The Pokemon Anime Needs an Ash and Butterfree Reunion Episode

gamerant.com:

The twenty-first episode of the Pokemon anime was incredibly memorable to viewers. Its plot dealt with a prominent member of Ash's team parting ways with the young trainer for the first time, and the episode didn't hesitate to make it into a beautiful, bittersweet farewell. For many children watching the show at the time, it was one of the first episodes to stray away from the formula the adaption was known for, as the status quo was changed beyond anything else the series had done before.

Now, those who watch the Pokemon anime today are usually treated to at least a few episodes per season calling back to something fans had seen in seasons prior. Pokemon Journeys, for instance, brings back many of Ash's iconic friends as he explores the different regions with Goh. It's understandable as to why an entire season focused on exploring all the regions of the series would feature plenty of callbacks, as it would be strange having characters such as Iris, Unova's new champion, not find out that one of her old friends was visiting. However, as much as the anime adaption of Game Freak's most famous franchise has had Ash see old friends over the years, Ash's Butterfree has never appeared again.

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Even though Butterfree may not seem like an impressive Pokemon in Ash's line-up of current and former team members, this particular Butterfree actually represents many firsts for Ash, and therefore also the series as a whole. Ash caught Butterfree as a Caterpie as early as episode 3, and it served as his first caught critter. Caterpie was shown to have plenty of personality as he loved Misty despite her aversion to bug Pokemon, and had wanted to evolve into a