How Many Pokémon Does Ash Have? (2023 Update)
Ash Ketchum, the protagonist of the Pokémon anime, has caught many different Pokémon during his journeys. He has caught a Pokémon in every region, with a total of 5 Pokémon at the moment. He also keeps a lot of Pokémon with Pokémon Professors and can summon them when he wants. He has also released, traded, and given away several Pokémon and left some friends to train in different locations.
Ash Ketchum owns a total of 77 Pokémon, including all 30 of his Tauros, meaning he has caught 49 different species. Including pre-evolved forms, traded, released, and given away Pokémon, in total, Ash has currently officially owned a total of 98 different Pokémon species.
Now that we’ve given you a short introduction let us discuss the topic in more detail.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the current state of Ash’s Pokemon inventory and includes all Pokemon currently in his ownership, whether he is traveling with them or they are available to him through summons.
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known in Japan as Satoshi, is the main character and protagonist of the Pokémon anime. He lives in Pallet Town with his mother, and on the first day of his adventure, he sleeps in and arrives late at Professor Oak’s laboratory, so he does not receive his starter Pokémon.
Seeing how desperate he was, Oak offered him a wild and untamed Pikachu he had in his lab, and Ash gladly accepted. Although Pikachu did not like Ash in the beginning and hurt him intentionally, after Ash risked his own life to save Pikachu, they became best of friends. They started their journey together through the different regions of the world of Pokémon.
Although he has seemingly not aged a day since his first day, Ash has changed a lot while traveling with Pikachu and his other friends; his companions changed as the seasons went by. He caught a lot of different Pokémon, fought a lot of hard battles, helped save the world on several occasions, and he has appeared in all episodes of the anime and all the related anime movies.
He is a brave, sincere, sometimes gullible, and high-spirited boy. He knows the meaning of true friendship and is willing to sacrifice himself for the well-being of his friends and his Pokémon. He has proven this on several occasions as the anime developed, and there is no doubt that our interpretation of the character is correct.
How Many Pokemon Does Ash Have?
Throughout his journeys across the world of Pokémon, Ash has caught a large number of different Pokémon. He views his Pokémon as individuals, as beings, and not just as “tools” or “weapons.” His philosophy is based on a combination of trust, friendship, and hard work, all of which he uses to strengthen the bonds between him and his Pokémon.
As a matter of fact, several of his Pokémon were actually caught because they allowed him to catch them after he had befriended or helped them. He is not a “snob” when it comes to Pokémon, as he is willing to work with any species that comes into his care and help it reach its maximum potential. He also doesn’t favor any specific type of Pokémon.
Since listing all the details about all the 96 species of Pokémon Ash caught during his journeys would be overly long, we will just state some specifics about the most important ones, while the others will be listed.
The current roster of Ash’s Pokemon
These are the six Pokémon Ash keeps with him at the moment.
| Pokémon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pikachu | Electric | Pikachu is the first Pokémon Ash caught and the only one he always kept on his roster. It was his Starter Pokémon. |
| Dragonite | Dragon Flying | Ash befriended his Dragonair while on Dragonite Island, helping it learn how to fly. It evolved in the same episode, and then he decided to go with Ash. |
| Gengar | Ghost Poison | Released by its former trainer, Gengar haunted the Cerise Laboratory until ultimately helping Ash fight Team Rocket, after which it decided to join him. |
| Lucario | Fighting | Riolu was a Pokémon Egg passed on from daycare to daycare until it reached a Pokémon Center in Kanto, where it bonded with Ash. After sensing a strong connection, the Riolu finally hatched and joined Ash. It evolved into Lucario while fighting Copperajah. |
| Farfetch’d (Galarian) | Fighting | This Farfetch’d was a troublemaker in Wyndon before it was defeated by Ash’s Riolu. After being healed in the local Pokémon Center, Farfetch’d accepted Ash’s invitation to join his team. |
| Dracovish | Water Dragon | Restored by Cara Liss and Gasattsu, Dracovish initially wanted to bite Ash and play with him, proving powerful enough to deflect Pikachu’s attack. At the end of his debut episode, Cara and Gasattsu allowed Ash to keep Dracovish, so he became a member of his team. |
Ash is also traveling with a Rotom (Phone version), the second Rotom, after traveling with a Rotom (Pokédex version) earlier in the anime. Ash hasn’t officially caught the Rotoms but has and still does travel with them.
