New Pokémon series without Ash and Pikachu will premiere English dub on Netflix in February
Even though Ash Ketchum and Pikachu's exciting journey in the Pokémon world has come to an end, there are still more adventures to come in the new series Pokémon Horizons.
The 26th and current season of the Pokémon animated show began airing in Japan in April this year, and now, it is set to introduce its new story and characters to its international fans with the show's English dub set to premiere in 2024.
According to the official website, the series will stream on Netflix on Feb. 27, just in time for Pokémon Day.
The current season made some significant changes to its plot as it is the first in the show's 25-year-run where original protagonists Ash and Pikachu will no longer be the focus of the story.
The last season, titled Pokemon Journeys: The Series, saw them traveling around the world and revisiting all of the past regions featured in the anime, from Kanto to Galar.
Not only did Journeys bring back some of Ash's most prominent companions, rivals, and Pokémon, but it also had him fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world after emerging victorious in the show's Pokémon World Championship.
Horizons will have a young girl named Liko and a boy named Roy filling in Ash and Pikachu's shoes as the new heroes. The pair, along with their partner Pokémon, Sprigatito and Fuecoco—set off on an incredible journey across all the regions from Kanto to Paldea.
However, Liko finds herself targeted by a mysterious organization that is after her pendant. She finds help from a group of adventurers known as the Rising Volt Tacklers, led by Friede and his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu.
The dubbed version of Pokémon Horizons will star the voices of Alejandra Reynoso (Winx Club) and Anjali Kunapaneni (Jujutsu Kaisen) as Liko and Roy respectively.
Aside from this, Pokémon fans can also enjoy the upcoming stop-motion animated series, Pokémon Concierge, on Netflix, which will premiere on Dec. 28. The show tells the story of Haru as she is hired as a concierge at a Pokémon resort, wherein she is tasked with taking care of the wondrous creatures and ensuring that their stay in the resort is a pleasant one.