Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon: Aim to Become a Master, episode 11 Pokémon The anime starring Ash Ketchum is now officially over after nearly 25 years of airing, but just because the series has ended doesn’t mean Ash’s adventures have to end—even if some fans might prefer that.
The final episode of the Pokémon: Aim to Be a Master miniseries certainly doesn’t feel like a series finale when watching it. There were no long, happy goodbyes to Misty and Brock; the two had just said goodbye to Ash to return to their hometown, because they knew they would see him again before long. While Team Rocket reconciles with each other, they don’t actually have any personal connection to Ash. And finally, the last shots of the episode are very similar to the last shots of the previous seasons: Ash sets off on a new adventure again, even ending with the words “Next time: A new beginning !” exactly as always when one era ends and another begins.
Pokémon ends Ash’s story with a new adventure
The episode takes an approach more suited to Ash’s perspective than the viewer’s. It wasn’t the end for him; Just another day in the world of Pokémon. There are no flash forwards, no montages of great moments. Ash only paused briefly to return home and rest before hitting the road again. Ash at one point saw Gary, who congratulated his old rival on Ash’s victory in the Pokémon World Coronation Series and his new Champion status, but asked him if achieving Will that bring him closer to becoming a “Pokémon Master”? Ash doesn’t really have an answer for that and spends most of the episode pondering the idea. While sitting under a tree with Pikachu in a rainstorm, Ash decides that the meaning of being a master is being friends with all the Pokémon in the world – a quest that never truly ends. Contrary to the series’ image, the point is not to catch them; Just knowing them and appreciating them is enough.
It’s a surprisingly thoughtful ending to the series, and it once again shows how much Ash has grown. Including Pidgeot in the episode helps emphasize that contrast, because the Ash that Pidgeot knows is very different. This may not be the ending fans want, as much of the speculation focuses on things like seeing Ash as an adult, perhaps with his children, or a connection to the new series . By taking a conventional approach to the series finale, it emphasizes the fact that Ash’s adventures with Pikachu continue, even if we don’t see them anymore. The makers of Pokémon have said that they see Ash as forever young and don’t want him to age, and this ending is a prime example of that. Of course, it’s okay to disagree with their point of view, but in terms of what they were going for, it seems like the final episode of Aim to Be a Master was exactly what they intended.
Ash’s future in the Pokémon Anime
The new series currently carrying the torch for the Pokémon anime, Pokémon Horizons, has established itself as very different from the Ash era anime. However, there are some indications that the series is still running on the same continuum, so having a cameo is not out of the question. For example, Nurse Joy still runs all the Pokémon Centers. However, the chances of seeing Ash again soon are quite low; The new series needs a chance to form before Ash can show up, as his arrival too soon will overshadow the new heroes and ruin his own ending. Still, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to allude to Ash’s existence, especially now that he’s a world champion and perhaps a household name.
Ash’s ending embodies what he went through: an endless adventure filtered through the wonder of a child. To try to change that now would ultimately be to deny what Pokémon is and has always been. Whether or not fans see Ash again someday, he and Pikachu are still out there seeing new sights and learning new things, and that’s an idea that will live on in people’s minds. fan. Pokémon fans everywhere.