The Pokemon Anime is ending Ash's journey after 25 years, New Series to follow

The Pokemon anime has just announced that Ash’s Pokemon journey will be coming to an end. You can check out the announcement video below:

Ash has been traveling across the Pokemon land since 1997, searching far and wide for Pokemon to befriend and help him in becoming a Pokemon master. Along the years he's met many friends, fought many tough opponents, and has overcome the harshest of obstacles along with his pal Pikachu. Starting on January 23, 2023 (in Japan), we’ll get to see this story reach its conclusion in the form of 11 special episodes.

Following the end of Ash’s journey, a new Pokemon anime series will begin. It will feature two new protagonists - Liko and Roy - who have the three Paldea Pokemon starters from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with them. This new adventure will debut in Japan in April 2023.

Author’s Note: Dang this hits hard. Even though I stopped watching the anime many years ago (I watched it from the Kanto days as a kid to around mid-Sinnoh), this news still feels surreal. Here’s to Ash having a nice conclusion to his story and for the new protags to have a just as enjoyable if not better adventure ahead of them.

What are your favorite moments from Ash’s journey? Let us know in the comments below!

Credits
Writing/Editing: Sari
Thumbnail Graphic: Zerp
Social Media: Zerp

 

Honestly, it makes sense, since pokemon games seem to be taking on a new era as well - there's been a lot of QOL updates recently as well as a major shift to open-world gameplay. Given that legacy characters Misty and Brock have returned multiple times in the anime, I'm really hoping that means we might see Ash appear sometime in the future - maybe as a seasoned Pokemon Champion who gives the new protagonist a run for their money.

My favorite moment from Ash's history was when he taught Oshawott to swim with his eyes open, in the Unova series. I know because it's what led to Oshawott being my favorite Pokemon. Although, my most vivid memory of Ash is basically everything to do with Pokemon 4Ever. Loved that movie. I haven't watched any of the newer stuff with him, but I hear it's very good.

 

At least we got to see Ash go to every region from Kanto to Galar.

 

there's not enough pics of people crying in the universe

 

Actually a pretty interesting decision, I’m sure Ash will come back a lot so it’ll be interesting to see his character having being changed so drastically

 

Honestly, it makes sense, since pokemon games seem to be taking on a new era as well - there's been a lot of QOL updates recently as well as a major shift to open-world gameplay.

QOL updates happened in every single game since yellow, open world was experimented with for a while and it doesnt change the core gameplaye nearly as much, much less to call it a new era to the anime, theres no new era in the games, just more gens. This is an attempt to boost back audience as the anime has been in decay for a while, just like the previous series had an unique format too, probably wont last and they will bring back Ash with a new gimmick to gen 10

 

...I can't believe it. They actually did it.

 

if the series ends with ash's 11th birthday party i will die laughing

For real, though... Damn. Even as someone who's barely watched the anime, this feels like the end of an era. It totally makes sense, though - Ash is now a Pokemon Master, so what's there left for him to do?

 

if the series ends with ash's 11th birthday party i will die laughing

For real, though... Damn. Even as someone who's barely watched the anime, this feels like the end of an era. It totally makes sense, though - Ash is now a Pokemon Master, so what's there left for him to do?

They once said his journey doesn’t end when he becomes a master

 

there's not enough pics of people crying in the universe

25 Years.

25 Seasons.

1221 Episodes. (+11)

25 Side Stories.

23 Films.

It has been a long ride

 

Even though I haven't been watching the anime show, it still feels heavy to see how the story passes on to the new protagonist. At the same time, I'm excited to see how the direction goes, and maybe Ash and his friends will have fun cameos here and there.

 

I know the mascot's probably going to be another Pikachu or Eevee, but you know what would be really funny? Clefairy getting to snipe back the mascot role all these years later.

 

I know the mascot's probably going to be another Pikachu or Eevee, but you know what would be really funny? Clefairy getting to snipe back the mascot role all these years later.

Nah man, it's Poliwhirl's chance for a spot back in the limelight after all these years.

 

Please let Ash finally grow up it’s been 25 years and he still didn’t grow a bit

 

Fake news. Ash is here….forever….in our hearts. He is just taking a brief break.

 

Oh my god, they actually did it. They finally aren't rehashing the same formula.

