Pokémon fans mourn the end of an era as Ash and Pikachu move to greener pastures

Pokémon fans awoke to heartbreak today as two legendary faces of the series bowed out after a successful career spanning 25 years—and we aren’t talking about Junichi Masuda-san.

Ash and Pikachu will be having their final adventure in the Pokémon anime in January 2023 after being the anime series’ main protagonists since the show first aired in April 1997. Since then, Ash and Pikachu have been to over eight regions, featured in dozens of heartwrenching movies, and been a part of Pokémon fans’ lives since childhood and beyond. It doesn’t feel real but it is and just like us, many fans are heartbroken by the surprise announcement.

“They taking Away ash and Pikachu. now I feel old don’t forget about the amazing journey they took us on and show the future generations to keep it at heart” one user said on Twitter following the news, while others called it the “End of an era.” But not every Pokémon fan seems totally broken by the announcement.

Fans have even looked beyond the announcement, with many realizing fan-favorite characters like Team Rocket, Misty, Brock, and more that Ash met along the way will also not be returning. It essentially means 25 years of history and character development throughout the series will be reduced to nothing thanks to this “reboot” in the Paldea region.

Amid the collection of sobbing emojis and heartbreaking messages on how much Ash and Pikachu meant to fans, there is a small collective of people who feel it was time to “move on” to something fresh in the anime.

Others feel it is a good point to end the series as well. After so many years of losing, Ash finally ended the most recent series as the Pokémon World Champion, gaining the biggest prize anyone could hope for. If it was to be Ash’s big send-off, then there is no better way to do it than finally proving he was the best after 25 years.

Either way, Pokémon’s new protagonists will have massive shoes to fill when the two newcomers named Riko and Roy say hello to the world for the first time in April 2023.