A fan of the Pokemon anime series has constructed a theory that would bring it to full circle with the conclusion of Ash Ketchum's story. The announcement of Ash Ketchum's conclusion in the Pokemon series came in late 2022, catching fans off guard, but this send-off could be a beautiful ending to something that started 17 years ago.
Ash started his adventure in 1997 when he traveled to Professor's Oak lab and earned a valuable friend and companion in Pikachu, the electric mouse. After a long and challenging journey, Ash became a Pokemon League Champion and will be featured in an 11-episode season in 2023, bringing his triumphant story to an end.
Reddit user jonathanquirk theorized a perfect way to wrap up Ash's story while bringing it to full circle with the inclusion of two Pokemon that started the anime series. In Episode 1, Ash watched a Pokemon battle between a Nidorino and a Gengar, which ended quickly following Gengar's hypnosis putting the second-stage ground Pokemon to sleep. In Episode 16 of Pokemon Journeys, Ash catches a Gengar of his own after it was abandoned by its original trainer, becoming the 54th Pokemon caught by the series' main protagonist. The subreddit thread points this out, stating that Gengar was prominently featured in the series' first battle seen on television and could be the same Pokemon Ash relies on to battle his very last opponent before hanging his hat up.
Theories about who Ash's father could be are endless, with some suggesting it could be Bruno of the Elite Four in the Kanto series while others are convinced Ash is the spawn of Team Rocket leader Giovanni. Little is known about the true identity of the character, as Ash's father has never been seen before, but that could change with the conclusion of his story. The theory indicates that the opposing trainer's Pokemon that could take on Ash's Gengar would be Nidorino, as seen in the battle Ash was observing before venturing out into the world with his trusted Pikachu. The battle would be a wonderful nod to how it all started, and could be give life to the theory of Giovanni being the father as he specializes in ground-type Pokemon and has a Nidoking on his main team.
While some believe the possibility of Ash's father making an appearance is slim-to-none, it is interesting to note the parallels between the possible ending to his story and the potential of the Pokemon used in his final battle. One commenter jokingly stated Ash's father would return with a Miltank companion and a jug of Moo Moo Milk, playing off the trope of the father leaving for milk and never returning. One would have to think a father would be proud of their son becoming a Pokemon League Champion, so a reunion between father and son would be a beautiful way to end a 17-year story.