One of the biggest fan theories that surrounded Pokemon Horizons following Ash Ketchum’s departure was the idea that the former protagonist might be the father of new trainer Liko. With the latest Pokemon season taking the opportunity to confirm that Liko’s father will be making an appearance in a future series, the upcoming episode preview finally confirms whether Ash is in fact Liko’s dear old dad. Liko and Roy have encountered some big challenges that rival Ash’s, thanks in no small part to the new villainous collective known as the Explorers.
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Unfortunately, the fan theory that Ash is in fact Liko’s father did not turn out to be true. While it has yet to be confirmed whether the series takes place during a time skip following Ketchum’s departure from the series as its main trainer, Liko’s father is a man named Alex who doesn’t look anything like Ash. Liko is set to return to the Paldea region, the locale that was first introduced in the recent Nintendo Switch games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, in this upcoming episode. Unfortunately, a new wrinkle has been added in this upcoming reunion as Alex is hoping that his daughter will stay put at their home and stop traveling the world in her Pokemon training journey.
Who is Liko’s Father?
With the arrival of these new images, we see that not only is Liko’s father not Ash Ketchum, but also the fact that the new trainer had quite the upbringing. Currently, Liko’s grandmother has apparently hired the Explorers in a bid to acquire the mysterious pendant that is housing an even more mysterious Pokemon within it. It’s clear from the latest anime episodes that Liko is dealing much more with family troubles than Ash Ketchum ever had before.
Ash Ketchum might have left the series with his trusty Pikachu earlier this year, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be permanently absent from the Pokemon anime in the future. The creators responsible for the anime adaptation have yet to confirm when Ash might return, but they definitely haven’t closed the door on the former main trainer making a comeback. As Ash is the current world champion, it will be interesting to see if we see a Pokemon crossover between Ketchum and the two new trainers of the series.
Are you sad that Ash isn’t Liko’s father? When do you think we’ll see Ketchum make a comeback? 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.