Pokemon: Ash’s Final Episode Drops Its Emotional Promo

The time has almost come for Pokemon to part with its main protagonist. After more than 25 years, Ash Ketchum will pack up his trophies soon and head out on a new adventure without fans. Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master has been following the boy on his last hurrah, and now a trailer for the anime’s big goodbye has gone live.

As you can see below, the Pokemon anime promo is live in Japan, and it went public in a big way. The promo took over part of Tokyo’s Shinjuku station with a truly huge billboard. The massive ad highlights Ash and Pikachu as they spend their final episode in Pallet Town. And as you can imagine, the whole promo is an emotional one.

After all, Ash Ketchum has been on the air since 1997. The Pokemon anime kickstarted with the protagonist in mind, and over the decades, Ash Ketchum has become a part of television history. From his journey through Kanto all the way to Galar, Ash has been with Pokemon every step of the way, and fans of the franchise have grown up with the hero.

Now, the time has come to say goodbye to Ash and Pikachu. Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master will submit its final episode on March 24th, so you can bet the update will leave fans in tears. Currently, the finale’s time slot has only been confirmed in Japan, so Pokemon fans elsewhere in the world will have to watch from afar until local dubs are done. For instance, the English dub of the Pokemon anime is still working through Pokemon Master Journeys, so it will be a while before Ash’s finale drops locally.

Of course, Ash might be leaving the Pokemon anime, but the series itself is continuing on in a new form. We know The Pokemon Company will release a brand-new anime in April 2023 set in the Paldea region. The new series will follow protagonists Roy and Like as they train at school to become trainers, and they will interact with plenty of colorful mentors along the way. At this point, no U.S. release date has been given for this new Pokemon series, but fans are hopeful it will be dubbed before too long. In the meantime, episodes will air weekly in Japan starting this April, so Pokemon lovers will want to check in on the series to see how Ash’s successors fair!

What do you make of this latest look at Ash Ketchum’s final episode? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.