Even Ash Ketchum has to grow up at some point... and it seems that in 2023 he will finally move on and grow older by passing the torch onto new heroes in the upcoming Pokémon series.
It's the end of an era. It was just announced that Ash Ketchum has completed his Pokémon journey after becoming a master and his long story arc will come to a close very, very soon.
Fans had been worried about this happening, but the TV Tokyo higher ups gave fans hope that Ash would not be leaving the show. Instead, the newest announcement will mean a brand-new start for the Pokémon series, with new characters in a brand-new region.
Pokémon: Final Arc For Ash Ketchum Announced
On December 16, 2022 the Twitter account of AnimeTV released a trailer revealing that in January the final 11 episodes of Ash Ketchum's arc will be broadcasted. Ash finally beat the Pokémon League so now it's time for him to retire and move on with his life and finally grow up.
An all-new Pokemon Anime Series Officially Announced for 2023!
— AnimeTV (@animetv_jp) December 16, 2022
More: https://t.co/SD7d7KuERm pic.twitter.com/qFTGvvCUl5
This means that the baton will be passed down to new main characters and we already got a glimpse of them in the upcoming promo art of the next season. We also know that it will take place in Paldea with the three starter Pokémon from Scarlet & Violet also shown.
So, while Ash's story has come to an end, this does not mean that it is the end of Pokémon altogether. The new Pokémon Paldea season will kick off in April 2023 and feature new Pokémon, new characters and the same old Pokémon show formula that has worked over the last 25-years.
It's time for a new generation of Pokémon trainers to take over the silver screen, but it's still hard to say goodbye to Ash and Pikachu. But we might not have to say goodbye for too long.
New Protagonist Revealed: Is She Related to Ash?
With the reveal of the new protagonist it has fans already theorizing who they could be. The girl in the teaser image looks to have a hair clip which resembles the symbol on Ashe's cap, so could she be related to him? Perhaps his daughter?
That would make the re-appearance of Ash and Pikachu highly likely and we won't have to say goodbye to the iconic duo for forever. Of course, this has not been confirmed yet, but it would be a perfect fit for the continuation of the Pokémon series.