What's next for YOU in this franchise?

[IcySealeo]

I'm heartbroken.

For me, Pokemon is, first of all, Ash (and the anime). In fact, in my country, whenever you say Pokemon - people think of the anime and Ash & Pikachu. The anime was the reason I got interested in the franchise (which is a great example of how the anime served as a promotion to the games). New games and generations were just excuses, in my opinion, for another journey of Ash.

Naive as it sounds, I really never thought it's going to end. When JN was announced, nobody thought it's going to be Ash's last ride, we weren't prepared for that. In fact, only at the last minute we officially knew it's over. Looking back on JN, I think that they had to do much more things in order to make it the best finale.

So yeah, at some point it all felt the same - new region, new companions, same gyms, never going to win the league - and so on. But slowly, the writers broke some patterns - starting with BW. No Brock, TR doesn't have to be in every episode. Then, Ash doesn't have to travel across the region (SM), and he can win a league. Then he can travel in many regions at the same time and even not be in a whole episode(!). And so on...

While the anime serves as a promotion to the game, at some point it had its own "entity". Ash and Team Rocket, and we got emotional Pokemon bonding, great storylines - all those are things we never get to see in a game. While it kept being a promotion, it had its own theme at the same time. Games' ideas and characters had to be adjusted to the anime plot, and not the other way around.

This farewell wasn't satisfied enough, in my opinion, but then again, I don't think there is such one. I myself really don't know how my attitude towards the whole franchise is going to be. I'm one of those people that Ash for them is the glue that after 25 years still keeps me in this Pokemon universe.

What are your thoughts? And do you see yourselves still keeping interest in the anime or the whole franchise?

If you've come this far, thank you for reading my personal thoughts.

 

[VoltTacklingPika]

Nothing's changed for me. I'll keep watching because I love the Pokemon world and overall concept, whether we experience it through Ash or any other character.

As invested as I was in Ash, his presence inhibited what stories could be told. Him leaving the show is like a weight being lifted and presents a chance to do something fresh with their new characters. It's about time he got some closure.

 

[ZarudeSandstorm]

Franchise? Still play and look for new games Pokemon/DLCs.
For anime? I am done, unless Ash and Pikachu return, if TRio are still around: look how they doing.
Games are still alive and will be so, Pokemon is still not of my heart out even though half of it is gone IMO.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

Depending on how Rika is handled and if she's a battler, I'll probably watch, I've been wanting a female battler for the longest so if she does gyms that would be epic.

 

[vondecayle]

Ash or no Ash if the direction of the franchise continues in the same direction as the past 7 years then rest assured I won’t be watching.

 

[GarchompTheAssassin]

Pokemon has always meant much more to me than Ash & Pikachu (and that includes the times where I didn't feel so apathetic towards them). As long as the end product is good, it will continue to have my interest (whether that be games or anime) - it's that simple.

(And honestly a clean break from those two has been long overdue.)

 

[Psajdak]

I like Pokemon anime because it is relaxing, and positive, and it has healing effect on me to see a new episode at the end of workweek.

I have no reason to abandon it just because Ash and Pikachu will be replaced; I'm sure Liko and Roy will be fine new protagonists.

 

[mockingjay]

Ash and Pikachu's goodbye is like saying goodbye to my childhood for good. It was the one lasting thing left (the anime came out the year I was born, so I quite literally grew up with them) - it's symbolic of so much and I'll miss it, but cherish it deeply.

 

[Blood Red]

While the anime was obviously a massive presence in my childhood, Pokémon is way more than just the show for me. In fact, I'm excited to see where the anime can go without having Ash as a main character, what new stories they can come up with, how they'll expand upon the world of Pokémon...honestly, I see far more potential in what's coming than what we already had.

So in short, I'm cautious but optimistic. Ash's journey is over, and as much as it surprises me, I'll miss the lil' twerp. It's not the end of the franchise for me though; not by a long shot.

 

[IcySealeo]

Ash and Pikachu's goodbye is like saying goodbye to my childhood for good. It was the one lasting thing left (the anime came out the year I was born, so I quite literally grew up with them) - it's symbolic of so much and I'll miss it, but cherish it deeply.

