Throughout the whole Pokemon anime, Ash catches and possesses multiples of most types, with Electric types being a notable exception. Pikachu was Ash’s first and most trusted Pokémon and friend. Through numerous campaigns and regions, the two remained inseparable.
During that time, Pikachu did a lot to break the expectations and prejudices of both his own kind and the Electric-type. There have been several impressive performances by other Electric types in anime that deserve recognition as well, even if they don’t perform these stunts as often as Pikachu.
10 Visquez’s electrode shows a great performance in taking out Ash’s Gengar
On pokemon trips “Destiny: Coronation”, Ash returns to the Vermillion City gym for the first time since facing Lieutenant Surge at the beginning of his Pokémon journey. However, his opponent is Visquez, the interim Gym Leader since Surge is out at the moment.
Ash’s Gengar is able to defeat Visquez’s Raichu, but surprisingly loses to his Electrode. Voltorb and Electrode rarely get any attention beyond being booby traps or just being used as Electric-type fodder, making this a great showing for the species. Electrode’s evasiveness is a problem for Gengar and initially for Pikachu, though the latter is eventually able to get the win for Ash.
9 Sophocles’ Togedemaru and Vikavolt step forward at the Manalo conference
With the vibrant Alola region and the fact that Ash has more friends and fellow travelers than usual, the Sun and moon The series is one of the funniest and most enjoyable series in all of anime. One of Ash’s student friends from the Pokémon School is Sophocles, a smart kid who loves his Electric-types.
Sophocles rarely thrives in battle arenas, and Kiawe and Ash often get more time to show off their skills. But at the Manalo Conference, Sophocles’ Pokémon step forward. Togedemaru excels in the Battle Royal, and Vikavolt not only bests Mina’s Ribombee in the first knockout round, but puts up an impressive fight against Kiawe’s Charizard in their quarterfinal matchup, even though he ultimately loses.
8 Kyle’s Lanturn surprises Ash’s Buizel at the Wallace Cup
Ash’s Totodile loses to a Lanturn belonging to Dorian during his adventures in Johto. But when he loses to another of the kind while in Sinnoh, the loss is completely unexpected. The Wallace Cup sees the likes of Zoey, Dawn and May returning looking stunning on a big stage for the budding Coordinators, and Ash joins in to put their best foot forward.
Ash is surprisingly eliminated in the quarterfinals when his tough Buizel is easily beaten by Kyle’s Lanturn. Kyle loses to Dawn in the next round, adding more confusion regarding how easily he could win over a more experienced trainer like Ash.
7 Pikachu pulls off a big upset against Brandon’s Regice
Battle Pyramid’s Brandon is considered to be the ultimate test of the Battle Frontier, as shown by his first two victories over Ash and his annihilation of Ash’s rival Paul. However, Ash manages to record a victory over him in an intense 4v4 contest, but it is Pikachu’s final showdown against Regice that is the most interesting.
Having shown off its other two Regi Pokemon in previous matches, Brandon’s Regice appears to be doing the same thing by defeating Ash’s Pokemon. However, Pikachu recovers and escapes the freeze, allowing it to apply a final Volt Tackle for an unprecedented victory over the Ice-type Legendary.
6 Hobbes’ unassuming Oricorio easily defeats Ash’s Rowlet
Oricorio is a flying type introduced in Gen VII but it comes with a twist: it has four forms with different secondary types. The Electric Flying Pom-Pom Style Oricorio is shown in the Sun and moon anime under the ownership of Lillie’s butler, Hobbes.
In “Lillie’s Egg-exhilarating Challenge”, Hobbes’s Oricorio easily fights and defeats Ash’s Rowlet, which is a surprise due to its plain appearance. Rowlet’s loss is ultimately attributed to a lack of battle experience, but it doesn’t take away from the surprising sequence of events.
5 Clemont’s Luxray introduction changes the complexion of his gym battle with Ash.
In the much-anticipated gym battle between friends Ash and Clemont, the Electric-type specialist appears to be struggling before bringing his Luxray into the fray. Luxray immediately turns the match on its head, taking out both Hawlucha and Pikachu from Ash in the process.
Luxray had already shown himself to be strong at this stage of the anime, but having that much of an impact in a seemingly doomed battle is no small feat, especially considering how easily he dispatches Pikachu. Luxray eventually loses to Goodra, but the loss doesn’t hurt his overall performance.
4 Pikachu digs deep to overcome Tapu Koko and Kukui’s challenge
Tapu Koko is an Electric and Fairy-type Legendary Pokémon that was introduced in Gen VII and featured heavily in Gen VII. Sun and moon anime series. As the mysterious guardian deity of Melemele Island, she keeps a close eye on Ash and Pikachu at all times, sensing their value and potential.
After Ash defeats Gladion to win the Manalo Conference and his first Pokémon League title, he faces Kukui in a 6v6 exhibition match, where Tapu Koko joins the professor as his sixth and final Pokémon. Pikachu ultimately emerges victorious after a colossal clash between the two electric guys, and arguably gets the biggest win from him.
3 Pachirisu wins the Chocovine contest by Dawn
In the course of diamond and pearl anime series, Dawn assembles a diverse team of lovable Pokémon for her to summon during her Pokémon Contest campaign. Pachirisu is one of them, and is often seen as the unpredictable baby of the group. Pachirisu’s childlike characteristics include random crying and an inability to control his behavior.
Afterwards, Pachirisu is considered to be inexperienced, and his various losses add to this picture. These factors make his victory in the Chocovine Contest final even more surprising and impressive. Pachirisu defeats the nasty Ursula and her Gabite, earning his biggest victory of the anime.
two Pikachu pulls off a huge double knockout against Tobias’s Latios
Ash’s Sinnoh campaign is mostly remembered as being quite successful with a lot of character progression for everyone involved, including the Pokémon themselves. But Ash’s loss to Tobias in the Lily of the Valley Conference is considered a low point in the series.
After digging deep for a big win over his rival Paul, Ash loses to Tobias, who had only used two Pokemon. Darkrai wipes out half of Ash’s team before falling to Sceptile, but Latios finishes off the rest. However, Latios is eliminated by Ash’s Pikachu in a double knockout, one of Pikachu’s best moments in the entire anime, despite the overall loss.
1 Jackson’s Magneton nearly defeated Ash alone.
Magnemite and Magneton don’t always have the best introductions in anime. But a Shiny Magneton belonging to Jackson made an impressive display of skill when he battled Ash in the Silver Conference in Johto. Magneton surprises everyone with his strength and power, knocking out both Ash’s Pikachu and Cyndaquil, despite his supposed disadvantage against the latter. Magneton eventually falls to Bulbasaur, but not before it establishes itself as one of the most surprisingly tough Pokémon Ash has ever faced in league competition.
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