Ash Ketchum and Pikachu's time is about to come to an end

Yes, you heard it right. Ash Ketchum and Pikachu's time is about to come to an end. What's next for the Pokémon anime?

What will happen to Ash and Pikachu?

In the latest announcement of The Official Pokemon Youtube Channel, Ash Ketchum (who has recently won the Master Eight Tournament and was crowned Monarch) and Pikachu will finally end their status as Pokémon anime's protagonists. No, Ash does not die (since we are, of course, still watching a kid's show) and Pokémon series will not be ending but will finally get to go on a journey with new characters and Pokémon in a different area. This confirms the theory that the little boy from Pallet Town who finally got to live his dream to be a Pokémon Champion will no longer be the main character of the anime.

The video (As translated in English via subtitles) states: “Ash and Pikachu have had many encounters, many battles, and many exciting and memorable times. Every adventure is another step on the long path to becoming a Pokémon Master, a dream that never ends. The final chapter in Ash and Pikachu's story has 11 episodes to start airing starting Friday, January 13, 2023, in Japan.”

Will there be new characters that will be introduced?

Alongside the announcement of the final 11 episodes of Ash and Pikachu, we are set to see a new series as announced by Pokémon's official Youtube channel. We'll have a new set of characters to be shined upon being set in the region of Paldea. We see two new protagonists together with the Gen 9 starters Quaxly, Fuecoco, and Sprigatito.

The video shares: “Across the world, a brand-new dream and adventure is about to begin.”

In case you haven't seen the video, here's the official announcement:

We are given 11 final episodes with our favorite “Jolly Boy” and yellow mouse before they ride into the sunset. Fans, so far, have had mixed feelings about Ash Ketchum ending his journey. Who's to say that he wouldn't appear in a cameo or two on the new show? Stay tuned for more updates on Pokémon and more only here on ClutchPoints Gaming!