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

This article is about the eighthseries of thePokémon animated series. For its eponymous first season, seePokémon 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 eighthseries of thePokémon animated series in Asia (including Japan) and the second animated series of the Pokémon animated series in the West. It follows the adventures ofLiko andRoy, alongside theRising Volt Tacklers, in a search for the group of Pokémon known as theSix Heroes and to discover the mysteries surroundingTerapagos and the Ancient AdventurerLucius. The series is based on thecore seriesgames, including Pokémon and characters from theGeneration IX gamesPokémon 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 succeedsPokémon 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 ofPokémon 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 toPokémon Journeys: The Series, but still retain the human character designs within the latter series. The skies ofGalar are also no longer depicted with a cloudy, grey sky similar to the common weather of its base country, the United Kingdom.

Episodes inPokémon Horizons: The Series are numbered withthe prefixHZ onBulbapedia. For a complete episode listing, see thelist ofPokémon 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 protagonistsLiko andRoy, who join together with a group of adventurers known as theRising Volt Tacklers and set out to travel thePokémon world with them, visiting variousregions introduced in thecore series fromKanto toPaldea. Liko also finds herself targeted by the mysteriousExplorers 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 inNaranja Academy to learn to use theTerastal phenomenon. After completing the course, the Rising Volt Tacklers continue their search for theSix Heroes andLaqua.

During theMega Voltage arc (which takes place a year later, after the events at Laqua), Liko and Roy decide to uncover the mystery of the remains ofLaquium, as well as recover the good name of the Rising Volt Tacklers, who were accused bySpinel and the Explorers of being the culprits of the Laquaincident.

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 intoseasons, with three so far.

The following table summarizes the Japanese titles, the English titles, and theJapanese andEnglish 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		Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope	Evolving Again	HZ090
Pocket Monsters Episode: Mega Evolution	YUU	HZ112
Pocket Monsters: Rising Again	Iolite	HZ115

Gallery

For more images, please seeartwork from Pokémon Horizons: The Series on theBulbagarden Archives.

Reveal artworks

• 
  Announcement reveal artwork
• 
  Air date reveal artwork

Posters

• 
  First Japanese poster forLiko and Roy's Departure
• 
  Second Japanese poster forLiko and Roy's Departure
• 
  First Japanese poster forThe Sparkling of Terapagos
• 
  Second Japanese poster forThe Sparkling of Terapagos
• 
  Japanese poster forTerastal Debut
• 
  Japanese poster forRayquaza Rising
• 
  First Japanese poster forMega Voltage
• 
  Second Japanese poster forMega Voltage
• 
  Japanese poster forEpisode: Mega Evolution
• 
  Japanese poster forRising Again
• 
  Japanese poster forThe Catcher in the Sky
• 
  Second Japanese poster forRising Again

• 
  First English poster for Season 1
• 
  Second English poster for Season 1
• 
  Third English poster for Season 1
• 
  Fourth English poster for Season 1
• 
  First English poster for Season 2
• 
  Second English poster for Season 2
• 
  Third English poster for Season 2
• 
  Fourth English poster for Season 2
• 
  First English poster for Season 3

Logos

• 
  English
• 
  Japanese
• 
  Arabic
• 
  Traditional Chinese (Taiwanese Mandarin and Hong Kong Cantonese)
• 
  Simplified Chinese (Mainland Chinese Mandarin)
• 
  Dutch
• 
  Finnish
• 
  French
• 
  French (Netflix)
• 
  German
• 
  Hebrew
• 
  Indonesian
• 
  Italian
• 
  Korean
• 
  Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish
• 
  Polish
• 
  Portuguese
• 
  Spanish
• 
  Spanish (Netflix)
• 
  Thai
• 
  Turkish
• 
  Turkish (Netflix)

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,HZ112 -HZ114)
• 
  Roy (HZ089 - present)
• 
  Roy's Fuecoco (HZ002 -HZ067)
• 
  Roy's Crocalor (HZ067 -HZ119)
• 
  Roy's Skeledirge (HZ119 - present)

Supporting characters

Rising Volt Tacklers

• 
  Friede (HZ001 -HZ089)
• 
  Friede (HZ121)
• 
  Friede (HZ122 - present)
• 
  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)
• 
  Ult

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 -HZ105)
• 
  Amethio (HZ111 - present)
• 
  Emma
• 
  Master Mayonnaise

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)
• 
  Rubina
• 
  Indi

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 secondseries to feature the flat "Pocket Monsters" logo, though with a new design. Starting withMega Voltage, however, it now features a more detailed "Pocket Monsters" logo for the first time sincePokémon 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 featureAsh Ketchum andPikachu as main characters.
  • To not feature theTeam Rocket trio as antagonists.
  • To feature ananimated series-exclusivevillainous team: theExplorers.
  • To not have anarrator (with the exception of the "World of Pokémon" intro at the beginning ofThe 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 its arcs' titles.
  • In which no main character is based on agame character.
  • In which a main character has aGrass-typefirst partner Pokémon as their first Pokémon.
  • In which theconcurrent generation'sWater-type first partner Pokémon is not owned by a main character.
  • In which the concurrent generation'sFire-type first partner Pokémon is the last toevolve.
  • In which one of the protagonists catches aLegendary Pokémon that is a member of theirparty.
  • To featurehuman characters that are not part of the main cast ineyecatches and foreshadow Pokémon captures by the main characters.
    • It is also the series with the most versions of eyecatches.
  • To be unionized in the Englishdub.
  • To feature a clear timeskip between events in the animated series as shown inWhere the Adventure Leads.
    • Thus it is the first time that all of the main cast has their character design changed in the middle of the series.
  • To be collaborated with theTrading Card Game, not countingmovies.
  • To have all concurrent generation first partner Pokémon be given a game distribution.
  • To have most of its episodes' English titles being a direct translation of the Japanese ones.
    • There's also been a significant decrease of the titles ending with an exclamation mark.
  • Where the dub regularly uses the same footage fortheir opening themes as theJapanese opening themes.
  • To not have a Japanese opening used in any dub.
    • It is also the first series in whicha Japanese opening theme has been directly translated to another language.
  • To have a Japanese opening that's sung by a non-Japanese artist (Will andOnly One Story).
  • To not have a Japanese opening that is performed byRica Matsumoto.
  • Since:
    • Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver:
      • That did not premiere within the same month of the newly releasedcore series games.
      • In which the concurrent first partner Pokémon are obtained inPokédex 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 nativeregion.
      • To have more than four opening themes in the Japanese version, not counting remixes.
      • In which the female protagonist has a Grass-type first partner Pokémon.
    • Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl to use more than onetitle card, not counting special ones.
    • Pokémon the Series: Black & White:
      • To have all three of the concurrent first partner Pokémon have theirgenders 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 arePokémon 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 inPokémon the Series,Liko reads the episode title.
  • Liko also replaces the role of the narrator from previous series, similar to Ash andLillie inPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Also,Roy narrates only inEyes to the Skies Once Again, Part 1,Eyes to the Skies Once Again, Part 2,HZ116, andHZ117.Dot narrates only inThe Knight in the Ruins andHZ120.
• In some flashbacks (i.e. inFlying 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 intoseasons in the international version is more closely aligned with the story arcs in the Japanese version. Both thefirst andsecond seasons contain exactly two story arcs, and the opening credits (or their versions) change in the same episode as in the Japanese version.
• The titles of thefourth andseventh arc, as well as the title of thethird season, seem to allude toRising Volt Tacklers.

• 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 ofProject Anime, aBulbapedia project that covers all aspects ofPokémon animation.

• Series of the Pokémon animated series