It Looks Like The Pokemon Anime Is Coming To An End
A 10-year-old with 25 years of experience? That's quite an impressive CV. It's taken an age, but finally, Ash Ketchum has become the very best (like no one ever was) and has been crowned the Pokemon World Champion. However, as the boy from Pallet Town lifts his trophy, is this the beginning of the end for the Pokemon anime?
At the current count, there have been a whopping 1,219 episodes across 25 seasons. We're currently in the midst of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, and while November 11's "The Finals IV: Partner" isn't the end of the season, there isn't long left. The finale airs on December 9 and has an ominous title of "Pokémon! I'm Glad I Got to Meet You!", but is this really the end of the anime?
Is The Pokemon Anime Coming To An End?
As pointed out by The Gamer, the end could be nigh for the Pokemon anime. The next two episodes being called "Project Mew" and "Seize the Future" sound like they'll wrap up Goh's arc, meaning Ash's latest companion could be going the way of Brock, Misty, and the rest. Then again, there are theories it'll be Ash bowing out, with Goh becoming the cartoon's protagonist.
There's also the fact that the title of the finale mirrors the very first episode from 1997, which was called "Pokemon, I Choose You." 25 seasons and bookending the series with a nod to the very episode would be a poignant and well-timed way to round things off.
If you still aren't convinced that the long-running series is heading toward its swansong, the site points to leaked quotes from OLM's Creative Director that claims the "understaffed" animation studio could be in trouble. The COVID-19 pandemic hit OLM hard, which is part of why Journeys is the shortest season so far. There's also the fact we haven't had a Pokemon movie since Secrets of the Jungle in 2020 AND there's been no word on a mythical Gen 9 series yet.
Will The Pokemon Anime Have A Scarlet And Violet Season?
Apparently, the distribution formats changed massively during Journeys, and in the USA, episodes don't air on television anymore - now dropping in blocks on Netflix. The Arceus Chronicles special landed on Amazon Prime, so everything is a bit of a mess right now. On the plus side, we've got a brand-new Pokemon game just around the corner, so it would be foolish not to cash in on its hype.
The release of Scarlet and Violet is bringing around 100 new 'Mon to the franchise, so it would be a shame if we don't get to see them in cartoon form. Personally, we'd love to see Ash add Fuecoco to his ever-growing roster. Even if the Pokemon anime ends in its traditional form, we doubt this is its endgame. More likely, we could ditch the weekly episodes and entirely focus on specials and movies. Well, 25 years is a pretty good run.
