He Pokemon the anime is concluding the 25 year history of Ash and Pikachu with a series of farewell episodes, and in each one, the duo have revisited old friends from around the world. Pokemon world. However, it looks like the final episode before the show hands over the torch to new leads Liko and Roy will focus not on Ash’s relationship with a friend, but with a rival. That’s right: Gary, who began his own journey the same day Ash and Pikachu did in the show’s 1998 pilot, is coming back.
What is the final episode of Ash and Pikachu about?
The ending is titled “Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!” and a synopsis was shared via a Japanese TV guide (thanks comic), which includes descriptions of next month’s new episodes. He says that Ash will meet Gary after returning to his home in Pallet Town, and the two will talk about his journey and if he feels he is a Pokémon Master. after his championship win earlier in the season.
When Ash and Pikachu return to Pallet Town, they meet with Gary, who asks Ash: How much closer are you to becoming the Pokémon Master now that you’ve become the Champion? Becoming a Pokémon Master has been Ash’s dream ever since he set out on his journey with Pikachu. Can Ash find the answer to this question?
In the course of the Pokemon In the 25 years of the anime, Ash has had several rivals that he and Pikachu have faced in different seasons, such as Paul from Diamond and Pearl seasons and León in the most recent Trips seasons, but Gary is the OG. He is based on Blue in the original. pokemon red and Blue games, and he’s the little shit every Pokemon fan loves to hate. Some of you might have literally nicknamed him shit in games. It’s been a minute since he was a prominent character in anime, no doubt many older viewers still see him as Ash’s main rival. The fact that Gary is so featured in the finale feels like an acknowledgment of that. Ash has faced new rivals and faced other threats, but anyone who has seen his journey from the beginning knows that all roads lead back to the rival he left behind at home.
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All of that said, Gary and Ash’s rivalry has been in a state of mutual respect for a while now. Ash actually beat Gary in a Pokémon battle 20 years ago in the episode “I Can’t Beat the Heat!” Since then, Gary has appeared several times throughout the series as a cameo, and while he and Ash still bicker, there’s less overt hostility. So it feels good to know that Ash is going to reflect on his 25-year journey with the same person he started it with.
When will the final episode of Ash and Pikachu air in the United States?
The episode will air in Japan on March 24, although there is no concrete date for the English dub yet. He Pokemon The English dub of the anime is currently tied to a deal with netflix in the US that features episodes in chunks throughout the year, with the latest batch just added to the streaming service on February 24. As of this writing, Netflix is 25 episodes behind what’s airing in Japan, which means that if episodes continue to release about a dozen episodes each batch that they’ve been up to this point, we’re likely going to see the last episode of Ash and Pikachu on Netflix sometime in the second half of 2023.
Gary isn’t the only character from the early seasons to return in Ash and Pikachu’s farewell episodes. Misty and Brock, who were the couple’s traveling companions in the early seasons (Brock returned as a main cast member during the Hoenn and Sinnoh seasons), have been staples of these episodes, traveling with Ash as he visits other oldies. friends. So while our heroes’ story has spanned several regions, it seems like the anime is really leaning into Gen I nostalgia.
While Ash’s Pikachu will eventually be retired, The Pokémon Company isn’t about to remove the mascot from the show entirely, and introduces Captain Pikachuthat will accompany the new protagonists Liko and Roy on their adventures.