The Pokémon anime is wrapping up Ash's story in its final miniseries, bringing back many past fan favorites, from Pokémon to traveling companions. As a celebration of the entire series, the anime has been indulging in some references to old episodes, too--so here they are, explained.
The biggest continuity references have, of course, been Ash's Pokémon. In the first episode, Ash used Buizel, Noivern, Sceptile, and Donphan, while in the second, he uses Leavanny, Totodile, Rowlet, and Corphish--all Pokémon who once acted as fixtures of Ash's team. This episode also sees Ash rejoined by Misty, who brings with her a lot of classic music and fanfare from the original series. Misty has with her Psyduck, Politoed, and Azurill, with Psyduck dating all the way back to the first season. These are the surface-level references, though, and there are definitely some deep cuts mixed in.
Every 90s Kid Will Lose Their Mind Over Pokémon: Aim to Be a Master
When Misty first appears in the second episode, she entangles Ash's hand with a fishing lure shaped like herself. This lure actually appeared several times while they traveled together, and played a crucial role in one Sun & Moon episode, "The One That Didn't Get Away!", where it was revealed that Misty had given one such lure to Lana. Ash himself is shown to be using a lure based on Cilan, another traveling companion of theirs; Cilan used the lure shaped like himself way back in Best Wishes' "Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!" Cilan, coincidentally, is scheduled to appear in the next episode. The episode also references Misty's eternal losing streak to Ash, who she finally manages to beat by using Politoed against Corphish. Misty's most recent loss to him had been during her appearances in Sun & Moon.
Other References to Pokémon Past
Pokémon's Team Rocket are also bringing back some old hits: they're shown to be using the pedal-powered Magikarp submarine again, which first appeared in the Orange Islands episode "Fit to Be Tide!" Team Rocket used the Magikarp Submarine for hundreds of episodes, even keeping it well into Hoenn. The sub was last seen painted like a shiny Magikarp in the XY episode "Going for the Gold!" When Team Rocket try to hook a Clauncher that Misty has fished up, they throw a line with a golden Meowth lure, which resembles a mecha that they used back in "Meowth Rules!" The episode's ending, with Misty following Ash through a forest, is a reference all the way back to the second episode of the series, where Misty declares she'll follow Ash until her bike is replaced (which it eventually was).
The Pokémon: Aim to Be A Master miniseries is already delivering on its nostalgia-fueled promises with these references to the past, and they're sure to keep up as it continues. How much these callbacks will tie into Pokémon: Aim to Be A Master's plot, if at all, remains to be seen, but at the very least, it makes for a nice reward for the anime's most loyal fans.