Pokemon Journeys did what many believed to be impossible, seeing Ash Ketchum and Pikachu become the victors of the Masters 8 Tournament with the former gaining the title of Pokemon World Champion as a result. While many believed that the anime series would continue with Ash in the lead role to explore his status as the top of the food chain, many predictions were dashed when it was revealed that Ketchum and his trusty Pikachu were retiring. Luckily, fans will have time to say goodbye via a new special and several new episodes.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The official announcement for the upcoming episode dropping later this week reads as such from Pokemon’s website:
“To celebrate Pokemon’s animated series’ twenty-five-year history, a special episode called “Pocket Monster: The Far Off Blue Sky” will air on Friday, December 23rd, 2022. We’ve called upon staff from the original 1997 series to give us Ash and Pikachu’s “ordinary, special day” in a special episode that’s perfect for the last broadcast of the year.”
The production staff also confirmed some of the creators that helmed this project including director Kunihiko Yuyama, screenplay writer Shouji Yonemura, character designers Sayuri Ichi’ishi and Shuhei Yasuda, as well as musician Shinji Miyazaki.
Goodbye Ash
The Official Twitter Account for Pokemon’s anime series also shared new images from the upcoming special which will act as the television show’s final entry for 2022 following the earth-shattering news that Ash and Pikachu’s tenure as the series leads would be drawing to a close:
Though Ash and Pikachu might be leaving the series as the stars of the show, two new trainers are set to take the reins in Liko and Roy. While few details have been revealed about these new trainers so far, a popular theory is that the female trainer Liko might just be the daughter of Ash in the future, sporting a hair clip that looks quite familiar to the logo that Ketchum wears on his hat.
Are you sad to see Ash and Pikachu finally leave the series after their twenty-plus-year history? Do you think Liko might be related to Ketchum as per the popular fan theory? 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.
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