Will Goh Replace Ash Ketchum?

Since Pokemon Journeys has started, fans are worried that Goh will take the main character’s spot. Throughout the entire series that we have seen in past years, the central focus was on Ash and his dreams.

However, with Goh’s debut, things are changing, and fans are skeptical. Will Goh replace our beloved Ash and be the protagonist of the upcoming story?

Goh cannot replace Ash, who has been the series’s protagonist for more than 20 years. Goh is more likely to be a companion-type character in future seasons like Brock, or Tracey. However, the franchise can make him the main focus only in the Pokemon Journeys saga but he won’t appear later in future seasons. So, Goh will not be the main character.

Here are some reasons why I believe he won’t be taking Ash’s place in the anime.

1. Is Goh Better Than Ash?

Ash and Goh are very different individuals, and comparing them would give a subjective answer. Some like Goh’s ways to approach everything, while some don’t.

The contrast between them is refreshing and frankly speaking, Goh is a fascinating character. His dream is to have all the known Pokemons and fill up his Pokedex. At the same time, his ultimate goal is to have Mew as his Pokemon, which is different from our headstrong boy Ash.

Goh is brilliant and knowledgeable about various Pokemon varieties; instead of a fighter-type, he is more suited to be a researcher. He is also one of the few characters with a legendary Pokemon; not even Ash has it; though, he did come across Nebby, but well, it was different.

This time Suicune chose to be with Goh, which is overpowered; it signifies that he can have his separate series. But the question is, is he better than Ash? Actually, no, Goh doesn’t do anything other than capturing Pokemons, to be honest.

Goh is the type who would collect items whereas Ash is the type who would polish, refine and understand the true worth of the item. Ash has always kept his Pokemons to a limited number but he has trained them to their full potential; in a way he is superior to Goh in this sense.

Although he has changed his ways and comes to terms, throwing the Pokeball at Pokemons won’t always solve his problems, but still, he has a long way to go. He might own many Pokemons, but he has no valuable connection with them, unlike Ash.

Ash knows his Pokemons well; he has nurtured them. That doesn’t mean Goh is any less of a person than Ash; he simply doesn’t need to personally train them or anything of the sort since his motives are very different.

Goh and his Scorbunny, now Cinderace, had a conflict regarding this issue, and slowly he’s coming there to form bonds with them before and training his Pokemons to be better. But you can’t change his inherent nature; when he met Grookey, he immediately threw the Pokeball right at him, but well, it belonged to Team Rocket. However, later Goh did form a bond with Grookey and captured him. I’m sure he will get there eventually and become more interesting than how he is now.

2. Reasons Why Ash Can Not Be Replaced

I. A Huge Gamble for the Franchise

Most of us have grown up watching Pokemon; Ash has been a part of our life since then. Even the normies know what Pokemon, Ash, and our beloved Pikachu are. At this point, whenever one thinks about Pokemon, we are primed to think of Ash.

Without Ash, Pokemon will never be the same. In simple terms, Pokemon cannot survive without Ash. Generally, any show’s ratings that get rid of the original cast or characters tend to drop.

In such a scenario where Ash has been with us for almost 24 years, it will be hard to get rid of him entirely now. It would have been possible if it was done earlier.

Getting rid of Ash will drop the anime’s ratings, but the production itself can stop anime or manga adventures altogether because of the low ratings. The production wouldn’t take such a big risk.

Honestly, if there was a major time skip, and Ash would be all grey, and probably some master trainer removing him from the main story would be a good plotline. He would then mentor the new characters.

First, if the production wanted to replace Ash, the deed would be done ages ago, but Ash is still ten years old going on adventures to compete in tournaments to become a trainer. They realize his worth as their money powerhouse, so he will not be replaced anytime soon.

II. No Ash, No Pikachu

Pikachu is Pokemon’s mascot. In fact, you just go anywhere in Japan; you will find something related to Pikachu on every other street. They even have Pikachu parades, guys!

 Leaving Japan aside, Pikachu is famous internationally. He’s so popular that most of the local shops and departmental stores have merch featuring Pikachu.

If Ash is gone, so is Pikachu; it would bring a massive loss if you calculate all pros and cons. Although Goh can capture a Pikachu, it wouldn’t be the same at all. The Pokemon is mainly famous for its personality.

Ash’s Pikachu is a separate individual different from what Goh would catch, and it won’t make any sense to find a replacement for him. I cannot be happy without hearing that cute little electric rat’s Pika-Pika.

3. No Team Rocket

The entire Team Rocket concept was built on Jessie, James, and Meowth stealing Pokemons and being defeated by Pikachu’s electric shock. Every day they would come back to tell us they are alive even after being thrown in the air like baseballs.

Again they would try to steal Pikachu and fail miserably, and the audience would laugh at their misery. If Ash and Pikachu are out of the picture, so would Team Rocket and their Pokemons.

Removing Ash from the picture is like removing a few other characters along with him. Team Rocket is out for Pikachu because they believe he is unique, and of course, its true; he really sets the fluffy meter too high.

If the brat boy and his Pikachu are out, why would we even see Team Rocket? They take at least 10-15 mins of screen time in each episode since technically they are the show’s next-door villains.

So excluding them would lead to the absence of a story for that 10-15 mins. It would be difficult to have a daily ‘Oh these pitiful villain’ gag if they are gone, and nobody can replace them.

4. Ash Is A True Pokemon Trainer

Since the start, it is obvious Goh has no intention whatsoever to train and battle his pokemons. Unlike Ash, whose character motive is to become a world-class trainer, Goh has no interest in fighting.

Making Goh the lead would suggest that there will be no tournaments, no training sessions, and no personal growth of each of his pokemons. The story will follow an entirely separate path.

Watching Ash for so many years was interesting because he would always come up with unconventional ideas whenever he was in a pinch. In Goh’s case, it wouldn’t be possible because he has no plans to compete, which somehow takes away the fun part in fights.

If Goh becomes the protagonist, the storyline would be something like – my adventures of how many animals I could pet and befriend. Unless his motivation changes to fight along with his Pokemon, it would be challenging to make new stories with his throw the ball capture the Pokemon attitude.

5. About Pokémon

Pokémon was first released in 1996 and is set up in a world where humans catch monsters and store them in pocket-sized poke-balls.

They are creatures with an affinity to certain elements and some superhuman abilities related to that element.

Revolving around a teenage boy Ash Ketchum, Pokémon takes us through his journey to becoming the most accomplished Pokémon trainer the world has ever seen.