Ash came with Professor Oak and his mother on a trip to the Unova region. After losing in a battle to Trip and seeing the power of the legendary Zekrom, Ash became interested in traveling to Unova to meet new Pokémon, as well as new friends. He journeyed in Unova, first bringing along only his Pikachu, as he did in Hoenn.
Ash competed in the Club Battle in "Reunion Battles In Nimbasa!"-"Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome!". He battled against Burgundy and her Stoutland in the first round and won using his Palpitoad. He then battled Georgia and her Pawniard in "Cilan Versus Trip, Ash Versus Georgia!". Ash used his Snivy. Although she struggled at first, Snivy managed to defeat Pawniard and advance Ash to the next round. Next, in "Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome!", Ash battled Dino and his Darumaka with his Palpitoad again and won easily. In the final round, Ash went up against Iris and her Excadrill. Ash used Pikachu, but lost the match and became runner-up in the tournament. He didn't feel bad, though, and was happy to see Iris win the tournament.
After managing to obtain the Unova Badges, he was allowed to participate in the Vertress Conference along with his current and some new rivals. In the preliminary round, he battled Trip one-on-one, defeating him for the first time and ending their rivalry. Ash also defeated his friend and rival Stephan. He then battled one of his recent rivals, Cameron, whom he lost to in "An Unova League Evolution!, making it to the top 8 of the Vertress Conference.