The synopsis for an upcoming episode of Pokémon Journeys reveals that all is not well between Ash and his trusty Pikachu.
More than two decades on from its initial reveal to the world, there are now a lot of Pokémon for trainers to get their heads around. Almost 900 of them. There were initially just 151 Pokémon to learn about and capture, and all these years later, one of those original 151 remains the most recognizable for a whole host of reasons.
That Pokémon is Pikachu. Even someone who has never played a Pokémon game or watched an episode of the anime will instantly recognize the electric mouse. One of the main reasons for that is Pikachu was the Pokémon the TV show's creators decided would be Ash Ketchum's faithful companion. That's despite Clefairy claiming the spotlight in the comic books that preceded the TV show.
Years later, Pikachu remains by Ash's side in the most recent series of the show, Pokémon Journeys. However, the synopsis for an upcoming episode has revealed that Pikachu is jealous of one of Ash's newer Pokémon. Over the years, it has usually been the other way around since Pikachu has always been Ash's favorite/right-hand monster. Turns out the attention Riolu has been getting as of late has been getting under Pikachu's fur.
The episode's, which is called "The Reluctant Pikachu And The Exasperated Mr. Mime", the synopsis has been translated from Japanese to English. It reveals that Pikachu is fed up with the praise Ash is throwing Riolu's way. Understandable on Ash's part since Riolu recently won a battle for him at the Pokémon World Championships. Pikachu ends up storming out, and Mr. Mime makes an attempt to stop him.
Mr. Mime tries and fails to do so, so ends up having to follow Pikachu wherever he plans to go. The rest of the episode will follow the adventure of Pikachu and Mr. Mime away from their trainers but doesn't reveal what exactly they get up to, or how long it is before they return to home base. Perhaps they never do, and this could mark the beginning of a permanent split between Ash and Pikachu. The episode is scheduled to air on July 26, 2020.
Source: Serebii