After 25 Years, The Pokemon Anime Series Is Saying Goodbye To Ash And Pikachu

After 25 years, the Pokemon anime series is shaking up its formula by saying goodbye to Ash and Pikachu. The new Pokemon series that is set to debut in 2023, once Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: The Series concludes, will star two new protagonists named Riko and Roy. The new show will also see the three Paldea starter Pokemon, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, join the duo on their journey.

Ash and Pikachu’s departure makes sense, as the pair finally reached the apex of the Pokemon world earlier this year during the World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament. After coming close to being recognized as the best (like no one ever was) Pokemon trainer in several regional conference tournaments, Ash finally achieved his goal and became the Pokemon champion after he defeated old rivals and new challengers across the globe.

His story will conclude in the next 13 episodes of Pokemon Ultimate Journeys and in several specials that will “offer a glimpse at what the future may hold” for Ash and Pikachu according to Nintendo. In the trailer above, you can see several cameos from classic Pokemon and longtime friends of the legendary Pokemon trainer. The Pokemon series first debuted in 1997 in Japan–1998 in the US–and has been running almost non-stop since then, with over 1,300 episodes having been broadcast so far.

Meet Riko and Roy, the new faces of the Pokemon TV series.

A new season is traditionally produced to tie in with each new mainline series of games, and judging by the cover art above, it looks like the next series starring Riko and Roy will be set in the Paldea region of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In other Pokemon news, Pokemon Go’s Winter Holiday event has returned and will run until December 23, offering exclusive items and new Pokemon to catch.

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