Ash Ketchum took a long time to reach concrete success on his long Pokémon journey, but his early adventures were still important in the grand scheme of things. Ash assembled a team of Pokémon while in Kanto, but ultimately disappointed when it mattered at the Indigo League.
Ash caught more than six Pokémon while in Kanto, but ultimately released the likes of Primeape, Butterfree, and Pidgeot and left others back in Pallet Town with Professor Oak. With Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard being considered Ash’s main battlers, there were options in Pokémon that Ash should have caught to make a more formidable team, even if those options were restricted in the original batch of 151 Pokémon.
Updated on April 4th, 2023 by Tom Steel: Ash Ketchum’s long and storied Pokémon journey has finally come to an end. Ash and Pikachu will no longer be the main focus of the anime moving forward, and fans will ultimately miss the duo and look back on their adventures with fond memories. This list has been updated with that reflection in mind, taking a look at more Kanto Pokémon that should have been added to Ash’s team back in the original series.
15 Cubone (Ground)
Cubone is remembered as a Pokémon with one of the most tragic backstories. Known as the Lonely Pokémon, Cubone is said to suffer from the trauma of losing its mother, wearing her skull, and having a very fragile personality. It is an especially dark angle for a Pokémon to be introduced, but having a Pokémon with such room for growth and progression would have been a great test of Ash as a Trainer early on.
Ash has always loved and cared for Pokémon, even through his more ignorant and naive moments. While he would have initially struggled in coping with Cubone, his love would eventually get through and Cubone would have become a valiant member of his team. The possibility of evolving into Marowak would also have given Ash a powerful Ground-type for the Indigo League.
14 Exeggutor (Grass/Psychic)
Bulbasaur was a valiant and reliable battler for Ash over multiple seasons of the anime, but that doesn’t mean Ash couldn’t have gone for another strong Grass type for his Kanto team. In fact, without fully evolving Bulbasaur into Venusaur, having a powerful dual type like Exeggutor on the team would have been smart thinking on Ash’s part.
Exeggutor would bring the problematic seven weaknesses that come with the Grass/Psychic typing, but at the same time would provide decent coverage in terms of moves. There are more exciting Psychic types out there than Exeggutor, but Ash could have explored the wackier depths of the original roster and ultimately benefited from having the Coconut Pokémon.
13 Scyther (Bug/Flying)
Ash had a Bug-type Pokémon on his team during his Kanto adventures in Butterfree, but after releasing it, he never got a replacement in to handle any potential Psychic-type opponents. Scyther could have been that replacement, with it also being a Bug/Flying type.
Scyther is not only one of the coolest designs in Gen I Pokémon, but its pace and physical offensive prowess would have come in handy, and at least given Ash’s team more fighting spirit when it counted. Having a Scyther for the latter parts of Ash’s Kanto adventures could have led to it joining him once again in Johto, providing a perfect opportunity for it to evolve into Scizor. This would have given Ash a powerful Bug/Steel type for the rest of his Johto campaign.
12 Kabutops (Rock/Water)
Kabutops is another cool Pokémon with a design based around imposing scythes. Ash didn’t add a Fossil Pokémon to his team until Dracovish in Pokémon Journeys, with it helping him to his exceptional victory at the Masters Eight Tournament, and Kabutops may well have brought him success earlier than that.
The Shellfish Pokémon would have given Ash two Water types on his team, but the Rock typing and its diverse movepool would have still made it useful. Like Scyther, Kabutops would have given Ash a Pokémon with plenty of fight in it, and would never have lost to Ritchie’s Pokémon at the Indigo League.
11 Rhydon (Ground/Rock)
Rhydon is often talked about being the first Pokémon that was ever created, yet it never received any special treatment across the games or the anime. There was potential to add more value to Rhydon, by having Ash catch one during his Kanto adventures. Rhyhorn and in turn Rhydon, would have made more sense and been more useful Safari Zone acquisitions than his 30 Tauros.
The iconic Ground/Rock-type Drill Pokémon being on Ash’s team alongside Pikachu could have been a more interesting and hilariously problematic way of introducing the Lightning Rod Ability, rather than doing so with the Fire-type Gym Leader Blaine. Ash’s Rhydon could have then returned in the Diamond & Pearl series, evolving into Rhyperior and giving Ash serious power.
10 Farfetch’d (Normal/Flying)
Ash Ketchum expressed his desire to catch a Farfetch’d in the original series of the anime, and in hindsight, it would have been a great addition. Ash’s Pidgeotto was never too impressive, and a Farfetch’d would have brought more personality while still having that Flying-type coverage.
Ash caught and raised a Galarian Farfetch’d well in Journeys, and had he already raised the original form, it could have led to some interesting interactions down the line. Instead, those interactions were filled by Goh’s own Farfetch’d which didn’t really hit as hard as this alternative could have.
9 Gengar (Ghost/Poison)
Unlike previous seasons, Journeys didn’t just focus on the Galar region, as Ash and Goh instead traveled all over the Pokémon world. This naturally translated to Ash’s Pokémon team as well. He finally caught Pokémon that fans had been wanting him to get for years, from Gen IV’s Lucario to Dragonite and Gengar from the original series.
