Ash—and by extension, his beloved partner Pikachu—has been through so much throughout his extensive Pokémon journey thus far. He's met so many wonderful companions along the way who have taught him so many valuable lessons, and this extends to the many Pokémon he encounters as well, not just his human counterparts. He's had to overcome so many obstacles, and most of them are incredibly rewarding to watch.
Sadly, Ash's level of maturity is completely relative to whichever season of the series fans are viewing at the time. Every new adventure is more or less a clean slate, as though Ash will reference his past victories and remember old companions, he doesn't seem to truly mature consistently. When it comes down to it, many of the people that Ash interacts with throughout his journey are simply more mature than he is.
10 Paul Is Able To Grow Past His Rivalry With Ash & Change How He Treats His Pokémon
When Ash first meets Paul, he's a cold and callous individual who views his Pokémon as tools rather than partners that he should be growing and changing with. Over time, though, he begins to respect Ash as he sees that he's truly strong in his own right while still being a kind person.
This, in turn, begins to change Paul, and he treats his Pokémon with more respect and praises them—even when they lose. This shows immense emotional growth on his part, and it helps him become an even stronger trainer.
9 James Is Actually Much More Mature Than He Appears At First Glance
Team Rocket members seem like they're constantly stuck in failing schemes—and this is true, more often than not. However, their inability to put together successful plans isn't a clear indicator of how mature the members are, as they've actually been through and understand much more than it seems, especially James.
The only reason that he doesn't appear mature outwardly is due to the fact that his upbringing did make him rather sheltered. James grew up wealthy and is well-traveled, and he makes the decision to join Team Rocket in order to escape his family's expectations.
8 Brock knows How To Juggle Gym Leader & Family Responsibilities Seamlessly
Although Brock has his womanizer tendencies, he's also an incredibly mature person who knows how to handle responsibility and doesn't crack under pressure. He's an adept gym leader who cares deeply for his Pokémon as well as his family, and he's able to juggle both without compromising either.
He's an excellent cook, as well, and has dreams of being a world-class Pokémon breeder on top of that. He's shown nursing injured Pokémon back to health and whipping up food for them, and is all-around a wonderful character.
7 Cilan Is A Reliable Source Of Wisdom & Advice For Other Characters In The Group
Much like Brock, Cilan is the wise-and-mature cook of the group who's often seen giving advice to his fellow companions. His heightened level of maturity makes sense whenever one takes into account that he does consider himself a Pokémon Connoisseur.
This means that he's someone who's able to identify the compatibility between trainers and their Pokémon. He's someone with a great ability to read others and can offer appropriate advice for given situations, both of which require a good deal of maturity.
6 Lillie Is Able To Overcome Her Fears Of Pokémon & Her Broken Family Life
Lillie has one of the worst family environments of any of Ash's traveling companions in both the game and show. The latter, however, is lighter and does see Lillie make up with her estranged mother, helping her begin to grow in a more positive way.
She also shows immense personal growth when it comes to overcoming her fear of interacting with Pokémon to the point where she can have partners of her own. While she starts out scared and relatively sheltered, she matures incredibly satisfyingly over the course of both of her canon storylines.
5 Mallow Knows How To Handle Responsibility & Has A Strong Moral Compass
Mallow is an incredibly friendly and energetic girl, though she's admitted that her enthusiasm can cause her to miss smaller details at times. This level of foresight into her own character actually does show a deep level of maturity and understanding in itself, though.
On top of going to Pokémon School and always being around when others need her, she's the poster girl of her family's restaurant. She also has a very strong sense of morality, as she immediately stands up against Team Skull.
4 Ritchie Is Passionate, Cautious, & Able To Think Things Through
Ritchie is one of Ash's rivals, and their rivalry is made all the more intense by the fact that Ritchie's treasured partner Pokémon is also a Pikachu. He's courageous and friendly just like Ash, but the other aspects of his personality are what shoot him ahead in terms of maturity.
In comparison to Ash's often reckless attitude, Ritchie is calmer and is able to take time to think things through accordingly before acting. He's also mature enough to see losses as necessary steps in order to grow, rather than something to get upset at or try to avoid entirely.
3 Zoey Cares Deeply For Others & Will Support Them Even If She's Their Rival, As Seen With Dawn
Zoey is Dawn's main rival throughout the Diamond and Pearl segment of the series, and the two are always pushing each other to be better. And while Zoey can come off as harsh, it's only because she wants to see the best from those around her.
This includes Dawn, which shows how mature she is despite her age. It's easy to want one's rival to fail, or at the very least turn a blind eye when they're struggling, but Zoey is seen comforting Dawn and cheering for her on multiple occasions.
2 Gladion Reconciles With His Sister & Has Total Trust In His Team
Gladion originally blames himself as the reason why his sister Lillie is unable to touch Pokémon, and distances himself from her for this reason. However, the two of them are able to successfully reconcile over the course of the series, which shows strong emotional growth.
He also shows a level of complete and utter trust in his team's capabilities. He goes so far as to allow them to train by fighting one another without issuing any commands of his own, and he's a powerful force to be reckoned with in battle, so it's a successful method.
1 Drew Is Able To Form Friendships Even With Fellow Competitors & Treats His Pokémon Exceptionally Well
Drew is May's main coordinator rival throughout the Hoenn stretch of the heroes' journey, and he's well-loved by his fanbase within the show. This is understandable, as he's quite mature and takes care of his Pokémon quite well.
He's able to take crushing defeats and learn from them, and he even became good friends with the first coordinator he suffered a crushing defeat against. He can come off as a bit rude to May, but he does congratulate her and offer her flowers when she performs well.
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