Game Theory: Who Does Ash MARRY? (Pokemon)

After 25 years of being ten years old, Ash Ketchum is retiring as the protagonist of the Pokemon anime. He finally achieved his dream of becoming the Pokemon World Champion at the end of Pokemon Ultimate Journeys.

A new series is set in the Paldea region featuring two new protagonists named Roy and Riko instead of continuing with Ash as the main character.

• Theories emerged that Riko could be mentored by Ash, introduced in his final season, or become his rival • The dominant theory suggested Riko is Ash's daughter based on physical similarities

The episode will use genetics and scientific analysis to determine if Riko could be Ash's daughter and identify who her mother might be.

• Riko has black hair that matches Ash's hair color • She wears a hair clip resembling the L symbol from Ash's original cap • Her necklace looks similar to the Thunder Stone that Pikachu refused to evolve with • The name Riko is potentially a nod to Rika Matsumoto, Ash's longtime Japanese voice actress

Fans began debating which of Ash's female companions could be Riko's mother, with different corners of the fandom championing their favorite characters.

Rather than rely on speculation and bias, genetics and eye color inheritance patterns can definitively determine paternity and maternal identity.

A comprehensive list of 15 potential mothers was compiled from Ash's female companions across all seasons and movies, plus some one-off characters.

Every person has two copies of each gene—one from mom and one from dad. Eye color traits come in different alleles: brown (dominant), green (intermediate), and blue (recessive).

• Two brown alleles produce brown eyes • Two green alleles produce green eyes • Two blue alleles produce blue eyes • Brown is dominant and will mask blue or green • Green is dominant over blue

Since Riko has blue eyes, she must have two recessive blue alleles. Ash has brown eyes like his mother, making it difficult for him to pass on blue alleles unless he carries a hidden recessive one.

The candidates eliminated due to lacking blue eyes are: Iris, Lillie, Mallow, Chloe, Angie, Miette, and Latias. Misty and Macy remain on the bubble due to inconsistent eye colors in the series.

Hair color is determined by two main pigments: eumelanin (black-brown pigment) and pheomelanin (yellowish-red pigment). These act like dials that can be adjusted to create different hair colors.

Riko has black hair with blue underlights—the hidden colored layer underneath the top layer of hair. The blue color, while not natural in reality, must be explained through additional pigment genes unique to the anime world.

If Ash is the father and contributes black hair genes, the mother must have blue hair to explain Riko's blue underlights. This narrows candidates to only two girls with both blue eyes and blue hair.

• Dawn from Diamond and Pearl - has blue eyes and blue hair • Lana from Sun and Moon - has blue eyes and blue hair

Dawn has normal eyes with visible sclera (whites), blue irises, and black pupils. Lana has unusual eyes with no visible sclera and white pupils instead of black ones.

Lana's unusual eye appearance is not a character design quirk but a heritable genetic trait passed down from her parents and siblings Harper and Sarah.

Riko possesses normal eyes with visible sclera and regular pupils, lacking the distinctive family trait that all of Lana's blood relatives share.

Based on genetic analysis, Dawn from Diamond and Pearl is the only candidate who matches all required traits: blue eyes, blue hair, and normal eye structure that Riko inherited.

While the hair clip resembles Ash's cap, it is not definitive proof of paternity. Riko could have obtained it the same way Ash obtained his original cap, or it could reference other Pokemon like Orbeetle with antenna-like features.

• The Thunder Stone first appeared in episode 14 when Pikachu refused to evolve with it • It reappears in episode 540 during the Diamond and Pearl Arc when Ash reveals he kept it • Team Rocket steals the stone at the end of the episode and plans to sell it • The stone is gone long before Ash would have children

Characters with black hair and blue eyes are common in the series, including Goh from Journeys and Riley from Diamond and Pearl. Ash having a recessive blue allele is uncertain, and the black hair trait alone is not distinctive.

Pixel measurements and face shape analysis show that Ash's facial proportions are too large compared to Riko's. His jaw is longer, cheeks are wider, and forehead is much more bulbous, making him an unlikely biological father.

The scientific evidence suggests Riko is not Ash's daughter, and her parents likely won't have significant lore implications.

Introducing Ash's daughter as the new protagonist would undermine Pokemon's core message that anyone can achieve greatness through hard work and determination, not just chosen bloodlines.

Ash started as an unskilled kid from a small town and matured through failures and growth to achieve his childhood dream. Handing the torch to his daughter would negate his journey of overcoming humble beginnings.

Ash will likely appear as a surprise battle for Riko towards the end of her journey, following the established Pokemon franchise pattern of featuring returning characters.