Top 5 battles from the Pokemon anime

Since its release in 1997, the Pokemon anime has seen countless battles between protagonist Ash Ketchum and other characters.

Since so many battles have taken place over the Pokemon anime's near-25 year history, it can be hard to remember which ones made the biggest impact on fans.

Regardless, some battles in the anime stand far and above others for being very exciting and memorable.

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5 most exciting or memorable battles in the Pokemon anime

5) Ash vs Harrison (Playing With Fire!)

Ash takes on his mentor Harrison in the Silver League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Harrison and Ash shared a great mentor-learner relationship throughout their Johto region adventures. The trainer from Hoenn's Littleroot Town taught Ash a lot about Pokemon training and companionship, and the two eventually faced off in the Johto League tournament.

Harrison eventually emerged as the victor of the battle. Although Ash lost, he learned more in defeat than he might have in victory.

This particular episode also saw an intense battle between Harrison's Blaziken and Ash's beloved Charizard.

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4) Ash vs Lt. Surge (Electric Shock Showdown)

Surge commending Ash on his well-fought battle (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This was one of Ash's early high points in his home region of Kanto. When taking on Lieutenant Surge for the Thunder Badge, Ash discovered that Surge's ace in the hole was a Raichu, the evolution of Pikachu.

After his Pikachu was defeated soundly in their first battle, Ash was given a choice. He could either evolve Pikachu with a Thunder Stone to make it stronger or keep its personality intact and beat Surge without evolution.

Worried that his closest friend may not be the same as a Raichu, Ash decides to beat Surge on his own terms.

This episode not only shows Ash's determination when faced with defeat, but it also presents an important message on why forcing change can be detrimental.

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3) Ash vs Paul (Battling a Thaw in Relations)

Paul was one of Ash's most transformed rivals in the series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The battle between Ash and Paul at the Lily of the Valley conference is one to remember.

Paul is often considered one of Ash's most interesting rivals. It was just as much a contest of philosophies as a battle of Pokemon. Ash believed in companionship with Pokemon, while Paul believed that any means justifies the end, even if the method is cruel.

After an excellent battle between Ash's Infernape and Paul's Electivire, the former emerged as the victor. While fans had expected Paul to be bitter, he showed character growth by respecting Ash for his skills in combat.

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2) Ash vs Drake (Enter the Dragonite)

Drake's Dragonite proved to be an incredibly fearsome foe (Image via Pokemon Battles/YouTube)

Considered by some fans to be Ash's first League Championship (others point to his win in Alola), Enter the Dragonite featured an incredibly intense battle.

Taking on the Orange Crew Supreme Gym Leader Drake (not to be confused with Drake from Hoenn's Elite Four), Ash nearly lost his entire team in one fight.

Drake's Dragonite proved to be one of the most powerful opponents Ash faced, defeating almost his entire team except for Pikachu.

If it wasn't for Pikachu taking advantage of Dragonite's recharge period after using Hyper Beam, Ash might not have become Orange League Champion.

This battle signified a turning point in Ash's career as a trainer, marking his first major victory on the road to becoming the best trainer ever.

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1) Ash vs Gary (Ties That Bind/Can't Beat the Heat!)

Ash and Gary's rivalry is as timeless as the series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

There's no doubt that Gary Oak was one of Ash's greatest rivals. Gary would always flex his trainer muscles and pester Ash with his conceited attitude. This battle saw the two longtime rivals finally clash in a major way during the Silver Conference in Johto.

The final bout saw Gary's Blastoise (bestowed on him by his grandfather Professor Oak) and Ash's Charizard face off. Although Charizard was at a clear disadvantage, it managed to use Seismic Toss and defeat Blastoise, who had been troubling Ash's team up to that point.

This match essentially concluded Ash and Gary's rivalry as trainers. It also changed Gary's opinion of Ash.

Gary would return home with Blastoise to become a professor like his grandfather, and his choices inspired Ash to head to the Hoenn region with just Pikachu by his side. Both trainers evolved as characters, and their long-running rivalry finally came to an end.