Pokémon voice actor Sarah Natochenny has revealed how she was told that Ash Ketchum would be leaving the series.
Fans of the series will know that Ash recently did the unthinkable when he finally became an official Pokémon World Champion in the series Pokémon Ultimate Journeys, paving the way for the character's exit.
Natochenny, who has voiced Ash in the English-language version for 17 years, revealed how the news was broken to her, saying that producers told her during a virtual meeting (via Metro).
Related: Pokémon replaces Ash in first trailer for new series
"And they said the thing, and my hand physically just gave out. And I started bawling at this meeting," Sarah said.
According to the voice actor, everyone involved in the meeting became emotional, including some of the other actors.
"The producers were trying to hold it together for me as well, they kept speaking in a very even tone," she recalled. "And you could see a few other actors on the call and the director starting to get emotional as well, just seeing me, because we’re very close and this is so sad.
Related: The best Pokémon Scarlet and Violet deals on Nintendo Switch
Following the shocking news, the Ash Ketchum star said she wandered around New York crying before thinking of the positives.
"17 years is an incredibly long, fortunate amount of time to have steady acting work, especially as one character, so I let my mind flood with the positive thoughts."
After the official announcement that Ash would be bowing out of the beloved series was made, Natochenny took to Twitter to share her thoughts.
"It’s been an extraordinary privilege to have been the English voice of Ash Ketchum for what will be 17 years. No matter what lies beyond his final chapter, he’ll live forever in the hearts of many generations to come. I'll keep him present for all of us in every way I can," she tweeted.
