#torchic posts

Goh displays a lot of symptoms of low self-esteem. It probably started at a young age, both from his parents neglect and his difficulty with making friends. He puts on a confident front, but for anyone paying attention it's easy to see through it, especially when he blushes so easily.

As a way to protect himself from feeling worthless, he tends to give up easily and avoid doing anything he doesn't feel good enough at. He even says, "If you can't do something, give it up, right?" And he doesn't start to change that way of thinking until he sees how it's affecting his relationship with Scorbunny.

He doesn't speak up when he's upset or share how he’s feeling, and considers others to be more important than himself. Like when he prioritizes his parents happiness over his own, and tries to act like he's doing fine when he's not. The same thing happens with Raboot too, Goh thinks he's making it unhappy so he tries to leave it even though it makes him unhappy to do that.

When Ash notices the signs that Goh is upset, he starts to ask Goh when he thinks something is wrong and it gives Goh more opportunities to express how he's feeling.

Goh feels like he has to be correct all the time to prove himself, which can be tiring for him to keep up with. But he relies on his knowledge to show his worth and to get praise and attention.

He also gets really upset and stubborn when people don’t agree with him, resisting their viewpoint until something big enough happens to change his mind. Like how he's very antagonistic towards Gary, until he starts to realize and accept that Gary's criticism can help him improve.

And Goh is also very self-critical. He's a perfectionist that sets high standards that he feels he has to meet, otherwise he's not good enough. Mew has to be his first Pokemon, he has to do everything on his own, and he has to excel at everything he does. Even towards the end of the series, he's still struggling to balance his lofty goals with realistic expectations for himself. During the Project Mew arc, he felt like he should have been able to handle the situation without relying on his Pokemon.

Part of the reason Ash has helped him so much is because of all the encouragement and constant reminders that he's there to support him. Goh wasn’t really used to being praised like that before, so it helped him start developing a better mindset. And just having a close friend, that actually stuck around and pays attention to his feelings, probably helped boost his self-esteem too.

Happy Satogou Day! This year I'm doing a little analysis of Ho-Oh and Lugia, their roles in inspiring trainers, and how that affects Ash and Goh.

How Ho-Oh and Lugia Inspire People

First of all, Lugia has a very hands-on approach to inspiring people. It appears to trainers for a battle, showing them its true power and letting them measure themselves against it to see how strong they are and how much stronger they could strive to be. And Lugia also gives the occasional world tour, to show trainers the beauty of the world and make them want to explore it.

Meanwhile, Ho-Oh is very elusive and distant, to the point that some people aren’t certain it exists. Ho-Oh inspires people by making them curious about the mysteries of the world. It gives trainers something to constantly reach out to, and tests their ability to continually strive for their dreams. Many times, Ho-Oh is shown to appear right before someone is about to give up on their dreams, or to give them a boost at the start of a new journey.

What Inspires Ash and Goh

It’s interesting how Ho-Oh marks the beginning and end of the entirety of Ash's story, while Lugia marks the beginning and end of Goh's story in Journeys. I think it says something about what inspires both Ash and Goh to explore the world.

For Ash, what inspires him on the first day of his journey is seeing Ho-Oh, the mysterious Pokemon that no one really knows anything about. That's when he starts to wonder about what could exist in the world, and it's what gets him to move forward and try to reach the rainbow in the distance, no matter how impossible it may seem. It gets him really pumped up and excited to start on a new adventure.

For Goh, what inspires him at the start of his journey is being shown what currently exists in the world. Lugia demonstrates it's own power and shows him Pokemon in the sky, the sea, and on land. It gives him a more concrete idea of what is out there, which he needs so that he can understand the world and be able to plan his next steps forward. And it also helps him open up more, after seeing more of the world Goh feels ready to make a new friend or share how he's been feeling.

How Ash and Goh Inspire Each Other

Before they met, their goals were hazy and unformed, neither had a solid idea of what they were doing and that prevented them from making progress.

Ash was too stuck in the present; he knew he wanted to be a Pokemon master, but didn't know what his next step was after becoming the Alola champion. And Goh was too stuck in future possibilities; he knew he wanted to catch Mew, but had unrealistic expectations of how that could happen.

Because Ash has a natural understanding of the present world, he's able to give Goh a solid foundation to immerse himself in it and see what's currently possible, kind of like what Lugia does. And because Goh has a natural longing to reach into the future, he helps Ash continue to dream big and think about what could be possible, similar to what Ho-Oh does.

I wasn’t really involved in the fandom back when the episode was released, so I’m not sure how everyone here reacted back then. But I often see people saying that it’s a terrible episode, and it makes me wonder just what was so bad about it.

