Pokémon Journeys is nothing if not a testament to Leon’s strength, almost more so than Ash’s (even after Ash defeated him in the Masters Eight Finals of the World Coronation Series). Leon spent his scattered appearances throughout Journeys windmill-dunking on the series' strongest trainers and getting lost the moment he left his yard. Heralded as Galar’s unbeatable Champion, Leon conquered the Galar League on his first try, completing the Gym Challenge and winning the Champion Cup in a string of battles that weren’t even close. In spite of Leon's bold claims that he has never been beaten, a flashback during his battle with Ash revealed that the young trainer is not the first person to have defeated him.
The winner of what appeared to be the inaugural World Coronation Series, Leon was almost annoying because of how foolish he made his opponents look, be they Gym Leaders, Elite Four or other Champions. His achievements extend even further, having once invited 100 powerful trainers from around the world to challenge him and beat them all. Ash remains the only person who’s ever even defeated more than two of Leon’s Pokémon in a single battle. Leon's first battle against Sonia, however, proved to be an entirely different test.
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Leon Lost His First-Ever Battle
As Leon prepared for his Finals match against Ash, he found himself thinking back to the very first battle he ever had as a child. In this battle, Leon sent out his Charmander to battle Sonia’s Rookidee. Unsure of why he was suddenly thinking of that battle, Leon went out to battle Ash and took control of the match, despite spending most of it at a numbers disadvantage. It was only in the fourth and final episode of this battle, after he’d lost to Ash, that it was revealed that Leon lost that battle to Sonia.
While not saying out loud to Ash that he lost, Leon did admit that this battle taught him what Pokémon battles were all about. It’s not a huge deal that Leon once lost a quick battle between children and small Pokémon, but it’s an interesting omission from someone who has openly talked about how he’s never lost before. Perhaps it was the tears of frustration from that battle that made Leon so obsessed with winning that he was an adult, a Champion and officially the greatest trainer in the world before he lost again.
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Ash's Loss Is Vital to Leon's Character Arc
Between that battle with Sonia and his battle with Ash, it seems that Leon never experienced a challenging battle again. He went training after beating Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four because he and his Charizard hadn’t gotten to go all-out. He needed only three Pokémon to defeat Diantha, the Kalos Champion, in a 6v6 battle. Leon’s strength in battle was so overwhelming that it made his battles uninteresting. Leon is a Champion just like Lance, Steven, Cynthia, Iris, Diantha and Ash, and the rest of his peers -- some of the most interesting and popular characters in the franchise. That Leon should be their equal in title and superior in strength but uninteresting due to his unbeatable talent was not a good thing for his character or the series.
Galar’s unbeatable Champion isn’t a compelling character because he has no challenges to overcome. Leon, who was so shaken by his first loss that he went years without losing again, yet handled it with grace when he did, is much more interesting. Leon’s legacy as unbeatable came crashing down at the hands of Ash Ketchum and was tremendous for both of them, as Leon now has a new motivation to keep improving, while Ash has finally had his talent for battling unequivocally validated. While it’s odd that Leon would be outright dishonest about having lost before, it was still highly satisfying to watch him lose to Ash.
FAQs
Leon Lost His First-Ever Battle
Who did Leon marry in Pokémon? ›
Pokemon Quest: Leon and Sonia's Wedding.
Who is stronger, Ash or Leon? ›
There's no doubt that the series will end in a climatic battle between the two Trainers, but Ash is currently no match for Leon. Leon has proven time and time again to be virtually undefeatable. There's a reason he's held on to the title of Monarch for so long.
What happens if you lose to Leon in the Battle Tower? ›
Little advice; count each battle and save before fighting Leon; If you loose, you have to fight 10 battles again to meet him, unless you saved before; in that case- close game and restart. Is it true that when you win Leon, your team gets a Ribbon? Yeah the Tower was a big disappointment.
Why does Leon have Eternatus? ›
In Just a Scone's Throw From Here!, it was revealed that Eternatus had been unsealed by Professor Magnolia. Alongside Leon, the two had started to work to get Eternatus used to being around people. After reuniting with its Trainer, Goh agreed that was for the best and left it under Leon's care.
Who did Leon kiss? ›
I do believe Ada and Leon had a lot of tension but the kiss was so funny due to the circ*mstances Leon had to go through to get there.
Who is Leon's love interest? ›
In Resident Evil 2, Leon has an ambiguous romance with Ada Wong, which has been further explored in later entries, starting with Resident Evil 4. Makoto Kamiya initially wanted the film Resident Evil: Damnation to follow the dysfunctional romance between Leon and Ada, but that idea was scrapped.
Why didn't Ash use Charizard against Leon? ›
Here, it was revealed that Ash's Charizard is considerably smaller than most, and it struggled to earn respect from its fellow Charizard. Charizard ended up protecting the valley from Team Rocket (who only attacked to help Charizard be accepted), and Ash decided to leave Charizard in the valley.
Who has Ash never beaten? ›
Ash Never Beat Anyone in the Kanto Elite Four
A peer of Professor Oak's, Agatha is a member of the Kanto Elite Four, and one of the greatest Ghost-type trainers in the world. Ash doesn't battle her in the original series like he does Lorelei, but rather in the Advanced seasons.
Can you find Leon after you beat the game? ›
Make sure you stop by Hop's house and go upstairs to Leon's room.
Leon has a varied team, but you'll know two of his Pokémon in advance - that Gigantamax Charizard he's famous for, and the third starter Pokémon that neither you nor Hop chose at the start of your adventure. Aegislash is Leon's first Pokémon and arguably the toughest, thanks to its unique ability and solid stats.
Has Leon ever lost a battle? ›
Pokémon's Leon has a reputation for being undefeated, or at least he did until he lost to Ash in the climactic round of the Masters' Eight Tournament. However, there's still one champion who has never been defeated on screen in a proper battle, and he didn't even make it to the Masters' Eight at all: Alder.
What did goh do to Eternatus? ›
Rejoining forces, our heroes realize the sword and shield from Galar's hero legend are actually Zacian and Zamazenta—who appear just in time to help defeat Eternatus again! Goh catches Eternatus, and after adding it to his Pokédex, he leaves its Poké Ball with Professor Magnolia for safekeeping.
Why did Rose want Eternatus? ›
Rose wants to use Eternatus's limitless energy for Galar, no matter what gets destroyed in the process. As Leon prepares to catch and seal away Eternatus, Ash battles Rose; elsewhere, Goh is challenged by Rose's secretary Oleana.
Why Leon is so powerful? ›
Similarly Leon just trained his body so much that he's just stronger than most people. Any Re protagonist is already roaming the superhuman area, i will say, especially jill and chirs having so much at the age of 20. Military services, STARS etc.
Does Leon ever get married? ›
Is 'Leon and Claire are Married' Confirmed? The director of Resident Evil Deatho Island confirmed that after the event, Leon would marry Claire.
Who is Leon's girlfriend Pokémon? ›
Sonia
| Sonia ソニア Sonia |
|---|
| Art from Pokémon Sword and Shield by Yusuke Ohmura |
|---|
| Age | 18+ |
| Gender | Female |
| Eye color | Aqua |
16 more rowsLeon, who is transgender, was born as Mariah Brown on July 29, 1995, but stopped identifying as Mariah when they transitioned in 2022. Leon is the only child of Kody Brown and his first wife, Meri Brown.
