Platinum fan.
RetiredPokemonMaster
So I watched the final episode and have been silently watching these last episodes of Ash's run to see if I had any emotion left from this old series. Turns out not much. Watching this show end with still no real meaning of what a Pokemon Master is does not surprise me. They clearly didn't know themselves. As for the sendoff of Ash, to be honest was there anyway to truly send off a character who has been around for 20+ years that would satisfy all the different generations? I feel bad for anyone wanting to see the dreams of May, Dawn, Serena, Clemont, and crew reach a conclusion. At least Tracey got a win I guess, Venomoth yay...
For me the thing that made emotional was actually Team Rocket. Not because they had a great sendoff or anything. But because they are going to continue to follow a 10 year old boy and his Pikachu around for the rest of their lives instead of actually doing something truly meaningful with their lives. They got a better sendoff in the "Electric Tale of Pikachu" manga for crying out loud. Those poor guys living a eternal Hell of chasing something they'll never get. That actually made me sad. I guess no Giovanni.
Return of Pidgeot, better late then never I guess. By that point I didn't care. But this just highlights a problem. Why not use the last remaining episodes to finish off the stories other generation fans had attachments to the series. I honestly didn't care about the Latios/Latias arc they had going on. Give me May and Dawn's final contests or what happens with Serena's goal, Max and Bonnie getting their first Pokemon. Give Ash's regional teams some final moments together as a team/family of Pokemon. I don't even like Ash that much anymore and even I thought this was lacking for a story that has been forced to continue long after it should have ended, but again how do you do this with a 20+ year plot that left several arcs open ended? Maybe a movie I guess?
I'm ready for the new Pokemon series and I hope they've learned from this one. I wouldn't be surprised if Liko and Roy get a better sendoff then Ash because they likely won't keep them for as long and so their ends will be better planned...hopefully if they learned from this mess. So for now I will say farewell to Ash and Pikachu. As someone who grew out of their adventures decades ago even I will say "You deserved better then this"
For me the thing that made emotional was actually Team Rocket. Not because they had a great sendoff or anything. But because they are going to continue to follow a 10 year old boy and his Pikachu around for the rest of their lives instead of actually doing something truly meaningful with their lives. They got a better sendoff in the "Electric Tale of Pikachu" manga for crying out loud. Those poor guys living a eternal Hell of chasing something they'll never get. That actually made me sad. I guess no Giovanni.
Return of Pidgeot, better late then never I guess. By that point I didn't care. But this just highlights a problem. Why not use the last remaining episodes to finish off the stories other generation fans had attachments to the series. I honestly didn't care about the Latios/Latias arc they had going on. Give me May and Dawn's final contests or what happens with Serena's goal, Max and Bonnie getting their first Pokemon. Give Ash's regional teams some final moments together as a team/family of Pokemon. I don't even like Ash that much anymore and even I thought this was lacking for a story that has been forced to continue long after it should have ended, but again how do you do this with a 20+ year plot that left several arcs open ended? Maybe a movie I guess?
I'm ready for the new Pokemon series and I hope they've learned from this one. I wouldn't be surprised if Liko and Roy get a better sendoff then Ash because they likely won't keep them for as long and so their ends will be better planned...hopefully if they learned from this mess. So for now I will say farewell to Ash and Pikachu. As someone who grew out of their adventures decades ago even I will say "You deserved better then this"