Character Debuts<\/b>: Ritchie<\/i> \u2013 Ritchie is basically Ash just\u2026better\u2026I call him Better Ash. He\u2019s a better Trainer\u2026.smarter\u2026.a more likable person\u2026..he even kinda has a better character design, to be honest.<\/p>\n And for those who don\u2019t know of Ritchie, know that I am not even kidding. Ritchie was essentially designed to be an alt!Ash. His (confirmed) roster is entirely Pokemon Ash has had at one point or another with the only one he hasn\u2019t had (Pupitar \u2013 in Johto) being an evo of a Pokemon he had.<\/p>\n His Japanese name is also Hiroshi while Ash\u2019s is Satoshi. Admittedly, though, I don\u2019t think 4Kids made an effort to do the same with his English name as I don\u2019t see how \u2018Ritchie\u2019 is a counter to \u2018Ash.\u2019<\/p>\n Then again, what are really their options in that realm? Call him \u2018Dash Trainem\u2019?<\/p>\n His color scheme rounds out the Gen I Pokemon game colors since Ash\u2019s color scheme is red and blue while Ritchie\u2019s is yellow and green.<\/p>\n And, of course, his partner Pokemon is a Pikachu. His Pikachu just has a bit of ruffled fur on the top of his head.<\/p>\n His only negative distinction from Ash is that his roster kinda sucks\u2026\u2026when Ash\u2019s roster also sucks, but somehow not as much. Ritchie\u2019s Pokemon are great and very well-trained, but the only full-evo Pokemon he has is Butterfree\u2026.friggin\u2019 Butterfree.<\/p>\n He has to have more powerful Pokemon we just haven\u2019t seen yet. I refuse to believe he has a worse evo and capture track record than Ash.<\/p>\n Otherwise, he also is a bit of a rarity in the Pokemon world because he marks his Pokeballs with star stickers and nicknames all of his Pokemon, something you\u2019d think every Pokemon Trainer would do, but they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n However, don\u2019t get me wrong. He might be \u2018Better Ash\u2019 but I\u2019m still not a huge Ritchie fan. He\u2019s a better Ash, but that\u2019s not a huge<\/i> compliment. I like him quite a bit, but there\u2019s not much to love. Because of the fact that he is basically just a multiverse clone of Ash, he doesn\u2019t really have all that much to him to make him stand out besides his nicknaming and star Pokeballs.<\/p>\n Supposedly, he does show a love of research and Pokemon folklore way down the line in Master Quest, but that\u2019s about it.<\/p>\n Their friendship also isn\u2019t nearly as impacting as the show makes it out to be.<\/p>\n I agree with Dogasu<\/a> in saying, if they really wanted us to feel tension with the cliffhanger ending of Ritchie and Ash being paired up in the next battle, they should have introduced him much earlier. If their theory on why they didn\u2019t is true (that the high-profile voice actor, Minami Takayama, might have been too expensive to get regularly (or they couldn\u2019t get enough time on her schedule.) I guess I understand, but this is a fairly short arc. I feel like they could have squeaked this storyline in earlier, put him in here and there throughout the prelims, then given him one more episode of focus before the big reveal.<\/p>\n Instead, we get one episode and one day to build their friendship. Why do they even like each other so much? I get why Ash likes Ritchie. He\u2019s a very skilled Pokemon Trainer, he\u2019s an extremely smart kid, he\u2019s mature, he\u2019s a good traveler and survivalist. But why does Ritchie like Ash? Just because they both like Pokemon and use a lot of the same Pokemon?<\/p>\n I guess that\u2019s perfectly reasonable for ten-year-olds, I think we\u2019ve all made friendships just based on mutual liking of one thing as children, but in a story where the bond between these two is important, I think you need more than that.<\/p>\n At this juncture, Ritchie is basically Sam from Movie 04 (or maybe I should say he\u2019s a proto-Sam given that Ritchie came much earlier). Ash and Ritchie develop this strong friendship in record time (Exactly one day) and we\u2019re supposed to feel all emotional or tense when it turns out that Ash\u2019s fifth League match is against Ritchie same as when Ash meets Sam and they develop this strong friendship in record time (Exactly one day) and we\u2019re supposed to feel all emotional when Sam has to separate from Ash to go back to his own time.