Behind The Voice Of Pokemon's Ash Ketchum: Sarah Natochenny Says Goodbye To Her Iconic Role After 25 Years

By Cristian Baral via El Planteo.

It was 1999 and Pokémon, one of the most famous animated series in history, was taking its first steps on television in the United States.

Among the audience that was beginning to become familiar with Pikachu and the array of creatures that were slowly beginning to conquer the multiple screens of the West, a pre-teen girl with the makings of a competitive athlete watched the first episodes of the show with fascination from her home in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City.

That little girl, named Sarah Natochenny, barely came of age and managed to get the role of Ash Ketchum. Thus, after some castings, in 2006, she replaced the voice of Veronica Taylor, the dubbing artist who played the recently consecrated best Pokémon trainer in his first seasons.

Throughout these years, Sarah put more than just the voice to the protagonist of Satoshi Tajiri's creation, Ash Ketchum. Precisely, the presence of Ash, one of the most famous characters in the history of animation, has just ended, leaving through the big door and putting an end to 25 years of adventures. And, as a consequence, like all the audience around the globe, Sarah also said goodbye to him.

"He encouraged me to do a lot of things. He inspired me to look for myself all this time," Sarah confesses to El Planteo, thanking that character she has watched with devotion since she was 10 years old.

I Wanna Be The Very Best

Between her admiration for the adventures of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, Sarah practiced rhythmic gymnastics. And she wasn't doing badly: at the age of 12, she won a bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games, a competition organized by the U.S. sports federation for gymnastics.

However, the little New Yorker understood that her physical attributes should position her in other areas. More precisely, in the world of entertainment. With this goal increasingly clear, Natochenny began to cultivate her acting skills at the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in the Big Apple.

Almost 7 years after that bronze, the gold materialized in the most important job of her life: being the voice of one of the main characters of her favorite animated series.

-You have been playing the voice of Ash Ketchum for more than 17 years. What do you highlight most about the character's development over almost two decades?

-There's an interesting story behind this: I feel like Ash and I have parallel lives. And I'll explain why. I've felt this way since 1999. I feel that I discovered myself playing him. Also, I discovered an adventurous spirit that I started to apply in my personal life. The amount of things I have in common with Ash is crazy! For example, part of my childhood and adolescence, I participated in the Youth Olympic Games, and there I won a bronze medal in rhythmic gymnastics. The funny thing? That same day the episode in which Ash Ketchum won the Orange League was broadcasted! But the coincidences don't end there.

-Are there more coincidences?

-Yes! In 2019, when Ash Ketchum was crowned Pokémon master, I won the "Best Voice in Animation" award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences. Want to know more synchronicities with him? In 2023, when Ash won the league, I won a Webby Audience Award for my work on the series. We definitely have a lot in common.

The World's Most Successful Franchise

Pokémon's importance in the history of entertainment is, at the very least, undeniable. This Japanese-born media franchise, created by game designer Satoshi Tajiri, initially emerged as an RPG video game.

A few years later, the license became popular to the point of expanding its universe to multiple platforms: clothes, toys, apps, TV series, movies and the revolution caused by Pokémon Go in the world of augmented reality and much, much more. We are talking about just a few of the infinite possibilities of encountering these fictional species that captivated several generations since 1996 until today.

This iconic Japanese animation show, which toured the world and was first aired in 1997, tells the story of Ash Ketchum, a young trainer from Pallet Town who begins a journey to achieve his dream: to become a Pokémon Master.

Together Forever

Sarah accompanied the pokémon master until his last days. In March of this year, the animated series decided to put an end to the protagonist and thus give way to a new generation by retiring Ketchum with honors, after obtaining a colossal triumph in the Eight Masters Tournament.

While the final episodes of the last arc titled Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master are eagerly awaited in Latin America for the end of June, Netflix announced, many other fans dived the pirate waters of the Internet to find them.

"I was very sad when I found out. That chapter is the culmination of a three-season arc that already felt like a farewell," Sarah tells El Planteo, with some chagrin.

I Know It's My Destiny

-Did you watch the series before the call for the role of Ash?

-I was 10 years old when I watched the show. I was a fan and had always followed it. I was very proud of this call for my career and for my professional life. I had the audition on a Monday, but I forgot that the audition was that day! So I didn't stop practicing when I remembered. I went to a friend's house who helped me rehearse for hours, but she kept telling me, "I don't think you're going to fit the part, you don't sound like this character". Still, I made it to the audition, and they had me rehearsing for about half an hour. I didn't have much experience in dubbing, and the people who auditioned me looked at me with suspicion. Despite these setbacks, I was finally able to take on the character.

-What do Pokémon fans say the most at conventions?

-The fans show me their love at each of the events. Mostly, they tell me that Ash's attitude helped them a lot in difficult times. Also, there are several who tell me, "I know you've been told this many times, but you are the voice that represents my childhood," and that's a beautiful thing to hear. Because every convention is different, every message of love is different and every one of them is a new cupid's bow in my heart.

-What does Ash represent in your life?

-He encouraged me to do many things. He inspired me to go on more adventures, to travel the world, to make new friends, even to talk to people who don't speak my language. When you take on a role and continue to be a protagonist from your position, over the years, you have to ask yourself "why me?" And that "why" inspired me to search for myself all this time.

-Did you meet Rika Matsumoto, the voice of Ash Ketchum in Japan? Did you have any exchange of messages about the two of you working on the series?

-Yes, I never met her in person. But she's lovely. We exchange messages online and she's amazing - I can't wait to meet her!

-How did you feel when you heard Ash was being dropped from the series?

-Not to be a naive person, but I never imagined that Ash would be leaving the show. However, I was wrong, because I think the changes are good. On the one hand, labor-wise, a door closes, but a window opens. At the same time, I think the kids attest to something that's kind of a moral: change is inevitable.

-And what's next after Ash in your professional life?

-At the moment, I'm performing voices in season 2 of Tokyo Revengers, and I recently worked on several fictional podcasts. For now, I can't tell you much about my upcoming projects. However, I want to tell you that I'm working on a movie of my own with my own screenplay. In the meantime, I'm traveling around the world thanks to conventions and I hope to travel to Argentina soon.

-What is your favorite pokémon?

-Without a doubt Pikachu. In fact, he was already my favorite since the time when I was not working on the show, beyond being my partner in all this time in the series.

-If you were given the choice of voicing an animated character from all of history, which one would it be?

-I would love to work on Chainsaw Man. I've already auditioned for the show and I'd love to join there. At this stage of my career I'm for working on more "darker" animated projects, so to speak.

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