Preview JN135: Pokémon! I'm Glad I Got to Meet You!!

[flowerfun]

I still think that Victory Road would make the most sense for Ash, especially when that would allow him to face off against Champion level trainers.

That route was what I meant when I said that the game has a route where you can face off against champion-level trainers, probably should have worded it a bit better.

 

[Kurolegacy]

Ash may be the face if the franchise for the last 25 years , it doesn’t mean he can’t be replaced . Yami Yugi in yugioh was the face of the franchise of the last 5 years before being replaced by Jaden however the card game still sells slot it units. The same with beyblade and other well know franchises . In my honest opinion , it won’t stifled growth of the franchise so replace the main character . NP go for it .

25 years is a lot longer than just 5 years especially when it comes to the fact that Yu-Gi-Oh was the adaptation of a manga in that era of its life and the series basically made a thing of replacing its cast with each series. At this point, it’d be like replacing Goku as the face of Dragon Ball (something that was attempted at a point and failed).

 

[Dorothy]

It is worth pointing out that SV has other paths outside of gym battles, so they could make Ash do one of those so they can give him something to do without resetting him. SV also has a class for champion-level trainers so that could be another thing the anime can give Ash to do. SV does have a lot of things that the anime could do with Ash, so there are still some paths the anime can take with Ash's character.

There's things they can have him do, but that's different from having places to take his character. He's achieved his driving goal for the entire series. By all rights, he's reached his conclusion as a character.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

I was wondering what would happen after Ash wins the PWC and I was pretty sure Ash could finally get replaced.

But having learned now that Ash promised to both Cynthia and Leon to battle again some day, I'm getting more and more conviced Ash won't get replaced after all, otherwise he couldn't fullfil his promise and the Anime would convey a message that's not good. (And btw I absolutely want Cynthia to return, too!!).

So, yeah, I'd say Ash will probably continue on his journey. But as for the question what exactly he's going to do from now on, I honestly don't know. My prediction is, SV will be another Alola, where Ash challenges a few bosses here and there, but there won't be the classical gym battles anymore. Just hope he won't go back to school, because that would really feel awkward.

Let's see...

 

[Handy Man]

I was wondering what would happen after Ash wins the PWC and I was pretty sure Ash could finally get replaced.

But having learned now that Ash promised to both Cynthia and Leon to battle again some day, I'm getting more and more conviced Ash won't get replaced after all, otherwise he couldn't fullfil his promise and the Anime would convey a message that's not good. (And btw I absolutely want Cynthia to return, too!!).

So, yeah, I'd say Ash will probably continue on his journey. But as for the question what exactly he's going to do from now on, I honestly don't know. My prediction is, SV will be another Alola, where Ash challenges a few bosses here and there, but there won't be the classical gym battles anymore. Just hope he won't go back to school, because that would really feel awkward.

Let's see...

Alain did tell Ash that they would battle again someday in XY140. Nothing came out of that after all.

 

[Hidden Mew]

There's things they can have him do, but that's different from having places to take his character. He's achieved his driving goal for the entire series. By all rights, he's reached his conclusion as a character.

Not really. They've established that defeating Leon does not make him a Pokemon Master. Despite being the number one ranked trainer in the world, no one in the series or in official information called Leon a Pokemon Master. It's kind of hard for me to see this as conclusion for Ash's character not only because of that, but because I don't see this as character development for him. It's a huge accomplishment and I don't want to undersell that, but I wouldn't really say that this is character development or that twenty five years of the anime has been building up to this moment, despite how the preview made it sound.

 

[SamurottMan]

He's only the number 1 trainer in the world until the next PWC. If he competes, he has to defend his title and position, if he doesn't - he is just a former monarch.

 

[Kurolegacy]

He's only the number 1 trainer in the world until the next PWC. If he competes, he has to defend his title and position, if he doesn't - he is just a former monarch.

Twitter posts from the Pokémon Company even called him a world champion not the world champion. Meaning that, while it may go into the books, you’re the champion for that specific season just like any sporting event. If you compete again, you’d be the returning champion but others who win the PWC will also gain that title whether you compete or not.

 

[Gabo2oo]

This title feels so ominous to me right now. I don't know if they'll be able to satisfactorily close 25 years' worth of episodes in just two (that's the same amount almost every individual series has gotten!). I've always had the idea of a small, final post-League arc to end the final series but I guess we'll just have to hope for the best.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

This title feels so ominous to me right now. I don't know if they'll be able to satisfactorily close 25 years' worth of episodes in just two (that's the same amount almost every individual series has gotten!). I've always had the idea of a small, final post-League arc to end the final series but I guess we'll just have to hope for the best.

This could just mark the end of an era, kinda like how DP was technically the end of an era before BW soft-rebooted the series.