<\/p>\n As a funny note in that regard, they\u2019re both voiced in English by Tara Sands.<\/p>\n I enjoy Ritchie quite a bit as a character, and he\u2019s still Better Ash to me, but I never felt all that much from his friendship with Ash, to be honest.<\/p>\n Pokemon<\/b>: Pikachu, Charmander, later Charmeleon, Butterfree, later Pupitar and Taillow. A later clip shows he also has either a Spearow or a Tentacool, which makes either one the only Pokemon Ritchie has that Ash has never owned, although if he has a Spearow that could be an attempt to mirror Ash\u2019s Pidgeotto. While not canon, Ritchie is mentioned to have an Eevee in the dub much later.<\/p>\n Plot<\/b>: Ash, Misty, Brock, Delia and Oak enjoy a meal courtesy of Delia\u2026cooked in a nearby hotel\u2026to celebrate Ash completing the preliminary rounds of the tournament. They enter the elevator and a boy named Ritchie joins them. He seems very familiar with Pikachu as he knows how to pet Ash\u2019s without causing Pikachu to shock him.<\/p>\n A power outage halts the elevator, but Ritchie seemingly knows exactly what to do. After fiddling with some wires, he asks to borrow Ash\u2019s Pikachu to power the elevator enough to get them to the lobby. He does so, and they\u2019re all able to get out. After properly introducing themselves to each other, Ritchie takes his leave.<\/p>\n A little while later, a strange van drives through Pokemon League Village declaring to all of the Trainers that all participants in the Pokemon League must submit their Pokeballs for inspection. Anyone who fails to inspect their Pokemon will be disqualified.<\/p>\n The man and woman from the van stop in the center of the village. Ash finds Ritchie at the inspection spot, indicating he\u2019s in the tournament as well. The Trainers all dump their Pokeballs into a bag. The woman picks up Ash\u2019s Pikachu to put him into the bag as well but gets shocked. The man slips and refers to the woman as Jessie, revealing them to be Team Rocket.<\/p>\n With a Smokescreen from Weezing, and with all of the Trainers\u2019 Pokeballs in hand, Team Rocket manages to escape.<\/p>\n Ash and Ritchie chase after them anyway. In a panic to save Pikachu, Ash rushes down a steep hill. Ritchie warns him to be careful, but Ash won\u2019t listen. Ritchie speeds up enough to tackle Ash to get him to stop, infuriating Ash and prompting him to push Ritchie. Ritchie points out that he stopped him because he was going so fast he was sure to run straight off the cliff in front of them. Despite this, Ash is annoyed at Ritchie.<\/p>\n Still, they manage to cut Team Rocket off and force them off the road, leading them to driving down a river.<\/p>\n Night falls, and Ash and Ritchie still haven\u2019t found Team Rocket despite following the river. They decide to stop and camp for the night instead of wandering around in the dark.<\/p>\n As they get a fire going, Ash gains some clarity and apologizes for pushing Ritchie earlier. He just gets crazy when it comes to Pokemon. He and Ritchie bond over their mutual love of Pokemon as they imagine Pokemon shapes in the stars.<\/p>\n The next morning, Ash and Ritchie luck out and find Team Rocket\u2019s tire tracks coming out of the river. They follow the tracks and find Team Rocket\u2019s camp with Team Rocket fast asleep. They sneak past Team Rocket and into the van to find the bag of Pokeballs. Ash reunites with Pikachu, but Team Rocket pops up at the door behind them, trapping them in. They lock the door and start the van.<\/p>\n With the van in motion and the door locked, Ash and Ritchie are at Team Rocket\u2019s mercy, but they have one ace up their sleeve \u2013 the bag of Pokeballs. However, Ash can\u2019t tell which Pokeballs are his.<\/p>\n Luckily, Ritchie can because he marks all of his Pokeballs with star emblems.<\/p>\n Ash throws a random Pokeball he believes is Bulbasaur\u2019s, but it turns out to be another Trainer\u2019s Drowzee. Another turns out to be a Slowbro, and yet another is a Magikarp.