Pokemon Preview Teases Ash's Return to Johto

The Pokemon anime franchise has been running for so long it can be quite easy to forget just how [...]

By Nick Valdez

The Pokemon anime franchise has been running for so long it can be quite easy to forget just how big of a deal it was when Ash started the second leg of his journey with the new Johto region introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver. It was a whole new world they lived in, a whole new way to see, it was a whole new place with a brand new attitude, but Ash still had to catch 'em all and be the best he can be. Because the recent iteration of the anime has Ash and new hero Go exploring older regions of the anime's past, it means Ash is finally on his way back to Johto.

The next episode of the series teases that Ash and Go will be inspired to head to Ecruteak City in the Johto region following a chance encounter with Ho-Oh. Given Ho-Oh's significance to Ash's journey as a whole (and following his reunion with Lugia), this is certainly going to be a special episode for sure.

Episode 9 of the series is titled "The Vow From that Day! The Johto Region's Legend of Ho-Oh!" and the preview sees both Ash and Go spotting the Legendary bird before heading to the Johto region to see it once again. Coming across a young boy and his grandfather in possession of a Rainbow Wing, it seems like they'll be re-enacting a pretty famous moment from Pokemon Gold when they try and get Ho-Oh's attention.

Ho-Oh was the first Legendary Pokemon Ash saw on his journey through the Kanto region (before fans even realized that it was one), so it's pretty significant considering the latest anime has brought him back to Kanto. It's most likely going to inspire Go in the same way, but hopefully Ash will have a much meatier encounter with the Legendary Bird this time around. He may have battled it in Pokemon! I Choose You, but apparently the events of the films are outside of the main series canon.

Are you ready for Ash's return to Johto? Ready to see Ho-Oh again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool things @Valdezology on Twitter! Pokemon: The Series, is now airing new episodes weekly in Japan, but unfortunately is still not officially licensed for an English language release as of this writing. There's also a brand new film on the way to Japan this Summer, Pokemon the Movie: Coco.

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