Pokémon - the gift that keeps on giving. Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures joined forces to birth The Pokémon Company, a Japanese organization that controls the licensing and marketing of the media franchise. While Nintendo is the sole owner of the Pokémon trademark, each entity owns a copyright share and contributes to creating one of the most beloved properties in history. Whether talking about the games or TV series, Pokémon is engrained in our collective conscious. During the late '90s, Ash and Pikachu were inescapable; and, somehow, the anime is still on the air! How? Is it thanks to Nintendo's popular games? Or, is Ash just that charming?

No, Pokémon's protagonist is about as alluring as a wet rag. If push comes to shove, Ash's companions are probably the only reason the anime has a following. The side-characters tend to actually have a personality, with some going through quite a bit of character development in their respective seasons. Ash is pretty much anime's version of James Bond, with a string of Pokémon girls who are dropped by the wayside for the next candidate. Was there a single '90s kid who did not have a crush on Misty? Or Dawn? How about May? Okay, we all know that Jessie was the best girl, but she does not qualify for this article.

25 We Choose Water

Alongside Brock, Misty was the first partner to join Ash on his adventure to become a Pokémon champion. At the striking age of 10, she was already accomplished enough to be crowned the Cerulean Gym Leader. She specialized in Water-type Pokémon and handed Ash his second badge. The character's age and cute design made her an instant hit with audiences, and she is probably the most iconic girl trainer in the series. Dandonfuga aged the Gym Leader by a significant number of years and altered the design to compliment a more Western and modern aesthetic. The artist loves to interpret popular anime and cartoon girls, with One Piece's Nico Robin and Teen Titans' Starfire featuring on her Deviant Art page. It should go without saying, but Misty is way too good for Ash.

24 The Greatest Show(wo)man

Going against your family's wishes can be a daunting task. What if they are heartbroken? Or, even worse, what if they were right? Tasked with following in her mother's Pokémon Racer footsteps, Serena rebelled by joining Ash on his mission to become a trainer. Unfortunately, the young girl just did not have the passion or resolve to follow-through on this goal. Thankfully, Serena soon discovered her true calling.

Step aside, P.T. Barnum!

Serena dedicated herself to the performance arts and started training as a Pokémon Performer. Xdtopsu01's stunning picture is a perfect example of how to translate beauty into a digital medium. Serena's individuality is present for everyone to see and she has the allure and personality required to dominate a stage.

23 Dawn Is Confident For A Reason

Following Misty and May, Dawn appeared on the scene with a ton of energy and confidence in her own ability. She offered a middle-ground between her two predecessors, matching Misty's confidence while occasionally demonstrating that she has a sensitive side. Also, when it comes to the girls' fashion sense, Dawn lands at the top of the pile. From her cool beanie to those long boots, she never missed a beat.

Clearly, she has aged well.

At times, Pokémon makes it challenging to decipher the cast's age. Misty and May felt older than 10-years-old, but Dawn was the first to look and act appropriately. Jadenkaiba's Deviant Art profile is packed with drawings related to the popular anime, but the author's depictions of Dawn are jaw-droppingly amazing. She oozes charisma and confidence.

22 Out On The Prowl

While May and Misty came across as older than their age, there is no doubt that Bonnie does not. Putting aside her petite physical appearance, the trainer's innocent and cheerful personality juxtapositions well with her brother's jaded demeanor. Bonnie spends the majority of her time trying to find a wife for Clemont, who is too preoccupied with his inventions to properly socialize. These moments are generally played for laughs and they tend to land. Whether she found a wife for her brother or not, Fallere825's Bonnie should have guys lining up to pop the question. Her sporty clothes are quite a departure from the anime's overly girlish design, but Bonnie easily pulls it off. Amazingly, the trainer's silly hairstyle works for a child and an adult.

21 The Season Of Giving

Out of all the girls, May faced the biggest hurdle. Misty was a beloved and popular character; so, her replacement needed to knock it out of the park. Thankfully, May was a great addition to the anime. We might poke fun at Pokémon's rotating cast of girlfriends, but the writers did a decent job of differentiating them. Thankfully, it never felt like they were just there for fan-service.

May was a sweetheart who lacked confidence in her own abilities. During her time with Ash and Brock, the young trainer learned to trust in herself and showed quite a bit of character development. K4GeTa's holiday-themed fan art depicts May as a bringer of joy for teenagers around the world. Saint Nicholas has nothing on this Pokémon trainer.

20 Always In Your Pocket

Pokémon GO's main selling point hinges on bringing the franchise to the real world. For the first time ever, we are the trainers catching Pokémon. As a game, GO has more than a few issues, but there is a certain charm to the experience. Upon release, everyone and their mothers were playing it.

Pokémon was cool again!

