Top 10 Best Pokemon Trainers Befriended by Ash Ketchum

Dawn (Sinnoh)

Dawn is one of the playable characters in the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum versions of the Pokémon games. If the player selects the male character, Lucas, Dawn serves as Professor Rowan's assistant.

In the anime, Dawn co-stars with Ash throughout the Diamond and Pearl series (seasons 10 to 13... read more

I am a Pokeshipper, but Dawn is also great. Girly but tough and awesome.
I also like Pearlshipping because Dawn and Ash are really great friends! I won't mind if you say Dawn is better than Misty, but never Serena.

Dawn is just like Ash. That's why they are best friends.

Ash and Dawn are made to be together.

Misty (Kanto)

Misty, known as Kasumi in Japan, is a character in the Pokémon franchise. She is the Gym Leader in Cerulean City and specializes in Water-type Pokémon. In the games, she is known as the Tomboyish Mermaid.

In the anime, she is Ash's first traveling companion. She has three older sisters who often... read more

Misty is always the best Pokémon trainer who traveled with Ash. And Ash always had a crush on Misty, and Misty had a crush on Ash. But the thing is, Ash has a crush on Serena too. The only reason I hate Ash is because of this.

Misty was the very first person to travel with Ash. She was even in the first episode.

She's the best girl I've ever seen. She loves Ash, cares, fights, helps others solve problems, is very intelligent, a good mother figure, and very friendly with Pokémon. She's the best Pokégirl and female companion of Ash.

Iris (Unova)

Iris is a character from the Pokémon video games Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. In the original White version, she serves as the Gym Leader of Opelucid City. In the sequels, Black 2 and White 2, she becomes the Champion of the Unova region, and she specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon.... read more

Yeah, what's so bad about her? Ash is a little kid, and all the other female protagonists don't have great goals. Serena's goal is just to be with Ash forever. Iris actually has an interesting goal: to be a Dragon Master, and dragon types are my favorite type.
That's why I want to rip her pathetic rival to shreds. I mean, at least people on here have real reasons to dislike her, but some hate her just because she's Black. That's racist, because my dad is Black. And she's a really cool character. At least she doesn't like Ash, because all the other female protagonists like him way too much.

Iris is from the Village of Dragons. She was right when she told Ash he was a little kid. She looked funny when she saw Trip's Vanillite. She can survive in the forest. She is the first person to travel with Ash in Unova (I think).
She is my favorite trainer!

Brock (Kanto)

Brock is a character in the Pokémon franchise created by Game Freak and Nintendo. He is the Gym Leader of Pewter City in the Kanto region and specializes in Rock-type Pokémon. In the anime, he becomes one of Ash's traveling companions after Ash defeats him in a gym battle.... read more

Definitely the very best of Ash's friends, like no one ever was. I also like Cilan too, but nobody's better than Brock.

Brock stayed with Ash for a pretty long time.

Brock was his longest-staying partner.

May (Hoenn)

May is a female companion to Ash in the Generation III Pokémon anime series. She is also the playable female character in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. May debuted in the anime in the 275th episode, "Get the Show on the Road!"... read more

May likes Ash a lot, especially when Max isn't around. May used to show more affection toward Ash. There's no wonder people imagine her kissing Ash. They are a perfect pair.
We saw this in the last episode of the Battle Frontier, where they ended the contest with a tie as a perfect team. She also stopped Ash many times when he was too focused on rivalry. In the Manaphy movie, when Ash was lost at the end, we saw tears in her eyes. May's best partner is Ash.

I liked the student-teacher relationship that Ash and May had throughout the series, until she was able to start standing on her own and Ash looked on proudly. If May didn't have the crappy baggage known as Max by her side, she might have been higher on the list.

Serena (Kalos)

Serena has proven to be a kind and polite girl, though she can also be openly rebellious toward her mother, Grace. In "Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!", she refused to wake up when Grace ordered her to and responded sassily to her mother's call to watch the news. Their tense relationship was... read more

I do not understand all the hate Serena is getting. I like all the Pokégirls, and I am starting to hate Misty because of the Misty lovers who hate Serena.
Serena still deserves respect.
I respect that there are many Pokeshippers here who might dislike Serena, but there is no reason to comment badly about her.
I'm starting to think that Misty lovers are jealous of Serena. So prove me wrong by stopping the mean comments.
But my opinion is Serena is a very good friend, and Ash cares for Serena as a dear friend.

She got better over time, but I still prefer Brock. I honestly don't get the hate she gets on this site.

Clemont (Kalos)

Clemont is a character from Pokémon XY, created by Nintendo and Game Freak. He is the Gym Leader of Lumiose City and specializes in Electric-type Pokémon. Clemont is known for his intelligence and inventive skills.

In the Pokémon anime, he traveled with Ash during seasons 17 to 19. He was able... read more

He's the best. Trainer. Ever. He's so socially awkward that it's funny. His glasses are so cool. He's definitely a keeper and inspires me to do so much with my characters. I mean, what more can you ask?

He should be number 1, with Cilan at 2.

Bonnie (Kalos)

Bonnie is a character created by Game Freak and Nintendo. She appears in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y as the younger sister of Clemont, the Electric-type Gym Leader in Lumiose City. At the gym, she presents quizzes to trainers who challenge Clemont, and those who answer incorrectly must battle a trainer.... read more

Cilan (Unova)

Cilan is one of the three Gym Leaders of the Striaton City Gym, officially known as the Striaton Gym, in the Pokémon Black and White video games. In the anime, he is classified as an A-class Pokémon Connoisseur and travels with Ash Ketchum throughout the Unova region. He first appeared in the episode... read more

Cilan is awesome. I love it when he becomes a detective. I also love how he and his brothers, Chili and Cress, have Pansear, Pansage, and Panpour.

Korrina (Kalos)

Korrina is the Gym Leader of Shalour City in the XY series. In the anime, she is a cheerful and energetic girl with a strong and fiery personality. She raised her Lucario from the time it was a Riolu, developing a close bond with it.... read more

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Gladion (Alola)

Gladion is a fictional character introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon. He initially works with Team Skull but later distances himself from the group. Gladion is the son of Lusamine and the brother of Lillie, and he serves as a rival to the player throughout the game.

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Sophocles (Alola)

Max (Hoenn)

Erika (Kanto)

Erika is the Gym Leader of the Celadon Gym in the Pokémon video games. She specializes in Grass-type Pokémon and awards the Rainbow Badge to Trainers who defeat her in Pokémon Red, Blue, and subsequent versions. Erika is also featured in the Pokémon anime and trading card game.

He shouldn't've insulted her perfume in the first place. She would've liked him much more than someone with fire eyes, grinding teeth, a red face, a frowning face, and clenched fists, which all resemble furiousness.

Mallow (Alola)

Kiawe (Alola)

Casey (Johto)

Angie (Sinnoh)

Tracey Sketchit (Orange Islands)

Ritchie (Kanto)

Gary Oak (Kanto)

Gary Oak appeared in the anime series during Seasons 1 through 5. He was Ash's rival and childhood friend. The two once fought over a rusty Poké Ball they both wanted for good luck, which ended up breaking during the argument.... read more

Sawyer (Hoenn)

Alain (Kalos)

Alain is the most powerful trainer Ash ever befriended.

Molly Hale (Johto)

Lana (Alola)

Paul (Sinnoh)

Paul is Ash's mortal enemy. Anything less would have made him a horrible rival.