In terms of video game news, this weekend (like most) was relatively quiet. However, if you’ve been keeping up to date on Pokémon (and more specifically, the long-running animated series), there’s a good chance your mind is racing a mile a minute. For the uninitiated; strap in, this one is going to take some explaining.
You see, it’s been more than 22 years since the show originally aired (going by its Japanese premiere date, that is), and series protagonist Ash Ketchum has finally done the impossible. After a thousand episodes and a handful of disappointing losses, the perpetually 10-year-old wunderkind won a league tournament, which means that, yes, he’s finally a Pokémon Champion. While the adventure depicting his landmark victory won’t air in English until early 2020, the latest episode of Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends saw Ash emerging as the winner of the Alola League by beating rival trainer Gladion.
This might not seem like a huge deal for those who aren’t fans of the franchise, but for diehards who’ve been keeping up to date with the show, Ash’s win comes as a cause for celebration. After all, he’s come so close in the past. Most recently, he was the runner up in the Kalos League tournament, and over the last two decades, he’s finished in the Top 16 or higher in the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova leagues.
Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see where Ash goes from here. There’s a good chance that a 24th season will take place in or around the Galar region, which is where Pokémon Sword and Shield are set, but we’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out. For now, though, it definitely feels good to say that Ash has finally earned the title of Pokémon Champion.