Nominate the most iconic Pokémon battle of all time!

I think the most iconic battle has to be between the Mew and Mewtwo and the Pokemon vs the clone Pokemon it was an epic fight but it was also fight that had a lot of meaning behind it and of course the moment where Ash gets turned to stone and the fighting stops had a big impact no one will forget that moment if you saw the movie.

In my opinion, the most iconic battle is Ash against Gary Oak in Episode 59, "The Ties That Bind".

This battle is memorable because Ash is finally facing a challenge he initiated 58 episodes ago. Gary has clearly been ahead all this time, putting in significant effort, while Ash has mostly relied on luck or help from friends. This episode highlights Ash's growth and determination.Here is a clip, but avoid watching if you’re trying to avoid spoilers.

https://youtu.be/AG4GSlMhGHs?feature=shared

For me I think the most iconic Pokémon Battle of all time is Pikachu vs Spearow. It’s one of the most famous first battles where Ash and Pikachu get attached by a flock of Spearows.

There’s hoards of Spearows about to attack him, and he looks like he’s about to get destroyed/murdered. At this point, Ash & Pikachu don’t really get along as they’ve just met. In a brave muster of courage Pikachu gathers enough electricity to send a shocking thunderbolt across all of the Spearows really highlighting how much Pikachu was willing to put itself on the line to protect their trainer .

Same as Paul I want to nominate Ash's very first PvP battle with another trainer: the iconic battle with Brock.

The reason I picked this fight is different - it focuses on character development, revealing Ash's true identity. Despite being over-optimistic, Ash resists taking the easy path even as the battle turns in his favor. This move was fundamental in building relationships between Ash, Brock, Misty, and most importantly, Pikachu. Trust built there lasted the whole series.

Status Quo? Whhaatttt?

My nomination is the battle between Ash and Gladion, which took place in the Pokemon Anime universe, IMO it is one of his greatest achievements, but this being said, it was also the point that the show changed forever, So with Ash winning the league and becoming a champion it proved that the writers wanted to put Ash more predominately in the series instead of "stuck in a loop" as the "small guy". It showed that Ash was ready for the bigger leagues.