Pokémon: Ash's first 10 Pokémon, ranked

Most people don't remember Ash having a Raticate, and he probably doesn't either because it was a very temporary possession.

After fighting an older gentleman on St. Anna, the man was impressed with Godless Ash and asked if he would like to trade. Thinking Ash made the deal, but the viewers realized it was a mistake, as the one time he used Raticate, he mistakenly thought he was sending his Butterfree.

Instant regret set in and luckily the gentleman was good enough to reverse the deal they made.

Ash Krabby played a huge role in the story for several reasons. Firstly, Ash's only reason for catching this is to prove Misty wrong, after she said that he only caught the Pokémon under random circumstances. Secondly, since Ash already had six Pokémon in his group when he caught Krabby, he found out that he was sent to Professor Oak's laboratory to take up residence there.

Although rarely used, Ash took Krabby with him to the Pokémon League, where he evolved into Kingler as he single-handedly defeated the first champion, Mundy.

Primeape is one of Ash's Pokémon when anime fans get hung up on the most amazing things that could be if Ash kept it close to him. Unlike all the other Pokémon Ash let go of, Primeape was never seen again in the series despite hints of it.

Ash left his aggressive but beloved Primeape in the hands of a Fighting-type Pokémon trainer who wanted to help him become the champion of the famous P1 Grand Prix. I hope he forgot about Asha or realized that he would never come back.

The name of the Ghost that accompanied Ash to Saffron City is not exactly accurate, but he used it in combat, so it seems to be quite justified.

Not only did Haunter's joking personality help ease tensions with Ghost-type Pokémon, but it also helped heal Sabrina and save her from herself. Unfortunately for Ash, before they could finally defeat Sabrina, Ghost decided to take a break and play hide and seek with Ash. Fortunately, he returned at the last moment, saving Pikachu from a guaranteed defeat.

Pidgeotto is one of the few examples early in the Ash series not to have caught a Pokémon in its base form. After failing to catch Pidgey or Spear, Ash decided he would try to catch Pidgey's evolution.

Despite being able to drive off his caterpillar due to a terrible type flaw, Ash managed to catch the ferocious bird thanks to Pikachu's Thunderstrike. Ash's Pidgeotto has the honor of being used in Ash's first ever battle with Team Rocket.

Despite often being accused of being the least desirable starter Pokémon of the Kanto region, Bulbasaur manages to be around Ash for most of his journey.

Ash encountered Bulbasaur when his team came into contact with a hidden village where Misty was trying to capture a wild wanderer. At the last moment, an evil Bulbasaur came out of nowhere to save the wanderer.

After Team Rocket attacked the village, the healer Melanie told Bulbasaur that it would be best for him to join Ash as his growth was stunted guarding the village.

Many people forget that Ash's Squirtle used to be the leader of the infamous Squirtle group known as the Squirtle Squad. Ash and his friends ran into the team and had to navigate the threats and their constant Team Rocket problem while trying to heal Ash's Pikachu, who was badly injured in the fight with Goldin.

Ash sacrificed himself to save the leader of the Squirtle Squad from Team Rocket and in return pledged to join Ash on his journey to become the greatest trainer of all time.

Caterpie, who happens to be the first wild Pokémon Ash has ever caught, has had quite a life with Ash. In addition to being hated and considered weak by Misty, he also managed to get himself destroyed in battle when Ash tried to capture Piggotto.

Before Ash released Butterfree into the wild to live next to his newly found mate, he went through many adventures with Ash. At one point, Ash even traded his supposedly beloved Butterfree for Raticate, but quickly regretted it and traded it back.

The Pokémon anime was mostly lighthearted and goofy, but the boy managed to include some really heartbreaking tales. The episode where Ash gets the Charmander is set up by him coming to the aid of an abandoned Charmander who is left out in the rain waiting for his trainer.

Even though the weather is dangerous due to the chance of his tail falling out and being killed, he is still willing to wait for his trainer. Luckily, Ash approaches and accepts Charmander as one of his own.

Of course, Ash's Pikachu was going to be at the top of this list. Pikachu was not only his first Pokémon, but also was next to him in all his travels throughout all regions.

Their relationship didn't start in the best places as Pikachu was stoic and difficult, but as their trust grew, their bond became unbreakable. They saw each other at their highest and lowest points and fought to come out the other side, smiling. Look for them to be connected to each other during the rest of the time.