Since the late 90s, Pokémon has been a nigh-unstoppable franchise. This was in no small part thanks to the wonderful anime series that almost every child grew up with or was at the very least aware of. Watching Ash and his friends explore every region the games presented was always a blast, mainly due to all the new Pokémon that they'd meet and catch. While there have definitely been times fans felt frustrated by some of his decisions when it came to his Pokémon, Ash has undoubtedly amassed an impressive roster over the years.
Currently, Ash is set to go up against his strongest opponents yet in what might just be the toughest competition of his life. In a tournament made up of the strongest trainers from every region he's ever been to, it's hard not to imagine what the lineup of his ultimate team might be.
Pikachu
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If this one wasn't obvious then the rest of this article will be nothing less than a roller coaster of surprises from here on out. Pikachu was Ash's very first Pokémon and easily the most recognizable among his team. Pikachu is also the only member of his party that has never been switched out, meaning he's been brought to every single region he's traveled to.
Pikachu might be the super cute mascot of the franchise, but he's also a veritable electric powerhouse. With moves like Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Electroweb and even Volt Tackle, this electric mouse is not one to be trifled with. If that wasn't enough, Pikachu can also use Z-Moves and Gigantamaxing, giving Ash multiple possible strategies in battle. Pikachu has even shown the capability of taking down the legendary Pokémon Latios in a previous league battle, proving just how powerful he is.
Greninja
Another one that might be obvious to some, Greninja needs to be on Ash's ultimate team. Arguably the star of Ash's Kalos journey, Greninja was a powerhouse and a true contender for his strongest Pokémon. Not only is it a fully evolved starter with both water and dark typing, but Ash was able to unlock a special temporary evolution with Greninja where their spirits essentially became one. In this "Ash-Greninja" form, not only does Greninja adopt some Ash's physical features, but all of his stats and moves get a significant boost, not unlike a Mega Evolution.
Greninja doesn't need to rely on this special form, though. With moves like Water Shuriken, Cut, Aerial Ace and Double Team, Greninja has a pretty diverse set of options when it comes to his attacks. If that weren't enough, it has proven its strength on multiple occasions, being able to take on a Mega-Evolved Sceptile and win. When using the Ash-Greninja form, all of its moves, especially Water Shuriken, get supercharged and allow it to go toe to toe with even the strongest opponents, easily earning it a spot on the team.
Sceptile
This may be a somewhat controversial pick, but Ash's Sceptile is a powerhouse, even if it's a bit underrated as one. Having met Ash early on during his Hoenn adventures as an angsty little Treeko, it has more than proven its worth since then. While it didn't evolve until after the Hoenn League and during Ash's journey against the Battle Frontier, it had always proven to be a valuable and powerful asset to his team, especially after reaching its final evolution. While many would have rather seen Ash's Bulbasaur taking this spot, Sceptile has done quite a lot in terms of earning his place on the team.
With moves like Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Quick Attack and Leaf Storm, Sceptile is armed to the teeth with powerful grass-type moves. It might seem like a bit of a one-trick pony, but Sceptile has proven just how strong it can be when Ash needs to pull off a win. Not only has it managed to take on May's Blaziken on equal footing despite the type disadvantage, but it has even managed to beat the mythical Pokémon Darkrai practically on its own during the Sinnoh League in Ash's match against the insanely overpowered Tobias. While Darkrai mopped the floor with barely an issue against half of Ash's team, Sceptile managed to pull off the win no one else could, being the only Pokémon to actually beat Tobias's Darkrai in the league up to that point.
Lucario
While relatively new compared to all of Ash's other Pokémon, Lucario brings a lot of power to Ash's team. With a dual-typing of steel and fighting, Lucario has few weaknesses and plenty of strengths. Beyond just that, Ash and his Lucario have a very strong and special bond, with it only hatching after sensing Ash's specific Aura, meaning their teamwork is some of the best out of all the Pokémon Ash has ever caught. Moreover, it can even Mega Evolve, boosting its already incredible strength even further.
Using moves like Aura Sphere, Steel Beam, Double Team and Force Palm, Ash's Lucario definitely packs a punch and is arguably the strongest Pokémon he currently travels with. Its tremendous fighting spirit, good moves, strong bond and Mega Evolution make Lucario an important and integral part of this ultimate team, even if it did take a while at first for it to listen to Ash.
Dragonite
Another Pokémon Ash caught during the Journeys saga, Dragonite has proven that it has what it takes to take on even the strongest opponents. Not only is it a dragon-type, one of the strongest types out there, but it's also a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, meaning it has great stats all around. With the moves Dragon Dance, Hurricane, Dragon Claw and Draco Meteor, Ash's Dragonite is set to take on almost any opponent.
While it doesn't have any special evolution like some others on this list, Dragonite has proven its strength on multiple occasions, most notably in its battle against Iris, the current champion of Unova. While it struggled a bit against her own Dragonite, Ash's definitely found its footing against her Haxorus, which was her partner and probably the strongest Pokémon on her team. It might have been a close match, but Dragonite's willpower and refusal to let Ash down managed to score them the win against an incredibly tough opponent.
Charizard
The final Pokémon on Ash's team has to go to the one that has arguably been there for him more than any other. With fire being one of the most powerful types there is, with Ash himself having a large roster of them to choose from, this was the toughest choice to make for this team. The only other options would be either his Incineroar or Infernape, both of which were Ash's ace in their respective regions much like Charizard was -- but even so, neither could top Ash's first fire-type. Incineroar has never been seen battling, making its capabilities completely unknown, while Infernape was unable to beat it when it underwent its special training to prepare for a battle with Moltres.
With the moves Flamethrower, Dragon Tail, Slash and Wing Attack, Charizard has a diverse moveset that takes advantage of its typing quite well. Even though Ash never sought out a Mega Evolution for it, Charizard has proven to be so strong that it wouldn't even need it. Not only has it faced multiple legendary Pokémon, but it has even managed to beat one in battle, that being Articuno. It also managed to defeat multiple Dragonites held by champions as well as score Ash a victory against perhaps his greatest rival, Gary and his Blastoise. As it stands, in the eyes of many fans, Charizard is Ash's strongest Pokémon and deserves the final spot on this team.
