The Pokémon Anime has been going strong for almost thirty years now. For many, the series was a gateway to the world of anime, just as the games served as many young gamers' first experience with the medium. A lot went right Pokémon to become the global force it is today, and while the games played a huge role in making the franchise as big as it is, you can't overlook the impact the anime has had in reaching new fans and building the franchise into what we know it to be.
A big part of why the anime was so successful was its main characters. Over the years, Ash and Pikachu became one of the most iconic duos in anime. The series did a good job of pairing the two with memorable companions, but Ash and Pikachu's bond served as Pokémon anime's biggest draw, makes his adventures throughout Kanto and the other regions of Pokémon the world so cool to see. But nothing lasts forever, and after almost a quarter of a century, Ash and Pikachu's journey came to an end. The Pokémon The anime is still ongoing, with a new set of characters and stories for a new generation of fans. But the Pallet Town duo have left behind some big shoes to fill.
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What made Ash & Pikachu's journey so special
Ash was intended as a parallel to Red, the protagonist from the Gen I games. Although both trainers were from Pallet Town and had similar designs, that was about where the similarities ended. Ash is a much more expressive character who wins over anime fans with his positive attitude and sometimes snarky attitude. Another thing that set Ash apart from his game counterpart was his unusual choice of starter Pokemon. In the games, players get to choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle as they set out to explore the Kanto region. But things went differently for Ash.
Ash was forced to take on a Pikachu as a starter after sleeping by himself and losing out on the usual three options. While that's the in-universe explanation, the real logic behind the decision was that Pikachu could act as a neutral starter that wouldn't show any bias towards a single starter in the games. It ended up working out great, as Pikachu's popularity in the anime led to it becoming the franchise's mascot for decades. Although the two got off to a rocky start, their bond eventually grew into what served as the backbone of Pokémon franchise for two decades.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
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Guess the anime from the emojis.
Light (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)
Fans got to see Ash and Pikachu form a genuine friendship over the years, and while Ash proved to be a kind and caring trainer to all of his Pokémon, the bond he and Pikachu shared inspired fans across generations to go out and be the best trainers they could be in the games.
Ash went through many growing pains as a trainer
Ash was always presented as a caring and ambitious young trainer, but that didn't always lead to success in the anime. It took Ash a while to start racking up some serious wins, often missing out on big accomplishments, be it championship wins or catching the kind of rare, legendary Pokemon that fans crave in the games. The series focused more on the journey and the joy of sharing it with friends rather than placing too much emphasis on individual achievements and accolades.
That's not to say that Ash didn't accomplish anything in the two decade-plus time he was the anime's protagonist. From constantly opposing Team Rocket, to winning various Pokémon competitions and becoming Orange League champions, Ash and Pikachu did many amazing things on their journey.
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Indigo Plateau Conference — Top 16
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Silver Conference — Top 8
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Ever Grande Conference – Top 8
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Lily of the Valley Conference – Top 4
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Vertress Conference — Top 8
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Lumiose Conference — Runner-up
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Manalo Conference — Winner
Ash's biggest win came in the form of his victory in the World Coronation Series championship over Leon. It was a huge moment for fans, with what felt like years of work finally paying off for Ash and Pikachu. After some tough losses over the years against trainers like Cameron, Paul, Sawyer, and others, this was a well-deserved victory that showed Ash had made some great strides in doing what he set out to do when he left Pallet Town in hopes of becoming a Pokemon Master.
After his monumental win, Ash embarked on a new journey where he was reunited with familiar faces. Being a Pokemon Master was the last arc of Pokemon journeysand the last series with Ash and Pikachu. It was a sad but well-done farewell tour that gave fans one last look at Ash and Pikachu's adventures before handing over the reins to a new character.
So what happens to Pokemon now?
Just because Ash and Pikachu said goodbye doesn't mean the Pokemon anime would end. Instead, the series started anew, with a new character and new stories for both a new generation of fans and older fans.
Pokemon Horizons focuses on protagonists Liko and Roy, who along with a group of trainers called the Rising Volt Tacklers set out to search for a group of Pokémon called the Six Heroes while trying to learn more about a mysterious Terapagos. The group travels with Professor Friede and his Pikachu, Captain Pikachu, on an airship called Brave Olivine.
The new cast is fantastic in its own right, giving the series a chance to explore new things and offering fresh new stories that really feel different from what the Ash and Pikachu-led series was. As said, Horizons is still relatively new compared to its predecessors. There have been some real highs so far, and Liko and Roy are both different enough from Ash that you can appreciate their journeys and individual character development. The future looks bright for Pokémon anime despite taking such a big turn and retiring two of the franchise's most recognizable and beloved characters. Fans can still expect the same fun from the new series as they did with previous entries, but on days like this it's fun to look back at what made Ash's journey so special to follow.
Pokémon
- Release date
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1997 – 2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuzaa,, Ken Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- Author
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
