The Backstory Of Pokemon In Me
____
Pokemon will always be the anime i will always follow and treasure, and it has been like this ever since i was a child. I didn't pay attention to any other anime except for this single anime i always watched. Nothing else, just Pokemon.
I may have watched many different anime's, but Pokemon was an anime that felt different to me, even if it felt cringy and awkward, i always enjoyed that feeling of watching and playing pokemon. The first pokemon game was Pokemon Ruby. I loved exploring the secret bases, the tropical setting and the lore between Team Magma and Aqua, the iconic soundtrack and the vibrant pixel art in the game. I always enjoyed the uniqueness in Pokemon, and the attachment to our Pokemon's.

My Attachment with the Main Character

My attachment to Ash Ketchum is built on over two decades of shared growth; he wasn’t just a cartoon character, but a constant companion through my own childhood and into adulthood. Watching him evolve from a stubborn, rookie trainer in Pallet Town to a world champion was a masterclass in perseverance, teaching me that failure isn't a dead end, but a necessary step toward mastery. His unwavering optimism and the deep, soul-level bond he shared with Pikachu provided a sense of emotional security, making every "victory" feel personal and every "goodbye" to a companion sting with genuine nostalgia. When his journey finally concluded, it felt like closing a chapter on my own youth, leaving behind a legacy of kindness and the reminder that being a "Master" is more about the friends you make than the trophies you collect.

Lets finally, talk about the series

A Change In The Series
_______________
The most immediate change in Journeys is its scope. Instead of being confined to the Galar region (to coincide with the Sword & Shield games), Ash and his new partner, Goh, are based out of Cerise Laboratory in Vermillion City, Kanto. Acting as research fellows, they travel to every known region—from the classic forests of Johto to the tropical islands of Alola—via airplane.
This "all-regions" approach was a masterstroke of fanservice. For veteran viewers, seeing the art style applied to Hoenn or Sinnoh triggered a deep sense of nostalgia. It allowed the writers to cherry-pick the most interesting elements of the entire franchise rather than being bogged down by the specific geography of a single map. However, this freedom came at a cost. Because the duo hopped from location to location every episode, the sense of a "journey" occasionally felt fragmented. The long, grueling treks through caves and routes that defined earlier seasons were replaced by "monster-of-the-week" adventures that sometimes lacked a sense of physical progression.

The 2 Spotlights
____
Ash Ketchum: The Final Battle
In Journeys, we meet an Ash who is arguably at his peak. Fresh off his victory in the Alola League, he is no longer the underdog. He is a champion. His goal this time isn't just to win a trophy; it’s to defeat Leon, the undefeated Monarch of the World Coronation Series (WCS). This shift in status was refreshing. Ash acts as a mentor to Goh, displaying a level of tactical brilliance and maturity that fans had been craving since the XY era. His team in this series—consisting of powerhouses like Dragonite, Gengar, and Lucario—felt like a "Dream Team" designed for the highest level of play.
Goh: Staying true to the "Catch Em All" phrase
Goh is perhaps the most controversial protagonist in the show’s history. Representing the Pokémon GO generation, his goal is to catch every single Pokémon to eventually reach Mew. Unlike Ash, who builds deep bonds through training, Goh often catches Pokémon with a single throw and sends them to the lab.
Initially, this felt jarring to fans who valued the "friendship first" ethos of the show. However, as the series progresses, Goh’s arc matures. He learns that catching is just the beginning; understanding and caring for his massive collection is the real challenge. His Project Mew sub-plot provided a high-stakes, mystery-driven narrative that complemented Ash’s combat-heavy path perfectly.

The Legacy
____
Journeys functioned as a "victory lap." The return of iconic characters like Brock, Misty, Dawn, and Serena wasn't just cameo fodder; many of these returns served to show how much everyone had grown. Seeing Ash interact with his former companions as an equal—and often as their superior in battle—closed character loops that had been open for nearly twenty years.
The most poignant of these was the return of Ash's older Pokémon. Seeing the lab at Pallet Town full of his former heavy-hitters (Charizard, Sceptile, Infernape) training his new team was a powerful reminder of the long road he had traveled.

The Conclusion With Ash
______
The ending of the following series isn't just the common ending that pokemon follows, it serves as the ending to Ash Ketchum's 25-year journey. It touches deep to your heart seeing the 10-year old finally ending as a Pokemon Master, achieving his dream after several long journeys. Journeys wasn't my favorite series, but it suceeded because it was the pinnacle of Ash's journey. There was no longer journeys with Ash, it was the finale of a Main Character, not Pokemon itself. It gave respect that Ash had truly deserved, gave awesome, cool-looking action battles, and a emotional impact to the trilogy itself. The relationship of everyone with Ash, the aspects of pokemon using all of its tools and gadgets to fully give Ash a peaceful goodbye. This conclusion made me feel like i was in a world where it felt like it was wrong, seeing my favorite character in fiction retire and no longer will be putted in the spotlight he was. It made a huge impact to my life with this conclusion.