When it comes to thePokémonanime, few relationships can measure up to that between Ash and Pikachu. However, when it comes to the dynamic characterization of a Pokémon in the early days of the series, the real winner is actually Ash’s Charizard.
The strength ofAsh and Pikachu’s relationshipisn’t really in question here; rather, it’s how much their relationship grew over the course of the series. Ash and Pikachu did get off to a rocky start, but by the end of the first episode, Ash had already managed to win Pikachu’s trust. While they faced some struggles together in the next few episodes following that, there really isn’t that much growth to Ash and Pikachu’s relationship; it starts pretty strong and simply stays that way. Charizard, on the other hand, has a much more complex character arc with Ash, and that makes him the best Pokémon in the original series.
Ash’s Relationship with Charmander Begins with a Rescue
Charmander’s Relationship Begins on a Dramatic Note
Of Ash’s original six Pokémon, Charmander’s introduction is by far the most memorable; fans everywhere will recall the Lizard Pokémon huddled up under a leaf in the rain, desperately trying to protect its flickering tail flame from going out entirely.Charmander was abandoned by his trainer and left in the wilderness almost explicitly to die, something which enraged Ash and Brock to the point of physically fighting his trainer. Their desperate rescue attempt proved successful, and they were able to get Charmander to the Pokémon Center in time to recover.
After this, Charmander agrees to become Ash’s Pokémon, and is intensely loyal to him. This is immediately obvious in “The Island of Giant Pokémon,” an episode which is relatively close to Charmander’s introduction, in which the Pokémon become separated from Ash.Charmander insists that Ash must still be out therelooking for them, while Bulbasaur immediately feels they’ve been abandoned. Charmander is, of course, proven right, and is pleased to be reunited with Ash. Over the following episodes, Charmander is used in several battles and grows much stronger as a result.
Eventually, Charmander evolves into Charmeleon, and this new power begins to go to its head a bit. Charmeleon refuses to obey Ash, often blasting him in the face with fire in response to commands. Charmeleon was too proud of its new power, and went overboard in “The Problem with Paras,” going on a bit of a rampage that had to be quelled by putting Charmeleon to sleep. Charmeleon was no longer interested in battling “weak” opponents, and would only engage in battle if it deemed its opponent respectably strong.
Charizard Remembers Why It Cared for Ash to Begin With
Charizard Gets a Reminder of What Ash is Willing to Do for It
Charmeleon evolves into Charizard in “Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon,” when an Aerodactyl knocks it over, enraging Charmeleon. Ash initially believes Charmeleon is evolving to protect him, but it turns out that the evolution was triggered by Charmeleon’s pride, and it simply wanted to defeat the Aerodactyl that wronged it.While Charizard did save Ash in the end, it was clear that Charmeleon’s disobedience was just as much of a problem now that it had evolved again.
Charizard’s disobedience would cost Ash on several occasions; it initially costs him a gym battle against Blaine, for example, and in the Indigo League, Charizard’s refusal to follow Ash’s orders would see Ash disqualified from the tournament. It was by far one of Ash’s most embarrassing moments as a trainer, but even still, Ash didn’t let itaffect his feelings towards Charizard. He brought Charizard to the Orange Islands, although he didn’t often use him in battle. One such battle, in “Charizard Chills,” would become a major incident, however, as Charizard was frozen in ice by a Poliwrath.
With Charizard’s flame tail in danger of going out again, Ash worked throughout the night to help keep Charizard warm, something which finally reminded the Pokémon of all that Ash had done for it throughout their journey together. Charizard came to understand that Ash truly did care for him, and that his behavior had been out of line, leading to a new chapter of their relationship when Charizard recovered. It not only obeyed Ash in the next battle, but won against that Poliwrath, regaining its pride.
Charizard’s Loyalty to Ash is Cemented From That Moment On
Charizard Becomes Ash’s Most Loyal and Reliable Pokémon
There’s a real 180-degree turn in Ash and Charizard’s relationship following this moment, which becomes clear as Ash challenges the leader of the Orange Islands League, Drake, with Charizard being a key player in his victory. Charizard retained its immense pride, and would sometimes still become indignant when it felt insulted, as was the case much later in “Charizard’s Burning Ambitions,” where Charizard encounters a valley of other Charizard, and it becomes clear that Ash’s Charizard is quite a bit smaller than usual.
Ash realized that Charizard had a lot of room to grow, and that being among its own kind, and with a trainer who specializes in Charizard, might help him to achieve new strength.Reluctantly, Ash left Charizard in the Charicific Valley, literally running away because if he stopped to say goodbye, he might not have the strength to follow through.Charizard would eventually return to Ash’s side, and came to be an essential player in a number of important moments, such as in theSpell of the Unownmovie, where it dramatically rescued Ash, or the Battle Frontier arc, where it managed to defeat the Legendary Pokémon Articuno.
Ash’s Charizard would go on to have more returning appearances than any other Pokémon of Ash’s, a symbol not only of its popularity, but of the strength of its bond with Ash. Charizard’s journey as a character came with more twists and turns than most Pokémon, and that’s a big part of what made it so fun to watch. When Ash and Charizard worked together, it was thrilling, and it was possible to feel their relationship developing through each episode. That’s why Charizard, not Pikachu, represents Ash’s bestPokémon.
