Grass-type Pokémon don’t get a lot of significant battling attention, so when they perform well in battles, they stand out even more. Grass types have several major weaknesses, including Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison. Most competitions seem like an uphill battle, but it makes the victories taste that much sweeter in the end.
With Grass types among the options for starter Pokémon every generation, Ash manages to get his hands on one in most seasons of the anime but doesn’t always necessarily get the best out of them. Ash’s Bulbasaur is the main standard-bearer for Grass types but there are plenty of others that come up with impressive displays.
10 Jeanette Fisher’s Bellsprout Shocks Everyone At The Indigo League
Bellsprout is often viewed as being something of a joke Pokémon, from its design to its general movements. Accordingly, when Jeanette Fisher’s Bellsprout defeats both Ash’s Bulbasaur and his Pikachu, it comes as a massive shock, especially as it is at the grand stage of the Indigo League.
Bellsprout is eventually stopped by Ash’s Muk, but not before it wreaks havoc on Ash’s team with surprising speed and alarmingly strong physical offense.
9 Turtwig Defies A Difference In Size & Power To Defeat Roark’s Rampardos
Ash’s Torterra is largely remembered for all the wrong reasons due to its disappointing record and general performance ever since it evolved from Turtwig. Interestingly, however, it did in fact record some truly impressive victories as a Turtwig.
Even though Ash loses his first match against Oreburgh Gym Leader Roark, Turtwig is the one to eliminate his ace, Cranidos, before falling to the surprisingly powerful Onix. Cranidos even evolves into Rampardos in time for the rematch, but Turtwig is once again the one to defeat the powerful Rock-type, this time earning Ash the victory.
8 Mallow’s Bounsweet Steps Up & Evolves With Everybody Else In Trouble
In the Sun & Moon series of the anime, one of Ash’s friends from the Pokémon School, Mallow, favors Grass-types and starts off with a Bounsweet. The small Fruit Pokémon is best known for being an adorable mascot rather than a hardened battler. It does improve, however, as it evolves into both Steenee and Tsareena.
When Mallow and everybody else are caught up in a Team Rocket attack in “A Seasoned Search,” Bounsweet takes it upon itself to evolve into Steenee and defeat the villains, saving everybody else in the process.
7 Ash’s Grovyle Relishes The Opportunity To Defeat Larger Foes
Before it becomes a Darkrai-slaying Sceptile, Ash’s Grovyle is seen as one of his main battlers during his Hoenn campaign, which sees it pick up numerous wins and losses as both a Grovyle and a Treecko. While it manages to defeat an enormous Hariyama as a Treecko, this pales in comparison to many of the victories it picks up as a Grovyle.
From Norman’s Slaking and Morrison’s Steelix to Winona’s Altaria and Katie’s Walrein, Grovyle thrives on defying expectations by overcoming both type and size disadvantages. Ash’s Grovyle is a true battler.
6 Ash’s Sceptile Defeating Darkrai Is A Rare Positive To Take From The Tobias Defeat
Ash’s loss to Tobias at the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh is often looked back on with frustration. Ash finally manages to overcome his main rival Paul only to lose to Tobias in the next round. In a 6-on-6, Tobias only has to reveal two of his team—Darkrai and Latios—defeating Ash’s entire team with relative ease.
While Latios is forced into an impressive double knockout by Ash’s Pikachu, Darkrai’s defeat to Sceptile is the only outright loss for Tobias during this battle. Sceptile may fall to Latios after its grueling exchange with Darkrai but nobody can ever question that Sceptile defied the odds and took down a Mythical Pokémon.
5 Sewaddle Exceeds Expectations Against Burgh’s Bugs & Evolves Into Swadloon
Ash’s decision to take Sewaddle into his Gym Battle with the Bug-type specialist Burgh is a brave one, as it is both Bug and Grass-type, with the latter being vulnerable to Bug-type moves. However, Sewaddle proceeds to defeat Burgh’s Dwebble and Whirlipede, even evolving into Swadloon in the process.
Swadloon looks to complete the ultimate clean sweep as a defiant underdog, but Burgh’s final Pokémon is Swadloon’s evolved form Leavanny, and it’s subsequently defeated despite a valiant effort.
4 Trip’s Snivy Humiliates Ash’s Pikachu
Ash’s Pikachu losing to a newly obtained Snivy is always considered to be one of Pikachu’s worst ever losses, but the flip side sees it as a huge win for a starter Pokémon that’s still getting to know its trainer.
Pikachu may not be at its full power due to the earlier incident where it was hit by an alarming amount of electricity, rendering it unable to use Electric-type attacks. Nevertheless, it should still have enough experience and wherewithal to win with the likes of Quick Attack and Iron Tail being proven moves.
3 Bayleef Defies The Type Disadvantage To Overwhelm Harrison’s Houndoom
Bayleef suffers some embarrassing defeats for Ash in the anime even in its earlier evolutions, but it also records some impressive victories. As one of Ash’s most loyal and affectionate Pokémon, Bayleef always puts everything out on the battlefield with maximum effort.
When Ash faces Harrison at the Silver Conference in Johto, Bayleef is tasked with defying type advantages and disadvantages. It managed to restrict and defeat the Dark-Fire type Houndoom before falling to Harrison’s Blaziken.
2 Ramos’s Weepinbell Steps Up And Almost Wipes Out Ash’s Entire Team By Itself
Similar to Bellsprout having one especially good showing in the anime under the ownership of Jeanette Fisher, its evolved form Weepinbell also has its time in the spotlight with the Coumarine Gym Leader Ramos.
Having previously experienced Weepinbell as an easy opponent when battling Erika, Ash completely underestimates Ramos’s version of the Flycatcher Pokémon. Weepinbell defies its type disadvantages by outwitting and defeating the Flying types Hawlucha and Talonflame before it eventually falls to Ash’s Frogadier.
1 Rowlet Surprises Everyone By Overcoming Its Evolved Form Decidueye At The Manalo Conference
Rowlet is one of the most endearing of Ash’s Pokémon in the anime. When it manages to defeat Hau’s fully evolved Decidueye at the Manalo Conference, it makes for one of several feel-good moments to arise at the Alola League.
Despite being seen as lazy and unpredictable, Rowlet’s story about accepting who it is with the addition of swallowing an Everstone to prevent evolution is both entertaining and inspiring. Rowlet even dresses up in a Decidueye hood for its battle against Hau’s Decidueye, making its underdog victory look even better.
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