“It’s been an extraordinary privilege”: Ash Ketchum Voice Actress Sarah Natochenny Pens Heartfelt Tribute as Ash and Pikachu Leave Pokémon in Era-Defining Moment

“It’s been an extraordinary privilege”: Ash Ketchum Voice Actress Sarah Natochenny Pens Heartfelt Tribute as Ash and Pikachu Leave Pokémon in Era-Defining Moment

The world is coming to an end, or at least it is for a majority of Pokemon fans (especially the ones who grew up in the 90s). The legendary duo and face of the franchise- Ash Ketchum and Pikachu- are finally bound to depart from the popular Japanese TV series as the main characters after almost more than two decades of adventures.

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It is certainly no doubt that the franchise has grown into a massive media franchise ever since the release of Pokemon Red & Blue in 1996. Now, it’s about to lose two pop-culture icons that defined the franchise for a long time, and Ash Ketchum voice actor Sarah Natochenny’s tribute will get you all teary-eyed this morning.

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Ash Ketchum and Pikachu

A Must-Read: Things 90s Kids Miss About The Original Pokémon

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Sarah Natochenny’s Tribute To Pokemon’s Ash Ketchum And Pikachu

Just yesterday, The Pokemon Company made an announcement that would freeze millions of fans of the media franchise for a good minute. Ash Ketchum and his trusty partner Pikachu would officially be leaving the franchise’s TV series as main characters after 25 long years in that position.

The childhood star of many kids around the world will have his final storyline available for watching with 11 episodes to conclude the 25th season of the Pokemon anime series- Ultimate Journeys. The pair will be replaced by two new characters- Riko and Roy.

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Sarah Natochenny

Related: “Took him 25 years and he’s still 10. Bro is a Pokémon”: Fans React To Ash Ketchum Finally Completing His Journey, Pikachu Defeats Charizard as Ash Becomes Pokémon World Champion

Fans were saddened upon hearing the news, and Ash Ketchum voice actor Sarah Natochenny’s heartfelt tribute to the character she voiced for so long will give fans more of a reason to let those tears flow down like a river! Natochenny penned a small message regarding the whole news in a tweet, saying-

“It’s been an extraordinary privilege to have been the English voice of Ash Ketchum for what will be 17 years. No matter what lies beyond his final chapter, he’ll live forever in the hearts of many generations to come. Cheers to new beginnings!”
Many fans had already speculated that their favorite duo might finally be leaving the Pokemon franchise for good after analyzing the leaked titles of episodes 133, 134, and 135 of the Ultimate Journeys anime series. Such as episode 135 is named “Pokémon, I’m Glad I Chose You!”, seemingly a rephrasing of the first episode in the anime series titled “Pokémon – I Choose You!”
On a related note, it seems like we’ll finally be seeing Ash and Pikachu’s old companions back in the anime series as a one-minute clip was shared by the franchise showing us the much-awaited return of Brock and Misty.

Fans Get Teary-Eyed At Sarah Natochenny’s Pokemon Tribute

The last 24 hours have been a messy affair for Pokemon fans all around the world. Seeing your childhood hero and idol being shown the door isn’t an easy task, but after 25 long years, it was time for a change.

Pokemon FandomWire
Ash Ketchum and Pikachu

Related: 5 Pokémon Games Ranked From Worst to Best

Sarah Natochenny’s emotional yet short message for Ash Ketchum and Pikachu wasn’t helping either, and fans have reacted wildly to all that is transpiring-

Maybe give it a try? –

Thanks to you –

Strange, isn’t it? –

For real-

Hopeful for better times ahead-

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu will still be a very vivid memory in the minds of all the kids that grew up with the legendary duo, and their legacy is unmatched.

Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series is currently available for streaming on Netflix and Roku.

Source: Twitter

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Written by Sang Tonsing

Sang is a content writer for Fandomwire with over 300 published articles. He now has 3 years of experience and counting in content writing. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at Delhi University.

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