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Do you think the anime will have a full conclusion or simply an end?

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Perhaps a bit of an unclear question so I'll explain what I mean.

A full conclusion is one where the general plot introduced by the series is fully closed. The Evil Empire is defeated, the lead wins over their love interest. That sort of thing. For instance Avatar the Last Airbender.

However, sometimes works just end--especially older shows often simply stopped rather than having a real finale. The overall plot isn't really resolved--the villain wasn't defeated but also hasn't won, we don't know if the lead and his love interest get together, etc. Any of the many shows that ended without a real finale episode. There's a softer version of this where an episode is intended to be the last one but leaves the overall plot open.

To use theoretical examples for Pokémon, a full conclusion would have Ash become a Master or give up on his goal or make some major change to his life, like settling down from traveling long-term for whatever reason, and Team Rocket as an organization would probably have to be defeated.

The alternate would be it just ends with no conclusion to his "Master" arc. Imagine if, for instance, XY or DP had been the last series with no changes to their stories or the league outcome.

Which do you think will end up happening? I sort of suspect we'll get a proper ending (pre Alola I was leaning towards the latter though).
 
I think they’ll try to keep the anime going for as long as possible. It promotes the Pokémon franchise, and I don’t see them ending such a profitable franchise before it naturally withers out (and we know they’re trying to milk out as much from the IP as possible given the (over)abundance of mobile games, some with micro transactions.
We don’t know how long the franchise will last but I think the Pokémon anime will soon wither away along with the franchise when interest falls enough. Ash's story might have a chance at conclusion if they go for a new protagonist some time before that to shake things up.
 
Given how big the anime is (and how nothing short of a huge controversy/emergency/major VA death could stop it), I think if there was ever a point the producers decided either to retire Ash or outright finish the series, they would make that decision at least a full series (so ~3 years or so) in advance.

That said, I think they can believably give Ash some satisfying conclusion with that amount of time. (heck, they're currently going on a path many people dreamed him going for years in the form of the PWC) in 1 season. They could end with the following:

1. The cheesy "the quest to become a Pokemon Master is a life-long quest of learning" line and see him go off on his forever journey,
2. Have him settle down somewhere and see him send off a new trainer (could be his kid or someone that reminds him of himself when he was young) on their journey in the future,
3. A new trainer sets off on their journey to become (or topple) him as the current Pokemon Master.
4. Something else altogether.

Whether or not they do it to people's satisfaction is another matter.
 
Usually those shows that leave unanswered questions and unresolved plots just do because they got cancelled before it could be concluded. Probably not all cases, but mostly.

In Pokemon's case it's very hard to say. In my opinion for a show that's running for over 20 years it isn't really trying to build and resolve its most important plots throughout its run... The Pokemon Master thing is the biggest example, a goal that's still a mystery as to what the hell it means.

I'd like to see OLM trying to conclude the series in a satisfying way (Satoshi finally becoming a Master, the Rockets disbanding and Trio realizing they don't need the organization to stay together and be happy, etc), though I sorta doubt it's gonna be "satisfying".

Wouldn't doubt, way down the road, the show ending just because it got cancelled.
 
Right after turning my PC off and heading to bed I realized I should have addressed one issue that's been brought up; I'd consider "Ash's story ends but the anime itself continues" as being a conclusion or either sort, depending on how it's done, since that's been the main narrative since episode 1.

You can end Ash's story while keep the anime going with a new lead. Personally I think Ash becoming the number 1 trainer in the PWC is a good end for him. I don't need to see him become a true "Master"
I'm of two minds on this issue. On one hand winning the PWC would make sense as a finale since Ash has generally been mostly focused on battles over other Pokémon aspects, even if he dabbled in things like contests.
On the other hand I think "Pokémon Master" has been teased so long I'd prefer they should give us some idea of what it actually is instead of leaving it undefined.

1. The cheesy "the quest to become a Pokemon Master is a life-long quest of learning" line and see him go off on his forever journey,
2. Have him settle down somewhere and see him send off a new trainer (could be his kid or someone that reminds him of himself when he was young) on their journey in the future,
For whatever reason these are the two endings I always imagine as most likely.
Although if we were get the "Ash sending their own child off" ending I imagine them being as vague as humanly possible about who the mother is.

