Summary

Misty's Goldeen struggled in battle due to its weakness while out of water, but surprised with a victory over James' Victreebel. Misty's Azurill, as a baby Pokemon, showed potential in battle when she teamed up with Marill to defeat Team Rocket with water gun attacks. Misty's Gyarados, her strongest Pokemon, showed off its power with its Mega Evolution and put up a tough fight against Pikachu in a battle.

Misty is one of the most loved characters Pokémon, even long after she left the series. She collected a fair amount of Pokémon during her time on the show, even having one of her last catches before the series ended. However, her Pokémon have very different powers.

Misty's Pokémon are almost entirely Water-type, consistent with her goal of becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master. She sticks to her theme more than Brock did with his Pokémon, which makes ranking them a little easier thanks to their similarities. While neither of them has caught as many Pokémon as Ash, Misty has a fairly large number available, enough to keep them in circulation as she travels in Aim to Be a Pokémon Master.

10 Golden really just fails

First appearance: Pokémon Indigo League, “Pokémon Emergency!”

Misty's Goldeen is easily her weakest Pokémon, even from the start. Misty first called upon Goldeen, whom she captured before the start of the series, to fight against Team Rocket for the first time. However, Goldeen is completely helpless outside of water, leaving it splashed and essentially unable to fight. This is almost an issue every time Misty calls Goldeen, making it look especially useless.

However, Misty's Goldeen did get some opportunities to show off. It once beat James' Victreebel, despite its obvious disadvantages. It often proves useful when the party needs to navigate a certain body of water, as it swims quite quickly, even while towing others. The last Goldeen left was at the Cerulean gym, where it was probably better off due to regular access to water.

9 Azurill is just a baby

First appearance: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, “Project Team”

Misty's Azurill happened to be the child of Tracey's Marill, who laid an egg that was then passed to Misty. She hatched the young Pokémon and took it with her like she had done with Togepi. Azurill doesn't appear too much, as Misty only gets it after she's no longer the main character in the series, so it gets relatively little chance to shine.

As a baby Pokémon, Azurill usually does not participate in battle, but it once fought alongside its mother Marill to defeat Team Rocket, both Pokémon used Water Guns to destroy villains. This was Azurill's only victory, but it seemed to suggest that Azurill might one day have potential in battle. Azurill never evolved, as it was said to remain with Misty in Aim to become a Pokémon Master.

8 Togetic evolves as needed

First appearance (as an egg): Pokémon Indigo League, “Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon”

As Togepi for most of the series, Misty's Togetic is one of her most iconic Pokémon, largely due to the way she carries it everywhere, making it as popular as Pikachu. Like Azurill, Togepi is only a child and is therefore not used often in combat. Togepi sometimes intervenes in battles from the sidelines using Metronome, causing unpredictable effects that confuse Team Rocket.

Togepi evolves in the Ruby and Sapphire episode “A Togepi Mirage!”, where it encounters a group of wild Togepi that need protection from a man seeking to use Togepi to gain power. As a Togetic, it is a more capable fighter, but not by much; Togetic never uses attacks, instead only using defensive abilities and a random Metronome.

7 Smart but unused Clauncher

First appearance: Pokémon Journey, “Fatal Encounter!”

The last Pokémon Misty caught in the series, Clauncher was introduced as a wild Pokémon that both Ash and Misty tried to catch with fishing lines. The Clauncher proved to be quite clever, dodging their attempts to catch it and managing to slide into the water every time it looked like they had caught it. Ash and Misty had a battle to determine who would capture it, which Misty won fair and square, allowing her to capture the Clauncher.

Clauncher seems to be someone who enjoys fighting and greatly respects Ash's Corphish, and together they repelled Team Rocket, who were trying to eat Clauncher's claws. Due to being captured so late in the series, Clauncher doesn't get much screen time so its true potential is truly unknown but promising.

6 Staryu provided valuable support

First appearance: Pokémon Indigo League, “Clefairy and the Moon Stone”

Staryu is another Pokémon that Misty has had since before the start of the series, making it one of her oldest companions. Staryu was often one of Misty's sought-after Pokémon early on, and she used it to great effect in her gym battle with Ash, where it defeated his Butterfree. Staryu is often used in situations where its swimming power is needed, like with Goldeen, and when additional water power is needed to fight fires.