Ash’s Pokémon in laboratories
Ash keeps a total of 40 different species in three different laboratories. Most of his laboratory-kept Pokémon are with Professor Oak in Pallet Town, his birth town, while four are kept with Professors Kuki and Burnet, and one with Professor Cerise. Here is a list of those Pokémon:
With Professor Oak
| Pokémon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bulbasaur | Grass Poison | Bulbasaur is one of the first Pokémon Ash caught on his journeys. Bulbasaur was protecting a small group of Grass-type Pokémon and agreed to join Ash only if he defeated it, which he eventually did with Pikachu’s help. They had lots of adventures together. It now resides with Oak. |
| Charizard | Fire Flying | Ash’s relationship with Charizard is one of the most interesting ones in the anime. Ash saved its life while it was a Charmander, but soon as it evolved, it started disobeying Ash because it found him too weak. Charizard and Ash deepened their bond later on, with Ash leaving Charizard to train in Charicific Valley. It is currently with Oak. |
| Kingler | Water | Ash caught Krabby after fighting it on a beach with a stick. Even though it was small in size, as it evolved into Kingler, it became very powerful and one of Ash’s best teammates. It resides with Professor Oak. |
| Muk | Poison | Muk was caught by Ash while in the process of fixing the power failure caused by it and the Grimer it protected. Due to its smell, he was initially sent to Oak, but it seems that the smell later disappeared. It resides with Oak and is known for its love for humans. |
| Tauros | Normal | In one of the famous banned episodes (this one because of the use of a gun), Ash visited the Safari Zone, wanting to catch as many Pokémon as possible. All he ended up with were 30 Tauros, which were all sent to Professor Oak’s laboratory. Ash would later use one of them in his battles. |
| Snorlax | Normal | Ash and the gang met Snorlax during their visits to the Orange Islands, where it was eating everything it came across. They wanted to take it down to save the vegetation of the surrounding islands, but Snorlax was too strong until Pikachu weakened him with its attack, and Jigglypuff put it to sleep, which is when Ash caught it. |
| Heracross | Bug Fighting | While Ash and the group were figuring out a way how to stop the dispute between a group of Heracross and a group of Pinsir, one of the Heracross started following Ash around. After settling the dispute, it followed Ash and ultimately allowed Ash to catch it. It was one of Ash’s strongest teammates and currently resides with Oak. |
| Bayleef | Grass | As a Chikotira, Ash’s Bayleef was very stubborn and caused problems, even after being caught by Ash. It was jealous of Pikachu because it wanted all of Ash’s affection for itself. They later normalized their relationship, and Bayleef became a reliable teammate. It does now reside with Oak. |
| Quilava | Fire | Ash initially stumbled upon Cyndaquil while running away from Team Rocket. When the villains attacked them, Cyndaquil destroyed their robot, but as it was about to explode, Ash used a PokéBall to save Cyndaquil from the blast. It had a good relationship with Ash and later evolved into Quilava. It is now with Professor Oak. |
| Totodile | Water | Both Misty and Ash initially targeted totodile; the two of them even fought for ownership of Totodile after it was unclear whose Lure Ball caught it. He was very playful, exceptionally romantic, and liked to bite, chew and eat stuff. He was also very strong, seeing he never evolved. It is now with Oak. |
| Noctowl | Normal Flying | Noctowl was a very cunning Pokémon that lived in Ilex Forest. It was the first Shiny Pokémon introduced in the anime. It caused problems for Dr. Wiseman, before eventually being defeated by Pikachu and caught by Ash. |
| Donphan | Ground | Ash received Donphan as an Egg. When Phanpy hatched, it was a very playful and energetic Pokémon. Ash had some trouble controlling it, but they developed a close relationship, and as Phanpy evolved into Donphan, he became a very powerful and reliable Pokémon. It currently resides with Professor Oak. |
| Swellow | Normal Flying | Ash’s first Pokémon caught in the Hoenn region was the fearless leader of a flock of wild Taillow that attacked Ash and the group. Later on, their leader came alone and challenged Pikachu, taking numerous hits before Ash eventually caught it to spare it from further injuries. It soon evolved into Swellow and helped Ash on his journey. He is now with Professor Oak. |
| Sceptile | Grass | Ash’s Sceptile was caught as a Treecko. Ash helped it in trying to save its home, after which Treecko fought Ash’s Pikachu and eventually got caught. It initially had problems befriending the other Pokémon, but soon remedied that. It took a while to evolve into Grovyle and finally into Sceptile, becoming an important part of Ash’s team. It is known for its cool demeanor and for always carrying a twig in its mouth. It is currently with Professor Oak. |
