With the release of each new Pokémon video game, we get a new anime series. In them, Ash the eternal ten-year-old trainer travels to a new region where he encounters and trains new Pokémon. Not only that but he gets introduced to a new professor (who is usually named after some sort of plant).
In the upcoming Pokémon: Sword and Shield, not only will we see Ash and his new pal Gou travel to the Galar region, but we also hear that they’ll be traveling through the previously explored regions as well (not sure if the Orange Islands will count).
The official Pokémon Twitter account gives us a peek at the new character named Professor Sakuragi. We also find out that that this professor has his lab set up in the Kanto region or more specifically in Vermillion City.
?新 #アニポケ 速報?
新シリーズのサトシとゴウの
冒険の拠点を紹介?️#サクラギ研究所
カントー地方
クチバシティに作られた
サクラギ研究所が新たな冒険の拠点?ここからサトシとゴウは
さまざまな地方へ旅立っていきます‼️ pic.twitter.com/CQ8BEgesPR— 新アニメ「ポケットモンスター」公式＠11/17（日）放送スタート！ (@anipoke_PR) October 11, 2019
The Japanese voice actor for Professor Sakuragi is Yuichi Nakamura, who previously voiced the character N in Pokémon Best Wishes. We also learn that the professor will have a daughter that will appear in the series as well.
?新 #アニポケ 速報?
新シリーズのキャラクターを紹介✨#サクラギ
カントー地方クチバシティに作られた
サクラギ研究所の所長でポケモン博士?
二人の冒険をサポートしながら
ポケモンの研究を行う?声優を務めるのは #中村悠一 さんです✨ pic.twitter.com/RYXgdQa6Qu
— 新アニメ「ポケットモンスター」公式＠11/17（日）放送スタート！ (@anipoke_PR) October 11, 2019
I’ve got to say, I grew up on the series and I’m excited to see the show revisit its roots. With Ash returning to the Kanto region, I hope we get to see him checking out some old stomping grounds and maybe even bump into some old friends. It would be great to see Ash reunite with his old Butterfree or maybe pay his old buddy Gary a visit and rub in his Alola League win a bit.
Daiki Tomiyasu is on board the series as the chief director for OLM, Maki Odaira as the series director, Kunihiko Yuyama as the creative supervisor, Shoji Yonemura will be overseeing the series construction, Shuhei Yasuda as character designer, Masafumi Mima as sound director, and Yuki Hayashi as the series composer. Daiki Yamashita will be voicing the new character and co-lead Gou who is partnered up with a Scorbunny.
This next season of Pokémon is set to air on November 17th in Japan. Which is only a couple of days after Pokémon Sword and Shield is set for release. At the moment, we have no information about when the series will be airing in North America but it’ll likely not be too long after the Japanese debut.