I can hardly put into words how much Ash being down to die for Pikachu means to me—Pikachu did nothing but express utter contempt for Ash in the very beginning of their relationship and yet Ash, with no hesitation, I mean not missing a damn beat, jumped off a cliff into a river rapid, stole someone's bike, and was willing to—repeatedly, mind you—face down an angry mob of spearows by his solo, all to save him.
And while my brain is focusing on Ash and Pikachu in this moment, Ash being down to die for his pocket monster friends is a character defining trait! He'll let himself freeze to death just to spare his friends.
Folks joke a lot about Ash's pokémon being so down to fight what are basically Gods for him, no matter if the odds are even in their favor, and while I do find said jokes very funny...can you blame them for real?