Ash May Have Retired But Pikachu Is Still Hard At Work In New ‘Pokémon Horizons: The Series’
Friday, Ash Ketchum made his last appearance on Japanese TV as a Pokémon trainer, but don’t worry, the franchise lives on.
Just three months after it was announced that Ash Ketchum would be stepping down from Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series and in his role as the anime’s main character after 25 years, there is finally a trailer showing the franchise’s next series and the characters we will grow to love over the next however-many decades the show continues.
Friday, the Pokémon Company International officially unveiled the new animated show coming later this year, which is titled Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the new show stars two protagonists called Liko and Roy, who will uncover the mysteries of the Pokémon world.
In the new series, according to the official logline, “Liko, whose partner Pokémon is Sprigatito, and Roy will encounter many characters during their journey, including a group called the Rising Volt Tacklers. Traveling across the Pokémon world on an airship, the Rising Volt Tacklers include Orla, who enjoys mechanical and electrical work and is accompanied by her partner Pokémon, Metagross; Murdock, who is skilled at cooking, and his partner Pokémon, Rockruff; Mollie, who specializes in healing treatments, and her partner Pokémon, Chansey; and Ludlow. Liko and Roy will also come across Amethio, who is joined by his partner Pokémon, Ceruledge, and belongs to an organization called the Explorers, as well as a popular video streamer known as Nidothing.”
As if there weren’t already a lot of characters on the storyboard, the show also features a Pikachu, or rather one version of the ‘mon who was Ash’s companion pokemon for the last 25 years. One of the supporting characters that will join Liko and Roy on their journey is Professor Friede, and his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu, who if the hat is any indication, will captain the airship Friede and his friends ride in.
If you want a sneak peek at the finale featuring Ash’s last* appearance, it can be found via Twitter, though it will air some time later her in the states. See below.
*Ash and his Pikiachu will reappear someday, in some form, according to director Kunihiko Yuyama.
The upcoming series premieres in Japan on April 14th and will launch worldwide later this year. It follows the releases of last year’s video games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.