Ash's friends

This article is about Ash's main and temporary traveling companions. If you were looking for a general list of people Ash has met on his journey, see Character of the day.

Ash and his classmates from the Sun & Moon series, (clockwise from bottom left) Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, Kiawe and Lillie.

Ash's friends are the traveling companions that Ash Ketchum has had with him on his journey on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. While he started his journey alone, many people have joined his party while touring the Pokémon world; usually at least one new companion joins—and another leaves—every time a new region is visited.

Johto is the only region where Ash did not acquire a new friend that would travel with him, excluding Brock, who came back after his absence.

In the Sun & Moon series, Ash's friends are not traveling companions but classmates, as Ash attends the Pokémon School instead of traveling around the Alola region.

Original series

Misty

Main article: Misty (anime)

Misty joined Ash in Pokémon Emergency!, traveling with him because she wanted him to replace her bike, which was destroyed by his Pikachu. She would continuously travel with him until Gotta Catch Ya Later!, when she returned to Cerulean City nearly full-time to lead her family's Gym, though she briefly traveled to Hoenn and met up with Ash's Advanced Generation group in The Princess and the Togepi and A Togepi Mirage!, and again from The Scheme Team until A Real Cleffa-Hanger to "escort" her back home. She met up with her friends one more time.

Pokémon

Misty
Hometown: Cerulean City				First joined in Kanto
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP002-EP273, AG044-AG045, AG132-AG134, Mewtwo Returns, The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon

Method	Pre-series	Kanto	Orange	Johto	Chronicles / Hoenn	Frontier
Caught
Hatched
Evolved
Given
Released
Unknown/Other

Brock

Main article: Brock (anime)

Brock first joined Ash in Showdown in Pewter City after Ash battled him in the Pewter City Gym. After his father Flint offered to take over the duties of Gym Leader, Brock followed Ash through Kanto, leaving briefly from Poké Ball Peril to A Tent Situation to work for Professor Ivy. In The Rivalry Revival, Brock returned to be with Ash and Misty until Gotta Catch Ya Later!, though he, unlike Misty, would return shortly, in You Can Never Taillow, sticking with Ash until Home is Where the Start is!. He would again return in Two Degrees of Separation!, and so traveled through Sinnoh with Ash until Memories are Made of Bliss!.

Pokémon

Brock
Hometown: Pewter City				First joined in Kanto
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP005-EP083, EP116-EP273, AG004-AG192, DP002-DP191, Mewtwo Returns, The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon

Method	Pre-series	Kanto	Johto	Hoenn	Frontier	Sinnoh
Caught
Hatched
Evolved
Given
Given Away
Unknown

Tracey Sketchit

Tracey

Main article: Tracey Sketchit

After Brock left to work for Professor Ivy, Ash's traveling group was down to two, as it had been for the first five episodes of Kanto. However, this would not last very long, as in The Lost Lapras Ash met a Pokémon watcher named Tracey who essentially invited himself along for the rest of the Orange Islands saga. Traveling with Ash, he wished to attain his ultimate goal of meeting Professor Oak, which he did when Ash returned to Kanto in A Tent Situation. After this, he remained in Pallet Town to be Professor Oak's assistant in The Rivalry Revival.

Pokémon

Tracey
Hometown: Unknown		First joined in the Orange Archipelago
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP084-EP116

Method	Pre-series	Orange	Hoenn / Frontier
Caught
Given Away
Unknown

Advanced Generation series

May

Main article: May (anime)

Ash may have traveled to Hoenn alone; however, shortly after his arrival, he met May, a young girl who desired to travel around the world and a fellow Trainer who was just starting her journey, and then ended up destroying her bike just like that of Misty. Though she initially did not care for Pokémon, she eventually found Pokémon Contests, in which she competed while in Hoenn and then later in Kanto. May traveled with Ash through the entire Advanced Generation saga, from Get the Show on the Road to Home is Where the Start Is!, after which she went off to Johto to compete in Contests there. She, like Misty, reappeared briefly during the Diamond & Pearl series to compete in the Wallace Cup from A Full Course Tag Battle! until Strategy with a Smile!.

