Pokemon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back was supposed to kill off Ash Ketchum, but not in the manner fans are probably thinking. According to the movie's writer, Takeshi Shudo, Ash would have made it to old age before kicking the bucket.
Takeshi Shudo was the head writer of the Pokemon anime during Ash's journey through the Kanto and Johto regions. Before he passed away, he usually shared his thoughts about working on Pokemon with the internet. Pokemon historian, Dr. Lava, managed to find someone to translate these thoughts into English, revealing Shudo's plans to kill Ash off in the first movie to the international public.
Once the end of the film came around, Ash would have been old, and Shudo would've had the character reminiscing on all the adventures he had as a trainer. Ash would think fondly on all the people he shared these experiences with — Pikachu, Misty, Brock, Mewtwo, and even Team Rocket. Shudo thinks this reminiscence would spawn from the fact that Ash wasn't able to feel this same happiness as an adult.
While lost in his thoughts, Ash would hear his mother's voice telling him to go to sleep so that he can start his next adventure tomorrow. Ash would do so and then reawaken as a child again. The movie would then draw to a close with Ash setting off on a new journey — not to become a Pokemon Master but to discover the meaning of existence.
Here's Shudo's exact quote:
"Months and years pass. Ash grows old, then one day suddenly he looks back on his past. He remembers his childhood fondly. The adventures he had with his amazing Pokemon, the friendship, the coexistence.
Maybe Ash wasn’t able to experience these things later in life. However, as a kid there was Pikachu and lots of other Pokemon, Jessie and James, and Mewtwo… And so much more — elderly Ash remembers everything that happened during his adventures as a young boy.
He can hear his mother’s voice. “Go to sleep already, you’re setting off on your journey tomorrow.” The next morning, he is woken up by his mother. He’s a young boy again, leaving his house excited to start a new adventure.
He’s going on a journey not to catch Pokemon or become a Pokemon master, but to discover the meaning of existence, to discover how to coexist with others."
The ending is a really deep and somber one for a kid's movie, and for Ash's journey overall, especially since it implies that Ash never actually achieved his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master, which is a pretty sad thing to think about.
Luckily, Ash's journey continues to truck along, and even though it's taken years of sweat and tears, he's finally made significant progress on becoming the world's greatest Pokemon Master. He recently won his first major Pokemon League Championship and the latest Pokemon season — Pokemon Journeys — sees him traveling the globe in preparation for battling the Pokemon World Champion.
If or when Ash's journey does officially come to an end, Shudo's ending does work on several levels. But it would be nice to know that Ash can move on with the knowledge that he gave everything to what he wanted to do the most in life.
Pokemon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back is available now on digital, Blue-Ray, and DVD.
Source: Dr. Lava