The world was put to a halt when it was announced that Ash won the Masters Eight Tournament in Pokémon Masters Journeys. While he did persevere with the Pokémon that he caught in the Kalos region, it is important to note that this champion has Pokémon outside of Galar during his previous adventures.
In the show, Pikachu received support from all of Ash’s Poké-pals, encouraging him to stay strong during the final showdown. That scene gave a brief reminder of who Ash’s other Pokémon were and how they’re supporting their friends back in Pallet Town. But if Ash could use other Pokémon to compete in the Masters’ Eight Tournament, perhaps he’d consider these six Pokémon in his team.
6. Greninja
Both Ash and Greninja have experienced the “bond phenomenon,” proving that both have a high mutual trust in each other. When this activates, Ash can view what Greninja is seeing, putting an extra layer when it comes to teamwork. This ability would have put Ash at a major advantage, especially if he was up against’s Leon’s Charizard.
5. Melmetal
The Masters’ Eight Tournament could have been the perfect opportunity to showcase more Melmetal. This Pokémon was first introduced in Pokémon Go, then later in the Pokémon Sun and Moon anime series. Melmetal also had a gigantamax form, meaning fans could have witnessed the full potential. It felt like a missed opportunity for Ash to use this Pokémon, especially if he was up against other trainers from different regions.
4. Naganadel
While Dragonite was a good choice for Ash in the Masters’ Eight Tournament, perhaps using another Dragon-type Pokémon would have been a great choice, especially when it comes to type matchups. Naganadel is an ultra beast that Ash met in the Sun and Moon series and is a Poison/Dragon-type. This Pokémon can use a variety of dragon, flying, bug, poison, and fairy-type moves, giving it so much utility in battle.
3. Staraptor
Staraptor is perhaps one of the strongest flying-type Pokémon in the franchise since it has high attack stats. It can learn Brave Bird and has the ‘intimidate’ ability, reducing the attack stats of other Pokémon. Other than that, Ash’s Staraptor allowed him to beat Paul during a battle, which means it could have been a great choice during the Masters’ Eight. Unfortunately, Paul was not one of the competitors during that tournament so a rematch couldn’t happen.
2. Incineroar
According to Pokémon VGC competitors, Incineroar is part of the meta. This Pokémon can intimidate others and can use moves such as Sword dance, that could help boost its move stats. Incineroar also has high attack stats and is a pretty decent fighter. The Pokémon anime could have given the competitive scene some representation and added this Pokémon to the roster. But perhaps it was a good idea that Ash didn’t so he didn’t look like a “meta-slave.”
1. Charizard
Imagine a Game of Thrones-like battle between Ash and Leon’s Charizard. Both ferocious fire-type Pokémon soared through the sky, perhaps both trainers riding on them. While it might be dangerous and might get The Pokémon Company into some legal trouble with HBO, it could have been an epic scene to watch. Would Ash’s Charizard listen to him when he needed the most? Or would he just sleep it off like last time?
Regardless, sticking with Pikachu during the final battle might have been a better choice, since it was the final showdown between both trainers’ partner Pokémon. Also, this Pokémon is considered to be good in the Pokémon competitive meta, so it might not give Ash a good look as mentioned before.
Ash owns a plethora of Pokémon. Some are strong, whilst others didn’t evolve. But while Ash owns a couple that are considered to be “meta” in the video game scene, the Masters’ Eight is perhaps different from what we see in the game. It showcased the bond and friendship each trainer has with their Pokémon. Even if Ash’s Masters’ Eight teams aren’t considered to be “meta” in the VGC, it was strong enough to turn him into a champion.
