Pokemon: Did Ash Ketchum Fulfill His Dream of Being the Very Best?

We are one episode away from Ash Ketchum and Pikachu departing the Pokemon anime as its stars. Following their twenty-plus-year career in the series, the main trainer of the television series was able to become the new world champion thanks to his victory against Leon at the Masters 8 Tournament. While Ash might be the strongest trainer in the world according to the ranking system of the tournaments he's taken part in, has Ketchum been able to fulfill his ultimate dream when the smoke clears?

Ash's dream throughout his career as a Pokemon trainer has been to become a "Pokemon master", which hasn't received an official description in the anime to this point. In Pokemon Journeys, Ash wasn't able to just win the Masters 8 Tournament but was able to capture some of the strongest pocket monsters of his career to date while solidifying his bond with the Pokemon he currently has. The Pokemon anime has been chock full of trials and tribulations for Ash and his friends and until his wins at Alola and the Masters 8, it had seemed as though his quest would continue to be never-ending, though times have changed. 

Pokemon: Is Ash A Pokemon Master Now?

So what does it mean to be a Pokemon Master exactly and has Ash reached that status? Well, the anime makes it seem as though Ash might not even know himself and is still searching for that answer despite being the new world champion. When presented with the question by his rival Gary Oak, the main trainer seemed to struggle with the idea. Recently, the anime's director, Kunihiko Yuyama, went into detail when it came to what he believes a Pokemon Master might be: 

"I think it might involve accepting Pokémon for what they are, without projecting yourself onto them. When we were in the process of creating Mezase Pokémon Master, I thought of a Pokémon Master as being like a rainbow. It's THERE, but you can't touch it, nor reach it. But despite that, people still move towards rainbows they see in the distant sky." 

Despite following Ash in achieving his dream for over two decades, for many fans, Ketchum is still only ten years old. If he currently doesn't consider himself to be a Pokemon master, he has years ahead of him to see if he can gain that status. Certainly, unlike so many other trainers, the bond that Ash has formed with his Pokemon might have netted him the title long before he became world champion.

Do you think Ash is a Pokemon Master already? Will the final episode see Ketchum gain the title? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Pokemon.