The Pokemon Series Finale That Had Fans In Tears

For a show about battling monsters against one another, "Pokémon" could be surprisingly profound. There have been numerous moments throughout the series, which has been going strong for 25 years now, that have tugged at the heartstrings. Every time Ash Ketchum has to say goodbye to one of his beloved Pokémon, it's hard not to shed a tear. It would take the toughest of wills not to cry when Ash initially has to say goodbye to his Butterfree, which simply wants to be with another one of its kind. 

While saying farewell to a Pokémon is tough, it's even harder to part with one's friends. It seems like in every new region Ash ventures into, he meets some new pals along the way. They get into various adventures together, usually culminating in some kind of movie involving a legendary Pokémon, but when Ash heads off to enter a new league, they all go in separate directions. Fans have been used to this ever since Brock stayed behind when Ash and Misty went to the Orange Islands. 

And with that in mind, fans agree that there's one moment from the anime that may have all those tear-jerking moments topped. 

At the end of each new region, Ash typically walks away, ready for his next adventure. While going through this transition period, he usually starts from scratch with his Pokémon line-up and makes some new acquaintances along the way. While it's a tried-and-true formula, it doesn't make it any less devastating, especially when it came to the conclusion of the "Diamond and Pearl" arc. 

In this instance, Ash says goodbye to his long-time friend, Brock. He also departs with Dawn, who became a fan favorite throughout her run. It was an emotional farewell, and fans weren't ready to bid so long just yet. Even though the arc ended a while ago, fans recently took to Reddit to voice their heartache at having to see such beloved characters leave. Redditor u/Realistic-Sky-9487 kicked things off by writing, "I am legally an adult. Cried like a baby while watching the ending of Diamond and Pearl."

Others, while accepting why things had to play out this way, understood why it had to be. Redditor u/Kingalec1 wrote, "Dawn leaving the group and [Ash] saying his final goodbye to Brock. It was like the torch is being [passed] to the next generation to enjoy." Amazingly, the moment didn't even make CBR's list of the saddest Pokémon beats of all time. It goes to show how downright downtrodden this anime can become when it wants to.