Welcome, fellow Pokemon trainers! If you’re a fan of the anime, then you’ve probably followed Ash Ketchum’s journey from the very beginning.
From Pallet Town to the Alola Region, Ash has collected badges, caught countless Pokemon, and faced some of the strongest trainers in the world. But let’s be real, with over 1,000 episodes; it can be hard to keep track of everything that’s happened in Ash’s journey.
That’s why I’m here to take you on a trip down the memory lane and relive some of the most exciting moments from Ash’s adventure. Get ready to dust off your Pokeballs and join me on a journey through the world of Pokemon!
1. Prologue: The Journey Before The Journey
Ash went on a Pokemon adventure in the forest when he was just a little boy. He got lost and took shelter under a tree along with some Pokemon, inspiring his dream to become a Pokemon trainer.
Ash showed his mom a poster of Professor Oak’s summer camp, which he wanted to attend. But he overslept and missed it! Luckily, he was able to enroll in another one of Professor Oak’s camps, where he learned the basics of being a trainer and met a fellow camper, Serena.
Ash used to be friends with Gary Oak, and one day they found a Pokeball and split it, keeping half each as a memento of their friendship before beginning their journey.
2. The Beginning
I. Towards Kanto
Ash was just 10 when he started his incredible Pokemon journey! He overslept, missed his first choice of Pokemon, and ended up with Pikachu, who didn’t like him at first and shocked him.
But things changed when Pikachu started to trust Ash after he saved him from Spearow, and they both saw a mysterious Pokemon in the sky.
Along the way, Ash met some fantastic traveling companions like Brock and Misty. He also had to face Team Rocket, who always tried to steal Pikachu!
On his journey, Ash participated in a Pokemon race, got sucked into cyberspace, and even helped with the flame of Moltres. Despite facing many challenges, he finished in the top 16 in the Indigo Pokemon League competition.
II. Adventures in the Orange Islands
After the Indigo Pokemon League, Professor Oak sent Ash, Misty, and Brock to the Orange Islands to retrieve the mysterious GS ball. He gained a new companion, Tracy, and caught Snorlax and Lapras.
Ash battled differently than before and became the next Orange League champion. Professor Oak asked Ash to give the GS ball to his associate, Kurt, in the Johto region.
Excited about the new region’s gyms and league, Ash decided to go there. Brock joined him and Misty, while Tracy stayed with Professor Oak.
III. The Journey to Jhoto
Ash began his mission to collect Gym Badges so he could compete in the Johto League competition.
He battled new gym leaders and gained more Pokemon. He also had to face new challenges, like Team Rocket’s new boss, but he kept going.
3. Gold & Silver
I. Johto League
Ash collected five Gym Badges by battling Gym Leaders like Falkner and Bugsy. He even caught a shiny Noctowl and fought with his old friend Misty. Sadly, he also had to say goodbye to his Charizard, leaving it at the Charicific Valley to train.
Ash collected the remaining three Gym Badges to enter the Johto League. He battled his rival Gary and then fought Harrison from the Hoenn region, who had a powerful Blaziken. Ash lost the match, but Charizard’s wounds prevented Harrison from using Blaziken in his next match, leading to his defeat.
4. Ruby and Sapphire
I. Hoenn
The next leg of Ash’s journey took him to the Hoenn region, where he met May, and Max and Brock also returned. May wanted to be a Pokemon coordinator, so Ash helped her as much as possible while exploring the region.
Treecko, Taillow, and Corphish joined Ash’s team, and he caught a Torkoal along the way. He was eager to take on more gyms and won the Heat badge, the Balance badge, and the Mind badge.
The stakes increased as they faced off against Team Magma and Team Aqua, and even legendary Pokemon like Groudon and Kyogre got involved. Despite facing formidable rivals like Morrison and Tyson, Ash made it to the top eight.
II. Kanto (Battle Frontier)
After leaving Torkoal and Glalie at Professor Oak’s lab, Ash returned to Kanto with Brock, May, and Max. They were off to participate in the Battle Frontier, where Ash battled against some tough opponents known as Frontier Brains to win their symbols.
One of the most exciting battles was against Factory Head Noland and his Articuno. It was a tough match, and Ash called Charizard from Chara Civic Valley. Charizard came out on top with its seismic toss, winning Ash the knowledge symbol.
After that, Ash battled and defeated all the other Frontier Brains, earning their symbols and becoming the Battle Frontier Champion.
5. Diamond and Pearl
I. Sinnoh
Ash went to Sinnoh, leaving his new captures at Professor Oak’s lab except for Aipom, who snuck along. He reunited with Brock and got a new travel buddy, Dawn, who wanted to be a Pokemon coordinator like her mom.
He defeated several gym leaders and got into intense battles with his rivals. He even made it to the Sinnoh League, which was super tough. Unfortunately, he lost to Tobias and was eliminated.
After the league, Ash said goodbye to Dawn and Brock, who went their own ways.
6. Black and White
I. Unova
After receiving fresh new clothes at home in Pallet Town, Ash and his mom got invited by Professor Oak to go on a scientific expedition to the remote Unova region!
But when they arrived, they had to deal with a more serious Team Rocket who tried to steal Pikachu but were stopped by the legendary Pokemon Zekrom. Ash also met a new rival named Tripp and made new traveling companions in Iris and Cilan.
