Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Story arcs · 7 major beats

How the series moves.

1. HZ001-HZ025

   Liko and Roy's Departure

   Liko's pendant draws attention; the Rising Volt Tacklers rescue her on the Brave Asagi airship. Roy joins; the Ancient Poké Ball storyline begins.

2. HZ026-HZ045

   The Sparkling of Terapagos

   Terapagos arc. Liko's pendant connects to the legendary trainer Lucius's six Pokémon (the Black Rayquaza set). Closes Season 1.

3. HZ046-HZ070

   The Search for Laqua

   Antagonists The Explorers introduced (Amethio, Spinel, Onyx, Sidian, Gibeon). Race to the floating city Laqua. Ends with Laqua's destruction and a one-year time skip.

4. HZ071-HZ092

   Rising Hope: Mega Voltage

   Post-time-skip. New rival Ult joins; the Volt Tacklers reform. Mega Evolution reintroduced as a story mechanic.

5. HZ093-HZ095

   Rising Hope: Episode Mega Evolution

   Three-episode lore arc on Mega Evolution mechanics, story relevance, and the Z-A connection.

6. HZ096-HZ117

   Rising Hope: Rising Again

   Final third of Season 3. Blueberry Academy (Indigo Disk DLC) features prominently. Season finale aired May 1, 2026.

7. HZ-WV001+

   Wonder Voyage Arc (upcoming)

   Season 4 premiering May 22, 2026 in Japan. New trainer with a Ditto partner; Pokopia game tie-in.

Format introductions

What this era introduced.

• Terastallization (passing reference)
• Mega Evolution returns (Season 3 onward)
• Ancient Poké Ball mechanic (Roy's signature)
• Captain Pikachu (distinct from Ash's Pikachu)

Key episodes · the ones to watch

Episodes that mattered.

1. HZ001
   Beyond the Horizon

   Liko's debut. First non-Ash protagonist series premiere in franchise history. Ash's name is never mentioned.

2. HZ025
   The Power of Three!

   Mid-Season 1 turning point. Liko's control over her pendant's power stabilizes.

3. HZ045
   A Distant, Blue Sky!

   Season 1 finale. Terapagos arc closes.

4. HZ070
   The Search Concludes!

   Season 2 finale. Laqua falls. One-year time skip leads into Rising Hope.

5. HZ117
   (Rising Hope finale, May 1, 2026)

   Most recent JP finale. Mega Evolution arc resolves; sets up Wonder Voyage.

Competitive climax

League result.

Liko and Roy are not competing in a regional league; their arc is mythological / explorer-coded. Roy occasionally engages in informal tournaments. The Volt Tacklers' charter is rescue and research, not competition.

Cast rotation

Who travels, who rivals, who villains.

Theme notes

Opening songs and scoring.

JP OP1 "Will" by Kana Hanazawa (Liko's voice actress) lands as an unusual choice; OP3 "Glory Days" carries the Rising Hope era. The Mega Evolution theme is a deliberate callback to XYZ.

Reception

How it lands now.

Strong reception in Japan; Western reception lagged at launch (some viewers refused to engage with a non-Ash series) and warmed significantly by Season 3. The animation budget shows; the Brave Asagi airship sequences are franchise-best aerial choreography.

Episode database · 138 entries

Every episode in the series.

JP debut 2023-04-14, HZ001 "The Pendant That Starts It All: Part One". Latest entry HZ138 "The Fake Rising Volt Tacklers Appear!?" (2026-05-29).