Ash’s 10 Strongest Pokémon, Ranked

Ash Ketchum, the original Pokémon anime’s main character, has been a fan favorite since he first appeared in the nineties. He’s become so popular that even people who don’t know much about Pokémon recognize him. Like all Pokémon Trainers, Ash is always with his Pokémon, whether he’s in his home region of Kanto or exploring places like the busy Galar region.

Everyone knows Ash as Pikachu’s trainer, but he’s done so much more. For example, in the Sinnoh region, he saved a neglected Chimchar and taught it a kinder way to learn. Later, in Kalos, he befriended a self-reliant Froakie, who turned out to be one of the few Pokémon able to achieve a special connection with a trainer known as the Bond Phenomenon.

10. Squirtle Is a Born Leader

Squirtle Deeply Cares About Its Friends

Early in his journey through the Kanto region, Ash comes across a town plagued by a group of Squirtle known as the Squirtle Squad. These Squirtle were all abandoned by their trainers and have since become distrustful of humans. They enjoy causing trouble around town, playing pranks and vandalizing property. But when Team Rocket’s Meowth tries to manipulate the Squirtle Squad into doing their bidding, everything changes for the group.

After Team Rocket attacked the Squirtle Squad’s base, their leader, Squirtle, was left injured until Ash helped him. Grateful for Ash’s kindness, Squirtle decided to leave his squad and travel with him. Despite choosing not to evolve, Squirtle became a powerful Pokémon, learning moves like Hydro Pump, Rapid Spin, and Skull Bash. He’s a steadfast companion to Ash, always ready to help, and a loyal friend to all Pokémon.

9. Bulbasaur Will Never Abandon Those in Need

Bulbasaur Is Capable of a Powerful Solar Beam Attack

Bulbasaur was raised by Melanie, who runs the Hidden Village, and spent his childhood watching over the Pokémon who came there for safety. These Pokémon had all once been with Trainers, but were hurt and left behind. Seeing how scared they were made Bulbasaur distrust Trainers, viewing them as a danger to Pokémon in need.

Ash showed Bulbasaur that not all Pokémon Trainers are unkind, and Bulbasaur quickly became one of his most trusted friends. Similar to Squirtle, Bulbasaur preferred to stay in its current form and seemed worried about evolving. Despite this, it was a powerful Pokémon, skilled in attacks like Vine Whip and a particularly strong Solar Beam. Interestingly, Ash’s Bulbasaur could even use the Dig attack, which is unusual for its species.

8. Ash’s Dragonite Loves Giving Hugs

She Is Also a Skilled Flyer and a Very Tough Opponent

Dragonite is a remarkably powerful and rare Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon, evolving from Dragonair and representing the final stage in Dratini’s evolution. While considered exceptionally strong—a ‘pseudo-legendary’ Pokémon—its stats aren’t quite as high as those of true Legendary Pokémon. Despite this, many Trainers actively search for Dragonite because of its versatility and effectiveness in battle against various opponents. In Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Ash encountered a wild, female Dragonair and helped her learn to fly. When she evolved into Dragonite to protect a friend, Dragonite expressed a desire to join Ash’s team.

I absolutely adore Ash’s Dragonite! She’s such a sweet Pokémon – seriously, she just loves to hug everyone, even Pokémon she’s never met before! But don’t let that fool you, she’s a total powerhouse in battle and never gives up. She can unleash incredible moves like Hyper Beam and Draco Meteor, and her stamina is unbelievable – she can go toe-to-toe with almost anything, like even Mega Lucario! It’s been so cool seeing Mega Dragonite in Pokémon Horizons: The Series since Dragonite first appeared, although we still don’t know if Ash’s Dragonite ever Mega Evolved herself.

7. Gengar Once Belonged to Another Trainer

The Shadow Pokémon Learns To Trust Others Again

Throughout their adventures, Ash and Pikachu discover that not all Pokémon Trainers are good to their Pokémon. This becomes clear again when they return to the Kanto region and investigate strange events at the Cerise Laboratory in Vermilion City. They learn a Gengar (identified as male in the Pokémon games) had been living at the lab, trying to frighten people. Both Gengar and Ash soon discover that Gengar’s previous Trainer abandoned him, blaming the Ghost/Poison-type for losing battles and failing to catch other Pokémon.

Gengar eventually joined Ash’s team after they worked together to foil Team Rocket’s plans. While still playful and a bit of a trickster, Gengar became much friendlier towards people. In battles, Gengar is known for being quick and avoiding traps, and its special ability can even disable enemy moves. After becoming friends with Allister, Gengar gained the incredible power of Gigantamaxing, making it even more valuable in a fight. It’s also versatile, able to use a diverse range of attacks, like the powerful Shadow Ball and the dazzling Dazzling Gleam.

6. Sceptile Never Backs Down From a Fight

A Grass-type That Is Always Cool and Collected

Before he met Ash, Sceptile was a wild Treecko fiercely protective of his forest home. When the tree he lived in fell, he was understandably upset, but he eventually joined Ash’s team and became a valuable member during their adventures in Hoenn. Even as he evolved into Grovyle and then Sceptile, he remained somewhat reserved and independent, but he was always loyal to those he considered friends.

