Pokémon Master

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.

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 the, left Pallet Town and started his  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 is just one step towards becoming a Pokémon Master.

Usage

 * In, after defeating Lance he says "I hate to admit it, but you are a POKéMON master!".
 * In, after defeating all the in the Team Rocket HQ, Lance says "The journey to becoming the Pokémon Master is long and difficult. Knowing that, will you keep going?"
 * In, he instead says "The journey to becoming the Pokémon Champion is long and difficult. Knowing that, will you keep going?"
 * Extreme Pokémon: The Guide for the Ultimate Fan calls Prima a Pokémon Master.
 * The Official Pokémon Handbook states that a Trainer would deserve the title of Pokémon Master upon defeating or catching . The handbook also refers to the Elite Four members as "Master Trainers".
 * According to A Sneak Peek at Pokémon, one of the tasks to become a Pokémon Master is to catch all Pokémon.
 * The book Charizard, Go! states that a Pokémon Master must catch one of every kind of Pokémon and become a member of the Pokémon League.
 * According to The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, a Pokémon Master is simply an elite Trainer who is considered a professional and regularly takes part in Pokémon League competitions.
 * In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Nurse Joy (while brainwashed) invites the Trainers to have a battle against the world's greatest Pokémon Master on New Island, who is later revealed to be.
 * In The Legend of Thunder!, called Lance a great Pokémon Master.
 * In his debut episode, Wallace is called a Champion Master. Likewise in Memories are Made of Bliss!, Cynthia is referred to as a Champion Master. Both of them are the last person to be battled at the . Champion Masters must defend their title against all opposing Trainers. In a sense, they are undefeated by any Trainer that has officially challenged them to claim their title. Ash states that becoming a Champion Master is one step toward becoming a Pokémon Master.

Theories

 * It has been theorized that when one becomes a Pokémon Champion of a regional Pokémon League, one attains the title of Pokémon Master.
 * This theory is supported by Lance calling the player a Pokémon Master upon his defeat in, before revealing that the player must first face becoming Champion.
 * It is also supported by Masamitsu Hidaka in his 2010 interview with the webmaster of PokéBeach, stating that if Ash wins a League, the show is over.
 * 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 to being a Pokémon Master.
 * However, Ash won the Orange League and still does not consider himself a Pokémon Master.
 * It has been theorized that, in the context of the, Pokémon Masters are the members of the Elite Four.
 * This theory is supported by the book Extreme Pokémon: The Guide for the Ultimate Fan calling Prima a Pokémon Master.
 * After defeating Giovanni at Viridian Gym, when he gives the player the he says it is "evidence of your mastery as a Pokémon Trainer" which may imply that a Pokémon Master is one who has collected all of the Gym Badges in a region.
 * Yet in the context of the anime 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 one who is unbeatable in battle is considered a Pokémon Master.
 * This was implied in Mewtwo Strikes Back, where referred to himself as a Pokémon Master, with him being the strongest being emphasized throughout the movie.
 * The Official Pokémon Collector's Sticker Book implies that one is made 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; replies that it is "much more than that".