So how will they retire Goh?

[AuraChannelerChris]

Assuming they somehow don't let him stay with Ash and start perhaps the strongest shipping the anime fandom would ever see, how will they make him leave? He looks like the one character who would be fine to spend eternity time with Ash for the entirety of their short-lived(?) 10-year old adventures.

I was thinking maybe Ash wants to actually ground himself to a region, which would convince Goh to part ways with him.

 

[Mew29240]

Hard to say. Even if Ash wanted to ground himself in a region for a bit, his own wanderlust and wanting to explore the world would just bring him back to the Sakuragi Institute.

Even a long-term stay in a region could be spun as a research assignment from Professor Sakuragi that happens to take longer than their previous "jobs."

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

The SwSh arc kind of illustrates how it's could play out:

For as much as they friends, each does their own thing - Goh's even made that crystal clear during the Alola pandering episode - and they have their own, separate goals. So I can see at one point, Ash wanting to go to road A while Goh goes to road B. Sonia's remarks about Goh being cut to be a professor also sets up a possible door should they decide to drop the character. Maybe something happens with Eternatus and Goh decides to stay on Galar to study it (since it's pokémon he probably feels responsible) while Ash goes to do whatever OLM wants him to do on Gen 9.

Naturally that's all speculation. His goal is expansive enough he can stay indefinitely - which I wouldn't mind since I like him - but there's nothing preventing the show from dropping him in case they want to drop him

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Too bad both Ash and Goh couldn't be retired after this series. I would like to see Koharu take over the main character role instead.

Anyways I think the reason that Goh will be written off will probably have to do something with Mew.

 

[RileyXY1]

The SwSh arc kind of illustrates how it's could play out:

For as much as they friends, each does their own thing - Goh's even made that crystal clear during the Alola pandering episode - and they have their own, separate goals. So I can see at one point, Ash wanting to go to road A while Goh goes to road B. Sonia's remarks about Goh being cut to be a professor also sets up a possible door should they decide to drop the character. Maybe something happens with Eternatus and Goh decides to stay on Galar to study it (since it's pokémon he probably feels responsible) while Ash goes to do whatever OLM wants him to do on Gen 9.

Naturally that's all speculation. His goal is expansive enough he can stay indefinitely - which I wouldn't mind since I like him - but there's nothing preventing the show from dropping him in case they want to drop him

Spoiler

That was also what happened to Hop in the games, and Goh has taken some storylines of Hop's from the games.

 

[Red and Blue]

If the world tour ends for Gen 9 then yeah Go will probably stay in one region and possibly becomes an assistant professor. Possibly in either Kanto or Galar.

As for Mew if they write Go off at then end I could see him catching it before he and Ash part ways.

 

[Leonhart]

I imagine that they'll use a different character to promote Pokemon GO once Gou's novelty wears off. I'm not sure when that'll be or if Mew will actually be caught by him like he desires, but I'm looking forward to the cast changing eventually since I don't particular care for the duo protagonist set up.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

Never. He is the new Ash, clearly. Besides, if anyone has a goal with a finite lifespan, it's him.

Once he catches all the Pokemon, he'll have an existential crisis and continue journeyimg to find a goal...forever.

 

[Red and Blue]

If they are still sticking with the world tour and GO for Gen 9 and past that I see no reason to retire Go.

They can just give him one or two of the new starters and still keep Cinderace since Galar will still be part of the promotion

 

[Applecorp]

Once the world tour thing ends in how ever many years they'll get sick of Goh or at least the audience will so he'll be replaced with an expy. Kind of wish he would leave sooner rather than later and take Ash with him for good measure lol.

 

[Aduro]

I don't think Goh will end up like former companions, because this series has changed the franchise's formula in such a massive way.
Besides, its not like there's a brand new region for Ash to explore any time soon. There probably won't be a new set of gym leaders for Ash to challenge the old-fashioned way for at least another two years.


I can't see Ash grounding himself to be replaced by Goh. But they could make Goh the main character, and have Ash go on adventures off-screen to return periodically and ease the transition.
Part of me feels like they are considering replacing Ash with Goh. But given their reluctance to significantly change or replace Ash, they are more likely to keep both around long-term to represent Pokemon Go's profitability importance to the fanbase.

They might push Goh off into a spin-off series while having Ash explore a region the old fashioned way. Explanding the anime into two interconnecting series at once. Similarly to Alain and Ash.

 

[Ragnarok4]

I think Goh will leave at the end of Gen 8 because Cinderace is his starter Pokémon, which doomed him from the start

I hope he goes away, I don't like Goh

 

[AznKei]

Make him capture or befriend Mew and get him involved into a career which would make him part ways from Ash.

 

[Red and Blue]

Wait, I don't get it. How does this work.

Think he meant that because he choose a Gen 8 Pokemon as a starter instead of something like Eevee he would leave once Gen 9 comes around.

 

[SerenaRulez]

They might not retire him at all but if they do it'll happen after he catches or befriends Mew and decides on a different goal. Maybe at that point he will be more mature and not want to rely on Ash anymore.

 

[CMButch]

I have no idea, they maybe won't retire him at all until Ash becomes Master and Ash becoming one will be a day when Go catches Mew.
I mean, PJ is world series, when Gen 9 comes it kinda make no sense for Ash to drop that to go on one region again. Isn't it more logical for Ash to continue world series just to expand on new region?
If Go has to go, then I would say that Mew has left to some "unnamed region" and Go has to go there and Ash' like nope, I am travelling to names regions and Go leaves. But honestly, I have no idea how they will retire Go when Gen 9 comes, if they retire him at all. U think he may become permanent cast like TR and Ash.

 

[Kuzehiko]

Actually Go staying does not sound crazy taking into account that this series only has 1 companion as another main character. So I do see him staying after PM ends.

 

[Sham]

The same way they write of any character with an ambiguous/on going goal. They’ll have him experience some unbelievable opportunity that’s not concerning Ash and that’s far away from Ash which warrants his departure or in contrast Ash decides to go to whatever 9th region is announced while Go wants to stay in Kanto.

 

[Deleted member 384931]

Isnt this a bit soon to start a thread like this? We are only one year far. It is an interesting discussion, but maybe we need some more info in the future about it.

 

[Leonhart]

The same way they write of any character with an ambiguous/on going goal. They’ll have him experience some unbelievable opportunity that’s not concerning Ash and that’s far away from Ash which warrants his departure or in contrast Ash decides to go to whatever 9th region is announced while Go wants to stay in Kanto.

I hope they'll take a slightly different approach this time, however. One thing that I dislike about most character departures is how quickly the characters decide on a new goal or quest, so I'd like Gou to get more foreshadowing for whatever he decides to do after he leaves the cast, hopefully several months before he actually leaves.