Ash is great, like no one else was, but it was a long road to get there. At the beginning of his journey, Ash was an inexperienced trainer, far from becoming one of the greats In trainers Pokemon. By the end of the Masters Eight Tournament, Ash had become a skilled, strategic trainer whose strong bond with his Pokémon allowed him to pull off feats that other trainers could.
While Ash doesn't always have a great knack for team building, he did catch some extremely powerful Pokemon on his travels that helped him travel to different areas. Ash, the strongest Pokemon in each region, carried his weight and won him key matches where other Pokemon couldn't. Ash technically goes to Galer for the Masters Eight tournament, but doesn't explore the area like in previous seasons, so he has no Galerian Ace.
7
Kanto: Pikachu
Although Charizard served as Ash's ace in the original series, Pikachu was clearly Ash's ace by the end of his career. Ash's Pikachu has pulled off some impressive feats that would be impossible in the games, such as defeating Brock's Onyx with Thunderbolt. Pikachu is freakishly strong and fast, capable of taking down some extremely powerful opponents.
There is no Pokemon Ash trusts more than Pikachu, and their bond only makes Pikachu stronger. Pikachu defeated Leon's Charizard, one of the strongest Pokémon in the entire franchise, and also defeated several legendary Pokémon, including Tapu Koko and Regice. Pikachu also tackles Volt to knock out Latios with Luster Cannon in one of his best feats in the series. Pikachu is not only Ash's Kanto ace, he is the ace of his entire team. Ashley wouldn't have won Masters Eight without Pikachu.
6
Joto: Heracross
Ash didn't really have an ace when he was in Zoto. He regularly rotates most of his battles between Pikachu, Cyndaquil, and Baylif, but Heracross stands out thanks to some impressive feats. Heracross becomes a major player in Zoho's Silver Conference, allowing Ash to score against Gary and settle his rivalry once and for all.
Heracross is a fast, powerful Pokemon that can stack up against obstacles just like Pikachu. Heracross tanks directly from Gary's Magmar to Flamethrower and still has enough energy to continue the fight. Ash's Heracross is a reliable, strong Pokemon that can pull its weight when pushed.
5
Hoenn: Sceptile
Sceptile is the strongest Pokemon Ash has on his team. Treecko was already strong for a starter, before really making a name for himself as a Grovyle. Ash's Grovyle was by far his best Pokémon during the Hoenn League, pulling off some big wins, such as defeating Katie's Walren in an incredible battle. The Leaf Blade is quite deadly in the hands of a Grovile/Septile.
Grovile eventually evolves into Sceptile during the Sinoh League, when Sceptile defeats Tobias' Darkrai in one of the best fights of the anime, earning Ash a well-earned Pyrrhic victory. Ashley didn't end up using the Sceptile in the Masters Eight tournament, but that doesn't diminish its accomplishments. Beating a Legendary is more than most Pokemon can claim.
4
Sinnoh: Infernape
Infernape is one of the best starters Ash has ever picked Pokemon Anime. Infernape originally belonged to Paul as a Chimchar, before he abandoned him and Ash brought him into his team. This is a huge mistake on Paul's part, as Chimchar becomes extremely powerful. During Ash's travels throughout Sinnoh, he often uses Infernape.
Not only that, Infernape actually wins most of its battles, boasting one of the best battle records of all of Ash's Pokémon, winning an impressive 77% of fights. Infernape's best fight is his fight against Paul's Electivire at Lily of the Valley Conference, where he defeats Paul's new Ace in expert fashion.
3
Unova: Krookodile
Krokorok was a true staple of Ash's team in Unova. While Ash regressed as a trainer Pokemon An adaptation of the anime Black and whiteKrokorok proved that Ash wasn't completely hopeless. Proved itself to be a strong and reliable Pokemon (although weaker than Pikachu) before evolving into Crocodile.
While battling Iris in the Pokemon World Tournament Junior Cup, Krokorok eventually evolves into Crocodile. Krookodile is powerful enough to take out her Dragonite. Crocodile also gets an amazing performance when Ash later fights Stefan. Anova may have been a step back for Ash, but Crocodile really shined as one of the best Pokemon.
2
Kalos: Greninja
Ash's bond with Greninja is truly amazing, and would rival his relationship with Pikachu if it wasn't fundamental to the entire anime. Greninja is the strongest Pokemon on Ash's team, and has some truly legendary feats. Greninja manages to counter its type-damage against Sawyer's Mega Sceptile, eventually winning in the end. Greninja also puts up an amazing fight against Diantha's Mega Gardevoir, the Kalos Champion.
Greninja becomes even stronger when transformed into Ash-Greninja, a transformation born from Ash and Greninja's strong bond. Ash releases Greninja into Kalos, so he doesn't use him during the Masters Eight tournament, but it's not like Greninja needs more time in the spotlight. Greninja has performed admirably throughout Kalos, taking part in many high-stakes battles, all boasting a respectable win record.
1
Alola: Lycanroc
Ash would never have won his first Pokemon League if not for Lycanroc. Lycanroc was easily Ash's ace Pokémon during his time in Alola. While Incineroar may be strong, Lycanroc's feats and achievements are more effective for Ash's journey as a trainer. Ash's Lycanroc fights and defeats Gladion's Lycanroc in the final battle of the Manalo Conference.
Lycanroc was also instrumental in helping Ash win against Nanu and Olivia. Lycanroc takes part in some of Alola's most important battles, eventually developing the skills necessary to win the Ash League. Like Zoto, Ash often rotates his Pokémon around Alola, but Lycanroc is clearly the ace of the field.
- Release date
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1997 – 2023
- network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- directors
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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, Makotoi, Murki, Makotoi, Murkoi, Nako, Hey Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- The authors
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ohashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji 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)
