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"The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!" is the 11th and final episode of Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master, the 147th and final episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, the season finale of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, and the 1,234th episode of Pokémon the Series overall. It first aired in Japan on March 24, 2023, and aired in North America on September 8, 2023. It is the final episode to star Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.
Plot[]
Misty and Brock both leave the group and return home. Ash Ketchum returns to Pallet Town and runs into Gary Oak, who asks him how much closer he is to becoming a Pokémon Master. Meanwhile, Team Rocket (Jessie, James, and Meowth) reunite and attempt to steal Pikachu again, only to have their plans foiled by Ash's Pidgeot, who was released by Ash before traveling to Valencia Island. Later on, Ash decides that he wants to go on more adventures and meet many more Pokémon on his quest to become a Pokémon Master. At the end of the episode (and their run as the anime's protagonists), Pikachu offers Ash a twig, and he tosses it into the air to decide which way his journey will take him and his partner next.
Quotes[]
Ash's time may be over, but the journey continues...
Gallery[]
![Pokémon anime's Twitter post commemorate Ash's final episode.[1]](/wiki/File:Thank_you_Ash_Ketchum.jpg "Thank you Ash Ketchum.jpg (178 KB)")
![Sarah Natochenny posted a photo on Twitter to pay tribute to Rica Matsumoto, saying she “inspired and entertained millions of people around the world.” She added that the Japanese voice actor also inspired her performance.[2]](/wiki/File:Thank_you_Rica_Matsumoto.jpg "Thank you Rica Matsumoto.jpg (233 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Who's That Pokémon?: Pikachu
- Last episode in the anime to feature a Who's That Pokémon? segment.
- This episode aired a week shy of the 26th anniversary of the anime.
- In the English dub, it aired 25 years after the first Pokémon episode aired in the United States.
- To promote the episode, highlights of Ash's journey were displayed at Shinjuku Station.[3]
- The arrangement of the title screen music from Pokémon Red and Blue is used at the end of the episode, referencing its use in the very first scene of Pokémon, I Choose You!.
- The scene at the beginning of the episode where Misty and Brock part ways from Ash is similar to the scene from Gotta Catch Ya Later!, where Misty and Brock go their separate ways from Ash.
- Certain scenes during the beginning of Ash's first full day back at Pallet Town resemble similar events in Pokemon, I Choose You!:
- Ash oversleeping before an important task, even having a Dodrio crowing before the sun just beforehand.
- Ash (almost) running to Professor Oak's laboratory while still in his pajamas (in this case, his mom makes him get dressed first).
- Ash examines a Poliwag swimming on its back, which could be a reference to his Japanese namesake, Satoshi Tajiri, and his favorite Pokémon being Poliwag.
- Similar to the final episode of the first four series, the usual To be continued is replaced with Next Time... A New Beginning!.
- This also marks the first time since Pokémon the Series: Black and White in which this ending message was used for the final episode of a series (Pokémon the Series: XY used And to our own way, while Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon used ...and your dreams!).
- This episode marks the second time in a row where a series ends with Type: Wild.
- The font used for the text is similar to the text from the original series, with the arrow that follows it.
- The text is removed in the English dub.
- This also marks the first time since Pokémon the Series: Black and White in which this ending message was used for the final episode of a series (Pokémon the Series: XY used And to our own way, while Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon used ...and your dreams!).
References[]
External links[]
- The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki
- The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master! at the Internet Movie Database