The Pokemon Company releases a trailer that reveals Ash and Pikachu's journey is coming to an end in the Pokemon Journeys anime, and their final episode together will mark the end of their era as protagonists. Ahead of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's release, rumors had already started circulating regarding the possibility of the Pokemon anime ending for good due to the leaked titles of the final episodes of Pokemon Journeys: The Series. It was Pokemon Journeys that consecrated Ash as the best trainer of all time after he managed to defeat the so-called unbeatable champion Leon, thus winning the Masters Eight Tournament.Many Pokemon fans didn't expect Ash to win, and his victory also bears the question of what he could do after becoming the best trainer in the world, story-wise. While there could still be plenty of tales to tell about Ash and Pikachu in the anime, it also makes sense to make their journey end on the highest note in their career, however sad it may be, especially after 25 years spent together with this duo.As of today, The Pokemon Company released an official trailer for the anime stating that Ash and Pikachu have had many battles and made many memories together, but fans will have to say their goodbyes to them in the near future. In fact, there will be eleven new episodes dedicated to Ash and Pikachu's journeys, with side characters including the Tam Rocket iconic trio and also both Brock and Misty, possibly also featuring several of Ash's critters from past generations. This will likely be an emotional rollercoaster for fans who've been there for the most part of this adventure, and the first of the 11 final episodes with the duo in it will air on January 13.
This is hardly a goodbye to the anime as a whole, however, and a brand-new protagonist will take on the leading role for the Gen 9-dedicated anime starting in April of next year. This is likely all but a coincidence, as the first Pokemon anime episode ever aired in April 1997 with the title Pokemon, I Choose You!. The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet anime's protagonist will seemingly be a young girl who chooses Sprigatito as her first partner, but both Fuecoco and Quaxly will be there anyway based on the trailer and the new banner.
It's unclear whether Ash and Pikachu will ever return in cameos or as supportive characters in the future, and the existence of other characters is on the line as well, considering that they have always been tied to the anime's protagonists to some degree. As such, the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet anime could simply be a blank slate for the series to begin anew in its entirety, and while it may be exciting to many fellow trainers, there is also a certain kind of sadness in leaving childhood characters behind. Yet, Pokemon Journeys and both Ash and Pikachu are currently trending on socials with plenty of thank you messages from fans of the series, which goes to show how big of an impact they both have had over the past 25 years.