Summary
WhilePokémonprimarily follows the adventures of Ash Ketchum, Ash has encountered plenty of powerful trainers throughout his journey, and gender has never been a problem when it comes to being the greatest. The anime has showcased a variety of skilled female trainers over the years, be they friends of Ash or champions of an entire region.
As with male trainers, the best female trainers will be those who’ve proven themselves in battle, and who hold positions which reflect their ability, like Champion or Gym Leader. The World Coronation Series seen inPokémon Journeysprovides some excellent data indicating who the strongest female trainers truly are, although not every skilled female trainer in the series is known to have participated in the tournament. Without further ado, here are 10 of the strongest female trainers that Ash ever encountered.
10May Learned What She Knows from Ash
May was Ash’s second female companion, who joined him in the Hoenn region not long after he parted ways with Misty. May was a fresh new trainer just getting started, and had basically no Pokémon knowledge to speak of when she began her journey. Fortunately for May, Ash took her under his wing and became something of a mentor for her, in much the same way Misty and Brock had been for him. May had a steep learning curve, but she took to the challenge with gusto.
While May eventually transitions to becoming more of a Pokémon Coordinator than a trainer,her skills in battle are still quite impressive, winning a fair number of battles andfully evolving several of her Pokémon, such as Blaziken and Venusaur. May’s status as a Coordinator is top-tier, having earned many ribbons across several regions of the Pokémon world, having earned herself the title “Princess of Hoenn.”
9Clair is Johto’s Dragon Master
First Appearance:Pokémon Gold and Silver, “Beauty is Skin Deep”
Clair is the leader of the Blackthorn Gym in the Johto region, and a master of Dragon-type Pokémon. Clair was a difficult opponent for Ash to face, and their first battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, necessitating a rematch. Ash won the rematch and his badge, and left on good terms with Clair. He’d later encounter her in the Unova region, hunting fora rare Shiny Pokémon, and would help her to capture the exceptional Druddigon.Clair proved her skill by training that Druddigon up thoroughly, and later using it in battle to defeat Iris and her Dragonite.
Clair is also known to have trained with Lance, the Dragon-type Elite Four member and former Champion, giving her the skills she needed to succeed as a Gym Leader. Clair also has the responsibility of safeguarding the “Dragon Holy Land,” a special place not far from Blackthorn City where many species of Dragon-type Pokémon live.
8Misty is a Gym Leader With Mega Abilities
First Appearance:Pokémon Indigo League, “Pokémon - I Choose You!”
Misty was Ash’s first companion, and was in fact the first person he actually met on his journey. Misty is a specialist in Water-type Pokémon, as well as the leader of the Cerulean Gym whenever she’s at home. Even when Ash met her, Misty already had an evolved Pokémon in the form of Starmie. Misty would go on to build a pretty decent team traveling with Ash, although her greatest Pokémon, Gyarados, was only captured after they parted ways.
Aside from being a Gym Leader,Misty is also capable of Mega Evolution, as she’s seen Mega Evolving her Gyarados in a battle with Ash duringPokémon Sun & Moon. Mega Evolved Pokémon can be difficult to control, and it requires a strong bond between trainer and Pokémon, proving how skilled Misty really is.
7Agatha’s Brief Appearance Shook Ash
First Appearance:Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, “The Scheme Team”
Agatha appears in only one episode of the anime, but she made an impact on Ash in that brief time. Ash encountered Agatha in Viridian City, where she was temporarily assigned as the Gym Leader until a new one could be selected. Ash challenged her to a battle, but soon discovered he was out of his league against her Gengar, which defeated him with relative ease.Agatha revealed she was actually a member of the Kanto Elite Four, and told Ash she was impressed by their battle, encouraging him to challenge the Battle Frontier.
Despite her short time in the anime, Agatha proved herself a powerful trainer worthy of her position as a member of the Elite Four. Like Ash, she had some unorthodox tactics, which may explain why she took a liking to him so quickly.
6Korrina is a Master of Mega Evolution
First Appearance:Pokémon XY, “Mega Revelations!”
Korrina is a Gym Leader in Shalour City in the Kalos region, and a specialist in Fighting-type Pokémon. She traveled with Ash briefly while trying to obtain the ability to Mega Evolve her Lucario, a goal which she eventually accomplished. WhileKorrina had a rough road with Mega Lucario at first, they gradually became more in sync and came together as a team. Ash’s gym battle with Korrina was a particularly intense one, pushing his bonds with Pikachu to the limit to overcome her Mega Evolved Pokémon.
