Pokémon Anime Replaces Protagonists After 30 Years

After 26 years of thrilling adventures in the Pokémon anime, our hero Ash Ketchum has finally decided to hang up his hat—all while somehow staying forever ten years old. For the majority of the series, The Pokémon Company firmly resisted letting its protagonist grow up, but with Pokémon Horizons, it looks like they're breaking tradition. The new main characters, Liko and Roy, are set to mature a little as the story progresses.

The announcement came via a recent CoroCoro preview of the next story arc, titled Mega Voltage, which confirmed a "time skip" that will advance Liko and Roy’s ages by roughly three years. Fans can expect updated looks for the main cast, with Liko, Roy, and Dot appearing noticeably taller and more mature than in previous episodes:

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What’s especially intriguing is that these characters share the same universe as Ash Ketchum, even if he’s not starring in the current series. That implies that somewhere off-screen, Ash, along with familiar faces like Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena, and the rest, has also aged three years. Could this arc finally introduce a grown-up Ash Ketchum? It’s unclear, but many supporters are already speculating that we might see an older version of him in the near future—either now or in a later season.

The Mega Voltage story will also bring back Mega Evolutions, likely timed to coincide with the return of the mechanic in the upcoming game Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We also learn that Liko’s Floragato has evolved into Meowscarada, and Roy now has a shiny Mega Lucario at his side.

One character conspicuously missing from the reveal is Friede, the captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. His partner Pikachu is present, though, and appears to be holding Friede’s goggles—fans have noticed what look like cracks along the sides, hinting that something unfortunate may have happened to Friede. Oh no.

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The Mega Voltage arc is scheduled to premiere in Japan on April 11 this year, but it will take a while before it reaches the United States, since the English-language dub is still catching up. Our review of the anime so far hasn’t been overly glowing—we gave Pokémon Horizons Season 2 a 5/10, noting it “often fails to lean into its strongest elements.” Let’s hope the time skip breathes fresh excitement into the Rising Volt Tacklers’ journey.