For the past 25 years, no other duo has been as reliable or consistent as two beloved Pokémon characters - Ash and Pikachu. The character has grown up with his fans as he experienced a hero’s journey to becoming the Pokémon master. Now that the Japanese series has officially announced Ash as the winner of the Pokémon league’s World Coronation Series Master Eight Tournament, he will be closing out his storyline once and for all in the final 11 episodes of the Ultimate Journey series. While it may have been inevitable that their journey would come to an end, for countless fans, Ash and Pikachu are the heart and soul of the Pokémon franchise. After all, what is Pokémon without them?
Sarah Natochenny, now 35, has been the voice of Ash Ketchum since booking the job at 18, after the Pokémon Company took over for 4Kids TV for the English dubbing of the series in 2006. And as two new protagonists attempt to take on the challenge that took Ash 25 years to complete, Natochenny is looking back at her own Pokémon journey:
What was your relationship to Pokémon when you were younger? Were you a big fan?
The show came out when I was 11 and I was a huge fan right off the bat. And by the time I booked it at 18, I’d been watching the show. When I finally got the audition for it, I was shocked to audition at such an early stage of my career, and it was just a classic audition process. I didn’t know anybody related to it.
Did you have a favorite Pokémon before becoming Ash?
11 year old Sarah … What did she love? I don’t remember. I remember loving Pikachu. I’ve always loved Pikachu. Probably the greatest animated creature ever drawn.
Do you have another Pokémon that you identify with? Or do you most resonate with Pikachu?
I voiced 21 of the Pokémon on the show [and] my favorite one I voice is Buneary. I love voicing Chansey, and apart from that, I love Meltan — that’s voiced by Samantha Cooper. She’s amazing. And I love Snorlax and Psyduck and Mew and Mewtwo. I love them all. They’re all my children.
I saw on Tiktok that you named your cat after Pikachu.
My cat is now named Pikachu. It’s not an intentional impression of Ikue Ōtani who plays Pikachu, but it’s very much like Pikachu. I talked to my cat all day in a Pikachu voice, if you ever end up in an apartment with the two of us.
If you had to name another pet after a Pokémon, what Pokémon would you pick?
That’s a really unique question. It would definitely be another Pokémon. Oh! Rayquaza. [Points to imaginary dog.] This is my dog Rayquaza. I kind of like the sound of that.
What’s your most memorable fan interaction?
The one that really stands out to me is this one girl who really opened up to me about her struggles with depression, and we connected over that. She visits me every once in a while whenever I’m in her town and lets me know how she’s doing. Pokémon has really helped her overcome a lot of the struggles she’s faced in her life, and that’s such a common story. That’s the most common thing I see in my fan mail is, “Thank you for getting me through these dark times,” “It got me through the pandemic,” and “It got me through this difficult time, and I was suicidal, and it got me through that.” To know that I’m even the tiniest part of something that helps people in that way, especially as someone who struggles herself. That’s incredibly meaningful to me.
When you found out that Ash won the Pokémon League, did you know it was coming? Did they prep you beforehand, or was it a surprise when you got the script?
I haven’t seen the script yet. I didn’t know. We haven’t recorded [the English version] yet. In recording this season of Master Journeys, I definitely felt as a fan of storylines in general, books and movies, I understood that this feels like a culmination of a storyline. My mind went to “There’s no way this could be! I can think of a million different ways that Ash can continue on.” But, the best way is what Pokémon ultimately did, which is to conclude Ash’s storyline. They’re doing a beautiful job in Master Journeys of wrapping him up. So, I felt it.
When they told me the news definitively, the shock still really got to me, and I was very, very sad. I had to turn that sadness into a positive and see how this could be a benefit to Pokémon and to the fans and be open to this new journey that they’re going to take us on. And trust that Pokémon, the people who brought us 25 years of characters like Ash Ketchum and all of his sidekicks and these wonderful storylines, can deliver on a new series.
What was the most surprising thing you learned about playing Ash?
In my 20s, I really struggled with depression and knowing that I could play a character so truthfully, who’s so happy-go-lucky and so positive and so tenacious. Knowing that I can do that, realistically, I knew that there must be something in me that’s like Ash. So I’ve drawn from him over the years and it’s really helped me.
It is amazing how impactful a cartoon could be to someone.
Yeah, it’s incredible. I hear it so often, and I feel it myself playing him. I can’t believe it.
*For more, read the full interview over at Vulture HERE.
Anime Mania with Sarah Natochenny
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 18-24) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 11-17) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 4-10) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 28-November 3) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 21-27) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 14-20) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 7-13) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 30-October 6) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 23-29) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 16-22) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 9-15) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 3-8) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 26-September 1) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 19-25) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 12-18) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 5-11) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 29-August 4) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 22-28) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 15-21) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 8-14) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 1-7) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 24-30) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 17-23) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 10-16) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 3-9) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 28-June 3) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 20-26) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 13-19) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 6-12) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 29-May 5) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 22-28) and what's coming your way next week.
Check out this article from People Magazine to see if you can guess the actors behind iconic '90s and '00s cartoon characters!
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 15-21) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 8-14) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 1-7) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (March 25-31) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (March 18-24) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (March 11-17) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (March 4-10) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (February 26-March 3) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (February 19-26) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (February 12-18) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (February 5-11) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (January 29- February 4) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (January 22-28) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (January 15-21) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (January 8-14) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (January 2-7) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (December 11-17) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (December 4-10) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 20-26) and what's coming your way next week.
We wish you happiness, success, and good company this Thanksgiving
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 20-26) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 13-19) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (November 6-12) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 30-November 5) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 23-29) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 16-22) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (October 9-15) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 25-October 2) and what's coming your way next week.
Celebrating Hispanic Voice Actors for Hispanic Heritage Month
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 11-17) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 11-24) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (September 5-10) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 28-September 3) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 21-28) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 14-20) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (August 7-13) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 31-August 6) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 24-30) and what's coming your way next week.
What does the SAG-AFTRA strike mean for Voice Actors? NAVA shares a helpful resource.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 17-23) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 10-16) and what's coming your way next week.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (July 3-9) and what's coming your way next week.
Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian, and Voiceover
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 26-July 2) and what's coming your way next week.
With 148 Character VO Emmy Award nominees, who stands out and why?
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 19-25) and what's coming your way next week.
Video game voice actors discuss Artificial Intelligence and its impact on Voiceover
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 12-18) and what's coming your way next week.
The story behind why Kayleigh McKee decided to become a voice actor.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (June 5-11) and what's coming your way next week.
How do voice actors protect themselves with the rise of AI?
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 30-June 4) and what's coming your way next week.
A deep dive with ZeniMax Online Studio’s VO Lead, Becky Ichnoski about how all of Tamriel’s characters get their voices!
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 22-28) and what's coming your way next week.
A hilarious social media handle has dedicated itself to narrating animals' inner monologues.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 15-21) and what's coming your way next week.
Celebrating AAPI Voice Actors for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 8-14) and what's coming your way next week.
If ad agencies are thinking about poetry, as voice actors we must also keep this top of mind.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (May 1-7) and what's coming your way next week.
Pros and cons of celebrity voice acting
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 24-30) and what's coming your way next week.
In honor of National Poetry Month, Sally shares her love of poetry.
A quick look at what's new, what's here this week (April 17-23) and what's coming your way next week.
