Ash, Satoshi, or... Ali?

Anyone who is a Pokémon fan, in particular a fan of the anime, knows about the protagonist of the anime series. But dig deeper, and it becomes apparent that the protagonist, in fact, goes by different names in different parts of the world. Among these many names, there are three that I either often encounter or have to deal with.

Ash. This is his English name, often appended with the last name "Ketchum". Since I grew up watching the English dub of the anime, this is the name I am partial to, and the name I use to refer to him when I communicate in English, as is the case on this blog. Even so, I might use this name in non-English settings if I know that we can be "on the same page" regarding our understanding of the Pokémon anime.

Satoshi. This is his Japanese name, which is obviously a nod to the creator of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri. "Satoshi" is also a common name for Japanese people, just like how "Jim" is common in the West; there are other anime with a character named Satoshi, and I even have a real-life friend named Satoshi, but by and large, when Pokémon is concerned, then it's all about the protagonist. This is the name I use to refer to him when Japanese influence is abound, including in Indonesia, where for years the local dub has mostly adopted the Japanese character names rather than the Western ones.

Ali. This is his Indonesian name. At some point in time, the local dub of the anime adopted this name. However, in practice, this is a "legendary" name of sorts, as most Indonesian Pokémon fans prefer to use either of the two names I have previously mentioned. As such, I hardly use this name, except in the rare case that this little piece of history is brought up.

While there are other localized names ascribed to the protagonist of the Pokémon anime, these are the ones that I am most connected to. Regardless of how he is called, his spirit remains the same anywhere.