Ash Ketchum Is Officially Leaving ‘Pokemon’

ash ketchum season 1 episode 1 pokemon
Nick Davis

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu have had an inseparable connection with Pokemon from the beginning. Multiple generations have now grown up with Ash as the face of the show. After so long of being the iconic lead character, though, the journey is finally coming to an end. Ash has become the Pokemon champion, and with that, we’ve gotten confirmation that this is the end of Ash in the Pokemon anime. Along with that information, there’s also now some exciting news about the future of the show. It is a massive shift in the franchise like we’ve never seen before.

The End Of A Pokemon Era

Ash is still a 10-year-old, but he’s also one of the oldest characters on television. He’s been the center of the Pokemon anime along with Pikachu since 1997. After so much time spent on his singular goal of becoming the Pokemon champion and master, many were wondering in recent years if it would ever be possible. Could we ever see Ash truly succeed? Or would he always fail because the show needs him? Well, they’re finally taking a risk of moving on without Ash and Pikachu at the forefront.

ash ketchum and pikachu first appearance
Ash Ketchum with Pikachu in their very first appearance, Season 1, Episode 1

Now that the legendary duo has become Pokemon champions, their final chapter is unfolding at the beginning of next year. We just got the announcement that the premiere of the final 11 episodes that will wrap up Ash and Pikachu’s story begins January 13th. Furthermore, we got an equally-huge announcement with the reveal that, later in the same year, there will be another Pokemon anime series. This will be the first series to not feature Ash Ketchum as a primary protagonist. We got a look at the two new primary protagonists that will take his place in the announcement teaser. These will be the protagonists who we’ll be journeying with through the new region of Paldea.

The Future Of The World’s Biggest Franchise

It will certainly be strange to see the Pokemon world move on without Ash Ketchum. It’s the end of an era that has defined every moment in the franchise up to this point. But, hopefully, these new protagonists can bring new adventures and won’t be completely rejected by the fanbase. The core of this new series will be interesting to see.

ash ketchum with big roster of his pokemon
Ash with many of the Pokemon he’s caught throughout the series

What are the goals of these new protagonists? Are they also journeying to become Pokemon masters? Or will we see a series that strikes a far different tone than what we’ve seen in the Pokemon anime up to this point?

Ash and Pikachu’s journey ends in 2023 with the conclusion of Pokemon Ultimate Journeys. We’ll hopefully be getting loads of new information about the follow-up series and new protagonists soon.

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