Captain Pikachu’s reporting for duty in the new Pokémon anime

The new Pokémon animated series will feature a brand-new cast, with newcomer trainers Liko and Roy taking over for Ash Ketchum, who starred in the Pokémon anime for 25 years and in over more than 1,200 episodes. Joining Liko and Roy (and Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly) on their adventures through the world of Pokémon are a new professor, Friede, and his partner Pikachu. Make that... Captain Pikachu

Friede and Captain Pikachu, who is very commanding with his little hat, will assist and battle alongside the Pokémon series’ dual protagonists in the new Pokémon animated series, which is scheduled to debut sometime in 2023. According to a news release from The Pokémon Company, Friede and Captain Pikachu will also aid in “unraveling the mysteries of Liko’s pendant and Roy’s Poké Ball.”

Image: The Pokémon Company

“For 27 years, Pikachu has been synonymous with the Pokémon franchise,” Taito Okiura, vice president of marketing for The Pokémon Company International, said in a statement, “and we look forward to seeing this beloved Pokémon continue to have a significant presence in the animated series and remain an icon for the brand.”

Additional details on the new Pokémon animated series are forthcoming, the company said.

Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series is the 25th and current season of the Pokémon animated series, and will bring Ash Ketchum and Pikachu’s adventures to a close later this year. After 25 years of training, adventuring, and meeting new friends, Ash achieved his dream of becoming the world’s best Pokémon trainer in an episode that aired in November. Ash defeated Leon in the Pokémon World Coronation Series, thus becoming the No. 1-ranked trainer in the show’s world.

English-language dubs of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series are streaming on Netflix.