Pokémon anime just reunited Ash with his Butterfree after 25 years

Prepare the tissues - Ash has finally reunited with his Butterfree, 25 years after breaking everyone’s hearts in the original series.

‘Bye Bye Butterfree’ is easily one of the most well-known episodes from the Pokémon anime series. I’m sure you remember how it goes all too well, but just in case you’d done your best to forget the emotional pain, Ash’s Butterfree (which was the first Pokémon he ever caught, when it was still Caterpie) meets and falls in love with a pink Butterfree. At the end of the episode, Ash decides to let his beloved Pokémon go so that it can be with its partner, and anyone who says that they didn’t cry is probably lying.

It’s been confirmed that Ash will be stepping down as the main Pokémon anime protagonist - take a look at the trailer for his final episodes below.

All these years on, and no one has forgotten about Butterfree, including Ash. In fact, it’s appeared in flashbacks in the show a number of times over the years. Now though, right at the end of the final episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, Ash is seen reuniting with both his own Butterfree and the pink one, which also proves that love is real. The scene is short but sweet, and can be spotted in the end credits.

The Pokémon Company.

If you thought saying farewell to Butterfree was bad though, you’re not ready for what’s coming next. It’s been officially confirmed that Ash is stepping down as the protagonist for the Pokémon anime series - the show will instead follow two fresh faces and the Paldea starters (Fuecoco, Sprigatito and Quaxly). Although this had been rumoured to be happening for some time, it’s still come as a huge shock - Ash will have a “final chapter” consisting of 11 episodes, which are set to air in Japan starting 13 January 2023.