Is It Time For Goh To Take The Lead In Pokemon Journeys?

Pokemon Journeys has recently hit the streaming service of Netflix, introducing a brand new [...]

By Evan Valentine

Pokemon Journeys has recently hit the streaming service of Netflix, introducing a brand new audience to the world of the new adventures of Ash Ketchum and his new right hand man in Goh, but with decades o stories under his belt, is it time for Ash to step aside and hand over the reign of the series to Goh? When Goh first appeared, he was revealed as a prospective Pokemon trainer from the same town as Ash, wanting to become an amazing trainer himself but also hoping to capture the rare pocket monster of Mew!

With this write up, we'll dive into why we think Goh should take his rightful place as the lead protagonist of Pokemon Journeys, while also leaving Ash to finally take a well earned retirement!

Do you think it's time for Ash to be replaced by Goh? Who would you like to see replace Ketchum if not Goh? 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!

Ash Has Been The Lead For A Looong Time

Pokemon Ash Ketchum

(Photo: OLM Inc)

Since the debut of the anime in 1997, the decades of stories have followed alongside Ash Ketchum and his trusty Pikachu, giving us thousands of episodes over the course of over twenty years. Being given so many stories where he is the lead, it's well past time he hands over the reins to give us a protagonist that can offer up a new fresh perspective, as well as a new Pokemon that doesn't happen to be an electric yellow rodent. With Goh, we could have that while still holding enough similarities to Ash to appease fans of the long running series.

All The Stories For Ash Have Been Told

pokemon journeys ash
(Photo: OLM Inc)

A long running story line that fans were begging for was Ash winning a Pokemon League Tournament, something that had alluded him for nearly the entirety of the anime series, but by winning the Alola League Tournament, we've gotten Ketchum at his strongest and doing a victory lap as a champion. With hsi next big challenge defeating Leon, the current champion of Galar, is there anywhere else for Ash to go after this? Placing Goh into the saddle of the series protagonist would give us new problems and new missions for our hero to face!

Goh Is Pretty Darn Interesting

Pokemon Goh Journey
(Photo: OLM Inc)

Goh certainly shares the same goals with Ash, attempting to become one of the best trainers in the world, but his added quest of attempting to capture and learn more about the legendary Pokemon of Mew adds a new and interesting wrinkle to the character that Ketchum was lacking. Swinging back to the idea that Ash has been in the driver's seat for decades, Goh would add a breath of fresh air when it comes to fighting Team Rocket and participating in Pokemon tournaments.

Open A New World

pokemon anime journeys netflix
(Photo: OLM Inc)

"Opening a new world" could be presented in both a physical and spiritual sense, with the long running Pokemon series diving into a new direction from what we've seen in the past with Goh leading the charge. Giving him new partners that don't fall into who we've seen working alongside Ash would really shake up the proceedings, while still giving us the familiarity of a character we've grown to know in Pokemon Journeys. While the current arc of the series involves a "world tour" we're sure there are plenty of other locales that have yet to be dived into within the world of this legendary anime.

There's Never Been A Better Time

Pokemon Journeys Hiatus Return Ash Goh
(Photo: The Pokemon Company)

Honestly, if there was ever a time for Goh to take the reins of the series, it would be now, or more likely, once Ash defeats Leon (if he ultimately does). At that point, the long story of Ketchum would have reached its apex and while you could make the argument that there would still be more pocket monsters for him to catch and other trainers for him to battle, he could do all that off screen. The big swerve could be that if the camera were focused on Goh and his journey, he might one day have to attempt to defeat his friend Ash Ketchum to become the strongest, adding an amazing wrinkle to the proceedings.

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