| Corphish | Water | Ash caught Corphish while it was attacking them on the beach, defeating it using his Treecko; this is why Corphish always considered Treecko to be his rival. It is very brash, likes to charge into things, hit with its claws, and eat others’ food. Although it did not evolve, it became very strong, and Ash often used it. It is now with Professor Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Torkoal | Fire | This Torkoal was living in the Valley of Steel, where it was constantly bullied by Steel-type Pokémon. When Ash and the group met it, it was bound for a fight with the Steel-type Pokémon’s leader, Steelix. Ash commanded Torkoal to use Overheat, with which he managed to defeat Steelix, earning its respect. It then opted to join Ash and became a valuable member of its team. It is currently with Oak. |
| Glalie | Ice | While being a Snorunt, this Pokémon was very mischievous, causing trouble for Ash (stealing his Badges, hat, etc.) before being caught. Even after that, Snorunt remained the prankster of the group. It evolved rather quickly into Glalie and became known for constantly freezing people with its attacks, with its most common target being Ash. He is currently with Oak. |
| Staraptor | Normal Flying | Ash met Starly by accident – his Aipom bumped into it while searching for Pikachu, after which they fought, and Ash caught it. He helped find Pikachu and soon evolved into Staravia. It took him a while (105 episodes) to evolve into Staraptor. It now resides with Professor Oak. |
| Torterra | Grass Ground | Ash met Turtwig a wild Pokémon that broke up fights between other wild Pokémon in his area. Turtwig saved Pikachu from Team Rocket, but also from Ash, thinking they were there to steal it, too. The misunderstanding was soon cleared and Turtwig was caught by Ash. It took him a total of 95 episodes to evolve into Grotle and another 66 to evolve into Torterra, one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon. It currently lives with Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Infernape | Fire Fighting | Similarly to Charmander, Chimchar was a timid Pokémon owned by a bad trainer, Paul, who did not value him because he wasn’t strong enough. Paul would eventually release Chimchar, after which Ash invited it to join his team, which it happily did. Ash trained hard with it, and after a while, it evolved into Monferno, before eventually evolving into Infernape and becoming one of Ash’s strongest Pokémon. Also, its personality was very similar to Ash’s. He is currently with Oak. |
| Buizel | Water | Buizel was initially caught by Dawn and spent some time with her before becoming Ash’s Pokémon. Namely, Buizel was a feisty Pokémon that liked to fight, so it wasn’t all that compatible with Dawn, who preferred Contests. Since Ash had an Aipom that liked Contests more than fighting, him and Dawn decided to trade their Pokémon, and thus Ash became Buizel’s trainer. He currently resides in Oak’s Laboratory. |
| Gliscor | Ground Flying | This Gligar was a member of a group led by a wild Gliscor that accidentally landed in the city after a windstorm. After Ash and the gang helped the group, Gligar decided to join Ash on his adventures. It was very childish and cheerful, but it also has the habit of crying when scolded by Ash. It also had a fear of fighting but overcame when it when it needed to save Ash. This is when it also evolved into Gliscor. It became more powerful but kept all the character traits it had as a Gligar. He is now with Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Gible | Dragon Ground | When Ash and the gang met Gible, he was an ambitious yet small Pokémon trying to learn the move Draco Meteor. Ash decided to help it, and Gible, ultimately started following Ash around. Gible would eventually master the move thanks to Ash and use it in battle. He is a very cute and childish Pokémon, often clumsy, oblivious, or destructive; he also likes to bite things and latch onto Ash’s head. Still, he is a very strong fighter with a strong spirit, which is why he is a good partner for Ash. He is currently with Professor Oak. |
| Unfezant | Normal Flying | The female Pidove was the first Pokémon Ash caught in Unova, after defeating her with his Pikachu. She soon evolved into Tranquill, which later evolved into Unfezant while battling Skyla for the Sixth Badge in Unova. She is now with Professor Oak. |
