Pokémon Journeys episode 132: What’s next for Ash Ketchum?

Pokémon Journeys episode 132 featured a brilliant battle between Ash Ketchum and Leon, arguably one of the best bouts in the entire series. More importantly, Ash Ketchum won and became the world champion. He has won some Pokémon Leagues in the past, but they were all far more on the smaller side compared to the World Coronation Series.

Ash had never beaten opponents like Leon, Cynthia, or Steven in rapid succession within the previous seasons. Pokémon Journeys episode 132 was a conclusion to his best run by far, yet some fans might wonder what is in store for this iconic protagonist.

After all, he's done everything a Pokémon trainer needed to do.

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Ash Ketchum wins in Pokémon Journeys episode 132, but what's next for him?

Ash Ketchum won it all in Pokémon Journeys episode 132 (Image via OLM, Inc)

In Pokémon Journeys episode 132, Ash's Pikachu makes a great comeback in a beautifully heartwarming scene. Pikachu sees most of Ash's other Pokémon throughout the series in a brief montage and gets a little bit of motivation before he finally commits to a final attack to defeat Leon's Charizard.

That sweet moment led to Ash Ketchum defeating Leon, who was constantly praised as one of the best trainers in the entire world. It is an incredible feat that was well-received by most of the fandom.

Pikachu won this exchange in Pokémon Journeys episode 132 (Image via OLM, Inc)

But where can Ash Ketchum realistically go after such a monumental victory? There are two main options:

• He continues his journey like usual and possibly gets a reset of some kind
• He finally finishes up his run as Pokémon's iconic anime protagonist

The first one would be a bit disappointing since it would result in him having to be dumbed down in future seasons. Otherwise, it would be unrealistic for him and his Pikachu to lose to a random trainer that would never have been on Leon or the other World Coronation trainers' levels.

Ash Ketchum might finally finish his journey as the main protagonist of the anime series (Image via OLM, Inc)

It's not out of the realm of possibility. However, there is an upcoming episode that seems to indicate that the second option is more likely. Let's look at all the remaining episodes of Pokémon Journeys that have been confirmed to air after episode 132.

Here is the list:

• Project Mew
• Seize the Future!
• Pokémon! I'm Glad I Got to Meet You!!

Nothing has officially been revealed about these episodes yet. That said, some fans have an idea of what might happen. Project Mew will likely be tied to Goh's storyline, considering it is his dream to catch Mew.

They've been on a journey for nearly 25 years (Image via OLM, Inc)

The other two episodes are interesting to discuss. Seize the Future! is a bit ambiguous, especially with no plot synopsis to analyze. The future is uncertain for Ash Ketchum after Pokémon Journeys episode 132, but the next episode points to him possibly finishing his journey as the main protagonist of the anime series.

Pokémon! I'm Glad I Got to Meet You!! is worded interestingly, since it almost seems to reference Pokémon - I Choose You!, which was the very first episode of the anime series. It would be logical if it were the finale of Ash's journey, especially since he has accomplished everything he's ever needed to in the past few decades.

He's beaten the best of the best, seen several legendaries and mythicals, and made friends with plenty of people and Pokémon. If he stayed as the protagonist of the anime series, what would be next for him to do? He could explore new regions and catch new Pokémon, but it's not as if Pikachu would have a valid excuse to somehow become weaker or incompetent.

Some fans of the series predict that Ash Ketchum will finish his run as the protagonist of the main anime series. Considering how profitable this media franchise is, a new protagonist will likely be created to replace him.

It's far too early to tell, but Pokémon Journeys episode 132 has a lot of people thinking about Ash Ketchum's future as a protagonist for the series.