📺 Pokémon Horizons (2023)
Based on video game
Pokémon Horizons: The Series marks a historic turning point for the long-running Pokémon anime. For the first time in over 25 years, the series introduces new dual protagonists, Liko and Roy, moving on from the iconic Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu. This new chapter, which began airing in Japan in April 2023, is set across multiple regions, including the Paldea region from the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games.
The series follows Liko, a shy girl from the Paldea region who possesses a mysterious pendant, and Roy, a boy from the Kanto region who carries an ancient Poké Ball. They join a group of adventurers called the Rising Volt Tacklers, traveling the world on an airship and uncovering the secrets of legendary Pokémon and ancient heroes. Their journey is complicated by the Explorers, a mysterious organization pursuing Liko for her pendant, which turns out to be a dormant Terapagos.
As the 26th season of the Pokémon anime, Horizons represents a soft reboot that honors the franchise's legacy while forging a completely new path. The series is based on the Pokémon video game franchise, which began in 1996 with Pokémon Red and Green on the Game Boy. The games, created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by Game Freak, introduced the core concepts of catching, training, and battling creatures that have become a global cultural touchstone. Horizons incorporates elements from the ninth generation of games, including the Terastal phenomenon and new Pokémon species, while telling an original story distinct from any previous game or anime arc.
Pokémon is a media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, first released in 1996 by Nintendo and Game Freak. The franchise began as a pair of role-playing video games for the Game Boy, which introduced the concept of creatures called Pokémon that humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and train to battle each other for sport. The games are set in fictional regions inspired by real-world locations, each with unique species of Pokémon, and involve the player collecting badges, thwarting villainous teams, and becoming the Pokémon Champion.
The Pokémon video game series has become one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, with core installments on every Nintendo handheld console. The games' mechanics, including type matchups, evolution, and trading, have become iconic. The franchise expanded into a global phenomenon encompassing an anime series, trading card game, movies, toys, and more. Its themes of friendship, discovery, and adventure have resonated with audiences worldwide, making Pokémon a cultural touchstone since the late 1990s.
