Ash's Age

[RocketMeowth]

Originally Posted by TitaniumAnimations

This show is geared for kids, you know that right? Why in the world would they make him age, so much even, that they might take away the character each kid enjoys? I used to babysit a ton of kids and we'd watch Pokemon together. The episode where they made Butterfree fly away with the other Butterfree, it made those kids heart-broken and speechless. If they do that over that measly weak Pokemon, they would do it over the main character.

Hey now! Even I cried over that moment and still do! It was very dramatic and extremely well done for a Pokemon episode. There was a ton of feeling in it. In fact, I think I'll watch it now!!

And coma... that's gotta be like... the best theory to have ever been made to explain his agelessness despite the whole "it's a cartoon" thing. Haha.

=^^= Nya

[Master Zorua]

Originally Posted by TitaniumAnimations

I do not think Misty's were too skimpy compared to a lot of the girls. Anyway, Ash does age. If you notice, he is slightly taller now, and is almost as tall as Brock. He is also always celebrating anniversaries about everything, so time obviously does pass. I think they keep his physical features remotely the same because he is known by the hair, the hat, the face, the eyes and it would be confusing to see him differently.

Also, he does not engage in romantic antics with any of the girls. Yeah, it would be weird if he did with the current girls. However, Misty or May would make possible candidates for any romantic events because they are around the same age. That is why I think Pearl-shipping is absolutely unbelievable and borderline incest.

Even that being so, at the beginning of the B/W series, they announced him as being 10 years old, which makes absolutely no sense. I mean considering how much he's traveled (by foot mostly), to other regions, how many leagues he's competed in and growing taller and voice changing, that announcement make 0 sense to long time fans. I think personally they're trying to completely reset Ash, personality-wise and age-wise. He seems just as immature as he did in season 1.

Also there are a few other shipping matches you've left out: Annabel the Salon Maiden (who has a crush on Ash as it is), and Pokemon-wise: Latias.

[Teddiursa of the Sky]

Yeah, for the same reason they only change Ash's clothes every new region. To have the kids associate more with it. But, as I said in another thread, it seems Pokemon is now trying to appeal more to the older crowds.

[White_Rabbit]

Ash has realized that age is merely as old as you think you are.

that, or he's drunk from the fountain of youth and must therefore never age again.

so i guess he decides to act as immature as he wants.

[Teddiursa of the Sky]

Originally Posted by White_Rabbit

Ash has realized that age is merely as old as you think you are.

that, or he's drunk from the fountain of youth and must therefore never age again.

so i guess he decides to act as immature as he wants.

The problem with people that are participating in this discussion is that they are taking this too seriously, or more to the point, literally. They seem to treat it as the show is actually real =D

[brandon_g]

I think hes 14

[3m0d0ll]

In the short with the Pichu Bros, Ash had a party to celebrate the fact that he and Pikachu had been together for a year. If I remember correctly, Ash got Pikachu on his birthday, meaning that the party was also his b-day party. So, figure, each region-and-a-half is about a year.
Meaning he's about 14/15 years old :P
YAY FOR MATH LOGIC

[Ant2011]

He had contact with Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus, and Celebi. Although they were in movies, it happened. I theorize that exposure to all these mighty pokemon messed up the time/space/distortion frequencies around Ash, thus he is no longer a "normal" human. He will not age, neither will Pikachu. Dialga and Celebi messed up Ash's natural aging, Palkia altered Ash's world, Giratina took Ash into the Distortion world; that has to do SOMETHING to the human body, and Arceus was like: "THOU SHALT NOT AGETH!"

[Judgmental Arceus]

Originally Posted by Ant2011

He had contact with Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus, and Celebi. Although they were in movies, it happened. I theorize that exposure to all these mighty pokemon messed up the time/space/distortion frequencies around Ash, thus he is no longer a "normal" human. He will not age, neither will Pikachu. Dialga and Celebi messed up Ash's natural aging, Palkia altered Ash's world, Giratina took Ash into the Distortion world; that has to do SOMETHING to the human body, and Arceus was like: "THOU SHALT NOT AGETH!"

Most sensible reply I've seen all day. No kidding.

[Platinum Lucario]

Now this is what really doesn't make sense in the anime. It said in the first Pokémon: Black & White episode that he's 10 years old. And just when you look back to the special that aired during Pokémon 3: The Movie, which was "Pikachu & Pichu", at the end of the special... Ash had a celebration of his first anniversary of when he first met Pikachu. And during the very first episode called Pokémon: I choose you! It was his birthday.

It's just a matter of fact that they've messed up in the anime department, simple as that. I think it's because they rush things rather than taking their time to finish it.

It's already been mentioned on some official source that Pokémon Black and Pokémon White's development time was very short, so they never got to be able to fix some problems with the designs and what impact it would do.

[Blood Red Lucario]

I stopped watching the Anime a loooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago (I feel old) but by the end of the Johto season he was 14 due to his comment of it being a year when he first entered Veridian City. There is definitely a failure in continuity for the script writers but honestly I think they don't care because this was meant to be a kids show.

I kinda wish Ash grew up with me like Harry Potter did. Its what made me lose interest in him. He never matured. They stopped maturing him after the hoen season.

[Orange_Flaaffy]

That coma thing is just silly ?^.^.
The answer is most likely that like other cartoon worlds, they say time passes and have birthdays and the like, but no one ever truly ages.
Unless they do a Simpsons like effect and age him one year officially to stop people from getting up and arms about it but...
Many many very long running anime never age their characters (if you notice, none of the other cast, not even the small part characters age ether, which, putting aside any crazy coma fanfics , supports the idea that the world is one of those that doesn't base its realism on aging) and if they do age them in these sort of worlds it's normally after the fact, in a movie format (like in Tenchi) or in 'flash forward' dream like scenes (like comedies like Ranma).

All and all, time passing and the characters aging isn't the point of the plot. If it was Jessie and James would already be married and well on their way to having their 2nd baby in manga based terms :P

[Pokemon Trainer Lewis]

On one of the advanced generations episodes brock comments on how many years him and ash have been falling for team rockets traps... so he must be at least 12.

[Machampion]

The rules of the cartoon world...

1. Never get old.
2. You'll always be resurrected if you fall off a cliff eventually.
3. This world belongs to the Japanese and Chinese.

I can see elderly, elderly old being cutout.. But they should give him a little facial hair because he should be at least 16.

[Eternal Moonlight]

Originally Posted by 3m0d0ll

In the short with the Pichu Bros, Ash had a party to celebrate the fact that he and Pikachu had been together for a year. If I remember correctly, Ash got Pikachu on his birthday, meaning that the party was also his b-day party. So, figure, each region-and-a-half is about a year.
Meaning he's about 14/15 years old :P
YAY FOR MATH LOGIC

Because of this, Ash, even in canon, has to be at least 11. At least.
The intro to the B/W animé is another example of poor continuity...

@Ant: LoL, awesome theory!

Mew, Meow, Nya