In thePokémonanime, Pokémon battles tend to play out very differently from their video game counterparts. Trainers issue multiple commands at a time, order their Pokémon to dodge, and even deflect attacks with other attacks, all things that are impossible in the rules of the games.
But what would happen if anime trainers had to play by the rules of competitive Pokémon battling? To succeed in the competitive arena, trainers need a strategic mind and a thorough understanding of team dynamics, coverage moves, and type match-ups. They also need a well-built team of Pokémon who are ready for anything an opponent might throw at them. By these measurements, it’s possible to look at the skills of a trainer and the Pokémon they own and see how well they might do in competitive battling.
10Alain’s Strategies Are a Bit Simple
First Appearance: Pokémon Mega Evolution Special I
Alain is a trainer who, like Ash, has a strong bond with one of his Pokémon in particular–in his case, Charizard.As such, a lot of Alain’s strategies are themed around Charizard, which he treats as his ace Pokémon.That can make Alain a bit easier to predict than most other trainers at his level, but his performance in the Lumiose Conference proves that when Alain does use a full team, he can actually stand to be competitive. Alain would probably fare better under competitive Pokémon rules, where he’s less likely to be surprised by unconventional strategies.
Alain’s team does have some glaring weaknesses, though; between Tyranitar, Sneasel, and Bisharp, Alain has three Pokémon on his team which are double-weak to Fighting-type Pokémon. While it’s not impossible to work around, this would generally be a very bad composition for a competitive team.
First Appearance:Pokémon Indigo League, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”
Ash, as the king of unconventional strategies that would be impossible in the games, may seem like an odd choice, buthisJourneysteam was actually surprisingly well composed for competitive battling. It has a good mix of typings, with only Sirfetch’d being redundant. Mega Lucario andDracovish are both extremely powerfulteam members that would have a home on a competitive team, and Dragonite is no slouch, either. Pikachu would be the most unconventional choice for a competitive team, but even that could be made to work with items.
Of course, Ash has proven his understanding of type match-ups is highly variable, and that’s a crucial skill for any competitive trainer. Ash’s Pokémon could also use better movesets, as he often has redundant moves and lacks coverage options (for example, Dragonite knows three Dragon-type moves).
8Professor Kukui Has a Diverse Team and Knows How to Use Them
First Appearance:Pokémon Sun & Moon, “Alola to New Adventure!”
Professor Kukui isa Pokémon Professorwho studies moves, and thus has a masterful understanding of how Pokémon attack and the importance of a diverse moveset. Kukui’s team includes Lucario, Braviary, Incineroar, Venusaur, Empoleon, and in his battle with Ash, Tapu Koko. This does give him a good spread of types on his team, and most of them have decent coverage moves, if not amazing ones. Kukui’s battle strategies are fairly clever, and he understands match-ups well.
Kukui’s team mostly suffers from its members being rather average Pokémon, not standing out for their power (except Tapu Koko). Kukui’s in-game counterpart is one of the more difficult trainers in Alola, acting as the region’s stand-in champion, much as he did in the anime.
7Conway Used Real Competitive Strategies
First Appearance: Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, “Tag! We’re It…!”
Conway is a trainer from Sinnoh whose strategies are straight out of the competitive battling scene. Conway made use of the move Trick Room in his battle with Ash, reversing the speed of Pokémon in battle and allowing his Dusknoir to act faster. Conway also made use of a Shuckle, enhancing its defenses to the point where it took Ash three Pokémon to defeat it. Conway’s full team consists of Slowking, Aggron, Shuckle, Dusknoir, Heracross, and Lickilicky, giving a good mix of types.
Conway’s Pokémon all had pretty good coverage moves, at least from what was shown. He was certainly one of the more intelligent rivals Ash has ever had, but if his plans went astray, he would often struggle to adapt to the changing conditions of battle.
6Sawyer Took Notes to Plan His Strategies
First Appearance:Pokémon XY, “Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!”
Sawyer is another rival of Ash’swhose whole demeanor makes him a good choice for competitive battling.Sawyer constantly takes notes on battles that he watches, planning out what strategies he might use to counter those he’s seeing implemented. Sawyer’s team consists of Sceptile (which can mega evolve), Salamence, Slurpuff, Aegislash, Clawitzer, and Slaking. Mega Sceptile, Salamence, and Aegislash are all good choices, and Aegislash in particular gave Ash trouble, which he wouldn’t have been able to beat in a competitive battle.
Sawyer has a thorough understanding of type match-ups, and his Pokémon mostly have good coverage moves. Sawyer would certainly do well in a competitive scene with his thoughtfulness and strategic mind, and most of his problems in the anime were a result of unpredictable actions, like Ash blocking his Aegislash’s form change, something impossible in the games.
