The second Pokemon movie almost didn't include three of its most iconic characters. Ash Ketchum and Jessie and James of Team Rocket narrowly avoided getting cut from Pokemon The Movie 2000: The Power of One.

Takeshi Shudo, head writer for three years of Pokemon movies and five years of the anime, revealed some of his thoughts on the franchise via blog posts, which have been translated by Pokemon historian Dr. Lava.

In his blog posts, Shudo explained that he wrote the original screenplay for the second Pokemon movie with "no Ash and no Team Rocket." It's hard to imagine the film series and anime without Ash and his long history in the franchise, and of course, his flamboyant rivals.

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Shudo's first draft didn't have the three iconic characters that have made the movies and anime what they are today, but he made it clear to his studio that he was "always willing to listen to everybody’s opinions and suggestions." Those suggestions led to Ash and Team Rocket making their way back into the movie.

When the Pokemon movie I Choose You removed fan-favorites Misty and Brock almost two decades after Pokemon The Movie 2000, there was quite the controversy. It makes sense that the studio would want to avoid that kind of fan reaction.

The writing process was said to be "physically exhausting" for Shudo, who struggled to balance heavy themes with the lighthearted nature of the Pokemon franchise and the focus on a younger audience. The most recent Pokemon movie, Detective Pikachu, faced a similar juggling of themes, with that film's director Rob Letterman considering dumping Mr. Mime because of the Pokemon's general weirdness. It looks like cutting iconic characters - or at least considering it - isn't uncommon in the Pokemon franchise.

Ash Ketchum wasn't even originally supposed to survive long enough to even be considered for the second movie. Takeshi Shudo wanted to kill off the character at the end of the first movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back. This would have been a heavier ending to the film, even if Ash died of old age as was originally written.

Although Pokemon: The Movie 2000 wasn't well-received critically, it's still an important movie for a lot of longtime Pokemon fans, enough that some are calling for a remake. The Pokemon films and anime have always contained a wide range of themes, from friendship to heartbreak to pure, insane comedy. It's difficult to even think of a world where Ash Ketchum isn't facing off with Team Rocket in a variety of new regions with different Pokemon by their sides.

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Source: Dr. Lava