Highlights
- Pokemon fans in Canada bid farewell to Ash and Pikachu after 25 years, while fans in the US have to wait until September to see the conclusion of their adventures on Netflix.
- The Pokemon anime series in Japan has moved on to focus on new protagonists, Liko and Roy, in the Pokemon Horizons series.
- While the departure of Ash and Pikachu may be bittersweet, it will be interesting to see how the anime series evolves with new characters.
While Pokemon anime fans in Japan already said goodbye to Ash Ketchum and Pikachu months ago, those in Canada are now parting with the iconic characters after 25 years. The Pokemon anime series first aired in Japan in 1997, but it came to most other regions in 1998, including the US and Canada. It aired on a variety of different television channels over the years, with viewers in the US most recently having to watch new episodes of the Pokemon anime series through the Netflix streaming service.
Netflix has secured streaming rights to the Pokemon series in the US. While Netflix is a fairly convenient way to watch Pokemon, the downside is that those in the US are going to have to wait until September to see the conclusion of Ash and Pikachu's adventures. Meanwhile, those in Canada with Cartoon Network were able to watch Ash and Pikachu's final episode on July 22.
The English-language version of Ash and Pikachu's final episode has aired in Canada, meaning Pokemon fans in the country have had to say goodbye to the iconic characters after 25 years. Pokemon fans have taken to social media and Reddit to pay tribute to Ash and Pikachu. While the door is open for Ash and Pikachu to eventually return to the Pokemon anime series, it seems the franchise is truly moving on.
Since episodes of the Pokemon anime series air in Japan months before the English-language versions are available, viewers in that region already have a clear idea of what happens next. The new Pokemon Horizons anime series is 14 episodes deep in Japan at the time of this writing, and with Ash and Pikachu not involved, the series focuses its attention on two new protagonists.
The Pokemon Horizons anime series stars new characters Liko and Roy. The first episodes are set in the Kanto region before transitioning to the Paldea region, which is where Pokemon Scarlet and Violet take place. And while Ash's Pikachu isn't featured in the new series, there is at least a Captain Pikachu character.
It was a bold move for the Pokemon anime series to say goodbye to Ash and Pikachu, and it will be interesting to see how the anime does with a new set of characters. Those in Japan already have a good idea of what to expect from the Pokemon Horizons anime, and soon those in Canada, the US, and elsewhere will get to see it for themselves.