After 25 years of Pokémon, Ash, and Pikachu being together and bonding over so many episodes, the series is creating a platform for Ash Ketchum’s final episode. One of the executives from Pokémon revealed in an interview with Animedia why Ash began his journey with a Pikachu all those years ago. Ash’s final farewell with Pikachu will happen in Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master. This particular series was airing in Japan from 13th January 2023.
Fans have bonded over Ash and Pikachu in the past two decades despite their prickly relationship. However, as the Executive explains the entire ordeal was deliberately planned out. Fans had to deal with their worst scenario becoming a reality on 24 March 2023. They witnessed the final goodbye of this duo. The Executive shares a lot of information about the duo in their interview with Animedia.
Why did Ash choose Pikachu at the start of Pokémon?
Looking back at the first episode of Pokémon, Ash, and Pikachu mainly became a duo because he couldn’t wake up early. By the time he reached Professor Oak’s lab, only a mischievous Pikachu was left. On the other hand, Gary, who was Ash’s enemy, got the opportunity to choose between a bunch and selected Squirtle.
Fans wondered as to why Ash didn’t choose any of the three starter Pokémon for that region: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. The director of Pokémon, Kunihiko Yuyama, told Animedia magazine that he made Ash start with a Pikachu so fans wouldn’t get disheartened if their favorite starter weren’t chosen.
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What did the director of Pokémon share about Ash and Pikachu’s farewell?
As the end of Ash and Pikachu’s journey finally arrived, the director of Pokémon explained how the journey between these two started all those 25 years ago. Kunihiko Yuyama said that he made Ash choose Pikachu deliberately to make the fans sad.
“I think of Pikachu as a combination of cuteness, strength, and the ability to bring a few laughs,” Yuyama told Animedia and continued, “By the way, I decided from the very get-go that the Pokémon that would become [Ash’s] partner would not be one of the three you choose between at the start of the video game, since I figured that might make some of the viewers sad. That’s why he ended up with a Pikachu, a decision I’m really glad I made.”
“Pokémon aren’t always what humans expect them to be like. They’re unique individuals that each have their own individual reasons for how they interact with humans,” He told Animedia; considering how the relationship between Ash and Pikachu developed over time, it helped fans to get a clear idea about the Pokémon world.
Source: Interview with Animedia (Translated by Dephender on Serebii)
