Top 10 Most Badass Pokemon Moments

People might forget that there was indeed a time before Lucario dominated the scene as the most popular Pokemon, with his animated debut being in The Mystery of Mew movie. It’s a fun ride, all culminating in Lucario having to sacrifice himself in order to save Mew and by extension an entire Poke-eco-system. How so? By channeling his inner Jedi and unleashing his aura to max. It’s almost a Poke-parody, but Lucario’s fluffy edginess makes the whole thing a blast to watch.

Yes it is, and its appearance, while having little sense within the anime’s continuing, makes for one hell of a set piece. The finale of The Clash of Ages movie is essentially a brawl between a handful of Legendary Pokemon, with the evil version of Hoopa summoning every world ender it can get its rings on. Thankfully Ash has an ace up his sleeve, as Rayquaza appears to aid in the battle…only now it's in its sleek shiny form, and able to Mega Evolve. The Poke-drip has never been more immaculate.

Charizard’s glow up in the Kalos region cannot be understated. Thanks to Mega Evolution, the iconic dragon was able to shift into one of two forms, each coming with a new elemental affinity and an incredible new design. Nowhere was this better demonstrated than the Lumiose Conference, where Alain’s Charizard trades claws against another of its kin. Seeing Charizard X and Charizard Y compete to see who stands on top was a brief yet brilliant highlight, though naturally, X gonna give it to ya.

On the one hand, this is borderline ridiculous, but on the other, it’s great to see Ash’s Lycanroc pull off one such a spectacular win. Battling against the likes of Gladion’s Lycanroc to earn himself a spot into the finals, the two Alolan hounds go blow for blow, though Gladion’s quickness on the draw leads to Ash’s Lycanroc getting a full counter to the face. But instead of succumbing to such a paltry thing like the rules of Pokemon – Ash commands Lycanroc to use counter…against counter. And it works. At the end of the day, the rule of cool always wins.

Back when Charizard was still untrainable and was causing Ash a hard time, there was a single shining moment where the two joined forces and showcased how much of a beast Charizard can be when probably motivated. Taking on the likes of Magmar atop of an active volcano, Charizard goes all out to demonstrate his strength. From catching a Fire Blast with its bare hands to sending Magmar hurtling into lava with a seismic toss, this is one of the OG anime’s finest hours.

Ash had no shortage of incredible battles as he worked his way up towards the title match of the Lumiose Conference. Though arguably his best is when he and his Greninja took on Sawyer and his Mega Sceptile. The frantic pace and glorious animation paired with Ash and Greninja showcasing their Battle Bond well and truly raise the bar for the franchise at the time, all capped off with them unleashing a Water Shuriken and cutting a path to victory.

In terms of sheer spectacle, none have a patch on the Masters Eight Tournament. Taking on the internet’s favourite gym leader Bea, Ash and his Lucario contend with the might of her Machamp, matching it every step of the way. The thrill of seeing Mega Lucario outperform, outmanoeuvre and eventually overpower a gigantic Machamp is the kind of craziness that made this animation’s final outing such a thrill ride. Our favourite blue boy took down a dynamx-fuelled, four-armed kaiju and came out the winner!

Turns out a Pokemon series without Ash can actually make for a fun watch, though it certainly helps if your climax involves Charizard X beating the stuffing out of Mewtwo in a brutal slugfest. With only one catch separating him from a complete Pokedex, Red follows in the footsteps of gamers everywhere and takes on the full might of Mewtwo. And while the strongest of the original generation wipes out his whole team, it's got nothing on a newly Mega Evolved dragon…who proceeds to beat the rare candy out of it.

Because just claiming the win in the Alola region championship wouldn’t be enough. Not when you can go mano-y-mano with an equally thunderous would-be-deity. Deciding it also wants a piece of the action, Tapu Koko willingly enters the fray to challenge Ash and Pikachu during their title fight to see if they’re truly worthy of the crown. Getting to watch Pikachu unleash its Z-Move while rocking Ash’s hat as it out-electrifies a Legendary was the kind of epic ending we were not prepared for…

It was going to take something truly special to usher in Ash’s ascension to master, and what could be more appropriate than Pikachu going against Charizard in the singularly greatest match the anime has ever known. The animation is peak, both of these classic Pokemon have never appeared more beastly, and best of all – they have the original English opening blasting in the background as Pikachu and Charizard kick things up a gear and unleash their last attacks…fans could not ask for more.
Which Poke-moment made you a born again fan? Let us know in the comments!