<\/p>\n Using his keen nose, Pikachu sniffs out Ash\u2019s Pokeballs. The first one he throws is Bulbasaur\u2019s, and he commands him to use Tackle on the wall of the van. It fails. Next he tries a Razor Leaf, but that also fails.<\/p>\n Ritchie steps in to try with one of his Pokemon, Zippo, a Charmander. With a powerful Slash attack, Zippo demolishes the wall separating the cab of the van from the cargo bay. Jessie calls out Arbok, but Ash sends in Pikachu with a Thunderbolt. James counters by sending Pikachu off balance by sharply turning the van, allowing Arbok to smack Pikachu away.<\/p>\n Ritchie sends out Sparky \u2013 a Pikachu \u2013 to help in the fight. Together, they use Double Team to confuse Arbok with after-images. While Arbok is perplexed, they assault it with a dual Thunderbolt. The jolt defeats Arbok and blows up the engine, sending Team Rocket blasting off. However, that leaves Ash and Ritchie on a van going at a high speed around a mountain without any controls, and they\u2019re about to drive off a cliff.<\/p>\n Ash sends out Pidgeotto while Ritchie sends out his Butterfree, Happy. Ritchie says they should use them as Pokemon parachutes to help them gently fall to the ground since the little Pokemon aren\u2019t quite powerful enough to keep them airborne for long.<\/p>\n The van plunges over the cliff, and Ash and Ritchie are safe in the air while hanging on to their Pokemon. However, they\u2019re too heavy for Butterfree and Pidgeotto, causing them to descend too quickly. Ritchie tells Ash that they should use Whirlwind toward the ground to help decrease their falling speed.<\/p>\n They do so, and they safely make it back to the ground.<\/p>\n Just then, four jeeps arrive with all of the Trainers from the Pokemon League, Officer Jenny, and Misty and Brock. They\u2019re able to safely return everyone\u2019s Pokemon and head back.<\/p>\n As they arrive back at the stadium, it\u2019s time for everyone to select their next opponents for the fifth match. They decide this by having the competitors fish for Magikarp that have special numbers written on them. Ash catches his, and he\u2019s shocked to see that Ritchie will be his next opponent. Do they have it within themselves to give it their all against their newest friend?<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n \u2013 Are, uh\u2026..Oak and Delia lodging together?\u2026\u2026They\u2019re both waving from the entrance to one of the cabins\u2026..Hm\u2026<\/p>\n \u2013 Ash: \u201cBut where are you gonna cook around here?\u201d Do these cabins not have any kitchens?<\/p>\n \u2013 Why is \u201cTogether Forever\u201d playing as we see Delia cooking dinner?<\/p>\n \u2013 Oak: \u201cDon\u2019t forget to let me know if you need more Pokemon. Just call me and I\u2019ll transport them to you right away!\u201d\u2026.But\u2026.you\u2019re here\u2026.how are you\u2026.gonna\u2026what?<\/p>\n \u2013 I was going say Ash is smart for waiting until he sees his opponent before he decides which Pokemon to choose for his next match\u2026.but it also doesn\u2019t make any sense. It\u2019s not like he knows what Pokemon they\u2019ll be using\u2026right? Is that information public? I think I remember one of the tournaments allowing competitors to research Trainers and see what Pokemon they have but not what Pokemon they\u2019ll definitively use during the match. That\u2019d be a little strange.<\/p>\n Does he think he can formulate a strategy simply based on what a Trainer looks like?<\/p>\n \u2013 I find it a little funny that apparently Pikachu is also not well-trained if Ash is still concerned Pikachu will shock a person for not petting him correctly.<\/p>\n \u2013 How the hell does Ritchie know how to repair and power an elevator?<\/p>\n \u2013 Ritchie: \u201cExcuse me, could I borrow your Pikachu for a second?\u201d Why would you need to? You have one\u2026<\/p>\n \u2013 All Ritchie did was restore power to the elevator temporarily. Why does the entire building look like it has power now?<\/p>\n \u2013 Team Rocket\u2019s scheme is actually okay, but you\u2019d think one person would ask an official of the Pokemon League if this Pokeball inspection is legit.<\/p>\n \u2013 Why are there so many people here? We\u2019re down to the top 16, right? There are like four times as many people as should be left down there.