However, Staryu's usefulness begins to wane as Misty acquires more Pokémon, as her newer water-type Pokémon can largely do the same job as Staryu. Although Staryu maintains speed that many of Misty's other Pokémon do not, it is not enough to keep it as her top choice, and Staryu eventually finds herself outclassed..

5 Corsola is incredibly powerful

First appearance: Pokémon Gold and Silver, “A Corsola Caper!”

Corsola is Misty's only new Pokémon in the Johto region, but it proves to be a great choice to pick one up. Misty captures Corsola with a unique Lure Ball, making it stand out from the other Pokémon in her collection. Misty tells Corsola to act quickly, fighting it in the Whirl Cup not long after capturing it. There, Corsola won a few battles, even defeating Gyarados, but was ultimately unable to give Misty a big victory.

Corsola won the majority of battles it participated in, making it a surprisingly powerful Pokémon on Misty's team.. Corsola has been with Misty for a long time, appearing with her in Alola. Its Rock-typing makes it a valuable addition to her team, providing a bit of diversification, though as a result it has a major weakness to the field.

4 Psyduck holds great power… Sometimes

First appearance: Pokémon Indigo League, “Hypno's Naptime”

Psyduck is probably Misty's most iconic Pokémon after Togepi, although she won't be happy to hear that. Psyduck accidentally acquired it and Misty often lamented possessing it early on. Misty frequently appears frustrated with Psyduck and its inability to use its extraordinary psychic powers on demand, but these powers often appear exactly when they are needed most, providing some victory for Misty.

Although Misty initially disliked Psyduck, she grew to love it and kept it on her team until Aim became a Pokémon Master. Psyduck likes to pop out of his own bubble, often for comedic effect. Psyduck's psychic powers are actually quite strong, but it can only use them when it has a severe headache, making it quite unreliable.

3 Starmie packs a punch

First appearance: Pokémon Indigo League, “The Water Flowers of Cerulean City”

As the last of the three Pokémon with which Misty begins the series, Starmie is often Misty's strongest Pokémon, saved for occasions when that power is called upon. Admittedly, Starmie's on-screen performance isn't that great; it was defeated by Pidgeotto in a battle at Ash's gym, and in another episode was smashed so hard that the gem in its center shattered. One problem Starmie faces is that when Misty wants to call it out, Psyduck often appears, forcing Misty to use Psyduck against her wishes.

Like Goldeen and Staryu, Starmie is often used for its ability to swim at high speeds, helping the party when needing to cross water or even escape a sinking ship. Starmie is exceptionally fast underwater, but has never consistently demonstrated that speed in battle.

2 Politoed was a pleasant surprise

First appearance (as Poliwag): Pokémon Adventures in the Orange Islands, “The Stun Spore Detour”

Misty first encountered her Poliwag in the Orange Islands, where it helped collect a special underwater plant needed to relieve Ash and Tracey's symptoms from a Stun Spore attack. It evolved while fighting Ash's Bulbasaur to see who would keep Totodile, but it lost after evolving. It also helps Misty win the fishing competition when the score is tied making everything a battle and fights for Misty in the Whirl Cup alongside Corsola.

It accidentally evolved into Politoed, but Misty was still satisfied with the situation. Perhaps most notably, Politoed defeated Ash's Corphish after Ash won the World Coronation Series, ending his long winning streak. Politoed is Misty's extremely trustworthy companion and for a long time was probably her strongest.

1 Gyarados is Misty's strongest

First appearance: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, “Cerulean Blues”

Misty meets Gyarados after it has newly evolved and is on a rampage at the Cerulean Gym. Misty is very afraid of Gyarados due to her experiences as a child, but has no choice but to deal with this Gyarados to prevent the gym from closing permanently. Misty gained its trust and returned it to the Poké Ball, from then on claiming it as her own. Gyarados doesn't shine too much because Misty gets it after she ends her role as the main character.

That is, until Misty reappeared in Sun & Moon, where it was revealed that Misty has the ability to Mega Evolve her Gyarados. Mega Gyarados proved to be a tough opponent for Pikachu, and although Pikachu ultimately won, it still made for a tough battle.. Gyarados then Mega Evolved again, this time to defeat Team Rocket. While Gyarados may be one of Misty's less seen Pokémon, it's clear that she relied heavily on it once she acquired it, and its Mega Evolution ability ensures that Gyarados is Misty's strongest Pokémon.