Pokémon

May
Hometown: Petalburg City			First joined in Hoenn
Episodes traveled with Ash
AG001-AG192, DP076-DP079, The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon

Method	Hoenn	Frontier	Johto	Sinnoh
Caught
Hatched
Evolved
Given

Max

Main article: Max

Max is May's younger brother. He does not have any Pokémon of his own because he is too young, but he often befriends certain Pokémon. He traveled with the group from There's no Place Like Hoenn until Home is Where the Start Is, when he went home to Petalburg City. However, he made a promise to Ash that as soon as he got his own Pokémon, he would battle Ash.

Max
Hometown: Petalburg City	First joined in Hoenn
Episodes traveled with Ash
AG003-AG192, The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon

Diamond & Pearl series

Dawn

Main article: Dawn (anime)

Like his journey into Hoenn, Ash ventured to Sinnoh alone, where, in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!, he would meet Dawn. From that point, after saving Ash's Pikachu and having her bike fried in a similar way to May's and Misty's, Dawn would travel with Ash and Brock through Sinnoh, which she did until Memories are Made of Bliss! when all three friends split up.

Dawn rejoins Ash's group in the Best Wishes series in Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times! to compete in the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup. Dawn would leave the group in Goodbye, Junior Cup - Hello Adventure! and travel to Johto to compete in the Wallace Cup.

Pokémon

Dawn
Hometown: Twinleaf Town	First joined in Sinnoh
Episodes traveled with Ash
DP003-DP191, BW086-BW093

Method	Sinnoh
Caught	*
Released	*
Hatched
Evolved
Given
In training
Traded
Trade

Best Wishes series

Iris

Main article: Iris (anime)

Iris is said to be a wild girl, as proven by the fact that she swings on vines. She decided to travel throughout Unova and the Decolore Islands with Ash from Enter Iris and Axew! until Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!.

Pokémon

Iris
Hometown: Village of Dragons		First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW002-BW141

Method	Pre-series	Unova	Johto
Caught
Evolved
Given

Cilan

Main article: Cilan (anime)

Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur and one of the Gym Leaders of the Striaton City Gym, travels with Ash and Iris in their journey through Unova and the Decolore Islands from Dreams by the Yard Full! until Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!.

Pokémon

Cilan
Hometown: Striaton City		First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW006-BW141

Method	Pre-series	Unova
Caught
Evolved
Released
Given

XY series

Clemont

Main article: Clemont (anime)

Clemont is an inventor Ash met after being ejected out of the Lumiose City Gym. His backpack, called the "Clemontic Gear", carries a variety of inventions and gadgets. He traveled with Ash from A Battle of Aerial Mobility! until The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!, then rejoined the group in The Moment of Lumiose Truth!, he decided to stay in Lumiose City in Till We Compete Again! when Ash returned to Kanto.

Pokémon

Clemont
Hometown: Lumiose City		First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY003-XY062, XY067-XY140

Method	Pre-series	Kalos
Caught
Evolved
Given
Unknown

Bonnie

Main article: Bonnie (anime)

Bonnie is Clemont's little sister. She is a young and cheerful girl, who despite being too young to officially train Pokémon, holds a great interest in them. She is proud of her big brother's accomplishments, but is not above criticizing him. She started traveling with Ash in A Battle of Aerial Mobility! and stayed in Lumiose City with her brother when the group went their separate ways in Till We Compete Again!.

Pokémon

Bonnie
Hometown: Lumiose City	First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY003-XY140

Method	Kalos
Caring for
Befriended

Serena

Serena in her second outfit

Main article: Serena (anime)

Serena is a beginning Pokémon Trainer from Kalos. She is a fashionable girl who met Ash once before when they were younger. While the daughter of a famous Rhyhorn racer, Serena eventually sets her goal to be a famous Pokémon Performer. She started traveling with Ash in Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race! until Till We Compete Again! where she traveled to the Hoenn Region to participate in Pokémon Contests in order to further her skills as a Performer.

While traveling with Ash, she cut her hair short and changed into her new outfit in A Showcase Debut!.

Pokémon

Serena
Hometown: Vaniville Town	First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY007-XY140

Method	Kalos
Given
Caught
Evolved

Sun & Moon series

Lana

Main article: Lana (anime)

Lana is one of Ash's classmates. She enjoys many seafaring activities such as fishing while riding on Lapras. She was the first of Ash's classmates in the Sun & Moon series series to meet Ash when she accidentally fished him up while he was riding on a Sharpedo. They would later meet again at the Pokémon School and become classmates when Ash enrolled himself.

