After 24 years of catchingPokemon, battling gym leaders, and saving the world, Ash is still 10, but he’s come a long way since the Indigo League. In 2019 Ash finally won a championship title, beating the Alola League and facing Kukui in one of the most nail-biting battles of the series. Fans were stunned to see their favorite yellow mouse defeat the legendaryPokemonTapu Koko.
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Now, at Rank 184 in the World Coronation Series, Ash is shaping up to be one of the greatest Trainers in the anime world and is close to achieving his goal of becoming a Pokemon Master. That doesn’t mean he’s invincible, though:He’s faced some formidable foes and he hasn’t always come out on top.
Updated June 17, 2025 by Jason Collins:Ash has beaten countless foes in the Pokemon anime, but the iconic protagonist is hardly undefeatable. In fact, for the longest time, it seemed like Ash was destined to stumble before reaching his final goal of becoming a champion. There are plenty ofPokemon trainers better than Ash Ketchum; conversely, the latter has grown so much throughout the decades that he can defeat many strong opponents without breaking much of a sweat. This article has been updated to highlight a few more examples of both sides.
14Can Beat Ash: Cynthia
Although Cynthia and Ash haven’t faced each other, it’s easy to predict the outcome of such an event.Cynthia is, without a doubt, one of thestrongest Pokemon trainersof all time, perhaps only inferior to Leon. Cynthia can likely owe her success to her admiration of Pokemon. Cynthia’s Garchomp is pretty unbeatable for one thing, having taken out so many Trainers.
Sadly, it is unlikely that Ash will face Cynthia anytime soon as he would first have to beat Alain and Leon. Nonetheless, Cynthia is keeping an eye on Ash’s progress in case their paths should cross on the battlefield. If ever the time comes for Ash and Cynthia to go head-to-head, fans will definitely be over the moon.
13Can’t Beat Ash: Paul
Yes,Paulis definitely a worthy contenderon this list, but when it comes to training methods, Ash reigns superior. Paul is known for being abusive and harsh on his Pokemon, even releasing those who do not live up to his standard, one of which was a Chimchar who landed on Ash’s team. The Chimchar evolved into an Infernape and consequently defeated Paul’s Electivire.
However, some good came from Paul’s defeat. Before this, Paul had always ridiculed Ash for his training style, often throwing insults, too. Yet, when Ash showed his worth by turning the Chimchar into a powerful opponent, Paul gained a newfound respect for his rival. Sometimes, earning the respect of an opponent is the true reward.
12Can Beat Ash: Tyson
When Tyson saved Ash from a flock of Murkrow, the pair became close friends. After that, Tyson would frequently come to Ash’s aid. With each of these rescues, Tyson’s Meowth won many victories and even had to be restrained from attacking further in the first round of the Ever Grande Conference.
Ash and Tyson faced each other inChoose It or Lose It!andAt the End of the Fray! with Pikachu against Meowth. The stakes were high, and the battle was long, but Meowth rose to the occasion and came out victorious. Despite this well-earned victory, Tyson displayed outstanding sportsmanship by congratulating Ash on the match. Tyson continued to the finals and even won the Hoenn League Conference.
11Can’t Beat Ash: Diantha
Not only is Diantha a strong trainer, but she is also an actress. She is the Champion of the Kalos region with the Ralts, Kirlia, and Gardevoir on her team; Diantha’s Gardevoir faced Ash’s Greninja inPokemon XYZ. She had an impressive start, with her Gardevoir hardly taking a hit. Throughout the match, Diantha maintains a calm demeanor, even when Ash’s Greninja hit her Pokemon.
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This battle was a nail-biter; Diantha’s Gardevoir seemed to be dodging all the shots that the Greninja took. However, Ash took the victory against Diantha in this epic battle with his Greninja knocking her Mega-Gardevoir out of the match. Despite her defeat, Diantha put up a hard fight, making her a worthy opponent of Ash.
