It’s hard to imagine a world withoutPokemonon TV, especially considering it’sone of the longest-running animearound, clocking in at over one thousand episodes. However, perhaps in an alternate timeline, it was entirely possible that the series might have come to a permanent end. It wouldn’t have been a fluffy light kind of ending either, but something far darker.
The main writer of the anime, Takeshi Shudo, once discussed in a blog post two separate endings that he had considered for the anime. He also discussed his heavy use of drugs and alcohol to help him get creative and come up with ideas for the show and movies, which may have inspired why he wanted to take on much darker themes. Since Shudo eventually died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage ten months after he shared his potential endings, fans will never know more about what might have become of thePokemonanime. Fans can only read about what he had in mind and imagine how different the world might have been had things gone his way.
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Ending One - Mewtwo Strikes Back
By far the lighter of the two potential endings that Shudo had in mind, it still is one that is quite existential and thought-provoking. It seems that Shudo had anticipated the series ending and thought that the movie might be a perfect time to do so. In hopes that he could have Ash grow as a character and be able to look back on his adventures fondly with nostalgia, just like the audiences watching the anime, he came up with a unique solution.
The movie would have shown Ash as an old man, remembering his childhood days fondly. While he may not have been able to experience such epic adventures later in his life, his time with Pikachu, Misty, Brock, andeven Team Rocketwhile out on adventures is something that brings him so much joy.
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Then, in Shudo’s own words: “He can hear his mother’s voice. ‘Go to sleep already, you’re setting off on your journey tomorrow.’ The next morning, he is woken up by his mother. He’s a young boy again, leaving his house excited to start a new adventure. He’s going on a journey not to catch Pokemon or become a Pokemon master, but to discover the meaning of existence, to discover how to coexist with others.”
It would have been quitean emotionally heavy endingwhich brought Ash’s time as a Pokemon trainer to an end. As the games continued to be produced, it’s possible that each entry would have introduced us to a whole new protagonist as they adventured across the world ofPokemon. While it never happened, it would have been interesting to see how the series would have changed if they had decided to continue after such an ending, or if they would have let the anime go to the wayside altogether.
Ending Two - The Lost Fourth Movie
Shudo was unable to come up with a full idea for a fourth movie. While he did originally create a concept involving a T-Rex skeleton for the third movie, it would be completely scrapped so thathis ideas for The Spell of the Unowncould be expanded upon. During this time, Shudo had expressed that he wanted the fourth movie to potentially be his other idea to end thePokemonseries, one where Pikachu and all the other pocket monsters revolted against humanity.
“The Pokemon would stage a rebellion much like Spartacus in ancient Rome. Although at first glance Pokemon appear to be friends with humans, they would realize they’re actually being used like slaves, which would lead to an uprising.” It seems that Shudo planned to have Pikachu himself lead the revolt and end up fighting with Ash directly. Team Rocket would have attempted to mediate the conflict, using Meowth’s ability to speak to try to translate, but would have only made things even worse.
“An episode like this would break the rules of thePokemonworld and make it impossible for the series to continue,” Shudo wrote on a blog post. “Continuing into perpetuity is the series’ objective.”
Shudo On Wanting The Series To End
While the main anime series forPokemoncontinues to this day, not to mention countless spin-offs, it seems that Shudo wasn’t only thinking of ideas for how the show might end, but actively wanted it to. “I was irritated with the series for continuing,” he wrote back in 2010 after five hundred episodes of the anime had been aired. “I realize it’s strange to consider that a problem, especially when lots of other anime are canceled after only one season.”
He thought that every three to four years, a new adventure with a new main hero should begin entirely. Perhaps this is why the animemade sure to not include Brock and Misty in every seasongoing forward, to give Ash new characters to interact with and to grow alongside. It does seem, however, that the series as fans know it today would not have been something that Shudo cared for.
“Ten years ago, there was some kid watchingPokemon. That kid’s tastes will change as he gets older, and someday he’ll be an adult bringing his own children to the cinema. Hopefully he’ll watchPokemonand consider it a movie fit for adults — that would make me very happy. However, ifPokemonstays the same year-after-year, it’s hard to imagine it touching on topics that are relevant with the times.”
Source:LavaCutContent
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