Despite offering an opportunity to have your own real adventure, Pokémon GO came packaged with avatars. Okay, this feels counterintuitive, but a few good things did come out of this creative decision. HuiJie's art is one of them. The mobile game has some of the blandest protagonists in the franchise's history, which is saying quite a lot, but their costumes are fantastic. In this case, she looks perfect.

19 Who Does Not Remember Their First?

In terms of appearances, Serena was the sixth girl to accompany Ash on his adventure, as she joined the team during the XY series. Speaking chronologically, years prior to the events of the first episode, Ash met Serena during a Pokémon Bootcamp managed by Professor Oak. Serena predates Misty by quite a bit of time. The charming girl was quirky, likable, and relatable. Unsure of what she wanted to do with herself, Serena rebelled against her mother before realizing that her heart belonged to the arts. While Serena's design was changed half-way through the season, a rarity for any cartoon, MissNewday's adult version is probably too far out there for the anime. Hopefully, one day, we will get a Pokémon season set in the distant future; then, and only then, Serena might be allowed to strut her stuff.

18 A New (And Better) Day

After concluding the Original and Advanced Generation series, it was time to bring it a new feminine face to compliment Ash's unrelenting drive and Brock's humor. With Misty and May both done and dusted, Diamond & Pearl introduced the Pokémon Coordinator Dawn, who tagged along for Ash's journey across Sinnoh. She was pretty much the direct opposite of her predecessor, May, as Dawn was brimming with confidence in her own ability.

Also, a loss results in waterworks. 

KurumiErika took the 10-year-old girl and gracefully aged her into adulthood. Dawn has not lost her sense of style or confidence, and the art is a great match for her character. If someone told us this picture was taken from a recent season of Pokémon, we would believe them.

17 Shoe Laces Should Not Be This Cute

Rosa is Pokémon Black 2 and White 2's female playable character. Due to her role in the RPG, she only makes a cameo appearance in the anime's trailer for the adapted series. Mei, which is her Japanese name, does not really have much of a personality. Her purpose in life is to serve as an avatar for the gamer. The real world can be rather boring or frustrating; so, we will seek out happiness in Unova. Nintendo's games can offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, meaning fans spend more time with Rosa than most of the girls who appear in the anime. MissNips' pays homage to the quiet avatar with a stunning recreation that echoes the source material while adding a tiny bit of spice.

16 (Worst) Mum Of The Year

Pokémon Sun and Moon managed to truly shake things up for the franchise. Nintendo's RPG series was still going strong, but they had really run the formula into the ground. By the time X and Y were released, the only real selling point was the new creatures available to catch. Obviously, that remains the main reason to try out the games, but it was cool to follow a storyline that does not center on collecting badges. The Aether Foundation exists to preserve Pokémon, although Lusamine - their leader - is far from a great person. In the anime, her personality was actually changed to match her positive public image. While Lusamine is a mother and an adult, her design always felt closer to that of a teenager. CentaurHillZone's version ages the character just enough to improve the overall design. Finally, we buy her as an adult.

15 The Champion We Deserve

Some people can just do it all. Diantha is not only a world-famous actress, but the attractive women is a renowned Pokémon trainer and Kalos region's Pokémon League Champion. She is a nearly unstoppable opponent who formed an unbreakable bond with her team. Diantha does not even need to speak in battle, as a single look is enough for Gardevoir to understand what is expected of her.

Incredibly, Ash almost defeated Diantha.

Besides choosing a fantastic name, ViViVooVoo brought Diantha into the limelight, as the Champion is far from one of the most popular characters in the fan art community. She just does not appear enough to foster a lasting connection with the viewer. Like her anime counterpart, Diantha is powerful and demands respect.

14 Enter Elesa, Electrifying Fan Art!

As a gym leader specializing in electric type Pokémon, Elesa's entire design caters towards her reason for existing within the world. A quick glance at her yellow dress and blonde hair instantly prepares Ash for the upcoming battle. While not handing out badges, Elesa produces and participates in modeling shows.

She buzzes with energy.

Southern-Panda presents the Gym Leader as a somewhat shy and tame person, with a quiet and subdued demeanor. Anyway, that is the vibe received from this drawing. In the anime, Elesa was anything but shy. On the other hand, the artist got her design spot on. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 altered her appearance, including a completely different hairstyle, but blonde Elesa will always be the best.

13 A Wild Misty Appears!

In the Japanese anime, the cast was obviously named differently from the English version. Satoshi was changed to Ash and Kasumi was dropped in favor of Misty. As the anime took place in an alternate universe and was not set in Japan; therefore, it made sense to update the names to better suit the new translation. Nishi06 jumps forward more than a decade and paints a picture of a confused Misty who just happened to unexpectedly run into Ash and Brock. Clearly, she has no clue how to react to seeing her old friends for the first time in years. How do the older Ash and Brock look? Well, that is an entry for another day. Anyway, Kasumi is the one that demands our attention. Misty seems to be going through a punk phase, almost like she joined Pokémon's version of Josie and the Pussycats.

