In the Pokémon anime, Ash has caught and trained many Pokémon over the years, turning many a small creature into some of the strongest Pokémon ever seen. On top of that, Ash has had the good fortune to encounter several notably powerful Pokémon, some of whom obtained that power on their own, and some of which had their latent power unlocked by Ash.
As the winner of not only the Alola League, but also the World Coronation series, the power that Ash’s Pokémon can wield is really beyond questioning. Whether they’re rare and powerful Pokémon both in-universe and out or surprisingly common Pokémon, Ash always manages to assemble an incredible ensemble of powerful Pokémon in every region he travels through. Some of Ash’s Pokémon are, naturally, stronger than others, and the strongest of them all are plenty worth highlighting.
15 Gengar Devours The Competition
Caught In Pokémon Journeys Episode 16: “A Chilling Curse!”
Ash’s Gengar was first encountered, as a Gengar, when it was haunting the Cerise laboratory in Pokémon Journeys. Ash caught it and worked with it, undergoing a special ritual that allowed Gengar to obtain the ability to Gigantamax. It trained with some of Ash’s Fire-type Pokémon to master Will-o-Wisp, which proved to be vital to some of Ash’s Masters’ Eight tournament victories. Gengar was an essential member of Ash’s Journeys team, and certainly pulled its weight in helping him to achieve the world champion title.
14 Naganadel Is A Genuine Legendary Pokémon
Caught In Pokémon Sun & Moon Episode 67: “Love at First Twirl!”
One of Ash’s rarest Pokémon, Naganadel was first encountered as a Poipole after appearing in Ash’s world via an Ultra Wormhole. Naganadel and Poipole are what are known as Ultra Beasts, mysterious Pokémon that come from another dimension and are both quite rare and quite powerful.
Ash’s Naganadel returned to help him when he battled in the Alola League tournament, where it defeated another Ultra Beast, Guzzlord, that attacked mid-tournament. It joined Ash for his final battle with Kukui, readily defeating Kukui’s Lucario and standing up admirably against the legendary Pokémon Tapu Koko.
13 Snorlax Is An Unstoppable Eating Machine
Caught In Pokémon: Adventures In The Orange Islands Episode 94: “Snack Attack”
Ash caught his Snorlax in Pokémon‘s Orange Islands, where it was found swimming from island to island, already strong as it devoured everything it came across. Snorlax proved a powerful ally, able to stop a massive Rhydon that was on a rampage with a single punch.
Snorlax is also a master of the powerful Hyper Beam technique, which it used to defeat many an opponent in tournament conferences. The only problem with Snorlax as a Pokémon, of course, is that it tends to eat and sleep rather than fight, so motivating it to battle at its strongest is sometimes difficult even for Ash.
Caught In Pokémon Sun & Moon Episode 112: “Got Meltan?”
As a Mythical Pokémon, Melmetal is not just one of the rarest Pokémon Ash has ever caught, but also one of the biggest and strongest. It was encountered as a Meltan and evolved when hundreds of Meltan came together to help Ash during the Alola League’s championship.
Unfortunately, that also means Melmetal didn’t get a lot of opportunities to prove its prowess in battle, and its performance in the tournament wasn’t great. Still, Melmetal knows its signature attack, Double Iron Bash, and if given the chance, still ranks among Ash’s strongest.
11 Dracovish’s Prehistoric Power Overwhelms Opponents
Caught In Pokémon Journeys Episode 50: “A Pinch of This, A Pinch of That!”
This strange and strong Pokémon was the result of a fossil revival gone awry, and Ash was entrusted with the odd Pokémon after the scientists were finished researching it. Despite its dubious origins, Dracovish is a formidable opponent, capable of pulling out its signature attack Fishious Rend and obliterating opponents slower than it. Dracovish’s massive jaw gives it some impressive attack capability, which it often puts to use with Ice Fang to fantastic results. Ash’s Dracovish is a bit spacey, though, and doesn’t always realize important things, like being called back from battle.
10 Hawlucha’s Dramatic Victories Seal The Deal
Caught In Pokémon XY Episode 35: “The Forest Champion!”
