Ash's most interesting Pokémon were always the ones that you wouldn't imagine a main character having. Like okay, you got the starters and regional bird and Pikachu, whatever. But like
>Muk, Krabby/Kingler, Primeape, and Tauros in Kanto
>Heracross and Phanpy/Donphan in Johto
>Torkoal, Corphish, Glalie, and Aipom in Hoenn
>Gligar/Gliscor and Gible in Sinnoh
>Palpitoad, Roggenrola/Boldore, Scraggy, and Sandile/Krokorok/Krookodile in Unova
>Hawlucha, Goomy/Sliggoo/Goodra, and Noibat/Noivern in Kalos
They would have been cooler fully evolved too. Like imagine Ash with Crawdaunt, Seismitoad, Gigalith, and Scrafty. I don't know about Garchomp because while I think Garchomp is really cool, it's probably more interesting that he had a Gible. That's why I'm a little hesitant to count Goodra and Noivern, because giving Ash fully evolved Dragon Pokémon seems more marketable. But the idea that he could have had a Larvitar that became a Tyranitar is interesting because it's not a Dragon.
Ash getting a Gengar would have been cooler in the early anime when Gengar didn't have the iconography it does now. But giving him Pikachu, Gengar, and Dragonite on one team just seems kind of uninteresting. Might as well bring back Charizard, Snorlax, and Lapras too for maximum marketing.
