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Two of the Pokemon franchise's undisputed protagonists are Red, the main character from the Generation I games, and Ash Ketchum, the longtime hero of the anime series. Though the two characters have many similarities, one of the most noticeable is the fact that both trainers retain Pikachu as their steadfast partner. That leaves one to wonder, which of the two Pikachu is the strongest?
This comparison is a difficult one to make. Red's Pikachu has remained primarily within the games and the alternate-canon Origins anime. Meanwhile, Ash and his Pikachu have spent thousands of hours together onscreen across animated works. Since Ash's Pikachu has no in-game stats outside of promotions, it may be best to compare the two based on their lore and accomplishments.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer
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Who would win a hypothetical Pokemon battle between Red and Ash's Pikachu?
Red's Pikachu: Story and accomplishments
Red's story with Pikachu begins in Pokemon Yellow for the Game Boy Color. Red is late to obtain a starter creature and is instead bestowed a Pikachu by Professor Oak. This Pikachu refused to enter its Poke Ball, so Red began his adventure as a master trainer in Kanto with the Electric Mouse creature following behind him on foot.
With help from Pikachu, Red not only managed to gain allies like Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise, but the two also defeated Kanto's eight Gym Leaders and its Elite Four, all while putting an end to the plans of Giovanni and the dastardly Team Rocket.
In a final battle with Blue, Red and Pikachu defeated the protagonist's childhood rival and ascended to the title of Indigo League Champions.
Red and his team eventually stepped down from their champion roles and ventured to the Johto region to train on Mt. Silver. After quite some time, a Johto trainer named Ethan/Kris/Lyra eventually defeated the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of both the Kanto and Johto regions, leading to a showdown with Red. Though they did their best, Red, Pikachu, and Red's team were defeated in the final battle.
For quite some time, Red and Pikachu's whereabouts were unaccounted for. That was until the adventures of Nate and Rosa in Pokemon Black/White 2, where they re-emerged as part of the World Tournament competition in the Unova region. Despite being one of the most established champions in the tournament, Red and Pikachu once failed to defeat Nate/Rosa to win the competition.
Red and his Pokemon would once again roam the world until the Sun and Moon games, where they returned as part of the Alola region's Battle Tree alongside Blue. However, either Red or Blue is defeated based on the choices of protagonists Elio/Selene, and Red bestows the trainers with Mega Evolution Stones for Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise.
Red and Pikachu also make an appearance in an alternate timeline in Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee! where Red and Blue had become champions years before protagonists Chase and Elaine start their journeys. In a Master Battle where items can't be used, Chase and Elaine defeat Red, allowing him to bestow the heroes with the title of Battle Master before departing.
Regardless of the defeats that Red and Pikachu sustained over their years together, the latter possesses an incredibly high experience level, topping out at Level 88 in the HeartGold and SoulSilver games. It holds the Light Ball that doubles the Special Attack strength of its powerful moves like Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, and Thunder, making it a tough opponent alongside Red's other Pocket Monsters.
Ash's Pikachu: Story and accomplishments
Much like Red, Ash Ketchum began his journey as a Pokemon master off on a late arrival to Professor Oak's lab. Since the other starters had already been claimed, Professor Oak bestowed Ash with a temperamental Pikachu that was fond of shocking others and not entering its Poke Ball. However, the two's bond improved on the road to Viridian City.
After being attacked by a flock of angry Spearow, Pikachu was left in bad condition. Ash rushed Pikachu to the Viridian City Pokemon Center, where it was restored to full strength. However, the center was later attacked by Jesse, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket.
Ash and Pikachu sprung into action and teamed up to defeat Team Rocket, the first of countless times that they would do so. The defeat caught the attention of the Rocket Boss Giovanni, who now instructed the bumbling Rocket trio to capture Ash's Pikachu for his collection. From those early days, Ash and Pikachu became inseparable and would travel everywhere together.
With the help of Pikachu, Ash defeated the Gym Leaders Brock and Misty, who joined them on their adventures. Pikachu was incredibly impactful in assisting Ash with catching his first few Pokemon, including Caterpie, Pidgey, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. The two defeated Kanto's Gym Leaders, and at one point, Pikachu chose to stay with Ash instead of joining a group of wild Pikachu.
Ash and Pikachu finally reached the Indigo Plateau conference. While Pikachu racked up multiple wins, it was defeated by Jeanette Fisher's Bellsprout and Ritchie's Charmander. This left the duo short of reaching the Kanto championship, and they set their eyes to other horizons.
Venturing to nearly every region in the known world of Pokemon, Ash and Pikachu stuck together to win the Orange League, the Manalo Conference in Alola, and ultimately the World Coronation Series. This bestowed Ash with the title of Monarch, making him the top trainer in the world, and Pikachu was a driving force in every last victory.
Pikachu also assisted Ash across nearly two dozen animated films, saving Legendary Pokemon and battling fearsome villains like Mewtwo, Doctor Zed, Hoopa, and Lawrence III, to name only a few.
By the time the two headed home to Pallet Town after the World Coronation series, Pikachu was the one partner that Ash could never be far from, and their successes were all won together.
Conclusion: Ash's Pikachu wins
Red's Pikachu deserves its credit as arguably the strongest of its kind. However, Ash's Pikachu has shown time and time again that it simply has too much experience in battle to be stopped by its opponent. Red may be one of the greatest trainers ever, but he and his Pikachu simply never reached the heights that Ash and his Pikachu ultimately claimed.
An argument could be made for either combatant, as Red's Pikachu would likely have the edge in most Pokemon games. However, since Ash's Pikachu has only been offered in-game as a promotional creature, in-game stats and moves aren't exactly a fair comparison. However, both of these Electric Mice have proven themselves over years of stories and lore, but only one has the edge in this case.
Despite having defeated several powerful trainers, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions, Red's Pikachu simply didn't face the competition that Ash's did.
Time and time again, even when the situations looked dire, Ash's Pikachu rose above and overcame the most difficult of circumstances, cementing it as the superior Pocket Monster in this hypothetical matchup.
