Its been nearly 20 years since Misty was written off the Pokemon anime

[precita]

My my how time flies. The Johto seasons ended in November 2002, which means by next year in 2022, it'll officially be 20 full years since Misty was written off the series.

The anime has now gone on for nearly two full decades, about 900+ more episodes, and 9 female companions later, since that day. For all of us 30+ year old boomers who were around from the beginning, it really is kind of funny when you stop to realize how short-lived Misty's character in the anime really was. Or how long its been since then. We've basically gotten to the point where 80% of the Pokemon fanbase has grown up watching the show without her, given millions of kids got into watching pokemon from 2003-2020+ years after she left.

I don't know why I made this topic, I really don't mind or care either way, I just think it's funny for the big deal people used to make about Misty leaving, she really did stay gone permanently for the entire duration of the series besides a few guest cameo returns here and there. Even Brock has now been gone from the anime for 11 years since 2010.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Don't forget about Brock's appearance in Sun & Moon.

As far as Misty is concerned, I used to be her number one fanboy and at first, I couldn't see Pokemon anime without her. I was eagerly looking forward to her brief return in autumn 2003. The same day that the episode came out in Japan, the majority of our class was taking the matriculation examination, but I was in our school computer class, translating the episode preview from Japanese to English.

[Lady Vulpix]

Wow, that's hard to believe. I think she's better off without Ash, though. I still think of her every time I see a character with a crippling fear of bugs.

By the way, we're not boomers. That's my parents' generation. I'm gen X and you're probably gen Y/millenial. But I get that you're just trying to call us old.

[Fett One]

It's hard to believe Misty has been off the show that long. If it wasn't for Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee and her cameo in the Sun/Moon anime, the newer generation of Pokemon fans probably wouldn't even know who she is.

I fall into the millennial category. I just made it into that category by being born during it's first year or two.

[precita]

The irony is most people watching Pokémon now weren't even born when Misty was part of the show. If you count from 2003 till now, over 80% of the current fan base grew up with the show with any of the later generations and of course Ash's later companions. It's likely why each new female companion becomes popular one after the other, the days of people believing the show couldn't go on without Misty, Brock or the original trio in general is long over. 20 years over.

Even all the kids who grew up with the DP era in 2006/2007 are now adults hence their nostalgia for it. It feels weird knowing only 30 year olds have grown up with the original series but with the passage of time it was inevitable.