Pokémon

Lana
Hometown: Hau'oli City	First joined in Alola
Episodes together with Ash
SM001-Present

Method	Pre-series
Caught
Ride Pokémon

Kiawe

Main article: Kiawe (anime)

Kiawe is one of Ash's classmates. He is very gruff compared to his classmates and makes deliveries between islands on his Charizard. Ash first spotted Kiawe flying on his Charizard when he was lost in a forest. They formally met while Kiawe was in a battle with Team Skull and Ash joined in, making Kiawe the last of Ash's classmates Ash would meet.

Pokémon

Kiawe
Hometown: Paniola Town	First joined in Alola
Episodes together with Ash
SM001-Present

Method	Pre-series
Unknown
Given

Lillie

Main article: Lillie (anime)

Lillie is one of Ash's classmates. She is terrified of physically interacting with Pokémon, and tends to freeze up whenever one Pokémon enters her personal space. She was the second of Ash's classmates he would meet. She was watching a Tauros race between Lana, Mallow and Sophocles as Ash accidentally stumbled upon the racing track and spotted Lillie on the other side. They became classmates when Ash enrolled himself at the Pokémon School shortly thereafter.

Pokémon

Lillie
Hometown: Hau'oli City	First joined in Alola
Episodes together with Ash
SM001-Present

Method	Alola
Hatched
Given

Sophocles

Main article: Sophocles (anime)

Sophocles is one of Ash's classmates. He enjoys inventing helpful devices and machinery. He met Ash while he was having a Tauros race against Lana and Mallow and they ran him over when he accidentally stumbled upon the track. They became classmates when Ash enrolled himself at the Pokémon School shortly thereafter.

Pokémon

Sophocles
Hometown: Melemele Island	First joined in Alola
Episodes together with Ash
SM001-Present

Method	Pre-series
Unknown

Mallow

Main article: Mallow (anime)

Mallow is one of Ash's classmates. She is talented cook for both people and Pokémon, and is a self-proclaimed poster girl at her family's restaurant. She met Ash while she was having a Tauros race against Lana and Sophocles and they ran him over when he accidentally stumbled upon the track. They became classmates when Ash enrolled himself at the Pokémon School shortly thereafter.

Pokémon

Mallow
Hometown: Hau'oli City	First joined in Alola
Episodes together with Ash
SM001-Present

Method	Pre-series
Caught

Temporary traveling companions

Haunter

Main article: Sabrina's Haunter

Haunter briefly accompanied Ash from The Tower of Terror to Haunter versus Kadabra, helping Ash in the Gym Battle against Sabrina before it was left with her.

Haunter
Hometown: Lavender Town	First joined in Kanto
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP023-EP024

Todd

Main article: Todd Snap

Todd Snap accompanied Ash, Misty, and Brock from Pokémon Paparazzi to The Breeding Center Secret. He later meets up with Ash again in Moving Pictures during his journey through Johto, trying to take a photograph of the legendary Articuno. They meet an elderly couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and Todd has the honor of taking their anniversary photo for them. Later on, in Freeze Frame Todd finally finds Articuno and manages to get a photograph of it. He then departs from the group once more.

Todd
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Kanto
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP055-EP057, EP187-EP189

Ritchie

Main article: Ritchie

Ritchie accompanied Ash, Misty, and Brock from The Mystery is History to A Promise is a Promise while he was searching for a mysterious Pokémon that can be found in the Whirl Islands, which turned out to be a Lugia.

Pokémon

Ritchie
Hometown: Frodomar City (dub only)		First joined in Johto
Episodes traveled with Ash
EP220-EP222

Method	Pre-series	Post-Kanto
Evolved
Unknown

Professor Birch

Main article: Professor Birch

Professor Birch accompanied Ash, Brock, May, and Max as they traveled through the forests of Dewford from A Three Team Scheme! until Seeing is Believing!.

Pokémon

Professor Birch
Hometown: Littleroot Town		First joined in Hoenn
Episodes traveled with Ash
AG027-AG028

Method	Pre-series	Hoenn
Befriended
Gives away

Cheryl

Main article: Cheryl

Cheryl accompanied Ash, Brock, and Dawn through the Eterna Forest from Some Enchanted Sweetening! until An Angry Combeenation!.

