Pokémon Horizons is finally doing something the anime has long sworn off, and that's allowing time to for its characters. With Liko and Roy headed for a timeskip after just 90 episodes, what drove the producers to decide now was the right time, and why did it never happen for Ash?

Ash Ketchum was the lead of the Pokémon anime for 25 seasons, yet throughout all that time, it was insisted that Ash remained 10 years old, never aging or growing up in a discernible way. The setting for Ash's anime was described as "eternal early summer," making it so that time wasn't really ing for him or the world. It makes the story into something of a summer break fantasy, a coming-of-age story that never quite makes it to that next age. So, what led the anime to abandon that premise with Liko and Roy, and allow them to be aged up in a way that Ash never could be?

Pokémon's Long-Time Showrunner Refused to Age Ash Up

Ash's Lack of Aging Was Largely Up to One Man

In the GameFreak "Teraleak" last year, some interesting information about the anime was revealed. One of the leaked documents contained a discussion about the anime and potentially phasing Ash out. The idea was to replace him with a character who "can grow both mentally and physically over a three-year span." The same leak also explains that the reason Ash doesn't age is largely due to Kunihiko Yuyama, one of the lead directors of the Pokémon anime, who sees Ash as an "eternal adventurer" and said that Ash "wasn't about achieving something." Yuyama was also against letting Ash win in the Alola League.

Yuyama has been in charge of the anime for a long time; he took over after Takeshi Shudo, the original creative mind behind the Pokémon anime. Yuyama and Shudo were close collaborators, having worked on other projects together as well. Looking through the Teraleak documents regarding the anime, it can be seen that various people from GameFreak and the Pokémon Company had brought up the idea of aging Ash up before, only to be struck down by Yuyama. However, Yuyama stepped down from his creative role for Pokémon Horizons, opening the door for fresh new creatives to take charge.

Pokémon Horizons Was Built to Be Different From the Start

Pokémon Horizons Wanted to Distinguish Itself from What Came Before

With a new creative staff in charge, it was much easier to make changes to the formula which had been developed for Ash. Since deg a protagonist who would noticeably change was apparently a primary concern, it makes sense that Pokémon Horizons would embrace the idea of a timeskip as a means of showing that physical change. After all, timeskips have been highly successful in other manga and anime series, such as Naruto, Bleach, Attack on Titan, and many more. It also makes it possible to have abrupt shifts in the plot, as the ing of time can change priorities.

Liko and, to a lesser extent, Roy, have already had a lot of character development throughout Pokémon Horizons, covering the "grow mentally" part of the aforementioned quote, so eventually the time would have to come when the characters changed physically as well. The change conveys well that this is a new chapter for the series, and that fans can expect a very different story to begin unfolding than what came before. Additionally, by removing the mentor character of Friede from this series, it forces Liko and Roy to begin growing and acting on their own, without guidance from an elder.

How Have Fans Reacted to the Timeskip?

Fan Reaction Has Been Overwhelmingly Positive

So far, fans of the Pokémon anime have been very receptive to the idea of a timeskip for Liko and Roy, although there is a degree of shock that the anime would finally embrace something it has avoided for so long. Many fans are excited to see if older protagonists will mean a darker, more serious story, although that kind of change may be a bridge too far, at least for the moment.

It remains to be seen just how much the timeskip will change the show. It could have a substantial impact on the tone, depending on what exactly happens with Friede, and older characters may be allowed to face greater danger. On the other hand, the series is still primarily aimed at kids, so who knows how much it will actually change. Only the start of Pokémon Horizons' new series will reveal how the series has changed.