Ash Ketchum's Best Pokémon Team Was the Friends He Made Along the Way

After 25 years, 25 seasons, over 1,000 episodes, and 22 films, Ash Ketchum concluded his Pokémon Journeys in 2023 by defeating Galar Champion Leon in the World Coronation Series. From humble beginnings coming from Kanto to becoming the World Champion, over the course of eight generations and regions in the Pokémon franchise, Ash had gone through his own evolutions of Pocket Monster teams with Pikachu sticking by his side all the way. But which was Ash’s best Pokémon team?

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Starting out, Ash didn’t make it in time to Professor Oak’s lab to get a typical Kanto Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander starter Pokémon. But as fate would have it, receiving Pikachu as his starter would lead to quite the legacy of friendship between the inseparable trainer and Pokémon duo. As Pikachu had remained Ash’s #1 Pokémon and best friend, he also remained outside his Poké Ball and in Ash’s team throughout the series, leaving five other slots to fill with potential battle buddies, typically including types like grass, water, fire, a regional bird Pokémon, and a wildcard. Let’s break down the teams Ash has had over the years and decide which to choose as the best!

Ash’s Pokémon of Yore

As Ash set out on the first part of his journey, he built up his team to include Pokémon caught throughout the region of Kanto. Although Ash had been late to the party to receive the typical starter Pokémon, he’d managed to catch all three, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander, to add to his party. He’d also managed to nab a Butterfree and Pidgeotto. Ash managed to build up a team of a variety of types and eventually even evolve his Charmander into Charizard, but unfortunately, he didn’t manage to evolve his other Pokémon, and Charizard often ignored commands. Even so, Ash’s First Generation team had been through their share of endearing experiences and is one many find nostalgic.

In the Johto region of Gen 2, Ash gathered a team consisting of Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl, and Phanpy. Ash also had a Heracross, which despite being a uniquely strong Bug-Fighting type, wasn’t often included in the team. Noctowl, being a rare shiny Pokémon, was an especially great find for Ash. Although Ash still didn’t seem to employ the use of evolving his Pokémon, he did, however, continue to make use of diversifying the types of Pokémon in his team. Following up with traversing the Hoenn region in Gen 3, although he still doesn’t make much use of evolution, Ash’s team continued its pattern of type diversity with Swellow, Grovyle, Corphish, Torkoal, and Glalie, adding an ice-type to shake things up. Even so, Ash could’ve nabbed Pokémon that would’ve possibly been more beneficial to add to his team.

In Gen 4, Ash builds a team in the Sinnoh region with Staraptor, Torterra, Buizel, Infernape, and Gible in the Sinnoh region. Ash also has some of his previously caught Pokémon make a return, like Heracross and evolving Gligar into Gliscor and Cyndaquil into Quilava. This time in making his team, his Pokémon are mostly evolved, upping his team’s stats and diversifying tactics. Although Ash comes face to face with the Pokémon god himself, Arceus, it’s too bad we don’t get such a legendary showdown of Ash and his Pokémon battling it. But perhaps fighting the god of the Pokémon universe wouldn’t have ended well in the first place.

Entering the Unova region for Gen 5, Ash’s team becomes a bit of a mess with a large revolving roster and reverts back into old habits of not fully evolving most of his Pokémon, especially region starters. Ash does manage to fully evolve a Unfezant, Leavanny, and Krookodile, but leaves Oshawott, Pignite, Snivy, Scraggy, Boldore, and Palpitoad in lesser forms. Even so, it is a delight to see Charizard make a return.

Ash’s experiences in the Kalos region make him an especially strong contender in his strongest teams of Pokémon, especially since he’d gotten so close to winning in the Lumiose Conference. Along with Gen 6 introducing Mega Evolutions, Ash upped his Pokémon’s odds with a fully evolved team including Talonflame, Hawlucha, the dragon-types Goodra and Noivern, and Greninja taking on an interesting form with its Battle Bond ability. Not only were these especially strong Pokémon in their own right, but many still hold strong places in the base games’ competitive meta.

In the Alola region of Gen 7, Ash finally manages to win the title of the first Alolan Pokémon League champion. Although it’s a bit of a curveball that Rowlet remained unevolved, the team is frankly pretty overpowered with the inclusions of Incineroar, Lycanroc, Naganadel, and Melmetal. Along with new Pokémon, Gen 7 also introduced some new battle features like exclusive Alolan forms, Ultra Beasts, and Z-Moves.

In the region of Galar, Ash creates his final team. With Ash a full-fledged trainer, he managed to create a diverse team that includes Lucario, Dracovish, Dragonite, Gengar, and Galarian Farfetch’d. Along with a dragon-type and a ghost/poison-type on the team, Ash ups the ante with the inclusion of one of Gen 8’s new Galarian form Pokémon. Galar also provides kaiju-sized Pokémon with the new features of Dynamax and Gigantamax. With an ending to Ash’s Pokémon career just as big as the Pokémon in the region, Ash finally manages to defeat Galar Champion Leon in the World Coronation Series, becoming the World Champion.

So Which Team Comes Out on Top?

With so many Pokémon friends Ash has made in all his travels and encounters, it would be difficult for even him to choose which team had been the strongest, most memorable team he’d managed to build and nurture. From humble beginnings in Kanto with but a single beloved Pokémon to the final leg of his journey in the Galar region, having attained the title of champion, the teams Ash had created along the way are all special in their own ways, showcasing what Ash had learned as a trainer throughout his adventures. In a way, it’s fitting that Ash caps off his journey with his strongest team at the end of his final run as the face of the anime, Pokémon Journeys.

But when it comes to choosing which team is the best in both strength and endearment, his latest and final team of Dragonite, Gengar, Lucario, Galarian Farfetch’d, Dracovish, and of course, Pikachu, outshines the rest. With a team of Pokémon diverse in both types and spanning generations, this is an all-star team that ultimately won Ash the well-deserved title of World Champion.