8 Times Ash Ketchum Proved Himself A Pokemon Master

Two titles, including an internationally recognised inaugural crown and further success in several other acclaimed competitions? For a ten-year-old, no-one ever seems to comment on just what a sensational achievement that is for him.

In his first ever competitive Pokemon League appearance in the Kanto region, he reached the last 16 out of 256 competing trainers before he bowed out, while he notched up back-to-back top eight results in Johto and Hoenn.

He broke new ground in Sinnoh, exiting in the semi-finals only after he came up against a trainer whose team composed of Legendary Pokemon alone, while it could be argued that his refusal to pull from his deep bench cost him in Unova and Kalos.

But he finally proved the naysayers wrong when he won the very first Manalo Conference in Alola, to go alongside his prior wins in the small-fry Orange League and the particularly tough Battle Frontier. Trainers twice his age would kill for a record like that, which proves he's a savvier Master than he gives himself credit for.