The protector of a forest before joining Ash, Hawlucha quickly became a favorite choice of Ash’s during his adventures in Kalos. Hawlucha’s use of its signature move Flying Press won Ash many a battle, even when the odds were against him. Hawlucha, for example, managed to pull out a win against the Fairy-type Gym Leader Valerie, despite its typing disadvantage.
Hawlucha was also an excellent mentor to Ash’s other Pokémon, such as Noibat, whom it taught to fly. Hawlucha’s main downside is that it strongly prefers theatrics, even if that isn’t the best strategy in a particular battle.
9 Goodra Bravely Challenges Any Opponent
Caught In Pokémon XY Episode 55: “A Slippery Encounter!”
Literally falling into Ash’s lap as a Goomy, Goodra joined Ash because it wanted to become stronger and braver, and Ash definitely helped it to achieve that goal. Goodra’s Hydration ability came in handy on several occasions, allowing it to heal from status effects in the rain.
One of its favored techniques, Bide, allowed it to bear the brunt of enemy attacks before returning them at full power, making it a surprisingly strong Pokémon in battle. Goodra suffered from some traumatic experiences before the Pokémon met Ash, leaving it terrified of Fairy and Bug-type Pokémon, but Ash helped it to overcome this weakness.
8 Bulbasaur Is Still One Of Ash’s Most Iconic Pokémon
Caught In Pokémon Episode 10: “Bulbasaur And The Hidden Village”
While Ash wasn’t given one of the traditional starter Pokémon at the start of his journey, he still met a Bulbasaur in the wild early into his travels through Kanto. Bulbasaur was introduced as the guardian of a sanctuary for injured Pokémon, and after meeting Ash and his friends and battling Team Rocket with them, Bulbasaur joined Ash’s team for further growth. During Ash’s journey through Johto, however, Bulbasaur left to serve as a mediator for the Pokémon at Professor Oak’s laboratory, although it would occasionally rejoin Ash numerous times throughout the years.
Thanks to being one of Ash’s oldest Pokémon, Bulbasaur has far more power and experience than many of Ash’s Pokémon, resulting in a fighter that’s as powerful as it is versatile. One of the best showings of Bulbasaur’s power was in Ash’s third match with Brandon at the Battle Pyramid where Bulbasaur defeated Brandon’s Dusclops, which even defeated Charizard, and tied against his Solrock. Even without ever evolving, Bulbasaur has always been one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon, and that idea is nearly impossible to deny.
7 Sceptile Proudly Battles Even Legends
Caught In Pokémon Advanced Generation Episode 7: “Tree’s A Crowd”
Ash met his Sceptile as a Treecko, where he helped it to defend its home. As a Grovyle, it became one of Ash’s most reliable Pokémon, often being the last one he’d use to help secure victory since its Overgrow ability made it especially strong when the chips were down.
Sceptile even managed to defeat the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai during Pokémon‘s Sinnoh League championships, an incredibly impressive achievement. Sceptile’s biggest weakness is likely its pride, as it once lost the ability to use attacks when it was snubbed by a Meganium it liked. Still, that pride isn’t enough to knock it from the top five of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.
6 Nebby Is One Of Ash’s Strongest Pokémon By Design
Caught In Pokémon Sun & Moon Episode 44: “A Dream Encounter!”
While Lillie is typically the one to have the Cosmog Nebby in the games and most adaptations, the Pokémon anime instead put Ash in that role, although Lillie was still the one to give it its name. Faba’s machinations eventually led to Nebby evolving into a Solgaleo, and after saving Lusamine from a wild Nihilego, Nebby left Ash to live in Ultra Space, although it returned to help Ash and his friends deal with Necrozma.
While Ash never officially caught Nebby, it is still treated as one of his Pokémon and even supported Pikachu in spirit during his battle against Leon’s Charizard.
As a “box legendary” i.e. the legendary Pokémon featured in the cover art of a game, Solgaleo is one of the most powerful Pokémon a person can catch, and similarly, Nebby is one of the strongest Pokémon Ash has ever owned. After finally evolving into Solgaleo, Nebby was an unstoppable powerhouse in the few battles it partook in thanks to its powerful Steel-type moves and signature Z-Move, and the biggest showing of its strength was in how Solgaleo was the biggest player in the eventual defeat of Necrozma. Nebby might not have been with Ash for very long, but it still left a major mark, either way.