However, this just raised questions about why he never caught them back during his Kanto adventures. Gengar was the sole representative of the Ghost typing in Gen I and would have been a great help as Ash learned more about Pokémon and type matchups. Gengar would have been too tricky for Trainers like Ritchie to contend with and would have made Ash look more formidable.
8 Dragonite (Dragon/Flying)
Dragonite is another one that Ash caught years later than he should have. Dragonite became a great asset to the team in Pokémon Journeys but would have been exceptional back in the original series, as it was the only Dragon-type at the time.
Back in Gen I, Dragonite only had weaknesses to Rock, Ice, and Dragon moves, all types that had poor representation in the original anime. Even in its earlier forms of Dratini and Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon would have been a statement of intent, and established Ash as a formidable Trainer from the get-go.
7 Machamp (Fighting)
Ash lacked fighting spirit and conviction at the Indigo League in Kanto, as relying on his unpredictable Charizard really cost him in the end. There was a distinct lack of literal Fighting power in Ash’s team, and while the Fighting-type roster was nonexistent back in Gen I, raising a feisty Machop to eventually become an imposing Machamp would have been an effective route to go down.
Machamp will always be remembered as one of the most iconic Fighting Pokémon, and Ash using one could have made it the absolute stand out of the typing. Machamp would have brought no-nonsense physical offense, which is ultimately what was missing from Ash’s team.
6 Cloyster (Water/Ice)
Squirtle had the Water typing locked down and represented on Ash’s Kanto team, but there was a place there for an Ice-type Pokémon to potentially fill. Hindsight dictates that Jynx would not have been the right Pokémon for this role due to its various controversies, but Cloyster would have fit the bill.
Cloyster could have been a periphery figure like Kingler and Muk but called upon whenever Ash needed more Water-type options or to actually utilize Ice moves. Lorelei, known as Prima in the anime, showcased Cloyster’s potential by easing past Ash and Pikachu, making fans wonder what could have been had Ash possessed that power for himself.
5 Rapidash (Fire)
Ash has gone for multiple of the same type in many of the regions he has visited over the years, but rarely with the starter types of Water, Grass, and Fire, as well as Electric. However, given the unreliable nature of his Charizard, having a backup Fire-type Pokémon in Kanto would have been a sensible idea.
Arcanine and Rapidash would have been strong options, with the latter seeing less screen time in battles over the course of the anime. Rapidash would have given ash loyalty, literal Fire power, and lots of speed. A Pokémon like Rapidash gives a Trainer the chance to dictate the pacing of a battle, something that Ash lacked for most of his Kanto journey.
4 Nidoqueen (Poison/Ground)
While Ash’s rival Gary Oak owned both Nidoking and Nidoqueen, he didn’t use the latter during the original series, which could have cleared the way for Ash to have one of his own. Nidoqueen could have been caught as a little Nidoran, evolving gradually and eventually becoming the Poison/Ground-type powerhouse.
Ash’s only other Pokémon to represent either of these types in Kanto was Muk, but it spent most of its time back with Professor Oak. Nidoqueen and Nidoking are notorious for having a diverse movepool as well as bulk and an even spread of stats across the board. Ash having a Nidoqueen would have been an interesting shift, adding serious muscle and power to his Kanto team.
3 Alakazam (Psychic)
When Pokémon fans think of the most iconic Psychic types of the franchise, Alakazam is right up there with the likes of Mew and Mewtwo. Alakazam’s terrifying telekinetic powers have been shown off by various Trainers in the anime, even in the previous forms of Abra and Kadabra.
Ash would have been a force to be reckoned with if he had caught an Abra early on and evolved it into an Alakazam in time for the Indigo League. Its formidable Speed, Special Attack, and strong Psychic-type moveset would have carried Ash further beyond Trainers like Ritchie.
2 Gyarados (Water/Flying)
For the most part, the Pokémon anime has done a great job of representing most species through Trainers beyond just Ash Ketchum. Examples include May and Brock showing off Torchic and Mudkip. However, sometimes there comes a Pokémon that simply should have been used by Ash as well as all these other Trainers. Gyarados is a prime example of this.
Gyarados is the popular Atrocious Pokémon, utilized by numerous Trainers across the games and anime series. Gyarados joining Ash’s team would not have felt like overkill, as it would have simply been a delight for fans to see it in such a central capacity. From its cool design, impressive stats, and diverse movepool, Gyarados really is one of the all-time greats.
1 Eevee (Normal)
Eevee has long been considered the backup mascot of the Pokémon franchise behind Pikachu. This was made clear in the releases of Let’s Go, Eevee and Pikachu. Eevee has also appeared with numerous Trainers in the anime over the years, always being shown as loyal and versatile, especially given its gimmick as the Evolution Pokémon.
Catching an Eevee during his Kanto adventures would have limited Ash to Fire, Water, and Electric-type evolutions, none of which he needed at the time. However, Ash could have kept Eevee and built up a close relationship before evolving it into Espeon in Johto. Ash never really owned a Psychic Pokémon and Espeon would have been a terrific addition to his Johto team.
