5 Pokemon Anime moments that showed Misty's brilliance

Throughout the many years the original Pokemon anime series was aired, the protagonist, Ash Ketchum, had many likable characters to accompany him on his journey. One of the most recognizable of his crew through the years is Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City and an expert in Water-type Pokemon.

While the anime typically follows Ash and his journey to becoming a Pokemon Master, Misty is not shy to steal the spotlight away. She has had her moments where she has even outperformed the rambunctious young man in battles. Here are some of Misty's best moments in the anime where she shows off her expertise as a Gym Leader.

---

5 moments from the Pokemon anime that show off Misty's Water-type prowess

1) Taking down Team Rocket during the Underwater Ballet

Misty bravely fought off Team Rocket in the middle of her sisters' Mermaid Show (Image via The Pokemon Company)

After realizing her Horsea was in poor health and needed a bigger space of water to swim in, Misty and the group return to Cerulean City to leave Horsea at the gym for a while. Upon arrival, the gang learns that Misty's sisters are having trouble getting a crowd and requests that Misty join them for their Underwater Ballet show.

During the performance, Team Rocket attacks in an attempt to steal the Water-type Pokemon that inhabit the gym. In this episode, the classic battle with Team Rocket takes place entirely underwater, allowing Misty to battle in sync with her team, showing off her skills as a trainer, as well as her dedication to her family.

---

2) Winning the Seaking Catching Contest

Misty once won a Seaking Catching Contest in the Johto region (Image via The Pokemon Company)

After being harassed on the road by a Poliwrath under the ownership of Andreas, the group comes across a Seaking Catching Competition that Andreas is also participating in. Fittingly, Ash and Misty both decide to sign up for the fishing contest after hearing rumors that Andreas is undefeatable at Seaking fishing.

Throughout the episode, Misty showcases extreme knowledge about fishing, showing the other members of the group ideal places to find Seaking, as well as having the best lures for finding the biggest Seaking in the lake. Unsurprisingly, Misty ends up winning the Seaking Catching Contest.

---

3) Defeating Ash at the Whirl Cup

Misty is one of the few companion characters to beat Ash in a one-on-one Pokemon Battle (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Whirl Cup is a tournament that takes place on the Whirl Islands among trainers of Water-type Pokemon. Of course, being an occasion for Water-type trainers, Misty wanted to participate. Wanting to be a part of anything to do with battles, Ash joins with his collection of Water-type Pokemon as well.

In the second round of the tournament, Ash and Misty were set to battle head-to-head. The battle would feature two creatures from each trainer. Misty would bring Poliwhirl and Psyduck, while Ash would bring Totodile and Kingler. Psyduck would win the battle after Kingler gripped its head, triggering its psychic headache.

---

4) Misty's Battle against Dorian

Just Add Water was an episode that featured Misty's battle against Dorian (Image via The Pokemon Company)

After Ash's Gym Battle against Clair, the crew found themselves heading back to New Bark Town. On the way, they see a flyer for a synchronized swimming show hosted by a Water-type trainer named Dorian. It is also revealed that Dorian is a friend of Misty's sisters. The conversation evolves into the two sharing a three-on-three battle.

This battle is eventually foiled by Team Rocket, which ends after Misty fulfills her plan using Psyduck. By tempting Jessie's Arbok to bite Psyduck on the head, Psyduck's powers would activate from the pain. This resulted in another iconic Team Rocket blast-off. The episode ends with Dorian and Misty calling the battle a draw.

---

5) Ash's Cerulean Gym Battle

The episode featuring Ash and Misty's Gym Battle showcased her strong sense of morals (Image via The Pokemon Company)

When arriving at the Cerulean Gym, Ash and Brock met Misty's sisters, who claimed their Pokemon were too tired from the show they put on to battle, offering the Cascade Badge to the protagonist without a battle. This deeply upset Misty who was observing the conversation from afar, offering to challenge Ash herself, as she is a Cerulean Gym Leader like her sisters.

This battle would be where Misty debuts her iconic Starmie. Being in her party the whole time, it was a big surprise for many fans to see her Starmie they may remember from the games finally make an appearance in the anime. This battle would not end, as Team Rocket would interrupt the fight. Misty's sisters would reward Ash with the badge for his effort, despite the match ending in a draw.

---

For more fun reads about the Pokemon anime, check out our other articles:

• 5 Ash highlights from the anime
• Top 5 Ash battles in the Pokemon anime, ranked
• 5 best episodes of the anime featuring Lucario