When you think about the Pokemon Anime, you must think about Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu. The iconic duo have existed for nearly 26 years on screen and have become synonymous with the franchise even though they only appear in a handful of video games, none of which are mainline entries. Ash’s infectious spirit, mixed with Pikachu’s fun yet complex personality, made them the pair that launched the anime to new heights. Speaking for Pikachu, the Pokemon became the franchise’s mascot and is easily the most recognizable Pokemon ever. But, as you know, their journey is about to end.
In Japan, the final episodes of the Pokemon Anime featuring Ash are airing. They even dropped an epic promo to highlight the end recently. But due to the final adventure with Ash and Pikachu coming, the franchise’s director, Kunihiko Yuyama, did an interview that was translated by Dephender and revealed, at last, why Ash was put with a Pikachu instead of the standard Kanto starters.
“I think of Pikachu as a combination of cuteness, strength and the ability to bring a few laughs,” Yuyama began. “By the way, I decided from the very get-go that the Pokemon 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.”
By “make some viewers sad,” Yuyama is likely referring to how Ash choosing Squirtle, Bulbasaur, or Charmander as his starter would upset those who had chosen one of the other two. However, it also should be noted that for several series within the anime, Ash always got the region’s starters in full until, eventually, he got them in part.
Oh, and remember how Ash and Pikachu didn’t quite get along at first? That was intentional:
“Pokemon aren’t always what humans expect them to be like,” Yuyama continued. “They’re unique individuals that each have their own individual reasons for how they interact with humans. That’s the kind of themes, or relationships, the Pokémon anime shows; How someone can eventually get along despite being unable to communicate at all when they first meet.”
The struggles that Ash and Pikachu have gone through over the 25 years of the anime made them endearing characters and helped the anime have a unique identity, making it even sadder when they leave our screens soon.
