An artist online has shared their own recreation of one of the Pokemon anime's most heartbreaking moments. This has remained one of the iconic scenes from the Pokemon anime, despite there being plenty to choose from since.
Since its release in 1997, Pokemon has remained a pop-culture phenomenon spanning multiple generations of fans. By maintaining the anime and games as companions to each other, The Pokemon Company has ensured that each new generation marks a huge moment for the franchise. Now on Generation 9, Pokemon remains as popular as ever. Fans can even go to a Pokemon cafe in Japan for all their Pokemon-based treats based on the series. It stands as an example of the huge cultural impact the series has had.
The artwork by Redditor addyxiii is a recreation in the pixel-art style of the Pokemon games, of Pikachu's goodbye scene from Pokemon Indigo League where it seemed that Ash and Pikachu were destined to part ways. Of course, they didn't, and the rest is history, with the pair going on to become one of the most iconic duos in any medium. With so many Pokemon out there now, there is a huge amount of art online from fans depicting their favorite Pokemon. Some even combine existing Pokemon, with one piece of fan art creating a fusion of the Pokemon Flamigo and Torterra.
Users in the thread loved the post, which gained over 2,500 upvotes within a day of posting. Most shared their own nostalgic experience of the episode, which originally aired back in 1998. This element of nostalgia is a huge part of the reason that Pokemon has remained so popular among several generations over the years, with no signs of slowing down. While the anime remains hugely popular, the games continue to sell enormously, with the recent release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet surpassing sales records for the franchise in some regions.
Unfortunately, Pokemon fans' adventures with Ash and Pikachu are almost finished. It was revealed last year that Ash and Pikachu are leaving the Pokemon anime, with their final episode set to air on March 24 in Japan. It will no doubt be a huge change for fans, after over 25 years following the same protagonists, but it represents an opportunity for The Pokemon Company to take the series in a fresh direction in ways it hasn't been able to for some time. The company has already revealed Ash and Pikachu's replacements, and the sentiment about the previews online has been positive so far.