Ash Ketchum’s voice actor is sharing Pokemon with the next generation

Ahead of Pokemon Day, Dexerto is diving into the Pokemon series and what makes it tick. As part of this, we interviewed Ash Ketchum’s original voice actor, Veronica Taylor, about Pokemon, its legacy, and more.

As Pokemon fans all around the world get ready to experience Pokemon Day 2024, and a Pokemon Presents is likely to give a glimpse of the future of the perennially popular Pocket Monster franchise, it’s a great time to look at the series’ history and the people that made it possible.

If you’ve ever listened to the original Pokemon cartoon, you will have heard the voice of Veronica Taylor. Actually, you would have heard several voices.

The professional voice actor is possibly best known for her role as the original Ash Ketchum in the West but also voiced Ash’s mom (Delia), May, and even some Pokemon, including Diglett, alongside many other smaller roles.

Nowadays, Veronica is still busy working as a voice actor, as well as meeting Pokemon fans around the globe, but she is also embarking on a new Pokemon adventure, sharing her Pokemon journey with her daughter in a new podcast.

Veronica and her daughter Rena are joining forces for ‘The Trainer’s Guide”, a podcast where they watch each episode of The Pokemon anime that Veronica voiced. Rena is watching for the first time, and Veronica for the first time since these episodes aired.

We got the chance to sit down with Veronica Taylor at a recent London Card Show event and talk about her Pokemon journey, both new and old, as well as what it means to be an ambassador for such a popular franchise and how the world changed when Pokemon fever swept the ’90s.

What it means to be a part of Pokemon’s legacy

The Pokemon Company

Veronica may no longer voice Ash Ketchum, but she was there at the very beginning, at the height of Pokemania, and her part in the original anime means she will always be integral to the franchise’s legacy.

“It’s amazing, actually, and the luxury for me, the honor for me, has been that I’ve actually met kids when they were 10, and I’ve seen them through the years. And now I see them again with their own kids. Nothing could have prepared me for that and how, again, it’s such an honor to be a part of people’s families.”

Taylor also notes that Pokemon offers something that other fandoms don’t, mainly because of her unique position.

“Nothing else that I’ve worked on has that. I work on Sailor Moon now, the fandom is brilliant, and so supportive and wonderful, but I haven’t known them for their own lives, so it’s different. Pokemon more than anything, gosh, it’s just bigger, bigger than all of us”

Over the years, one of the biggest strengths of the Pokemon franchise has been the way it has been passed down through generations, with the younger Pokemon players growing up and making a new generation of fans with their children.

For Veronica, this is down to the “core values” of the series and how the strong message at the heart of the show still resonates with gamers, both young and old.

“When you look at the show, it’s about a kid on his journey to discover himself, to become his very best, to train Pokemon to be his companions and help him on his journey to being the best. He takes on human companions. He helps them be their best while he figures out how to do that without compromising his goals.”

“There’s something integral to us as humans and our growth, this journey. I think the fact you can pop into Pokemon in many ways: the shows, the movies, the games, the cards, the video games, Pokemon Go. There are all these avenues that lead to the heart of it. Which is discovering yourself, making friends, [and] being positive.”

For Veronica, the “beating heart” of the series is about being kind and generous, and the fact that families can “all share in that” is what makes the franchise so incredible.

The Pokemon Company

Another major factor is the endearing appeal of Ash Ketchum and the character’s seemingly discordant evolution over the years despite barely aging. Children can watch Ash grow, change, and learn new things without having to compare their own growth.

“Even though Ash remains 10, through these 25 years, he is evolving and maturing, even though he stays 10. And that’s why we can all pop back into the show to be 10 again with him and figure out who we are at that moment.”

For Veronica, one of the most fascinating parts is how the series has grown from one man’s singular vision to a worldwide phenomenon.

“It’s pretty cool. The fact it started with one guy, Satoshi Tajiri, sitting in his room, drawing pictures of animals or insects, trying to connect with nature, and spawning this game out of his love. And that it just continues to grow. I mean, if that isn’t the kind of push you need to get out there and do what you love, to create, to do whatever.”

It’s important for Veronica as well that people use Pokemon as a stepping-off point and further their love of Pokemon into a love for the planet.

“We could use that love of nature for all of us to be a little more aware of the environment and come together to do our part to save the planet. That’s the next bit.”

Veronica adds, “I’ve met people who, because of their love of Pokemon, became a vet, became a lawyer. [Pokemon] is about helping people and helping animals.”

Pokemon mania and the birth of a mega-franchise

The Pokemon Company

Pokemon has felt like a cultural phenomenon since the very beginning, but for people like Veronica who were there from the start, it’s still special to think about its rapid acceleration and the moments when it was obvious that Pokemon had swept the world. Taylor talks about the first moment that it felt like Pokemon had truly made it:

“I think [Pokemon] The First Movie, just that so many kids went to see it. And for that time, it had such a big box office, and when you consider most of those tickets were half-price because they were kids’ tickets.”

