The fate of longtime Pokemon antagonists Team Rocket may have been revealed in the anime’s latest episode as the long-running series reaches its conclusion.
Note: This article contains spoilers Pokémon Anime.
In the latest episode of Pokemon Journeys: The Series, Ash Ketchum’s enemies, who have been a thorn in the hero’s side since it began 26 years ago, appear to explode one last time.
In the latest episode, Jessie, James and their talking Meowth make one last attempt to capture Pikachu, the running gag that has been the driving force behind the rivalry between Ash and the team since 1997. However, as usual, they fail.
Trailer for the upcoming new animated Pokémon series
The team is then shown disagreeing and walking apart as the rest of their Pokemon look on in shock.
With only two episodes left in the series in Japan, fans have speculated that this marks the end of the characters who have appeared in more episodes than any other villain and more than many of the main characters in the show’s nearly 1,300 episodes.
After this episode, fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with the team’s final performance.
One fan wrote “Because of the messes they made with the anime, I was afraid they would ruin its finale, and if this is Team Rocket’s broadcast, the job is already half done.”
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the team will reform in the final two episodes, and given Team Rocket’s status as fan favorites, especially in recent years, it seems unlikely that their journey in the anime would end on such a low note.
Ash Ketchum’s arc as the main character of the Pokemon anime expires after 25 years when the final episodes of the series air later this month.
A new series focusing on new characters introduced to the Paldean region will begin later this year. Trailer for the new series starring Friede and her Pokémon partner, Captain Pikachu and the main characters Liko and Roy, was recently published.
