Key conclusions
- Ash was indeed a fantastic and extremely talented trainer, but that doesn't change the fact that he also wasted the potential of a few amazing Pokemon.
- Primeap and Lapras, for example, were strong team members who were foolishly given away by Ash in the anime.
- Ash also failed to maximize the battle potential of powerful Pokemon such as Torkoal, showing indecision in the show.
As the main actor of Art Pokemon anime, Ash Ketchum has caught and used many Pokemon over the years. However, most fans are aware of the most popular members of his team, such as Pikachu, Charizard, and Greninja. All of these Pokemon have become iconic in the franchise, largely due to their use on Ash's team.

Relatives
Pokemon: Ash Ketchum's 13 Most Commonly Used Species
Ash Ketchum has used a variety of Pokemon in the anime, with teams made up of a wide variety of types, but he seems to favor certain types over others.
Unfortunately, the overabundance of these great characters has led to some of Ash's team members being wasted over the years. Ash now had access to some Pokemon for the episode, such as Raticate, which he traded for SS Anne. However, this does not count as a team member, and the Pokemon must be part of Ash's actual team of six to count as one of his lost options.
Updated on October 8, 2024 by Hamza Haq: With Ash's journey officially over, fans can look back on the anime that defined their childhood and decide which of Ash's Pokemon got the short end of the stick and didn't or couldn't live up to their full potential. Whether it's because of Ash's carelessness, bad matchups, lack of chance to prove themselves, or simply because they didn't get enough screen time, Ash has caught a lot of Pokemon over the years that could have been something more.
8 Pidgeot
One of Ash's most loyal Pokemon is quickly forgotten
The first is caught |
“Ash Catches Pokemon” |
---|---|
Type |
Flight |
The average evolution of the regional bird in Kanto, the Pideotto, was the third Pokemon that Ash caught in the animeand so it became a staple of his team's promotion. Unfortunately, this iconic bird was rarely seen in battle, taking a backseat to Ash's three cute starter Pokemon and franchise mascot Pikachu. Anyway, loyal Pidgeot was mostly used as a quick way to dispatch Team Rocket when he was used on Ash's team.
However, anyone who has used a Pidgeotto while playing through the game knows how reliable this flying type can be. It becomes even more fitting when finally transforms into the mighty Pidgeot. Unfortunately, Ash foolishly let go of one of the most powerful members of his team when she evolved, leaving it a completely wasted option.
7 Buizel
The evolution of commerce with so much potential
The first is caught |
“Throwing the Switch” |
---|---|
Type |
water |
Buizel is a Water type that many forget that Ash was in it Diamond and pearl anime. Like Pidgeot, Buisel was a a loyal Pokemon and a great fighter who joined Ash's team in trade with Dawn when she wanted to train for battle instead of competition.
Due to his high speed and large number of moves, Buizel was often used by Ash. He rarely lost when using Pokemon and had great success using Buizel against his opponent Paul. However, Buisel never got the chance to advance in anime. As a traded Pokemon, Buizel had the ability to level up much faster than the other members of Ash's team and become the powerful Floatzel. Unfortunately, Buisel remained useless one of the many underdeveloped members of Ash's team.
6 Taurus
One of 30 who never realized their potential
The first is caught |
“EP035” |
---|---|
Type |
Fight, Fire, Water |
The episode where Ash catches 30 bulls was banned outside of Japan due to the use of weapons. Therefore, not many viewers of the anime had to see how Ash catches the herd in the safari area. Therefore, it would be wise for the author not to include Pokemon in the series.

