The anime Pokemon series is famous for the story of the main character Satoshi, who fights many strong opponents in his quest to become a Pokemon Master. Even people who don't usually watch anime are likely to know the story of Pokemon to some extent, so it's probably one of the works that anime otaku often choose when talking about anime. The Pokemon Master has become synonymous with the Pokemon series, but do you know what the title is? In the main game, the main character's goal is not to become a Pokemon Master, but to become the Pokemon League Champion. In the anime version, the specific identity of the Pokemon Master is never revealed, so many people may not be sure what the difference is between him and the Pokemon League Champion. In this article, I would like to take a closer look at the dream of Satoshi, the main character of the anime series, to become a Pokemon Master, before Satoshi retires.
Satoshi's dream is to become a Pokemon Master
The Pokemon Master is a title that Satoshi has been striving for since the beginning of the anime. His famous line, "I'm Satoshi from Masara Town! My dream is to become a Pokemon Master!" is very well known.
Battle & Capture to Become a Pokemon Master
Even in the movie version, which can be said to be a summer tradition of the Pokemon series, the opening line, "Battle & Capture to Become a Pokemon Master," is played in the voice of Professor Oak, so it is clear from the opening explanation that Satoshi is on a journey to become a Pokemon Master and has undergone many adventures to achieve that goal.
Visiting Gyms Around the World
As Professor Oak introduced in the movie, Satoshi's adventures are mainly about visiting gyms around the world. Therefore, we can see that challenging gyms around the world is important to calling yourself a Pokemon Master, but it remains a mystery how that is specifically connected to becoming a Pokemon Master.
What was a Pokemon Master after all?
After all, every season Satoshi repeats the process of defeating gyms in various places, then challenging the league and losing, so he was never clearly depicted as having reached the Pokemon Master stage. Therefore, rather than the question of "What was the Pokemon Master after all?", the regret that Satoshi was unable to win first remained first, and there was a tendency to not mind even if the depiction of the true identity of the Pokemon Master itself became vague.
Champion Theory
There are many theories about the identity of the Pokemon Master, but the most famous one is the "Pokemon Master Champion Theory." As mentioned earlier, Satoshi is visiting gyms all over the country to become a Pokemon Master. After conquering the gym, a league match and a champion match await him. If that's the case, then since Satoshi is challenging gyms to become a Pokemon Master, he is essentially aiming to become a champion.
The title of the strongest in each region
In fact, the Pokémon Champion is the title of the strongest in each region, so it can be said that it is a title worthy of Satoshi, who has been adventuring throughout the series. In the main game, one of the goals is to defeat the champion and become the champion himself, so it can be said that it is consistent with the game version.
The title of strongest in the battle that Satoshi puts the most effort into
And above all, there is no way that Satoshi, who puts the most effort into battling in the work, wouldn't be aiming to become champion. If you think about it that way, it's a bit puzzling that he didn't specifically say that he would become Pokemon champion, but the "Pokemon Master Champion theory" is quite persuasive.
Becoming Champion of the Alola League
However, this theory will no longer be accepted in Pokémon Sun & Moon. That is, in Pokémon Sun & Moon, Satoshi was able to become a regional champion for the first time in the series. In other words, even though he has already become champion, Satoshi's adventure is still continuing, proving that the Pokémon League champion is by no means the Pokémon master that Satoshi meant.
World Champion Theory
In this situation, the "Pokemon Master World Champion Theory" has been gaining attention recently. If he has become a regional champion, the next thing he should aim for is world champion, and there is no better title in Pokemon battles than world champion. From this point of view, the theory is that the world champion, which is the greatest title that Satoshi, who is focusing on battling, should aim for, is the true identity of the Pokemon Master.
The Summit of Champions
In fact, the World League, in which the champions of each league compete, depicted in the latest series, was drawn with great effort as a final conclusion to the series so far. It is truly the highest peak of battle, where all Pokemon trainers will stand at the top.
Battle with the ultimate enemy Dande
In particular, Dande, the ultimate enemy that Satoshi faced in the finals, was portrayed in the story as the strongest enemy, unlike previous champions. If Satoshi had won the match against Dande, one of the most powerful trainers in the series, there would be no trainer in the world who could be Satoshi's enemy.
