Pokémon's slogan has always been "Gotta Catch 'Em All," and while that's more of a suggestion than a requirement in the anime, the spirit of it is still there. Ash Ketchum has met, befriended, and caught plenty of Pokémon of all shapes, sizes, and even typing across his long journey, and Normal-Type Pokémon are no exception.
While Normal-Type might not be the strongest or the most popular among the vast pool of Pokémon types, they can rise to the occasion with the right training and some of the ones Ash has caught have really come through in the toughest of battles.
10 Ash's First Normal-Type Was Pidgeotto, Who Later Evolved Into Pidgeot
Ash's first Normal-Type catch was actually pretty early on in his trainer career, as he came across a wild Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest. After a brief battle with Caterpie and Pikachu, Ash managed to catch the Flying/Normal-Type that ended up being his second catch overall.
While Pidgeotto didn't receive a whole lot of episodes focusing on it, it was a loyal member of Ash's original party for a long time. Eventually, it evolved into Pidgeot to save its fellow Pidgeys from a violent flock Spearow, led by an angry Fearow.
9 Ash Once Traded His Butterfree For A Raticate
The second normal type Ash has ever owned is one that's often overlooked, due to how briefly it was in Ash's care. While aboard the S.S. Anne, Ash wins a battle with a tuxedo-wearing trainer who's so impressed by Ash's Butterfree that he proposes to trade him his Raticate for it.
Ash accepts and trades Butterfree for the man's Raticate, but it's not long before Ash realizes how much he misses his Butterfree and goes to get him back. Raticate may not have been in Ash's party for very long, but it still counts as a Normal-Type that he's owned.
8 Ash Ended Up Catching A Whole Herd Of Tauros
The next Normal-Type that Ash ever caught was Tauros, though, he didn't just catch one. While taking some time in the Safari Zone, Ash tried to catch some new Pokémon, which he started by catching his first Tauros. However, as Ash tried to catch more Pokémon, the Tauros herd kept running in the way of his Poké Balls.
This cycle repeated itself for his entire stay at the Safari Zone and resulted in Ash catching thirty Tauros in all. Ash's Tauros have managed to make a few appearances here and there and at times have really come in handy during critical battles.
7 While On The Orange Islands, Ash Caught A Snorlax
Ash only caught himself a couple of Pokémon while he was in the Orange Archipelago, and one of them was another Normal-Type, Snorlax. Ash caught Snorlax to stop it from eating all the Seven Grapefruit Islands' fruits, which was quite the undertaking and required a little help from Jigglypuff.
Ash's Snorlax may be more interested in sleeping and eating than it is battling, but its laziness is matched by its raw strength, high defense, and impressive agility despite its large size. It may take time to wake up, but Ash's Snorlax has helped make the difference between winning and losing more than once.
6 Ash's Noctowl Was Also His First (And So Far Only) Shiny Pokémon
Impressively, Ash's next Normal-Type catch is also his first (and currently only) shiny Pokémon. While traveling the Johto Region, Ash came across Noctowl as it was outwitting a would-be Pokémon collector, but Ash eventually caught Noctowl himself when it challenged him to a battle.
On top of its unique colors, Ash's Noctowl is also smaller than the average Noctowl, but that hasn't made it any less reliable. With its keen eyesight, swiftness, and intelligence, Noctowl has been the center of some winning strategies for Ash, and its versatile move pool isn't too shabby either.
5 Ash Caught A Swellow In The Hoenn Region
Ash's first catch in the Hoenn Region ended up being a Taillow, another Flying/Normal-Type. Though stubborn, Taillow would end up being a trusty new addition to Ash's party thanks to its willpower and determination, and with time, it evolved into Swellow.
Ash's Swellow is a tough one, not one to give up on a battle and able to power through even super effective moves. It's also proven to be a quick, accurate, and agile flyer, making it a tough opponent to beat in an aerial battle.
4 Dawn's Aipom Was Originally Part Of Ash's Party
Just before he traveled to the Sinnoh Region, Ash caught himself a mischievous Aipom that later followed him onto the boat that was heading for the new region. For a time, Aipom stayed as a loyal part of Ash's team despite its troublemaking behavior, but eventually, it began to enjoy the idea of the contests Dawn was part of more than just battling.
Recognizing this, Ash traded Aipom to Dawn for her Buizel, who preferred battling over contests. This change seemed to suit Aipom and while in Dawn's care, it evolved into Ambipom.
3 Ash Trained His Starly All The Way Up Into Staraptor
With each new region, Ash often catches a Flying-Type as one of his first captures, many of which also end up being Normal-Types as well. One such example was his first catch in the Sinnoh Region, Starly. With Ash, Starly evolved into Staravia pretty quickly, becoming more hard-working and eager to battle all through its evolution into Staraptor.
Ash's Staraptor is always up for a battle and not afraid to try and master some powerful moves, like Brave Bird. It may be one of many Flying/Normal-Types Ash has caught, but that doesn't make Staraptor lesser by any means.
2 Ash's Pidove Evolved Into Tranquill And Then Unfezant
Ash continued the trend of catching a Flying/Normal-Type in the Unova Region with his first catch being a Pidove. Like others before it, Pidove ended up being a reliable and helpful member of Ash's party, though noticeably less confrontational than the others. Thankfully, that didn't stop it from getting stronger, as it evolved into Tranquill and later Unfezant.
Ash's Unfezant is confident, but also caring, and will try to help other Pokémon with their training. While it may not be the toughest, Unfezant's loyalty and compassion are its greatest strengths.
1 Ash's Fletchling Was A Flying And Normal-Type Before Evolving
While journeying across the Kalos Region, Ash's second catch ended up being the tiny bird Pokémon, Fletchling. Fletchling ended up being a little trickier to catch than its other fellow Flying/Normal-Types, initially beating Ash's Froakie thanks to its aerial prowess and resourcefulness, attributes that would serve Ash well when it joined him.
With Ash, Fletchling went from a troublemaker into a fierce and focused battler. It may have started out as a Flying/Normal-Type, but its evolution into Fletchinder and Talonflame made Fletchling drop the Normal typing in favor of being a Fire/Flying-Type.