Professor Oak are in the battle arena and locked inside giant cages. Oak asks Delia why the Boss recognized her. She explains that Giovanni is an old boyfriend from when she

5600-497: The voices were recorded separately, so Taylor was the only one in the booth when she recorded her lines, which took approximately six to eight hours per episode. Taylor was often the first person to record, so she had to "imagine how the previous line will be said". A director worked with Taylor to help with interpretation of the line, as well as matching with the lip flap and voice consistency. Taylor enjoyed playing Ash because of his "low, husky voice" and "energy and excitement". Taylor

5680-428: The wave of anime in the late 1990s. He has been used extensively in merchandise for the series. Ash was designed by Atsuko Nishida, and named after creator Satoshi Tajiri. The character was designed to represent how Tajiri was as a child, obsessed with catching bugs. During localization of both for North American audiences, the character's name was changed in the anime to "Ash Ketchum", the first name taken from one of

5760-471: The whole performance in one video in 2016. In September 2020, a YouTube user named Benjamin Delbert posted an edit using restored elements from almost every performance of the show's run on YouTube. The following synopsis is based on videos of the show as provided by the production manager, Chris Mitchell, and the script he provided to pocketmonsters.net. The story begins with a shadowed Giovanni releasing

5840-422: The world forever ("Everything Changes (Reprise 1)"). Back in the forest, the heroes are lost and alone after Brock earlier threw the map in the river while asking a female trainer for directions. They try getting help from a deaf trainer with Brock interpreting his signs, who agrees to share his map on the condition that he and the "guy with the goofy smile" have a battle first. Offended, Ash agrees to this, but

5920-411: Was a child. For the English dubbing, Veronica Taylor provided the voice of Ash in the first eight seasons of the Pokémon anime, which was dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment . At the time of her audition, Taylor stated that the character was temporarily named Casey. After the script was translated from Japanese, the lines were adapted to fit the movements of the character's mouth (called lip flap ). All

6000-460: Was a teenager and used to hang out with a bad crowd, which she put behind her when she met Ash's father. She never told this to Ash, fearing that he would not understand. Delia came to hate Giovanni, which he arrives just in time to hear. Realizing Delia has changed, Giovanni tells them that they're here to witness the final battle, as the only attacks left to be learned are Pikachu's electric moves ("You and Me and Pokémon (Reprise)"). Immediately after,

6080-413: Was also criticized due to its formula being unable to reach "a proper conclusion". However, Ash's constant setbacks have also been met positively, being highlighted as a way to teach relatable stories and lessons to children. Daniel Dockery, commenting on Ash's departure from the series while writing for Polygon , highlighted this inability to win as a central part of Ash's character, believing it to be

6160-406: Was done correctly. Taylor commented: "I enjoy playing Ash now much more than I did in the very beginning because I can have fun with him more, and we kind of know him and can work out how he really would react. We have the classic Ash responses and things like that." Sarah Natochenny replaced Taylor in season nine when The Pokémon Company International (known at that time as Pokémon USA) took over

6240-419: Was first introduced to the role via a brief voice clip from the Japanese airing. The job moved quickly, and Taylor's past acting experience allowed her to embody the role in the time allotted for recording. Taylor commented that Ash and the other characters "loosened up" after the first ten episodes of the anime; she believed the writers were more relaxed and no longer felt the pressure of making sure everything

6320-510: Was highlighted as both teaching a valuable and relatable lesson to children watching the show, as well as allowing them to become further invested in Ash's character in order to see if "he'd become good enough to win next time." Ash's role in the series has also been criticized. The character's constant losses were highlighted by IGN , who stated that, "The Pokemon show has become so successful and been so consistent for so long that it's like its hero

6400-529: Was introduced to Pokémon Go under the name of "Team GO Rocket" in 2019, allowing players to encounter and battle Team Rocket grunts. Team Rocket grunts also appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as DLC costumes for Mii Fighters. In the long-running Pokémon anime series, a trio of Team Rocket grunts Jessie ( ムサシ , Musashi ) , James ( コジロウ , Kojirō ) , and Meowth ( ニャース , Nyarth ) are major secondary characters. The three were

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