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[Heimdall_Xtreme]

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63599287

Ash Ketchum, the lead character in the Pokemon anime series, has won the Pokemon World Championship.
Fans of the franchise have expressed their delight at the character becoming the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world, more than 25 years after the first episode of the programme aired.
A tweet from the official Pokemon Twitter account congratulating Ash has received almost 200,000 likes.
The series, which originated as a video game, has run for over 1,200 episodes.
The anime has followed Ash Ketchum in his quest to become a Pokemon Master since 1997, when the character met electric mouse creature Pikachu on his 10th birthday.
Over the last 25 years, viewers have watched him train as he aimed to become the strongest Pokemon trainer. In the series, Pokemon trainers catch mythical creatures known as pocket monsters and battle them against each other.

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As well as the animated TV show, the original Japanese Game Boy game also spawned a trading card game, more than 20 movies and a host of merchandise from pogs (collectable cardboard discs) to soft toys.
Most seasons of the anime follow Ash's journey across various fictional regions catching Pokemon as he aimed to win eight gym badges to qualify for their Pokemon League.

Final battle​

But the latest series, Pokemon Ultimate Journeys, has worked differently as it has seen Ash travelling around the world, rather than being limited to one region.
Viewers have previously seen Ash win two tournaments - the Orange League from the Orange Islands season, as well as the Alola League in Pokemon: Sun and Moon.
But to win the World Championship, Ash had to overcome strong trainers from across his travels.
Ash's final battle against former world champion, Leon, spanned four episodes. It also saw the return of former companions from previous seasons of the anime who have since been retired, such as fan favourites Brock, Misty and Dawn.

Sarah Natochenny, the voice actor for Ash in the American version of the anime, tweeted: "YESSSS!!! Our boy is the very best like no one ever was!!!!" while a number of adult fans of the show tweeted that the finale had made them "emotional".
It is unclear whether Ash and Pikachu will return for the anime's next season.
It has become tradition for a new season of the anime to coincide with the release of new Pokemon video games. The two newest Pokemon games, Scarlet and Violet, will be released on Friday 18 November.

Misty is my favorite character of Pokemon

 

[Lasha]

Let's fucking go. Ash is here, Gary is a loser. Bring on the convertible full of bitches.

 

[Ionian]

I don't follow Pokemon, know of it obviously but where can it go from here? Just defending his title? Sounds a little boring.

Fair play to them for giving it a conclusion though. Thought it would go on forever.

 

[Rest]

Is he 28 or still 13?

 

[TransTrender]

Is he 28 or still 13?

He's Puerto Rican

 

[DAHGAMING]

Tottenham are trying to claim this trophy for there empty trophy cabinet.

 

[Spaceman292]

Oh god why is this on bbc news

 

[daffyduck]

Ash Ketchum, the lead character in the Pokemon anime series, has won the Pokemon World Championship.

 

[GymWolf]

Not my Ash anymore

The new one look like a moron.

 

[GeekyDad]

 

[Azurro]

Remaining as a child for 25 years has to be some sort of ironic hellish nightmare.

 

[Teslerum]

Remaining as a child for 25 years has to be some sort of ironic hellish nightmare.

Only gotten younger in appearance too.

 

[Amory]

Congrats!!

 

[German Hops]

This wasn't supposed to happen..

 

[Saber]

Misty is my favorite character of Pokemon

Fuck that bitch.
Btw congratz Ash, it only took 2 decades.

 

[AlteredForms]

Only took him 20 years. I remember watching the anime series in the early 2000s and how eager he was to become world champion, and catching up with it over the years it was the same story. Glad he made it though.

 

[Randall Sully]

Eh - this is world we live in now, PPL obsessed an nostalgic ip to a point, it becomes bigger than personal importance or anything in the vein similar to extraordinary importance like Rocket Science - as if the IP is they're entire lifestyle

Back in the late 90s - my vietnamese, bespectacled, next-door neighbor friend, said he could no longer stand the anime, i disagreed at the time and still watched it - only to waste time into some haphazard mess of a stock toy commercial (Zoids Chaotic Century - is everything any monster collecting ip based on a tie-in vidya, should inspire to)

Fuck that bitch.

