5 of Ash's best Pokemon from Alola

After catching critters in the Unova and Kalos regions, Ash Ketchum continues his journey to meet new Pokemon from Alola in the Sun and Moon animated series. In this series, his goal is to be the Champion of the Alola League. However, he must defeat skilled trainers to make this happen. Some of these figures even own Legendary Pokemon, which makes the competition stiff for Ash.

Nevertheless, the protagonist stays optimistic, believes in his dream, and marches on with dedication and hope. Rowlet, a Grass-type, is the first Pokemon from Alola that Ash captures in the Sun and Moon anime. Emboldened by its capture, he goes on collecting more in the region.

That being said, here are the five best Alolan Pokemon that Ash owns, including Mythical and Ultra Beast critters.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

Naganadel and more Pokemon from Alola that Ash possesses

1) Melmetal

Ash Ketchum catches Meltan when his partner Rowlet steps in to protect it against Team Rocket attacks. This leads to the critter liking Rowlet and deciding to stay by its side while becoming Ash's partner. Meltan is his first Mythical Pokemon, so it holds great value for him. However, the beast is not strong on its own, thereby needing to evolve into Melmetal.

In the Sun and Moon anime, Ash’s Meltan evolves into Melmetal by calling other Meltan to join bodies. Melmetal, which can deal significant damage with its potent Physical moves, has an Attack and Defense stat of 143 in Pokemon games.

However, it has low Speed and effectively becomes useless against Special moves. This is why Ash’s Melmetal comes up short in important matches, despite being a formidable force.

2) Incineroar

Ash does everything he can to galvanize Litten when times are not right in the Sun and Moon series. The loss of Stoutland, Litten’s best friend, evokes deep sadness in the critter, worrying Ketchum so much that he spends a night with it for support. The morning after, the cat-like beast looks at the rainbow and decides to move on by banding together with Ash on his Alola journey.

Litten evolves into Torracat and then into Incineroar, becoming the best of Ash’s Pokemon from Alola. Incineroar is a dual Dark and Fire-type Pokemon with immunity against Psychic-type moves. In Pokemon games like Sun and Moon and Ultra Sun and Moon, a trainer is prompted to evolve their Litten or Torracat into Incineroar like Ash.

3) Lycanroc

Lycanroc, a Rock-type Pokemon from Alola, evolves from Rockruff. Ash gets a Rockruff for himself in the animated episode Rocking Clawmark Hill! Soon, the critter evolves into a Lycanroc in the episode "Rising from the Ruins!" In the anime, Tapu Lele’s power restores Ash Rockruff’s energy. To do this, the Legendary Pokemon uses Draining Kiss to procure energy from other Lycanrocs and hand it over to Rockruff. With this energy, it evolves into a Dusk Form Lycanroc.

Dusk Form Lycanroc is a rare form, and Ash recruits it for his Alolan battle team. He uses it to challenge trainers like Gladion and his Lycanroc in the episode "A Glaring Rivalry!" Not only does the Lycanroc deliver an outstanding performance, it also forces Nanu’s Pokemon to do the same in "In Guiding an Awakening!" Interestingly, fans hunt for this Pokemon from Alola due to its extreme rarity and limited availability.

4) Naganadel

Naganadel (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Before returning to its homeland after Ultra Necrozma restored it, Naganadel fought countless Alola trainers alongside Ash. A fierce battle occurs between Professor Kukui and Ash, where the latter picks the Ultra Beast Pokemon from Alola for the fight. To tackle this threat, the Professor brings out her Lucario. One can see them clash in the anime episode, In A Full Battle Bounty! The fight eventually concludes in the next chapter, with Ash and his Naganadel emerging as winners.

Naganadel is a Dragon and Poison-type Pokemon with the Beast Boost ability. In games, it is easier for trainers to win against this Alola Pokemon with a meticulous strategy. However, besides being hard to catch due to its Speed, Naganadel's moves also hit faster than many other critters. Although it is shortly featured in the anime, the beast remains one of Ash’s best Pokemon from Alola.

5) Rowlet

If it weren’t for Rowlet’s bravery and sense of justice, Ash would have never gotten a Meltan in the first place. It's the first Pokemon that bonds with him in the Sun and Moon anime series. In the show, Team Rocket members trouble the owl-like monster and various other Pikipek. Ash quickly joins Mallow to help Rowlet fight off Rocket's gang.

Although the critter was initially hesitant to join Ash, it eventually relented and accompanied him on his journey to becoming a Pokemon Master.