10 times the Pokemon anime made us cry

 

Even though we all grew up loving Pokemon, it's impossible to deny that there were occasions when the show truly moved its audience to tears. These are our selections for the most moving scenes from the Pokemon anime that brought us to tears.

Even though Pokemon is one of Nintendo's most kid-friendly franchises, it's not all fun and games. Things can turn serious for the adorable critters, from the eerie mythology of some Pokemon to the unexpectedly sinister spin-off games.

We're concentrating on how, more often than we'd like to acknowledge, the Pokemon anime makes us feel things, from heartfelt scenes in films to standout episodes. Anything qualifies for this list as long as it made us cry uncontrollably. Trainer, get a tissue.

 10: Saying goodbye to Brock

We've been captivated by the antics of the Nurse Joy-obsessed Pokemon breeder, even though Brock has been and disappeared a few times in the Pokemon series. Brock serves as the crew's go-to "grown-up," cook, and caregiver. It sucks to say goodbye to the gang at the conclusion of a season, but Brock's departure is particularly painful.

By the time the Sinnoh region ends, Brock realizes he wants to become a Pokemon Doctor and that in order to do it, he must part ways with his companions. This implies bidding adieu to Ash and Pikachu as well as to us permanently.


Brock is similar to that older brother who moved out but always returns for the holidays, or in this instance, reunites with Ash. That's why, at a physical crossroads, Brock shakes Ash's hand and waves goodbye, bidding us and Ash farewell for the last time as old friends.

9: The tragedy of Paul’s Chimchar

Remaining in Sinnoh, Paul is Ash's adversary for the area. Paul is a cruel trainer who is more concerned with his Pokemon's strength than their well-being. Chimchar is one Pokemon who suffers greatly from his training methods. His trainer puts him through a lot as he attempts to maximize the fire type's potential.


Fortunately, Chimchar settles comfortably with Ash and his pals. It obviously takes some getting accustomed to for the unfortunate fire monkey to go from a trainer who doesn't care about Chimchar to a loving household with Ash. The extent to which the trauma affected the Pokemon is demonstrated by the fact that it even winces when it loses a battle.

8: The clone battle in the first Pokemon Movie

The menace Mewtwo poses in the original Pokemon movie makes it unforgettable. When it comes to a telepathic mutant clone Pokemon, things are definitely changing tone from our usual trio of misfit baddies that are manageable.

Mewtwo wants to establish his superiority over the original Mew and influence the cloned Pokemon, even if it doesn't appear like they want to. Making'mons battle as trainers do, thus turning Mewtwo become a human.

The most disturbing aspect is Pikachu's overt refusal to engage in combat with his opponent. Instead, as the clone grows more depressed, just accepting their attacks. It offers a fresh viewpoint on Pokemon battles, showing them as pointless acts of violence when they're not battling with their trainer to achieve a shared objective.

7: Pikachu’s beatdown and contemplating evolving

The group encounters a trainer with a strong Raichu while exploring Sinnoh, and the trainer almost puts Pikachu to sleep. The combat is unsettlingly close quarters, with vicious blows being delivered without warning. Although Pikachu has lost fights in the past, this one was different.

The beloved Pokemon ends up in intensive care, requiring defibrillation to keep them stable. This leads to an intriguing puzzle where Pikachu is at the core. Will he decide to become stronger via evolution, or will he remain the adorable electric ball that he is?


Ash usually steals the show when there are high stakes involved. Changing the franchise's mascot would require a significant amount of work, especially in terms of character development. In either case, it's undoubtedly an emotional journey.

6: Saying goodbye to Butterfree

It is both really sad and poignant that Butterfree must depart because it is traveling south with its new companion. Fans couldn't help but feel bad for Ash as he waved farewell to the first "mon" he ever captured, even though it does provide some much-needed context for Pokemon as animals. The depressing Pokemon theme song also didn't help.

For a very long time, that is the last time we see Butterfree before Ash meets up with his favorite bug Pokemon in the finale episode. We're not too proud to say that we were moved to tears by the anime's use of large weaponry.

5: Team Rocket saves their Pokemon from a poacher

Although Jessie, James, and Meowth gain notoriety for being Ash and the gang's troublemakers, we all know that when trouble calls, they have a golden heart. There are many poignant moments for Team Rocket, particularly when it comes to bidding adieu to Weezing and Arbok, their initial Pokemon.

A vicious poacher targets Jessie's Arbok and James' Weezing as they encounter some of their former evolution. With no Pokemon to help them, Team Rocket charges into action, leaving the two to flee and face the power of a Tyranitar head-on. In this scenario, Team Rocket bids their former colleagues farewell and displays true bravery.

4: Celebi actually dies, like damn they didn’t even hold back

To keep viewers hooked, the Pokemon movies frequently stray from the series' narrative tone. However, once Celebi, the movie's main Pokemon, dies, the fourth Pokemon movie, "4Ever," went too far.

The diminutive Pokemon appears physically run-down. Pokemon with scratches and bruises are uncommon unless the situation truly demands it. So it just hurt our hearts to witness Ash try and fail to heal Celebi.

3: Ash finally wins

An occasion involving Pokemon doesn't always have to be depressing to bring us to tears—sometimes it's all about pride. Though it would be a short series if he won the first championship he entered, Ash has a poor record of losing in his quest to become a Pokemon Master.

After 25 hard years, Ash finally triumphs as a champion, first in Alola and then again in Galar as the best trainer. Not only are all of his former Pokemon and friends present, but we are also proud that Ash has finally triumphed, and that makes it extra memorable. We've been following Ash and his friends like unseen members of their gang, so we can never help but smile when we see our friend succeed and accomplish the objective they've been working so hard for.

2: Everytime Ash “dies”

Even though it occurs far more frequently in the Pokemon Movies, Ash ultimately gives his all to win the day. Ash is usually the one to make the hero play, whether it means trying to break up a meaningless brawl and becoming a statue or just drowning.

Since Ash is a well-known character, nobody in the Pokemon series can truly pass away on television. Therefore, the emotional moments where we witness our beloved protagonist almost die, along with his Pokemon's grief, make it difficult to hold back the tears.

1: Charmander waits for his trainer

We all find out the hard way very early in the Pokemon anime when a lonely Charmander waits for his heartless trainer who deserts him in the rain. Not all trainers are decent, let alone deserving of their Pokemon's confidence.

That's it if Charmander's tail fire goes out. It's a cruel scenario, therefore, to find that the trainer who deserted him left it to die while it waits in the rain, barely hanging on.



A popular story device in Pokemon anime and movies is Pokemon perhaps dying. The shockingness of a Pokemon almost dying diminished with time, but Charmander's narrow escape with an ember on its tail remains the most heartbreaking scene in the history of the Pokemon anime.