10 strongest Pokemon caught by Ash across his journeys, ranked

Ash is one of the most famous protagonists in anime, starting out as a trainer in Pokemon. During his time in the series, he caught many monsters from various regions. During his journey, fans saw how Ash's friendship with his Pocket Monsters made them robust over time. That said, though this protagonist caught a fair number of strong entities, he didn't obtain all of them.

Thanks to Ash participating in battles, fans saw how moves and Pokemon typings work and affect each other. This helped trainers know these entities' personalities, behaviors, attacks, abilities, etc. In the anime, fans saw how a weak monster could become one of the greats through training and bonding with its trainer.

Ash has many critters that he caught, which are very powerful. The following list will rank all his Pokemon based on how strong they are.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Ranked list of strongest Pokemon captured by Ash

10) Lycanroc

One of the heroes in Ash's Alolan campaign is Lycanroc. He formed a reliable battle team in Sun and Moon, where this creature dealt an unforgettable final blow to an opponent critter. The Pokemon League held at the Manalo Conference tested Rockruff's spirit and power. Then, it evolved into the rare Lycanroc's Dusk form during a critical point in the battle against Gladion's Midnight Lycanroc.

Although Ash's version is a Rock-type Pocket Monster, it has access to a robust Dark-type move: Bite. With this, Lycanroc can deal heavy damage to Ghost and Psychic-type critters.

9) Melmetal

The first ever Mythical Pokemon caught by Ash is Melmetal. This is a Steel-type monster that was initially found in the Alola region and has tremendous physical strength. Fans will forever remember Melmetal for its outstanding performance during the Alola League's Championship. Ash went up against Kukui in a 6-on-6 bout where the creature fought with Empoleon, showing off its incredible power and versatility.

Melmetal's signature move, Double Iron Bash, inflicts significant damage to opponents. Although it is one of the strongest creatures captured by Ash, he leaves it with Professor Kukui and ventures into Pokemon Journeys: The Series.

8) Incineroar

Ash's Incineroar (Image via TPC/Serebii)

The exhibition match between Ash and Kukui at the Manalo Conference triggered Torracat's evolution into Incineroar, a dual Fire and Dark-type monster. This entity possesses incredible battle power and has contributed its strength to Ash's match-winning team.

One can quickly know if the Incineroar fighting spirit is ignited or not by observing the flames produced from within its body. The burst of fire from the navel and waistline signifies the creature is in battle mode. Incineroar has two abilities. Blaze powers up Fire-type moves. The second, Intimidate, helps lower the opponent's Attack power.

7) Dragonite

Ash believes in his Pokemon wholeheartedly and trains them with love and care, which is the reason they get strong with each fight. Ash trained Dragonair to get Dragonite, and as their friendship grew, they became an unstoppable force. In the anime, Ash helped Dragonair solve its flying issues and evolve into Dragonite.

One of the notable performances from the latter creature came during the battle against Korrina's Lucario in the World Coronation Series, which it won. It also fought with Leon's Dragapult at the Masters Eight Tournament.

This Dragon-type monster is arguably the best among Ash's aces, but other powerhouses have helped him become the best trainer that he could be.

6) Sceptile

Ash and Sceptile made their presence known during the Sinnoh League Championship. They won against a Mythical Pokemon, Darkrai. Sceptile Overgrow ability allows it to power up Grass-type moves faster. Since this monster knows its power level, it likes to remain calm and assertive, ready to attack any second.

With access to moves like Quick Attack, Leaf Blade, Leaf Storm, and Solar Beam, this entry can knock out many mighty foes.

Ash found Sceptile as a Treecko. They were able to bond together after he helped the latter defend its homeland. Later on, when it evolved into Grovyle, it demonstrated spectacular performances against names such as Norman's Slaking and Morison's Steelix.

5) Goodra

Ash got himself this pseudo-Legendary Pokemon belonging to the Kalos region. As his Charmander evolved into Charizard, Goomy evolved into Sliggoo and Goodra. To make Ash's battle team a strong roster, Goodra became part of it during the Kalos League campaign. It showed excellent battle power but couldn't win against Gyarados's Hyper Beam.

With diverse movesets such as Dragon Breathe and Dragon Pulse, Goodra has shown it can become a powerful addition to the team. Moreover, this creature's Hydration ability allows it to heal from its status effect when this title presents rain.

4) Gengar

Gengar is a Dark-type monster belonging to the Kanto region. Ash encountered it in the Cerise laboratory in Pokemon Journeys. It was haunting the facility and scaring others away, so Ash had to get Gengar to stop its rampage. He performed a special ritual to boost the power level of Gengar that allowed the monster to obtain Gigantamax form.

Most importantly, the monster performed exceptionally well after gaining the new form in the World Coronation Series matches. Thanks to Ash training Gengar with other Fire-type Pokemon, it helped him win many tournament matches.

3) Charizard

Charizard gained massive popularity not only by being one of Ash's robust monsters but also through its storyline. This creature has shown exceptional performance in the anime as well as in the mainline Pokemon games.

Ash and Charizard have participated in various competitions like the Orange Battle League over the years. Besides his buddy, Pikachu, the second companion who fought with Ash during these events is Charizard. As seen in the anime, this fighter went toe-to-toe with another Dragon-type Pokemon, Dragonite.

2) Lucario

Fans of the Pokemon anime wished Ash would get one of the most popular Pocket Monsters from the fourth generation. They wanted to witness Riolu evolve into the Fighting-type Lucario. Before the latter came into the spotlight, Riolu had trouble trusting Ash. However, the trainer eventually managed to bond with it.

The most memorable moment Lucario and Ash shared involves the battle against Chairman Rose's monster. In that exact match, Riolu evolves into its superior form. Moreover, this is also the battle where Lucario learns Aura Sphere and takes down the opponent.

Ash's bond with this creature is so unique that they are a formidable force when their minds and spirits are one during a fight. The monster is capable of Mega Evolution, and a spectacular win against Cynthia's Garchomp at the Masters Eight Tournament reflects its battle power.

1) Greninja

With the help of Greninja, Ash came close to becoming a region champion of the Kalos Pokemon League. Although he lost to Alain, he secured the second position. This feat was crucial for the trainer and his Pokemon, as this match helped them connect on a deeper level. Thanks to their friendship and training, Greninja obtained a new transformation with a massive boost to its power level.

The Kalos League showcased Greninja's incredible battle capabilities when it fought against Alain's Charizard. Even though this Water and Dark-type creature lost the match, it promises to continue growing stronger with Ash by its side.

Edited by Soumyadyuti Ghosh