Even after her departure from the series, Misty is one of the most popular Pokémon characters of all time. Pokémon fans know how much Misty is the blueprint for the Pokegirls archetype in the anime. She debuted in the anime’s very first episode, becoming a recurring character after Ash borrowed and destroyed her bike. Wanting to make him repay her, she accompanied Ash in his travels, journeying through Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto with him and Brock. At the same time, she continued working on her skills as a Water-type Trainer, eventually becoming the Cerulean City Gym leader later in the series.
Which brings us to her Pokémon. When she’s introduced in the anime, Misty already has 3 Pokémon, namely Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen. Starmie and Goldeen were in the Cerulean Gym at that time, while she had Staryu with her from the very start. But Misty didn’t stop there. Throughout her journey, she catches a lot of Pokémon, although, as fans can agree, not every Pokémon of hers was the best. Each had its own strengths and weaknesses, which is why this list ranks Misty’s top 10 Pokémon that helped her one way or another during her journey in the anime.
10) Golden
One of the original Pokémon Misty has from the very start of the anime, Goldeen is mostly remembered as her weakest Pokémon because of the limitations on its powers. It can only perform in water, which makes it useless if there isn’t water involved in a battle. As a result, Misty rarely gets the chance to use it during her journey.
Apart from making Team Rocket lose, Goldeen had no remarkable wins. It was most often shown as a comic relief Pokémon or during times when the team had to travel in water. Eventually, Misty left Goldeen at the Cerulean gym, where it was better off due to having constant access to water.
9) Azurill
Misty received Azurill from Tracey’s Marill as an egg, which hatches shortly afterward. But while this Pokémon joined Misty later in the anime, it was still a welcome addition. All because of one reason: it never failed to charm viewers with its cuteness every time it appeared on screen.
Azurill is basically just a baby Pokémon, so it acts as such in the anime. It doesn’t take part in any battles, and we don’t see it evolving or doing anything impressive or groundbreaking throughout its time in the series. With the sole exception to this pattern being the one time it defeated Team Rocket alongside its parent, Marill.
8) Corsola
Misty caught Corsola in the fifth season of the anime in a unique Lure Ball. Not long after capturing it, she battled with it in the Whirl Cup. Afterwards, Corsola became Misty’s main battler throughout the Johto Region and was consistent in its victories.
Corsola proved itself to be such a reliable battler, it even managed to defeat a Gyarados at one point. But despite this impressive track record and being one of the strongest Pokémon in the anime, Misty’s Corsola was not able to win any standout battles. Nevertheless, its presence and importance in Misty’s team make it one of her most memorable Pokémon.
7) Staryu
Staryu is undeniably the Pokémon Misty used the most while she was around in the anime. As it is also one of Misty’s original Pokémon, we see it quite often in the beginning of the series. Later in the anime, we see Staryu getting used less and less as Misty catches more versatile Pokémon. However, it is still a reliable member of her team and a fan-favorite.
Just like Starmie, Staryu is extremely useful in water-based situations like swimming or helping the group travel. However, despite being an aquatic Pokémon, it isn’t too useful in battles against fire-types as it needs to use its maximum power for it. One of Staryu’s most notable appearances was during Misty’s battle against Ash, where it faced Butterfree. However, that battle ended before any win could be determined.
6) Clauncher
Clauncher was the last Pokémon Misty caught in the anime. It was a hard Pokémon to catch as it was clever and repeatedly slipped away. But in the end, she succeeded in catching it through a fishing hook with Ash’s help. Ash and Misty then decided to battle to determine who would own Clauncher. When Misty won, Clauncher became one of her Pokémon.
Due to being introduced so late in the series, Clauncher didn’t get much screen time. As a result, its full potential was left unexplored. Still, it was able to leave quite an impression, especially when it teamed with Ash’s Corphish to fight Team Rocket. Giving fans a glimpse of how memorable a Pokémon it could have been if it had gotten more opportunities to shine.
5) Politoed
Politoed holds a special position amongst Misty’s Pokémon as it evolves throughout the anime. Misty first catches it as a timid Poliwag in the second season of anime. It later evolves into a shy Poliwhirl, often hiding behind Misty out of fear and shyness. But by season five, Poliwhirl evolves again, this time into a cheerful and confident Politoed.
It is heartwarming to see all the different phases of this Pokémon, from a hesitant and shy Poliwhirl to a Politoed radiating confidence. Often clapping and showing its excitement, its lively personality makes it a delight to watch on screen. The moment it evolves is also memorable as it happens mid-battle with Ash’s Balbasaur. And while it does lose that battle, its growth and charm makes it one of Misty’s best Pokémon.
4) Psyduck
Although their relationship began accidentally, Psyduck is still one of Misty’s best Pokémon. However, since Misty did not intend to catch it, at first, she found Psyduck very frustrating. But over time, their rocky start turned into real affection. Despite Psyduck’s clumsy nature, it surprised everyone by winning many key battles. The truth is, Psyduck has amazing psychic powers, even if they only come out when it gets a splitting headache.
But Psyduck isn’t just a great battler, it also serves as a major source of comedy in the anime. It has a bad habit of popping out of its PókeBall on its own at the worst possible times against Misty’s will. Psyduck can swim as well, but it isn’t a good Pokémon in aquatic battles. Despite all this, Psyduck is among Misty’s best Pokémon in the anime because of its unforgettable personality, surprising wins, and perfect dose of humor.
3) StarMie
Starmie is known for its ability to swim at high speeds, which makes it useful when the group wants to cross water bodies. Despite having this ability, it isn’t considered one of Misty’s strongest Pokémon. One of the reasons for this is that Starmie didn’t battle often in the anime, and when it did, it was mostly on the losing side. That’s why Misty relied on it more as a mode of transport than a companion in battles.
Starmie battled against Pidgeotto once, but Team Rocket interrupted, so their battle was cut short. It also got its center gem cracked in another episode during a battle against Jessie’s Arbok. To make matters worse, Misty usually struggled with getting Starmie out of its Poké Ball during battles. Psyduck would often come out instead, leaving Misty with no choice other than to use the Pokémon she hadn’t planned for.
2) Togetic
Just like Pikachu and Ash, Togepi is Misty’s constant companion. Its presence shows Misty’s softer and more nurturing side in the series as she immediately bonds with it right after it hatches. As expected, when Togepi was a baby, it rarely took part in any battles.
But it still played an active and unexpected role in the series, like using Metronome in unpredictable ways to shake up Team Rocket. Later, Togepi evolves into Togetic and becomes more reliable and capable. Although it isn’t really known for offensive moves, and only focuses on defensive ones.
1) Gyarados
Pokémon fans can all agree that Gyarados is Misty’s best Pokémon in the anime. It had a significant impact on the series, not only because of its strength but also because of the story behind it. Early in the anime, Misty had a fear of Gyarados because of a bad childhood experience. But when she took control of Cerulean City gym, she overcame this fear. As such, training Gyarados became a symbol of this growth for her.
The undisputed powerhouse of Misty’s team, Gyarados isn’t with her during her original travels, but appears in later episodes. In Pokémon Sun & MoonGyarados showed its full potential by Mega Evolving. Misty’s Mega Gyarados battled against Ash’s Pikachu but was defeated after a tough tournament. It later Mega Evolved again and defeated Team Rocket, establishing itself as a memorable character despite its limited screen time.
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