Five things Ash could do after the Pokemon anime

Last month, Ash achieved what fans thought was impossible when he was set to fight the previously undefeated Leon in the World Championships. He took the victory, and after his 25-year-long journey, he was crowned the Monarch in the World Coronation Series. It was a well-deserved win, and fans around the globe flocked to social media to congratulate him. But what will Ash do after his chapter in the Pokemon anime ends?

Now that things have quietened down for Ash, his companions have been asking him what his new future goals are. He and Goh have finally gone their separate ways after travelling around the world together. This last series saw them dealing with Project Mew, with them teaming up together for the last time to take on a Raid Battle with Lugia.

Thankfully, there are plenty of things that Ash could do in the Pokemon universe. Not only is he a skilled Pokemon trainer as well as a kind and approachable person, but he is also the current Champion of the world. He is famous and has made plenty of connections during his travels too, so there’s no shortage of opportunities for him.

Five things Ash could do after the Pokemon anime

Everyone needs a career change sometimes. Ash has been doing this for decades, so here are a few things he might fancy dipping his toes into.

Credit: Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle - Polygon

He could mentor the next generation of Pokemon trainers

If Ash has proved anything during his travels, it’s that he’s always kind and treats people with the utmost respect. While he was once a naïve and often brattish kid, we’ve watched him mature over the years. So who could be a better choice to guide the next lot of trainers than somebody who’s only recently been through it themselves?

Ash would even have a few different ways he could do this. The obvious route he could take would be to become Professor Ketchum, where he would be the one to give out the starters to new trainers. If the academic life of being a Professor is too daunting for him though, he could easily become a teacher in one of the schools. He has stated that he wants to travel though, so perhaps he could start up a small temporary school in each town he visits. This way, he could continue his journey and also mentor as many different trainers as possible.

Credit: Bulbapedia

Reign as Pokémon Master

Perhaps the most obvious choice for Ash after the anime ends would be to have him reign as the Pokemon Champion. As seen in the Masters Eight Tournament, Leon has to be present in the competitions as he is the current Monarch; he has to constantly defend his title from other Masters who want to claim the title for themselves.

If Ash wants to hold on to the title, he will have to be present at the competitions. If he doesn’t want the pressure of constantly fighting for the top spot, then he would make a phenomenal gym leader. This would mean that all up-and-coming trainers would have to defeat him to even be allowed into the championships. It would mean less pressure for Ash, as well as make for an excellent opportunity for all of the young trainers who might not make it far later on in the competition.

Credit: Pokemon Fanon

Find his father

Ash has said multiple times that all he wants to do is travel the world and continue his journeys with Pokemon. We’ve always assumed that this is because he wants to become a Pokemon master, but what if it doesn’t have anything to do with Pokemon at all?

Very soon after Ash was born, his father abandoned him and his mother, Delia, in order to go on his own adventure. He has never been seen or even heard of, but there is speculation that he never returned because he didn’t achieve what he had set out to do, and felt a great sense of shame. Now that Ash has become the World Champion, it’s given him huge exposure around the world, and there’s no way that his father would have missed this.

Now that Ash has achieved his goal of becoming a World Champion, he will have a lot of free time on his hands. Not only this, he will have to re-assess what he hopes to achieve in the coming years. It would be the perfect opportunity to track down his father if that’s what he wants to do.

Credit: Twitter - User joseinextdoor

Complete the Pokédex by travelling across the world, being the first to discover them

There is always the chance that Ash does want to continue his next chapter by travelling with Pikachu because he has a genuine love for it. He may want to dedicate the next portion of his life to helping out the researching and helping Pokemon. After all, he’s done a fine job of filling out his Pokedex so far, making sure to whip it out every time he encounters a new Pokemon in order to get the entry.

There would be no one better suited to explore the lesser-known regions of the world than Ash and Pikachu. The pair have proved themselves in many dangerous situations before, and they have a special talent for getting wild Pokemon to trust them very quickly.

Credit: Pokepedia

Retire

Finally, there is a lot of pressure on Ash’s shoulders to keep doing the same level of exceptional feats that he’s always done. The boy has spent the last 25 years saving the world and even the universe multiple times, he’s taken on major crime organisations and even come face to face with gods.

It would be understandable if Ash Ketchum just wanted to retire with Pikachu and live a quiet life somewhere after all this. He wouldn’t have to worry about having to be revived from a violent death ever again, or facing the untold dangers yet undiscovered in the world. He could even get married, and start a family if he wanted to!

If Ash leaving the anime has made you feel nostalgic for the franchise, we've made a ranked list of the best Pokemon films that are perfect for watching on these winter nights. If you're playing the new Scarlet and Violet games over Christmas too, make sure to check out our guide on setting up a picnic!