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Ash Ketchum has won a few Pokémon Leagues before, but winning a world championship in Pokémon Journeys is a much bigger accomplishment. For those who might have missed the recent news, Ash defeated Leon in Episode 132 of Pokémon Journeys.
Thus, he became the Monarch of the World Coronation Series and got a big trophy for this world championship. It was an impressive feat in many ways, especially since the character has undergone countless ordeals to get to this point.
It was a great moment for the fandom, especially since some people didn't believe that he was actually going to win given his past record of choking on the big stage.
Ash Ketchum won the world championship in Pokémon Journeys Episode 132
It's a much bigger deal to win the World Coronation Series than the Orange Island League or the Manalo Conference. The competition in those leagues was significantly weaker than the trainers that Ash Ketchum fought in Pokémon Journeys.
For example, his opponents up to his recent world championship win included:
- Leon
- Cynthia
- Steven Stone
Keep in mind that those trainers defeated other top-tier competitors, like Leon defeating Diantha. Furthermore, the latter beat Lance. Defeating the best trainers in the world is a big accomplishment, especially for somebody like Ash Ketchum.
However, this impressive feat isn't just important because of the quality of his opponents. The fandom's reaction also plays a huge role in making this moment even more important.
Fans react to Ash Ketchum winning
It's rare for an anime protagonist to accomplish it all and continue their journey. In the same vein, Ash Ketchum doesn't have much more to do after winning the world championship in Pokémon Journeys. His future seems even more precarious since one of the upcoming episodes is titled Pokémon! I'm Glad I Got to Meet You!!
There is always a possibility that he gets the usual reset he receives every generation and continues his travels. However, this season would also be his perfect sendoff if the Pokémon! anime ever needed to have a new protagonist.
It would be a little ridiculous to see him lose to some new trainer given how strong his Pikachu would be at this moment. Not to mention, what else is left for him to do? Fighting overpowered trainers like Tobias could be a possibility, but characters like him were likely just one-offs for the sake of the plot.
Not everything is about whether or not his journey ends. In fact, it is just one topic out of many. Some fans, like Bad Bunny shown above, were elated to see it happen. Many fans watched the series from the beginning, so seeing a character grow from a rather weak and unremarkable trainer to the best in the world is heartwarming.
Ash has been through some great and terrible moments in this 25-year anime. It would be hard to think of a more awesome moment that could happen for him than winning this world championship in Pokémon Journeys.
