We all struggle with fatherhood, but some people struggle more than others in the vast world of Pokemon. Pokemon has amassed a vast body of lore over the course of its more than 20-year existence. Of course, there are some things that anime cannot include, and Japanese novels have attempted to fill that void. And it appears that fans across the country are only now discovering one of the worst aspects of Ash’s absent father.
Pokemon Book Reveals the Worst Thing About Ash’s Absent Father
The mystery of Ah’s father has plagued us for decades. Although we’ve learned a lot about Ash’s mother, Delia, his father has never been mentioned. The various novelisations of the Pokemon world have attempted to add more to the story, with the two-volume Pocket Monsters: The Animation being a must-read. While the book was never published in English, translations of it have appeared on the Internet in recent years, where fans can find a wealth of obscure information about Ash’s past.
So, what have fans discovered about Ash’s family? As it turns out, our trainer wasn’t the only child in Pallet Town who had been abandoned by their father. This also happened with Delia, better known as Ash’s mother. His father abandoned her when she was a little girl.
According to Shudo’s Pallet Town history, Delia’s father was also a Pokemon trainer. He had Delia during a brief break from training, but his newfound family did not deter him from his quest. Delia’s father left the house when she was young and never returned. By the time Ash embarked on his own journey, he had never met his father grandfather and Delia was still a single mother.
When you think about it, Delia is the real tragedy here, having three men walk out on her. She, too, had a father figure, just like Ash. The boy clung to Professor Kukui in the Alola region, and Delia did the same to Professor Oak years ago. As you can see, history has repeated itself in the worst possible way with this mother-son duo.
About Ash Ketchum
| Ash Ketchum | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First appearance | “Pokémon, I Choose You!” (1997) |
| Created by | Satoshi Tajiri |
| Based on | Red |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida (video games) Sayuri Ichishi (Seasons 1–9) Toshiya Yamada (Seasons 10–16) Toshihito Hirooka (Seasons 17–19) Satoshi Nakano (Seasons 20–23) Shūhei Yasuda (Seasons 20–present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Satoshi (Japanese name) |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Title |
|
| Occupation |
|
| Affiliation | Ultra Guardians of the Aether Foundation |
| Family |
|
| Home | Pallet Town, Kanto Region |