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

This could just mark the end of an era, kinda like how DP was technically the end of an era before BW soft-rebooted the series.

If anything, it's definitely the end of an era for Ash, if not outright the end. Now that he's the strongest trainer and everything. Kinda hard to shoot higher than the top. Also, they better not pull any BW-style soft-reboot crap, where Pikachu's losing to a Sprigatito or something, or else people will be pissed the hell off.

 

[Hidden Mew]

While I don't want to discredit Ash's victory, I think one reason why it's hard for me to see Ash defeating Leon as the end is because of how the anime has to continually retcon new regions and Pokemon with each new generation. This is a necessity to promote the new games, so I don't think it's a bad thing in itself, but at the same time, it's hard to say that Ash has no other possible challenges to face when no one from Paldea or any other future regions were in the PWC.

 

[Kurolegacy]

If anything, it's definitely the end of an era for Ash, if not outright the end. Now that he's the strongest trainer and everything. Kinda hard to shoot higher than the top. Also, they better not pull any BW-style soft-reboot crap, where Pikachu's losing to a Sprigatito or something, or else people will be pissed the hell off.

He’s the strongest trainer of that current season of the PWC and from a limited scope especially given that it’s a fact that Paldea didn’t compete and any regions beyond that weren’t involved. He’s definitely got champion status but the PWC kinda is akin to the Super Bowl where you’re recorded as having won that time around but it’s not a static title hence why on Twitter they referred to him as a world champion rather than the world champion.

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

While I don't want to discredit Ash's victory, I think one reason why it's hard for me to see Ash defeating Leon as the end is because of how the anime has to continually retcon new regions and Pokemon with each new generation. This is a necessity to promote the new games, so I don't think it's a bad thing in itself, but at the same time, it's hard to say that Ash has no other possible challenges to face when no one from Paldea or any other future regions were in the PWC.

Well, think about it. What has always been Ash's number one goal? To become the strongest trainer. I mean he competed in gym battles, leagues, all to reach this point. And now he's there so I really don't see how much higher he can shoot than this. I'm thinking mentor role at this point because there's really not much else for him to do now. I don't see him doing gym battles again, that's for sure.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Well, think about it. What has always been Ash's number one goal? To become the strongest trainer. I mean he competed in gym battles, leagues, all to reach this point. And now he's there so I really don't see how much higher he can shoot than this. I'm thinking mentor role at this point because there's really not much else for him to do now. I don't see him doing gym battles again, that's for sure.

Not exactly. At the start of Journeys, Ash said that a Pokémon Master is more than just the strongest Trainer, and that beating Leon would just be a step towards his dream.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

The anime isn’t ending.
Ash isn’t leaving.
He’s growing up and starting a family of his own.

 

[Broseph08]

It's hard to see any future ending topping this. Ash officially being labeled as the best trainer in the world in a clash where the two most iconic Pokemon in the entire franchise face off with every companion and Pokemon Ash ever had making a cameo appearance. Man... I'm sure Ash is coming back but it really does feel like he's reached the pinnacle. I know the show says that being the best battler doesn't make one a Master but considering Ash's goals always center around battling, it feels like keeping the meaning ambiguous for the sake of just having him move forward (which it is tbh)

 

[Hidden Mew]

Well, think about it. What has always been Ash's number one goal? To become the strongest trainer. I mean he competed in gym battles, leagues, all to reach this point. And now he's there so I really don't see how much higher he can shoot than this. I'm thinking mentor role at this point because there's really not much else for him to do now. I don't see him doing gym battles again, that's for sure.

His number one goal has been to become a Pokemon Master. That hasn't changed in Journeys. Defeating Leon is a big deal and I don't want to undermine that, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other strong trainers for him to battle. That's why I brought up that trainers from Paldea and other future regions weren't in the PWC. The world in the Pokemon anime is always adding in new Pokemon, regions and trainers, which means that there will be new challenges for Ash to face with that in mind. I'm less concerned about how much higher Ash can get from this because of how he can be whatever the writers want him to be.

The anime isn’t ending.
Ash isn’t leaving.
He’s growing up and starting a family of his own.

There isn't going to be a sudden time skip with Ash and Serena married with children.

 

[Mr. MoonStone]

The closest we'll get to Ash leaving the series is if he steps out of the spotlight and plays a mentor figure to a younger rookie trainer, and even then...that plot point seems iffy at best to me.

Realistically, this episode will serve as the break between Journeys and whatever comes next. Whether that be gyms, the other Scarlet/Violet paths, or a completely new plot altogether. But I really don't see them writing him off, ever.

 

[Kurolegacy]

The anime isn’t ending.
Ash isn’t leaving.
He’s growing up and starting a family of his own.

Oh you were so close too but that is also not happening.