Pokémon

Cheryl
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in: Sinnoh
Episodes traveled with Ash
DP030-DP032

Method	Pre-series	Sinnoh
Caught
Evolved
Unknown

Barry

Main article: Barry (anime)

Barry accompanied Ash, Brock, and Dawn from Barry's Busting Out All Over! until Jumping Rocket Ship! while Ash was trying to earn the Relic Badge. He then traveled with them to the Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament from Stopped in the Name of Love! until To Thine Own Pokémon Be True!.

Pokémon

Barry
Hometown: Twinleaf Town	First joined in: Sinnoh
Episodes traveled with Ash
DP101-DP103, DP122-DP124

Method	Pre-series
Caught
Unknown

Lyra

Main article: Lyra (anime)

Lyra met Ash, Dawn, and Brock during the Johto Festival in An Egg Scramble!. She and Khoury accompanied them to Lilypad Town and left the group in Bagged then Tagged! when she returned to Johto.

Pokémon

Lyra
Hometown: New Bark Town	First joined in Sinnoh
Episodes traveled with Ash
DP143-DP147

Method	Johto
Given
Unknown

Khoury

Main article: Khoury

Khoury met Ash, Dawn, and Brock during the Johto Festival when Lyra introduced them in An Egg Scramble!. He and Lyra accompanied them to Lilypad Town and left the group in Bagged then Tagged! when he returned to Johto.

Pokémon

Khoury
Hometown: New Bark Town		First joined in Sinnoh
Episodes traveled with Ash
DP143-DP147

Method	Johto	Sinnoh
Caught
Evolved
Given

Bianca

Main article: Bianca (anime)

Bianca first met Ash in Minccino Neat And Tidy where she gave him his Badge case from Professor Juniper. She later accompanies him, Iris, and Cilan for a short time on their way to Nimbasa City. However, upon hearing that Ash had three Badges, she was inspired to catch up to him and left to collect Badges on her own. Since then, Bianca has temporarily joined the group numerous times during their journey from Emolga the Irresistible! until Emolga and the New Volt Switch!, then temporarily rejoined them from Crisis at Chargestone Cave! until Evolution Exchange Excitement!.

Pokémon

Bianca
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in: Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW024-BW025, BW062-BW063

Method	Unova
Caught
Evolved
Given
Traded
Trade

Luke

Main article: Luke

Luke first met Ash, Iris, and Cilan in his hometown where they helped him produce a movie. At the end of Movie Time! Zorua in "The Legend of the Pokémon Knight"!, He later accompanies them to Nimbasa Town where he stays with them during the Club Battle tournament before heading back home at the end of The Club Battle Finale: A Heroes Outcome!.

Pokémon

Luke
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW038-BW042

Method	Unova
Caught
Unknown

Meowth

Main article: Meowth (Team Rocket)

After reportedly being "disbanded" from Team Rocket in Meowth's Scrafty Tactics!, Meowth was found unconscious by Ash's Tepig and Iris's Axew. The group nursed him back to health and invited him to accompany them so as to protect him from Trainers wanting to capture the only talking Meowth in Unova. He used his ability to speak to humans and Pokémon many times during their travels together.

He later revealed their travels to be a facade to gain their trust for a mission, and reunited with Jessie and James in Crisis from the Underground Up!.

He would later team up with Ash and his friends for real in A Conspiracy to Conquer! after losing the rest of Team Rocket to the control of the mysterious Madame X and her Malamar, though the team was initially distrusting of him until seeing Madame X in action for themselves. Ash and Meowth were eventually the only ones not hypnotized by Malamar, thanks to Meowth using Fury Swipes on both their faces. After the Malamar was revealed to be the true mastermind and was soon after defeated, Meowth returned to the newly freed Team Rocket.

Meowth
Hometown: Hollywood	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW043-BW047, XY019

Stephan

Main article: Stephan

Stephan decided to travel with Ash and co. in Climbing the Tower of Success! after taking part in a competition with them. He left the group after winning the Clubsplosion tournament in Commanding the Clubsplosion Crown!.

