The Pokemon anime is in the process of saying goodbye to longtime protagonist Ash Ketchum, but when the show comes back on in April, fans can look forward to meeting his replacements, Liko and Roy. The Pokemon anime has featured Ash and his adventures for decades now, but it seems it's finally time for the long-running series to move on and put fresh faces in the spotlight.
The Pokemon Company first revealed the designs for the new protagonists a couple of months ago, leading to widespread fan theories and speculation as to their identities. One popular theory is that the new female protagonist in the Pokemon series is actually Ash's daughter, though that has yet to be confirmed. While Pokemon anime fans are still waiting on confirmation on that particular theory, a new trailer has revealed more information about the new heroes.
The new Pokemon anime series will premiere April 14 in Japan with an hour-long special introducing the new heroes and their adventures in the Paldea region. The female protagonist in the new Pokemon anime series is Liko, who is equipped with an "awe-inspiring pendant," while the male protagonist is named Roy, equipped with a mysterious Poke Ball. They will be joined on their journeys by a Pokemon Professor named Friede, alongside Captain Pikachu.
Based on the trailer, it seems Liko's starter Pokemon will be Sprigatito, the Grass-type starter from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, while Roy will be paired with Fuecoco. The official art at the end of the new Pokemon anime trailer shows Quaxly front and center as well, flanked by a variety of other Pokemon from various generations. Notably, Friede can be seen riding on the back of a Charizard.
The new Pokemon anime will be set in the Paldea region and be based on the recently-released Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games. The shift from Ash to new protagonists is a massive gamble, but it could very well pay off. Those in Japan can find out when the new Pokemon anime series premieres in April, but everyone else will have to wait for the dubs to be distributed worldwide. Official release date information for the Pokemon anime dubs are not available at the time of this writing, but it's likely that the English language version of the show will hit the Netflix streaming service a few months after it makes its big debut in Japan.
Some fans may be sad to see Ash go, but others may be excited for new protagonists to take charge. Fans will have to tune in to see if the cast is 100% new, or if the new Pokemon anime series includes some familiar faces.