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From Pikachu speaking English to Ash becoming World Champion, these moments had fans everywhere freaking out! Join us as we count down the most viral and controversial scenes from the Pokémon anime that set the internet ablaze. Our countdown includes Ash-Greninja, Serena's kiss, Charizard's return, the emotional goodbye, and many more unforgettable moments!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we'll be looking at the scenes in the Pokemon anime and its spin
00:12offs that drove fans wild for better or worse. 20. Ash Greninja Greninja was arguably one of
00:24the most complex members of Ash's team. His drive to win at all costs made him into a powerhouse
00:29with a deep bond with his trainer. Just how deep is this bond? Deep enough to unlock a
00:35whole new transformation, the bond phenomenon. This form grants Greninja an Ash-like appearance
00:53and allows both trainer and Pokemon to feel each other's strengths and weaknesses. While
00:58Mega Evolution was still relatively new at the time, this latest evolution took it one
01:03step further, highlighting the importance of the connection between humans and Pokemon.
01:12Honestly, we're surprised that Pikachu wasn't the one who got an Ash form.
01:2019. The Time Skip We all joke that the Pokemon anime is stuck in
01:25a never-ending time loop. We've followed Ash's journey for over two decades, and he's still
01:30ten years old by the time his adventure ends. However, the second season of Horizons changed
01:36all the rules. The episode, Where the Adventure Leads, ends by jumping one year into the future
01:45following the incident at Lakwa. Yes, you heard that right, Pokemon actually did a time skip
01:51and stuck to it. The idea of time actually moving forward in this anime was unprecedented. While
01:57it was only a year, it opened many doors and possibilities.
02:0118. The Journey Continues After 26 years, the end of Ash's journey with us has come. He's the world champion,
02:13he's said goodbye to Misty and Brock again, defeated Team Rocket for one last time, and reunited with Pidgeot.
02:20Where can he go from here? In Ash's own words, he can't truly be a Pokemon master until he's befriended
02:29as many Pokemon as possible. And so, we watch with tears in our eyes as Ash and Pikachu set off again
02:36for another journey, one that we can't follow on. We knew we couldn't follow Ash forever, but seeing
02:45him and Pikachu leave without us after two decades hit harder than it should have. Until we meet again,
02:52Ash Ketchum. 17. Return of an Old Friend
02:56While visiting the Kanto Fair, Ash starts remembering another one of his most iconic Pokemon, Charizard.
03:02He tells his Unova friends Charizard's entire story, from its beginning as an abandoned Charmander to
03:11its lazy, rebellious stage, before becoming a loyal powerhouse. After a stroll down memory lane,
03:17Ash decides it's time to bring Charizard back on the team. Immediately, it forms a rivalry with
03:22Iris' Dragonite and proves how effective its training has been while it's been away.
03:32Given the massive gap since we last saw Charizard, this reunion shook us to our core
03:41and made us excited to see how far he's come since Ash first caught him.
03:4516. Ash vs. The Mast Royal Even after winning the Manalo Conference,
03:51Ash still has to power through the exhibition match against the Mast Royal,
03:55who is revealed to be Ash's teacher, Professor Kukui.
04:02While it's a friendly match with no major stakes, it's absolutely insane. Ash's Tora Cat evolving
04:08into Incineroar, Kukui teaming up with the legendary Tapu Koko, and Pikachu ending the match with a dazzling
04:15display of 10 million thunderbolts.
04:31All the while, Ash gives it his all against the teacher, who became like a father to him,
04:36and triumphs over an Alolan Guardian as well. So much is happening with so little on the line,
04:42and yet it's so fun and thrilling that we can't look away.
04:49In an alternate take on Ash and Pikachu's earliest adventures, our duo is being attacked by
04:54mind-controlled Pokemon. Ash begs Pikachu to get in his Pokeball, where it's safe, but Pikachu won't
05:07budge. When Ash asks why he won't go into the ball, our brains exploded when we heard Pikachu give his
05:14answer, and we could understand him. It may have been because Ash was semi-conscious, but hearing the
05:35iconic electric mouse say something other than his name felt like a shocking whiplash. Add to it the
05:41first legible words he speaks absolutely melted our hearts, and reminded us how strong the duo's
05:46friendship really is. Though admittedly, some people hated this.
05:5114. Red's Final Test Remember playing the Gen 1 games?
05:55Traveling to Cerulean Cave to confront the most mysterious Pokemon of all, Mewtwo.
06:11The series finale of Pokemon Origins recaptures this feeling by recounting Red's encounter with the
06:17elusive psychic type. Mewtwo isn't going down without a fight, even taking out Red's Articuno. Then,
06:23Red breaks out Charizard, his very first Pokemon. The bond between Trainer and Pokemon enables Charizard
06:30to Mega Evolve, giving the mighty Mewtwo a run for its money and allowing Red to capture it.