 

And with the death of Ash & Pikachu so goes the core of my investment with the Pokemon Company, which has produced underwhelming games the past couple generations of consoles, and seems to be following the same bland trends we find in media. At its core is still Pokemon with familiar themes I approve of, but lackluster attempts to fill in what feels like gaping wounds where talent in the company has left. I haven't seen much of the anime since X/Y, but I'll be interested in looking at what the production has been like between here and the end of the journey before my final assessment.
I do plan on giving the new series a watch with as much an open mind as I can muster, and I'll brace myself for how difficult that will be after a long decline of quality over the years - most notably around the time of Pokemon Go (overlooking the oddball experimental offerings such as Hey You Pikachu).

Nintendo, and I name Iwata specifically, built them a mountain as a foundation for their legacy, but the Pokemon Company seems to be a distant echo from their impactful beginnings. They seem to want to blaze their own path here away from the Zelda and Earthbound games that most ostensibly inspired their bug catching sim, and with that I hope they find new horizons to witch they can bring fun and enjoyment to a new generation of gamers much like they did for me, rather than blind hubris running them into an Icarusian fall.

 

And with the death of Ash & Pikachu so goes the core of my investment with the Pokemon Company, which has produced underwhelming games the past couple generations of consoles, and seems to be following the same bland trends we find in media. At its core is still Pokemon with familiar themes I approve of, but lackluster attempts to fill in what feels like gaping wounds where talent in the company has left. I haven't seen much of the anime since X/Y, but I'll be interested in looking at what the production has been like between here and the end of the journey before my final assessment.
I do plan on giving the new series a watch with as much an open mind as I can muster, and I'll brace myself for how difficult that will be after a long decline of quality over the years - most notably around the time of Pokemon Go (overlooking the oddball experimental offerings such as Hey You Pikachu).

Nintendo, and I name Iwata specifically, built them a mountain as a foundation for their legacy, but the Pokemon Company seems to be a distant echo from their impactful beginnings. They seem to want to blaze their own path here away from the Zelda and Earthbound games that most ostensibly inspired their bug catching sim, and with that I hope they find new horizons to witch they can bring fun and enjoyment to a new generation of gamers much like they did for me, rather than blind hubris running them into an Icarusian fall.

What on earth are you on about? Iwata wasn’t involved with the making of Pokemon it was miyamoto and the vast majority of the “talent” are still working there. And what similarities there are to Zelda or earthbound are fleeting at best so to call them ostensibly inspired by is just incorrect

 

My time with the series ended after the Alola saga concluded. But honestly, after winning the Masters 8 Tournament, that felt like the climax to Ash's adventures.

 

Whilst it is sad to see that Ash's journey comes to an end after 25 years, he certainly achieved a lot from a boy who left Pallet Town to fulfill his dream to eventually brcoming a Pokemon Champion.

 

Extremely bittersweet, while I haven't watched the Pokemon anime since childhood, I still have numerous fond memories and nostalgia for Ash Ketchum's journey and I'll be sad to see it come to an end, even if I'm excited to see the series with new protagonists.

 

What on earth are you on about? Iwata wasn’t involved with the making of Pokemon it was miyamoto and the vast majority of the “talent” are still working there. And what similarities there are to Zelda or earthbound are fleeting at best so to call them ostensibly inspired by is just incorrect

He was heavily involved in the making of Gold and Silver and was also involved in expanding the franchise out of Japan.

 

He was heavily involved in the making of Gold and Silver and was also involved in expanding the franchise out of Japan.

you sure about that cause i can only find him being credited with making a new tools for compressing the pokemon graphic codes

 

you sure about that cause i can only find him being credited with making a new tools for compressing the pokemon graphic codes

That’s being heavily involved. If you were to believe WiKiPeDiA then he also was instrumental in Pokémon Stadium, going through Red and Green data to bring to overseas, and generally making the Pokémon series the powerhouse it is today in the West. So, yeah, Iwata was extremely influential to the early years to middle age years of Pokemon; both as a designer and programmer and as the president of Nintendo.

 

That’s being heavily involved. If you were to believe WiKiPeDiA then he also was instrumental in Pokémon Stadium, going through Red and Green data to bring to overseas, and generally making the Pokémon series the powerhouse it is today in the West. So, yeah, Iwata was extremely influential to the early years to middle age years of Pokemon; both as a designer and programmer and as the president of Nintendo.

