Pokémon: Why the Return of Ash’s Butterfree Is So Emotionally Impactful

The ending of Pokémon Journeys Episode 136 featured a montage of many classic characters, including the return of Ash’s beloved Butterfree. This was Butterfree’s first physical appearance in the Pokémon anime since its iconic, tearjerking exit in Pokémon Indigo League’s episode “Bye-Bye Butterfree,” the perfect capstone to an already-emotional episode.

After defeating Leon in the finals of the Master’s Eight Tournament and becoming the World Champion, it seems like Ash’s personal journey is nearing completion. With the announcement that his time as the Pokémon anime’s main protagonist is coming to a finish, Ash and Butterfree’s reunion seems all the more poignant. Yet there’s a bit more about both Butterfree’s exit and return that tugs all the right heartstrings for Pokémon fans. Why is Butterfree, after more than 20 years since being a part of Ash’s main roster, still such a memorable and emotionally-impactful character?

The History of Ash’s Butterfree in the Pokémon Anime

Ash’s Butterfree — originally a Caterpie — was the first Pokémon Ash ever caught in the wild. Through its travels with him, it transformed from a Caterpie to a Metapod to its final form as a Butterfree, and participated in many of Ash’s early battles against Team Rocket and Gym Leaders. Butterfree was also the first of Ash’s Pokémon to leave his party, giving a heartbreaking goodbye to Ash, Misty and Brock in the episode “Bye-Bye Butterfree” in order to start a family with a pink Butterfree. While Ash was happy that his friend had acquired a mate, his teary expression and accompanying montage of their history together showed an infectious sadness that one of his oldest companions was leaving him.

Butterfree’s farewell represented not only the first time Ash would lose one of his primary Pokémon, but also was a rare moment showcasing the passage of time within the Pokémon anime. Ash is famous for his inability to age, but Butterfree’s exit showed there were lasting consequences and moments within the series that formed its continuity. For Ash and the audience, a friend who had been walking the same path had suddenly left them, a feeling much truer to life than what had been a run-of-the-mill children’s show.

While Ash told his other Pokémon at the time that Butterfree had left on a trip and would return one day, for decades it never happened. Ash’s Charizard, Squirtle and Bulbasaur all make appearances down the line, but Butterfree’s goodbye retains its emotional resonance by acting as a true exit for a character that had been there since the beginning.

How Ash And Butterfree’s Reunion Completes His Pokémon Journey

While Butterfree’s return features no dialogue, this moment is especially beautiful considering what it means for Ash’s character. After becoming a true Pokémon master and accomplishing his dream, he finally gets to meet his old friend once again. It’s a true full circle moment, where Ash’s first captured Pokémon finally reappears to congratulate him on his hard-fought victories. Bringing back such a beloved and important part of Ash’s journey helps the audience not only experience a blast of nostalgia, but also truly feel the passage of time.

Butterfree has likely long-since started his own family and Ash has experienced and accomplished so much since their farewell, yet their friendship and connection remains strong even after so much time apart. The fact that this is Butterfree’s first appearance in 20 years — and that it was saved for this specific moment — helps them appreciate the length of Ash’s story and how it’s finally coming to a close. Butterfree’s exit represented Ash’s first real moment of growing up, and his return shows just how far he’s come since.