The Pokemon Master thing is the biggest example, a goal that's still a mystery as to what the hell it means.
I sort of suspect that term was internally redefined at some point; the games call you one when you beat Lance and a lot of real world careers have it as a title given for something in particular (a Masters Degree for an obvious example).
When the show started I suspect winning a league would be enough, and I'm not sure that was ever specifically stated as untrue until that interview before the Alola League last year.

Whether or not they do it to people's satisfaction is another matter.

I'd like to see OLM trying to conclude the series in a satisfying way (Satoshi finally becoming a Master, the Rockets disbanding and Trio realizing they don't need the organization to stay together and be happy, etc), though I sorta doubt it's gonna be "satisfying".
I'm not there's ever been a writer who could end the show on a note that feels like a good payoff for how long it was running. "Good enough" is probably the most anyone could do.
 
No.

Ash and Pikachu are more "brands" than actually characters these days. The only time the show (with Ash as a lead) could have gotten a proper ending was back in Kanto, before they decided to extend the show due to how popular it was. Now, longtime fans best shot at getting real closure to Ash's story could have been the AU movies. If they had decided to have a series of films covering Kanto (sort of like what the Rebuild films did for Evangelion or Digimon Tri), then long-time fans might have gotten to see Ash's story get a true beginning, middle, and end.
 
Even if the anime becomes really unpopular, I don't see the producers axing it without prior notice and now taking the opportunity of making a "Pokemon The End" movie or something. I doubt it will be the great finale many of us have expected after two decades with big tournaments, all main characters coming back and all of Ash's Pokemon coming back, but it will possibly ask the series' biggest questions.

And I don't really want to imagine what would happen with the fandom if the series ends with a "And Ash's adventures continued forever!".
 
Conclusion?? i think it is possible. A proper end?? Not much. If they are going to end the anime, i strongly believe that several loose ends will be left for an eventual return. In summary, i believe in a typical first season end of series that are not certain that will be renewed
 
And I don't really want to imagine what would happen with the fandom if the series ends with a "And Ash's adventures continued forever!".

Actually that might happen in a way or another. I can see Pokemon ending in a similar note to Fairy Tail's, Satoshi's current league ends, he bids farewall to his friends and sets off to a new journey (either to the region the next game introduces or an unnamed one), Trio follows him and the series just end like that, with the narrator saying something as "Satoshi's next adventure is now ahead of him. What challenges are awaiting for him? Will he be an step closer to become a Pokemon Master?", and instead of the usual "Next time, a new beginning" ending, it'd just be "The End".

Open ending, no closure, status quo still apparently there, etc.
 
Actually that might happen in a way or another. I can see Pokemon ending in a similar note to Fairy Tail's, Satoshi's current league ends, he bids farewall to his friends and sets off to a new journey (either to the region the next game introduces or an unnamed one), Trio follows him and the series just end like that, with the narrator saying something as "Satoshi's next adventure is now ahead of him. What challenges are awaiting for him? Will he be an step closer to become a Pokemon Master?", and instead of the usual "Next time, a new beginning" ending, it'd just be "The End".

Open ending, no closure, status quo still apparently there, etc.
This is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of as an example of it just ending without a full conclusion.
 
I’d like to see the anime give Ash’s journey an acceptable conclusion and continue with a new protagonist like how Power Rangers always introduces new characters with each new series.
 
Actually that might happen in a way or another. I can see Pokemon ending in a similar note to Fairy Tail's, Satoshi's current league ends, he bids farewall to his friends and sets off to a new journey (either to the region the next game introduces or an unnamed one), Trio follows him and the series just end like that, with the narrator saying something as "Satoshi's next adventure is now ahead of him. What challenges are awaiting for him? Will he be an step closer to become a Pokemon Master?", and instead of the usual "Next time, a new beginning" ending, it'd just be "The End".

Open ending, no closure, status quo still apparently there, etc.


