Pokemon: Ash's Final Season Drops a Major Movie Throwback
A new era is ready to settle over Pokemon, and no – it has nothing to do with its latest games. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have their own plans for the year all thanks to some DLC, and the same goes for the Pokemon anime. After all, this week will usher in Ash Ketchum's final episode, and his second-to-last outing just made a big nod to a throwback film.
If you have kept up with Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master, you will know the whole series has been awash with nostalgia. From important encounters to unexpected reunions, the show has done it all to celebrate Ash before his exit. That was made clear this past week as Ash found himself reunited with Latias, and the Pokemon episode ended with fans revisiting the town of Alto Mare.
Alto Mare and Bianca are shown at the end of the episode. Holy smokes!#Anipoke pic.twitter.com/T7g4jgeMQQ
— Anipoke Fandom (@AnipokeFandom) March 17, 2023
Haven't heard that name in a while, huh? Well, you better brush up on the location. Alto Mare was the setting for Pokemon Heroes, the fifth movie to ever come out of the Pokemon franchise.
As you can see above, Ash's new friend returns to Alto Mare after leaving the trainer, and the nostalgia did not end there. The episode went on to skate past Bianca which took everyone by surprise. After all, the girl was Ash's main companion in Pokemon Heroes back in the day, and her connection to Latis is well known. In fact, fans are already speculating whether Pokemon's throwback was of Bianca or Latias given how often the Legendary Pokemon disguises itself. But either way, the callback to Pokemon Heroes is nice.
After all, the Pokemon anime isn't only to lean on its movie history. The TV series rarely if ever revisits locations from its films, and it is even rarer for original movie characters to pop up on television. However, some exceptions have been made. The Pokemon anime has referred to Pokemon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back a number of times, and it did so once again during Pokemon Journeys. Now, the time for Pokemon Heroes to make a comeback has arrived, and fans admit they were surprised by its return.
The anime's trip to Alto Mare was a nice gift, and it did plenty to soothe Pokemon fans ahead of its next big episode. This week, Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master will do what no episode has done before. The finale will cap off Ash's journey in the anime after more than 20 years. The emotional episode promises to usher in a new era for the Pokemon anime as an all-new series is slated to go live this April. But as for Ash, well – the legendary trainer is ready to part ways with the anime after decades spent traveling.
What do you think about this cute Pokemon throwback...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.