Korrina later appears as a contestant in the World Coronation Series, where she has another match with Ash. When it came time for Ash to try Mega Evolution for himself, Korrina provided him with his Mega Glove, and helped him to track down the Lucarionite he needed. While Korrina didn’t make it too far in the World Coronation series, her skills are still top notch, even for a Gym Leader.
5Bea Became One of Ash’s Strongest Rivals
First Appearance:Pokémon Journeys, “Solitary and Menacing!”
Like Korrina, Bea is a Fighting-type specialist and a Gym Leader, this time for Stow-On-Side in the Galar region. Korrina and Bea are actually good friends, as one might expect given how much they have in common. Bea was one ofAsh’s only female rivals, and battled him three different times over the course of the World Coronation Series, with one win, one draw, and one loss.Bea climbed all the way to the Ultra Class, marking her as one of the 100 most skilled trainers in the world.
Aside from being a Gym Leader, Bea is also skilled in the use of Dynamaxing, and even has a Machamp capable of Gigantamaxing. Bea can be a bit of a sore loser at times, but her skill in battle means that she doesn’t lose all that often.
4Prima Gave Ash Something to Think About
First Appearance:Pokémon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, “The Mandarin Island Miss Match”
Prima, better known to players of the games as Lorelei, is one of the Kanto region’s Elite Four and a master of using Ice-type Pokémon.Like Agatha, she only appears in one episode, but she makes quite a splash in the episode, defeating four trainers (including Ash) in back-to-back matches. Prima offered Ash some advice that he actually spent some time reflecting on, even mentioning it in a later episode, suggesting that his match with her had a bigger impact than it might appear.
Prima was ostensibly on vacation during her appearance, so one can only imagine how powerful she is when she’s fully in serious “Elite Four” mode. She was regarded as an absolute legend by Misty, who had long idolized her.
3Iris’s Skills Grew Tremendously in a Short Time
First Appearance:Pokémon Black and White, “In the Shadow of Zekrom!”
Iris was another former traveling companion of Ash, and a specialist in Dragon-type Pokémon, although she does own Pokémon of other types. While Iris traveled with Ash, she didn’t particularly stand out as an exceptionally skilled trainer, but she learned a lot on her journey, and after they parted ways, Iris put everything she learned to use,eventuallybecoming the Champion of the Unova region. Iris would go on to participate in the World Coronation Series, which saw her battling Ash again. Despite losing to Ash, Iris managed to make up the points and reached the Masters' Eight Tournament.
Iris battled against Cynthia in the first round, and ultimately lost, but not without putting up a spectacular fight. Still, that solidified Iris as one of the top 8 trainers in the world, and that’s an accomplishment worth celebrating.
2Diantha Doesn’t Need Words to Win Battles
First Appearance:Pokémon XY, “The Bonds of Evolution!”
Diantha is the Champion of the Kalos region, as well as a famous actress. As such, she’s incredibly busy, but was still willing to make a little time for Ash when he encountered her, although their battle was interrupted.Diantha is famed for her ability to command her Gardevoir without words, simply using eye contact to communicate all they need to. She is also a practitioner of Mega Evolution, having Mega Evolved her Gardevoir on several occasions.
Diantha participated in the World Coronation Series and had no problemmaking it to the Masters Eight, where she reached into the top four before losing to the undefeated Leon. Diantha was shown to be exceptionally skilled in battle, and saw her battles as performances just as much as her acting.
1Cynthia is the Strongest Female Trainer
First Appearance:Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, “Top-Down Training!”
Cynthia is the Champion of the Sinnoh Region and a trainer who largely specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon. Ash longed for a battle with Cynthia for quite some time, and actually learned quite a bit from her during their attempts to thwart Team Galactic’s plans. Cynthia was also shown defending her status as Champion, a feat which she accomplished with ease.She eventually participated in the World Coronation Series and reached the Masters' Eight Tournament, whereCynthia finally had that long-awaited battle with Ash.
While Ash emerged victorious, their battle was so thrilling that it encouraged Cynthia not to retire, as she had originally planned to do. This also marks Cynthia as one of the top four trainers in the world, making her undoubtedly thestrongest female trainer in thePokémonanime.
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.
