Twenty-five years ago, a young, enthusiastic Pokémon Trainer set off on a journey that would change the world. Over the course of his adventures to become a Pokémon master, Ash Ketchum traversed eight Pokémon regions, battled anyone who would accept the challenge, and made lifelong friends. As his long and memorable journey winds down with the final 12 episodes of Pokémon the Series—titled “To Be a Pokémon Master”—available on Netflix starting September 8, 2023, it’s time to pay homage to the people and Pokémon that helped him along the way. Here are 10 of Ash’s most iconic traveling companions over the last 25 years.

Mallow

Battling takes center stage over much of the animated series. It is, after all, Ash’s favorite pastime. So, the opportunity to see Ash’s friends discover new, exciting ways to connect with Pokémon is as refreshing as a cool glass of Pinap juice on a hot Alola day. Mallow is one of a handful of Ash’s fellow students at the Pokémon School on Melemele Island, and her passion for cooking allows us to explore the colorful, rich region of Alola as she sources ingredients and develops new recipes. Mallow’s connection to Pokémon is so strong that even skeptical Meowth is persuaded of her skill after watching her cook for and serve a variety of Pokémon over the course of a day at Oranguru’s café (“A Recipe for Success!”). Without Mallow, we would never learn about Poni Island radishes (“That’s Some Spicy Island Research!”) or know that you can earn a Grassium Z by serving a delicious burger to a guardian deity. Mallow might never win a Pokémon League Championship, but she understands how to take care of Pokémon and people alike, and she helps make the Alola seasons some of the most colorful and fun episodes in the long history of the animated series.

Dawn

Some characters struggle to discover their destiny, but Dawn grew up knowing she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. The confident Pokémon Coordinator from Sinnoh’s Twinleaf Town is determined to be a Top Coordinator. With her stubborn Piplup at her side, she’s committed to making her dream a reality. Over the course of following her dream, Dawn can also be credited with showing Pokémon fans the close relationship between Pokémon battles and Pokémon Contest performances. She regularly dreams up wildly whimsical moves like Flame Ice (“Double-Time Battle Training!”), Ice Aqua Jet (“A Stand-Up Sit-Down!”), and Ice Chandelier (“Opposites Interact!”), some of which Ash later uses in his own battles. Ash and Dawn even trade Pokémon after Buizel reveals a preference for battles and Aipom for performing (“Throwing the Track Switch”). While Pokémon Journeys is undeniably focused on Pokémon battles—those being Ash’s chief interest—Dawn’s quest shows us another and markedly fun side of the Pokémon world.

Clemont

When we first met Clemont, he’s been ousted from the Lumiose City Gym—which he presides over as Gym Leader—by his own creation, Clembot (“Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!”). And while this does delay Ash’s plans to challenge the Gym at Lumiose City, it’s also one of the most hilarious predicaments any of Ash’s friends find themselves in over the course of the entire series. We also learn something important about Clemont: he’s first and foremost a scientist, with the catchphrase “the future is now, thanks to science!” to prove it. Sure, Clemont’s wildly imaginative inventions often don’t work, but they offer a fun parallel to Team Rocket’s own mechas. Another thing that distinguishes Clemont is that he’s a character who is content to exist outside the spotlight, supporting his friends as they pursue their dreams. And of all the long-awaited battles, Clemont and Ash’s showdown at the Lumiose City Gym is well worth the wait (“The Moment of Lumiose Truth!”). They’ve traveled together for quite some time and are familiar with each other’s battle styles and Pokémon, which makes for an electrifying match.

Kiawe

Most of Ash’s companions are on their own journeys, making it rare to get a glimpse of life at home. Fire-type Pokémon Trainer and aspiring island kahuna Kiawe is an exception to that, and what we see of his life on his parents’ farm on Akala Island makes us respect his work ethic and passion for Pokémon. His list of daily chores is lengthy and physically demanding, and he spends his nights training his Pokémon (“Young Kiawe Had a Farm!”). All to live up to the example set by his grandfather, a former island kahuna from whom Kiawe inherited his first Pokémon Charizard and a Z-Ring. In a series full of unique characters and settings, Kiawe offers a distinctive perspective and background, focused on tradition, family, and honor.

