Ash Ketchum finally did it. After twenty-five years of losing leagues, resetting his skills, and somehow staying ten years old, he reached the top. Honestly, it’s still a bit hard to process that Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series actually followed through on the promise made back in 1997. It wasn't just another season of the anime. It was a massive, high-stakes celebration of everything that came before it, and for many fans, it was the closure we didn’t know we needed.
Most viewers who dropped off during the Black & White or Sun & Moon eras came back for this one. They had to. The buzz was too loud to ignore.
The World Coronation Series Changed the Game
Usually, a Pokémon season follows a very predictable path. Ash goes to a new region, meets a girl and a guy, fights eight gyms, and loses in the Top 4 of a tournament. Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series threw that script in the trash. Instead of the Galar Gym Challenge, we got the World Coronation Series. It was a global ranking system. Ash wasn't just fighting local nobodies; he was climbing a ladder against everyone he’d ever met.
This changed the pacing entirely. One week he’s in Vermilion City, the next he’s in Sinnoh. It felt like a true world tour. The show finally acknowledged that the Pokémon world is huge and interconnected.
The Master Class—the top eight trainers in the world—was a dream roster. You had Leon, Cynthia, Steven Stone, Lance, Diantha, Alain, and Iris. Seeing Ash stand among them didn't feel like a fluke. He earned it. The writers did something smart here: they didn't just give Ash "plot armor." They showed him using strategies from every previous region. He used the Counter Shield from Diamond and Pearl. He used Z-Moves from Alola. He used Mega Evolution from XY. It was a tactical masterclass that rewarded long-time viewers for paying attention for two decades.
Why Goh Was Such a Divisive Co-Star
We can't talk about this series without talking about Goh. People have feelings about him. Strong feelings.
Goh’s goal was to catch every single Pokémon, including Mew. This was basically a nod to the Pokémon GO era of the franchise. For some, his "throw a ball and catch it" style felt like it cheapened the struggle of training. Ash always bonded with his team; Goh just filled a spreadsheet. But if you look closer, Goh’s character arc in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series provided the emotional weight that Ash’s "battle-only" focus lacked.
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Project Mew was a legitimately cool sub-plot. It took the show into more adventurous, almost Indiana Jones-style territory. Exploring Faraway Island wasn't about power levels or type matchups. It was about the mystery of the Pokémon world's origins. While Ash was busy becoming a legend, Goh was busy being a researcher, and that balance worked better than most fans give it credit for.
The Return of the Legends
This season was basically a cameo factory. But not the cheap kind.
When Serena returned in the Lilycove City episode, the internet basically broke. It was handled with such maturity. They didn't have her and Ash scream at each other for twenty minutes. It was a brief, meaningful conversation about their respective goals. It showed they had both grown up. Then you had the return of Dawn, Brock, and even the controversial return of Ash's old rivals like Paul.
Paul’s return was actually one of the highlights of the Master Class prep. He didn't enter the tournament because he didn't care about the fame. He just wanted to help Ash get stronger. That’s peak character development.
The Battle That Defined a Generation
The fight between Ash and Leon lasted four episodes. Four. In the past, that would have been filler, but here, every minute mattered.
The animation quality spiked. We saw Pikachu go up against a Charizard that felt like an actual god of battle. But the moment that really stayed with people—the moment that will be remembered as the peak of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series—was the hallucination sequence. When Pikachu was on the verge of fainting and saw all of Ash’s previous Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charizard, Greninja, even the ones left at Oak’s lab like Totodile and Bayleef—it was a heavy emotional hit.
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It wasn't just Pikachu fighting. It was the collective history of the show.
When "Type: Wild" or the original Japanese opening started playing in the background, you knew it was over. Ash winning the World Coronation Series wasn't just a plot point. It was a cultural event. People were literally watching the broadcast on giant screens in Shibuya, Tokyo. It felt like a real sports championship.
The Subtle Excellence of the Galar Starters
While the focus was on Ash, we shouldn't overlook the Pokémon themselves. Lucario’s journey from an egg to a Mega-Evolved powerhouse was a classic shonen arc. Sirfetch’d became an unexpected fan favorite with its "noble knight" persona. Dracovish was... well, Dracovish was a chaotic mess that somehow won high-level matches.
The Galar starters—Cinderace, Inteleon, and Rillaboom—were handled differently than in previous generations. Instead of Ash owning them all, they were split up or given to side characters. This allowed their individual personalities to breathe. Leon’s Rillaboom felt like a final boss in its own right, knocking out half of Ash’s team before the main event even started.
What People Get Wrong About the Ending
Some critics say the ending felt rushed. Or that the Aim to Be a Pokémon Master special episodes that followed were too slow.
I disagree.
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Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series was the climax. The episodes that followed were the "cooldown." You don't just win the world title and then have the credits roll. You need to see Ash wander a bit. You need to see him reunite with Butterfree. The series understood that being a "Master" isn't about a trophy; it's about a mindset.
Final Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're planning to revisit the series or watch it for the first time, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Japanese version if you can. The musical cues, especially during the Masters Eight tournament, are significantly more impactful. The English dub is fine, but the original score hits different during the finale.
- Don't skip the filler. Episodes that seem like "monster of the week" stories often feature tiny cameos or references to older seasons that pay off during the finale.
- Focus on the "Project Mew" episodes. If the battling gets repetitive, these episodes offer a completely different vibe that keeps the show fresh.
- Pay attention to Ash's team rotations. Unlike previous seasons where he’d keep a consistent six, he pulls from a lot of different strategies here, even if he stays with his core Journeys team for the final matches.
The legacy of this series is that it actually gave us an ending. In an era of endless reboots and infinite sequels, having the courage to say "this character’s journey is complete" is rare. It transitioned the franchise into Pokémon Horizons, which is a great show in its own right, but it could only exist because Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series closed the door so effectively.
If you want to understand why Pokémon is still a global powerhouse, watch the final match between Ash and Leon. It’s not just about flashy moves. It’s about twenty-five years of momentum finally hitting the target.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, track down the specific episodes featuring Ash's old companions before starting the Masters Eight tournament. It makes the final cheering sections feel much more personal. Also, keep an eye out for the subtle animation shifts during the final Pikachu vs. Charizard clash—the "sketchy" art style used in those frames was a deliberate tribute to the original 1990s animation director's influence.