06:47At long last, Red has completed the Pokedex, and he didn't even use a Master Ball. Between Mega,
06:53Charizard X, and recapturing the thrill of fighting Mewtwo, it's impossible not to replay this scene
06:59multiple times. 13. Ash vs Cynthia
07:03Since her debut in the anime and Gen 4 games, folks fell in love with Cynthia, the champion of Sinnoh.
07:09She's ranked among the strongest trainers in the world, and we longed for the day when she and Ash
07:26would do battle. The big day arrives when Ash faces Cynthia in the Masters Elite semi-finals. After this,
07:33she plans to retire, and she's giving it her all. Both opponents are neck and neck. Cynthia proves her
07:39champion status, while Ash puts all the training he's had over the years into practice. When the dust
07:45clears, Ash emerges victorious. And Cynthia is inspired to keep on battling. Meanwhile, we're sobbing tears
07:58of joy at finally seeing the duel we've been itching for. 12. The Gangs Back Together
08:05After finishing Ash's journey in Johto, it shattered our hearts when he parted ways with Misty and Brock.
08:11Brock had only just come back after leaving during the Orange Islands arc, and Misty had been with him
08:16since the very beginning. While Brock returned for Hoenn and Sinnoh, Misty only made guest appearances,
08:28so it felt like the trio would never fully be back together. That is, until we learned that Ash and his
08:33new Alolan friends would be visiting Kanto. And guess who's waiting for them at the airport? Brock and Misty,
08:40of course. While it wouldn't be the first time they reunited, seeing the OG trio back together
08:50always warms our hearts. 11. Cooking With Pokémon
08:55In 2022, the Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel released a 5-minute short about a nameless trainer baking treats for his team.
09:02The story for the short was wholesome, while the baked goods had our taste buds tingling to try them
09:15ourselves. Between the adorable antics and the mouth-watering goodies, the video blew up with over
09:21100 million views, the most viewed video on the Japanese channel.
09:31Sometimes it's nice to unwind from the high intensity of the games and anime and enjoy some nice,
09:37wholesome shorts. And having it double as a baking video feels like a match made in heaven.
09:43Number 10. Clash of the Charizards
09:50Ever since the Fire Lizard debuted in the anime and caused Ash a lot of havoc, Charizard has been a fan
09:57favorite. So when 2013's Pokémon X and Y came out, and the Pseudo Dragon was getting two mega evolutions,
10:05we were excited. Then the episode A League of His Own was aired, which gave us the Charizard battle of all
10:12time as X took on Y. Armed with Mega Charizard X, Alain took on Trevor's Mega Charizard Y in the top 64
10:21bouts for the Lumiose Conference in Kalos. After a drawn-out battle with the Behemoth slugging it out,
10:27Alain's Charizard overcame its mega rival and then took out the rest of Trevor's team to advance in the
10:34tournament.
10:35Florgius is unable to battle! Charizard wins! Which means the winner is Alain!
10:42Number 9. Ash Challenges Mewtwo
10:50Old-school Pokémon fans still remember where they were upon seeing Mewtwo's incredible aura
10:56and playing a role in turning Ash to stone in 1998's Pokémon The First Movie. While the legendary
11:03psychic has popped up every so often in the series and films, the OG Mewtwo hadn't appeared since the
11:09Johto days. Well, that changed in the Pokémon Journeys episode, getting more than you battled for.
11:15Goh and Ash arrived on an island in search for Mew. Instead, they discovered Mewtwo, the same one from
11:21the films. During the episode, Goh and Ash teamed up to battle Mewtwo so the former could capture it.
11:36However, it wiped the floor with the two trainers in majestic fashion. Exciting viewers with this epic
11:42return.
11:47Number 8. Overpowered Tobias
11:58If you played an online battle and faced someone with a team filled with legendaries and mythicals,
12:03you know how annoying this can be. In the semi-final of the Lily of the Valley Conference,
12:08Ash took on the mysterious Tobias, who had a Darkrai that swept the competition on its own so far.
12:15Ash's team put up a valiant effort, even knocking out Darkrai. However, Tobias threw out a Latios
12:22that won the battle for him, even if it got knocked out doing so.
12:26Pikachu and Latios are both unable to battle. All six of Ash's Pokémon have been eliminated.
12:32The audience was annoyed at the cheap way the writers wanted a ridiculously strong trainer to
12:37stop Ash from going on to win the tournament. What made it worse is that Tobias hasn't been seen since.
12:44So, as the Sinnoh League flame quietly extinguishes, we celebrate the remarkable efforts of all our trainers.
12:54Number 7. Pikachu's Backstory
13:01Since debuting in the anime's first episode, Pikachu has led the whole franchise as its mascot.
13:08Yet, in the show, for over two decades, its history before teaming up with Ash has been a mystery.
13:15Only drops of information here and there. To welcome the new series, we discovered more of
13:20the Electric Rodent's origin in the episode, Enter Pikachu. Four years before it became Ash's premier
13:27partner, Pikachu was a Pichu in a forest near Pallet Town. Exhausted after several run-ins with wild Pokémon,
13:35it's adopted by a Kangaskhan. After some time, Pichu realizes it's time to move on. As it waves goodbye,
13:47it evolves into Pikachu. Understandably, many fans cried at this wholesome tale.