<\/p>\n \u2013 So\u2026.no one\u2019s going to ask why they have to put their Pokeballs in a sack? No one\u2019s going to ask how they\u2019re going to tell whose Pokeballs are whose or how to give them back?<\/p>\n \u2013 Wow. So it\u2019s not just petting Pikachu in the wrong way that makes Pikachu shock someone, it\u2019s literally any physical contact. God, Ash. Train your Pokemon for god\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n \u2013 Ritchie: \u201cHey, you look a lot like those guys from Team Rocket!\u201d How do you know what Team Rocket looks like?<\/p>\n \u2013 *sigh* I\u2019m not even going to bother chiding Ash for not recognizing Team Rocket. What\u2019s the point anymore?<\/p>\n \u2013 I love how Ritchie and Ash are the only Trainers who thought to chase after Team Rocket.<\/p>\n \u2013 Ash: \u201cI won\u2019t let them take Pikachu!\u201d They also have the rest of your Pokemon, but who cares about those losers, right, Ash?<\/p>\n \u2013 It\u2019s cool that Ritchie is so prepared \u2013 much more than Ash and the others ever tend to be \u2013 but how is Ritchie carrying two sleeping bags in that small backpack?<\/p>\n \u2013 I find it\u2026..weird that Ash is focusing more on being obsessed with Pokemon in his apology than just, ya know\u2026.being concerned about Pokemon he\u2019s grown to really care about personally. Just say \u201cYeah, I really care about my Pokemon. They\u2019re like family to me, so I get crazy when they\u2019re in danger.\u201d Like, if my dogs got taken by criminals and I got upset about it, I wouldn\u2019t just be like \u201cYeah, I guess I\u2019m just obsessed with dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2013 While we\u2019re on the topic, it continues to be funny whenever Ash brings up how much of a, in his words \u201cPokemaniac\u201d he is when he seems to know jack shit about them half the time.<\/p>\n -\u2026..What was the two stars shining really brightly after Ash and Ritchie\u2019s conversation meant to mean? Just a cosmic sign of their friendship or something?<\/p>\n \u2013 Aw, Team Rocket has color-coded sleeping bags.<\/p>\n \u2013 Did Team Rocket seriously think it was intelligent to leave Ash and Ritchie alone in the van with a sack of Pokeballs? A sack of Pokeballs that were owned by the top 16 in the Pokemon League?<\/p>\n \u2013 Ash: \u201cUh oh! I can\u2019t tell which ones are mine!\u201d Again, why is it not more commonplace for Trainers to mark their Pokeballs?<\/p>\n \u2013 I know there\u2019s the question of whether these other Pokemon would listen to their orders, but a Drowzee and a Slowbro? Certainly Psychic Pokemon would be some of the best options in this situation.<\/p>\n \u2013 Who the fuck got to the top 16 in the Pokemon League with a Magikarp in their roster?<\/p>\n \u2013 So\u2026.Pikachu can sniff out Ash\u2019s Pokeballs\u2026.Great\u2026.The first one he throws is Bulbasaur\u2026.Cool, nice to see you, Bulbasaur\u2026..Ash then tells Bulbasaur to Tackle the wall of the metal van<\/i>\u2026\u2026.Dumbash strikes again.<\/p>\n A testament to Bulbasaur\u2019s faith in Ash that he actually tried and didn\u2019t look at Ash like he was crazy, though.<\/p>\n \u2013 Uh, Ritchie? You had your Pokeballs before Ash\u2026.Maybe wanna tap in?<\/p>\n \u2013 Why did they cut in a reaction shot in the corner of Ash going \u201cZip..po?\u201d as Ritchie called out Zippo? Is it really that uncommon for Pokemon to have nicknames? Even if it was, what\u2019s the point of seeing Ash\u2019s confused reaction?<\/p>\n \u2013 So they POSSIBLY had to change Snap\u2019s name because of Kellogg\u2019s, but Ritchie can name his Charmander \u2018Zippo\u2019?<\/p>\n \u2013 Holy crap, that wall looked like it was made of cement\u2026.and holy crap Zippo\u2019s Slash is insane.<\/p>\n \u2013 And so the debut of Sparky. Something I didn\u2019t realize until reading Ritchie\u2019s page on the Wiki was that Ritchie kept Sparky in a Pokeball until he met Ash and then just kept him out at all times after that, like Ash inspired him to do so, which I actually find to be a shame because it\u2019s like he\u2019s spreading favoritism\u2026.and making Ritchie more of an Ash clone than he already was. I guess allowing one Pokemon freedom at all times is better than none, but it\u2019s still gotta be insulting to a Trainer\u2019s other Pokemon to see how much their Trainer favors one over everyone else.