Pokemon franchise to RETIRE Ash and Pikachu after 25 years, to introduce two new protagonists Liko and Roy
The Pokémon franchise has announced that Ash and Pikachu’s 25-year run will end in January. One of the most successful anime series in history will see their protagonists 10-year-old Satoshi, also known as Ash Ketchum, moving on with his life after bagging the ‘first international title win’ and becoming a World Champion Pokemon Trainer. He achieved this by defeating Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Leon in the Pokemon World Coronation Series. Many fans were anticipating the beginning of the end, as they couldn’t see what was left for him to achieve.
The company shared the news that the 11-episode epilogue series, beginning, on January 13, 2023, will tell the ‘final chapter’ in Ash and Pikachu’s story in what is known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, and simply Pokemon in the West. He will be seen contemplating what it means for him after achieving success in his quest to become the Pokemon Master the world has ever seen. The Pokemon franchise also revealed that in April, a brand-new Pokemon series will be introduced. It will have two new protagonists, a young girl named Liko and a boy named Roy in Japan, along with three starter Pokemon of the Paldea region, introduced in the recent Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet games—grass type Sprigatito, fire type Fuecoco, and water type Quaxly.