Goodbye to Ash Ketchum: Pokémon announces new characters and storyline for animated series

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Pallet Town, a remote village in the Kanto region, was the birthplace of Ash Ketchum, an aspiring trainer. Since he began relying on the strength of a young Pikachu, Ash opened up to the world and began travelling, resulting in many animated Pokémon adventures over the past 25 years.

His team in the Kanto Pokémon League did not lead him to victory; the same happened in subsequent battles for the top. Everything changed, however, in the current series, Pokémon Journeys, where Ash became the world champion. And now? It seems that the network has decided on a major change in the anime formula that will leave many fans astonished.

A new story begins

Ash and Pikachu say goodbye to anime. After 25 years as protagonists, the two will make way for other unreleased characters. The Pokémon Company Group has announced the preparation of a new anime featuring Liko and Roy (Japanese version names), who will begin their journey in 2023, based on the region and creatures included in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games.

Instead, Ash's long career as a trainer will be celebrated with a special collection of episodes, which will also serve as a conclusion to the Pokémon Journeys anime. The 25 seasons of Pokémon will then be retraced with the best moments of the adventure with Ash and Pikachu. The last phase with the two of them will debut on January 13, 2023, while Liko and Roy's adventure will begin in April 2023.

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After 25 years of accompanying him on his adventures, seeing Ash and Pikachu leave certainly provokes strong emotions. However, every story must come to an end, no matter how heartbreaking it may be. At LevelUp, we bid farewell to the trainer and his Pokémon with a bitter smile, with great memories, and looking forward to the series' future.

Do you think a Pokémon show without Ash would succeed? Let us know in the comments!