After all these years, one of Ash Ketchum’s fiercest adversaries has finally returned to the anime of Pokemon Journeys, know the promotion he’s gotten as Paul returns in the June 10 episode
And the latest episode of the show airing in Japan showed a major promotion Paul had received since we last saw him in action! As Ash has progressed through the World Coronation Series rankings, we’ve seen the trainer face off against several familiar characters.
With the series nearing the end and Ash preparing for his final tournament against many of the biggest return faces yet, one prominent rival returned to put him to the test.
Pokemon Journeys Reveals Paul Returns, Major Promotion In The Anime
Why is Paul making a comeback to Pokemon Journeys?
The newest episode of Pokemon Journeys began airing in Japan, bringing Paul back to the anime after hinting at his return with the newest opening song sequence.
When Ash goes to Professor Oak’s lab for some final training for the Master’s Tournament, he runs into Paul, who is also looking for Oak’s advice on something.
While Paul did not compete in the World Coronation Series, he appears to have a promising future. Paul intends to work as a Gym Leader.
In episode 114 of Pokemon Journeys, Ash and Paul reunite for the first time since Diamond and Pearl anime, and Paul says that he didn’t enter the World Coronation Series (despite possessing the necessary talent) because he doesn’t care for parties.
It’s here that Ash & Paul make the most out of their reunion by engaging in a full-fledged battle, with Paul putting Ash to the test with a team full of Pokemon that he’ll likely face in the rest of the tournament, such as Metagross, Garchomp, and Gyarados.
Paul, known as Shinji in Japan, will also retain his original voice actor Kiyotaka Furushima, who people might know him as now as the voice of Hanta Sero in My Hero Academia and appearing in the June 10 episode helping Ash train.