The battle is decided with the best animation and development in the series
The battle scenes are also drawn with the best animation in the series so far, and the production staff's enthusiasm was conveyed, saying, "This is the culmination of Satoshi's adventures so far!" Satoshi's victory truly meant that the Pokemon series itself was coming to an end. If you think about it this way, it's clear from the story structure that the original purpose of the Pokemon anime series, to become a Pokemon Master and to become World Champion, are the same thing.
Even if he wins,,
However, the narration revealed that even after Satoshi became the world champion, he would continue on an adventure to become a Pokemon master. In other words, the world champion was not a Pokemon master. This also proved that the "Pokemon Master World Champion Theory," which was once thought to be certain, was incorrect.
There is no such thing as a Pokemon Master
While many of these theories have turned out to be wrong, the one that is currently most popular is the "There is no such thing as a Pokemon Master." I'm sure many readers will be wondering, "What's the point of the protagonist's goal in the story being a title that doesn't exist!" In fact, there is no title comparable to the Pokemon Master in the anime, and theories about the true identity of the Pokemon Master are essentially at a dead end.
There is no other trainer aiming to become a Pokemon Master other than Satoshi.
What supports this theory in particular is that there is no other trainer aiming to become a Pokemon Master other than Satoshi. In the work, there is no character other than Satoshi who openly declares, "My dream for the future is to become a Pokemon Master!" In other words, the word "Pokemon Master" has not been established by anyone other than Satoshi.
What is a Pokemon Master? "What is a Pokemon Master?" is what people ask in the story. This makes it clear that Pokemon Master is a word that Satoshi made up himself, and that this word is not even a synonym for any specific title.
What was the "longed-for Pokemon Master"?
As such, it has become clear that the title of Pokemon Master does not exist, and is in fact a concept that Satoshi created himself. However, when you compare this with the opening theme from when the anime was first broadcast, the conclusion is a little strange.
Inconsistent with the lyrics
The lyrics of the song "Aim to be a Pokemon Master," which is synonymous with the Pokemon series, include the line "I want to become the Pokemon Master I admire." If it was a title that didn't exist, there would be no one to admire, and no matter what, he would never become the "Pokemon Master I admire." If you think about it that way, wasn't the Pokemon Master supposed to be depicted as the object of Satoshi's aspirations when the anime first aired?
The hint is in the change in the direction of the Pokemon anime?
The only possible reason is that the Pokémon anime series was not originally intended to be a long-term series, so the story was meant to be completed as a single series.
Since it's not over, there's no need for a Pokemon Master to appear
In other words, wasn't it supposed to end with a clear Pokemon Master that Satoshi aims to become, with Satoshi either becoming that Pokemon Master or giving up because he can't? However, due to the long-term popularity of the Pokemon series, this idea was scrapped and they turned to a long-running anime series, which is why I think this setting became vague.
Is the Pokemon Master his father?
When you think about this, you will understand the true identity of Satoshi's father, who has not yet appeared despite so many hints in the work. In the work, Satoshi's father was supposed to stand in front of Satoshi as a Pokemon Master. In fact, the pattern of the father actually being the final boss was a common setting in boys' anime at the time, and it is not impossible to think that the Pokemon anime had this idea in mind.
Summary
What did you think? This time, we introduced the "Pokemon Master" that Satoshi, the main character of the anime Pokemon series, aims to become. Satoshi has been a pillar of the Pokémon series for many years, but unfortunately, it seems he will be retiring with this series. As the baton will be handed over to an entirely new protagonist from the next game, I can't help but think, "I hope they'll draw a story that touches on the true identity of the Pokémon Master, even if it's a while from now." That's how much Pokémon Master has become a phrase that represents the Pokémon series thanks to Satoshi, so I really hope that it will be resolved in some way. It would be great if these plot threads, which have not been revealed for over 20 years, are resolved in some way in the future. This concludes my introduction and thoughts on the Pokémon Master in the anime and Pokémon series.