| Oshawott | Water | Oshawott was actually one of the Starter Pokémon in Professor Juniper’s Laboratory before joining Ash. When Trip chose Snivy instead of him, Oshawott was disappointed but soon recovered and started following Ash, who thought it was cute, even to the point that it left Juniper’s lab. It finally convinced Ash to take it with him, but Ash had to obtain permission from Professor Juniper, which he eventually did. It is currently with Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Pignite | Fire Fighting | Tepig was once owned by a trainer named Shamus, who abandoned it after it lost in a fight. When Ash found it, it was hungry and very skinny, but after Ash took care of it, it decided to join his team (Iris also wanted to catch it but didn’t want to go with her). Later on, Tepig encountered Shamus, who pushed it away, stating that he was glad to have gotten rid of it. Ash then challenged Shamus to a Double Battle, during which Tepig evolved into Pignite, winning the battle and finally impressing Shamus. Shamus asked Pignite to rejoin his team, but Pignite just attacked him with Flamethrower and refused. He is currently in Oak’s Laboratory in Pallet Town. |
| Snivy | Grass | Ash’s Snivy is a very specific Pokémon. It is theorized that it had a former trainer, whom it left because it deemed his or her unworthy. Ash also had problems catching it, but as he earned its respect, he managed to make Snivy a part of its team. It was very strong and skilled for a base-level Pokémon, which Ash often utilized. It currently resides with Professor Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Scraggy | Dark Fighting | Ash received Scraggy’s Egg as a gift for helping out Karena. The Egg soon hatched, and the newly-hatched Scraggy immediately showed it was headstrong and that it had a strong fighting spirit. Scraggy liked a challenge and viewed every new Pokémon as a potential challenge. He was also very brave and refused to give up. It is currently located in Pallet Town with Professor Oak. |
| Leavanny | Bug Grass | The wild Sewaddle Ash met was a mischievous Pokémon that attacked Ash several times. After Ash risked his life to save it, it finally allowed him to catch it. Sewaddle soon evolved into Swadloon, finally evolving into Leavanny during a training battle against Iris. As is characteristic of the species, Leavanny liked to sew. It currently resides with Professor Oak in his Laboratory in Pallet Town. |
| Palpitoad | Water Ground | The Palpitoad Ash met was the rowdy, bossy leader of a group of Tympole and a Stunfisk in a lake that Ash and the group accidentally invaded while looking for an antidote for their poisoned Pokémon. After his cohorts failed in defeating the “invaders,” Palpitoad eventually fought Ash himself and lost, afterward being caught by Ash. He was a very strong and reliable member of his team, currently residing with Professor Oak in Pallet Town. |
| Boldore | Rock | As a Roggenrola, this Pokémon was very tough, and it managed to knock out two of Ash’s Pokémon in a fight. After Ash saved it, it grew fonder of the Pokémon Trainer, and when Tepig defeated it in a rematch, it became a part of Ash’s team. It eventually evolved into Boldore during the Driftveil Gym battle against Clay’s Excadrill, despite its serious disadvantage. It currently resides in Professor Oak’s Laboratory. |
| Krookodile | Ground Dark | The sunglasses-carrying Sandile was the leader of a group of Sandile living near a spa; he caused trouble for the owner but actually wanted to protect its friends from a geyser that he knew would erupt soon. After Ash helped it save its friends, it started following him around, constantly wanting to fight Pikachu. It finally got its deserved fight after Ash helped it retrieve its sunglasses; during the fight, it evolved into Krokorok but still lost to Pikachu. Krokorok returned sometime later for a rematch, but it lost again; depressed, it wanted to leave, but Ash asked it to join his team, which he gladly accepted. He later evolved into Krookodile during a fight with Dragonite. He is now with Oak in his Laboratory. |
| Talonflame | Fire Flying | The Fletchling that would later become Talonflame was a mischievous Pokémon that Ash caught after having to battle it twice. It was also a very brave and honorable Pokémon, which helped it evolve both into Fletchinder and Talonflame, the latter during a battle with the Legendary Pokémon Moltres. It was one of the strongest and most reliable Pokémon in Ash’s team and is currently residing with Professor Oak. |
| Hawlucha | Fighting Flying | Ash and the team met the wrestling Pokémon Hawlucha in a forest, where he was the protector of the wild Pokémon living there. He was the current “Forest Champion,” having defeated the former champion, Machamp, who went into the mountains to train. An Ursaring and a Conkeldurr caused trouble and framed Hawlucha, making Machamp fight it again until Machamp realized the truth and took the two scheming Pokémon away. Hawlucha eventually fought Ash under the condition that – if it lost – it would join Ash’s team. Hawlucha didn’t lose, but it still joined Ash, leaving the forest to Machamp. He was a very loyal and strong Pokémon, one Ash often relied on. He is currently with Professor Oak. |
