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ThePokémonanime had a long-running tradition of having Ash lose in the regional tournaments, beginning with his loss in the Indigo League and culminating in his crushing second-place finish in Kalos. That all changed whenAsh claimed victory in Alola, but if the director of the series had had his way, Ash’s losing streak would’ve continued.
In a private discussion about the future of thePokémonanime dated May 2022 that was leaked in the Game Freak “Teraleak,” the topic of Ash’s victory in Alola came up. Initially discussed in the context of what it means to be a “Pokémon Master,” Ash’s champion status was brought up as an example of what that could mean, but which ultimately wasn’t chosen. They noted the bittersweet feeling fans felt about Ash’s victory, as many feared it was a sign that his time in the anime was coming to an end. That ultimately led to the development ofJourneys, and the World Coronation Series plotline.
Pokémon’s Director Didn’t Want Ash to Win Alola
The Director’s Reasons for Being Against Ash’s Victory Weren’t Made Clear
In the discussion, whichwas translated and posted to reddit, the topic of Alola continued. One of the representatives of The Pokémon Company went on, stating, “…when Ash won the Alola League, [series director] Mr. Yuyama was initially against the idea of having Ash become a champion. The internal dynamics at the production level were such that many people hesitated to push back on his ideas. However, we are now more aware of the need to balance the creators’ vision with what the fans want, and we will take that into account moving forward.”
While the quote doesn’t elaborate on why, it does reveal that series director Kunihiko Yuyama was against the idea of having Ash win in Alola, and that was likely the case for previous league championships as well. The most logical reason for Yuyama to be opposed to Ash winning is that by reaching such a “goal,” it would make it harder for the series to continue. Indeed, the victory in Alola directly shaped the next series by forcing it to go “bigger,” and the only place left after becoming a regional champion wasto become World Champion, leading toJourneysbeing developed around that premise.
Ash’s Alola Win Was His Biggest Character Moment in Years
Ash’s Victory Changed Everything for His Character
Fans are no doubt disappointed to learn that the series director, responsible for shaping Ash’s overall journey, was so against Ash actually progressing towards his ultimate goal. Ash winning in Alola forced the team behind thePokémonanime to more concretely define what Pokémon Master meant, as it could no longer be stated that becoming champion was the end goal. While fans disagree on whether Ash “deserved” to win in Alola, it was such a major turning point in the series that it’s impossible to ignore the impact that this decision had, setting Ash up for a world championship.
What’s interesting is that executives higher up the chain of command seemed to be more in tune with the desires of fans than the creators of the anime were. Even before this leak, many fans suspected that the decision to make Ash victorious in Alola’s league was a direct result of the fan backlash to his loss in Kalos, which fans felt he was better prepared to win. It seems that interpretation may not be that far off the mark, as another executive later states, “Pokémonhas evolved beyond just the original creators’ vision; it belongs to the fans now, too.”
Ash’s Pokémon Departure Actually Had So Much More To Do With The Games Than Fans Think
The 2024 Game Freak data leak revealed that Ash’s exit was a major point of contention that even the video game developer ultimately weighed in on.
It’s clear that Ash’s Alola victory was intended as a gesture towards long-time fans who have been waiting for decades to see Ash emerge victorious, and the fact that this decision came from higher-ups rather than the creatives behind the series like Yuyama is honestly stunning. The idea of writing Ash out of the series was the main point of discussion here, and it seems obvious that Alola came up because it, intentionally or not, marked the beginning of the end for Ash.
It’s hard to imagine what the series might look like now if Ash hadn’t won Alola;Journeyswould surely have been a completely different series, perhaps a more conventional badge-collecting adventure around Galar. Would the series still have ended? It’s certainly possible, as the reasons for ending Ash’s journey also included declining ratings and a feeling that Ash and Pikachu were increasingly difficult to write about. At least this way, Ash got to end hisPokémonadventure as World Champion.
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Pokémon follows Ash Ketchum on his journey to become a Pokémon Master, accompanied by his loyal Pikachu. Released in 1997, the series explores Ash’s travels through various regions, where he encounters new friends and challenges, underscoring the themes of adventure and teamwork.
