After 26 years of incredible adventures, Ash Ketchum, the perpetually 10-year-old Pokémon anime protagonist, has finally hung up his hat. However, after years of resisting the inevitable aging of its hero, The Pokémon Company is surprisingly embracing change in Pokémon Horizons, allowing its new protagonists, Liko and Roy, to grow up.
The recent CoroCoro reveal of the next arc, "Mega Voltage," confirmed a significant time skip, aging Liko and Roy by approximately three years. New character designs showcase a noticeably taller and more mature Liko, Roy, and Dot. This development has sparked considerable fan excitement:
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Interestingly, these characters share a universe with Ash Ketchum, even if he's currently absent from the anime. This implies that Ash, Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena, and the rest of the familiar faces have also aged three years off-screen. Will we see an older Ash in this arc, or perhaps in a future season? The speculation is rampant!
Mega Voltage also marks the return of Mega Evolutions, likely coinciding with their reintroduction as a mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We see Liko's Floragato has evolved into Meowscarada, and Roy boasts a shiny Mega Lucario.
One notable absence is Friede, captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. His partner Pikachu is present, seemingly wearing Friede's goggles, which appear cracked. This ominous detail has fans worried about Friede's fate.
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The Mega Voltage arc begins airing in Japan on April 11th, but the English dub will likely lag behind. While previous seasons received mixed reviews (Pokémon Horizons Season 2 received a 5/10 for its inconsistent strengths), this time skip offers a potential boost of fresh energy for the Rising Volt Tacklers and the series as a whole.
