Pokémon Horizons: The Series

This article is about the animated TV series. For the manga series, see Pokémon Horizon.

This article is about the eighth series of the Pokémon animated series. For its eponymous first season, see Pokémon Horizons: The Series (season).

Pokémon Horizons: The Series (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters), also referred to informally and by fans as (Japanese: リコロイ LikoRoy) in Japan, is the eighth series of the Pokémon animated series in Asia (including Japan) and the second animated series of the Pokémon animated series in the West. It follows the adventures of Liko and Roy, alongside the Rising Volt Tacklers, in a search for the group of Pokémon known as the Six Heroes and to discover the mysteries surrounding Terapagos and the Ancient Adventurer Lucius. The series is based on the core series games, including Pokémon and characters from the Generation IX games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. For the first time in Pokémon animated series history, Pokémon Horizons: The Series features an all-new cast of characters and a more linear plot without connections to previous series. It succeeds Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and, in the West, Pokémon the Series as a whole. It premiered on April 14, 2023 in Japan with a one-hour special, and on March 7, 2024 in the United States.

Like with the previous series of Pokémon the Series, this series introduces a new art style. The outlines of the characters, along with the color scheme, are drawn more smooth and less sharp compared to Pokémon Journeys: The Series, but still retain the human character designs within the latter series. The skies of Galar are also no longer depicted with a cloudy, grey sky similar to the common weather of its base country, the United Kingdom.

Episodes in Pokémon Horizons: The Series are numbered with the prefix HZ on Bulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see the list of Pokémon Horizons: The Series episodes.

Blurb

Pokémon Horizons: The Series is an exciting new Pokémon story featuring the adventures of Liko and Roy, as well as the many friends and foes they encounter! Meet interesting groups like the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers, plus other important characters and countless Pokémon along the way.

Plot

The series features dual protagonists Liko and Roy, who join together with a group of adventurers known as the Rising Volt Tacklers and set out to travel the Pokémon world with them, visiting various regions introduced in the core series from Kanto to Paldea. Liko also finds herself targeted by the mysterious Explorers organization, which is after her equally mysterious pendant. During the series, Dot, another member of the Rising Volt Tacklers, joins the group of main characters and begins traveling with Liko and Roy as they enroll in Naranja Academy to learn to use the Terastal phenomenon. After completing the course, the Rising Volt Tacklers continue their search for the Six Heroes and Laqua.

During the Mega Voltage arc (which happens a year later, after the events at Laqua), Liko and Roy decide to uncover the mystery of the remains of Laquium, as well as recover the good name of the Rising Volt Tacklers, who were accused of being the culprits of the incident by the Explorers.

Arcs and seasons

In Japan and Korea, the series is divided into chapters or arcs, with each given its own subtitle. In the West, it is divided into seasons, with two so far.

The following table summarizes the Japanese titles, the English titles, and the Japanese and English opening themes used during the series.

Japan				United States
Title	Opening theme	First episode		Title	Opening theme	First episode
Pocket Monsters: Liko and Roy's Departure	Heart-Pounding Diary	HZ001		Pokémon Horizons: The Series	Becoming Me	HZ001
Pocket Monsters: The Sparkling of Terapagos	Halo	HZ026
Pocket Monsters: Terastal Debut	Will	HZ046		Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua	My Favorite Pokémon	HZ046
Pocket Monsters: Rayquaza Rising	Only One Story	HZ068
Pocket Monsters: Mega Voltage	GET BACK	HZ090

Gallery

For more images, please see artwork from Pokémon Horizons: The Series on the Bulbagarden Archives.

Posters

• 
  First Japanese poster for Liko and Roy's Departure
• 
  Second Japanese poster for Liko and Roy's Departure
• 
  First Japanese poster for The Sparkling of Terapagos
• 
  Second Japanese poster for The Sparkling of Terapagos
• 
  Japanese poster for Terastal Debut
• 
  Japanese poster for Rayquaza Rising
• 
  First Japanese poster for Mega Voltage
• 
  Second Japanese poster for Mega Voltage

• 
  First English poster
• 
  Second English poster
• 
  Third English poster
• 
  Fourth English poster
• 
  Fifth English poster
• 
  Sixth English poster
• 
  Seventh English poster
• 
  Eighth English poster

Characters

Main characters

• 
  Liko (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Liko (HZ091 - present)
• 
  Liko's Sprigatito (HZ001 - HZ045)
• 
  Liko's Floragato (HZ045 - HZ088)
• 
  Liko's Meowscarada (HZ088 - present)
• 
  Pagogo
• 
  Roy (HZ004 - HZ089)
• 
  Roy (HZ089 - present)
• 
  Roy's Fuecoco (HZ002 - HZ067)
• 
  Roy's Crocalor (HZ067 - present)

Supporting characters

Rising Volt Tacklers

• 
  Friede
• 
  Captain Pikachu (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Captain Pikachu (HZ089 - present)
• 
  Orla (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Orla (HZ100 - present)
• 
  Murdock (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Murdock (HZ100 - present)
• 
  Mollie (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Mollie (HZ094 - present)
• 
  Ludlow (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Ludlow (HZ100 - present)
• 
  Dot (HZ007 - HZ083)
• 
  Dot (HZ046 - HZ089)
• 
  Dot (HZ090 - present)
• 
  Dot's Quaxly (HZ001 - HZ059)
• 
  Dot's Quaxwell (HZ059 - present)
• 
  Uruto

Naranja Academy

• 
  Nemona
• 
  Clavell
• 
  Jacq
• 
  Dendra
• 
  Raifort

Paldea League

• 
  Katy
• 
  Brassius
• 
  Iono
• 
  Kofu
• 
  Ryme
• 
  Tulip
• 
  Grusha
• 
  Larry
• 
  Rika
• 
  Poppy
• 
  Hassel
• 
  Geeta

