Pokémon Champion

A Pokémon champion or League champion (Japanese: リーグ優勝者 League champion or simply チャンピオン Champion) is the highest known level of rank for a Pokémon trainer. It usually refers to a trainer who has completed a Pokémon League by collecting all the necessary badges, and either winning a regional Pokémon tournament or defeating the Elite Four and the previous Pokémon champion. There is usually only one Pokémon champion per region at a time. It is assumed that the champion must defend their title against challengers, although this is never explicitly stated.

In the games, Kanto and Johto share a League champion, while the other regions with a Pokémon league have their own.

Some Pokémon champions:

• Games
  • Blue of Pallet Town - Indigo League
  • Lance of Blackthorn City - Johto League
  • Steven Stone of Mossdeep City - Hoenn League
  • Wallace of Sootopolis City- Hoenn League
  • Cynthia of Celestic Town - Sinnoh League
  • The player him or herself - Dependant on game
• Anime
  • Jon Dickson of Sento Cherry Town - Silver Conference
  • Tyson of Mauville City - Ever Grande Conference
  • Drake of Pummelo Island - Orange League
  • Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town - Orange League and Battle Frontier
• Manga
  • Red of Pallet Town - Ninth Annual Pokémon League competition

Strangely, it seems that the games' battle against the Elite Four and current Champion is not present in the anime, and likewise the anime's general tournament is not present in the games. However, this changed in the Diamond & Pearl series as Lucian explained to Ash about Sinnoh's Pokémon League and it was the same way as in the games.