| Noivern | Flying Dragon | The Egg that contained Noibat was found by Ash’s Hawlucha, who brought it to the group. Noibat soon hatched from the Egg and quickly imprinted on Ash, becoming very loyal to him. It did not take long for Noibat to evolve into Noivern, becoming a very powerful member of Ash’s team. He is currently staying with Professor Oak in his Laboratory. |
With Professors Kukui and Burnet
| Pokémon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rowlet | Grass Flying | Raised in the flock led by Toucannon and Trumbeak, Rowlet helped save Ash’s Pikachu and then decided to join Ash’s team, although Ash was unsure whether it wanted to leave its family. When Ash left the Alolan Islands, Rowlet stayed with Professors Kukui and Burnet. |
| Lycanroc | Rock | The Rockruff that evolved into Lycanroc was initially living with Professor Kukui, although it was never officially his Pokémon. It formed a bond with Ash, whom Kukui encouraged to catch, which he did. When Ash left Alola, he left Lycanrock with Kukui and Burnet. |
| Incineroar | Fire Dark | The story of Litten is one of the saddest in the whole anime. Litten was a wild Pokémon living with an aging Stoutland, who protected it until it died from old age. After a while, Litten joined Ash’s team and evolved into Incineroar. When Ash left Alola, it was left with professors Kukui and Burnet. |
| Melmetal | Steel | Meltan appeared with a group of his friends in Alola but was left after accidentally having fallen asleep next to Ash’s Rowlet. Ash soon befriended it and caught it, after which it evolved into Melmetal. It was left with Kukui and Burnet after Ash left Alola. |
With Professor Cerise
| Pokémon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Mime | Psychic Fairy | Ash caught Mr. Mime early into his journey in the Kanto region. He didn’t use him much initially, leaving him with his mother in Pallet Town. Ha later used him in battle and ultimately left him with Professor Cerise. |
Other Pokémon
Ash also has two Pokémon still in his ownership, but which he doesn’t keep with him or in a laboratory. These Pokémon have been left at specific locations to train but are still owned by Ash. They are:
| Pokémon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Squirtle | Water | Squirtle was among the first Pokémon Ash caught on his journeys. He was a rogue Squirtle and the leader of the Squirtle Squad, a famous Pokémon gang. Today, he can be found with his former gang. |
| Primeape | Fighting | Primeape first appeared as a wild Mankey that stole Ash’s cap after the latter failed to catch him. He later evolved into Primeape, becoming very aggressive and uncontrollable. Ash finally caught the Primeape, but after a while, left him with Anthony to train and become a fighting champion. |
Former Pokémon
Ash has also owned (not temporarily like it was with the Ultra Beasts) another nine Pokémon, which he has released, given away, or traded away during his journeys. These Pokémon are:
| Pokémon | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfree | Bug Flying | Released (to be with a group of other Buterfree, including a female Butterffee) |
| Pidgeot | Normal Flying | Released (not far from Pallet Town to protect a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from wild Spearows and Fearows) |
| Raticate | Normal | Traded away (initially traded for Ash’s Butterfree, but Ash soon annulled the trade and got his Butterfree back) |
| Lapras | Water Ice | Released (back to its school and its mother in the Orange Archipelago) |
| Beedrill | Bug Poison | Given away (to Casey, because she loves yellow and black-striped Pokémon) |
| Aipom | Normal | Traded away (to Dawn for her Buizel, because it preferred Contests over fighting) |
| Greninja | Water Dark | Released (to help the Z2 destroy the remnants of the Giant Rock) |
| Goodra | Dragon | Released (so that it can stay with its friends in its homeland) |
| Naganadel | Poison Dragon | Released (because Ash realised it had to be in its homeworld) |
This concludes our list. We have given you a thorough list of all the Pokémon owned by Ash Ketchum at one point, with interesting details on each. This list doesn’t include Pokémon that Ash had only temporarily (such as the Ultra Beasts), without ever intending on keeping them permanently, as well as those Pokémon he befriended and traveled with but never caught (Haunter, Larvitar, Solgaleo).
And that’s it for today. We hope you had fun reading this and that we helped solve this dilemma for you. See you next time, and don’t forget to follow us!