Relatives
6 Pokemon games where Ash Ketchum can become the champion
Ash Ketchum is none other than a powerful trainer in the Pokemon franchise. Here are the games in which he can become a champion.
However, Tauros has appeared in battles many times during the Pokemon League for both Kanto and Joht. Moreover, it turns out a reliable team member. Unfortunately, Ash doesn't take this powerful Pokemon with him on his travels, and his herd of large bulls exist mainly to create episodic appearance whenever the trainer visits Oak's Lab. What a waste of such a great Pokemon.
5 Torkaal
A Pokemon that stops being habituated when slowed down
The first is caught |
“All Torkoal, no game” |
---|---|
Type |
Fire |
Catching Torkaal seemed like a great idea Ruby and sapphire anime, and Pokemon quickly made a name for itself when it joined Ash's core team. Unfortunately, the show's writers chose to focus more on Torkoal's penchant for puffs of smoke and slowness rather than his fighting prowess. In the second appearance it was so easily captured by Team Rocketand Torkoal has a terrible win-loss ratio, losing six battles in the Hoenn series alone.
This image is a far cry from the Torkoal that players are used to seeing in games. This Pokemon can set up a sunny day and wipe out a team with a flamethrower or overheat. Therefore, Ash wasted his Torkoal by not using it properly.
4 Without butter
A powerful battlefield setter released into the wild
The first is caught |
“I caught a pokemon!” |
---|---|
Type |
Beetle/Flying |
Ash caught Butterfree as Caterpie early in his journey and he was the first Pokemon he got after Pikachu. Caterpie very quickly evolved into Metapod and then Butterfree and became Ash's first fully evolved Pokemon. While Ash did use Butterfree in a few key battles early on, such as against Misty in the Cerulean Gym Battle and against AJ later on, it never really got a chance to shine before being unleashed during the infamous Goodbye Butterfree the episode.
During the battles that Butterfree was actually in, Ash's own inexperience prevented him from truly showing off the Pokemon's abilities. Viewers never got anything quite like a tutorial montage for Butterfree, and in every major battle he was involved in, he lost. Even after he was reunited with Ash much later, he was not captured or used in any battles.
3 Herocross
A physical beast that never had a chance to shine
The first is caught |
“Sweet End” |
---|---|
Type |
Error / Struggle |
Herracross can easily be considered in the lineup Potentially Ash's most powerful Pokemonas evidenced by the battles in which he participated. Heracross was already a beast when Ash captured him, and his power only increased as time went on. He easily defeated Donfan Rochelle, won against Shing Scizar, and even destroyed Magmar Gary despite having a huge type disadvantage. In straight 1v1 combat, Heracross has only one true defeat, which came during the Battle Frontier against Venasaurus Spencer. But even during this fight, Heracross gave as much as he could and was only knocked out after an all-out fight with Venosaurus.
However, despite its unmistakable power, Heracross was not part of Ash's main team and was constantly traded for other Pokemon, once for Taurus from the herd and once (by mistake) for Cyndaquil. He served as a trump card for Ash and spent most of his time at Oak's Ranch. Not only that, the power he did gain was mostly through his own efforts and natural growth; Ash had very little involvement in making him stronger.
2 Primeape
A fighting Pokemon that added variety to Ash's team
The first is caught |
Primeape Goes Bananas |
---|---|
Type |
Combat actions |
When Ash first meets the Pokémon Monkey, it is in a largely comedic episode where the enraged Pokémon steals his hat. In an attempt to get him back, Ash lost the battle to Monkey several times before he transformed into Primeape and was captured. This addition to the team seemed like a good move, as a fully developed battle type would add a lot of variety to Ash's team. However, the young coach gave pokemon away in one of the later episodes to get him to train for a combat competition.

Relatives
Ash Ketchum's Best Pokemon Teams, Ranked
Ash has battled several Pokemon teams over the years. These examples are the best of the bunch.
Giving away a strong Pokemon like Primeape was a very stupid move on Ash's part, as it would be needed many times in the anime in later seasons. Perhaps Ash would have done better in the Indigo League if he hadn't lost one of his best team members.
1 Lapras
This type of ice is more than just a ferry
The first is caught |
“The Lost Lapras” |
---|---|
Type |
Water, ice |
Lapras was cleverly used in the anime to solve the problem of how the main characters would get around the Orange Islands. After rescuing Lapras from a gang of thugs, Ash adds an Ice-type to his team, and Lapras acts as a ferry for him and his friends during this arc of the anime. As a result, Lapras is seen in almost every episode that has one on Ash's team. Unfortunately, it is rarely used in combat.
Lapras is an Ice-type from Kanto that is one of the strongest Pokemon in this region. He has a 535 overall base specificationwhich makes his repeated losses in battle all the more surprising. Ash clearly doesn't know how to use Pokemon well in battle, and after winning the Orange Island League, he unleashes Lapras again. Lapras would have been a great addition to his team in Joht, but instead was lost once Ash no longer needed the ferry.

Relatives
Ash Ketchum's 25 Strongest Pokemon, Ranked
Ash and his Pokemon ventured to travel across different lands, faced many challenges and battled countless trainers and Pokemon. These are his most powerful.