Pokémon Master

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It is the goal of Ash Ketchum, as well as many other Pokémon Trainers, to become a Pokémon master, sometimes known as Champion Master. However, exactly what this position is and how one attains it is vague and never fully explained. This, however, is done intentionally, as explained by a Nintendo representative in response to an email sent to Pokémon.com's mailbag;

"I'm very sorry, but the Pokémon Company does not answer questions of this nature. It is the intent of the Pokémon creators that such questions be left to the imaginations and interpretations of Pokémon fans, adding more excitement and mystery to the Pokémon universe."

Theories

This article contains fan speculation. There is no solid evidence for or against some parts of this article.

• It has been theorized that when one becomes a Pokémon Champion of a regional Pokémon League, one attains the title of master — however, this might not be correct, as Ash won the Orange League without attaining the position to anyone's knowledge. Indeed, other Pokémon League Champions haven't ever been referred to as Pokémon masters, either. Another theory is that, in the context of the anime, Pokémon masters are the members of the Elite Four. However, even these characters are not always referred to as Pokémon masters when Ash meets them.
• In Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen, upon defeating Lance, he declares the player a Pokémon master.
• The Official Pokémon Handbook states that a Trainer would deserve the title of Pokémon master upon defeating or capturing Mewtwo, which would, in terms of the anime, obviously be very impractical, if not impossible. But the handbook also refers to the Elite Four members as master Trainers, implying that any elite trainer can call themselves a master.
  • This would mean that Giovanni would be the first and only Pokémon master in the anime, according to the first movie. It would also mean that there are 3 Pokémon masters in the Pokémon Adventures manga who are Blaine being the original owner and creator of Mewtwo, according to Tauros the Tyrant, And Mewtwo Too?! and And Mewtwo Three!, Red who caught Mewtwo with a Master Ball in And Mewtwo Three! and Yellow who used Mewtwo in Aerodactyl Redux.
• According to the very first official promotional video, one of the tasks to become a Pokémon master is to capture all Pokémon. In theory, Ash almost had all of the Pokémon in the world on his side in The Power of One, but did not officially own them. This task, however, would in practice seem impossible, especially considering certain legendary Pokémon. Aside from this issue, it would be impractical for anyone in the anime to capture and maintain at least 1026 different creatures. Unlike the Pokémon games or Pokémon Adventures manga, in which Pokémon can be stored in suspended animation as computer data — Pokémon in the anime need to be fed and exercised regularly to maintain their health. Such a task would be impossible for anyone to perform alone, or even with many assistants or helpers. A worldwide community containing at least one of each is logically possible, considering that Professor Oak had a research facility which doubled as a living ground for the Pokémon. This may have resulted in the franchise's dropping of the familiar "Gotta Catch 'em All!" motto.
  • The Power of One is also notable for making this goal in the anime seem problematic, since a major plot point in the film was Lawrence III capturing the legendary birds and disrupting the balance of nature. If these three Pokémon were the only ones of their kind in the anime, then the title of Pokémon master could possibly not be achieved without putting the world at risk. However, the same Pokémon had appeared in other episodes of the anime as well.
• The book The Official Pokémon Collector's Sticker Book implies that one is made a Pokémon Master by catching all Pokémon. As the book possesses numerous references to the anime, it is contradictory because, as aforementioned, the anime makes the concept of one person owning all Pokémon seem implausible.
• According to The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, however, which is also based on the anime, a Pokémon master is simply an elite Trainer who is considered a professional and regularly takes part in League competitions.
• A Pokémon Master is possibly a Trainer that has become unbeatable. This is supported by the fact that in Mewtwo Strikes Back, Nurse Joy (while brainwashed) invites the trainers to have a battle against the world's greatest Pokémon Master on New Island, who is later revealed to be Mewtwo.
• In Battling a Thaw in Relations!, Cynthia says that she looks forward for when Ash and Paul enter the Champion league rather than a regional league. This was also mentioned in Memories are Made of Bliss! when Ash talks about one day winning the Champion League and becoming Champion Master, another name for Pokémon Master, and in Ash and Trip's Third Battle! when Trip says that he wants to win the Unova League and then the Champion League. It is theorized that after a Trainer wins a regional league, they are qualified to be part of the Champion League, and if they win, they officially become Pokémon Masters. However, this theory is questionable since no form of a Champion League took place so far in the Anime.