Ash Ketchum stopped being the lead character of the Pokémon anime because The Pokémon Company brought his long-running storyline to a close and launched a new series with different protagonists. After winning the title of Pokémon World Champion, he received farewell episodes, while Pokémon Horizons: The Series shifted the focus to Liko and Roy. This does not mean that Ash died, was erased from the franchise, or was officially declared permanently retired.
The change was announced in December 2022 and took shape in 2023, about 26 years after the anime first aired in 1997. The newer story has its own central duo while retaining familiar Pokémon elements such as journeys, battles, and bonds between people and Pokémon.
Why did the anime stop following Ash?
The documented explanation is the conclusion of one era and the decision to tell a new story. On December 16, 2022, The Pokémon Company announced that Ash and Pikachu's series would end with special episodes and introduced Liko and Roy as the protagonists of the next phase. The announcement connected Ash's farewell to his victory in the Pokémon World Coronation Series, after 25 seasons of adventures.
The world championship provided a major culmination for Ash's competitive journey. However, claiming he was replaced because of declining ratings, a dispute with voice actors, or behind-the-scenes trouble would add a cause that the official announcement does not provide.
In a corporate overview updated through May 2026, the company describes the new phase as a way to tell stories with characters of different ages and backgrounds, appealing to a broader audience, including families in which parents and children have both grown up with Pokémon. That is the company's publicly stated perspective, not confirmation of rumors about Ash's fate.
How did Ash and Pikachu's farewell unfold?
Spoiler warning: the following paragraphs discuss the ending of Ash's journey.
In Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, Ash defeats Leon in the decisive Masters Eight Tournament battle and becomes World Champion. The Pokémon Company presented that achievement as the high point of his adventures and produced a concluding run of special episodes, known in English as Pokémon: To Be a Pokémon Master, featuring reunions with Misty, Brock, and other familiar characters.
The final episode, listed in the official catalog as The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, makes it clear that winning the championship has not, by itself, answered everything Ash believes being a Pokémon Master means. According to the synopsis on Pokémon.com, he decides to keep pursuing that dream and heads off on another journey with Pikachu. His time as the regular lead ended, but the story did not rule out further adventures for him.
Who are Liko and Roy in Pokémon Horizons?
Liko is a girl from the Paldea region who begins her studies at Indigo Academy with Sprigatito. A pendant inherited from her grandmother lies at the heart of the mysteries that send her traveling. Her story does not begin with a mission to repeat Ash's accomplishments: its events revolve around the object's origins and the people pursuing it.
Roy is a boy from an island in the Kanto region who dreams of becoming a Pokémon Trainer. His partner is Fuecoco, and he carries an Ancient Poké Ball connected to the series' larger adventure. There is a localization detail worth knowing: while the 2022 announcement and the international character page call him Roy, the official Brazilian Portuguese episode catalog calls him Rain, while the official Spanish site uses Rod. All three names refer to the same character.
The pair join the Rising Volt Tacklers, a group that travels the world aboard an airship. Its members include Friede and Captain Pikachu. This Pikachu plays a separate role in the new series and should not be described as Ash's partner with a new nickname. The Explorers are the opposing group pursuing Liko's pendant. Dot, whose partner is Quaxly, is also part of the team.
What actually changed between Ash's anime and Horizons?
The Pokémon adventure format remains, but the storytelling approach is different. Ash's journey revolved around his growth as a Trainer, his traveling companions, and competitions. Horizons shares the spotlight among Liko, Roy, and their allies and develops an ongoing plot involving discoveries, mysterious objects, and confrontations with the Explorers. This comparison describes the published premises; it does not establish an unannounced chronological link between the two groups of characters.
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1997 | The Ash (Satoshi) and Pikachu anime begins airing in Japan. |
| 2022 | Ash wins the world championship in the anime; on December 16, Pokémon announces a new series starring Liko and Roy. |
| 2023 | Ash's regular leading role concludes with special episodes, and Pokémon Horizons premieres in Japan in April. |
| 2026 | Pokémon continues to present Liko and Roy as protagonists, including in promotions for the third season. |
Could Ash return to Pokémon?
A future appearance is possible, but it was not confirmed by the official sources reviewed as of October 19, 2026. The announcement of the transition did not state that Ash could never appear again. At the same time, the synopsis of his final episode does not promise a meeting with Liko and Roy.
Official September 2026 material about the third season of Horizons still focuses on Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers. Fan videos, edits, and crossover speculation are no substitute for a Pokémon announcement. The most accurate answer is therefore that Ash's story as the main protagonist has ended, while any future appearance remains unconfirmed.
Sources and references
- The Pokémon Company official announcement, December 16, 2022: new series and Ash's farewell
- The Pokémon Company: anime history and new protagonists (May 2026)
- Pokémon: official synopsis of Ash's final episode
- Pokémon Horizons: official story and character profiles
- Pokémon Brazil: Horizons season-one guide and the name Rain
- Pokémon: September 2026 update on Horizons season three, part four
- Pokémon Spain: Horizons character profiles and the name Rod
