Ash Ketchum's pokemon The journey was filled with numerous challenges, from intense League battles to dangerous encounters with Team Rocket members. Nonetheless, he overcomes it all with the help of the many Pokémon he catches and invites you to join his team along the way.
The character's 25-year journey to become a Pokémon Master wouldn't have been possible without his best companions. However, not all Pokémon live up to expectations. Some of Ash Ketchum's Pokémon could have been released sooner, not only because of their underwhelming abilities and poor win-loss records, but also because they were barely useful during their decades-long journey.
Each season of the Pokemon anime is ranked.
Pokemon anime has been around for a long time. Therefore, it is worth considering which season is best.
10
Taurus had one big win but little leverage.
Ash Ketchum's adventures in the Kanto region wouldn't be complete without him catching not one, but a total of 30 Taurus. For most of the series, Ash's Tauros can be seen roaming and stomping around Professor Oak's fields, occasionally waiting to be called to battle. However, it remains to be seen which Taurus is the strongest of the bunch and if there is one that truly stands out.
Although one of Ash's Tauros once defeated Venusaur in the Orange League and even surpassed Fernando's Tauros in a direct conflict, the creature later struggled in more difficult battles, including his battle with Gary Oak's Nidoqueen. Perhaps the best decision Ash could have made was to accept one of his trainer's offers to trade with his Tauros, allowing at least one of them to gain more combat experience elsewhere.
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9
Muk was threatening but ineffective.
Despite Muk's menacing appearance, he was not very effective in combat, and the infamous stench emanating from the Poké Ball was another drawback to Ash's decision to bring the creature. Unfortunately, while Muk may have experienced off-screen development during his time with Professor Oak, Ash rarely used him in battle.
Muk's only notable win was against Jeanette's Bellsprout, which he defeated by body slam. Aside from that battle, it was largely sidelined and later reappeared to fall under the influence of sleeping powder scattered by James' Victreebel, and was eventually defeated by Gary Oak's Scizor after being overpowered by Swift.
8
Torkoal had heart, but the win wasn't enough.
Among Ash's Fire-type Pokémon, Torkoal is considered one of the weakest Pokémon, mainly due to its poor battle record. Combining emotional sensitivity and an inability to evolve, Torkoal was arguably better off being released, as he struggled to consistently contribute to Ash's team despite his determination and powerful moves.
Torkoal was completely useless in one of Ash's gym battles, and although he emerged victorious against Norman's Slakoth, he later became a punching bag for two legendary Pokémon, suffering a crushing defeat that severely damaged his reputation. Unfortunately, that loss was not brought back.
7
Gligar needed more than evolution
Similar to Torkoal, Gligar is an emotionally sensitive Pokémon. They cry often, are afraid of fighting stronger opponents, and are often discouraged when things don't go their way. Unfortunately, Gligar also had a poor combat record, especially failing to defeat the menacing Gliscor who had led his previous horde.
Although Gligar eventually evolved into Gliscor and underwent significant character development, it was still not enough to become one of Ash's most trusted Pokémon, and only required extensive training from aerial combat master McCann to reach its strongest performance. Gligar achieved an impressive victory over Paul's Drapion, but still fell short against stronger opponents such as Electivire and Ninjask.
6
Palpitoad barely won when it mattered most.
Despite Palpitoad's violent and aggressive nature, it rarely performed well in Ash's battles. Boasting powerful moves including Mud Shot, Hydro Pump, Sludge Wave, and Supersonic, Palpitoad often struggled to secure a decisive victory for Ash even in battles where he had a clear type advantage.
Like Torkoal, Palpitoad performed well in less important battles, but rarely proved to be one of Ash's most dependable Pokémon when the stakes were highest. For example, Palpitoad suffered a disappointing loss to Elesa's Emolga and drew against Stephan's Zebstrika despite having a type advantage in both matchups.
5
Boldore had great potential, but the results were poor.
If Boldore had evolved into Gigalith, it would have been a more powerful and versatile Pokémon, giving it greater attack power and defensive durability during Ash's critical battle. This creature can only evolve into a Gigalith through a trade, which ultimately prevented Ash from reaching his full potential.
Boldore earned a decisive victory in the second round of the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, defeating Geraldo's Reuniclus with Rock Blast, but the subsequent battle mostly ended in defeat, with Boldore eliminated despite his impressive durability. He even lost to Koffing once. As a result, many fans came to prefer the older form of Roggenrola, believing it to be more efficient and consistently effective in combat.
4
Unfezant has wings but no victory
Unfezant suffered a similar fate as Pidgeotto. This is because Flying-type Pokémon have more losses than wins in their records, despite evolving through all stages of their evolution line. Even after becoming a fully evolved Unfezant, she showed little of the power or consistency expected of one of Ash's local bird Pokémon.
Unfezant's most notable contribution to Ash's team was Skyla's victory over Swaanna, which secured the Unova badge. But beyond that performance, she struggled to get any additional wins for Ash's team, leading many fans to think that replacing her with a more reliable Pokémon would have been a better decision.
3
Snivy relied too much on Attract.
Ash earned Snivy's respect for his skills and happy relationship with Pikachu after repeated attempts to capture the grass-type creature by force. She proved to be one of the most difficult Pokémon for Ash to catch, mainly due to her arrogant and selfish nature, which unfortunately did not translate into much combat effectiveness.
Snivy primarily uses his decoy ability to immobilize his opponents and then performs attacks like Vine Whip and Leaf Blade to finish the fight. When Attract fails or Snivy faces an opponent of the same gender, such as Elesa's Emolga, she is often at a significant disadvantage and will likely lose the match.
2
Oshawott has been one of the Ash's most unreliable starters.
Oshawott is one of the most adorable starter Pokémon in the series, but it's often considered one of the weaker Water-type starters in terms of overall combat performance. In almost every battle Oshawott participates in, he often appears awkward and clumsy, failing to use his skills properly and suffering repeated defeats as a result.
Oshawott's battles are fun to watch because of his antics, but he almost always fails to produce good results. After failing to defeat Trip's Tranquill, Lenora's Watchog, Chilli's Pansear, and Cheren's Herdier, the losses of the beloved Water-type creatures continued to pile up.
1
Pidgeotto is overwhelmed throughout Kanto
Pidgeotto was one of Ash's earliest companions. pokemon. This creature accompanied Ash for most of his travels in Kanto, fighting powerful gym leaders and defending Team Rocket, acting as one of his most trusted partners. However, Pidgeotto's fighting record is one of the worst in the entire series.
Pidgeotto rarely won a solo battle. This is because many opponents were able to win with relative ease. From Samurai's Pinsir to Brock's Geodude and Koga's Venomoth, Pidgeotto suffered one defeat after another, struggling to secure meaningful victories during his time on Ash's team.
- release date
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1997 – 2023
- network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- move
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Oga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Heuser Biyane, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- author
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ohashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shoji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rika Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
