Why Pikachu was Ash’s first Pokémon (and not the classic starters)

The Pokémon franchise is currently popular globally with millions of fans who are fiercely loyal. This series has come a long way since its early days, and it brings a wave of nostalgia for fans who grew up watching the anime, and the first thing that comes to anyone's mind is the relationship between Ash and Pikachu. But one question that has come up is why Ash didn’t begin his journey with one of the original Kanto starters?

The answer isn’t simple and involves multiple creative decisions. In this article, we will explore in depth what led the creators to make a major decision to give the main character a different Pokémon than the usual starter. This franchise was initially introduced as a game, and then later on was given an anime adaptation.

In the game, players were given options to select from three starter Pokémon. Each starter had its own strengths and weaknesses. It all depends on which path the player wishes to take. In the original Red and Blue versions (1996 in Japan, 1998 internationally), players could choose Charmander (Fire-type), Squirtle (Water-type or Bulbasaur (Grass/Poison-type).

So when the anime debuted and Ash didn’t start with any of them, fans were surprised. Interestingly, the creator addressed this in an interview a few years back:

“I think of Pikachu as a combination of cuteness, strength, and the ability to bring a few laughs. By the way, I decided from the very get-go that the Pokémon that would become [Ash's] partner would not be one of the three you choose between at the start of the video game, since I figured that might make some of the viewers sad. That’s why he ended up with a Pikachu, a decision I’m really glad I made.”

With this interview, it became clear that choosing Pikachu as Ash’s first Pokémon was a strategic decision. The creators wanted to make this series emotionally accessible to every viewer, regardless of which starter they preferred in the games.

It was a smart move, for one, because if they had gone to if they had followed the usual approach of giving him one of the traditional starters of giving him one of starters, there was a high chance that the ones that were not chosen would have reduced in popularity. Giving Ash a completely different Pokémon meant no one would feel excluded.

A famous theory about why Time-Traveling Professor Oak in Pokémon

Beyond the official reasons, like Pikachu being a mascot character or to make the protagonist different from others, there is one theory that I have been fascinated with. This theory suggested that maybe Ash, Pikachu, and Professor Oak were connected even before the main timeline began.

It all comes from the 2001 movie Pokémon 4Ever, where a young boy named Sammy travels through time and shares a powerful bond with Ash and Pikachu. By the end of the movie, it’s strongly implied that Sammy grows up to become none other than Professor Oak. Now, while this theory has never been officially confirmed, I find it incredibly beautiful how everything is connected.

This brings me to my next point: after watching this movie, it felt like Ash and Pikachu were destined to be together, as if their friendship was part of something bigger than themselves. This theory just ends up giving their story an even deeper sense of magic.

Final thoughts

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At the end of the day, the decision to give Pikachu to Ash was one of the best decisions. This Pokémon might not be one of the strongest, but it has strongly taken hold of the audience's heart. Even those who are not into the franchise are aware of who he is.

Maybe if the creators had taken a different route of sticking with the usual format of giving the main character one of the usual starters, it’s hard to imagine the series becoming as iconic without Pikachu at the center. In a poetic sense, Pikachu wasn’t just Ash’s first Pokémon. Pikachu was our first Pokémon.

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