The Pokemon Company has addressed whether icons Ash Ketchum and Pikachu could one day return to the Pokemon anime series, and it sounds like the door is being left open.
Speaking to Variety, The Pokemon Company International heads Andy Gose and Taito Okiura address whether Ash Ketchum's farewell in the Pokemon anime series was really for good. "We've said farewell. Ash is still in the world. Anything is possible, I suppose. In the world of Pokémon, there’s so many possibilities," Gose says.
"We hope Ash and Pikachu continue in their journey. Their journey is ongoing somewhere in the Pokémon world. It’s totally up to our fans' imagination. For the time being, we would love to focus on the new story of the Liko and Roy. Horizons invites a new beginning," Okiura also says on the topic.
So it sounds like, although "anything is possible," we probably shouldn't expect Ash or his Pikachu to resurface in the Pokemon anime series anytime soon. Right now, at least, the focus is very much on newcomers Liko and Roy in Pokemon Horizons: The Series, which just began streaming last week on Netflix in the US and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Unfortunately, the Pokemon TV streaming service is shutting down, effective later this month on March 28, where it'll be delisted from countless digital storefronts, including the App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon Appstore, and Nintendo eShop. All the Pokemon shows that you would've previously found in one place are now spread out over Netflix, Roku, Tubi, and Prime Video.
The Pokemon Company first announced back in December 2022 that Ash and Pikachu's journey would be concluding, after more than 25 years on screens around the world. Ash and Pikachu's final episode came and went a few months later in March 2023, making some long-time fans very misty-eyed, particularly those who had grown up alongside the great duo.
Read our full Pokemon Horizons: The Series review for what we made of the anime's post first-Ash season.
