There are many consistencies in life. Death, and taxes and Ash Ketchum being 10 years old are certainly among them. The young kid that set out for a Pokemon journey 21 years ago with Pikachu has never aged a day since the day he left Pallet Town despite the numerous adventures he’s been on. Throughout said adventures Ash and a rotating cast of friends have encountered many Pokemon, fought many battles, and lost plenty. You see, Ash is kind of a loser.
Ash was never intended to be the Pokemon master he hoped to be because, well, that would basically mean the end of the show. Ash was born into a horrible cycle of having to lose no matter how close he got to his goal so the money machine that is Pokemon could continue to pump out episodes, memorabilia, and new Pokemon. With every new game came a new region and a new adventure for Ash to make up for his failures from the previous region. Then, he reached the Alola region for Pokemon Sun and Moon. That’s when something interesting happened. Ash….won?
No, he didn’t just win a battle. He became the champion! Ash is the Pokemon League Champion for the first time in 21 years!
https://twitter.com/Higashinoame/status/1173166173648609281
As far as Pocket Monster-adjacent TV shockers go, this might top them all. Ash always loses. He’s supposed to lose! When fans tuned in to the show to watch Ash battle for the crown they were surely expecting to see him fall short once again. To his credit he is not the poor battler everyone makes him out to be. He’s finished in the Top 16 or higher every time he’s challenged a league and even finished Top 2 in the Kalos region League Championship match.
Ash Ketchum has been a part of millions of lives & while many stop watching the Pokémon anime Ash continued to be a role model trainer for new generations. He's lost every Pokémon League to teach children it's ok to lose & today he finally won. What a day to be a Pokémon fan :) pic.twitter.com/Gzbf9j08N9
— Pokémon (@ActualAero) September 15, 2019
For those that have been watching the anime since it began, this is the peak that the show has been slowly building toward for years. Ash was always getting slightly better and improving as a trainer. It was inevitable that he would one day win, but with the show seemingly endless that ending didn’t feel anywhere close. So what does this mean for the show?
There have been rumors that Ash would be removed from the show, so perhaps this might be the creators sending him out on a positive note. A note he deserves, but it’s tough to know what’s really going to happen next here.
Ash, despite the jokes about losing, has won a league before. The often forgotten Orange League, a filler arc between the original Kanto series and the Johto series, saw Ash win the Orange League Cup. So it’s not like winning means Ash can’t come back at all, but with the show 21 years old now and Ash still the protagonist maybe it may finally be time to find a new one. A fresh face. Ash is a Pokemon League champion. Let the happy kid retire on top.