With Ash's story wrapped up, Pokemon: Horizons will keep the anime rolling
See ya later, Ash.
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Ash's time in the Pokemon anime has finally come to an end in Japan, and a trailer for the new series, Pokemon Horizons, sets up the adventures to come.
We've known for a while now that Ash Ketchum, our beloved protagonist who caught barely any Pokemon, would no longer be the protagonist of the Pokemon anime. The final episode of Pokemon Journeys: The Series (the full title of the last season) has aired in Japan, bringing Ash's story to a close, and likely a teary eye to many who grew up with the world's best Pokemon trainer. But there's a new generation of trainers that will lead the Pokemon anime, and there's a new trailer showing the next series off properly for the first time.
Pokemon Horizons: The Series is set to debut this year, and will focus on a pair of new protagonists, Liko and Roy. Eagle-eyed fans already noticed that Liko's hair clip resembles Ash's insignia on his original cap, leading some to question if there's some kind of a connection between the two, but it's entirely possible that it's just a way to suggest they're the respective protagonists.
This first trailer tells us a bit more about Liko, who seems to start her journey off as a student, and it seems like there's some kind of mysterious pendant involved that does… something, I don't know, it's mysterious for a reason, though it seems like it might be connected to a shiny Rayquaza. We also got brief looks at the broader range of new characters, like Friede and his trusty Captain Pikachu, as well as some of the villains and other supporting cast.
In a very sweet statement, Ash's English voice actor Sarah Natochenny thanked the character's Japanese voice actor Rica Matsumoto for 17 years of providing inspiration. "As I continue recording the final episodes of Ash and Pikachu’s journey on Pokémon, I’d like to thank and congratulate the incredible woman who has inspired my performance as the English voice of Ash Ketchum for the last 17 years, Rica Matsumoto," wrote Natochenny.
In terms of what's next for the games, last month The Pokemon Company announced that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would be getting a two-part expansion, both parts set to release this year.