Pokemon says goodbye to TikTok in the most heartbreaking way possible

The official one Pokémon The TikTok account has bid farewell to its fans ahead of the video-based social media app's impending nationwide ban across the US. With one million followers and more than 10 million likes in its video catalog, the English-language TikTok stands for Pokémon Company Int'l has dug deep into the anime series to share a tearful farewell to its American fans.

A nationwide ban on the app ordered by the US Congress, imposed in March 2024 as an ultimatum to pressure Chinese owner ByteDance to sell ownership of the social media platform, will take place on January 19, 2025. Despite several efforts to preserve use of the social media app by the American public, a recent unanimous federal Supreme Court ruling on TikTok has upheld Congress' decision, citing app users' “susceptibility to foreign adversary control.”

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In a heartfelt final farewell on TikTok's last full day before the ban, Pokemon Company International has shared a similarly fond farewell from the year 1997. As possibly its final act, the account shared one of the most famous and tear-jerking moments from Pokémon anime, when Ash Ketchum and Butterfree said goodbye to each other, with the former releasing the latter to live among his own kind alongside his pink Butterfree companion. The episode in which the scene occurs is only the 21st of the series, titled Bye Bye Butterfree, but it has special significance because Butterfree was the first Pokémon Ash ever caught when it was just a Caterpie. “Thanks for the memories, coach,” reads the post's text, urging fans to follow along Pokémon on other social media platforms.

Pokemon TikTok says goodbye through the infamous sad butterless scene

While Ash and Butterfree reunited 25 years later, there's still some hope that TikTok users in the US won't have such a long wait. USA Today has reported that outgoing President Joe Biden's administration has no plans to enforce the ban, which will take effect on his last full day in office. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump, who signed an executive order banning TikTok during his first term in 2020, recently told Meet the Press that he is likely to push back the deadline by 90 days, with some political analysts speculating that he is willing to work with ByteDance to find a buyer for TikTok or otherwise preserve it.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew has responded to the Supreme Court ruling by praising Trump for his willingness to work with the company's management so it can continue to provide service to its 170 million daily users in the United States. Chew's video statement said the move is “a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” The original congressional motion to ban TikTok was broadly approved by both major political parties in the House of Representatives, with Republicans approving it 197 to 15 and Democrats voting 155 to 50.

Pokémon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokémon spans games, television, movies, manga, merchandise, music and more.

Created by

Satoshi Tajiri