Over the course of the show’s 28-year history, Ash Ketchum has had many battles where he looked to prove himself as a Pokémon master. With Pikachu at his side, Ash has been able to catch many different Pokémon and learn new strategies to attain victory. Some of his most consistent traits are his adaptability and his knack for improvisation. Here, we are going to review some of the most challenging tests Ash has had to take on over the course of his adventure. Traveling across eight regions and bearing witness to hundreds of different Pokémon, Ash had a dream of becoming the best Pokémon trainer ever, and each of these battles had a hand in his becoming just that.
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8 Lt. Surge, II (Vermillion City Gym)
The Pokemon Company International
Ash already earned his first and second gym badges, albeit not in the traditional sense. With his friends reminding him that he’s yet to earn a badge through traditional battle, Ash rushes headfirst into a 1-on-1 battle with Lt. Surge, the gym leader for Vermillion City. At first, Pikachu was reluctant to join until he was bullied for being weaker than Lt. Surge’s Raichu.
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After failing their first attempt, the two bonded and decided to try again in a battle that would cement one of Ash’s classic strategies. With his best friend Pikachu at his side, Ash knows that his Pokémon may not always be the strongest, so he has to use unique strategies to help his Pokémon win. After an intense back-and-forth battle, Raichu would go all out with a Thunder Shock attack, only to discover Pikachu had used his tail to ground himself and remain unaffected. The energy used up by this attack left Raichu vulnerable and gave Ash and Pikachu the opening they needed to pull out a victory, earning the thunder badge.
7 Harrison (Silver Conference)
Making it to the quarterfinals of the Silver Conference in Johto, Ash takes on Harrison, a trainer originating from the Hoenn region. As Ash has yet to visit the Hoenn region, he is shocked at the appearance of new Pokémon such as Kecleon and Blaziken. This is a full battle, with both trainers using their full team of six Pokémon, with Ash’s team including heavy hitters such as Snorlax and Charizard, as well as new additions like Totodile and Bayleef.
Ash and Harrison appear to be neck-and-neck, each taking the other’s Pokémon out one at a time. Their battle would reach a boiling point when they were left to their final Pokémon, with Harrison’s Blaziken (having just eliminated Bayleef) taking on Ash’s Charizard in a great battle that was given half of a separate episode. Although Ash would come up short in this contest, it would be a proving ground for whether Ash truly belonged in the big leagues, even when employing one of his strongest Pokémon.
6 Bea, Round 3 (World Coronation Series)
Ash and Bea had fought twice before their ultimate contest in the World Coronation Ultra Class battle. In their first encounter, Bea had defeated Ash, and the two had fought to a draw in their second fight. Despite Ash’s improvements, Bea still only refers to him as “Lucario’s trainer”, much to Ash’s chagrin. This intense three-on-three battle would take place over two episodes, with Bea using Grapploct, Hawlucha, and Machamp. Ash would use his trusty Pikachu, as well as Sirfetched and Lucario.
While the trainers would trade counters and knockouts, it would eventually come down to Machamp and Lucario. Bea appears to respect Ash as a formidable trainer finally and would choose to Gigantamax her Machamp, with Ash countering by Mega-Evolving his Lucario. Lucario would fight with all their might, surviving long enough for Machamp’s Gigantimax to wear off and overpower the Pokémon with their new move, Steel Beam. After his victory, Bea confirms she respects Ash by finally referring to him by his real name.
5 Gladion (Manalo Conference)
Gladion would act as Ash’s primary rival during his time in the Alola region, and the two would meet in the finals of the Manalo Conference to determine who would become the first champion of the Alola League. The two would meet in a three-on-three contest, with Gladion using the type-changing Silvally, the devious Zoroark, and his Midnight Form Lycanroc. Meanwhile, Ash would use his recently evolved Melmetal, Pikachu, and Dusk Form Lycanroc.
Gladion would prove to be an exceptional opponent, using efficient and powerful strategies, such as changing Silvally’s typing halfway through the battle and enabling Zoroark to use a powerful Z move against Pikachu. Ash’s willpower and adaptability helped him tie the score, leaving both with their respective Lycanrocs. After an intense battle, with Ash helping his Lycanroc to avoid Counters and Stone Edges, he would use a Counter-move of his own to win the finals and become the first-ever Alola League Champion.
4 Gary Oak (Silver Conference)
At the franchise’s beginning, Ash Ketchum had no more significant opponent than Gary Oak. The two had been rivals from a young age, and that rivalry would carry on through their respective journeys through Kanto and Johto. This would be a full battle, with Gary Oak using a team filled with various typings and plenty of powerhouses such as Nidoqueen, Golem, and Blastoise, among others.
Ash would elect to sit his partner Pikachu out for this epic battle, a rarity throughout the series. He would instead decide to use some of his Pokémon that didn’t receive as much acclaim, such as Tauros, Heracross, and Muk. Ash would also use his Charizard for the first time since leaving him in the Charicific Valley. The battle would ultimately come down to Blastoise Vs. Charizard in a battle that would evoke memories of playing against the Champion in the original video games. After an epic struggle between the two, Ash’s Charizard would ultimately prevail.
3 Paul (Lily of the Valley Tournament)
Paul was the antithesis of everything Ash believed in as a Pokémon trainer. Paul only believed in keeping strong Pokémon and casting aside ones that didn’t meet his standards, such as Chimchar. These dueling philosophies would come to a head when the two battled in the Lily of the Valley Tournament in a full battle that would span a full three episodes. It would ultimately come down to Paul’s Electivire and Ash’s Infernape, the Pokémon Paul had initially abandoned when it was just a Chimchar. This intensely personal feud would lead to the two Pokémon clashing in impressive displays of speed, power, and pure willpower, with Infernape finally proving its mettle and coming out on top against its former trainer.
2 Cynthia (Masters Eight Tournament)
After making it to the semifinals of the Masters Eight Tournament, Ash found himself against the Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia. This battle would be emotional for both sides as each wished to be the one to dethrone Leon as Monarch, and Cynthia even declared that she would retire after the tournament’s conclusion. After surprising everyone by electing to Dynamax her Togekiss instead of Mega Evolving her Garchomp, Cynthia would get Ash down to just his Lucario, which Ash would Mega Evolve. Lucario would prove quite formidable, and with Ash’s determination, they would give Cynthia a thrilling battle that, despite losing to Ash, would lead to her reversing course on her plans to retire.
1 Leon (Masters Eight Tournament)
The Pokemon Compnay International
This battle was the culmination of years of adventure. Ash Ketchum finally receives the opportunity to battle a champion in an official setting. With the standard rules of battle being thrown out, throughout four episodes, Ash was able to show off his powerful team with a Z-Move, a Mega Evolution, and he was even able to Gigantamx twice.
After an intense battle that tested Ash’s unique strategies and featured an appearance by the legendary Pokemon, Eternatus, it would come down to Ash’s Pikachu and Leon’s Charizard. With all the friends and Pokémon Ash encountered over the years cheering him on, he and Pikachu went for an all-or-nothing clash, ultimately succeeding in knocking out Charizard, leading to Ash finally living his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master
