Pokemon: Ash Ketchum's English VA Comments on His Anime Exit
Ash Ketchum has officially left the Pokemon anime adaptation as its star, with the trainer taking his Pikachu to parts unknown as he continues to work at reaching the level of "Pokemon Master". With Pokemon Horizons, the next season in the television series, introducing two new trainers in Liko and Roy, fans following the English dub still have to wait on Ash's last installments. Now, the current English voice actor that brings Ketchum to life, Sarah Natochenny, talked Ash's exit from the series as well as Japanese voice actor, Rica Matsumoto, and her legendary run.
Ash might not have had a role in the likes of Pokemon Go, Pokemon Scarlet, and Pokemon Violet, some of the latest video games of the series, but his role in the anime has cemented his legacy as a part of the pocket monster franchise. Sarah Natochenny took over for Veronica Taylor, the original voice actor for Ash Ketchum, in 2006 and has stuck with the Pokemon trainer ever since. With Natochenny recording the final episodes of Ash's starring role in the series, it's no surprise that she has some words to share when it came to the character she began voicing at the age of 18.
Goodbye Ash
Natochenny took a moment, as she worked on saying goodbye to Ash, to congratulate Rica's tenure as Ketchum which runs for over twenty-five years at this point. With Ash's departure from the series and the introduction of two new trainers that will be leading the charge, it will be interesting to see if either of these two voice actors will be given new roles in Pokemon Horizons. While Ketchum might be leading the series as its star, creators behind the scenes have stated that it is possible that we'll see him return someday.
As I continue recording the final episodes of Ash and Pikachu’s journey on Pokémon, I’d like to thank and congratulate the incredible woman who has inspired my performance as the English voice of Ash Ketchum for the last 17 years, @rica_matsumoto3. 👏👏👏#ThankYouAshandPikachu pic.twitter.com/3gzhLjc5fm
— Sarah Natochenny (@sarahnatochenny) March 24, 2023
With Ash's departure, so too did we see the exit for Team Rocket in the last episode of Pokemon: Aim To Be A Pokemon Master. While the trio reunited in the final episode, they are seen following Ash and Pikachu into parts unknown, with a new group known as the Explorers set to potentially take the villain role for Liko and Roy's upcoming journey from Jesse, James, and Meowth. Needless to say, Ash and Team Rocket's exit has been a major event in the anime world, and rightfully so.
What did you think of Ash's farewell? Do you think we'll see Ketchum come back and visit Liko and Roy? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Pokemon.