13:56Number 6. Lake Rage
13:58In 2016, Pokemon Generations was released online, which featured short animations based on events
14:11from the video games. One episode in particular, The Lake of Rage, captured the attention of the
14:17audience and brought in the most viewers. With Lance of the Elite Four infiltrating the Team Rocket
14:23Laboratory in Mahogany Town, we witnessed another Gen 1 favorite being the coolest Pokémon in existence
14:29with Dragonite. Not only did it briefly battle the iconic shiny Gyarados, but the Dragon-type easily
14:36defeated five Team Rocket Pokémon at the same time and wrecked the lab, all with stunning animation.
14:43Honestly, Lance wasn't really needed, as Dragonite did it all by himself.
14:56Your entire operation is finished here. Now leave!
15:00Number 5. Losing the Kalos League
15:03In addition, when three of the Pokémon on one side are unable to continue, the battlefield will change!
15:11For 19 seasons, Ash had never looked stronger than when he reached the final of the Lumiose Conference
15:18in the Kalos League. Armed with the unique Ash Greninja, it seemed like the Pallet Town homeboy
15:24would finally lift a league trophy. In the final against Alan's Mega Charizard X, even with a type
15:31advantage, Greninja was the first to fall in the epic, incredibly animated fight.
15:36Fans were split on the decision for Ash to lose. Some didn't mind, as it showed progression,
15:47but they did point out that losing to Alan meant Ash never beat him, which was disappointing.
15:53Others were livid that they were misled by the episode's promotional material
15:58and the translation of the Japanese title, which also hinted at Ash's win.
16:05Shipping is a serious topic. Fans love to debate their matchmaking choices,
16:18and Pokémon is one of the best examples. Whenever Ash has a new companion, the audience goes into a
16:24tailspin over the new possible romance. But Ash had little love moments beyond that Latias scene.
16:30Well, that was until the climax of the XYZ series. As Serena was leaving for Hoenn,
16:37she suddenly turned up the escalator and, while not shown, it's heavily implied from the blushing,
16:43the foot movements, and the stunned reaction of the characters that she kissed Ash.
16:48And more shippers, as fans who want Ash and Serena to gather a cult, were delighted. But Poker Shippers,
17:02fans of Misty and Ash, were probably less enthusiastic.
17:05If you'll be the best trainer, then I guess I'm going to have to be the top coordinator!
17:11So we'll both do our best! You bet! Aim for the top!
17:15Number 3. Ash, the League Champion
17:18So let's do this! Like it rocks!
17:23After countless battles, capturing Pokémon, befriending many folks, and making way too many
17:28memories for a single lifetime, Ash had finally achieved what he strove to do – become a League
17:34champion. To make it even more impressive, he became the Alola region's first winner.
17:40While the Sun and Moon series was divisive for its change in art style,
17:44that was all forgotten about when Ash faced Gladian in the final of the Manalo Conference.
17:50With his Dusk form Lycanroc taking on the Midnight form, Ash out-counted his rival to win his first
17:56Major League trophy. The only achievement close to this was the much smaller Orange League success.
18:02This Alola news even reached mainstream media, which released articles celebrating the monumental
18:08moment. As do I, Ash. Until then, congratulations, Ash!
18:13Thanks! Thank you, you guys!
18:15Number 2. Gotcha
18:25In 3 minutes and 14 seconds, no Pokémon-related music video has captured as much nostalgia as this.
18:32In 2020, Japanese rock band Bump of Chicken had their song Acacia turned into a beautiful animated
18:40Pokémon video to celebrate the Crown Tundra DLC for Pokémon Sword and Shield. Known as Gotcha, it went
18:48through the video game's history, highlighting forgotten and beloved characters and creatures
18:53over the entire franchise, alongside a catchy tune. It was filled with many, many Easter eggs to get
19:06fans to stare at every frame for secrets. As of right now, Gotcha has amassed 82 million views on YouTube.
19:14In comparison, Ed Sheeran's Celestial from 2022 has 48 million, and 2021's Electric from Katy Perry has 52 million.
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19:45Finally, Ash had completed what he'd set out to do since he walked into Professor Oak's lab with a dream.
20:04He's now a Pokémon Master. After over 1200 episodes, during the Ultimate Journey series,
20:11Ash entered the Masters 8 tournament, where the top-ranked trainers in the world competed.
20:17Bringing back familiar powerhouses and beloved characters for a delightful trip down memory lane,
20:23Ash goes through the tournament to win it all by defeating Leon in the final.
20:27Once again, mainstream media celebrated the news as though Ash was an IRL competitor,
20:45delighting fans even more. It was the perfect send-off for Ash Ketchum. Soon after, he stepped into
20:52anime retirement as the series' main protagonist, allowing the franchise to evolve once more.
21:07Which Pokémon moment blew your mind? Let us know in those comments below!
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