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 of Pallet Town in the first episode of the main Pokémon anime. There, he captured several Pokémon, the first from his roster. Since leaving Kanto and traveling all the way to the Galar region, Ash has befriended countless Pokémon and even added some to his overall team.

Though Ash has made many amazing 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, such as Pidgeot and Muk, are not seen as often as their peers, but remain allies he can always call upon. Meanwhile, Pokémon such as Pikachu and Charizard are famous not just for their amount of screentime, but for their character development and sheer power.

Muk Is Immune To Most Attacks

An Unfortunately Underutilized Powerhouse Pokémon

Grimer is a common Poison-type Pokémon originating from the Kanto region, well-known for the fact that it is made completely out of sludge. There are different theories on how Grimer came to be, from stories of it once being normal sludge transformed by the moon’s X-rays, to having originated from the sea’s polluted waters. Regardless, everyone knows just how dangerous Grimer can be, especially after it evolves into its final form, Muk. Before he was able to catch Muk, Ash feared the powerful Poison-type, who led an army of Grimer.

Oddly enough, Muk completely changed after being caught, going from a ferocious Pokémon to an affectionate Pokémon who loved to give hugs. In fact, Muk was known to hug anyone it saw, even Jessie and James from Team Rocket. The Sludge Pokémon is also an amazing defensive battler, as most attacks will not harm it at all. However, Muk was not used often by Ash, despite its near-invincibility.

Pidgeot Is One of Ash’s Most Loyal Pokémon

The Normal/Flying-type Deserved a Better Spotlight

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

Instead of catching it as a Pidgey, Ash met his Pidgeot when it lived as a Pidgeotto. Upon joining his team, Pidgeotto proved to be one of Ash’s most easygoing allies, always working alongside him without making a fuss. Not long after evolving, Pidgeot leaves the team in order to protect a horde of wild Pidgey, thanks to its swiftness and strength. At the end of the original series, Pidgeot came to Ash and Pikachu’s rescue after they were captured by Team Rocket, and decided to rejoin his team as the Pidgey it used to look after had grown up.

Snorlax Is Exceptionally Powerful

Snorlax’s Strength and Stamina Allow It To Win Several Battles

Snorlax is a popular Pokémon not only due to its cuteness, but because of how well it works with any team. The Sleeping Pokémon’s base Attack and Special Defense statistics are quite high, making it a Pokémon that can be very hard to knock out. As it is a Normal-type, Snorlax can learn moves of various types, from the Electric-type move Supercell Slam to the Ground-type move Earthquake. However, it is also famous for the extremely powerful Normal-type move Hyber Beam, especially in the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

At the Seven Grapefruit Islands, Ash and his friends (as well as Team Rocket) all attempted to stop a wild Snorlax from eating everything in sight. However, this proved to be much tougher an endeavor than anyone could have imagined, as not only was the Sleeping Pokemon 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 catching it. Snorlax has since become one of Ash’s most loyal and powerful allies, as it is not easily stunned by attacks and capable of using moves such as Hyper Beam and Ice Punch.

Bulbasaur Will Always Look After Its Loved Ones

The First of the Three Usual Kanto Starters That Ash Meets

Before he met 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 seeing how the village’s residents were hurt and abandoned by their old Trainers prior to finding refuge in its home. As such, Bulbasaur came to dislike Trainers, and was fiercely protective of the Hidden Village’s Pokémon. However, as it was so good at its job, none of the Hidden Village’s Pokémon 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 main battlers, due to its useful vines and quick thinking. Though it is an extremely powerful Pokémon, Bulbasaur, like its best friend Squirtle, chose to never evolve, not even once. Many fans speculate this is because of what happened with their friend Charmander when he suddenly evolved twice in a row.

Squirtle Is a Born Leader

The Legendary Boss of the Squirtle Squad

Prior to joining Ash’s team, Squirtle once belonged to an unknown Trainer who one day abandoned it. Alongside a group of other Squirtle who were also deserted 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 Pokemon formed an alliance with Meowth. After the Squirtle realized they were being tricked by Team Rocket, and after Ash bravely protected the Squirtle Squad’s leader from danger, the boss of the troublemaking group decided to join Ash’s team.

Squirtle would sometimes go back to its role as the Squirtle Squad’s leader, though the group would become more well-known for helping others than pulling pranks. With Ash, Squirtle was able to grow stronger and mature, though it retained its love of practical jokes. Similar to its best friend, the serious yet equally loyal Bulbasaur, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon never evolved. Regardless, it is still one of Ash’s greatest allies, famous for its speed and defensive tactics.

Charizard and Ash Once Were Unable To 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. The Lizard Pokémon’s Trainer, believing the Fire-type to be weak, abandoned him, though Charmander stayed put on the rock as he believed his Trainer would return. Ash and his friends raced through the rain before the Fire-type could perish, and when Charmander recovered, chose to stay by Ash’s side. The Lizard Pokémon was well-known for his loyalty and kindness, though after evolving into Charmeleon and then Charizard, his personality became oddly 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 was not until Charizard was nursed back to health by Ash after being frozen that the Fire/Flying-type would remember just 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. The Flame Pokémon even battled against the Unown’s Entei in the third Pokémon movie, as he sensed that 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 initially hoped for one of the usual Kanto starter Pokémon, he ended up oversleeping on the day he was meant to pick out 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. As he was not used to being around humans, Pikachu refused to train alongside Ash, prompting the rookie Trainer to try and catch another Pokémon. His actions ultimately led to him angering a horde of Spearow, which injured Pikachu. However, the Mouse Pokémon would later respect his new Trainer after he shielded him from the bird Pokémon. After scaring the avian Pokémon 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 well-known for being unusually powerful for his species, capable of unleashing one-of-a-kind Electric-type attacks. It was also Pikachu who delivered the final blow that knocked out Leon’s Gigantamax Charizard in the Masters Eight Tournament, the greatest display of his power seasons after his debut. It is unknown where Ash and Pikachu are traveling now, but one can be sure that they will continue to support the other.