Gibeon

Not to be confused with Gideon.

Gibeon ギベオン Gibeon
Gibeon in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Age	100+
Gender	Male
Eye color	Pink
Hair color	White, silver, and pink
Hometown	Pericarp Town (original hometown unknown)
Region	Unknown
Relatives	Amethio (grandson) Cervantis (son-in-law) Maria (daughter; deceased)
Member of	Explorers
Rank	Co-founder, Boss
Member of	Exceed
Rank	Founder, Chairman
Animated series	Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Debut	The Ancient Poké Ball
English voice actor	David Kaye
Japanese voice actor	Show Hayami

Gibeon (Japanese: ギベオン Gibeon^[1]) was a recurring character and the main antagonist of Pokémon Horizons: The Series from the Liko and Roy's Departure arc to the Rayquaza Rising arc. He was the former leader of the Explorers, one of its founders, as well as the founder and chairman of Exceed. Additionally, he is Amethio's grandfather.

History

Pre-series

At some point in the past, Gibeon met and caught a White Zygarde as his partner due to their shared wish to bring happiness to Pokémon and people. 100 years prior to the events of the series, Gibeon was a traveling Trainer searching for the Pokémon paradise Laqua alongside his Zygarde. One day, while at a saloon, he overheard two other patrons deriding a pair of travelers who had come to ask for information regarding Laqua. He presented them with an extensive document of all the research he had conducted proving Laqua existed. Later, the two travelers, Lucius and Rystal, invited him to accompany them on their journey to locate the paradise, and he agreed. The group adopted the name of the Explorers and traveled around the world, ultimately locating Laqua after several days lost at sea.

In Laqua, Gibeon studied the local Pokémon, seeking to understand what could have created such a lush environment. The trio pushed on deeper into Laqua, discovering evidence of plant life that had withered from an unknown force. They eventually came across a growth of pink crystals named Laquium that generate a pink mist. Gibeon approached the growth to take a sample, observing the intense levels of energy the crystal possessed. Lucius, fearing what kind of effect the crystals could have on his group, instructed Gibeon and Rystal to leave Laqua with him, while Rystal agreed, Gibeon did not listen. Driven mad by the power of the mist, Gibeon used Zygarde in an attempt to force more crystals to grow, unleashing more mist in the process. The mist, in turn, caused the Pokémon nearby to begin rampaging, forcing Lucius and Rystal to fight them off. Zygarde, realizing the effect the mist was having on its Trainer, shed some of its cells in an attempt to seal the crystals' energy away, but this measure failed. The crystals' explosive growth ruptured the ground beneath Gibeon's feet, causing him to fall into a fissure. Following his fall, Rystal's Terapagos Pagogo and Lucius's Pokémon the Six Heroes worked together to seal the Laquium inside a giant energy barrier, Lucius was trapped inside it and Rystal left the paradise.

Over time, Gibeon's role in Lucius's adventures was largely forgotten. He survived the fall thanks to the Laquium shard he had with him and eventually made his way down Mount Pericarp to Pericarp Town, where his injuries were treated by the mother of a 3 year old girl. Using his Laquium shard, he was able to exploit the mist to extend his lifespan and survive into the present day. During this time, he organized the modern incarnation of the Explorers and founded the Paldean company known as Exceed to serve as the group's scientific research front, specifically on Laquium. Since then, he sought to break Pagogo's barrier and harvest the Laquium to better the lives of both humans and Pokémon.

He later met Hamber, who had become lost and aimless in his path as an adventurer, but Gibeon guided and recruited him into the Explorers. He also sought to recruit Hamber's old friend Diana, Lucius and Rystal's granddaughter, but she turned down Hamber's invitation. At one point, Gibeon also got married and fathered a daughter, who would grow up and marry a man named Cervantis. Cervantis joined the Explorers and was apparently tasked with carrying on Gibeon's legacy, but through unknown circumstances, Cervantis strayed from this path and failed to live up to Gibeon's expectations, eventually being expelled from the Explorers. Cervantis and Gibeon's daughter had a child of their own, Amethio, who Gibeon later brought into the Explorers with the same task, to find Laqua once again. At some point, Gibeon's daughter died in a car accident, but his reaction to this event is currently unknown.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Gibeon was mentioned for the first time in The Treasure After the Storm!, when Hamber questioned Amethio about the results of his mission.

