Pokémon: Ash and Pikachu's final episode title is reducing fans to tears

Today is the day, and I don’t think any of us are emotionally ready for it. Later, Ash’s final episode of the Pokémon anime will air in Japan, after 25 years of adventures.

Honestly, I’m still in denial over this whole thing. After Ash leaves, he’ll be replaced by two fresh-faced protagonists called Liko and Roy. We’ll also be introduced to a new Professor called Friede and his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu, who wears a hat. That bit is very important. He’s a totally different Pokémon, guys.

Take a look at Ash becoming the Pokémon World Champion in the anime below.

Anyway, as the hours tick down until the 11th and final episode of Aim To Be A Pokémon Master (the miniseries dedicated to Ash’s sendoff), fans are already feeling emotional about the finale’s title. It’s called ‘The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!’, and if you’re someone who’s watched the anime from day one (or if you caught up with it later, that’s cool too), you’ll know exactly why everyone’s getting teary-eyed.

“‘The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master’. That's... such a beautiful title man, somehow kinda unlike Pokémon [in my opinion] but also perfect. It's truly ending,” @rohanarts tweeted. “Ash and Pikachu’s final episode, this is definitely going to break me,” wrote @Games23_. “I can't believe Pokémon is coming back in full circle. The next episode is named ‘The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!’. THAT'S LITERALLY HOW THIS ANIME STARTED,” @yabaiwinston posted.

That last fan said it best - for those unfamiliar, in the very first episode of the anime, ‘Pokémon, I Choose You!’, Ash sets out on his journey with Pikachu, who at the time is very uncooperative. However, after they accidentally anger a flock of Spearow in the middle of a rainstorm, Pikachu sees that Ash is willing to do anything to protect him, and blasts the birds into oblivion. After that, the clouds clear and the pair see the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh flying overhead past a rainbow. Ho-Oh is also known as the Rainbow Pokémon, so there’s no way that this episode title isn’t a reference to the events of the premiere all those years ago.

The episode isn’t out just yet, but there’s no doubt that it’s going to have fans everywhere sobbing in a few hours. Grab the tissues now.