Ash Ketchum’s 25-year journey to become a Pokemon master is finally coming to an end, and a massive fan project is releasing its final update to commemorate it. After nearly three decades on the air around the world, the extremely popular Pokemon anime is releasing its final string of episodes, which will serve as a fond farewell to Ash, Pikachu, and their various friends and enemies. In its place, a brand-new series will begin sometime later this year, based on the recently-released Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
For many fans, the Pokemon anime is as much the heart of the franchise as the many games that have been released over the years, featuring a mix of elements from said games and a collection of original characters that have become as popular as any Pokemon creature. 1998’s Pokemon Yellow even served as a loose adaptation of the show’s first season, replacing the usual Starter Pokemon from Red and Blue with a Pikachu that follows the player around and bringing in other show-exclusive characters like Jesse and James of Team Rocket. For the most part, though, the Pokemon show and games have mainly remained separate from each other.
A large-scale Pokemon fan game titled Pokemon Fire Ash has been bridging the gap between the anime and game series by retelling Ash and Pikachu’s story from their early days in the Kanto region to their latest victory in the Alola League from Pokemon Sun and Moon. Built with RPG Maker, Pokemon Fire Ash combines the game maps from the entire Pokemon series with a gameplay format similar to Generation 3’s Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. The developers behind Pokemon Fire Ash are currently planning to release the game’s final update, which will cover Ash’s final journey across the Galar region from Sword and Shield.
Pokemon Fire Ash is already a massive game, with over 50 Pokemon gyms and over 800 Pokemon spread across the many regions that Ash and his ever-changing group of friends have traveled throughout the anime. The game even includes places like the Orange Islands, which were an anime-exclusive location introduced in the show's second season. Pokemon Fire Ash was made using Pokemon Essentials, a set of game assets modeled after those from official Pokemon titles. Other fan games have been made using Pokemon Essentials, but few have matched the size and scope of Pokemon Fire Ash.
As fans are saying their final goodbyes to Ash, the developers behind Pokemon Fire Ash are preparing the impressive fan game’s final content update. This awe-inspiring project has been in development since 2015, serving as the ultimate love letter to a young boy with a dream of being the world’s greatest Pokemon master. For those looking to re-experience Ash’s saga in a brand-new way, Pokemon Fire Ash is available to download ahead of its final update’s release around May or June 2023.
Source: GamesRadar