Ash’s Final Pokémon Journey Hits Netflix This September

Oliver Brandt
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company announced that Ash and Pikachu’s journey would be coming to an end, with the 25-year-long series coming to an end and being replaced by a new anime series that would feature two new protagonists. Soon, English-speaking fans will get to see the final steps of that journey.

The final episodes of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys were released on Netflix in the US in June 2023, and saw Ash competing in the final battle in the Masters Eight Tournament. In a final battle against Galar Champion Leon, Ash and Pikachu came out victorious, and Ash was ultimately crowned World Champion, the most powerful trainer in the Pokémon world.

The final episode saw Ash and Goh go their separate ways, each intent on carving a new path through the Pokémon world without the other. So now that Ash has officially become a Pokémon master, what’s next? Well, after Ash’s trip back home, we won’t really get to know.

Ash and Pikachu will say their goodbyes after 25 years in the spotlight in September.<p>The Pokémon Company</p>
Ash and Pikachu will say their goodbyes after 25 years in the spotlight in September.

The Pokémon Company

The final 11 episodes of Ash’s journey with Pikachu will see Ash reunited with old friends – both people and Pokémon alike – as he travels back home to Pallet Town. These episodes have already aired in Japan, so those interested can look up what happens if they truly wish, but it’s not quite the same as seeing it for yourself.

The final subseries with Ash and Pikachu, subtitled To Be a Pokémon Master, will become available on Netflix on September 8, 2023. After that, there’s likely to be a short gap, and then Pokémon Horizons will start, focusing on new protagonists Liko and Roy and their partner Pokémon Sprigatito and Fuecoco, respectively.

Pokémon Horizons – so far at least – has pretty much no connection to the series that came before it. There’s no Ash or Misty, no Brock or Pikachu (although there is a cool new Pikachu in a hat, called Captain Pikachu), and of the 14 episodes that have aired in Japan so far, no returning characters of any kind. It’s a slate wiped clean for Pokémon anime, and its laid back storytelling and heavy focus on character development is a huge breath of fresh air.

You can watch the first 10 minutes of the first episode of Pokémon Horizons below, courtesy of The Pokémon Company.