Ash’s Voice Actor Clarifies Rumors About Pokemon Anime Ending Due to Cast Tensions

Rica Matsumoto, the voice behind Ash Ketchum, has recently addressed the swirling rumors that suggest the original Pokémon anime concluded due to conflict between herself and Ikue Otani, the voice of Pikachu.

In 2023, the iconic journey of Ash Ketchum came to an end, marking a poignant farewell to fans of the Pokémon series who had followed the duo for 25 years.

During the weekend of October 12, 2024, the Pokémon franchise faced a serious breach at Game Freak, one of its co-owners, which resulted in a significant leak of sensitive information.

This incident not only exposed the personal details of thousands of employees but also included a transcript suggesting that one of the main reasons behind the conclusion of Ash’s story was attributed to purported “strained relations” between Matsumoto and Otani.

The leak also implied that Game Freak was contemplating recasting Matsumoto if they chose to advance Ash’s narrative, as the alleged tensions were reportedly affecting the morale of the cast.

Lol, someone’s making this up. Don’t worry, nothing like this has happened. I’ve been with Iku-chan since she was a newbie, and she even came as a guest on Rika’s fan club tour 😊✨ People who don’t know me, I wonder if you enjoy writing this, no one is happy. I think it’s in bad taste and childish. https://t.co/7B5MOCNbW5

— 🌈✨Rica Matsumoto✨🌈 (@rica_matsumoto3) October 14, 2024

On October 14, 2024, Matsumoto took to the platform X (formerly Twitter) to refute the rumors. In her message, she expressed that “these claims are fabricated” and reassured fans that “nothing of the sort has occurred.”

She also emphasized her long-standing friendship with Ikue, stating they had known each other since their early careers and that Otani had even attended her fan club tour as a special guest.

The actress criticized the rumors as “immature and in bad taste,” concluding that “no one is pleased” with the implication of discord between her and Otani.

Despite the removal of the post containing these leaks, the Pokémon community continues to speculate and discuss the rumors surrounding Ash’s departure allegedly influenced by cast disputes.

Moreover, the speculation is heightened by the fact that Otani has reprised her role as Pikachu in Pokémon Horizons, whereas Matsumoto has not been called back for any part.

Along with the rumors surrounding cast dynamics, the extensive Pokémon leak also unveiled information regarding Switch 2, source code, details about Generation 10, and more.

Source