Ash Ketchum and Pikachu are saying goodbye and ending their run on the Pokémon anime series Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series after 25 years.
The boy from Pallet Town began his journey to “be the very best” and become the master trainer in 1997, together with his loyal companion Pikachu. Last month, they finally did it. The duo won the Pokémon World Championship.
To commemorate the end of this iconic era that has been a part of so many childhoods, the Pokémon company is releasing an 11-episode epilogue to close out the series in January 2023.
From their press release, Pokémon explained that “the forthcoming special episodes not only celebrate Ash’s monumental achievement, but they also act as an expression of gratitude from Pokémon to all the fans who have joined him and his partner Pokémon Pikachu along the way.”
Understandably, fans of the franchise are torn between being excited to see how the 25-season arc comes to a close and being emotional that it is, in fact, ending.
The English voice behind Ash, Sarah Natochenny, also expressed her gratitude to the franchise and its fans after the announcement.
Once we finally finish cycling through the stages of grief, we can begin to look forward to what is ahead for the Pokémon franchise. A new anime series featuring two new protagonists, Liko and Roy, and the new starter Pokémons (featured in the new games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet), will debut in April 2023.
According to Pokémon, “fans can look forward to what’s to come in the new animated series, which will represent everything they love about Pokémon animation, including action, adventure, friendship and Pokémon.”
2023 will be a pivotal year for the Pokémon anime series. As much as we loved seeing Ash finally achieve his dream, it is bittersweet to say goodbye. But as one door closes, another opens. We cannot wait to see where Liko and Roy take us.
