Pokemon Promo Confirms the Return of Lance and Red Gyarados

Pokemon fans are used to meeting Gym Leaders at this point, but it isn’t often they revisit the legends. Sometimes, a trainer will come around that sticks with the franchise, and those leaders have amassed their own fandom. And thanks to a recent update, it turns out Pokemon: The Series is slated to revisit one of those Gym Leaders at last.

Recently, social media began buzzing when Pokemon fans noticed a promo for Pokemon’s anime has surfaced. The visual shows a huge Gyarados as it splashes through the spread, but that is not all. This Gyarados is most definitely red, and fans can see an inset photo of Lance behind him.

Yes, you read that right. Lance is going to appear in Pokemon: The Series soon, and fans cannot wait for the trainer’s return.

For those who do not remember Lance, don’t be too hard on yourself! The trainer did make his debut back in Generation One and has continued to pop up in regions since. The Dragon-type Trainer grew to fame thanks to his work with the Elite Four, and his Red Gyardos is one of his favorite anime catches.

After all, Lance caught the pocket monster some time ago. In the episode “Rage of Innocence”, fans learned why Gyarados was red, and they felt for his forced evolution. To this day, the rare Pokemon continues to follow Lance in battle, and it seems Gyarados will double-down on his loyalty in an upcoming episode.

Are you excited to see Lance again? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Pokemon: The Series, is now airing new episodes weekly in Japan, but unfortunately is still not officially licensed for an English language release as of this writing. There’s also a brand new film on the way to Japan this Summer, Pokemon the Movie: Coco.