In The Ancient Poké Ball, Gibeon appeared communicating with his Admins regarding Amethio's mission to Roy's hometown. Believing that Amethio did not carry out his mission properly, he dismissed him and sent Spinel to investigate the Rising Volt Tacklers. When all the members left the meeting, Hamber and Gibeon realized that they had finally found their true purpose.

In Rivals in the Dark of Night!, Gibeon contacted Hamber during the events in Galar. After the battle ended, Hamber was seen talking to Gibeon again by the monolith, informing him that events had finally begun to move again. Gibeon, in response, expressed that their wishes would soon come true.

In Respective Departures, Amethio sought an audience with Gibeon following his mission with the Black Rayquaza in the previous episode. Gibeon, awakening, spoke to Amethio about the battle and inquired how he felt while fighting Rayquaza. After Amethio claimed that he felt Rayquaza was not taking the battle seriously, Gibeon suggested that it was either testing him or toying with him, then informed Amethio that Rayquaza and Terapagos were the keys to his paradise, Laqua.

Gibeon made his first physical appearance in From So Far Away. He presided over another meeting of the Explorers following the failure of their plan to collectively battle the Black Rayquaza. In the light of their failure, he ordered a change of tactics, directing his subordinates to spy on the Rising Volt Tacklers and allow them to gather the Six Heroes, while also ordering Coral and the others to monitor Liko and Terapagos. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Gibeon was seen in his personal chamber, musing to himself about his desire to return to Laqua and how Lucius's adventure wasn't yet over.

In The Treasure of Eternity, Gibeon summoned Amethio to meet with him in-person. During this meeting, it was revealed that Amethio was Gibeon's grandson, and his heir in the search for Laqua. Amethio swore he would prove himself worthy of carrying Gibeon's blood by finding the paradise and the Laquium within, thus succeeding where his father, Gibeon's son-in-law, had failed.

In Liko and Amethio, after an operation against the Rising Volt Tacklers concluded in Glaseado Mountain, Spinel presented evidence that Amethio had betrayed the organization by allowing Liko to leave with Terapagos. The other admins believed his claim, while Hamber was willing to listen to his defense. Before Amethio could explain anything, Gibeon chimed in, questioning whether Amethio was straying from the path much like his son-in-law did. He then made the decision to expel Amethio, seemingly unaware that he was being manipulated by Spinel and coldly told his grandson not to show his face again after his expulsion.

In The Wonders of the World!, Liko and the Rising Volt Tacklers learned about the Explorers' past from Rystal after summoning her through time at the Crystal Pool. Gibeon was later seen resting in his chamber while Spinel and Chalce schemed to usurp the position at his side once he returned to Laqua.

In The Truth Revealed!, Gibeon was informed by Sidian that the Rising Volt Tacklers had successfully obtained the Six Heroes, restored Terapagos to full strength, and had left to find Laqua. He told the Explorers that they would ambush the Rising Volt Tacklers in Laqua once the seal had been lifted. Later, in a meeting with Spinel and Chalce, Gibeon expressed his joy at the anticipation of finally obtaining more Laquium.

In The Rising Volt Tacklers vs. The Explorers!, with the barrier to Laqua removed, Gibeon began heading towards where the Laquium was located. Accompanied only by his Zygarde, Gibeon muttered to himself about finally achieving his goals as he approached his destination.