5 Lucario’s Fighting Spirit Is Unmatched
Caught In Pokémon Journeys Episode 21: “Caring for a Mystery!”
Lucario is one of Ash’s newer Pokémon, raised from an egg during Pokémon Journeys. Lucario and Ash developed an immediate connection thanks to Ash’s superpower to see a Pokémon’s Aura, and so the pair were able to train together very efficiently. It fought against Eternatus after freshly evolving, which it defeated with the help of Pikachu and Goh’s Cinderace, and has an excellent record against Dynamaxed Pokémon.
Ash’s Lucario is also capable of Mega Evolving, thanks to a Mega Stone acquired with aid from Korrina. For Lucario, its boldness was often its main issue, as it would attack wild Pokémon at random as a Riolu and sometimes disobeyed, although that mostly ended when it evolved.
4 Infernape Is Strongest When On The Ropes
Caught In Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Episode 52: “Smells Like Team Spirit!”
Taken in as a Chimchar when his rival Paul abandoned it, Infernape is one of Ash’s greatest success stories. Rejected for being “too weak,” Ash was able to train Chimchar into a strong Pokémon that could fight bravely under almost any circumstances. Its Blaze ability is one of its greatest assets, empowering it to an almost berserk state when things get dire. Infernape had a strong preference for Mach Punch, often defeating foes with a rapid strike. Infernape grew bold enough by Pokémon Journeys that it actually went out seeking to challenge a Moltres just for fun.
3 Charizard’s Power Is Nearly Unmatched
Caught In Pokémon Episode 11: “Charmander – The Stray Pokémon”
Likely the most famous of Ash’s Pokémon after Pikachu, Ash’s Charizard was originally found as an abandoned Charmander, nearly dying in the rain. It didn’t obey him for quite a long time after evolving, but eventually it grew to respect all that Ash had done for it. Charizard has participated in more leagues than any of Ash’s Pokémon besides Pikachu, and proved critical in winning several badges.
Charizard has also battled against several Legendary Pokémon, especially if one counts the films, and has often been able to go toe-to-toe with them for a surprisingly long time. Charizard is prone to rivalries, especially with other Dragon-like Pokémon, such as Iris’ Dragonite, but is often willing to help younger Pokémon (especially Fire-types) that it sees potential in. Unfortunately though, it just barely loses out on the top spot of Ash’s strongest Pokémon.
2 Greninja’s Bond With Ash Is Strong Enough To Make It Transform
Caught In Pokémon XY Episode 2: “Lumiose City Pursuit”
Ash and Greninja had a bond so special that it could link the two together in battle, causing a Mega Evolution-like transformation to occur. It was always heavily focused on training even before Ash caught it, and had a serious disposition. Greninja’s water veil technique was also extremely useful and proved to be key to the Ash-Greninja transformation. Greninja’s favorite attack is, of course, its Water Shuriken, something that the Ash-Greninja state radically empowered.
Though Greninja opted to stay behind in Kalos and act as its protector, it did reappear in Journeys to help train Ash’s Lucario, something that proved vital to his eventual victory in the World Coronation Series. Given their unique bond and its incredible win record, there should be little doubt of Greninja’s power.
1 Pikachu Will Always Be Ash’s Strongest Pokémon
Caught In Pokémon Episode 1: “Pokémon – I Choose You!”
Pikachu was Ash’s very first Pokémon in the anime, Ash receiving Pikachu after oversleeping and missing out on getting a regular starter Pokémon to begin his journey with. At first, Pikachu wanted nothing to do with Ash and would not only zap him with electricity but refuse to go inside his Pokéball, something that’s since become his signature trait. However, after Ash protected Pikachu from a flock of angry Spearow, Pikachu accepted Ash as his trainer, and the two have been an inseparable duo ever since.
Ever since his debut in the anime, Pikachu has been noted to have an incredible hidden power, and that’s only grown truer as he continued to become stronger and more experienced with an ever-growing list of moves and strategies. No matter how many rare or powerful Pokémon Ash catches, Pikachu is always treated as his ace, and that’s best exemplified in how Pikachu was the one to defeat Leon’s Charizard and win the World Coronation Series for Ash. After over 20 years, there’s no denying Pikachu’s status as Ash’s strongest Pokémon.
