Pikachu and Ash Ketchum, the most loved characters in the Pokémon universe, have said goodbye to the long-running anime series. Ash first made an appearance in the show in 1997, as a 10-year-old boy from Pallet Town who wanted to become a Pokémon Master. Twenty-five years later, he became the World Champion and fulfilled his long-awaited dream.

The Pokémon series is launching an upcoming animated series featuring a new storyline and characters and thus the iconic duo is getting a farewell. In the words of Ash himself, "You see, sometimes friends have to go away, but a part of them stays behind with you." The new show will premiere in 2023 and feature Liko and Roy as protagonists.


What happened in Ash and Pikachu's final episode?

In the final episode, which is titled, Rainbow and the Pokémon Master, Pikachu and Ash wave goodbye to Brock and Misty on their way back to Pallet Town after which the 10-year-old reunites with his mom in his childhood home. After staying at his house overnight, he bumps into Tracey on his way to Professor Oak’s lab. Ash is tasked with searching for a missing Charmander at the lab which acts as a full-circle nod to Ash's journey.

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The popular duo then runs into his old rival, Gary who congratulates Ash on becoming the world champion and asks him how close he is to becoming a Pokémon Master. Their iconic rivals, Team Rocket, manage to catch Pikachu in their electricity-proof nets, but Ash's second-ever Pokémon catch aka Pidgeot saves the day and cuts Pikachu free. After a rain storm, during which Ash contemplates his life, a rainbow spreads across the sky.

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Meanwhile, his mom enters his room back home and sees that Ash has taken the new pair of shoes she had offered him and left behind his old and battered sneakers which signals a new beginning. The duo arrives at a fork in the road and tosses a stick into the air, letting fate choose their next path as the words ‘Next time... a new beginning!’ appear on the screen.

Fans got emotional watching the farewell and expressed their thoughts about the same. One user tweeted, "After almost 26 years of adventures, Ash Ketchum and his partner Pokémon, Pikachu conclude their journey in the Pokémon anime." They added, "Thank you for everything, Ash and Pikachu. I will miss you both so much [crying emoji] [heart emoji]." Another wrote, "After almost 26 years, 1232 episodes, 23 movies, many adventures, meetings, and partings, the Pokémon Anime about Ash and Pikachu has come to an end. But their journey continues and always will. Thank you for changing our lives."

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