Fresh off a redemption arc in the Orange Islands following his embarrassing loss to Ritchie at the Pokémon League in Kanto, Ash sets off with Misty and Brock once again to explore the region of Johto. He initially takes his favorite members from his Kanto team, but slowly phases in Johto species as he catches them.
Ash dispels the ghosts of his Kanto campaign by actually earning his Gym Badges in the Johto region with hard-fought victories, compared to earning many of them for his good deeds and efforts back in Kanto. He faces several strong Gym Leaders that test him to his limits and force him to think like a proper Pokémon Trainer in devising strategies in order to gain victory. Ash’s Johto campaign is not always remembered as one of the best, but it is where Ash established his identity as a trainer and truly began his climb towards becoming a Pokémon Master.
8 Pryce Forfeited The Match Because Piloswine Was Exhausted
The Mahogany Town Gym Leader Pryce, is initially cold and harsh towards Ash, refusing to continue their first battle after his Dewgong easily freezes Ash’s Phanpy. Pryce ends up warming to Ash, after he finds the gym leader’s long-lost partner Piloswine, helping to heal his heart and resentment towards trainers and Pokémon.
Pryce agrees to a rematch, with Ash’s Cyndaquil defeating his Dewgong before falling to his beloved Piloswine. Pikachu enters the fray and faces off with Piloswine with the ice restricting his movement and speed-based offense until Pryce eventually forfeits due to Piloswine being exhausted.
7 Chuck’s Fighting Types Were Defeated By A Defiant Bayleef
Pikachu suffers several defeats against Gym Leaders during Ash’s Johto campaign, being the first to fall in the battle against Cianwood’s Gym Leader Chuck and his Poliwrath.
Bayleef enters the fray and is able to keep up with the intensity of Fighting types, first with Poliwrath and then with Machoke. Both bouts are intense, but Bayleef defies the odds to persevere and emerge victorious, earning the Storm Badge for Ash. Fighting-type Gym Leaders are often shown as being formidable opponents throughout the anime, and Chuck is no exception. This battle is one of Bayleef’s best and cements it as one of Ash’s strongest Johto Pokémon.
6 Falkner’s Pidgeot Was Narrowly Beaten By Ash’s Mighty Charizard
In the Gen II games, Violet City’s Falkner is the first Gym Leader. His Pokémon are representative of that, with them being Pidgey and Pidgeotto. However, when Ash faces his first Johto gym challenge against Falkner in the anime, the Flying-type specialist has a Hoothoot, Dodrio, and Pidgeot, a considerable improvement on his game version.
Despite losing Chikorita early on, Ash’s Pikachu is able to gain momentum for Ash’s team, defeating Falkner’s Hoothoot and Dodrio before falling to his Pidgeot. Charizard versus Pidgeot is an intense bout to decide the winner, but Charizard eventually manages to persevere and emerge victorious.
5 Bugsy’s Bugs Put In An Impressive Display Against Ash Despite Their Defeat
By the time Ash gets to his second Gym Leader in the Johto region, he is starting to put together a formidable team and lean more towards his new Johto acquisitions. Facing off against the Bug-type specialist Bugsy, Ash’s Chikorita gets things started by defeating the opposing Spinarak before underestimating and losing to a Metapod.
The reliable Pikachu comes in and defeats Metapod before falling to Bugsy’s intimidating Scyther, and the final face-off is between that Scyther and Ash’s Cyndaquil. Scyther showcases its deadly offense but eventually falls to a powerful Flamethrower from Cyndaquil, earning Ash the Hive Badge.
4 Jasmine’s Steel Types Did A Good Job At Tiring Out Pikachu
Jasmine is the first-ever Steel-type Gym Leader to feature in the franchise, due to the Steel type only being added with Gen II. In the anime, the Olivine Gym Leader leads with Magnemite, which is successful in wearing out Ash’s Pikachu, despite it eventually losing.
This leaves Pikachu ripe for the picking, with Steelix finishing it off. Steelix is considered Jasmine’s strongest Pokémon in the games, and the anime is no different. However, after an intense contest, Ash’s Cyndaquil is able to use Flamethrower on its opponent’s Sandstorm, turning it into a dangerous firestorm, overwhelming Steelix, and picking up the victory for Ash.
3 Morty’s Ghost Types Were Strong But Were Outdone By An Impressive Noctowl
Ash’s match against the Ecruteak Gym Leader Morty is an example of Ash utilizing impressive strategy against a formidable Ghost-type opponent. He centers his battle around Noctowl and its use of Foresight, making Ghost types visible and easier to hit with physical moves.
He weakens Gastly with this strategy before withdrawing Noctowl for later, but Pikachu is unable to capitalize and gets knocked out. Cyndaquil finishes off the Gastly before falling to Morty’s Haunter, leaving it all down to Noctowl. Noctowl learns Confusion and is eventually able to persevere through both Haunter and Gengar, winning Ash the Fog Badge after a difficult battle.
2 Whitney’s Miltank Lived Up To Its Reputation From The Games
Goldenrod City’s Gym Leader Whitney is often feared for her formidable Miltank in the Pokémon games, and that same cow causes all sorts of problems for Ash in the anime. When they face off for the first time, Ash breezes through Whitney’s Nidorina and Clefairy, but Miltank rampages with its powerful Rollout and defeats all three of Ash’s Pokémon.
Ash devises a strategy in time for their rematch and quickly puts it into practice. He has Totodile and Cyndaquil work to slow Miltank down and sacrifice themselves while building a trench system. Pikachu is able to exploit this, getting underneath Miltank and landing a blow strong enough to pick up the win. The rematch isn’t an official Gym battle, but Whitney gives Ash the Plain Badge anyway due to his victory.
1 Clair Was A Worthy Ambassador For Dragon Types & A Tough Opponent For Ash
Clair is the final Gym Leader in the Johto region for a reason. Her Dragon types can cause many a problem for players in the games, and she also gives Ash a closely-fought contest in the anime. Although their initial bout is interrupted by Team Rocket triggering an alarm, Clair has Ash on the backfoot, with her Kingdra proving too much for Pikachu to handle before it knocks out Noctowl just as the battle is called off.
Ash learns his lesson by the time the rematch comes around, and he starts with his trusty Snorlax against Clair’s Kingdra. Ash has Snorlax wear Kingdra out, which eventually leaves it vulnerable to an Ice Punch. Clair’s Gyarados is able to paralyze and knock out Snorlax before Pikachu enters the fray and makes the most of his type advantages. Dragonair proves to be a formidable final hurdle, however, defeating Pikachu and taking Charizard to the limit before finally falling and earning Ash the win.
About The Author
