After 25 years of adventuring, meeting, and fighting, Ash Ketchum has finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming the best Pokémon trainer in the world by winning the World Eight Coronation Master Tournament.
Too often accustomed to defeat since the beginning of the Pokémon animated series, Sasha Ketchum took the first step in 2019, becoming the very first League Master of the Alola region. Three years later, the Bourg-Palette Pokémon Trainer becomes World Champion in the latest episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, which aired last week in Japan and should be available worldwide later.
He did it! Ash became world champion! 🏆🎉 pic.twitter.com/a2jPb8pym3
— Pokemon (@Pokemon) November 11, 2022
Taito Okiura, Vice President of Marketing for The Pokémon Company International, said:
Ash Ketchum’s determination and perseverance over 25 seasons to achieve his goal of becoming the best Pokémon trainer in the world is a perfect example of what it means to be a Pokémon trainer.
Sasha Ketchum, the new monarch of the World Coronation Tournament
In the anime series Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, the World Coronation Eight-Master Tournament is a global championship featuring top trainers from all regions, including former champions like the fearsome Cynthia and others like Iris, Pierre Richard and Peter. After crushing the competition with a team of Pikachu, Lucario, Hydragon, Ectoplasm, Dracolossus, and Palartyho to reach the finals, Ash Ketchum faced off against Tarak, Master of the Galar Pokémon League.
The match ended in a tense showdown between Pikachu and Taraka’s Charizard. This result is appropriate considering that Pikachu is Ash’s only Pokémon to accompany him throughout his 25-year journey. Great way to close the loop.
The end of Sasha Ketchum’s crazy Pokémon adventures?
Sasha Ketchum becoming world champion is a major turning point in popular culture and licensing. While The Pokémon Company hasn’t announced plans to release a new Pokémon animated series with a new main character, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating online. For them, Ash’s journey may very well end with Pokémon Ultimate Journeys.