Then, talking about the continued success of the series and what it means to people today, Taylor adds:

“That is crazy. Because to walk down the street and see a kid in a Pokemon shirt and an adult in a Pokemon shirt, or someone carrying something or a backpack. All these little things that we carry like a security blanket. I have a Pikachu on my key ring! It’s kooky, but we all instantly identify with each other through this, and I think that’s incredible.”

Talking about the start of Ash’s journey, Veronica says she feels very “lucky” that she got cast and how the original audition was focused on getting “as close to those original voices” as possible when shown the initial Japanese episodes of the Pokemon anime. But the English voice actors still got to make it their own.

The Pokemon Company

“As an actor, oftentimes the parameters are so narrow, that say ‘this is where we want the voice to be’. And then through your acting, you’re able to make it your own through those little reactions, or breaths, or the way Ash’s voice would fluctuate. Nobody can say that’s what I want. They just say, ok, that’s working.”

One challenge in particular for Taylor was playing multiple characters, as she was responsible for Ash, Delia, and plenty of Pokemon to boot. Talking about the fun of getting to respond to her own performance, Veronica says:

“Luckily, I could do Ash’s lines, and then when it was time for Delia’s lines, I could hear Ash and play off of him as Delia, so that was a luxury. Same when I was playing May or three of them were in the scene together, I would hear a whole scene, whereas normally I would just hear my lines and wouldn’t have anyone to play off of.”

Veronica now often travels with her daughter Rena, and together, they have a Podcast called “The Trainer’s Guide,” where they watch the Pokemon anime together. For Taylor, this is a fantastic way to reconnect with the series after all these years.

Veronica Taylor

“[The Trainer’s Guide] is a rewatch of the first season of Pokemon. She’s never seen them because I was pregnant with her during the first season, so she’s heard them from my stomach. So she’s seeing it for the first time, I’m going back after 25 years to see them, and it’s incredible how funny they are, how we really caught the energy of it.”

When asked if she has any favorite episodes or any particularly proud moments from her tenure, Taylor responds:

“Now, watching them, I would say I’m really proud of what we did. It’s really held up, and they’re so funny. I think the key episodes are the Butterfree episode, [and] when Ash, Misty, and Brock split: we didn’t know that was coming. So just acting in the moment of not knowing if they were ever going to come back to the show was really striking.”

Another favorite for Taylor is one that most fans will recognize and likely agree with.

“When Ash first meets Charmander, it’s the emotion, the real emotion in a cartoon, that makes it so relatable. You forget you’re watching a kid who’s 10. The emotional moments are what I think are the most important.”

Passing down Pokemon to the next generation

The Pokemon Company

Now, so many years after her stint on Pokemon, Veronica has a long and storied career as a voice actor in different animated shows, video games, and even audiobooks.

As a big fan of sports, especially soccer, Taylor also mentions her willingness to lend her voice to one of the many animated shows about soccer, especially as “girls playing sports is really important”.

Now, going back and watching the original Pokemon anime after all this time, Veronica reflects on whether she’d do anything different.

“When I worked on the show, I didn’t really have any trouble with it, so it all fell into place. But I don’t think I would do anything differently. I worked really hard, I showed up on time, and I tried to do my best. I don’t think I would change any of that.”

When talking about how much fun it has been to revisit the show with her daughter, Taylor describes why it’s been such a joy to come back.

“Rewatching the show as part of [the podcast] has been so fun and so jolly. It’s such a funny, happy show. I like how simple it is. Team Rocket are so weird, they come in with the goofiest stuff, and again, the writing is amazing. The jokes are silly, and I just really enjoy it.

Watching the Pokemon anime at a different stage in her life clearly also connects with Taylor differently, as she explains that while some of her relatives watched it from the beginning, as they all got older she can now “relate to it a little bit more with them”.

Finally, when asked what her favorite Pokemon would be, Taylor talks not only about her pick but the importance of the character relationships in the show, saying:

“Pikachu is my favorite because I think the show is the relationship between Ash and Pikachu. That’s how we enter the show, so Pikachu for sure. I think Mr. Mime is [also] my favorite now because I can’t do any housework, I’m never home, and I’d love for someone to cook for me and clean up a little.”

The Pokemon Company

Clearly, the time playing Ash’s mom also rubbed off on Veronica, as did the endearing enthusiasm and positivity of an iconic character like Ash Ketchum.

For all of the latest news and updates concerning Pokemon, be sure to check out Dexerto’s Pokemon coverage here.