All right, look, if they truly cared about the whole "Pokemon Master" thing being an important plot point in the show, then Ash's story would have ENDED when he beat Brandon, as he has already proven himself to have become a Pokemon Master by defeating possibly the strongest trainer in the world (far stronger than even a regional champion), so he has no rival after that. Seeing how he didn't stop, and now he's LOSING against Gym Leaders, making it seem as though all of AG never happened, that ultimately PROVES that it is throwing bones, or at least very similar. As I said before, if it isn't defined, it is pointless, meaningless, and nonexistant.