Others

• 
  Nidothing
• 
  Diana
• 
  Kabu
• 
  Perrin
• 
  Carmine
• 
  Briar
• 
  Lucius
• 
  Black Rayquaza
• 
  Rystal
• 
  Amethio (HZ104 - present)

Antagonists

Explorers

• 
  Amethio (HZ001 - HZ089)
• 
  Zirc
• 
  Onia
• 
  Hamber
• 
  Spinel (HZ006 - HZ089)
• 
  Spinel (HZ089 - present)
• 
  Coral (HZ006 - HZ089)
• 
  Coral (HZ095 - present)
• 
  Sidian (HZ006 - HZ089)
• 
  Sidian (HZ095 - present)
• 
  Chalce (HZ006 - HZ089)
• 
  Chalce (HZ095 - present)
• 
  Gibeon (young)
• 
  Rubella
• 
  Indy

Manga adaptations

• Anime Pocket Monsters: Liko and Roy's Adventure
• Pocket Monster: Liko's treasure
• Pocket Monsters ~Pucchigumi SP~
• Pocket Monsters ~The Detouring Volt Tacklers!!~
• Pocket Monsters: What Are You Looking For, Terapagos?

Staff

Notes

Trivia

• This is the second series to feature the flat "Pocket Monsters" logo, though with a new design. Starting with Mega Voltage, however, it now features a more detailed "Pocket Monsters" logo for the first time since Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon.
  • Both the Japanese logo and the English logo have a split color design, with blue and red coloring. The Japanese and Korean logo is split horizontally, with blue on the top half and red on the bottom half, and the English logo is split vertically, with blue on the left half and red on the right half.
• This is the first series:
  • To not feature Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as main characters.
  • To not feature the Team Rocket trio as antagonists.
  • To not have a narrator (with the exception of the "World of Pokémon" intro at the beginning of The Pendant That Starts It All (Part One)).
  • To feature a female and male duo.
  • To have both a Creative and Action Director as a staff position.
  • To have none of the main characters participate in a major competition.
  • To feature main characters in the series titles.
  • Where the dub uses the same footage for their opening theme as the Japanese opening theme.
  • In which no main character is based on a game character.
  • In which a main character has a Grass-type first partner Pokémon as their first Pokémon.
  • In which the concurrent generation's Water-type first partner Pokémon is not owned by a main character.
  • In which the concurrent generation's Fire-type first partner Pokémon is the last to evolve.
  • To feature human characters that are not part of the main cast in eyecatches and foreshadow Pokémon captures by the main characters.
    • It is also the series with the most versions of eyecatches.
  • To be unionized in the dub.
  • To feature a clear timeskip between events in the animated series as shown in HZ089.
  • To be collaborated with the Trading Card Game.
  • To have all concurrent generation first partner Pokémon be given a game distribution.
  • To have most of its episodes' titles being a direct translation.
    • There's been a significant decrease of the titles ending with an exclamation mark.
  • To not have a Japanese opening used in any dub.
    • It is also the first series in which a Japanese opening theme has been directly translated to another language.
  • To have a Japanese opening that's sung by a non-Japanese artist (Will and Only One Story).
  • To not have a Japanese opening that is performed by Rica Matsumoto.
  • Since:
    • Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver:
      • That did not premiere within the same month of the newly released core series games.
      • In which the concurrent first partner Pokémon are obtained in Pokédex order.
    • Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire:
      • To have three main or recurring characters' concurrent first partner Pokémon evolve at least once. However, unlike the previous series, they didn't evolve in Pokédex order and one didn't outside of its native region.
      • To have more than four opening themes in the Japanese version, not counting remixes.
    • Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to use more than one title card.
    • Pokémon the Series: Black & White:
      • To have all three of the concurrent first partner Pokémon have their genders confirmed.
      • To have two-part episodes.
    • Pokémon the Series: XY:
      • To have three of the characters, main or recurring, have one of the concurrent first partner Pokémon each. However, unlike the previous series, gender ownership has been reversed.
      • To have two boys and two girls traveling in a group. However, unlike the previous series, all of them are Pokémon Trainers instead of one of them being a Trainer in waiting.
        • Also to have four traveling in a group.
    • Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon to have the concurrent first partner Pokémon be in the title card. However, unlike the previous series, the concurrent first partner Pokémon in the title card change after evolving.
• Like Ash in Pokémon the Series, Liko reads the episode title.
  • Liko also replaces the role of the narrator from previous series, similar to Ash and Lillie in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Also, Roy narrates only in HZ090 and HZ091. Dot narrates only in HZ102.
• In some flashbacks (i.e. in Flying Pikachu, Rising Higher and Higher!), the aspect ratio 21:9 is used instead of the usual 16:9.
• In this series, the division of the series into seasons in the international version seems to be more closely aligned with the story arcs in the Japanese version. Both the first and second seasons contain exactly two story arcs, and the opening credits (or their versions) change in the same episode as in the Japanese version.

• To promote the third arc of Pokémon Horizons, Terastal Debut, the animated series's official Twitter profile released a series of videos called LikoRoy Channel showing their attempts to become content creators like Dot. The videos can be found at:
  • Terastal
  • Implementation
  • Crocalor
  • Tinkatink
  • Kleavor
  • Terapagos
  • Quagsire
  • Scream Tail
  • Gouging Fire
  • Rayquaza

In other languages

External links

• Official site (Japanese)
• Official site (English)
• Pokémon Horizons: The Series Episode Encyclopedia on Pokemon.com

Related articles

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