Pokémon

Stephan
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW069-BW073

Method	Unova
Evolved
Unknown

Meloetta

Main article: Meloetta (anime)

Meloetta decided to travel with Ash and his friends from Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times! until Unova's Survival Crisis!.

Meloetta
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW086-BW097

Cameron

Main article: Cameron

After Dawn left the group after the Junior Tournament, Cameron decided to join Ash, Iris, and Cilan. He left the group after he won his eighth and final Badge against Marlon from Goodbye, Junior Cup - Hello Adventure! until The Road to Humilau!.

Pokémon

Cameron
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW093-BW094

Method	Unova
Evolved
Unknown

N

Main article: N (anime)

After meeting with Ash and the others again in Saving Braviary!, he agreed to travel with them to Driftveil City. After an encounter with Team Plasma, N was forced to leave the group in Secrets From Out of the Fog!.

N
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Unova
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW114-BW118

Alexa

Main article: Alexa

Alexa, a journalist from Kalos, met Ash and friends in The Journalist from Another Region! on Harvest Island. She traveled with the group through the Decolore Islands, and joined Ash on his journey to Kalos, but officially split with Ash in Kalos: Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! because her sister Viola was away from Santalune Gym.

Pokémon

Alexa
Hometown: Unknown	First joined in Decolore Islands
Episodes traveled with Ash
BW134-XY001

Method	Pre-series
Caught
Unknown

Korrina

Main article: Korrina

Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader, met Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie in Mega Revelations! on their way to her hometown. The group accompanied her as she traveled to Geosenge Town to understand and master the Mega Evolution of her trusted partner, Lucario. She left the group at Pomace Mountain in The Bonds of Mega Evolution!.

Pokémon

Korrina
Hometown: Shalour City	First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY030-XY034

Method	Pre-series	Kalos
Unknown
Evolved
Mega Evolved

Sawyer

Main article: Sawyer

Sawyer met Ash, Serena and Bonnie in A Fashionable Battle! in the Laverre Gym, where he was asking for a Gym Battle with Valerie. He recognized Clemont as the Lumiose City Gym Leader, as he had had a Gym Battle with him in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!. He left the group in Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!.

In A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!, after battling Ash and winning, Sawyer decided to accompany him and his friends to Snowbelle City. In the following episode, he watched Ash battle Wulfric before leaving to train for the Lumiose Conference.

Pokémon

Sawyer
Hometown: Unknown		First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY073-XY075, XY119-XY120

Method	Pre-series	Kalos
Evolved
Given
Mega Evolved
Unknown

Squishy

Main article: Squishy

Squishy first met Ash and the group in From A to Z!. After saving it from Team Flare, the group took it with them with Bonnie taking care of it. Later, it left the group in Forming a More Perfect Union! and disappeared along with Z2.

Squishy
Hometown: Terminus Cave	First joined in Kalos
Episodes traveled with Ash
XY094-XY136

Trivia

Every starter Pokémon has been owned by either Ash or one of his friends.
Alexa is the only human companion, main or temporary to accompany Ash through the end of one series to the start of the next.
In the Best Wishes series, Ash had the most temporary companions.
Serena is the only one of Ash's friends that Ash has met prior to the beginning of the series.
Clemont is the only one of Ash's friends that has left the group in the middle of a journey.

Ash's friends

Original series

Misty

Pokémon

Brock

Pokémon

Tracey Sketchit

Pokémon

Advanced Generation series

May

Pokémon

Max

Diamond & Pearl series

Dawn

Pokémon

Best Wishes series

Iris

Pokémon

Cilan

Pokémon

XY series

Clemont

Pokémon

Bonnie

Pokémon

Serena

Pokémon

Sun & Moon series

Lana

Pokémon

Kiawe

Pokémon

Lillie

Pokémon

Sophocles

Pokémon

Mallow

Pokémon

Temporary traveling companions

Haunter

Todd

Ritchie

Pokémon

Professor Birch

Pokémon

Cheryl

Pokémon

Barry

Pokémon

Lyra

Pokémon

Khoury

Pokémon

Bianca

Pokémon

Luke

Pokémon

Meowth

Stephan

Pokémon

Meloetta

Cameron

Pokémon

N

Alexa

Pokémon

Korrina

Pokémon

Sawyer

Pokémon

Squishy

Trivia

See also