Ash Ketchum’s history as the main protagonist of Pokemon stretched on for decades. Despite this fact, and becoming the newest World Champion during the recent Masters 8 Tournament, Ash still has a lot of growing up to do. Ketchum hasn’t aged in all of Pokemon’s seasons but one fan animator has taken the opportunity to imagine how Ash might have grown if he were still the Pokemon protagonist. With Pokemon Horizons set to see Liko and Roy encountering battles in the Paldea Region, this new short flips the script.
Ash has finally handed off the reins of the series to two new trainers, following the conclusion of Pokemon: Aim To Be A Pokemon Master. While Ketchum’s return hasn’t been hinted at since his recent departure, the creative minds behind the series haven’t been shy about the possibility of Ash and his Pikachu making a comeback. Specifically, in a recent interview that took place earlier this year, the co-founder of studio OLM, Kunihiko Yuyama, revealed that Ash’s departure doesn’t mean that he will never return to the series. Still holding the title of World Champion, for as far as audiences know, perhaps Ketchum will be the ultimate goal for Liko and Roy to defeat on their respective journeys.
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Ash’s Comeback
A new fan animation imagines what might have happened if Ash Ketchum was still the star of Pokemon Horizons, encountering pocket monsters and characters that are set to run into the two new stars. Along with Ash leaving the anime, so to have his villains in Team Rocket and several of his allies. With the Explorers and the Rising Volt Tacklers the two new groups on the block, Liko and Roy have plenty to work with.
Since the news of Ash’s departure hit the internet, many Pokemon fans came up with a theory that Horizons might focus on a time skip and give us an adult Ketchum. This theory proved to be mistaken as Ash was nowhere to be found and certainly is not the suspected father of Liko, with that title going to “Alex”. Should Ash one day return to the anime, it will be interesting to see if he gets his own story or if we see a crossover between him and the two new stars of the anime.
Do you want to see Ash return to the series? How have you felt about Liko and Roy’s adventures so far? 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.
