Let's Face It: Ash's Biggest Pokémon Win Feels Like a Big Cheat

Ash’s Pokémon victory in the Alola region was a long time coming, but there are some facts about his team in the Manalo Conference that make his win feel like it might, perhaps, be undeserved. Ash’s choice of Pokémon gave him a big leg up against the competition in a way that some might consider unfair–an accusation often leveled at Ash’s Sinnoh league defeat as well.

In the Alola League, Ash’s team consisted of Pikachu, Rowlet, Torracat, Meltan (which evolves into Melmetal before the final round), Naganadel (against Kukui only), and Lycanroc. On its face, most of the team doesn’t seem all that impressive, but a few of these Pokémon had a major advantage against opponents by being effectively unheard of. No one in Alola had even seen Melmetal before, and Naganadel was actually an Ultra Beast from another dimension entirely. Using unfamiliar Pokémon is often a big advantage in the anime, and that was the case for Ash as well.

Ash’s Use of Rare Pokémon Secured His Victory

Ash’s Mythical Pokémon is Akin to That of a Previous Winner

Back in the Diamond and Pearl era, Ash came very close to winning the Sinnoh League’s Lily of the Valley Conference, but was ultimately defeated by a mysterious character named Tobias, who used the rare and powerful Mythical Pokémon Darkrai, as well as the Legendary Pokémon Latios. Many fans were upset by Tobias’s use of these rare Pokémon, which are typically not captured by trainers in the anime. This led some to declare that Tobias’s match against Ash was completely unfair, and that Tobias should not have been allowed to use such Pokémon in the tournament.

However, if that were the case for Tobias, it would have to be the case for Ash as well. While Naganadel only showed up for Ash’s exhibition match against Professor Kukui, Meltan and Melmetal were a key part of Ash’s team throughout the tournament. Meltan’s bizarre nature led it to eat Faba’s Hypno’s pendulum, incapacitating the Pokémon in a way no one could’ve expected. Melmetal also posed a considerable threat in his match with Gladion, although it was ultimately defeated by Gladion’s Silvally. Finally, Ash used Melmetal to take out Kukui’s Empoleon before losing to his Incineroar.

It’s fair to say that Melmetal contributed its share in the tournament, although it wasn’t nearly as dominant as Tobias’ Darkrai was. In some ways, Melmetal’s defeats were due to bad luck; since no one knew about the Pokémon, they couldn’t really know its weaknesses, but both Gladion and Kukui managed to determine its type and hit it with a super effective attack. Had that not happened, Melmetal may well have been dominant, as it had an advantage on Gladion’s Lycanroc, and would’ve been neutral to his Zoroark.

Ash Wasn’t the Only One Using Rare Pokémon

Ash’s Case is Less Severe than Tobias’ For One Clear Reason

While Ash’s Melmetal was a force to be reckoned with, that doesn’t make him as bad as Tobias. Tobias won every match with only his Darkrai, while Ash’s Melmetal only really knocked out one Pokémon, Empoleon, in the entire tournament (and Meltan defeating Hypno). Besides that, Ash wasn’t even the only one to bring an incredibly rare Pokémon to the Alola League. Ash’s friend Mallow entered with a Shaymin, another Mythical Pokémon, while Gladion entered with Silvally, which is typically considered a Legendary Pokémon. Gladion even performed the trick of changing Silvally’s held item mid-battle, something that wouldn’t be possible in the games.

Given that Ash was up against Gladion in the finals, it felt fair that both trainers were able to use an absurdly rare, effectively one-of-a-kind Pokémon. Ash made sure to use other Pokémon as well, using Pikachu in the preliminary battle royale round, and Rowlet in his match against Hau. Gladion, on the other hand, used Silvally in every match in which he participated, and it was extremely oppressive with its ability to change types by using items. If anyone was to be considered the Tobias of the Alola League, it should be Gladion, not Ash.

Even against Kukui, where Ash also pulled out Naganadel, Kukui himself was using yet another Legendary Pokémon, Tapu Koko, as his final Pokémon. It’s clear that in the Alola League, at least, these rare Pokémon are just a fact of life, and any trainer who wants to be competitive will need a strategy to deal with them. It’s certainly interesting to note that none of the champions seen in Pokémon Journeys‘ Masters’ Eight tournament used Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, suggesting they aren’t as all-powerful as the Alola League might lead one to believe.

Does Ash’s Big Win Deserve An Asterisk Beside It?

Ash May Have Had Rare Pokémon, But He Fought Fairly

Ash holds his Manalo Conference Trophy with Pikachu and Rotom cheering him on in Pokémon Sun & moon.

It’s a tad ironic that Ash only won a Pokémon League once he had rare and powerful Pokémon of his own, given how much the series insists that any Pokémon can be good with enough training. However, Melmetal and Naganadel were hardly game-changing presences on the battlefield, and several other competitors used Pokémon on the same rarity tier. Ash’s use of these rare Pokémon made him competitive, not overpowered, and his victories in the Alola League relied on more than just the raw power that Mythical or Legendary Pokémon can produce.

Ash’s win here doesn’t need an asterisk next to it; it was perfectly legal for him to use these rare Pokémon, and he wasn’t the only one who chose to do so. Their actual performance in battle wasn’t as dominating as Tobias and his Darkrai, and Ash didn’t solely rely on their power to get himself by, instead using other Pokémon, like Pikachu, and putting together the kind of clever strategies that a good trainer ought to be able to come up with.

While Ash’s Melmetal does mean that he won with a Mythical on his team like Tobias, the circumstances couldn’t be more different, and for that reason Ash doesn’t deserve a call-out the way Tobias does. For some, though, using a Mythical Pokémon at all will always be enough reason to dismiss Ash’s big Pokémon victory.