Highlights
- Kingler surprised everyone by taking out a powerful Exeggutor and evolving into a powerful force for Ash during the Indigo League.
- Muk, often overlooked, is a competent fighter who has a big impact on Ash's battles in both the Johto and Kanto Leagues.
- Hawlucha, a great but often forgotten team member, did well for Ash in the Kalos region despite being overshadowed by other iconic Pokemon.
Ash Ketchum was the main protagonist of the Pokemon anime for the first nine generations of the games. As such, he acted as the eyes of the player, as they too fought their way through a new region to become the next champion. Of course, part of this journey also includes catching a great team of six Pokemon. Therefore, the writers behind the show also had Ash collect a team of six Pokemon for every one of his adventures.
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Ash has had a lot of Pokemon over the years, and many fans know of his more popular team members, like Charizard and Snorlax. However, there have been plenty of Pokemon that Ash has had in the anime that do not quite get the attention they deserve. This may be because they were rarely seen, or that they pull off great feats that do not get spoken about enough. Therefore, they are the underrated members of Ash's team.
1 Kingler
This Pokemon Evolved To Help Ash In The Indigo League But Is Quickly Discarded
- Episode Caught: "Mystery At The Lighthouse"
The Water-type Pokemon, Krabby, was initially introduced in the anime as a way to demonstrate the concept of trainers only being able to carry six Pokemon at a time. As a result, Ash catches Krabby before it is transported to Professor Oak and fans soon forget about it.
However, Ash brought Krabby back when it was time to pick out his team for the Indigo League. To everyone's surprise, the neglected crab took out a powerful Exeggutor in its first battle and then evolved into Kingler. With some strength now on his side, Ash managed to use Kingler to successfully defeat more opponents in the league. Unfortunately, Kingler's efforts in this tournament are largely overshadowed by Charizard's antics that caused Ash to be knocked out. Kingler had a big moment in this arc of the anime but has sadly had little chance to shine since.
2 Muk
A Comic Relief Pokemon That Can Battle Well
- Episode Caught: "Sparks Fly For Magnemite"
Let's not do Muk a disservice here. It is always great to see this big blob of goo in the anime. However, how it is used is normally not what fans want from such a great Pokemon. Firstly, Muk is caught by Ash randomly in what can only be described as a filler episode. Therefore, many fans do not even realize Ash had one. Secondly, Muk's appearances on the show normally involve smothering Oak in his lab or Ash in a way that is meant to be comical.
This depiction is a shame, as Muk is actually a competent fighter. Whenever Ash uses it in battle, Muk does well. Like Kingler, Muk has a big effect on how Ash performs in both the Johto and Kanto League. Sadly, Muk is often forgotten by fans and is only ever brought up as a joke.
3 Buizel
The Sinnoh Water-Type Just Wants To Battle
- Episode Caught: "Buizel Your Way Out Of This"
By the time Ash enters the Diamond and Pearl arc of the anime, he is on his way to becoming a competent trainer. He assembles a great team and has even started to evolve his Pokemon this time around. His battle prowess is so admired that his companion, Dawn, sees her Buizel wanting to be part of Ash's team instead of joining her on the competition circuit. Unfortunately, this was a poor choice.
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Buizel performs well in the anime and wins a large percentage of its battles with Ash. Sadly, this cute beaver never gets the chance to evolve into Floatzel before Ash sends it back to Professor Oak to be forgotten alongside so many of his other great team members. Buizel is a great addition to any team in the games, and Ash could have got so much more out of his before discarding it.
4 Mr. Mime/Mimey
A Pokemon That Does More For Ash Than Fans Realize
- Episode Caught: "It's Mr Mime Time"
Mr. Mime is not one of the most popular Pokemon from Kanto, and many fans do not even consider them one of Ash's team members. However, this Pokemon has done more for the young trainer than many fans think. For starters, Mr. Mime officially joined Ash's team in Galar during the Master's Competition.
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Before this, Mr. Mime stayed at Ash's home to look after the trainer's mum when the ten-year-old was out fulfilling his dreams. Mr. Mime cooks, cleans, and keeps Delia company throughout the years, and is always ready to welcome Ash and his companions when they come back to Pallet Town for a rest. He may not be a companion on Ash's journey, but Mr. Mime did so much for him and is never given any credit.
5 Hawlucha
A Great Pokemon With Lots Of Exposure
- Episode Caught: "The Forest Champion"
Ash had a much smaller roster of Pokemon when he took on the Kalos region. However, this team was so varied that many fans believed that this season would finally be the one where Ash won another league. One of the reasons for this is the fact that Ash had access to the brutal new Flying/Fighting-type, Hawlucha.
This Pokemon did well for Ash, and its bright color pattern meant that fans could easily gravitate toward the wrestling bird. Unfortunately, Hawlucha was also part of a team that featured Ash's Goodra and Greninja. The latter of these even bonded with the trainer in a way that has not yet been seen to become one of Ash's most iconic Pokemon. Therefore, Hawlucha remains a great team member who is rarely remembered or spoken about.
6 Bulbasaur
The Kanto Starter That Gets The Least Amount Of Love
- Episode Caught: "Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village"
Saying that one of the three most prominent Pokemon of the Kanto region is underrated seems like an outrageous claim on the surface. However, it always seemed like Bulbasaur received the short end of the stick in the first generation of Pokemon. In the West, the first two Pokemon games that were released were Pokemon: Red and Blue, two games that featured both Blastoise and Charizard as the mascot. This marketing tactic left Bulbasaur out of player's minds for a while.
Then, when it came to the anime, Ash was able to catch Bulbasaur and the other two starters in the region to add to his team. This Bulbasaur was depicted as a stubborn but loyal character, but he was no match in fans' eyes for the rebellious Squirtle, or the fully-evolved Charizard, who has his own arc in the anime. Therefore, Bulbasaur always remains the least favored of these three Pokemon, even though it had an important role to play in the series.
7 Pidgeotto
A Loyal Bird That Was Always There
- Episode Caught: "Ash Catches A Pokemon"
Naturally, the minds behind the Pokemon anime want to feature the Pokemon that are most appealing to new viewers. As a result, Ash gets to use all three Kanto starters on his team in the first season, as well as the franchise mascot, Pikachu. However, there is one other Pokemon that Ash uses in the first series that shows up in almost every episode.
Pidgeotto is the evolution of the regional bird, Pidgey, and it is normally called out by Ash in battle. It rarely fails, and is Ash's go-to Pokemon to deal with Team Rocket. Unfortunately, almost all other Pokemon from this era get more of a spotlight than Pidgeotto. Even the episode it is caught in is named in reference to Ash catching another Pokemon. Poor Pidgeotto never gets his due and is released soon after it evolves. Ash would not have gotten as far on his journey without this Pokemon, and so Pidgeotto deserves more credit.