I'm down for a Pokemon: 100 Years Quest anime spinoff/sequel, we're more than one-fifth the way there anyways
 
Last year, Pokémon developers went to Spain for what is known as research. They most likely studied the sights of Spain for the 9th generation (games, anime). If this is Spain, then the plot can be well done, like the battle for the crown. If you look at the history of Spain, you can make a good story for the Pokémon. There in history when the king died, the territory of Spain was divided between his sons and new countries were formed: Aragon, Castile, Leon and so on. You can divide the region into several territories, each territory has its leader for the title of king of the region, and the story of the game will be about how the main character (in the anime it will be Ash or Go) must defeat the strongest in the region and become king of the region
 
Ash's story should be wrapped up in this series, but without him becoming a World Champion, which is too unrealistic for a 10 year old. Do I expect them to have the balls to do that? Not really, which is sad because he can only go down from here. Now, will there be a conclusive end whenever, maybe after I'm dead? That really depends on who the director is (the longer I live, the zanier the world may get). Shudo had a vision which was apparently too much not only for OLM, but for most viewers who would have rejected the anime being a dream reality, as if that isn't exactly what any show is (certainly an anime). A future director could still play around with the idea of Ash growing up, and maybe not seeking the same dream forever.

Last year, Pokémon developers went to Spain for what is known as research.
Please prove that that it was more than the usual two people, and that it was for research. Pokemon fans are notorious for reading too much into Masuda and Ohmori's visits, which frequently just have to do with interviews and events. I still remember all the theories about the visit to France in 2017. South Kalos, a Kalos post-game, and all that jazz that was entirely in the fans' heads. There was a Spain theory for the current generation (two other Spain trips were used for "evidence"), too. Anyway, this thread isn't about the next series.
 
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"Pokemon Developers went to Spain" has been thrown around since before the release of Sun and Moon so I guess that theory should be dead by now.
 
Yeah if the anime or at least Ash's time as the lead character was going to end for any other reason than say low ratings Kanto at the earliest, Johto as the latest.

Yeah I'd say no to Shudo's approach even if a continuation was out of the question as:

1. Compared to other serious/dark moments in the main anime, Origins or say the Adventures manga it does feel apologetic especially if it ended without hope of Human/Pokémon reconciliation. Yeah you shouldn't shy away from good writing necessarily for the sake of marketing, but making profits a priority isn't as a while bad either.

2. It arguably does come off as contradictory as it ignores that there are say Pokémon have been allowed and able to go against trainers or do their own thing like:

- Pikachu not remaining in his Pokéball.

- Psyduck getting out of his Pokéball without being summoned.

- Primeape and Charmeleon/Charizard disobeying Ash when lacking/losing respect for him.

- Heck despite their talk about obeying trainers in Island of the Giant Pokémon as Koffing and Ekans, Weezing and Arbok refuse to attack Proctor in A Chansey Operation.

- Or notably Charmander the Stray Pokémon. As Suede puts in in his review, Damien never consents to letting his "weak"* Fire Type leave, yet Charmander is still literally able to go with Ash in the end.

*For those who didn't follow Suede or Dogasu's covering of the episode, Damien did according to dialogue in the Japanese version base his assessment of Charmander off of him losing to Water Types.
 
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"Pokemon Developers went to Spain" has been thrown around since before the release of Sun and Moon so I guess that theory should be dead by now.

Spain was used as the inspiration for Alamos Town, the setting of Rise of Darkrai, specifically the cities of Granada and Barcelona (as in where Manuel is from).
 
With how high-grossing the franchise is, I don't think the anime will ever be at risk of getting cancelled overnight due to, say, ratings not being high enough to invest in production.

So yeah, I think the show will have an actual, planned conclusion. I just hope something like that gets decided before production on the "final series" begins, rather than midway through it.
 
So yeah, I think the show will have an actual, planned conclusion. I just hope something like that gets decided before production on the "final series" begins, rather than midway through it.

I don't know. I mean unless the higher ups have a change of heart down the line to make quality storytelling an equal priority to making money or people ending up at the top having that mentality I just don't see why we should expect the anime to end.

Simpsons started at the end of the 80s with no end in site so I think Pokémon can manage the same.

Otherwise, until it takes more money to make than the money they get back I don't see it happening.

But then besides Ash winning a canon League, we had Brock leaving the cast permanently (at the time of this posting for future readers who otherwise think I'm an idiot ignorant to facts*) and trying to make the Rocket Trio more "serious" (and allegedly setting up for them to depart altogether).

*No I'm sure some find me to be a general idiot;).
 
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