Ash Ketchum earned the title Monarch after winning the Pokémon World Coronation Series in Pokémon Ultimate Journeys.
The victory came in the Masters Eight Tournament, where Ash defeated Leon, the reigning Monarch and Champion of the Galar region. The result recognized Ash as the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world within the anime’s World Coronation Series ranking system.
Ash’s achievement followed a long storyline in which he competed in regional Pokémon Leagues and sought to become a Pokémon Master. He had already won the Alola League in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends, but the World Coronation Series victory represented a broader global championship.
The title is sometimes described informally as “world champion,” but Monarch is the official ranking title used by the tournament’s rules and broadcast story. After Ash’s concluding adventures, Pokémon Horizons: The Series introduced new protagonists rather than continuing him as the central lead.