Summary

• Ash and Pikachu both strive to achieve their dreams their own way, without conforming to traditional norms or expectations.
• The iconic battle between Pikachu and Raichu mirrors Ash's journey as a kid with big dreams who wants to win on his .
• Pokémon teaches kids that success can be achieved by staying true to oneself, just like Ash and Pikachu demonstrate.

One of the most iconic moments of the early Pokémon anime is undoubtedly the battle between Pikachu and Lt. Surge's Raichu, and the aftermath in which Ash contemplates evolving Pikachu. Pikachu boldly refuses, and his reasons for doing so actually relate to Ash surprisingly well.

In the episode "Electric Shock Showdown," an injured Pikachu, still recuperating from the injuries sustained in battle with Raichu, smacks away the Thunder Stone that Ash attempts to use, and then tries to communicate an idea to Ash. Meowth translates for Team Rocket, stating that Pikachu said, "I don't want to change! If I want to beat Raichu, I'm going to do it just as I am!" Pikachu goes on to say that he wants to win for all the Pikachu out there, to show that evolution isn't the only path forward.

This quote from Pikachu reflects something that the story seems to say about Ash, as well.

Ash Represents Kids With Big Dreams Everywhere

Much has been made of the fact that Ash, as a character, hasn't aged a bit since his introduction at the beginning of the series; he was 10 then, and he's 10 in Journeys, even 1,200+ episodes later. All those adventures still happened, of course, it's just that Ash (and every other character) hasn't grown or changed much physically. While it's never been addressed in-universe (nor should it have been), there is an obvious reason why Ash remains 10, and that's so that he remains relatable to the audience of kids who are about that age who watch the show.

Despite being a kid, Ash has big dreams that he wants to accomplish, and he sets out to achieve those dreams and become a Pokémon Master. Like Pikachu, though, Ash doesn't just want to achieve these things; he wants to do them his way. Ash's wild strategies over the years have proven that his outside-the-box thinking can be very effective, and if he approached Pokémon in a more traditional way, he may never have thought of things like, say, soaking Onix with water to weaken it.

Ash's dream doesn't have an expiration date on it; there's no reason he couldn't become a master as an adult, like Leon or the other champions. He could become more learned in Pokémon strategies and typing, and develop conventional tactics that could lead him to victory. But accomplishing his goal that way isn't what Ash really wants; he wants to win the way he is, just like Pikachu does. Like Pikachu defeating Raichu, Ash defeating Leon wasn't just a victory for him, it was a victory for 10-year-olds with big dreams all around the world, both in-universe and out.

After all, while Ash certainly has a gift for interacting with Pokémon, he's no prodigy. He's just an ordinary kid from little old Pallet Town, and if Ash can go that far, then any kid with sufficient determination should be able to. Ash and Pikachu proved that it's possible to win as you are, and that changing yourself isn't necessary to achieve your dreams. As far as morals of a story go, Pokémon could certainly do a lot worse than teaching kids that they can succeed best by being themselves.