Ash's 7 Strongest Kanto Pokemon

As it is his home region, Ash's original adventures took place in Kanto, right after he left his home in Pallet Town in the first episode of the main series Pokémon anime. There he caught several Pokemon, the first from his list. Since leaving Kanto and traveling all the way to the Galar region, Ash has befriended countless Pokémon and even added a few to his total team.

Although Ash has made many great new friends, such as Lucario and Incineroar, some of Ash's most popular Pokémon teammates are undoubtedly the ones he met in the Kanto region. Some, like Pidgeot and Muk, are not seen as often as their companions, but remain allies he can always call upon. Meanwhile, Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard are known not only for their amount of screen time, but for their character development and sheer power.

Muk is immune to most attacks

A sadly underutilized Powerhouse Pokémon

Grimer is a common Poison-type Pokémon that hails from the Kanto region, known for being made entirely of slime. There are various theories as to how Grimer came to be, from stories that it was once normal sludge transformed by the moon's X-rays, to it originating from the polluted waters of the ocean. Regardless, everyone knows how dangerous Grimer can be, especially after it evolves into its final form, Muk. Before he could capture Muk, Ash feared the powerful Poison-type, who led an army of Grimer.

Curiously, Muk completely changed after being captured, going from a wild-eyed Pokémon to an affectionate Pokémon that loved to give hugs. In fact, Muk was known to hug everyone it saw, even Jessie and James from Team Rocket. The Sludge Pokémon is also a great defensive fighter, as most attacks will not damage it at all. However, Muk was not often used by Ash, despite its near invincibility.

Pidgeot is one of Ash's most loyal Pokémon

The normal/flying type deserved a better headlight

Every region has been known to have a bird Pokemon in the early routes, from Sinnoh's Starly to Alola's Pikipek. The first known early bird to debut in the Kanto region was the Normal/Flying type Pidgey. After evolving into Pidgeotto and then Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon becomes a great fighter. In fact, it was the first early Bird Pokémon to receive a Mega Evolution, until Mega Staraptor's debut in Pokemon Legends: ZA.

Instead of capturing it as a Pidgey, Ash met his Pidgeot when it was alive as a Pidgeotto. Upon joining his team, Pidgeotto proved to be one of Ash's most easy-going allies, always working alongside him without making a fuss. Not long after evolving, Pidgeot leaves the team to protect a horde of wild Pidgeys, thanks to its speed and strength. At the end of the original series, Pidgeot came to Ash and Pikachu's rescue after they were captured by Team Rocket, deciding to rejoin his team as the Pidgey it used to take care of had grown up.

Snorlax is exceptionally powerful

Snorlax's strength and stamina allow it to win several battles

Snorlax is a popular Pokemon not only because of its cuteness, but because of how well it works with any team. The sleeping Pokemon's base attack and special defense stats are quite high, making it a Pokemon that can be very difficult to knock out. Being a Normal-type, Snorlax can learn moves of various types, from electric moves Supercell Slam to Ground-type moves Earthquake. However, it is also known for the extremely powerful Normal-type Hyber Beam move, especially in-game Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

On the Seven Grapefruit Islands, Ash and his friends (as well as Team Rocket) all tried to stop a wild Snorlax from eating everything in sight. However, this turned out to be much tougher than anyone could have imagined, as the sleeping Pokémon was not only extremely tough and a great attacker, it was also a surprisingly fast swimmer. However, a chance encounter with the anime's famous Jigglypuff gave the heroes the idea to put Snorlax to sleep before they could capture it. Snorlax has since become one of Ash's most loyal and powerful allies, as it is not easily stunned by attacks and can use moves like Hyper Beam and Ice Punch.

Bulbasaur will always take care of his loved ones

The first of the three common Kanto starters that Ash encounters

Before meeting Charizard or Squirtle, Ash first met Bulbasaur, the guardian of the hidden village. Raised by Melanie, the owner of the hidden village, Bulbasaur had grown up watching the villagers being harmed and abandoned by their old trainers before finding refuge in their home. As such, Bulbasaur came to dislike trainers and was fiercely protective of the Hidden Village's Pokémon. But because it was so good at its job, none of the Pokémon in the Hidden Village wanted to return to the wild as Melanie hoped they would after recovering.

