The Pokémon Anime Is Finally Aging Up Its Main Cast After Almost 30 Years

After 26 years of adventures in the Pokémon anime, the perpetually 10-year-old Ash Ketchum has finally hung up his hat. However, after steadfastly refusing to age its protagonist for most of the series' run, The Pokémon Company is finally doing the unthinkable in Pokémon Horizons, allowing its new leads, Liko and Roy, to grow up.

The news, revealed in the latest CoroCoro magazine, unveils the next arc in Pokémon Horizons, "Mega Voltage," which features a significant time jump. Liko and Roy will age approximately three years, sporting new, noticeably taller and more mature designs, alongside Dot. A Reddit post showcasing the CoroCoro pages highlights these changes: > All the new arch 5 pages from coro coro today! byu/BikeOk4256 in pokemonanime

Interestingly, these characters inhabit the same universe as Ash Ketchum. This implies that, off-screen, Ash, Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena, and the rest of the supporting cast have also aged three years. Will we see an older Ash Ketchum in this arc or a future season? Only time will tell, but fan speculation is already running wild.

Mega Voltage also marks the return of Mega Evolutions, likely coinciding with their return 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 from the reveal is Friede, captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. While his partner Pikachu is present, seemingly wearing Friede's goggles—which appear cracked—fans are speculating about Friede's well-being.

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The Mega Voltage arc premieres in Japan on April 11th, 2024. The English dub, however, lags behind. Given our previous lukewarm reception of Pokémon Horizons Season 2 (5/10 rating for its inconsistent strengths), this time skip is a welcome development, potentially revitalizing the Rising Volt Tacklers storyline.