Summary

  • Ash's Gengar, Naganadel, and Snorlax are among his strongest Pokémon, contributing to his victories in various tournaments and battles.
  • Melmetal and Dracovish, although lacking in battle experiences, possess unique and powerful abilities that make them formidable opponents.
  • Hawlucha, Goodra, Sceptile, Lucario, Infernape, Charizard, and Greninja also showcase exceptional strength, each with their own unique skills and accomplishments.

In the Pokémon anime, Ash has caught and trained a lot of 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.

Obviously, when the subject of Ash's strongest comes up, Pikachu comes to mind. But Pikachu's power is put on display in the anime almost every episode. What about Ash's Pokémon besides Pikachu? How do they compare with each other, and which one might be the strongest he's ever raised?

12 Gengar Devours the Competition

Episode caught: Pokémon Journeys, "A Chilling Curse!"

Pokemon: Gengar in its Gigantamax form

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.

11 Naganadel is a Beast

Episode caught: Pokémon Sun & Moon, "Love at First Twirl!"

Pokemon Ash's Naganadel

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.

10 Snorlax is an Unstoppable Eating Machine

Episode caught: Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, "Snack Attack"

Pokemon: Snorlax fires Hyper Beam

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.

9 Melmetal's Strength is Mythical

Episode caught: Pokémon Sun & Moon, "Got Meltan?"

Pokemon: Melmetal after evolving.

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.

8 Dracovish's Prehistoric Power Overwhelms Opponents

Episode caught: Pokémon Journeys, "A Pinch of This, A Pinch of That!"

Dracovish affectionately bites Ash's head

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.

7 Hawlucha's Dramatic Victories Seal the Deal

Episode caught: Pokémon XY, "The Forest Champion!"

Hawlucha is another Pokémon bully Trainers should keep an eye out for.

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.

6 Goodra Bravely Challenges Any Opponent

Episode caught: Pokémon XY, "A Slippery Encounter!"

Ash, Pikachu, and Goodra yell and cheer in Pokemon.

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.

5 Sceptile Proudly Battles Even Legends

Episode caught: Pokémon Advanced Generation, "Tree's A Crowd"

Ash's Sceptile from the Pokémon anime series.

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.

4 Lucario's Fighting Spirit is Unmatched

Episode hatched: Pokémon Journeys, "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.

3 Infernape is Strongest When On the Ropes

Episode caught: Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, "Smells Like Team Spirit!"

Infernape leans to the ground ready to fight in Pokemon anime.

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.

2 Charizard's Power is Nearly Unmatched

Episode caught: Pokémon, "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.

1 Greninja's Bond is Strong Enough to Transform

Episode caught: Pokémon XY, "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 that Greninja is Ash's strongest Pokémon other than Pikachu.

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  • Pokemon Franchise Image
    Pokemon
    Summary:
    Spanning over twenty-five years, Pokemon, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, is the multimedia franchise created jointly by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Conceptualized by Satoshi Tajiri in association with Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda, Pokemon is set in fictional worlds where people live together with tamable creatures known as Pokemon. Humans who catch, raise, and battle the creatures are known as Pokemon Trainers. They head out on extensive journeys across their continents to raise their Pokemon with the ultimate goal of competing in tournaments to become the champion. Pokemon spans several massive properties, from a long-running animated series to a successful trading card game, to the medium that started it all, video games. In addition, Pokemon began the "two-game" trend where two versions of a game would release and include different Pokemon/features between the versions, encouraging players to meet up with others and trade so they could "catch 'em all."
    Created by:
    Satoshi Taijiri, Ken Sugimori, Junichi Masuda
    First Film:
    Pokemon: The First Movie
    Latest Film:
    Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
    First TV Show:
    Pokemon
    First Episode Air Date:
    1997-04-01
    Current Series:
    Pokemon
    Video Game(s):
    Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Snap, Pokémon GO
    TV Show(s):
    Pokemon