Summary
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Pokemon TikTok is saying a tearful goodbye to fans ahead of a nationwide ban in the US on January 19, 2025.
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The latest video released is an iconic Butterfree scene from 1997 that evokes nostalgia and sadness.
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Despite the Supreme Court ruling and political opposition, American TikTok users still have hope.
Official Pokemon A TikTok account has said goodbye to its fans ahead of an upcoming nationwide ban on the video-based social media app across the United States. English TikTok account for Pokemon Company Int'l delved into the anime series to share a tearful farewell with its American fans.
A nationwide ban on the app ordered by the United States Congress, imposed in March 2024 as an ultimatum to force Chinese owner ByteDance to sell its ownership of the social media platform, will take place on January 19, 2025. Despite several efforts to preserve the use of the social networking app for US audiences, the Supreme Court's recent unanimous decision on TikTok upheld the decision of Congress, citing the “susceptibility of users to the control of an external adversary”.

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In a heartfelt final farewell on TikTok's last full day before the ban, Pokemon Company International shared a similarly tender farewell to 1997. As a final act, the account shared one of its most famous and tear-jerking moments with Pokemon anime, when Ash Ketchum and Butterfree bid farewell to each other, with the former letting the latter live among his own kind with his pink companion, Butterfree. The episode in which this scene takes place is only the 21st in the series, titled Bye Bye Butterfree, but it has special significance as Butterfree was the first Pokemon Ash ever caught when he was just a Caterpie. “Thanks for the memories, coaches,” read the post, which asked fans to subscribe Pokemon on other social media platforms.
Pokemon TikTok says goodbye via the embarrassingly boring Butterfree scene
Although Ash and Butterfree have reunited after 25 years, there's still hope that TikTok users in the United States won't have to wait that long. USA Today 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 banning TikTok during his first term in 2020, recently told Meet the Press that he would likely push back the deadline by 90 days, and some political analysts believe he is willing to work with ByteDance to find a buyer for TikTok or otherwise save it.
TikTok CEO Shaw Choo responded to the Supreme Court decision by praising Trump for his willingness to work with the company's leadership so it can continue to serve its 170 million daily users in the United States. In a video statement, Chu said the move was a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.” The initial congressional proposal to ban TikTok was widely approved by both major political parties in the House of Representatives, with Republicans approving it by a vote of 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, movies, manga, merchandise, music and more.
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Satoshi Tajiri