Ash continued his journey through Unova; he caught some cool new Pokemon like Oshawott, Tepig, and Snivy and won a bunch of badges, including the trio badge, basic badge, and insect badge. He made it to the Unova Pokemon League and placed in the top eight.
II. Decolore Islands
Ash boarded the Queen Decolore to head back home to Kanto, where he met incredible people like reporter Alexa and his old friend Claire from Johto. He even helped her find a shiny Dratini!
7. XY
I. Kalos
In Kalos, Ash and Serena helped Clement get his gym back, and after reprogramming the invention, Ash challenged Clement to a battle after he received three more badges.
Finally, Ash arrived in Kumarin City and dealt with Team Rocket, trying to kidnap the Vanillite evolutionary line. He faced Ramos, the Kumarin Gym Leader, and won the battle and the Plant Badge, celebrating his fourth Kalos gym victory.
Ash and Frogadier met Olympia, and after winning a brief battle, she read his memories and revealed how he connected with his Froakie. Using Frogadier and Talonflame, Ash defeated Olympia and her Meowstic and earned the Psychic Badge.
8. XY&Z
As they journeyed on, Frogadier evolved into Greninja, and with Ash’s guidance, they discovered a new form that could rival even Mega Evolution! It was later named Ash Greninja.
Ash and his friends arrived in Snowball City and challenged the gym leader, earning his eighth and final Kalos gym badge!
During the Kalos finals, Team Flair attacked with Z2, and Ash left with Elaine to find Myron. However, they were blocked by vines that grew like crazy, and Team Flair showed up. Ash was betrayed when he discovered that Elaine was working for Team Flair.
Ash asked Elaine to help stop all of this, but he still couldn’t speak. Together, they battled Lysander and destroyed the control device on Lysander’s arm. After receiving Kalos medals for his heroic efforts against Team Flair, Ash headed back to Pallet Town.
9. Sun and Moon
I. Alola
Ash enrolled in the Pokemon School in Alola and got a new Z-Ring equipped with an Electrium Z from Tapu Koko. He also got a brand new Pokédex from Professor Kukui that had been inhabited by a Rotom, turning it into a Rotom Pokédex.
He met Lillie, who had a phobia of Pokemon due to a traumatic experience. Ash and his classmates took a trip to Kanto for an extracurricular activity and reunited with old friends like Misty and Brock.
II. Ultra Adventures
Ash befriended a cute little Cosmog named Nebby and went on wild adventures to rescue Lillie’s mom from the clutches of bad guys.
Along the way, Ash and his friends discovered the Ultra Beasts and became part of the Ultra Guardians task force to deal with any future Ultra Beast incidents.
The most exciting parts were Lillie overcoming her fear of touching Pokemon, Professor Kukui proposing to Professor Burnet, and Ash getting a Solganium Z.
III. Ultra Legends
Ash and his friends traveled to Poni Island, where they met Hapu, who became the new island kahuna after battling Tapu Fini. The first-ever Alola League was announced, with Ash and his friends participating in the tournament.
Ash won the Manalo Conference and became the first Champion of Alola.
Along the way, Ash encountered various characters, including members of the villainous Team Skull and the Aether Foundation and fellow trainers such as Gladion, Hau, and Kahili. Ash’s Pikachu also gained a new ability called Gigavolt Havoc.
Once again, Ash returned to his home region of Kanto, ready for new adventures.
10. Journeys
Ash and Goh embarked on a journey to explore the Pokemon world and expand their knowledge of Pokemon. They learned about Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, which allowed certain Pokemon to grow to enormous sizes and become more powerful in battle.
They also participated in the World Coronation Series, where they met and battled against many skilled trainers, including the Galar League Champion Leon and his rival Raihan.
They also encountered the mysterious phenomenon known as the Darkest Day, which threatened to destroy the Pokemon world.
I. Master Journeys
Ash and Goh met a Trainer named Rinto and battled him, but Ash lost. Chloe received a Water Stone from Kiley, while Ash reunited with Iris and met Drayden again, with Goh meeting them for the first time.
Iris revealed that she’s now the Unova League Champion and entered the World Coronation Series. Ash received a Mega Glove from Korrina and obtained a Lucarionite, which he used to Mega Evolve his Lucario for the first time.
Lastly, they recovered their stolen Pokemon from Alternate World Team Rocket.
II. Ultimate Journeys
Ash and Goh met a new Gym Leader named Allister, who turns out to be pretty spooky. Then, Ash’s Gengar got super-sized, and it was epic!
Later, they ran into Team Yell and some other new faces, including a bunch of top trainers who all competed in the Masters Eight Tournament. Ash even reunited with some old friends and battled old rivals, like his buddy Paul.
The Pokemon World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament took place, and Leon, Diantha, Cynthia, and Ash advanced to the semifinals, and it was an absolute blast!
A heads-up for those of you who are still catching up to Japanese broadcasts – the final battle hasn’t aired in the US yet. So, if you don’t want to spoil the ending for yourself, make sure to avoid clicking on the spoilers.
Ash’s journey through the regions has been an epic adventure filled with exciting battles and unforgettable memories!
11. About Pokémon
Pokémon was first released in 1996 and is set up in a world where humans catch monsters and store them in pocket-sized poke-balls.
They are creatures with an affinity to certain elements and some superhuman abilities related to that element.
Revolving around a teenage boy Ash Ketchum, Pokémon takes us through his journey to becoming the most accomplished Pokémon trainer the world has ever seen.
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