In Guided by the Black Rayquaza!, Gibeon made it to the Laquium and witnessed Zygarde retrieve its missing Cells, allowing it to become its 50% Forme. He ordered Zygarde to unearth a large cluster of crystals, but was interrupted by Amethio, who warned him of Spinel's actions. Gibeon ignored his grandson's words and continued mining the Laquium, but to his shock, a still-living Lucius emerged from the crystals. Lucius revealed that through its Cells, Zygarde kept him informed of events happening in the modern day world outside of Laqua. Furious at this apparent betrayal, Gibeon had the Explorers use one of Spinel's machines to stimulate the Laquium, causing it to expand uncontrollably like it did a hundred years prior. Though their views regarding Laquium differed, Zygarde agreed to fight alongside Gibeon in order to battle Amethio and the Rising Volt Tacklers.

In The Earthshaking White Zygarde, Gibeon commanded Zygarde in a ferocious battle against Liko, Roy, Dot and Amethio. He easily dominated the four of them with Zygarde's immense power, but began losing control of his emotions once they landed hits on the legendary Pokémon. Finally, just when his victory seemed to be within reach, Liko's newly-evolved Meowscarada was able to strike Zygarde with aid from Amethio's Ceruledge, convincing Zygarde of their abilities. As a result, Zygarde broke apart into its Cells and abandoned Gibeon. Realizing his defeat, Gibeon broke down completely, lashing out at Lucius over his perception that the latter's bloodline had once again destroyed his dreams. When Lucius told him that Liko and her allies' bonds with their Pokémon were the reason they could overcome him, and that Zygarde battled them in order to demonstrate this to him, Gibeon became contemplative and began pondering Zygarde's Poké Ball.

In Where the Adventure Leads, after his defeat Gibeon was informed by Lucius that Zygarde did care about him as its partner due to once having a good goal towards bettering the lives of people and Pokémon, causing Gibeon to feel more remorseful for his actions. After Pagogo used most of its power to destroy the Laquium crystals, Gibeon and Lucius started to fade away as the crystals that kept them alive are now destroyed. In the end, Gibeon reconciled with Lucius and even his grandson Amethio, praising him before fading away.

Character

In his youth, Gibeon was a determined, scientifically-minded adventurer. He habitually gathered volumes of information on his goals, recording all of his research into Laqua on a scroll that reached a significant length. He also did not tolerate what he deemed as foolishness regarding topics such as whether Laqua existed or not. Although he was generally flat emotionally, he did display some signs of appreciation and happiness during his time with Lucius and Rystal. When the three Explorers reached Laqua, he immediately tried to satisfy his scientific curiosity, seeking to understand how the paradise gained its rich environment.

However, following the discovery of Laquium, Gibeon's personality changed significantly for the worse for the long years. He grew maniacal and reckless in his efforts to cultivate more Laquium, behaving in a way that displayed no concern over the rampaging Pokémon around him or the risk to the world posed by the Laquium's growth. When his Zygarde turned against him and tried to seal the Laquium, Gibeon grew enraged and berated it for its betrayal. He also came to view Lucius's attempts to seal away the Laquium as a personal betrayal as well. In his obsession with the Laquium, Gibeon had come to believe that the destruction of the world by its growth would be an acceptable price to pay in creating a new order of only those strong enough to withstand its effects.

Many years later, Gibeon initially appeared to be a calm, detached leader of the Explorers, mostly delegating the day-to-day work of running his followers to Hamber. He tended to directly involve himself only when major events relating to his goals took place and was pragmatic in managing his resources at these times, as seen when he replaced Amethio with Spinel on the mission to obtain Liko's pendant. When he discovered that Hamber, Coral, and Sidian had gone to Galar in an attempt to confront the Rising Volt Tacklers, he immediately contacted Hamber. However, Gibeon later overlooked this insubordination due to the value of the intelligence they had gathered. He was generally cold-hearted and callous, displaying a willingness to do anything regardless of morality to achieve his goals. Gibeon was also secretive in his activity; few knew that he was the chairman of Exceed, and no employees are known to have ever met him face-to-face. Gibeon's subordinates held him in high, almost reverential regard, typically referring to him as "Master Gibeon", behaving in a highly deferential way when in his presence, and identifying the Explorers as "only existing to fulfill" his wishes. His followers must specifically seek out time when they wish to speak to him, for which Gibeon awakens until he chooses to conclude that subordinate's audience with him.

