Pokémon Master

If you were looking for the mobile game, see Pokémon Masters EX.

Pokémon Master (Japanese: ポケモンマスター Pokémon Master) is a title in the Pokémon world. It is the goal of many Pokémon Trainers to become a Pokémon Master. However, exactly what this position is and how one attains it is vague and never fully explained.

A Pokémon League poster aimed at aspiring Pokémon Masters

In response to an email sent to its mailbag, Pokémon.com posted the following:

"I'm very sorry, but the Pokémon Company does not answer questions of this nature. It is the intent of the Pokémon creators that such questions be left to the imaginations and interpretations of Pokémon fans, adding more excitement and mystery to the Pokémon universe."

In Pokémon the Series, Ash left Pallet Town and started his journey with the goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. In his endeavors to achieve this goal, he has traveled across many regions and competed in their respective Pokémon League Conferences, though he has mentioned that being a Pokémon League Champion is just one step towards becoming a Pokémon Master. In The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, Ash specifies that to him, a Pokémon Master is someone who has befriended every Pokémon in the world.

Usage

Theories

175Togepi.png This section contains fan speculation.
There is no solid evidence for or against some parts of this article.
  • It has been theorized that when someone becomes a Pokémon Champion of a regional Pokémon League, they attain the title of Pokémon Master.
    • This theory is supported by Lance calling the player a Pokémon Master upon his defeat in Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen, before revealing that the player must first defeat Blue to become the Champion.
    • It is implied in the dub of Memories Are Made Of Bliss! that this is the case. However, the Japanese version explicitly states that it is only one step towards becoming a Pokémon Master.
    • However, Ash became the Champion of the Alola League and still does not consider himself a Pokémon Master. He later won the title of Monarch during the World Coronation Series but does not consider himself a Master, as he admitted to Pikachu.
  • In a 2008 interview with the webmaster of PokéBeach, Masamitsu Hidaka stated that when Ash becomes a Pokémon Master, it would be the last episode of the show.[2]
  • It has been theorized that, in the context of the animated series, Pokémon Masters are the members of the Elite Four.
  • After defeating Giovanni at Viridian Gym, when he gives the player the Earth Badge, he says it is "evidence of your mastery as a Pokémon Trainer," which could imply that a Pokémon Master is someone who has collected all of the Gym Badges in a region.
    • In the context of Pokémon the Series, this is not the case, as Ash has collected all the Gym Badges in multiple regions and still does not consider himself a Pokémon Master.
  • It has been theorized that someone who is unbeatable in battle is considered a Pokémon Master.
    • This was implied in Mewtwo Strikes Back, where Mewtwo referred to himself as a Pokémon Master, with him being the strongest being emphasized throughout the movie, as well as the Japanese version of Pokémon, I Choose You! where Ash says 「最高のポケモントレーナー…いや ポケモンマスター!そうともそれはオレだ! 」 ("I will become the greatest Pokémon Trainer... no wait, scratch that. I'll become a Pokémon Master! Yeah, that'll be me!")
  • The Official Pokémon Collector's Sticker Book implies that someone becomes a Pokémon Master by catching all Pokémon.
    • It has also been theorized that this, along with becoming a Pokémon Champion, is the criteria.
  • In I Choose You!, Verity questions if being a Pokémon Master meant being the world's strongest Pokémon Trainer; Ash replies that it is "much more than that".
  • In a 2020 interview with the general director of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, Daiki Tomiyasu reveals that he has asked the show's supervisor, Kunihiko Yuyama, what Ash's "I wanna be a Pokémon Master!" dream means. He responded "It's just the silly dream of a child. It's something for him to idolize."[3]
  • In an ORICON NEWS interview following Ash becoming the Monarch of the World Coronation Series in Partners in Time!, Ash's voice actress, Rica Matsumoto, said "[Ash] may have become the strongest trainer, but it is said that the dream of becoming Pokémon Master is different." [4]

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 寶可夢大師 Pokémon Daaihsī *
寵物小精靈大師 Chúngmaht Síujīnglìhng Daaihsī *
小精靈大師 Síujīnglìhng Daaihsī *
小精靈掌門人 Síujīnglìhng Jéungmùhnyàhn *
精靈掌門人 Jīnglìhng Jéungmùhnyàhn *
精靈大師 Jīnglìhng Daaihsī *
寵物小精靈專家 Chúngmaht Síujīnglìhng Jyūngā *
最厲害的寵物小精靈訓練員 Jeuileihhoih-dīk Chúngmaht Síujīnglìhng Fanlihnyùhn *
Mandarin 寶可夢大師 / 宝可梦大师 Pokémon Dàshī *
神奇寶貝大師 / 神奇宝贝大师 Shénqí Bǎobèi Dàshī *
神奇寶貝訓練家 Shénqí Bǎobèi Xùnliànjiā *
精灵宝可梦大师 Jinglíng Pokémon Dàshī *
神奇宝贝超级训练师 Shénqí Bǎobèi Chāojí Xùnliànshī *
神奇宝贝专家 Shénqí Bǎobèi Zhuānjiā *
精灵掌门人 Jīnglíng Zhǎngménrén *
宠物精灵大师 Chǒngwù Jīnglíng Dàshī *
宠物小精灵的大师 Chǒngwù Xiǎojīnglíng-de Dàshī *
宠物小精灵专家 Chǒngwù Xiǎojīnglíng Zhuānjiā *
Croatia Flag.png Croatian Pokémon-majstor
Denmark Flag.png Danish Pokémon-mester*
Pokémonmester
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Pokémon Meester
Finland Flag.png Finnish Pokémon-mestari
French Canada Flag.png Canada Maître du Pokémon*
France Flag.png Europe Maître Pokémon
Germany Flag.png German Pokémon-Meister
India Flag.png Hindi पोकेमोन मास्टर Pokémon Master
Iceland Flag.png Icelandic Pokémon-meistari
Indonesia Flag.png Indonesian Master Pokémon
Pokémon Master
Italy Flag.png Italian Maestro Pokémon
South Korea Flag.png Korean 포켓몬마스터 Pokémon Master
Malaysia Flag.png Malaysian Pokémon Master
Norway Flag.png Norwegian Pokémonmester*
Pokémon-mester
Poland Flag.png Polish Mistrz Pokémonów*
Mistrz Pokémon*
Portugal Flag.png Portuguese Mestre Pokémon
Russia Flag.png Russian Мастер Покемонов Master Pokémonov
Serbia Flag.png Serbian Pokémon-majstor
Spain Flag.png Spanish Maestro Pokémon
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Pokémon-mästare
Thailand Flag.png Thai โปเกมอนมาสเตอร์ Pokémon Master
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Pokémon Ustası
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Chuyên gia về Pokémon

References

  1. https://twitter.com/PokemonMasters/status/1559616134600568832
  2. PokéBeach: Second Interview with Masamitsu Hidaka – Many Interesting Points!
  3. [1]: Animedia June 2020 Daiki Tomiyasu Interview
  4. [2]] A translated tweet from I L A ꕤ

Related articles


Animated series-exclusive Trainer classes
ConnoisseurMasterPerformerPoacherStylistSupreme Gym LeaderWatcher
Project Anime logo.png This Trainer class article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.