Pokémon Horizons General Discussion/Speculation Thread

[MrMeowPuss]

I was in primary school when the anime first came out and watched it on and off over the years. I'm currently a few regions/seasons behind but I can't believe they are getting rid of Ash. It will be interesting to see if it does well without Ash or they bring him back after a season.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I'd be really annoyed if they are doing the same world tour format again. It wasn't handled well the first time they did it and I'm not sure why they want to keep doing it. The concept can be better executed if they actually make better use of the different locations, but if they couldn't do that for an anniversary series, I'm not sure about them doing that with a new series with new leads. Journeys 2.0 with different leads doesn't sound too appealing to me and despite my issues with it, I still like Journeys. I just don't know if doing the same world tour format minus all of the continuity with Ash and his friends would work any better.

It still might be a bit too early to say that Paldea will be sidelined like Galar was though. We don't know anything about the new characters, the storylines or really anything besides their designs and that the show exists. The fact that they have the Paldea starters on the initial poster does give me hope that they won't take long to showcase all three of them. As long as they can still actually make use of Paldea as a location, showoff the new characters and feature the new Pokemon, maybe it can work.

 

[lisianthus]

Honestly, I'm kind of sad... and I can only hope that Ash isn't out of it forever! I have a little theory that he'll be aged up and teaching at an academy in Paldea, but we'll see...

I guess, even though I'm sad about Ash leaving (like, he's always been there throughout my life!), I'm excited to see what's to come, I think?

 

[Blanc]

You know that feeling of something in your life, something minor and not really significant in your day-to-day but always something you can rely on just existing and being a normalcy in your life… suddenly disappearing and how prominent it becomes that it’s gone? That’s how I feel right now.

I used to be quite invested in the anime as a kid, as I’ve gotten older and had less time for it I swapped to following it loosely, and even now I can’t believe it’s— in a way, over. A biiig chapter in Pokemon just closed, and we’re about to open the next page.

Honestly, take my opinions with a grain of salt because I haven’t been as invested and so I’m probably missing a lot of details that are making others cautiously optimistic though. It’s hard for me to accept this change, since like many, I grew up with (lol) Ash. I don’t feel this change is a negative one though, and I know Ash and Pikachu will surely remain a flagship for the series as a whole in other ways— He’s in Masters, after all! And, I’m VERY happy to see the main protagonist (should the hairpin be a sort of proof) is a girl, a bold and powerful move, and I’d be really excited to see a girl lead break some norms a lot of the Pokegirls seemed to set over the years.

If Sprigatitio is truly her starter, that is my only real disappointment, but it isn’t enough to injure my optimism… It’s just a move we all really did see as inevitable, but wild it really happened… after 25 years, huh.

I guess my only apprehension is if miss Riko is Ash’s ‘daughter’ like many are already formulating. I don’t see this as very likely, unless they really wanna give a nod to how he grew up with us by making him the age he should be. I think at most Riko may possibly be some sort of cousin or other relative, who now has big shoes to fill with a family member reaching such great heights— and would be a subtle way to cameo Ash now and again. I also wouldn’t mind her just not being related to Ash at all, and the hairpin being a mere signifier of her new standing in the series. Maybe she’s a fan of him, maybe it’s just design choice, who knows?

Either way, thank you Ash Ketchum, for being such an integral part of my life, you can rest easy now. Even if your journey is a lot less action packed than before, it’s still a journey for you, nonetheless. Hope he’ll be like an old friend who comes to say hi once in a while.

 

[Peppermint Phoenix]

I really really hope that they don't replace the protagonists every gen. I don't care if "it's what all the other franchises do". It wouldn't make logical sense for Ash to win his first league and it wouldn't make sense for Ash to never win. Having every post Ash protagonist win become champion become champion on their first try would seriously undermine Ash's journey. I don't want them to last as long as Ash did but having 4-6 big tournaments in two or three gens shouldn't be that hard since they will unfortunately always have remakes to shill.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

You know that feeling of something in your life, something minor and not really significant in your day-to-day but always something you can rely on just existing and being a normalcy in your life… suddenly disappearing and how prominent it becomes that it’s gone? That’s how I feel right now.

That's the way some things go: we take them for granted to such a degree that we don't even pay much attention to their existence until they're gone.

 

[MrMeowPuss]

Good to see I'm not the only one about to have a midlife crisis over a fictional character from their childhood going away

 

[Insanish Danish]

I was seven years old when I watched the Pokemon anime for the very first time, way back in the summer of 1999. To think that nearly 24 years later that same main protagonist is no longer going to be the main protagonist? It's indescribable, tbh.

 

[Kallyle]

Call me cynical, but I’m starting to think the only reason TPC and OLM got rid of Ash and Goh was because they didn’t want any more expectations thrust upon them seeing as how this is apparently just going to be Journeys 2.0.

 

[Articfoxgamez]

Btw incase anyone was wondering the necklace thing is defenintly a tera crystal.
Which brings to question, didn't SV say the tera crystals need the orb to work? So is this useless or is the anime ignoring that little detail.

Spoiler: Images

 

[Emmy]

Btw incase anyone was wondering the necklace thing is defenintly a tera crystal.
Which brings to question, didn't SV say the tera crystals need the orb to work? So is this useless or is the anime ignoring that little detail.

Spoiler: Images

View attachment 166432View attachment 166433

It could just be a macgufin or something personal that ties her back to the Paldean Region, and not meant to be used like a normal Tera Crystal until the plot says so, I dunno.