Gibeon's hatred of betrayal has not diminished over the years, and he has disowned people who have disappointed him, even members of his family. He exiled his son-in-law from the Explorers when he strayed from the path of Gibeon's wishes, and they did the same after discovering his own grandson's apparent betrayal. He did not allow Amethio a chance to defend himself, instead assuming that he was going down the same path as Cervantis, dismissing him and considering him a disgrace for his actions. Even when Amethio later revealed Spinel's true plans to his grandfather, Gibeon seemed to find his initiative useful due to their shared interest in the crystals and considered his grandson a disappointment due to his belief that the Laquium was not a righteous thing. However, even after the intense accusations and quarrel, Gibeon was shocked when Amethio decided to walk in front of Lucius, apparently still considering him as his heir. But nevertheless, he was willing to fight against his grandson and his Ceruledge without hesitation when they sided with the Rising Volt Tacklers.

In The Truth Revealed!, it was shown that despite Gibeon being over 100 years old, he had aged slowly. Due to his advanced age, Gibeon's health was very poor, which caused him to be confined to an advanced wheelchair in a room filled with a mist resembling that given off by Laquium. When he did meet with someone directly instead of using his holographic monolith, they must speak with him from the other side of a barrier and cannot enter his chamber. In The Rising Volt Tacklers vs. The Explorers! and Guided by the Black Rayquaza!, Gibeon was shown to have little mobility and rely on the use of his motorized wheelchair to navigate Laqua. He could not stand up on his own without the use of a special mechanism built into his clothing, which refined raw Laquium into mist that revitalized his frail body and gave him strength.

Gibeon had a complicated relationship with Rystal and Lucius. After the events in Laqua, since his companions were against his ideals of using Laquium to improve people and Pokémon's lives, Gibeon took their interference as a betrayal and that they did not understand his ideals. After he reunited with Lucius in the present day, Gibeon still resented him for what happened and refused to accept his apology even when Lucius revealed that they never meant to betray him and wished they could have talked more back then.

Despite the feeling of betrayal, however, Gibeon was unwilling to let his Zygarde go for a hundred years and was genuinely happy when it was able to regain its 50% Forme. Even after discovering that it had been plotting behind its Trainer's back and eventually freed Lucius, Gibeon still wanted Zygarde on his side and begged it to fight for him, reminding it of their partnership.

In The Earthshaking White Zygarde, when faced with his ultimate defeat as a result of Zygarde abandoning him, Gibeon suffered an emotional breakdown, lashing out about Lucius's bloodline once again destroying his dreams before contemplating Zygarde's Poké Ball while reflecting on Lucius's words. In Where the Adventure Leads, he once again suffered an emotional breakdown due to the crystals' destruction, but after Amethio and Lucius's speech, it seems that Gibeon slowly began to return to his brighter self. When it came time for him and his old friend to vanish, he accepted what had happened and was ready to move on, managing to reconcile with both Lucius and Amethio, encouraging the latter to follow his own path with his Ceruledge.

Pokémon

This listing is of Gibeon's only known Pokémon in the Pokémon Horizons: The Series:

Fled

Zygarde

Voice actors

Gallery

Artwork

Younger Gibeon	Gibeon expression sheet

Eyecatch

Names

References

Related articles

Explorers Boss: Spinel Administrators: Hamber • Coral • Sidian • Chalce Agents: Onia • Zirc • Indy • Rubella Locations: Mount Pericarp • Laqua Exceed • Amethio's mansion Exceed's Test Center Objects: Laquium • Strong Spheres Former: Lucius • Rystal • Cervantis • Amethio Related: Maria

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.