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How would Ash winning a league change the anime?

U.N. Owen

In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night ...
I am getting really weary of people pretty much showing up on youtube videos of Ash and Alain's final battle spouting out hatred and pretty much saying that Alain robbed Ash's opportunity to win and retire as protagonist.

I never understood this sentiment in the slightest.
 

Pokegirl Fan~

Liko>>>>>Ash
It wouldn't change a thing. Ash would probably continue as the main protagonist and ends up losing the next league even if he won the previous league.
 

AznKei

Dawn & Chloe by ddangbi
I am getting really weary of people pretty much showing up on youtube videos of Ash and Alain's final battle spouting out hatred and pretty much saying that Alain robbed Ash's opportunity to win and retire as protagonist.

I never understood this sentiment in the slightest.
I wondered if you posted this in relation with the US Open tennis final from Yesterday...

I didn't really care about the league outcome tbh. I'm just disappointed that he's still hugging the spotlights compared to his companions.
 

Ignition

We are so back Zygardebros
Oh boy more talk about that damn finale

It depends on where the writers want to take his character. He could go battle the E4 and then Champion or he could keep traveling. He definitely wouldn't stop and retire because there's more to a Pokémon Master than winning Leagues apparently.

Fact of the matter is the anime will go in the direction of the writer's wishes and Ash's outcome of the fan's reaction won't change a thing.
 

blizzardblaze

Comp. Battler Who loves The Anime
I think that Ash winning a league for once(could be past leagues he took part in or future ones should he decide to try again) could make him and his Pokemon even more motivated to keep getting stronger, travelling, and creating new bonds!
 

Thumbs2

Well-Known Member
Absolutely nothing.

He'll lose to the first e4, be like "I have more to learn." and continue on his journey, mentioning his league win once in a blue moon.
 

Genaller

Silver Soul
I am getting really weary of people pretty much showing up on youtube videos of Ash and Alain's final battle spouting out hatred and pretty much saying that Alain robbed Ash's opportunity to win and retire as protagonist.

I never understood this sentiment in the slightest.
Honestly I wouldn’t bother since most of them just hopped on the hype train bandwagon after XYZ 38’s title was released. I mean I was really sad about Ash loosing (stayed in bed the rest of the day that day) though I was never under any delusion that Alain “robbed” him since Alain was built up as a credible threat and Ash still progressed by reaching the finals for the first time.

To answer the title question; according to the lore established in DP Ash would gain access to the champion’s league of every region with a recognized Pokémon league if he were to win a league conference of any of these regions. The E4 challenge seems to be apart of what constitutes a champion’s league though I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a lot more to it than just that (I’d recommend anyone interested to watch the Japenease version of DP 99 for more insight). Bascially if Ash were to win a league then there would pretty much be zero obligation for him to ever do a gym battle (or equivalent) ever again since he’ll have automatic access to whatever the champion’s league constitutes for each region he is in.
 

keepitsimple

site of lies
Absolutely nothing.

He'll lose to the first e4, be like "I have more to learn." and continue on his journey, mentioning his league win once in a blue moon.
But that's still progression so I'm not sure where you get "absolutely nothing changes" from. Also if the league win would change absolutely nothing, then it wouldn't have been delayed for 20 years
 

Zhydra

Master of Chaos!
Ash won the Orange League and he continued his journey. He beaten the Battle Frontier and refused the title of king, if for some dark miracle he wins the League on Alola, it would change nothing except gain some credit he lost ages ago.
 

Darthlord7

The Smug Pikachu
Most likely nothing. Even if he somehow won, then he would lose against the E4 and Champion, he would probably pull the "I have a long way to go yet" and then travel to the next region, catching new Pokemon, doing the badge quest equivalent of the generation and challenge the next league as if nothing happened. Besides, it's evident that the show mainly cares about selling merchandise rather than telling a compelling ongoing story nowdays. Ash's goal is just an excuse for dragging the show out for as long as the franchise is being popular.
 
