Ash's Muk

Ash's Muk (Japanese: サトシのベトベトン Satoshi's Betbeton) was the ninth that   in the Kanto region, and his tenth overall.

Kanto
In Sparks Fly for Magnemite, Ash and were traveling through Gringey City, which was in the midst of a power failure. The local power plant was being overrun by the mysterious. After the swarm was located, the Grimer's leader, a Muk, came and challenged the Trainers. However, the vast numbers of and  in the city combined attacks to clear out the Grimer, leaving only Muk. With the aid of and a  that was following it due to an electrical build up, Ash defeated and captured the Muk. It was then immediately sent to Oak's lab because its stench was so rancid that it could seep through the Poké Ball. However, Muk's horrid smell seemed to have disappeared in later episodes as neither Ash, nor anyone around him, was affected by it.

Muk appeared later in Showdown at the Po-ké Corral when Ash,, , and visited Professor Oak's Laboratory. Muk's first battle was in The Fourth Round Rumble, where it was selected for use in the Indigo Plateau Conference. After Jeanette Fisher's high-level had trounced  and, Muk made a surprise appearance as Ash's third Pokémon. Muk easily absorbed Bellsprout's physical moves and and then simply smothered Bellsprout with Body Slam, winning the match for Ash.

Orange Islands
Muk was briefly called in The Mystery Menace, where Ash used Muk to help him and find Misty,, and , who was kidnapped by a giant  in a sewer. Muk and also offered to fight for Ash in the Orange Island Championship battle against  in Hello, Pummelo!, but Ash chose  instead. Muk was reunited with Ash when he returned home in A Tent Situation. Muk insisted on fighting Team Rocket, and Ash ordered it into battle instead of choosing Bulbasaur. Muk managed to resist attacks from James's, and stopped Victreebel's  from working. 's was even less effective, wiping Muk's face ineffectively to the point of causing pleasure instead of damage. It was then put to sleep by, but awoke after Gary intervened and drove Team Rocket away.

Johto
Muk appeared in A Farfetch'd Tale, where it crowded into Ash's screen with Kingler, Tauros and to wish him luck for his next Gym battle with Whitney.

Muk's only other major battle was when Ash called it up from Oak's Lab in Can't Beat the Heat!, along with Tauros, Snorlax and in order to fight  in the Silver Conference. It was sent out originally to fight, and the two fought to a stalemate, with Muk's Sludge Bomb deflected by and Blastoise's physical attacks absorbed into Muk's body. Ash pulled Muk for his quickly after. It was sent out to fight later, who dodged a Sludge Bomb easily. Muk absorbed both and, but Scizor was able to throw Muk using the latter attack, ultimately defeating it with.

Muk made an appearance in Showdown at the Oak Corral, where it was seen crushing Cassidy, Butch, and all of the stolen Poké Balls. It was also seen crushing Tracey when he opened the door to Oak's Lab for.

Muk appeared in The Right Place and the Right Mime when Ash returned to Pallet Town. It greeted Professor Birch with its usual friendliness.

Muk reappeared in An Old Family Blend!, at Professor Oak's lab, and then it was transferred to Ash for a brief reunion. Muk was not seen participating in the Lily of the Valley Conference.

Muk has made brief appearances in New Places... Familiar Faces! and Farewell, Unova! Setting Sail for New Adventures!, smothering Professor Oak while Ash was calling him from Professor Juniper's laboratory.

Muk was reunited with Ash in The Dream Continues!, where it and the rest of Ash's Pokémon posed in a group photo with him.

Muk reappeared in Alola, Kanto!, in which it was sent out of its Poké Ball so it could be compared with its Alola Form. It immediately smothered Ash upon seeing him.

Muk reappeared in SM111, joining Professor Oak in observing the data about that  sent to him.

Personality and characteristics
Ash's Muk is an extremely happy and affectionate Pokémon. It grew an attachment in particular to and as a recurring gag, it would always smother the Professor whenever Ash would make a call to the lab. This was first seen twenty episodes after its capture, in Who Gets To Keep Togepi?. Muk tackled Professor Oak in excitement in Showdown at the Po-ké Corral, when Oak explained that Muk and had become just like him from its long period of living with him. Muk's affection also extends to his Trainer, second in enthusiasm only to, despite only having fought for him on three occasions. Muk obligingly crushes Ash in excitement whenever Ash returns to the lab or summons it to his party. Its affection also extends to complete strangers, as was seen when it completely ignored Jessie's Lickitung in order to hug her, also smothering James's Victreebel in excitement. It also smothered Professor Birch upon meeting him in The Right Place and the Right Mime.

Its affection even extends to antagonists, as seen both in the aforementioned encounter with Jessie and James, and also in a special episode, Showdown at the Oak Corral, when it actually appeared sad that drove Butch and Cassidy away. As Professor Oak said to Jessie, Muk loves humans, and it is not very particular to which kind.

Muk differs from most of Ash's other Pokémon in that it is a defensive Pokémon, with a low attack power and very few moves used across its entire time on the show. It has never been shown to be damaged by a physical attack, with its opponents' moves always absorbed by its odd body type. Despite being quite powerful and good in battle, it has only ever defeated one opponent, Bellsprout (it was put to sleep by Victreebel and knocked out against Gary without a win).

Moves used

 * In the English dub of A Tent Situation, Ash commanded Muk to use . In the original Japanese version, he simply called Muk by its name.

In the Ash & Pikachu manga
Muk only appeared on the scoreboard in One Half Of A Poké Ball.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Ash caught Muk off-screen in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. He later used it as his last Pokémon is his battle against Jeanette in Welcome to the Big Leagues. Jeanette's had no chances of using its techniques against Muk's slimy body, and Ash won the battle.

Trivia

 * Muk is Ash's only Pokémon in the Egg Group.
 * The is the only series in which Muk has not appeared.
 * Out of all the Pokémon that Ash has obtained in their evolved forms, Muk is the one he has owned the longest.
 * In, a game highly based on the anime, Muk can be found while walking in the , making a direct reference to Ash's Muk, which was also found in a power plant.

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