The Pokémon Ash Ketchum’s anime spans an astounding 1,232 episodes, all taking place in the same continuum. Even towards the end of the story, the characters who first appeared in the beginning continue to appear, but that doesn’t mean they all appear consistently. In fact, many characters, both humans and Pokémon, have gone through hundreds of episodes without being seen, a reality unheard of for most TV series.
For the purposes of this list, an absence is the period from the last relevant live appearance of a character to any actual reappearance. As the series changes most of its actors (apart from Ash and Pikachu) at regular intervals, this will not include flashback appearances of the characters or Pokémon, but actual return appearances.
10 Paul (544 episodes)
Paul was one of Ash’s most ruthless opponents during the Sinnoh era of the anime, rudely treating his Pokémon and even abandoning Chimchar until Ash tamed it. However, Ash managed to prove himself to Paul and not only won his respect but also got the boy to change his ways. Paul decided to repay Ash over 500 episodes later, when he returned just before the Masters’ Eight tournament to help Ash practice. Paul’s training was actually extremely helpful to Ash, as he studied the moves of Ash’s future opponents, giving Ash a chance to see what fighting them would be like. any.
9 Misty (573 episodes)
Of course, Misty was the main character in the anime for 273 episodes and had several reappearances after that. She returned for three episodes in Hoenn, but was then never seen or heard from again until Misty and Brock made a dramatic comeback in “Alola, Kanto!”, 573 episodes after she was seen. last time in Hoenn. Misty must have been very busy during that time, as she has the ability to Mega Evolve and owns a really scary Gyarados that she can use. Misty will return once again in Sun & Moon to visit Alola, and eventually reunite with Ash in the show’s final miniseries.
8 Jigglypuff (668 episodes)
Jigglypuff is a wild Pokémon that follows Ash and his companions. for an amazingly long time, appearing to sing its song, only to put people to sleep. This always infuriates Jigglypuff, causing it to paint on the faces of sleeping characters. Jigglypuff does this trick for the last time in the Hoenn-era episode “A PokéBLOCK Party!” but broke up with Ash after that. When Ash returns to Kanto in Sun & Moon, at the same time he meets Misty again, he also stumbles across Jigglypuff, the character who appeared on everyone’s faces for the last time in 668 off-screen episodes.
7 May and Max (670 episodes)
May and her brother Max haven’t appeared for just a little longer than Jigglypuff with 670 episodes. May and Max reappeared in Sinnoh to compete with Dawn, which Dawn won. After that, however, May and Max were not seen again until Journeys episode “Partners in Time”, where they appeared to support Ash in the final of the Masters Eight, despite not having a presentation role. Unfortunately, May’s absence appears to be due to the physical health of her Japanese voice actor, making her absence even sadder than most on the list.
6 Misty’s Psyduck (712 episodes)
Since Misty herself has been gone for such a long time it’s no surprise that her Psyduck has too, but the difference between them is still close to 150 episodes. Psyduck also appeared in the Kanto section of Sun & Moon, but since Psyduck didn’t appear with Misty in Hoenn, it’s actually been absent for much longer, since Johto’s end in “Can’t Beat the Heat.” . .” Psyduck is probably Misty’s most prominent Pokémon outside of Togepi, so it was actually quite warmly welcomed back on the show. Psyduck also had to appear alongside Misty in her final episodes, making it one of the longest-lasting Pokémon from first appearance to final appearance.
5 Tracey Sketchit (766 episodes)
Tracey is a bit of an oddball, as he makes semi-regular appearances in the opening and ending themes long after his character is dropped from the show, and often makes guest appearances. in the background while Ash talks from afar with Professor Oak. If one counts only the episodes where Tracey actually has to speak, his longest absence is since “Home is Where the Start is!” in Hoenn until the final episode of the series, for a total of 766 episodes. Some of Tracey’s Pokémon also deserve an honorable mention: His Scyther has not been seen for 1,007 episodes, while Marill has not been seen for 825 episodes.
4 Ash’s Lapras (971 episodes)
Ash’s Lapras was captured in the Orange Islands arc, and was left there to rejoin its party when it was time for Ash to leave. Lapras reappears briefly in the Johto era, in “Lapras of Luxury,” but then doesn’t appear until one of the series’ final episodes, “Ride, Lapras, Ride!” In that episode, Lapras finds Ash to help him rescue the trapped Wailmer. Of course, their reunion is temporary and Ash allows Lapras to return to the high seas, as he is now the leader of the group.
3 Todd Snap (1,028 episodes)
Todd Snap is the protagonist of Pokémon Snap, who appeared in several short episodes in the anime to promote the release of that game. He traveled with Ash twice and each time helped defeat Team Rocket. Of course, Todd focuses on photographing Pokémon, so his goals don’t align well enough with Ash’s goals to travel together for long. Todd was surprisingly remembered by the time Ash’s championship match aired, and he was at the stadium to celebrate Ash’s victory in the Masters’ Eight tournament.
2 Ash’s Pidgeot (1,151 episodes)
Ash’s Pidgeotto was released after it evolved into a Pidgeot, as Ash wanted to allow it to protect a swarm of Pidgeys near Palette Town. Ash always said he would come back for it, but the opposite happened. In the final episode, Pikachu was stolen by Team Rocket, and Ash had no other Pokémon to help, as Pidgeot spectacularly returned to stop Team Rocket and save Pikachu. Pidgeot is poised to reunite with Ash forever, and all three celebrate as they reunite in one of the series’ final moments. It was sweet and well deserved for the longtime fans who have been waiting to see Pidgeot again.
1 Ash’s Butterfree (1,200 episodes)
Ash’s Butterfree is the first time he’s released a Pokémon, and it’s been tough for everyone: Ash, Butterfree, and those watching at home. Ash fully expects to never see Butterfree again, so imagine his surprise when Butterfree found him in “This Could Be the Start of Something Big,” the final episode of the standard Journeys anime. before the miniseries To Be a Pokémon Master. Butterfree returns with its mate Pink Butterfree, creating another Pokémon that has 1,200 episodes between appearances.
While the series has dragged on to the point where many fans watching newer episodes have no idea who these returning characters are, this kind of continuity is one of the best kind of fan service that the Pokémon anime can. provide. There’s something not only incredibly nostalgic but also realistic about going such a long time without seeing friends, and that’s something the super close relationships in other anime series often lack. In some ways, the characters’ prolonged absences can be debatable, but the fact that their friendship remains as strong as ever when a chance reunion is one of PokémonAsh’s best qualities, as it’s not just Ash’s old friends returning – it’s old fan friends too.