EXCLUSIVE: We asked Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at The Pokemon Company International, about how it felt to see longtime series protagonist Ash Ketchum leave the long-running animeTech09:30, 27 Feb 2025Ash remains iconic, not just inside Pokemon but in pop-culture more broadlyWhen you think of Pokemon characters, there's a good chance if you're not thinking of a 'Mon, you're thinking of Ash Ketchum.Pallet Town's rising star was loosely based on the first gen games' protagonist Red, but grew into an affable, capable trainer in his own right, and led the Pokemon anime series for a whopping 25 seasons.Still, all things must come to an end, and in December 2022, The Pokemon Company confirmed that Ash (and his faithful Pikachu) would be leaving the series.We caught up with Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at The Pokemon Company International to talk all things Pokemon, including the decision to let the iconic duo leave the long-running series.Pokemon's anime has gone in a different direction, and that's OK(Image: The Pokemon Company)"It is always hard to move on from a cast of characters that so many fans have grown up loving," Murphy explains."One of the key challenges we had with Pokmon Horizons was making room in fans hearts for brand new experiences and characters. Many of us grew up with Ash and Pikachu and the memories that fans have with these iconic characters will always stay with them.""We knew the future of our animation series needed to be respectful to the legacy of the show and Ash and Pikachus adventures," he adds."This was a key area we really had to focus on during production. We realised the feeling of adventuring with your best friends, growing and learning on lifes journey has always been a key component of what made the Pokmon Animated series what it is.""These elements are clearly shown in Liko and Roys adventures across the world of Pokmon. One of our objectives with Horizons was to make the animation feel exciting and fresh to new viewers whilst feeling familiar for our fans. We have dual boy and girl protagonists for the first time who are on their own separate adventures but very much together for the ride."We asked how fans have taken to the change in leads, and Murphy has been pleased by the reaction..He added: "The reception we have seen from fans has been fantastic and we hope viewers have seen some of themselves in these characters and feel connected with them on a personal level.""We wanted viewers to feel the same sense of adventure that they did as a child watching the show for the very first time and so far, the feedback from our broadcast partners and the community has been so positive we hope we achieved that."For more on from our interview, check out Murphy's comments on the increased popularity of the Pokemon Trading Card Game in the UK.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.