Pokemon: Ash Ketchum's Final Journey In 2023

[zarius]

And it's official, Ash and Pikachu are both being retired and the anime will continue with new leads



There will be an eleven episode 'wrap up' for all of our familiar characters starting in January.



Pokemon was one of the last major league kids franchises shows I paid attention to in my teens, I caught it at the beginning of 1999 on Sky One, and stayed with it up until the release of the second movie in 2000, which I felt was the true finale as it resolved Misty and Ash's relationship and Ash got to save the world from destruction, a feat more incredible than trying to win the leagues. 

I only ever played Pokemon Red and Blue as a kid and mastered it, it took 25 years for Ash to finally master the world championships, and for me it only took three months rofl.

I had the soundtracks (every episode would end with either the Pokerap or Pikachu;s Jukebox back in the day) and played them so much I can recite the songs lyric for lyric. To this day I still mishear one bit of "What Kind of Pokemon Are You?" as Mukk kicking your ass.

I doubt I'll watch the new leads. I don't even watch Dragonball or Naruto any longer. I haven't been hardcore into anime since at least the hilarious Excel Saga, and that was in 2004. I'm told Spy X Family is really good, as is My Hero Academia, but haven't found the time to watch either.

What say you? Will you be tuning in to see how Ash and Pikachu walk? If you watched Pokemon, what are your memories of it? Or did this franchise/fad pass you by at the time?

[Spark Doll King]

God I have not watched Pokemon since Gen 2. I've played the odd game here and there but the franchise and me parted ways a long time ago.

Frankly it was long overdue from what I understand. They have had other characters acting as co-protagonists for some time now, often evolving in ways Ash was never going as the mascot lead. I'd argue they should have done new protagonists each gen like Digimon often did as it it allows your caste to naturally grow and have their stories end.

Pikachu will likely never truly be gone, its so iconic, but the yellow rat is also a very old character. There are thousands of the little f*ckers, some more popular then Pikachu, and most are far more effective in the competitive scene then this old gen 1 pokemon.

Still over two decades is not a bad run for a pair of characters.

[zarius]

Pikachu will remain part of the series it seems, as an assistant to a new Professor character, and he'll wear a naval captain's hat!