There was lead up to the episode

The conflict didn’t just come out of nowhere, there was foreshadowing. Riolu called to Ash as an egg, and there are even some hints it might be the Lucario from movie 7 reincarnated. So, Ash has a very strong connection to Riolu, they both have a passion for battle and are eager to get stronger, and Riolu is still a baby and has a lot to learn. Put that together, and Ash is hyperfocused on Riolu.

The episode was also part of a theme the writers were exploring. The Pidove episode taught Chloe about jealousy and how to handle it when it comes up. But it was also there to introduce us to the concept before we watched Ash and Pikachu go through something similar. I think maybe some people are annoyed that Chloe is the one who figured out what was going on, but it makes sense it was her. In the Journeys trio, Ash instinctively understands Pokemon but misses stuff because he’s unobservant, Goh is observant but has to learn how to deduce what Pokémon are feeling, and Chloe is a mix of them. She is observant like Goh and has an instinctive understanding like Ash.

Ash and Pikachu’s bond

The episode was meant to explore what happens when Ash and Pikachu’s bad traits clash. Ash can forget to slow down and consider others feelings, and Pikachu can be stubborn and mischievous. They are extremely close, but isn’t it the people you’re closest with that you have the worst disagreements with? Pikachu is used to being Ash’s favorite, so of course it got upset when Riolu was getting special attention.

In the end, the episode strengthens their bond and they understand each other even better. One of the things Journeys explores in Ash’s character arc is him learning to slow down so he doesn’t overlook how people or Pokemon are feeling. I would have to do a rewatch to be sure, but I think this episode is a turning point for that part of his development.

The real problem

The real issue is that, in some fans eyes, Ash and Pikachu aren’t allowed to make mistakes anymore. They have so much history, have won so many battles, and been through so much together. Now, this far along in their journey, they have to be perfect. Ash can’t lose battles anymore, and off days can’t exist for him. Pikachu has to be the perfect big brother figure to all of Ash’s other Pokemon. Ash and Pikachu can’t have a fight, because it’ll ruin 20+ years of their history together.

Ash has been with us for the past 25 years. For a lot us, we don’t even know a life without him in it.

We’re all so afraid and worried about a future without Ash. How can there be a life without his adventures to look forward to every week? To keep us going? Can we even do it?

Ash reassures us that our accomplishments are our own, and he will always be our friend. We can always revisit him and his adventures.

The choice is ours now, to decide both the path we’ll take in our own lives, and to decide what happens to Ash after this. We determine the future.

I love this moment for them, and it also works as Ash thanking us and saying he’s glad he met us.

I’m sure a lot of us were crying by this point. I certainly was.

Goh was able to make really fast progress as a trainer once he started, and it makes sense because he already knew a lot about Pokemon and has the drive to achieve his dreams. But I think the main thing that was holding Goh back, before he met Ash, was his own self imposed rules.

He was fixed on Mew having to be his first Pokemon, no matter how unrealistic it was. It took a lot of convincing for him to change his mind, but once he got rid of that limitation he started catching a lot of Pokemon in a short amount of time.

He was also set on observing Pokemon from a distance and not interacting with them, which limited how well he could understand them. But once he saw the advantages of researching Pokemon up close, he realized how much more he could learn that way.

And he believed that he had to reach his goals on his own, without help from anyone. But he didn't really start making progress on his goals until he had help and support from his friends.

JN22 and JN135

In these episodes there is a problem with a lack of communication between Ash and Goh. And that lack of communication leads to Goh nearly ending his friendships with Raboot and Ash, before he starts to understand that he can trust Ash to listen and help him. So, the butterfly Pokemon evolving and beginning a migration symbolizes a change in Ash and Goh’s relationship. One where they become closer and begin communicating better.

In JN22, Goh was having trouble with Raboot and wasn’t telling Ash about the problems he was dealing with, instead he tries to handle it on his own and then decides that Raboot is better off without him.

And in JN135, Goh was having trouble telling Ash that he wanted to leave on his own journey, and then got upset that Ash had already decided on leaving without talking to him first, running off without actually communicating how he feels.

While they watch the Beautifly, there’s a true moment of understanding between Ash and Goh, where they are connected and share the same feelings. It’s after this that Goh actually starts communicating with Ash, and tells him about the problems he’s having with Raboot. He still has a lot to learn about communication at this point, but it is where he starts getting better at it. So this connection is what Goh needed to start trusting Ash and let him in.

