Yup, you heard it right: Ash Ketchum — the young hero of Millennials everywhere (and recently named Champion) — is leaving the Pokémon anime for good after 25 years. Excuse us while we wipe away our tears.
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Pokémon series will replace Ash Ketchum with new characters next year
With the recent release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the final episodes of Pokémon Journeys, we were bound to get some sort of announcement about a new series. In a press release on Friday, The Pokémon Company indeed announced a new Pokémon animated series “that will follow a never-before-seen storyline and characters.”
What fans didn’t expect was that we wouldn’t just be getting a new series, but a new cast of characters replacing Ash Ketchum as the main storyline. The Pokémon Company announced the much-loved character’s departure with a 11-episode short series launching in Japan in early January.
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First introduced in 1997, Ash Ketchum and his trusty ace Pikachu have been taking us through the world of Pokémon for over two decades now. For many Millennials across the world, we’ve grown up loving watching Ash take on gym leader after gym leader in his quest to become Pokémon master.
Along the way, he’s encountered many iconic travel companions like Brock and Misty and faced off against legendary rivals like Paul and Alain. It was only recently in the Pokémon anime that Ash finally got his flowers and became Champion of Champions. At this point, fans questioned what else Ash could do when he’s basically done everything there is to do at 10 years old.
But alas, all good things must come to an end. To say that fans everywhere are crushed is an understatement. Ash Ketchum, you will be missed.
The new series will highlight the recently released Pokémon from the video game series, alongside two new travel companions to carry on the show. Check out the new series announcement here.
