In the Pokémon TV series, Ash earns eight Kanto Gym Badges before entering the Indigo League.
The badges represent victories or qualifications from Kanto’s recognized Pokémon Gyms. Ash obtains badges connected with Pewter, Cerulean, Vermilion, Celadon, Fuchsia, Saffron, Cinnabar, and Viridian. Some of these episodes do not follow a simple conventional Gym battle, which is why the total can be confusing.
For example, Ash receives the Boulder Badge after battling Brock, while the Cascade Badge is associated with Misty’s Cerulean Gym. The Soul and Marsh Badge stories also involve unusual circumstances rather than straightforward victories under identical rules.
The Indigo League is the regional Pokémon League conference for Kanto. Ash qualifies with eight badges, but the tournament does not end with him as champion. He reaches the top sixteen, where his run concludes after a battle involving Charizard.