<\/p>\n \u2013 Hey look, another instance of 4Kids allowing skeletons to show when a character\u2019s being electrocuted.<\/p>\n \u2013 Ash: \u201cThat\u2019s a nice Butterfree!\u201d You\u2019re about to die, Ash.<\/p>\n \u2013 Wait, so Ash let out Pidgeotto\u2026..without having a plan for it to do anything? He only agreed with what Ritchie seemed to plan as he let out Happy? Oh well, at least it\u2019s not popping Team Rocket\u2019s balloon.<\/p>\n \u2013 Ya know\u2026.I would say this whole episode is a testament to how good of a team Ritchie and Ash are\u2026.but no. Like\u2026.Ash doesn\u2019t do much in this episode. Everything was saved by Ritchie.<\/p>\n Ritchie fixed the elevator with his confusing electrician skills and Ash\u2019s Pikachu, but he had his own Pikachu he could have used \u2013 he just didn\u2019t because I guess they wanted the reveal later. Ritchie stopped Ash from running off a cliff. They both stopped Team Rocket\u2019s van in the road, but Ritchie could have done that alone. He had a spare sleeping bag and food on him to last the night. He marked his Pokeballs, allowing him to find them in the bag easily. His Charmander easily broke down the van wall while Ash stupidly told his Bulbasaur to Tackle it. Ash followed Ritchie\u2019s lead with a Double Team and Thunderbolt to defeat Arbok. Ash called out Pidgeotto before Ritchie called out Happy, but he didn\u2019t seem to know what to do with it until Ritchie came up with an idea, and Ritchie had the idea of using a downward Whirlwind to stop them from falling too fast.<\/p>\n Do you guys understand why I call him Better Ash?<\/p>\n \u2013 Speaking of Pidgeotto, how did Ash call on it by name when he still shouldn\u2019t know who\u2019s in what Pokeball?<\/p>\n \u2013 Why wouldn\u2019t Ritchie and Ash recall Zippo and Bulbasaur before trying to hitch a ride on Happy and Pidgeotto? Would have made the load lighter for them is all.<\/p>\n \u2013 AH! DEMON EYES BUTTERFREE!<\/p>\n \u2013 Ash: \u201cThat\u2019s the second time you\u2019ve saved me.\u201d<\/p>\n Ritchie: \u201cNuh-uh. You saved me!\u201d What? How?<\/p>\n \u2013 Holy shit, it took them this long in vehicles to find Ash and Ritchie? When they and Team Rocket camped for the night?<\/p>\n \u2013 They choose the pairing for the top 16 by\u2026.having the competitors fish for Magikarp that have numbers written on them?\u2026.In the prelims, they used a digital randomizer that was stopped by a button push. What are you people doing?<\/p>\n \u2013 Narrator: \u201cThis time, there\u2019s more to lose than just a match.\u201d Are they implying that they might stop being friends after this?<\/p>\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n This episode is fine. I like Ritchie, and I think his influence is kinda good for Ash. Again, I have no clue what Ash brings to this friendship, and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d want Ritchie to be part of the Ash gang if Ash had to stick around. He\u2019s more what I would hope Ash would eventually become.<\/p>\n Story-wise, it\u2019s pretty thin. The entire story is just \u2018Team Rocket steals everyone\u2019s Pokemon and Ash and his new friend chase them to get them back.\u2019 It\u2019s just an excuse to give these two some alone time for bonding so we can all collectively gasp and hang our mouths open when it turns out Ash\u2019s next match is with Ritchie.<\/p>\n It\u2019s entertaining enough, especially when we get to the battle in the van, but there\u2019s not much depth.<\/p>\n Even if I was really invested in this friendship, I wouldn\u2019t feel tension here. Sure, it\u2019d suck to have one be the reason the other loses in the tournament, but, either way, they\u2019d either have to meet in battle in the League eventually or they\u2019d be knocked out by other people. Both of them can\u2019t win.<\/p>\n Next time\u2026.<\/b><\/p>\n![\"Ritchie](\"https:\/\/fiddletwix.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/screenshot-2025-02-06-142630.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n