Bulbasaur would later learn to trust Ash due to the latter's bravery and decided to join his team. The Grass/Poison type quickly became one of Ash's top fighters, due to its useful vines and quick thinking. Although an extremely powerful Pokémon, Bulbasaur, like its best friend Squirtle, chose to never evolve, not even once. Many fans speculate that this is because of what happened to their friend Charmander when he suddenly evolved twice in a row.

Squirtle is a born leader

The legendary boss of the Squirtle Squad

Before joining Ash's team, Squirtle once belonged to an unknown trainer who one day abandoned it. Along with a group of other Squirtles who were also abandoned by their former trainers, Squirtle formed the Squirtle Squad, acting as the group's leader. The Squirtle Squad became infamous around the Kanto region for their mischief and even captured Ash and his friends after the water-type Pokémon formed an alliance with Meowth. After Squirtle realized they were being tricked by Team Rocket, and after Ash valiantly protected Squirtle Squad's leader from danger, the leader of the problem group decided to join Ash's team.

Squirtle would occasionally revert to his role as Squirtle Squad's leader, though the group would become more known for helping others than pulling pranks. With Ash, Squirtle was able to grow stronger and mature, although it retained its love of practical jokes. Like its best friend, the serious but equally loyal Bulbasaur, the little turtle's Pokémon has never evolved. Regardless, it remains one of Ash's greatest allies, known for its speed and defensive tactics.

Charizard and Ash once couldn't work together

The Flame Pokémon has since become one of Ash's best friends

In a heartbreaking series of events, Ash and his friends learn that a lone Charmander waiting on a rock near a Pokémon Center was actually left there on purpose. Believing the Fire-type to be weak, the lizard Pokémon's trainer abandoned him, though Charmander remained on the rock when he thought his trainer would return. Ash and his friends raced through the rain before the Fire-type could perish, and when Charmander recovered, he chose to stay by Ash's side. The Lizard Pokémon was well known for its loyalty and kindness, but after evolving into Charmeleon and then Charizard, its personality became strangely aggressive.

No matter what Ash did, the Flame Pokémon always ignored him, either choosing to sleep during battles or attack without listening to Ash's advice. Even his teammates were frightened by his sudden change in behavior; it wasn't until Charizard was healed by Ash after being frozen that the Fire/Flying type remembered how much his trainer truly cared for him. Since that fateful day, Charizard has become one of Ash's most famous Pokémon allies, as well as one of his strongest ever. Flame Pokémon even battled Unown's Entei in the third Pokémon movie, when he felt his old friend was in danger despite training elsewhere.

Pikachu will always remain by Ash's side

Ash's partner Pokémon and an extraordinary electric-type

Although Ash was initially hoping for one of the regular Kanto starter Pokemon, he ended up oversleeping on the day he was supposed to pick a starter from Professor Oak. The only remaining Pokémon at the Pokémon Lab was Pikachu, an Electric-type that Professor Oak had recently caught in the forest. Unused to being around humans, Pikachu refused to train alongside Ash, prompting the novice trainer to try to catch another Pokémon. His actions eventually led to him unleashing a horde of Spearow, which injured Pikachu. However, the Mouse Pokémon would later respect his new trainer after he protected him from the Bird Pokémon. After scaring the bird Pokemon away with one of his signature Thunderbolt attacks, Ash and Pikachu become the best of friends.

No matter where Ash decides to travel, Pikachu is always right by his side. As Ash trains new Pokémon friends from around the Pokémon world, Pikachu is there to support his new teammates and boost their spirits. Pikachu is known to be unusually powerful for its species, capable of unleashing outstanding electric-type attacks. It was also Pikachu who dealt the final blow knocking out Leon's Gigantamax Charizard in the Masters Eight Tournament, the biggest display of his power seasons after his debut. It is unknown where Ash and Pikachu are traveling to now, but one can be sure that they will continue to support the other.

Release date

1997 – 2023

Network

TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Directors

Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuzaa,, Ken Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano

Author

Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku

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  Rica Matsumoto

  Satoshi (voice)

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  Ikue Otani

  Pikachu (voice)