There’s a lot of questions swirling around the upcoming new Pokemon anime, with Ash Ketchum deciding to travel across the world in order to enjoy his status as the Alola League Champion. One of the biggest questions that fans has is whether or not this series is going to be a reboot to the franchise itself or whether it will leave things as is. With the title of the first episode revealed, the questions are growing even bigger as the name of the initial installment may lead folks to believe more in the former than the latter in terms of a reboot.
Crunchyroll shared the first title for the season premiere, “The Birth of Pikachu”, letting folks know that the new anime will be following the debut of Ash Ketchum’s Pikachu, giving us a better idea of where he came from and how he ended up in the hands of Professor Oak all those years ago.
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From the trailer that was posted recently, it definitely seems as if the new series is going to take us back to the day when Ash Ketchum got his very first Pokemon in the form of the yellow, electric rodent that is Pikachu. Originally, when Ash was presented with the choice of the initial three starters of Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur, Ketchum instead went with the highly volatile pocket monster mascot. Refusing to enter into a Poke-ball, it took some time for the two to sync with one another but their relationship has been a strong one ever since.
Just how much, if anything, is going to change within the canon of Pokemon is still up in the air. Perhaps only minor cosmetic changes will occur, or maybe some bigger changes that will permeate the series moving forward. Certainly, Pokemon could use a fresh coat of paint in the anime considering it has over a thousand episodes under its belt and has been in circulation for decades.
What do you think of the title of the first episode of the upcoming Pokemon anime? Do you believe this will be a reboot in some form or fashion? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Pokemon!
Pokemon: The Series is currently scheduled to premiere November 17th in Japan. Additional confirmed cast members include Yuichi Nakamura as Professor Sakuragi, Kana Hanazawa as Koharu, Megumi Hayashibara as Jessie, Shinichiro Miki as James, and Inuko Inuyama as Meowth. There’s still no word on how many characters from the older series will be making an appearance in the new one, but at least the entire Pokemon catalog has opened as Ash and Gou will be exploring every past region in the franchise.
