Classic Pokemon Anime Gets Facelift in South Korea With New Promo

Ash Ketchum might no longer be leading the charge in Pokemon’s anime, but his legacy in the franchise and the world at large will not be forgotten. As Liko and Roy now head up the latest season, Pokemon Horizons, some countries are only starting to get into the pocket monster universe. South Korea is one such country that is about to experience some of the biggest battles in the Johto Region and has created a new promo to recreate the one-on-one between Ash and his biggest rival, Gary Oak.

Ash and Pikachu weren’t the only ones to leave the Pokemon television series, as the allies and enemies of the anime duo also left the small screen for parts unknown. Luckily, before Ash Ketchum left the Pokemon series, he was able to get some fond farewells in with the likes of Misty, Brock, and some classic Pokemon. Unfortunately for Ash, his journey will continue to be beguiled by Team Rocket, who reunited and confirmed their quest to continue to try to steal Pikachu, even if off-screen. Gary specifically had a big role to play in Ash’s final episodes, presenting the new world champion with a question, “What does it mean to be a Pokemon Master?”

Pokemon’s Past Revisited 

As Pokemon fans know, Ash’s Johto region adventures didn’t give him the world championship trophy, but it was a key step in the Pokemon trainer learning how to work with his pocket monsters. The main series might not have Ash and Pikachu coming back any time soon but the creative minds behind the anime haven’t closed the door completely on the popular characters returning at some point in the future. However, the question remains, should Ash Ketchum make a comeback, will he have aged at all?

Earlier this year, we here at ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Ash’s voice actor, Sarah Natochenney. During our discussion, we piqued her brain about what she thinks Ash and Pikachu are doing on the sidelines, “I think they’re off continuing on doing what they usually do, but I think they get to do it now with a sense of ‘I’m a champion.’ I think there is a bit more of a lax [feeling], like a bit of a vacation. He might be resting on his laurels a little bit and maybe learning some lessons that go along with resting on your laurels.”