Ash Ketchum's Pokémon exit couldn't have come at a better time

Ash first appeared in 1997 as a 10-year-old wannabe Pokémon Master from Pallet Town. Twenty-five years later, Ash is still that same 10-year-old boy, but with one key difference – he's now finally achieved his dreams and become the very best, the best there ever was.

He took a long time getting there, but after two and a half decades of almost constant failure, Ash Ketchum was crowned the world champion at the end of 2022. Dreams do come true, kids, but what happens once your dreams are fulfilled? With the impossible made possible, Ash's exit only became a matter of time after that.

Following an 11-episode-long farewell run, the final episode of Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (titled Rainbow and the Pokémon Master) sees out the decades-long partnership. It's the last time that Ash will take centre stage, the last time that Pikachu will "Pika, Pika" his way into our hearts, and we're not OK.

Just like Ash chooses each Pokémon in his team, I would choose to simply not think about his exit, but think we must, because the end is nigh.

Well, not so much for Pokémon at large. The series is going to continue on with new protagonists named Liko and Roy, as well as a new Pikachu adorably named "Captain Pikachu". He has a new hat, and everything. But even so, this is still the end of a 25-year-long saga that meant the world to so many of us growing up.

Whether you're aged 5 or 35, the impact of Ash's journey in Pokémon has more weight than a thousand Snorlaxes. Even if you've long stopped watching the show or haven't picked up a game in years, his story still matters to the inner child in us all, and that's precisely why it's so hard to imagine this decades-spanning show without him.

Ash has been around longer than entire generations of fans have even been alive. They literally grew up with him, even if Ash himself stayed the same age throughout. And as hard as it might be to admit, this is precisely why it is time for him to leave.

If Ash can't grow, how can the show itself evolve and develop? It's admirable how long Pokémon has managed to recycle the same themes and ideas, but even with new generations of cute little pocket monsters to catch, there's only so long we could have watched Ash lose his tournaments over and over again (a few exceptions aside).

By ending Ash's endless quest to become the best there ever was, these final 11 episodes have freed him up to revisit previous regions where he's been reconnecting with old friends and Pokémon alike, including Brock and Misty, as well as OG pals like Butterfree and Squirtle. This in and of itself has been a refreshing change for the show, refocusing his journey on research rather than conquest.

But this isn't just an admittedly delightful trip down memory lane. It also proves that there's plenty of life left in this franchise, even now, which bodes well for where the story's heading next.

Pokémon could have surfed by a few more years with the same old format, so these bold shake-ups are rather admirable and prove that the team aren't just resting on their laurels when it comes to this franchise's future.

Will the show's new protagonists be as popular when their story begins in Japan on 14th April 2023? It's hard to imagine anyone coming in and leaving the same kind of mark that Ash and Pikachu did, but there's a whole new generation of kids who will look back on these characters in 25 years with just as much love and nostalgic adoration as we do now.

And hey. take comfort in the fact that Ash and Pikachu won't be gone from our lives completely. Between all the merch and endless re-runs, our best friends in a world we must defend will always be with us in spirit, plus there's already talk of them popping back in for the occasional cameo too.

It's like Ash himself once said: "You see, sometimes friends have to go away, but a part of them stays behind with you."

Read more: Pokémon Concierge animated series is on its way to Netflix

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