Why Ash Ketchum Is Actually A Terrible Pokemon Trainer
Let's be honest: Ash Ketchum is one of the worst Pokemon trainers in the main TV shows. With more league losses than wins, Pokemon fans are wondering how Ash is ever going to be "the best, like no one ever was." Despite being the main character in the series, Ash has failed fans since the first episode.
Since day one, Ash started his Pokemon journey screwing up. Waking up late, he almost misses out on becoming a trainer in the first place. Without Professor Oak's ingenious decision to give him Pikachu, the show would've ended before it started. Alas, Ash gets his very first Pokemon, but even Pikachu doesn't respect him as a trainer. In the first few episodes, Ash becomes a thief and endangers Pikachu all because he didn't prepare enough for being a trainer. There are plenty of other questionable (pretty terrible) things that he's done over the course of the anime, but there's one thing that seems to stick out more than any other.
Ash refuses to learn anything About training Pokemon
In the Pokemon games, there are some standard rules that go into the battling system. It's impossible to get far without evolving your Pokemon or using type advantages in battles. However, in the main series anime, we see Ash do almost none of that.
While some of Ash's Pokemon end up evolving, plenty more stay stuck in their original form. Pikachu is the prime example. While it makes for an interesting story arc, it doesn't make sense for actually training Pokemon. In the first season alone, Ash never evolves his Squirtle or Bulbasaur. This prevents some essential moves the Pokemon should know to grow stronger.
If you've seen the Pokemon series, then you know that Ash almost never chooses the best typing in his battles. While he was at a disadvantage with some early battles, including the first rock-type gym, he's had his moments struggling when he could've ended a battle before it began. In the Indigo League, Ash sends out a Krabby against a Cloyster instead of using his overly powered electric Pokemon, Pikachu. These kinds of battling decisions highlight just how little Ash is actually thinking when he's battling.