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NanoMoltres

Well-Known Member
Aside from maybe briefly acknowledging the fact that he's a champion of a league whenever he greets a new gym leader, I don't see anything else changing. We all know that Ash would want to go to the next region immediately afterwards to challenge it's respective league and meet a bunch of new friends and Pokemon along the way.
 

Spider-Phoenix

#ChespinGang
I don't think it'd change much but, from a writting standpoint, it could be difficult to portray him as someone who has a lot to learn when he has a league victory under his belt.

But personally, I think it's completly possible to have him win for once and still keep written as the same Ash as the usual.
 

Victorian Rush

Weather Manipulator
I think Ash winning a league would be awesome but I don’t think it would change anything. The point of the league is for the winner to challenge the elite four and champion and chances are Ash would not fare too well against them. He’s probably lose to the first one and realize he still so much to do and head off to the next region.
 

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan

Satomine Night

The Power of Z!
With regards to the story itself, nothing would really change. Even if Ash won a league, he would probably lose against the regional E4 or Champion, tell himself he still has a long way to go, and then continue doing what he has always done—travel to new regions, catch new Pokémon, meet new friends, and participate in each region's Gym badge quest or equivalent. The only difference would be that he has won a league; but since he is not one to brag about his own achievements anymore, most people he meets would probably have no idea what he has accomplished.
 

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan
With regards to the story itself, nothing would really change. Even if Ash won a league, he would probably lose against the regional E4 or Champion, tell himself he still has a long way to go, and then continue doing what he has always done—travel to new regions, catch new Pokémon, meet new friends, and participate in each region's Gym badge quest or equivalent. The only difference would be that he has won a league; but since he is not one to brag about his own achievements anymore, most people he meets would probably have no idea what he has accomplished.
It would be exciting to watch though. I would love to see Ash lose 6-3 or 6-4 to an Elite Four member in an epic two-episode battle in which he uses a wide variety of Pokémon from his past. That's one of the main reasons I want Ash to win.
 

Ash-Pikachu

Well-Known Member
Nothing would change. He already completed the Battle Fronteir up in Kanto and still de ides it was best to continue travelling to grow even stronger as a trainer. Ash even told Serena that it's his experiences and interactions with other people that'd make him stronger. Ash would most likely perform admirably and lose or continue persevering until he finally beats an E4 as he did with Brandon until he opts for travelling to become even stronger. I don't see too much changing other than our view of Ash as a trainer.
 

345ash-greninja

Auto-Memories Doll
It would mean finally a change in this regular, repeatitive, and boring formula of losing the League and then travel in the next region. It would mean that Ash, finally has taken a gigantic step forward towards his goal in the anime. Winning a League is the major primary step towards Ash's goal in a region, after that comes the much bigger hurdle of the E4 and Champions in the Champions League. It would mean that Ash finally has got a chance to get towards that second hurdle for the first time by overcoming the primary hurdle. It'd definitely be a nice change for once to see Ash finally overcoming his primary challenge of winning a League and facing the even more bigger challenge to the E4 and the Champions. It'd be a nice change from this repeatitive boring formula if Ash is finally allowed to face that second hurdle instead of him repeatedly trying and failing (despite getting close) to overcome the primary hurdle.
 
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04n70n10

Well-Known Member
I really wonder (after 20 years...) why writers are holding back this thing for so long... yep, I get that it would be a big achievement but still, they really don't want to play this "card" until the last. Really ... It'd be the end of everything? Basically they even created, from the start, the vague Pokémon Master goal for always having an open door... in case. It was a good thing to have a character not winning every league, with many losses during the journeys... but now we are in the opposite side of things, It has become tiresome and predictable.

There are still plenty of opportunities to do after, a proper E4 challenge fo example (basically the league of the games), the champion title ...i wonder why they introduced such things in DP for... apparently nothing.
 

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan
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