Here's a better look at the Pokemon anime protagonists replacing Ash

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Welcome Liko and Roy to the series

Pokemon Animated Series
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon Company has offered another look at the anime protagonists replacing Ash, alongside revealing that the show they star in is set to air in Japan come April.

Coming to Tokyo TV, the series will follow two new leads, which you can see just below, called Liko and Roy.

Right now, the only description we have to go on for Liko is that she's a girl with a "mysterious pendant," which you may recognise as the logo on Ash's classic hat. No doubt this pendant will factor into the forthcoming Pokemon anime series, but for now this is the only scant detail we have about the two newcomers leading the show.

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The new Pokemon anime series will premiere in Japan on April 14, with no word on an international release date just yet. The new show will feature Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly from 2022's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, incorporating a trio of starter creatures from the most recent mainline games.

Elsewhere, we also know the Legendary Pokemon Rayquaza will appear in the new show, but in its Shiny form. Pokemon players grind for dozens of hours on end to catch a glimpse of the always-elusive Shiny variants, so it looks like our duo will be hunting the rare creature in the new anime.

This all obviously follows after the Pokemon announced it'd be retiring Ash and Pikachu after over 20 years together in the anime series. The iconic duo got a fond farewell from Pokemon fans across the generations, and it was recently revealed that an all-star line-up of friends would accompany Ash and Pikachu's final anime arc to bid them farewell, just to make the goodbye that much harder.

Now, though, Liko and Roy will grace the Pokemon anime with their own adventures in just a few months' time. Considering the goodbye Ash and Pikachu received, we'd say the duo certainly have their work cut out for them.

Check out our upcoming Switch games guide for a look at all the games Nintendo have planned over the next year. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.