Brock

While many characters in the Pokémon world stand out for their grandiose dreams, Brock distinguishes himself by innumerable humble acts of service. Despite taking on the role of Gym Leader in Pewter City, Brock favors caring for Pokémon over battling with them, and there’s a quiet and noble heroism in this. Throughout his travels with Ash and Misty, he sets up camp, cooks for his human and Pokémon friends, and cares for the Pokémon. He even maintains necessary supplies like Potions, ingredients, and maps. And he does it all so quietly, without any demand for appreciation, that when he falls sick (“Sick Daze”) and these tasks fall to Misty and Ash, they’re quickly overwhelmed. While Brock’s amorous overtures were certainly a swing and a miss for everyone involved, it’s impossible to overlook his enduring impact on Ash as a Trainer and the animation as a whole.

Greninja

Ash’s Pokémon do incredible things during their time together, but only one Pokémon merges forms with Ash: Greninja. From the very beginning, Froakie shows itself to be a unique Pokémon. It rejects several Trainers, determined to find the best Trainer so it could become as strong as possible (“Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!”). And after witnessing and even participating in several battles with Team Rocket, Froakie chooses Ash (“Lumiose City Pursuit!”). We get to see several Pokémon choose their Trainers throughout the series, and it’s always a special moment. Ash and Froakie train until it achieves its final Evolution, and their shared commitment to being the very best may be what triggers this final and previously unknown transformation: a merging of Trainer and Pokémon known as Ash-Greninja (“A Festival of Decisions!”). Even Kalos region Champion Diantha is impressed and surprised by this new form. From a tiny Froakie in a pond filled with other Froakie to battling in the Lumiose Conference (“A League of His Own!”) to helping to save Kalos from Lysandre (“A Towering Takeover!”), Ash’s Greninja evolves in more ways than anyone ever thought possible.

Serena

It’s easy to underestimate Serena at the beginning of Pokémon the Series: XY (“Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!”). She doesn’t seem to have a dream beyond meeting up with a boy she met once and was subsequently infatuated with, and her skills as a Rhyhorn racer are lackluster at best. But Serena undergoes one of the most comprehensive transformations of any character in the animation—human or Pokémon. Unlike many characters who follow in their parents’ footsteps, she rejects her mother’s insistence that she become a Rhyhorn racer, discovering her own path and dream as a Pokémon Performer (“Day Three Blockbusters!”). And she works hard, earning the admiration and respect of her peers and rivals. When it comes to her friendship with Ash, Serena’s allegiance is absolute. In one of the most notable moments in the entire series, Serena disguises herself as Ash and battles a rock guitarist named Jimmy and his Pikachu when Ash is too sick to accept the challenge himself (“Battling at Full Volume!”). It’s an incredible moment that showcases Serena’s skills in battle as well as her knowledge of Ash, who is obviously incredibly important to her.

Charizard

Ash catches and trains many memorable Pokémon over the course of his journeys, but Charizard’s intense emotional arcs are unforgettable. From its cruel abandonment as a young Charizard (“Charmander–The Stray Pokémon”), its defiance and eventual loyalty to Ash, their separation as it trains in the Charicific Valley (“Charizard’s Burning Ambition”), and their many reunions every time Ash returns to Pallet Town, Charizard’s journey burns brightly in the hearts of Pokémon fans. And the evolution of Ash and Charizard’s relationship highlights the complicated beauty of humanity’s relationship with Pokémon.

Misty

As the first non-Pokémon friend Ash meets on his journey, Misty is an icon in her own right. Sure, her friendship with Ash started out rocky—which seems to be a theme for Ash—as she famously fishes him and Pikachu out of a river after Ash jumps in to escape a flock of attacking Spearows (“Pokémon—I Choose You!”). It’s Misty that alerts Ash to the existence of a Pokémon Center where Ash can heal his Pokémon and Ash repays this information by “borrowing” and wrecking her bike. It’s an unlikely and highly memorable start to an epic friendship. But Misty isn’t just Ash’s friend. She’s the Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym. An aspiring Water-type Pokémon Master. A sister. An occasional mermaid. And it’s impossible to imagine the Pokémon world without her.

Pikachu

It’s so obvious that it probably doesn’t need to be said, but Pikachu is and always will be the best friend Ash ever had. No matter how great the challenge, we always knew Ash wouldn’t be alone because his partner Pokémon would be at his side. The fact that they got off to a rocky start thanks to Ash’s inexperience as a young Trainer causing Pikachu to defy him just serves to highlight how far they’ve come.

Don’t forget to watch the final 12 episodes of Ash and Pikachu’s journey—“To Be a Pokémon Master”—on Netflix on September 8, 2023. And to all the fans of this incredible journey that took us all so far and taught us so much, remember that good friendships last forever, even though friends don’t always stay together.