8 Times Ash Ketchum Proved Himself A Pokemon Master

For over two decades, Ash Ketchum, Pikachu and his various friends has traveled across the land, searching far and wide, on their quest to understand the power that's inside.

Infernally catchy theme song aside however, the eternally youthful protagonist of the Pokemon anime series is yet to achieve his ultimate goal in his own eyes - to become a Pokemon Master.

What that is exactly remains frustratingly vague in the lexicon of the show however, with the Pallet Town native having never fully expounded on just what his dream entails.

But after twenty years of capturing Pokemon, challenging gyms and saving the world on an intermittent basis, surely Ash has earned himself the title?

His frequently impressive and death-defying exploits show exactly the kind of moral character that would be expected of a theoretical Pokemon Master - and his personal competitive achievements prove him a sportsman of the highest order in the show's most popular pastime and career.

Here's just eight examples of why Ash Ketchum deserves to be renown far and wide as the very best, like no-one ever was.

You don't get to be a Pokemon Master without possessing a remarkable insight into the various creatures littering the globe, and despite his youthful standing, the boy from Pallet Town has proved time and again that he knows how to get the best out of them.

Granted, he may have had his struggles early on, such as attempting to tame his unruly Charizard, but the two now possess a bond arguably thicker than the one he has with any of his Pokemon bar Pikachu.

Since then, he's only gone from strength to strength in helping them achieve their own personal goals, from his formerly downtrodden Chimchar all the way through to his newly-caught Gengar. He even knows what will be best for them before they do sometimes, having let several - such as Greninja - walk away to fulfil their own destiny. That's the mark of a man whose knowledge is wise beyond his years.