In episode 135, this same type of shared experience is exactly what they needed to reconnect again. Ash wonders if the Butterfree will be okay in the rain and Goh tells him that they will be, and they are very clearly talking about their relationship here too. This is when Goh stops shutting Ash out, and Ash is ready to listen.

And they start communicating again, which serves as a bridge for Goh to later share all his worries during their second Lugia ride, and for Ash to reassure him again that they can share their concerns with each other because they’re friends.

Sidenotes:

In the description for Journeys episode 2, it says that "Ash [is] on a path to meet a kindred spirit." A kindred spirit, according to Google, is "a person whose interests or attitudes are similar to one's own." Some synonyms for a kindred spirit are: best friend, companion, soulmate, partner. Anipoke is basically saying these two were made for each other, so let's look at some of the reasons they work so well together.

They achieve their dreams together.

Goh is exactly who Ash needs at this point in his journey. Someone who thinks and dreams as big his he does. Someone who understands how important his goals are and how he wants to achieve them. Someone with ambition who will push him to do better. Not as a rival, but as a friend who’s there to support him and cares just as much about his goal as Ash himself does.

And likewise, Ash is exactly who Goh needed to push him out of his shell and move further towards his dreams. He needed someone who really understood him, and who wouldn't leave him. Someone who could show him how to make more friends, and not shut people out. Someone who could show him that it's okay to rely on the help of others, and that it's often necessary for achieving your dreams.

They finally found someone that could keep up with them. Individually they have always had the drive to work hard to achieve their dreams, but together they have the boost they need to actually do it.

They learn to understand each other.

While with Ash, Goh learns to rely less on logic and more on his intuition. He can come up with rational reasoning, but fails to understand the emotions of himself and others. He often represses his own feelings and hides them, usually in an attempt to not be a burden or to avoid rejection.

But now, Goh is starting to understand his own emotions, and realizes that he has to tell Ash how he feels if he really wants him to understand. He struggles with this throughout Journeys, even up to the last episode he's afraid of telling Ash his plans to go on a journey. But then, on their second Lugia ride, he finally opens up and tells Ash everything he's feeling.

While with Goh, Ash learns that he needs to slow down and think more carefully about how other people feel. He has always cared about everyone he meets, but he relies heavily on intuition and can sometimes miss important details or patterns.

Ash begins to understand that he needs to pay attention and ask Goh when he can tell that something is bothering him. And he also realizes that Goh needs to hear the words from him, otherwise he will never actually believe it. When Goh tries to attribute his own success to Ash, he corrects him and says it was his own hard work. When they part ways, Ash makes sure to tell Goh how much he means to him.

They have fun together.

Ash feels like he can be more relaxed and silly around Goh. While with his other friends, he either had to be a rival or set an example as a mentor/older brother figure, but with Goh he doesn't have to be anything but a best friend. And Goh is having more fun than he probably ever has, his parents and Koharu even note how much better he's doing now that he's met Ash and made more friends.

Also, when Ash gets stuck to a Gulpin I can imagine him, in any previous series, being frustrated by the situation and annoyed by his friend's teasing. But here he's as happy-go-lucky as ever, just enjoying a stroll through the park while holding Goh's hand. He doesn't seem bothered at all until he notices that Goh seems upset, and then he's happy again after cheering Goh up.

They have a strong bond.

Together they can find a balance between introversion and extroversion, and logic and intuition. Ash is a person that Goh can actually connect with, and with him Goh learns how to make more friends. And for Ash, he was able to form a deep bond with Goh, one that even rivals the bonds he has with his Pokemon.

Also, Goh is also very passionate and straightforward about his likes and interests, which include Mew, Pokemon in general, and Ash. He just can't hold it back, it's very obvious. So much so that even Ash, who is world renowned for being oblivious, can see how strongly Goh feels about him.

They have the same love for Pokemon.

Ash and Goh's love for Pokemon is what brought them together in the first place. Goh has always avoided people, but once he sees that Ash is just as interested in Pokemon as he is, he's immediately ready to make Ash his friend. And as soon as Goh starts talking about his dreams and ambitions, it immediately peaks Ash's interest too.

They hold the same interest in Pokemon, they just have different ways of approaching it. Ash prefers connecting with Pokemon emotionally through battles, and Goh prefers connecting with Pokemon more analytically by studying them. Neither approach is better or worse than the other, both bring them closer to understanding Pokemon, and they can learn and grow from the other's approach.

In Conclusion

Ash and Goh belong together. They're the exactly the same in the things that matter, and exact opposites in a way that fills in what the other is lacking. They run on the same wavelength, which happens to be the full visible spectrum of light, given how often they're shown with rainbows. I could spend so much time writing about these two, there's just so much to say.