The Pokémon anime has been going in a strange direction since the end of the Alola season. Ash Ketchum actually won a Pokémon League for the first time in twenty years and it seemed to some as if his story could have ended there. The new season of the Pokémon anime involves Ash traveling to all of the regions in the Pokémon world, as he is competing in the Pokémon World Championships in an effort to dethrone Leon from the Galar region.

Ash is currently developing a team of powerful Pokémon for what feels like a final run as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime. This raises the question of what direction the anime will take if Ash steps down as the main character? The Pokémon anime doesn't seem as if it's going to be wrapping up anytime soon, so what could happen to the show if Ash's time has come to an end?

Related: Ash Ketchum Is Assembling A Dream Team, But Why Now?

Go Takes Over As Protagonist

Pokemon anime Ash Gou Pikachu Scorbunny

Ash is currently traveling the world with a boy named Go, whose goal is to catch all of the Pokémon in the world, including the elusive Mew. Go is more concerned with catching Pokémon than battling, but it's possible that seeing Ash's last run as a Pokémon Trainer will convince him to take up the mantle and go on his own journey to become a Pokémon Master.

It's likely that Ash would give Pikachu to Go, which would not only allow Pikachu to remain as the mascot of the anime, but it would give Team Rocket a reason to stick around. The current season of the anime could be acting as Go's audition, with the producers of the show monitoring the fan reaction to the character to see if he's worthy of filling Ash's sneakers.

Another Ash Ketchum Reboot

Ash Ketchum Dragonite Pokemon

It's likely that Ash Ketchum is about to fulfill his dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master, so why not start over with a new Ash? The Pokémon movies have already used the concept of an Ash reboot. Pikachu and Team Rocket were still around, but there are new characters present in the story who join Ash on his adventures.

A full Pokémon anime reboot seems like a smart idea, as it would attract both the old fans who watched the series back in the '90s and the new ones who explored the Kanto region in the Let's Go games. This series could bring back Brock and Misty as main characters again and could show Ash traveling to the Galar region once he's done with Kanto, as he only spent limited time in Galar in the original series.

Same Universe, But A Brand New Trainer Becomes The Protagonist

It's possible that the Pokémon anime could start over fresh and use a new protagonist who is unrelated to the original story. It could also go the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX route and start off with Ash giving his Pikachu to an aspiring new trainer, before he heads off into the sunset.

The Pokémon anime has already toyed with the idea of trying out new characters in the role of the main character, as was the case with the Pokémon Origins miniseries back in 2013. The idea of the Pokémon anime being a cyclical series meant that Ash had to become an idiot at the start of each region so that the new fans could catch up on the rules of the setting. Using a new character and possibly switching out the role with someone else each season could avoid these issues and help to further differentiate each season from the last.

Next: New Pokémon Anime Episodes Delayed Due To Japan's State Of Emergency