Sceptile is famous for being calm, smart, and incredibly fast. It was a key member of Ash’s team during his adventures in the Hoenn region, and later reappeared during the Sinnoh League. There, Sceptile faced off against the powerful Mythical Pokémon Darkrai, who had already beaten many of Ash’s other Pokémon. Although Sceptile eventually lost to Latios, it managed to defeat Darkrai, even with its ability to create terrifying nightmares, showing just how strong and quick it was.

5. Ash Met Lucario While It Was an Egg

The Aura Pokémon Is Capable of Mega Evolution

Ash had encountered several Lucario before he finally got his own, including those owned by Maylene and Korrina. Even earlier, he befriended an ancient Lucario who belonged to the Aura Guardian Sir Aaron, and their story reached a dramatic peak in the movie Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Ultimately, Ash’s connection with Lucario was solidified when he unintentionally hatched a Riolu, who was drawn to Ash’s strong and energetic spirit, though the circumstances were tinged with sadness.

Ash lovingly cared for his Riolu, teaching it how to battle and helping it get to know his other Pokémon. During a tough fight with Chairman Rose, Riolu evolved into Lucario and was crucial in stopping the Darkest Day. After that, Lucario focused on developing its aura abilities, even training with Ash’s Greninja in the Kalos region. Before this, Lucario had also obtained a Mega Stone, allowing it to transform into the powerful Mega Lucario.

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4. Infernape Learns How To Hone in His Unique Powers

Infernape Proves His Former Trainer Wrong

Infernape, like some of Ash’s other Pokémon such as Pignite and Charizard, used to be trained by someone else. Ash first met Infernape as Chimchar, and Chimchar’s previous Trainer, Paul, was very focused on winning battles and treated Pokémon as tools to achieve that goal. While some Pokémon thrived under Paul’s strict training, it actually made Chimchar lose confidence and feel ashamed whenever he was criticized. Eventually, Paul released Chimchar because he considered him weak, and Ash took him in.

Chimchar possessed a special ability called Blaze, which greatly boosted the power of his Fire-type moves. However, using this ability was emotionally draining for him. With Ash’s help and a gentler training approach, Chimchar eventually evolved into Monferno, and then into Infernape. By the time of the Lily of the Valley Conference, Infernape had become much more self-assured, and impressively defeated Paul’s Electivire in a spectacular final match. This clearly showed Paul that Infernape was, in fact, very strong – proving his initial assessment wrong.

3. Charizard Became Aggressive After Evolving

Charizard Later Battles Against Entei

Charmander, a kind Fire-type Pokémon, was rescued and healed after being left out in the rain. He chose to stay with Ash instead of going back to his previous, uncaring Trainer. But when Charmander evolved into Charmeleon and then Charizard, his personality changed dramatically. Once friendly and devoted, Charizard became rebellious and often refused to battle unless he deemed an opponent worthy. It wasn’t until Charizard got sick that he understood how much Ash cared for him, and he finally decided to change his ways.

After recovering from being sick, Charizard became one of Ash’s most powerful Pokémon, known for his incredible strength, speed, and endurance. Even when they were apart and Charizard was training to get even stronger, he remained loyal to his friends. He proved this during a battle in the third Pokémon movie when he sensed Ash and the others were in danger. Charizard immediately rushed to Molly’s palace and bravely fought against the Legendary Pokémon Entei, unleashing powerful Flamethrower attacks.

2. Greninja Is Part of the Rare Bond Phenomenon

Ash-Greninja’s Legacy Remains Prominent

Greninja, even as a Froakie, always loved a good battle. But he struggled to connect with others – he’d been hurt by his old Froakie group and hadn’t found a Trainer he clicked with. That all changed when he met Ash, who shared his enthusiasm for training and battling. Greninja quickly became one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon in the Kalos region, especially after evolving into Frogadier and finally, Greninja.

Once Greninja evolved, it developed a special connection with Ash called the Bond Phenomenon, a power fueled by their strong loyalty. In the video games (where Greninja is male), this is shown through the Battle Bond ability, which transforms Greninja into Ash-Greninja and makes its Water Shuriken attack even more powerful. It took time for Ash and Greninja to fully master this ability, but they eventually became very skilled with it, even using it to fight against Team Flare when they threatened the Kalos region. After their battles, Greninja left to protect Kalos, but later returned to help train Ash’s Lucario.

1. Pikachu Is an Extraordinary Electric-Type Pokémon

Ash’s Partner Pokémon and Best Friend for Life

Most people immediately associate Ash Ketchum with his famous Pikachu. Ash was late to choose his first Pokémon, and by the time he arrived at Professor Oak’s lab, all the typical starter Pokémon were already taken. Instead, he was offered a Pikachu that Professor Oak had recently caught. This Pikachu, used to living in the forest, wasn’t thrilled about being trained at first. However, after they both narrowly escaped an attack by a group of Spearow, they formed a strong bond and saved each other.

Pikachu, Ash’s first Pokémon, is known for being incredibly strong, even compared to other Pikachu and Raichu. While he’s used a variety of moves like Iron Tail and Electro Ball, he’s most famous for Thunderbolt. Over the years, Pikachu has grown in power alongside Ash, eventually learning the powerful Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt and even achieving Gigantamax form. Wherever Ash travels, Pikachu is always ready to defend him and help those in trouble. Now that the original Pokémon series has finished, it’s unknown what Ash and Pikachu are doing, but it’s safe to say they’re continuing to have incredible adventures.

2026-04-01 13:36