Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu | Source: The Pokémon Co. International

It’s taken a quarter-century, but the hard work has paid off.

The Pokémon Co. International revealed that Ash Ketchum has been named Monarch of the Pokémon World Coronation Series. Following a multitude of epic quests and hard-fought battles across the Pokémon world, Ketchum secured his title as the world’s top Pokémon trainer accompanied by his Pikachu while claiming victory in the Masters Eight Tournament.

“Ash Ketchum’s determination and perseverance to achieve his goal of becoming the world’s top Pokémon trainer over the course of 25 seasons represents the very best of what it means to be a trainer,” says Taito Okiura, vice president of marketing for The Pokémon Co. International. “We cannot wait to celebrate this moment with Pokémon fans when the newest season of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series and this adventure-defining episode air around the world in the coming year.”

Source: The Pokémon Co. International

The big reveal of Ketchum’s long-awaited title took place during the latest episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, which premiered today in Japan. The series streams exclusively on Netflix in the U.S. where fans can catch the new episode at some point in the near future.

Related: Backstory: Pokémon Turns 25

The Pokémon franchise continues to grow with new games, toys, trading cards, and other products hitting retail on a monthly basis. The Pokémon Co. International recently inked an extension of its licensing deal with Mattel’s MEGA division for the construction category. This holiday season will see the release of the long-awaited Pokémon Squishmallows from Jazwares in addition to a host of seasonal products being offered exclusively at PokémonCenter.com.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.

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