Pokemon says goodbye to Ash and Pikachu!

Ending applause for Sasha and Pikachu after 25 Seasons of Adventure: The Pokémon Company announced Friday that it will launch a “new series” in 2023 with “never-before-seen” characters, including duo Liko and Roy.

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“The new series will debut in multiple countries in 2023,” said Pokémon Company, part-owned by Japanese video game giant Nintendo that handles brand rights from TV series to trading card game.

“The new series will be released after the current season” in which Sasha Ketchum, the protagonist of the series with his faithful companion Pikachu, has completed the award for the best “trainer in the world” after 25 seasons of adventures.

The special episodes will be “the final chapter of Ash and Pikachu’s adventures” and “give a glimpse of what the future holds” for the two iconic characters. These episodes will be broadcast in France on Wednesday morning.

As noted by The Pokémon Company: “Fans will be happy to watch the new series, which will touch on all the symbols of the Pokémon cartoons dear to their hearts: action, adventure, friendship and Pokémon.”

Pokémon first appeared in Japan in 1996 as a video game on the Game Boy console, and has spawned one of the most popular cultural franchises around the world, along with Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Available in endless forms, collectible card game, objects, stuffed animals or cinematic adaptations, the hit monster-capturing saga revolutionized mobile gaming with “Pokémon Go,” which introduced geolocation and augmented reality mechanics.

The new video games in the “Scarlet” and “Purple” Pokémon franchise on the Nintendo Switch system got off to a fast start with ten million sales in just a few days after its release in late November.