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Voice of Ash Ketchum reveals brutal way she was told character is leaving Pokémon-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro
Heartbreaking!
Ash Ketchum and Pikachu’s story is coming to an end (Picture:The Pokémon Company)
The English voice actor for Ash Ketchum has revealed her heartbreaking reaction to find out Pokémon is moving on from the iconic character.
The beloved Pokémon trainer – and Pikachu’s best pal – is set to make his final outing in the animated TV series, which means actor Sarah Natochenny is moving on from a role she’s been in for the past 17 years.
In January 2023, Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series will end by wrapping up Ash and Pikachu’s story once and for all, with a new series following with the debuts of protagonists Liko and Roy.
Sarah found out the news just days before the official announcement last month as she was told in a virtual meeting with other English voice actors, and she already sensed something was up.
Speaking to IGN, the 35-year-old star admitted she tried to focus on taking notes and stop herself from crying, but the moment they broke the news was too much.
‘And they said the thing, and my hand physically just gave out. And I started bawling at this meeting,’ she recalled.
‘The producers were trying to hold it together for me as well, they kept speaking in a very even tone, and you could see a few other actors on the call and the director starting to get emotional as well, just seeing me, because we’re very close and this is so sad.’
Afterwards, Sarah took some time for herself and ended up wandering the streets of New York in tears after spending almost two decades with the character.
‘But I took the day to walk aimlessly in the freezing New York cold, and I was crying, and I felt like I was in that indie film that I thought I’d be starring in when I was 18 years old,’ she said.
The Ash era is ending (Picture: The Pokemon Company)
‘And then I turned my thoughts to be positive, because I always knew that this was going to happen one day…
’17 years is an incredibly long, fortunate amount of time to have steady acting work, especially as one character, so I let my mind flood with the positive thoughts and the idea that this is a signal of change in my life, in Ash’s life.’
And although Sarah isn’t allowed to say anything on behalf of the character or the writers, with details being kept under wraps before Ash’s final episode, she still gave a message to the character.
‘If I could speak as Ash Ketchum, I would say what Sarah Natochenny would say, and that is, to quote Jason Page’s song, “Be the best like no one ever was”. And do it with love,’ she said.
‘Don’t be cutthroat. Don’t step on people to get what you want, but know what your goals are and do them to the best of your ability. Do them with passion and do them while also loving the people around you and being kind.’
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