Pokemon Horizons Unveils First Look At New Anime Arc

Pokemon Horizons gives anime fans a first look at this fall's Rayquaza Rising Arc.

By Evan Valentine

It has been over one year since Ash Ketchum decided to retire from the role of Pokemon's anime protagonist, basking in his win to become the new World Champion and taking Pikachu to explore new adventures off-screen. In Ketchum's place, two new protagonists have stepped up to the plate in Liko and Roy as they hold different goals than their predecessor. As the trainers' quest marches on, Pokemon Horizons has announced a new arc that will introduce Roy and Liko to new pocket monsters that gamers might be well-versed with thanks to Nintendo's recent offerings.

For those who might be unfamiliar, Rayquaza first appeared in the Pokemon games in the third generation. However, the flying Pokemon who make a return in the latest entries of the series, Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, sporting a very different aesthetic. As seen in the promotional poster, the darker iteration of Rayquaza appears to be the next major challenge that will keep Liko and Roy busy. The Legendary Pokemon has become something of a mascot of the series, appearing on the cover of Pokemon Emerald and continuing to find new ways to return to the series in both the gaming landscape and the anime one.

Rayquaza Rising Promo

The next major arc of Pokemon Horizons is set to make landfall on the small screen in Japan on October 11th. Focusing on the locale known as Kitakami, an environment that was featured in the latest game's expansion, this upcoming storyline is sure to give Liko and Roy plenty of challenges. As has been the case throughout the majority of the anime adaptation to date, expect both the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers to have significant roles in the next chapter.

When Will Rayquaza Rising Hit Netflix?

As Pokemon fans know, Horizons has been regularly releasing episode batches on Netflix. While fans will wait for some time to see this next arc arrive on the streaming service, Netflix has shared a date as to when Pokemon fans can expect Part Four to land. On November 22nd, the next batch of Pokemon's anime episodes will hit the platform to add to the current number of thirty-four episodes.

How Do Liko And Roy Differ From Ash?

As anime fans have seen so far, the two new main trainers are far different from Ash Ketchum. Rather than working to become the strongest trainers that the world has ever seen, Liko and Roy are instead attempting to protect some very powerful and important artifacts as they dodge the advances of the Explorers. Unlike Team Rocket, the new villainous enclave is far more serious about their goals and don't offer nearly as much comic relief as Jesse, James, and Meowth.

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This isn't to say that Ash will never return to the series as there has been past testimony from executives behind the scenes that have confirmed Ketchum could always make a comeback. Ash had been leading the charge in the anime adaptation for decades, leaving many to wonder if the show could survive without his presence. As Pokemon Horizons has proved, the Pokemon universe can thrive even if viewers aren't following Ash's journey to become a "Pokemon Master".

Want to see what the future holds for Liko and Roy as they continue their quest in the shadow of Ash Ketchum? Want to see what secrets are unearthed in the upcoming Rayquaza Rising Arc arriving in Japan next month? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Pokemon and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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