What's the first line you think of when it comes to Pokémon? Ash Ketchum's iconic English voice actor, Sarah Natochenny, revealed the most common thing she says to fans from the show—and the answer is not that surprising.
There are plenty of iconic anime out there, from some of the newer ones of the last ten years or so, like the popular Attack on Titan to the intense Chainsaw Man, to older ones that have stood the test of time, like Sailor Moon. Heck, some classic anime are still going to this day, like One Piece, so much so that it received a Netflix live-action adaptation that already has a Season 2 planned.
But to me, Pokémon has always set the standard for iconic anime. The franchise is one of the world's most popular, from the games to the plushies (of which I probably own 50%). And of course, the original anime takes Ash and his companions to several different regions across multiple seasons.
Sarah Natochenny voiced Ash Ketchum until his last episodes in 2023 and has visited several cons and events to meet fans of the franchise. CinemaBlend spoke with Natochenny about her time as the character on the famous series and asked what she'd been requested to say the most to her followers and if any of it was strange or weird. Turns out, it's exactly what you think it is – the classic "I choose you" line:
Oh, no. People just say 'can you do the voice?' And then I ask them their name and I'm like 'Alexandra, I choose you.' And they love it.
Let me get over the fact that the voice of Ash Ketchum said that to me, a child who grew up watching Pokémon. *Internally squealing.*
Okay, I'm good. But in reality, I'm not surprised at all. Pokémon is an excellent show with plenty of great lines, some from the heroes and others from the classic villains (like the hilarious "blasting off" moments from James and Jesse). However, I don't think there's ever been one episode where "I choose you" hasn't been used.
Here are our picks for the twelve best creatures from the original collection of Pokemon.
It's in all of the Pokémon movies, shows, and games, so to hear that Natochenny is asked to say that the most isn't shocking. Regardless, it makes me want to watch Pokémon again to see how often it is said because now that I think about it, I uttered that line almost too much as a kid.
Either way, Natochenny exited the franchise as Ash in 2023. While her time as the main character has ended, she's come back to voice new characters in the saga's latest installment, Pokémon Horizons. But some part of me doubts that she'll stop saying the classic line for years to come, even when Ash has moved on and won the Pokémon League.
You can find Pokémon Horizons on Netflix now, but if you want to check out any new anime in the meantime, be sure to read our list of the best 2023 anime that you should totally watch—that is, once you've finished binging all of Pokémon. Now, if only when I said, "I choose you," Eevee would appear. That would be great.