 

[Jaye]

Call me cynical, but I’m starting to think the only reason TPC and OLM got rid of Ash and Goh was because they didn’t want any more expectations thrust upon them seeing as how this is apparently just going to be Journeys 2.0.

It'd be a horrible way to go about it, if so. Replacing your staple main character creates even more expectation than simply keeping him on for another season.

Which brings to question, didn't SV say the tera crystals need the orb to work? So is this useless or is the anime ignoring that little detail.

It probably has some story relevance or is important to her character in some way.

I guess my only apprehension is if miss Riko is Ash’s ‘daughter’ like many are already formulating. I don’t see this as very likely, unless they really wanna give a nod to how he grew up with us by making him the age he should be. I think at most Riko may possibly be some sort of cousin or other relative, who now has big shoes to fill with a family member reaching such great heights— and would be a subtle way to cameo Ash now and again. I also wouldn’t mind her just not being related to Ash at all, and the hairpin being a mere signifier of her new standing in the series. Maybe she’s a fan of him, maybe it’s just design choice, who knows?

I'd ignore all the speculation, to be honest. It's mostly shippers trying to shoehorn everything into their fantasy, as if dark hair and blue eyes are really uncommon.

There's no real incentive to have their new protagonist be directly related to Ash. All that would do is put Riko and Roy in the shadow of a character they can't possibly hope to match-up to at the very start of their own story. I'm expecting them to keep Ash away from this story for as long as they possibly can, to give the new guys a chance to breathe and establish themselves.

 

[ehh123]

Do you think OLM is animating this or will they use a different studio?

 

[Fairy Type Arceus]

I found these on reddit. Apparently they're from the website

Riko:

A Pokémon adoring girl hailing from the Kanto region. Transferring to the Paldea Region’s special academy to hone her skills in all manners of Pokemon care and knowledge. She has a special bond with Pokémon that few can understand. She has a frightening knack for battle and an easygoing attitude. She doesn’t talk much about her family with those around her and refuses to give her family name to any except the Professors of the campus. What secrets and mysteries could our protagonist be keeping and for what reason?

Roi:

A native of the Paldea region, with a dream to become the worlds greatest Pokémon chef in order to take over his families business and to make the dream of his Father come true. He’s known around the Academia for his kind and caring nature along with his dislike of the outdoors. Unlike Riko he’s more than happy to carry his families legacy and wishes to discover the legend of the ‘Herba Mystica’ of the Paldea Region.

Sounds like Arven and Nemona.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I found these on reddit. Apparently they're from the website

Riko:

A Pokémon adoring girl hailing from the Kanto region. Transferring to the Paldea Region’s special academy to hone her skills in all manners of Pokemon care and knowledge. She has a special bond with Pokémon that few can understand. She has a frightening knack for battle and an easygoing attitude. She doesn’t talk much about her family with those around her and refuses to give her family name to any except the Professors of the campus. What secrets and mysteries could our protagonist be keeping and for what reason?

Roi:

A native of the Paldea region, with a dream to become the worlds greatest Pokémon chef in order to take over his families business and to make the dream of his Father come true. He’s known around the Academia for his kind and caring nature along with his dislike of the outdoors. Unlike Riko he’s more than happy to carry his families legacy and wishes to discover the legend of the ‘Herba Mystica’ of the Paldea Region.

Unless they provided links to the website, I'd be wary of taking stuff from places like reddit seriously. Riko's whole being secretive about her family just feels more like people wanting her to be related to Ash and making that into a huge plot point. I'd also be kind of disappointed if Roy is supposed to take Arven's role. I'm still playing through Scarlet/Violet, but Arven has become more likable than I thought and I was hoping that he'd be in the anime.

 

[Konja7]

I found these on reddit. Apparently they're from the website

Riko:

A Pokémon adoring girl hailing from the Kanto region. Transferring to the Paldea Region’s special academy to hone her skills in all manners of Pokemon care and knowledge. She has a special bond with Pokémon that few can understand. She has a frightening knack for battle and an easygoing attitude. She doesn’t talk much about her family with those around her and refuses to give her family name to any except the Professors of the campus. What secrets and mysteries could our protagonist be keeping and for what reason?

Roi:

A native of the Paldea region, with a dream to become the worlds greatest Pokémon chef in order to take over his families business and to make the dream of his Father come true. He’s known around the Academia for his kind and caring nature along with his dislike of the outdoors. Unlike Riko he’s more than happy to carry his families legacy and wishes to discover the legend of the ‘Herba Mystica’ of the Paldea Region.

This seems to be fake. I hadn't found this information in the website or official twitter.

 

[Jaye]

Unless they provided links to the website, I'd be wary of taking stuff from places like reddit seriously. Riko's whole being secretive about her family just feels more like people wanting her to be related to Ash and making that into a huge plot point. I'd also be kind of disappointed if Roy is supposed to take Arven's role. I'm still playing through Scarlet/Violet, but Arven has become more likable than I thought and I was hoping that he'd be in the anime.

The funny thing about that is, in the Japanese version, Ash doesn't even have a family name to keep secret.

 

[Mr. MoonStone]

If this series ends up being Journeys 2.0…I don’t know how I’ll feel tbh.

 

[Emmy]

The funny thing about that is, in the Japanese version, Ash doesn't even have a family name to keep secret.

Are you telling me he didn't go to the Super Mario school of being called "Satoshi Satoshi"?

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

I think that this girl probably isn’t related to Ash at all. She doesn’t have the Z marks on her cheeks.
That being said it’s Amour or nothing for the endgame now. I still think the ship is likely dead just to fuck with me.