Exactly. I was born with it, and it's actually the only thing left of my childhood.

 

[Xeogran]

Depends on how good the battles will look this gen. Characters thinking outside of the box in a well animated battling sequence is always fun to see.

If they're well done then I'll be watching it weekly.

 

[Dragonsoldier77]

The anime doesn’t have any part in getting me to buy any of the newer games so that part won’t be affected.

For the anime itself it actually has me more interested in the future. Ash has been stale for a long time and JN itself just shows how they don’t know what to do with him anymore. So honestly i’ve been hoping to get a good ending for him, rather than just have him aimlessly go on.

My only concern is how good this final send off will be. 11 episodes is enough for a thorough epilouge, but the problem is how the handling of JN has left me with little confidence in the team putting those 11 ep to good use.

 

[TheNewGuy]

I'll dip in and out, probably at least watch the first couple of episodes to get a feel for what's going on. I'll watch these Ash farewell episodes too I imagine.

I don't feel any entitlement with these new characters, whereas with Ash I definitely did feel entitled to him having some success. That's refreshing in itself.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

If everything thats soon to be revealed seems to be what I'd like then I'll possibly come back to watching the anime again, but if the anime is still like how it's been since BW then I'll be done with it for forever.

 

[PsychoLogical]

Just as long as Riko is the battler and has an unorthodox battling style like Ash does, I'll be satisfied. Oh if we're seeing the Paldea storyline adapted, then I need Koraidon to at least be on the main cast.

 

[NPT]

I guess I'll just be watching youtube playthroughs of the newer games, and movies/specials featuring AU Ash if they ever decide to make more of those.

 

[Alolan Glaceon]

I've been watching Ash since the show aired in my country which is more than 20 years, I still remember rooting for him to win the league, my favorite poke was Charmander back then and I didn't even want it to evolve, it was a beautiful time but as they say times are changing, after Brock and Misty came other heroes who won the hearts of their fans around the world, each character brought something to Ash's life. I don't know if anyone remembers the guy with the Scizor from Johto? It was the progenitor of Sopocles and later Goh, it seemed to me at first as Goh relied more on information than feelings. The Journeys series had a chance to be the best, if there is a topic with a summary of the series, I will be happy to say what was wrong and what was good, however, back to the topic. Ash is my hero, just like Goku from Dragon Ball or Yamato from Digimon Adventure and you from Wolfs Rain used to be my childhood and I respected those characters a lot and then they were different. Dragon Ball Super changes quite a lot of things from the canon, just like Reebot Adventure 2020, it was the same with the current series. Ash has changed, matured to fulfill his own goal of becoming a pokemon master, it doesn't matter that Alola was the first league then, it's important that he won then and the opponents were not worse than those in previous series, then he showed the world how strong he is and it's his Pikachu, the pokemon that was his first, that's his ace, not Charizard, Greninja, Scepitle, Lucario or Lycanroc, just Pikachu. Thanks to Ash, I experienced a lot of great fun and also sad and funny moments. I will give a new series a chance as I give everything, many times I have judged something by the appearance or line and then it turned out to be a huge mistake because the series met my expectations. I hope that the new character will be really good, human, with human problems, dreams or dilemmas, then the viewer will identify with her. I believe it will be fine, but sometimes it's better to leave in glory than dragging the same pattern for years. Thank you Ash, I'll probably write a proper farewell in April and now I'm going to rewatch the entire Pokemon series

 

[santiagus]

The franchise?

I would still play Pokemon I love Pokemon but when a game is announced I always think "What's the anime going to do"

Well guess we have to wait.

I will give the series a chance, I think the anime will loose old viewers and gain new ones or old that were tired of Ash so let's see where it goes.

 

[Damerdal]

As everyone else has said, it’ll be hard to replace a character that I’ve literally grown up with since I started watching the show when I was 6 years old, and now I’m over 30…

I’m excited for the new series, but I am well aware that I won’t develop that same level of childhood attachment to Liko, Roy, and co.

My hope however is that I can introduce my future kids (hopefully in the cards this decade) to these hopefully lovable characters one day and we can watch this new Pokémon anime together.

 

[mehmeh1]

I'll keep playing the games, as for the anime I'll probably check the new one out to see if it's any good