The bonds made between Pokémon trainers and their Pokémon are a core part of the games explored in almost every generation. There are many standout trainer-Pokémon pairs in the games throughout the years, from Red & Blue all the way to Sword & Shield.
Among those pairs, some are especially memorable. The most memorable pairs in the games usually come from plot relevance, an exciting battle, or the legacy the team left behind in the Pokémon community. These trainers prove that you don't have to catch 'em all, one special partner is enough.
Whitney & Miltank
The Normal-type gym leader of Goldenrod city is an infamous sore loser and childish trainer. However, she's mostly known for her ace Pokémon: Miltank.
Even for those that aren't die-hard Pokémon fans, Whitney's Miltank is a battle of legend among any gaming circle. The Pokémon's stats are very high for that point in the game, and there are few early game counters to its rollout spam. Misty and Miltank don't do much in the story, but the battle on its own is iconic.
Marnie & Morpeko
Marnie is by far one of the most popular characters in Sword & Shield. The young woman has her own rabid team of fans in the games: Team Yell. Marnie and her signature Morpeko are the trainer's first opponent in the Champion's Cup.
While the characters are iconic and play a big role in the story, Marnie & Morpeko aren't necessarily the hardest battle in the games. Marnie's Gigantamaxed Grimmsnarl is the real threat, but Morpeko is her true partner and mascot Pokémon in the same way that Pikachu is for Ash and Red.
Mirror B. & Ludicolo
Colosseum and Gale of Darkness were hidden gems for many players, and they've been heavily requested for a remake or sequel. The breakout star villain of both games, Mirror B and his many Ludicolo, are accompanied by one of the best battle themes in the entire franchise.
Mirror B's role in Colosseum is the first major boss battle in the series. In Gale of Darkness, he's one of the final postgame battles possible, allowing players to catch Shadow Dragonite if they can get through his team of 5 high-level Ludicolo. Arguably no other trainer in the series is so obsessed with using a single Pokémon, which is why Mirror B. and Ludicolo danced their way into players' hearts.
It's no secret that Steven Stone is one of the most beloved champions in the games. Pokémon Emerald even gave Steven and his Metagross the "secret finals boss" treatment that only Red had been given previously.
Steven and his Metagross are more than just a tough boss battle. Steven helps the player throughout the entire series, and Steven even gives the player a Beldum postgame so that they can have their very own Metagross. The pair is beloved, important in the story, and serves as the biggest boss of many different games.
Leon & Charizard
The fan-favorite fire starter Charizard has been associated with Red throughout much of the game's history, but Champion Leon's Gigantimaxed Charizard is one of the most iconic pairings in the series.
Leon is almost never seen without his Charizard in the games and the Pokémon is often used as the very symbol of Leon's status as the unbeatable champion. Not only do the two help out the trainer immensely in the story, but the final battle against them is one of the more memorable champion fights in the franchise.
Cynthia & Garchomp
Cynthia is arguably the best champion to this day and her Garchomp is the ace of her incredibly strong and well-balanced team. Many teams have been wiped completely by Cynthia's Garchomp, and its power was ramped up even further in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Cynthia has a lot to do with the story. She can be seen constantly helping players with their early game struggles and even aids them with the Giratina conflict in Platinum. The only drag on the iconic pair compared to others is that the Garchomp itself doesn't have much story significance. It is, however, an iconic boss battle.
Gladion & Silvally
Three Ultra Beast killing Pokémon named "Type: Null" were created, deemed a failure, and sealed away. One of those three "Type: Null" was rescued by Sun and Moon antagonist Lusamine's son: Gladion. The two bonded deeply throughout the games, and Type: Null evolved into Sylvally.
Gladion and his Silvally were a major part of the story, serving as one of the player's main rivals and closest allies throughout the generation. The battles against Gladion are also no joke: his Sylvally is specifically equipped to counter the player's starter Pokémon, making Gladion feel like the true final rival battle.
N & Zekrom/Reshiram
Often, one of the two box art legendaries in each generation is never seen by the player. However, Black and White had Zekrom and Reshiram facing off in a climactic battle, with the opposite dragon used by the person who defeated Champion Alder and was Team Plasma's King: N.
After plenty of battles against the player early in the games, N's reveal as the pseudo-champion fight is the best since Blue's champion reveal in the first generation. The battle is potentially very difficult, and N's legendary dragon is no joke. N and his dragon return as major players in Black 2 and White 2 as well, making him and Reshiram/Zekrom one of the most impactful duos in the series.
Red & Pikachu
Red remains to this day the strongest possible trainer battle in of levels, and his Pikachu in Heart Gold and Soul Silver is the highest leveled Pokémon on his team at level 88.
While much of what makes Red's Pikachu so iconic is the relation to Ash's Pikachu from the anime, there's still so much to the Red fight outside of anime influence. Players get to face their own player character from the first generation, wielding all four possible first-generation starters: Venusaur, Blastoise, Charizard, and Pikachu from Yellow version. Defeating Red is a symbol that the player has sured the trainer they were in the previous generation, and his level 88 Pikachu is the final send-off.
Lillie & Nebby
If there was ever a trainer that made the protagonist feel like a minor character in their own story, it would be Lillie. The central plot of Sun and Moon revolves completely around Lillie and the strange Cosmog she's nicknamed Nebby.
After Cosmog evolves into Lunala or Solgaleo, it eventually becomes the trainer's most powerful teammate. However, Nebby always feels like Lillie's Pokémon even after ing the player character's party. They may not be part of some grand boss battle like the other iconic pairs, but that's part of what makes them so special. Lillie and Nebby are the protagonist's greatest allies throughout the entire game and the cornerstone of the Alolan storyline.
