Pikachu and Meowth become unlikely allies, possibly for the last time, in new ‘Pokémon’ special

Ash’s farewell tour in Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master continues, after the still-a-youngster-after-twenty-five-years finally achieved his goal of becoming the Pokémon World Champion.

The protagonist of the long-running anime is having a final hurrah before finally handing the reins over to new lead characters, and a promo for the next episode is keeping the nostalgia train going – with Ash’s Pikachu and Team Rocket’s Meowth once again finding themselves in a team-up episode. 

The promo shows Pikachu and Meowth finding themselves in a spot of bother, but the episode’s synopsis (via ComicBook) reveals that the catalyst to this team-up is Team Rocket’s Jessie and James once again capturing Ash’s overpowered electric mouse. 

“During their journey, Team Rocket attacks Ash and his friends when they had dozed off. Although Ash manages to thwart them, Pikachu flies away into the sky with Team Rocket! Ash and Pikachu, who are separated, search for each other to reunite but…Even if they are apart, their hearts are one! Will they be able to meet again…?!” 

Pokémon: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master serves as an epilogue to the events of Pokémon Journeys: The Series, during which Ash finally became the very best that no one ever was, by achieving the status of Pokémon World Champion. It is Ash’s swansong, and also featured the return of his original traveling companions Brock and Misty. 

Following this sure-to-be-tearjerking series, the reins will be handed over to new protagonists Liko and Roy – and fans have a couple of theories about who exactly the new faces of the Pokémon anime are.