For Ash Ketchum, Pokemon Journeys has been about two things. One was being a researcher for the Cerise Laboratory and traveling around the Pokemon world to learn more about it. That alone made him meet his new friends, Goh and Chloe, and see incredible things. The other part of his quest was to ascend through the ranks of the World Coronation Series and challenge the reigning undefeated champion. That champion was Leon. The two have battled previously, but it was a 1v1 competition, and there were some plot reasons why Ash didn’t win. But his chance for an actual battle against the champion now looms.
In Japan, Pokemon Journeys is about to show the Master Class Finals, which means Ash Vs. Leon is about to happen! To celebrate this, two significant teases have dropped concerning the matchup.
“The Masters 8 Tournament Finals are finally starting. Getting an official match against Leon has been Ash’s goal this entire time, so he’s really enthused about this. The audience is also as fired up as it’s ever been for this match between Leon, the incomparable reigning champ, and Ash, the competitor who has reached the finals against all odds!”
The synopsis further notes that Leon makes a “proposal” to Ash. We don’t know what it is yet, but if Leon is making it, it will be grand. The second teaser for the Master Class Finals was a poster that dropped showing both trainers and the six Pokemon that they’ll wield in the epic clash to come.
As you can see, Leon’s team is no joke. He not only has his Charizard, who he’ll Gigantamax at a moment’s notice to help seal a victory, but he has all three starter Pokemon from the Galar region in their final evolutions. Add that to the rest of his team, and Ash will have his hands full.
The biggest question here is about what happens if Ash wins. Because in many people’s eyes, Pokemon Journeys can be interpreted as a “Swan Song.” The series has been a menagerie of returning locations, returning friends, and even returning rivals. Korrina, Paul, Serena, the Alola crew, and even past Pokemon like Greninja have all shown up to support Ash in many ways.
If Ash were to beat Leon, that would not only be Leon’s first loss but also mean that Ash was on top of the Pokemon world at just ten years old. Yes, canonically, Ash is still ten. We don’t get it either.
The point here is that Ash’s peak might be coming soon, and thus, his journey might close so that another can begin. But then again, with the team behind the anime having their own struggles right now, everything is up in the air.
Source: Twitter