Is Liko related to Ash in Pokemon Horizons?

The Pokemon anime has a new protagonist, Liko, who has taken over from Ash Ketchum in the Pokemon Horizons series. But are the two related to each other?

The story of Ash Ketchum’s family is one of the longest-running mysteries in the franchise. While his mother is an important recurring character, we still don’t know anything about his father outside of a few references in the early seasons of the anime.

The mystery of Ash’s father was never resolved in the final season of the Pokemon anime, and the series has been succeeded by Pokemon Horizons, which has a new cast of characters who reside in the Paldea region.

The main characters in Pokemon Horizons are Liko and Roy. Fans have been speculating that Liko is connected to Ash, hoping to connect the protagonists of the two franchises. But is there any evidence to suggest a familial tie between Ash Ketchum and Liko?

Are Ash and Liko related in the Pokemon anime?

The Pokemon Company

There’s no evidence to suggest Ash Ketchum and Liko are related. Both of Liko’s parents have been revealed, so we know it can’t be a time-skip situation where an older Ash Ketchum is her father.

The door for the two to be related is still open, as Liko and Ash could have the same father. Liko’s father, Alex, has appeared in the series. But, while Alex does share physical similarities, there is no confirmation of a link between the two.

There’s slightly more evidence to suggest that Roy, the other protagonist of Pokemon Horizons, is related to Ash, as it’s confirmed that he comes from the Kanto region. However, nothing else ties them together outside of aesthetic and personality similarities.

A crossover between Ash Ketchum and the heroes of Pokemon Horizons seems likely and may well be the plot of an upcoming Pokemon movie. If there are any connections between the three, they will be revealed there, but until then, there’s no confirmation that any of the Pokemon anime protagonists are related.