The new protagonists of the Pokémon anime will be taking over when the new series debuts in Japan on 14th April 2023 in Japan. Serebii shared the news and the date on Twitter.
Ash Ketchum and Pikachu will be hanging up their caps and passing the torch on to new protagonists Liko and Roy as the anime enters its Paldea phase following last year's Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Ash and Pikachu have been the face of the show for 25 years, and we're definitely not crying as the show begins to wrap up their arc.
So far, the official Japanese Pokémon Twitter account has shared a brief clip of Liko, the female protagonist of this new era of the Pokémon anime, along with a special pendant.
The new series doesn't have a release date in the West yet, but we'll be sure to let you know when we find out. At the moment, the anime is giving Ash and friends one last hurrah before the new series.