5Raihan’s Strategies Are Common in Competitive
First Appearance:Pokémon Journeys, “Toughing It Out!”
Raihan is Leon’s chief rival, and a Gym Leader who specializes in Dragon-types.However, Raihan is mostly known for his preference for weather-based tactics, using moves and abilities that change the weather to be disadvantageous to his opponent. Weather strategies are fairly common in competitive battling and can really swing a battle. Only three Pokémon are known on his team, however: Duraludon, Goodra, and Flygon.
With all three being Dragon-type, he does have some significant weaknesses to deal with, and his weather can only go so far in covering these. His Pokémon have decent coverage moves, and Raihan definitely understands type match-ups well. Given access to more Pokémon, Raihan would likely be a fairly competitive player.
4Leon Was Undefeated for a Reason
First Appearance:Pokémon Journeys, “Flash of the Titans!”
Leon is the undefeated champion of the Galar region, and the reigning world champion in the anime.As befitting such a figure, Leon is very knowledgeable about almost every aspect of battle, something that’s reflected in his choice of Pokémon. Leon’s team includes Dragapult, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Mr. Rime, and, of course, Charizard. At least three of these are capable of Gigantamaxing, giving them access to powerful moves. His Pokémon all have excellent coverage moves, and some have ideal abilities, like Cinderace’s Libero ability.
Leon does have a bit of type redundancy on his team, although Cinderace’s ability helps it to fill a different niche than Charizard. Leon would likely do quite well in a competitive scenario, and is the type of trainer who would probably adapt his team to fit the new rules he was working under.
3Diantha’s Tactics Are Tough to Contend With
First Appearance:Pokémon XY, “The Bonds of Evolution!”
Diantha is the Kalos region champion, and was ranked #5 in the Masters' Eight tournament, making her one ofthe strongest trainers in the anime’s world. Her strategies are adapted to fit the Pokémon she’s currently using, which can make her a difficult opponent to figure out in battle.She has a penchant for using defensive moves like Light Screen, something common in competitive but rare in the anime. Diantha’s team includes (Mega) Gardevoir, Aurorus, Goodra, Gourgeist, Hawlucha, and Tyrantrum.
Like most at her level, her Pokémon have a variety of types, and while some of them have very few known moves, the ones which are known do have some coverage. Her careful strategies and shrewd insight into her opponents would make her quite dangerous in competitive battling.
2Cynthia’s Strategies Dominate the Opposition
First Appearance:Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, “Top-Down Training!”
Cynthia is champion of the Sinnoh region, and was ranked #2 in the Masters' Eight, making her the second-strongest trainer after Leon.Cynthia has an excellent understanding of type match-ups and coverage moves, and her Pokémon are exceptionally well-trained. Cynthia’s team includes Spiritomb, Roserade, Togekiss, Gastrodon, Garchomp, and Milotic. This gives her an effective mix of types, and while some of her Pokémon do possess double-weaknesses, Cynthia has counters prepared to deal with anyone trying to exploit those weaknesses.
Cynthia’s game counterpart is known as one of the hardest trainers in the games in which she appears, and she lives up to her reputation in the anime as well. Her bold strategies intimidate opponents, throwing them off their game if their will is anything less than ironclad.
1Paul is the Most Competitive Trainer in the Anime
First Appearance:Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, “Two Degrees of Separation!”
Paul is Ash’s main rivalfrom theDiamond and Pearlera, a trainer known for his cruel treatment of his Pokémon, treating them as if they were only tools. Paul was known to catch a lot of one type of Pokémon and only keep the strongest, and never caught anything without an explicit plan for how to use it.Paul’s team changed constantly throughout the series, but against Ash in the conference, he used Aggron, Gastrodon, Drapion, Ninjask, Froslass, and Electivire. The team has an excellent mix of types, and made use of tactics like poison spikes, which are common in competitive play.
Paul’s battles were some of the most strategically complex in the anime, and he made use of things like Pokémon’s abilities, which often go unmentioned. While Paul’s behavior seemed cruel in the series, it actually matches up with how competitive players often play, especially about catching many Pokémon and only keeping the strongest. These traits made Paul something of a villain in the series, but they also ensure he’s thePokémonanime trainer most qualified for competitive battling.
Pokémon
Cast
Pokémon follows Ash Ketchum on his journey to become a Pokémon Master, accompanied by his loyal Pikachu. Released in 1997, the series explores Ash’s travels through various regions, where he encounters new friends and challenges, underscoring the themes of adventure and teamwork.
