Pokemon Says Goodbye to TikTok in the Most Heartbreaking Way Possible

The official Pokemon TikTok account has bid farewell to its fans ahead of the video-based social media app’s impending nationwide ban across the United States. With a million followers and more than 10 million likes across its catalog of videos, the English-language TikTok account for Pokemon Company Int’l has dug deep into the anime series to share a tear-jerking goodbye to its American fans.

A nationwide ban on the app ordered by the United States Congress, put into place in March 2024 as an ultimatum to pressure China-based owner ByteDance into selling ownership of the social media platform, will take place on January 19, 2025. Despite several efforts to preserve the use of the social media app for the U.S. audience, a recent unanimous federal Supreme Court ruling on TikTok has upheld Congress’ decision, citing app users’ “susceptibility to foreign adversary control.”

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In a heartfelt final farewell on TikTok’s last full day before the ban, Pokemon Company International has shared a similar fond farewell from the year 1997. As possibly its final act, the account shared one of the most famous and tear-jerking moments from the Pokemon anime, when Ash Ketchum and Butterfree said goodbye to each other, with the former releasing the latter to live among its own kind alongside its pink Butterfree companion. The episode in which the scene occurs is only the series’ 21st, titled Bye Bye Butterfree, but it holds special significance since Butterfree was the first Pokemon Ash ever caught when it was just a Caterpie. “Thanks for the memories, Trainers,” the post’s text reads, inviting fans to follow Pokemon on other social media platforms.

Pokemon TikTok Says Goodbye Through the Infamously Sad Butterfree Scene

While Ash and Butterfree reunited 25 years later, there remains some hope that TikTok users in the United States won’t have such a long wait. USA Today has reported that outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration has no plans to enforce the ban, which is set to take effect on his last full day in office. Meanwhile, President-Elect Donald Trump, who signed an executive order for the TikTok ban during his first term in 2020, recently told Meet the Press that he is likely to push back the deadline by 90 days, with some political analysts speculating that he is willing to work with ByteDance to find a buyer for TikTok or preserve it through some other means.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew has reacted to the Supreme Court’s Decision by praising Trump for his willingness to work with the company’s leadership so it can continue to provide service to its 170 million daily users in the United States. Chew’s video statement said the move is “a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” The original Congressional motion on the TikTok ban was widely approved by both major political parties in the House of Representatives, with Republicans approving it 197 to 15 and Democrats voting 155 to 50.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
 

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Satoshi Tajiri