I’ll take your word for it then

 

the three Paldea Pokemon starters from Pokemon Sword and Shield

must have missed that part of the DLC /s

regardless
gonna be cool to see the curse break and ash instantly age those 30 years he couldn't get

 

Ash Vs Red final battle incoming

 

I’ll take your word for it then

I'm a longtime gamer and have read plenty of articles, been on this ride for decades.
Unless there's some kind of propaganda conspiracy to credit Iwata for more work than he's done then it's not just my word + those who agree about it. But based on what I've seen through the years and what I've read going on behind the scenes of getting games made Iwata has done far more than has been publicized, which is a hallmark for not only a great man but a humble one and explains why the Yamauchi family passed on its leadership not to another family member as expected in traditional Japanese business, but to a video game programmer.
I believe Iwata was instrumental in the success and continued growth of many IPs with various companies and studios outside Nintendo and within Nintendo itself even before becoming president. One game in particular series I point to is Super Smash Bros., particularly the debut title for the N64 and the following game SSB Melee for Gamecube, which has his genius shine through. As he took on greater responsibilities as head of Nintendo you would see the series becoming more Sakurai's games and, imo, less emphasis on that core gamer aesthetic and more emphasis on expressing Sakurai's emphasis on character portrayal, overbearing supplemental content, and an anyone-can-feel-like-a-winner cornerstone to the competitive mode philosophy.

Pokemon, like Smash, is past its time. It happens to every series that loses its core and integral talent and is replaced by newer staff often focused on technical success rather than the dream of a long time gamer-turned-developer. This strengthens the "nostalgia goggles" people like to wear when talking about their favorite games of the past not knowing what it was that made classic gaming so enjoyable. We develop a taste for our favored developers much like comfort food and often times do not know the ingredients. Ash and Pikachu being removed from the series is not just a mere marketing move but symbolic of the inevitability of the entire franchise moving on to a new product bearing the same name.

 

I'm a longtime gamer and have read plenty of articles, been on this ride for decades.
Unless there's some kind of propaganda conspiracy to credit Iwata for more work than he's done then it's not just my word + those who agree about it. But based on what I've seen through the years and what I've read going on behind the scenes of getting games made Iwata has done far more than has been publicized, which is a hallmark for not only a great man but a humble one and explains why the Yamauchi family passed on its leadership not to another family member as expected in traditional Japanese business, but to a video game programmer.
I believe Iwata was instrumental in the success and continued growth of many IPs with various companies and studios outside Nintendo and within Nintendo itself even before becoming president. One game in particular series I point to is Super Smash Bros., particularly the debut title for the N64 and the following game SSB Melee for Gamecube, which has his genius shine through. As he took on greater responsibilities as head of Nintendo you would see the series becoming more Sakurai's games and, imo, less emphasis on that core gamer aesthetic and more emphasis on expressing Sakurai's emphasis on character portrayal, overbearing supplemental content, and an anyone-can-feel-like-a-winner cornerstone to the competitive mode philosophy.

Pokemon, like Smash, is past its time. It happens to every series that loses its core and integral talent and is replaced by newer staff often focused on technical success rather than the dream of a long time gamer-turned-developer. This strengthens the "nostalgia goggles" people like to wear when talking about their favorite games of the past not knowing what it was that made classic gaming so enjoyable. We develop a taste for our favored developers much like comfort food and often times do not know the ingredients. Ash and Pikachu being removed from the series is not just a mere marketing move but symbolic of the inevitability of the entire franchise moving on to a new product bearing the same name.

Not your word, Venus’

 

Yes, it came through fine then. As you'll see I had said my words + those who agree about it.
But I appreciate you are open minded and hold some skepticism for purported statements. It's usually good to verify and weigh the facts

 

Please let Ash finally grow up it’s been 25 years and he still didn’t grow a bit

The finale will have him age to death as the credits roll.

 

so they don’t want him to be the tom brady of pokemon and be a championship win junkie?

also there’s no ****ing way they’re sticking with this kid going through every episode, plot, and god knows how many tournaments and championships in less than a full year

 

I'm kind of hoping they change the protagonists every series like they do in the adventures manga. It's extremely annoying to see him lose to a level 5 Snivy when he won against a Latios two episodes before.

 

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