12 Even Bit Part Players Deserve Their Moment In The Sun

Temporarily putting aside Pokémon's main girls, the anime and games have a pretty extensive cast that expands into the thousands. Most episodes introduce a new face, with some coming back for future episodes. In comparison to Misty or May, Lyra only plays a small role in the Pokémon story. She made her debut during the Diamond & Pearl series and earned a recurring role. Also, the young trainer takes an active interest in Mr. Ketchum and asks whether he is dating Dawn. She likes Ash's spontaneity.

No, she was not being sarcastic.

Virus-g deserves praise for highlighting a largely forgotten character from Pokémon's history. If nothing else, Lyra's hat should be studied and re-produce in the real world. That is simply too stylish for an animated character.

11 Always On The GO

Pokémon GO took the mobile and gaming world by storm. Looking back, there really was no way the app could fail. If someone is in their 20s or early 30s, they probably grew up watching or playing Pokémon. If nothing else, the franchise managed to create a dedicated following who continue to return for future installments. Unlike Digimon Adventure, which takes a more personal approach to the storyline, Pokémon is all about catching 'em all. Ash is not the chosen one, he is a normal trainer and, if Pokémon's universe was real, the type of person we could be. While it can be a buggy mess, Pokémon GO offered fans an opportunity to live the dream. Also, the avatars are pretty darn attractive, fashionable, and athletic. Hey, in our dreams, we can be whoever we want and kein2002's avatar seems like a perfect match.

10 A Fairytale Ending

Amazingly, Hilda (or White) is plastered all over Deviant Art. Remember, this is a character who did not even warrant a preprogrammed name. Yet, here she is in all her fairytale glory. In the drawing's summary, Greenear77 expressed dissatisfaction at the final design, mostly due to Hilda coming across as older than intended. While the character seems too mature for a 14-years-old, the picture is borderline amazing. The hand-drawn style adds a certain whimsy and wonder to the character, especially with the swaying leaves in the background. Hilda's partners are adorable, although they pale in comparison to the trainer. She comes across as completely in control of her destiny, with a smile that can melt the coldest of hearts.

9 Dynasty Warriors 10: A New Dawn

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you - that is Pokémon's Dawn. Rojeru teleported the popular anime girl into a completely alien setting and gave her the tools to deal with the situation.

Dawn knows how to handle a spear.

The armor is fantastic. To be completely fair, Dawn is probably going to have a hard time in battle, as most of her body is exposed. On the other hand, if there is a fashion contest, she is a shoe-in for the top prize. Also, where is her hat? She feels incomplete without some type of helmet to replace her iconic beanie. Pushing Dawn to the side, the castle and background steal the show. Frankly, they are breathtaking and a work of art.

8 Abs Of Steel

Flannery's appearance lands a perfect 10/10. In general, anime knows how to draw their waifus, and Pokémon is hardly the odd one out. Yes, the majority of the cast has yet to start puberty, but quite a few develop feelings for Ash. Just imagine, Ash was the first crush for at least a dozen girls. He might never secure a Pokémon League victory, but the dude has won at life. Still, a girl has yet to appear who can pry Ash away from Pikachu.

Hopefully, the day never comes to pass.

Bathiel's Flannery demands to be the center of attention. She is relatively close to the design of the anime character, but there are a few differences. Flannery's cool expression translates to a more level-headed and mature trainer.

7 Rollerblades And Fan Art

Korrina wheeled into Ash's life during Pokémon X and Y.  With 98 consecutive victories, the trainer was on an unstoppable roll and challenged Ash to a battle. Before Ash could shout out Pikachu, Korrina unleashed Lucario and sealed her 99th win. Despite her limited screentime, Korrina played a significant part in the series, going as far as to unlock a Mega Evolution for her Lucario. She was a fun character who did not exist solely to compliment Ash.

Apparently, rollerblades are still a thing.

Korrina is present in the fan art community, but she is nowhere near as popular as some of the main girls. Mzrz aimed to fill that void and produces a gorgeous drawing with a colorful and detailed background. Korrina might be the picture's centerpiece, and she looks great, but the anime backdrop really enhances the image's overall quality.

6 Dawn's Mega Evolution

Fallere825 ran a cool themed series were poke girls went through a mega evolution. In general, it just meant they received the Big treatment and jumped forward a decade or two. Technically, Dawn is still the same age, but her physical potential has been realized. Examining the overall drawing, this is definitely one of the classier interpretations of the character. Putting aside her ridiculously short skirt, which would hide absolutely nothing if Dawn decides to pick up a pencil, the chosen dress is stylish and humble. Focusing on her physical features, there is a certain degree of realism to the overall design. She did not suddenly blossom into a curvy super-model who would need back-surgery by the time she is in her mid-20s. If anything, Dawn comes across as a middle-school teacher.