10Can Beat Ash: Tobias
When Ash faced the Sinnoh League, he overcame his season-long rival Paul and used his Infernape to prove that any Pokemon could be powerful. Unfortunately, his progress was cut short when he battled Tobias. The most notable thing about Tobias was his team, as he usedpowerhouse Pokemon of the Legendaryand Mythical varieties. He also managed to make it to the semi-finals without losing a single member of his team.
Despite defeating two of Tobias’s Pokemon (which was more than anyone else in the League achieved), Ash lost and he would still lose today. Tobias is a mysterious figure. No-one knows what the rest of his team looks like, so it’s possible he brought an entire team of mighty Legendary Pokemon. If Ash struggled against two of them, a full team of six would be near impossible.
9Can’t Beat Ash: Ritchie
Ritchie is the Shadow to Ash’s Sonic, the Wario to his Mario, he’s Ash 2.0. Or at least hewas. When Ritchie was first introduced he was more of a secondary rival, behind the infamous Gary Oak. Although he didn’t win the Pokemon League, Ritchie managed to do what Gary couldn’t and beat his rival, proving himself to be far more than an Ash ‘clone.’
Unfortunately, Ritchie hasn’t been seen sincePokemon: Chronicles,but it’s unlikely he would manage to beat Ash a second time. Ash has become a much better Trainer since the original series. In addition, the only reason he lost their first battle was because his Charizard started misbehaving and decided to take a nap, something that wouldn’t happen a second time.
8Can Beat Ash: Lance
Many long timePokemonfans are familiar with the name Lance. His appearances in the anime may not be as prevalent as in the games, but when he’s onscreen, Lance is a sight to behold. Most recently, the Dragon Trainer faced Galar’s Champion Leon in a 1v1, narrowly losing to Leon’s Gigantamax Charizard, the latest powerful form ofthis much-loved Fire-type.
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Despite losing, Lance proved that he’s well deserving of his number two spot. Ash, at Rank 184, is still nowhere near his level and has already lost to lower ranked opponents like Bea, the Fighting-type Gym Leader of Galar. Ash and Lance’s inevitable battle might be close, but Lance has far more experience and wields the powerful pseudo-legendary Dragonite, giving him the advantage.
7Can’t Beat Ash: Misty
As one of Ash’s original companions, Misty has seen many regions and caught plenty of Pokemon. The two Trainers have battled multiple times over the series, and inPokemon: Sun & Moon,Misty reunited with Ash and challenged him to a battle.
Despite the awesome power of her Mega Gyarados, Ash managed to defeat the powered-up Pokemon, winning him the match. Misty’s biggest weakness is one she shares with every other Gym Leader. Her fascination withWater-type Pokemon (the most common typing in the series)means that she rarely uses other types, making her vulnerable to Ash’s signature Pokemon, Pikachu.
6Can Beat Ash: Leon
Leon, as the current Monarch of the World Coronation Series, is unquestionably one of the greatest Trainers in the Pokemon World. Leon represents Ash’s biggest obstacle in the current series and, if Ash manages to beat Leon, he’ll be one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master.
There’s no doubt that the series will end in a climatic battle between the two Trainers, but Ash is currently no match for Leon. Leon has proven time and time again to be virtually undefeatable. There’s a reason he’s held on to the title of Monarch for so long.
5Can’t Beat Ash: Gary Oak
Many fans consider Gary to be Ash’s greatest rival (Pokemon Sword & Shieldactually made players become him, in a way). His smug attitude is made far worse by the fact that he’s actually a powerful Trainer. Throughout the original series, Gary was always one step ahead of Ash: He had more badges, more Pokemon, more admirers. That was until the Indigo League, where the two Trainers came face to face for their final battle.
The odds were stacked in Gary’s favor as his Blastoise battled Ash’s Charizard, but the underdog won. Since then, Gary decided to give up being a Trainer and become a Pokemon Professor instead. If Gary ever decided to challenge Ash to a rematch he would probably be a bit rusty and, because Ash has never stopped battling, he would emerge the victor.
