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Ash Ketchum is a name synonymous with Pokemon, being the protagonist of the primary anime series for decades before he and his Pikachu said goodbye for now. Over the years, Ash competed in several league challenges and ultimately won the World Coronation Series, attaining the title of Monarch and becoming the greatest trainer in the world of Pocket Monsters.
With all that being said, what were Ash's best Pokemon teams throughout the series? To determine a ranking of Ash's ten best teams, we can take a look at the teams he utilized during each regional stop on his journey as well as compare his league conference results in each respective region.
This ranking may still be subjective, as most rankings are, but it's still an analysis worth undertaking.
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Ranking the ten best Ash Ketchum Pokemon teams
10) Kanto
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Team: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charizard, Butterfree (Temporary)
Butterfree technically deserves a spot on this team listing, but it had departed Ash by the time he reached the Indigo League in the early days of the Pokemon anime. This team lifted Ash to the Top 16 of the Indigo League Conference, but it wasn't enough to put him over the top.
The strongest contenders on Ash's team at this point in his journey were undeniably his incomprehensibly clutch Pikachu as well as his Charizard. However, the latter tended to do as it pleased, and Ash hadn't quite mastered his team despite winning the eight Indigo League badges in the Kanto region.
9) Johto
Team: Pikachu, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl, Heracross, Phanpy, Charizard (Temporary)
While this team deserves credit for allowing Ash to beat his rival Gary Oak during the Johto Silver Conference, it kept him from reaching the top spot, resulting in a Top 8 finish after losing to Harrison's Blaziken. The weak points of this team beyond Pikachu and (temporarily) Charizard were exemplified when Ash left most of his team at Professor Oak's lab before his journey to Hoenn.
Still, this version of Ash's Pokemon team deserves credit for carrying him to the Silver Conference in the first place, as it may be even weaker than his Kanto team. However, Ash's progress as a trainer had grown since the days in his home region, so the Johto team was at least used more effectively and have the results to show for it.
8) Orange Islands
Team: Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Lapras, Snorlax
Learning a few lessons after his time in the Kanto Indigo League, Ash swapped Pidgeotto out and filled Butterfree's place with Lapras and Snorlax. These two powerful Pocket Monsters proved to be an incredibly capable complement to Ash's Pokemon team from Kanto. His ability to control Charizard began to grow by the time he entered the Orange League.
Thanks to this team, Ash won his first league championship, an accomplishment that marked his progress as a trainer. Even though the Orange League wasn't as challenging as the later Pokemon Leagues, the Orange Islands team deserves its flowers.
7) Hoenn
Team: Pikachu, Swellow, Grovyle, Corphish, Torkoal, Glalie
Compared to Ash's Pokemon teams in Kanto and Johto, his Hoenn team looked wildly different by the time it reached the Ever Grande Conference in the Hoenn League. The team was very well-balanced, and 'mons like Grovyle and Torkoal were able to do plenty of work in battle so that the effort didn't fall on Pikachu's plot armor quite so often, signifying a shift in Ash's ability to raise Pocket Monsters.
This team carried Ash to a Top 8 win in the Ever Grande Conference, but Tyson of Mauville City proved to be a bit too much to handle thanks to the timely intervention of his Metagross and Meowth. Still, this team performed admirably all the way through the Ever Grande Conference.
6) Battle Frontier
Team: Pikachu, Sceptile, Swellow, Corphish, Donphan, Aipom
Returning to Kanto for the anime's iteration of the Battle Frontier, Ash gave his Torkoal and Glalie some time to relax. The good news is that Ash's Pokemon team didn't suffer for this, as he evolved Grovyle into Sceptile, evolved his Phanpy into Donphan, and even brought along his mischievous Aipom who proved to be a valuable asset in the long run.
This team may not have taken on an official Pokemon League tournament, but it did allow Ash to achieve victory over the Battle Frontier, which was undoubtedly an incredibly difficult challenge to overcome. His Battle Frontier win continued to show Ash's growth into a highly capable trainer worthy of praise.
5) Unova
Team: Pikachu, Pignite, Snivy, Oshawott, Unfezant, Krookodile
Although Ash is known for allowing his Pokemon to evolve when they please, this may have come at a detriment to his team in the Unova region. While Pignite, Snivy, and Oshawott certainly had some great moments, Pikachu had to do some heavy lifting once Ash entered the Vertress Conference in Unova. Despite its flaws, this team cemented a Top 8 finish for Ash.
One has to wonder if Ash would have been more successful if Snivy or Oshawott had evolved, but the fact that the team still made it as far as it did is a sign of Ash and Pikachu's continued growth as the team's core members moving forward.
4) Sinnoh
Team: Pikachu, Staraptor, Torterra, Infernape, Gliscor, Gible, Sceptile (Temporary), Torkoal (Temporary), Heracross (Temporary)
Ash's Pokemon team during his Sinnoh campaign was one of the most emblematic when showing his skills as a trainer, allowing him to evolve almost his entire team to their final forms save for Pikachu (who would never do so) and Gible. Staraptor, Torterra, Infernape, and Gliscor proved to be impressive contributors.
This is probably why this team secured a Top 4 finish in Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Conference. Were it not for the fact that Tobias was using immensely powerful creatures like Darkrai and Latios that were simply in a league of their own, Ash might have secured his first Pokemon League championship.
3) Kalos
Team: Pikachu, Greninja, Goodra, Noivern, Hawlucha, Talonflame
Compared to most of Ash's teams, his Kalos team may have been the most representative of his capabilities as a trainer, showing it was only a matter of time before he took a championship crown. Any of the creatures on his team that could evolve, save for Pikachu, did so, showing that he had reached a level of mastery that would have been unexpected to see in prior years.
This team carried Ash to a second-place finish in Kalos' Lumiose Conference, with Ash's truly special Greninja being brought down by Alain's Mega Charizard X. While the loss stung, it wouldn't be much longer before Ash finally seized a league championship of his own.
2) Alola
Team: Pikachu, Rowlet, Incineroar, Melmetal, Dusk Forme Lycanroc, Naganadel
Ash did some extra classwork during his trip to Alola, which paid off in a big way. While Rowlet was something of the weak link on this team, the rest of the lineup more than made up for it. This was especially true for Pikachu, whose bond with Ash allowed the duo to unleash some truly impressive Z-Moves to seize the advantage when all looked lost.
Battling Gladion for the Alolan championship in the Manalo Conference, Pikachu used its Z-Moves to devastating effect, ultimately taking a knockout blow so that Ash's Dusk Lycanroc could close out the battle against Gladion's Midnight Lycanroc. The battle came down to the wire, but Ash's Alola team deserves credit for making him a Pokemon League champion for the first time.
1) Galar/World Coronation Series
Team: Pikachu, Sirfetch'd, Dragonite, Lucario, Dracovish, Gengar
Ash's highest-ranked team on this list has to go to the one that made him the greatest trainer in the world by winning the World Coronation Series. The tournament featured the greatest opponents that Ash had ever faced, including many familiar trainers from his past. Despite the odds, and with Pikachu leading the way, Ash secured his spot as Monarch over Leon.
With Eternatus appearing and leveling the playing field between Leon and Ash, Pikachu activated its Gigantamax power and went full tilt against Leon's Charizard. In full view of his friends and family (and even Team Rocket) from decades of adventures, Pikachu takes down Leon's Charizard, signifying to the world that Ash Ketchum was the undisputed greatest trainer in the world of Pocket Monsters.
