Gotta catch ’em all, am I right? At this point, it’s safe to say the Pokémon anime and video games have raised several generations of children from around the globe in addition to shaping pop culture.
Show me someone who didn’t dream of being a Pokémon master at some point, and I’ll show you a liar.
There are 37 main-series Pokémon games that have received western releases with nearly 100 additional spin-offs. Stadium, Snap, Hey You Pikachu, even a pinball game, it would take 150 or more lifetimes to play them all. (See what we did there?) What was your first starter Pokémon?
Ash Ketchum’s Age and Birthday
A spunky young kid from Pallet Town in the Kanto region, Ash Ketchum and his tough-willed Pokémon Pikachu travel the world in search of wild Pokémon.
Obviously, Ash set off at a very young age, but it seems like he never gets any older no matter how long he travels and how many gym leaders he defeats.
From the Orange Islands to the Alola Archipelago, Ash is known the world over.
How Old Is Ash?
Through a revolving door of traveling companions, different types of Pokémon, a pile of used Poké Balls, and the legendary Pokémon along the way, as he journeys, Ash accumulates the experience and skill of a much older trainer.
The Pokémon anime series premiered in 1997; the world has known Ash and Pikachu for 25 long years. Despite this fact, Ash’s age remains the same. Ash is ten years old.
He states his age in the first episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You,” and there it stayed. The official Pokémon website still explicitly states this age for Ash Ketchum; Yes, it has been updated for the Sword and Shield era, too.
We know there is an incredible volume of work from fans parsing out months elapsing in the anime, and we salute you.
Unfortunately, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company respectfully don’t give two flying Fearow about it.
Of all the opponents Ash battled, the ravages of time is the one he defeated the hardest.
What Is Ash’s Birthday?
If Ash’s age has never changed, does that mean he’s not yet celebrated a birthday since turning 10?
That’s a tad unfortunate for the young Battle Frontier aspirant.
While there isn’t a huge volume of references to when Ash was born, one official novel from the late Takeshi Shudo suggested a precise date.
Ash’s birthday is May 22nd. We hope that he celebrates it again, someday. After 25 years, though, things aren’t looking good.