Ash Ketchum is the perfect employee, or at least, that’s what all the meme says. Ash is a 10-year-old Pokemon trainer with 25 years of experience and a championship belt to boot. All jokes aside, Ash is a cultural icon and is someone who’s been a fixture on television screens around the world for decades. But, it appears that The Pokemon Company is finally ready to let Ash move on (and hopefully, grow older).
According to the company behind the Pokemon animated series, the animated journey of Ash and Pikachu is coming to an end. The press release reveals the next handful of episodes will be a full-on nostalgia blast, featuring fan-favorite characters like Misty and Brock. More importantly, the episodes, which air in Japan starting on January 13, will give fans a look at what the future holds for the iconic duo.
The forthcoming special episodes not only celebrate Ash’s monumental achievement, but they also act as an expression of gratitude from Pokemon to all the fans who have joined him and his partner Pokemon Pikachu along the way.
It’s been somewhat of a headcanon or theory among fans that the series will end, or at the very least, Ash’s time as the lead character, when he becomes a world champion. The latest season of the anime, Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, saw this happen. Now that Ash has achieved his lifelong dream of “becoming the very best, like no one ever was”, it somewhat makes sense to see him pass the torch. But, we’d have to admit, it feels awfully bittersweet saying goodbye to Ash.
@xfire.com Ash Ketchum and Pikachu are leaving Pokemon after 25 years #pokemon #AshKetchum #Pikachu #fyp #foryou
To most if not every Pokemon fan, Ash is synonymous with the franchise. He’s the lynchpin of the Pokemon anime, having served as its lead character for decades. He’s a huge factor in why Pokemon is the most valuable media franchise. To see him say goodbye to his fans from around the world starting next month will be emotional, to say the least. It’s kind of like when Steve from Blues Clues went off the college.
If it’s any consolation, the Pokemon anime series isn’t ending. The announcement teased a new chapter of the anime, which will be inspired by the much-maligned new installments, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, will feature at least two new protagonists, the region’s starters, as well as Rayquaza, among others.