Imagine not liking junior gravure C*n*y - that could never be me

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Still rocking Charizard after two decades, proving that there was only one correct choice in Pokémon at the beginning.

 

[Saber]

Imagine not liking junior gravure C*n*y - that could never be me

When I need an unecessary remark or commentary each time I do something in life I will be sure to ask her, thank you xD

 

[Maiden Voyage]

See, you can fail your way to the top.

 

[Facism]

See, you can fail your way to the top.

Ash's next role is as a British politician.

 

[Kenpachii]

Did the pokemon champion that he beat died from a heart attack waiting?

 

[AJUMP23]

Never played never will, but congrats on the long road.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Even Captain Redbeard is proud of Ash.

 

[March Climber]

Naruto finally became Hokage.
Ash is finally a world champion.
Goku is finally achieving full Godhood.
One Punch Man finally found a worthy battle.

It’s your turn Luffy.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Naruto finally became Hokage.
Ash is finally a world champion.
Goku is finally achieving full Godhood.
One Punch Man finally found a worthy battle.

It’s your turn Luffy.

Toriko has been the least fortunate in the history of anime and manga. His popularity is rock bottom.

 

[March Climber]

Toriko has been the least fortunate in the history of anime and manga. His popularity is rock bottom.

That’s still better than Guts potentially never being able to reach his ending.

 

[lachesis]

Just heard about this today - lol.

I was never into Pokemon, (other than played GO a little bit, just to keep up with my child who was into Pokemon at that time) - but Damn. 25 years.
I wonder if that Pidgeotto is still waiting for Ketchum in Kanto...

 

[YukiOnna]

Pretty sure they said he is returning for the Paldea region and I believe will be aged up a little this time.

PR even stated he is only "half way" to becoming a Pokemon Master.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Has he poked Misty yet?

 

[Beer Baelly]

Loser finally did it. We been champs.

 

[bitbydeath]

How many Pokemon did he kill to get there?

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Right in the face!!!

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Owwwwww

How I love this hero!!!

 

[MAtgS]

Misty is my favorite character of Pokemon

Now that he's the champ, Ash just needs to hurry up & knock Misty up so we can end this show already!

 

[Doom85]

Checking really quickly, so apparently this victory did not include a rematch against Tobias?

Feels way too premature to call Ash the strongest trainer since Tobias not only beat him the one time they fought, but has two Legendaries (and possibly more). I’m going to assume Leon did not have two Legendaries. I didn’t even see the season that had Tobias, but I heard all about it due to fans complaining how OP this guy’s team apparently was.

I also want to see Ash beat Richie (or whatever his name was) who beat him in the very original tournament. That match was bullshit, everyone focuses on Ash being dumb for using Charizard when he couldn’t control him, yet Ash was working with a weakened team due to having fought Team Rocket immediately before. Richie got a significant advantage due to that, thus I call bullshit on his “victory” over Ash, and I hate the crowd mocking Ash over what happened. Ash beating the Orange Islands champ felt like an obvious apology by the writers for the lame resolution of the previous tournament.

And man, it would be hard to top the final Orange Islands fight. Weak season (especially the first half), but goddamn do they cross the finish line with style. Ash winning most of the final battle’s fights but then needing to lose three Pokémon just to weaken Dragonite? And then Pikachu landing on Dragonite’s head and using Thunder? And they stare each other down as both are barely hanging on until Dragonite collapses first? I mean, what else can you say but:

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

And man, it would be hard to top the final Orange Islands fight. Weak season (especially the first half), but goddamn do they cross the finish line with style. Ash winning most of the final battle’s fights but then needing to lose three Pokémon just to weaken Dragonite? And then Pikachu landing on Dragonite’s head and using Thunder? And they stare each other down as both are barely hanging on until Dragonite collapses first? I mean, what else can you say but:

I was ready to use nerrrrrrd.gif against you, but this here is just too correct. That was peak Pokemon. I basically lost interest in the anime after that.

 

[YukiOnna]

Looks like Ash is not returning for Paldea. At least as protagonist.

His 25 year run comes to an end with 1 final season in January depicting his final chapter and future and new protagonists for a new adventure in April.