New Pokémon Horizons trailer is a crash course in adventuring

If there was any doubt about the upcoming Pokémon anime’s new incoming protagonists being a very different kind of unit than Ash Ketchum and all his various companions, the series’ newest trailer makes it crystal clear that Liko and Roy are going to be breaths of fresh air.

Just hours after the Japanese airing of Ash’s last episode as the Pokémon anime’s main character, The Pokémon Company today announced that the upcoming series will be titled Pokémon Horizons here in the West and debuted a full-length trailer detailing some of the show’s early episodes.

Though Liko’s one of many students getting their first taste of pokémon battles, the trailer spotlights how the mysterious crystal pendant she wears wherever she goes seemingly has a connection to powerful pokémon like a wild, shiny Rayquaza living somewhere high above Paldea. Both the way Liko’s pendant glows and the way the trailer emphasizes her battling with her partner Sprigatito make it seem the terastal phenomenon will factor largely into her Horizons adventure while Roy and his partner Fuecoco focus on seeking out legendary pokémon.

The trailer doesn’t say all that much about Roy’s steampunk-looking pokéball and whether it might be the anime’s answer to a certain Key Item from the games. But it does give you a better sense of how Friede and his Captain Pikachu will factor into the show. It’s a trailer’s job to get you hype for things, but it really does seem like Pokémon Horizons might be trying to bring a fresh kind of energy to the franchise rather than just telling a straightforward story about more young pokémon masters in the making.

Pokemon Horizon is slated to debut in Japan on April 14th and premieres in other countries slated for later in 2023.