What extremely powerful opponents Ash have defeated and what has he gained from it?

[Litleonid]

The only notable powerful trainers he's actually defeated were Drake and Brandon. Diantha is close, considering he managed to knock Mega Gardevior down to the ground and actually do some real damage before he and Ash-Greninja fainted.

 

[MidnightMelody]

Would be nice if over time things carried over. Like Ash using counter shield in SM or him remembering other ideas he had or battles he had in past series. I enjoy OS myself but have we had any non OS references in SM?

 

[zazarickoty]

Basically just Drake and Brandon but I don't think they rival regional champions. Ash's best battle performance was his battle with Diantha in X and Y in that for once he actually didn't get destroyed like he usually does against Champions and Elites 4
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definitely brandon, he used his remaining 4 mons of the original 6, took down a legendary and a trainer he lost to once (technically twice) before, and at least IMO that was his first big step towards becoming a pokemon master (too bad achievements-wise he hasn't made another big step, which would be a league conference win)

 

[shoz999]

Roxie from Pokemon Best Wishes.

I just got to the part where Ash battles Roxie and I just have to say... WHAT!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!? THIS IS AWESOME! Okay, okay. The anime crew just did the unimaginable. They turned the very first Gym Leader you fight in BW2 in currently the most OP Gym Leader at the time of this episode. The way they handled Roxie's Gym Battle is very surprising, in fact I honestly think she might actually be stronger than Volkner, Juan and Claire for the simple fact that this is a 3v6 battle and Roxie just wipes out 5 out of 6 of Ash's Pokemon. This incarnation of Roxie's strength is so different from her game and manga counterpart. In fact this is probably one of the few rare cases where I actually like the anime-counterpart better than the games and Adventures counterpart lol. She just has so much more spunk and character too.

So far I think Roxie should count as one of the extremely powerful trainers that Ash has defeated considering her overwhelming strength and use of toxicity.

 

[mehmeh1]

Roxie from Pokemon Best Wishes.

I just got to the part where Ash battles Roxie and I just have to say... WHAT!? ARE YOU SERIOUS!? THIS IS AWESOME! Okay, okay. The anime crew just did the unimaginable. They turned the very first Gym Leader you fight in BW2 in currently the most OP Gym Leader at the time of this episode. The way they handled Roxie's Gym Battle is very surprising, in fact I honestly think she might actually be stronger than Volkner, Juan and Claire for the simple fact that this is a 3v6 battle and Roxie just wipes out 5 out of 6 of Ash's Pokemon. This incarnation of Roxie's strength is so different from her game and manga counterpart. In fact this is probably one of the few rare cases where I actually like the anime-counterpart better than the games and Adventures counterpart lol. She just has so much more spunk and character too.

So far I think Roxie should count as one of the extremely powerful trainers that Ash has defeated considering her overwhelming strength and use of toxicity.

Though the fact that it was a 3v6, ash got a heal at the middle, and even then he only won due to static activating (which, oddly enough, was the last time it has been activated to date) made the badge feel undeserved

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

More like she was stupidly hyped up to hell just to promote B2W2. She was pretty much the start of the most polarizing decisions that took BW to the absolute crapdom we all infamously remember...or have tried real hard to forget.

 

[mehmeh1]

Would be nice if over time things carried over. Like Ash using counter shield in SM or him remembering other ideas he had or battles he had in past series. I enjoy OS myself but have we had any non OS references in SM?

a few strategies carry over to future series from time to time, though I don't see them as much more than nods, if even that (greninja using ash's "spin" move from early sinnoh against alain's charizard during the league, rockruff using rock tomb climb at the end of his fight against olivia, and maybe pikachu using ash's "attack the legs" strategy from the fight against brawly when fighting hala's hariyama)

 

[keepitsimple]

I actually liked Roxie too. Wouldn't call her the strongest gym leader in the show but she's up there. Ash clearly needed that 6 to 3 advantage + Roxie healing Pignite; she would have creamed him if he didn't have that lmao

More like she was stupidly hyped up to hell just to promote B2W2. She was pretty much the start of the most polarizing decisions that took BW to the absolute crapdom we all infamously remember...or have tried real hard to forget.

We get it BW was bad

 

[Akkipeddi]

I think what makes the Roxie battle so disappointing (even if the battle itself was alright) was that it all but sealed the fact that BW Ash was a trash trainer. I personally don't believe that Roxie is much stronger than someone like Volkner or Wulfric, who Ash had a 4 vs 4 and 2 vs 2 with. So to see needing to use 6 vs her 3 was poor.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

We get it BW was bad

Keep it simple.

 

[keepitsimple]

Keep it simple.

channel your aura

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

channel your aura

Dude plz.

 

[LilligantLewis]

They turned the very first Gym Leader you fight in BW2

Cheren

More like she was stupidly hyped up to hell just to promote B2W2. She was pretty much the start of the most polarizing decisions that took BW to the absolute crapdom we all infamously remember...or have tried real hard to forget.

Actually, she appeared right before BWS2 started, which most people liked better than BW. I would not at all say she was the "start" of anything.

Volkner or Wulfric, who Ash had a 4 vs 4 and 2 vs 2 with

Both were 3v3.

 

[mehmeh1]

Both were 3v3.

fun fact: leaders/kahunas haven't used more than 3 mons vs ash candice, hoping hapu breaks that pattern (she broke the same pattern in the games, except that volkner was the last one before her instead of candice, ignoring challenge mode b2w2 and oras due to the former needing you to connect to someone who had already finished the game and the latter being a remake)

 

[FlygontheRavager]

I think what makes the Roxie battle so disappointing (even if the battle itself was alright) was that it all but sealed the fact that BW Ash was a trash trainer.

Given the smart strategies he used during the fight (at least, the part with Koffing), I'd say otherwise.

 

[LilligantLewis]

fun fact: leaders/kahunas haven't used more than 3 mons vs ash candice, hoping hapu breaks that pattern (she broke the same pattern in the games, except that volkner was the last one before her instead of candice, ignoring challenge mode b2w2 and oras due to the former needing you to connect to someone who had already finished the game and the latter being a remake)

It was a joke that Volkner didn't use Raichu -- could have given Torterra a win too.

 

[Blood Red]

Has he actually gained anything from any of his experiences though? To me, it seems like he gets soft-reset every region and doesn't retain any of his past developments.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

Has he actually gained anything from any of his experiences though?

Nope.

 

[Ignition]

Has he actually gained anything from any of his experiences though? To me, it seems like he gets soft-reset every region and doesn't retain any of his past developments.

I’d argue everything from OS to DP (and somewhat of BW’s “end game”) felt like he was steadily improving

 

[LilligantLewis]

(and somewhat of BW’s “end game”)

What are you referring to?