Over 25 years later, the characters have become the most powerful Pokemon trainers in the world. This is the delight of fans of the franchise.
A tweet by the official Pokemon Twitter account, congratulating Ash, has been liked almost 200,000 times.
The original video game-based series has been running for more than 1,200 episodes.
Since 1997, Ash Ketchum has been following his quest to become Pokemon Master. The anime follows him since he met the electric mouse creature Pikachu at his 10th birthday.
Over the past 25 years, viewers have seen him train to be the strongest Pokemon trainer. The series features Pokemon trainers who catch mythical creatures called pocket monsters and fight them off.
The original Japanese Game Boy game spawned a TV series, a trading card game and more than 20 movies. There is also a wide range of merchandise, from soft toys to pogs (collectible cardboard discs)
The anime follows Ash’s journey through various fictional regions, catching Pokemon. He aims to win eight badges in order to be eligible for the Pokemon League.
The latest series, Pokemon Ultimate Journeys has been a different story. It has Ash traveling around the globe, instead of being restricted to one area.
Viewers have seen Ash win two tournaments before – the Orange League in the Orange Islands season and the Alola League for Pokemon: Sun & Moon.
Ash had to defeat strong trainers from his travels to win the World Championship.
The final battle between Ash and Leon, the former world champion, spanned four episodes. The anime’s former companions, including fan favorites Brock, Misty, and Dawn, returned to the show.
Sarah Natochenny was the voice actor for Ash in American anime. She tweeted: “YESSSS!!! Our boy is the best !!!!” Many adult viewers of the show also tweeted that the finale had made them feel “emotional”.
It is not clear if Ash and Pikachu will be returning for the next season of the anime.
A new anime season is usually released in conjunction with new Pokemon video games. On Friday, 18 November, Scarlet and Violet will be released.
