Ash has faced-off against tons of talented trainers throughout his Pokemon journey. Though the young trainer from Pallet Town has gained a reputation among the Pokemon fan base as someone who constantly comes short in big moments, Ash has never shown a lack of effort in his quest to become a Pokemon Master. Ash, Pikachu, and their many companions have come face-to-face with some of the most talented trainers the Pokemon anime has to offer. There have been plenty of wins to celebrate, but the losses seem to leave a longer-lasting impression.
One of Ash’s most devastating losses came during the Sinnoh League’s Lily of the Valley Conference. Tobias stands as one of Ash’s most infamous opponents thanks in big part to the Pokemon he utilized during the infamous battle. It might’ve counted as a loss for the fan-favorite trainer, but Ash almost managed to pull off the win despite the obvious disadvantage.
Tobias’ Team
Tobias doesn’t make much of an impact on the series outside of the events of the Lily of the Valley Conference. It seems like he was only created to serve as yet another roadblock to Ash and his party, as he hasn’t reappeared in the series since winning the tournament. Though many attribute Ash’s primetime losses to his mismanagement of his team, no one could pin that on him this time around.
Tobias only has two known Pokemon and used both of them in his battle against Ash. Unlike most other trainers, Tobias’ team is made of a much more elusive group of Pokemon, making battling him head-on a challenging task for even the most talented trainer in the Pokemon universe.
The first and most prominently featured member of Tobias’ party is his Darkrai. The Gen IV Mythical Pokemon isn’t seen often in the anime, and it was certainly a surprise for both fans and participants to see it used in the tournament. Darkrai proved to be Tobias’ ace, handling the brunt of Ash’s party and giving its trainer a near-insurmountable lead.
Tobias’ second Pokemon, and the last one he would be seen using in the Lily of the Valley Conference was his Latios. The Dragon/Psychic Legendary gave Tobias yet another substantial advantage in battle, standing apart from most of the Pokemon he would encounter throughout the tournament. Though Ash and Pikachu did manage to put up a good fight against it, it juts proved to be too much for normal Pokemon to handle.
Why Ash Lost
As much as Pokemon fans like to pin Ash’s failings on his own incompetence, this loss can’t be blamed on him or his Pokemon. Many in the community feel that Ash deserved to win the battle, and only lost due to his opponent utilizing overpowered Mythical and Legendary Pokemon. It’s a sentiment that carries over from the games, as most players don’t often use anything stronger than pseudo-legendaries when going head-to-head against non-NPCs.
Darkrai managed to wipe out half of Ash’s party before it was defeated, with Latios taking care of the other half by the time all was said and done. What’s most frustrating is that Tobias only managed to use 1/3 of his party at the end of the match. It’s very possible that Tobias had nothing but Legendary and Mystical Pokemon in his party during the tournament, all but guaranteeing his victory.
Ultimately, the loss falls on Ash’s shoulders due to him not being able to best utilize his Pokemon while they were on the field. But of all the matches Ash has lost, and all the championships he’s missed out on, his defeat against Tobias still stands as one of the most frustrating for fans. Not many trainers have exclusively made use of Legendaries and Mythicals in tournament settings, and thankfully for Ash, it doesn’t look like he’ll run into the same problem anytime soon.
