After 25 years of adventuring, the perpetual 10-year-old Ash Ketchum has finally achieved his dream of becoming the very best Pokémon trainer.
The penultimate event happened in the latest episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, which just premiered in Japan. In it, Ash takes part in the final bout of the Pokémon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament, facing off against champions from across the various regions of the Pokémon world.
So far Ash had defeated Cynthia, Iris, Steven, and Lance, finally squaring off against Leon, who fans might remember as the champion of Pokémon Sword and Shield. In a dramatic moment, Ash’s Pikachu defeats Leon’s Charizard, finally completing the dream the duo has had for twenty-five years. It’s an incredibly heartwarming moment that sees all of Ash’s past Pokémon encouraging Pikachu through some kind of vision. You can see the full clip below, courtesy of AnipokeFandom on Twitter.
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series streams exclusively on Netflix outside of Japan. While the Netflix version of the series isn’t quite up to date with Japan, an official press release states “Fans can stay tuned to Netflix for new episode availability information and to join Ash and his Pikachu as he embarks on his latest adventure in becoming the world’s strongest Pokémon Trainer.”
Over the years Ash has suffered loss after loss in Pokémon Championships, which makes this feat especially poignant. It’s hard to imagine what might be next for Ash, and where he goes from here. After 25 years as the series’ protagonist, it would be easy to see how Ash could step aside for a new protagonist. However, with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just around the corner, there’s about to be a brand-new region to explore.
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series is streaming exclusively on Netflix. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launch on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.
