The most recent episode of Pokemon: Ultimate Journeys made history not just for the series, but for the franchise and fans all over the world as Satoshi, known to English-speaking fans as Ash Ketchum, has finally earned himself the title of World Champion. The episode which premiered on Friday, November 11 in Japan was the climactic final bout of the Pokemon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament in which Ash faced off against Leon.
The moment marks the highest point in the character's 25-year journey towards becoming "the very best like no one ever was"; the achievement of what Ash set out to do in the very beginning of the series, and it is a huge moment in the history of the Pokemon franchise and in the lives of fans who have followed his journey from the beginning.
History is Made
Given that this comes at the end of the anime, the future of the Pokemon anime series, as well as the journey of Ash and Pikachu seems to be in question since he has finally achieved his ultimate dream of becoming the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world. Ash's opponent in the climactic final bout was Leon (known as Dande in Japan), partnered together with his Charizard. Fans will remember Leon as the champion of the Galar Region in Pokemon: Sword and Shield. Ash's achievement comes in after over 1200 episodes of the TV anime and 23 animated films have been released, a journey which first began in Pokemon: Indigo League, which began broadcast in 1997. The victory sees him claim the title of Monarch – officially the strongest Pokemon Trainer in the world.
Since then, the Pokemon animated franchise has spawned seven sequential anime series, each based on an installment of the original games. The significance of Ash completing his arc cannot be understated as it also comes in an era where the majority of the anime medium's most famous works have recently completed their own arcs. The Pokemon anime series is specifically credited with being one of the anime medium's first breakout titles in the west, and is largely responsible for the popularity of anime and related media in the west, being the first title to reach a level of mainstream success which it continues to this day.
As an anime adaptation, the Pokemon series is the most successful of all time, and in its 25th year, Ash completing his journey is a satisfying end to a legendary story. Ash's final battle in the Pokemon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament ran for over four episodes, and his winning effort has been congratulated by the official Pokemon Twitter account. The last Pokemon left standing on a team that consisted of Dragonite; Sirfetch'd; Lucario; Dracovish and Gengar was the franchise's mascot, Ash's Pikachu.
Origins
Originally created by Satoshi Tajiri, Pokemon is a concept derived from the creator's childhood entomological interests. Having loved to collect bugs as a child, Tajiri created a fictional universe in which players, known as "Pokemon Trainers" set out into the world to collect the various species of "Pocket Monster" available in a particular region. The first Pokemon game was Pokemon: Red and Green, released in 1996 on the Game Boy.
At this current point, there are nine generations of Pokemon video games, with the most recent installments being Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, which will be released in Japan on November 18, 2022. The character shares his Japanese name with the creator of the Pokemon franchise, and is the author's self-insert character who represents the series' human aspect and is largely reflective of Tajiri in his childhood. Ash is also derived from the player-controlled character in the first generation of Pokemon video games, Red.
Impact
Ash's big win closes out the character's inspirational arc which has been ongoing for the past twenty-five years. Fans across the globe have expressed all manner of emotion, congratulating the Pokemon Master for finally achieving his goal despite all the disappointments he has endured up until this point.
Ash's winning ways are only a recent development in the Pokemon anime's timeline as he only won his first major honour in the 22nd season of the anime, which is indicative of the character's immense drive and perseverance to continue to chase down a goal that has remained elusive for a very long time. With this being the achievement of the character's overarching goal and going down in history as one of the very best Pokemon Trainers to ever do it, the question arises: what next? With the next installments in the video game series coming up this month, fans can at least think about the future while reveling in the completion of one of the longest arcs in fiction.