Movies News Talk
I had always wondered what a Pokémon anime without Ash may be since I had often conflicted emotions regarding Ash. Growing and learning more about writing stories, I started to realize exactly how constrained having a character like Ash, who doesn't get to go through many radical transformations, can truly be for a story. You can therefore picture how excited I was when Pokémon Horizons was revealed and at last I would be able to witness what they could achieve with a fresh hero at the wheel.
Watching the first episode of Horizon made it quite evident that this was a quite different kind of beast than Pokémon Journeys had been. After all, Liko is a somewhat different protagonist than Ash. Liko is somewhat insecure and finds it difficult to deal with other people while Ash is gregarious and confident nearly to a fault. In many respects, I discovered Liko to be far more like myself in childhood than Ash ever was. Most significantly, though, I could plainly see the character arc Liko would go on to have mapped out, and knowing she would grow in ways Ash often neglected excited me.
The fact that Pokémon Horizons boasts a long-term narrative plot entirely unique from the anime has been another major highlight. Usually following the storyline of the games, Ash's era consisted in his roaming about accumulating badges until he came upon the local villainous Team, who would start their scheme in a way that required Ash to stop it. Though I never found it all that interesting, the narrative went at a glacial pace and I would occasionally lose interest knowing Ash was eons from the next plot point. There was nothing wrong with that.
On the other hand, Horizon's story from the first episode—which centers on Liko's enigmatic pendant—later Roy's Ancient Poké Ball—with the two turning out to be connected—has been really strong. Horizons is fundamentally a mystery, and that mystery caught my attention in a way the original anime hardly could have. In part due of the airship allowing them to travel quickly from place to place, when Ash would have ten episodes of wandering the forest in between, Horizons has unfolded this story at a respectable speed, moving forward and reaching plot elements significantly faster.
Ash Ketchum resigned almost a year ago, and the new Pokémon Horizon show started running. Over that period, a lot has transpired in the show, and it's rapidly become clear that it differs from its forebears. In this case, however, although not everyone is likely to agree, diversity is a great thing.
Like many admirers, I struggled to say goodbye to Ash after all these years. I was the same age as Ash when Pokémon originally started airing, and the show enthralled me with its universe of amazing creatures, action-packed battles, and overall likeable character of Ash, Misty, and Brock. My opinions of Ash as the protagonist ranged; he can be really humorous, particularly in the earlier seasons, but his stupid errors and disregard of type advantages drove the game-playing younger version of me completely mad.
One of the most notable changes that has surfaced in Pokémon Horizons is also one of its best: a larger ensemble. Although Ash's path was practically restricted to himself, his immediate friends, and Team Rocket, Horizons has cast Liko and Roy with a cast of Rising Volt Tacklers, therefore augmenting their adventure. Friede struck me right away with his bold approach, and I appreciated Liko and Roy having someone on their corner in a manner Ash never really had. Better still, Friede presents an adult audience with a character they can relate to.
All of the other Rising Volt Tacklers have also become much-loved fresh additions to the show. Though it hasn't been explored much yet, Molly, as something of a "rogue" Nurse Joy, has a very fascinating concept at the center of her character. Orla falls into the classic gadget girl paradigm; Murdock is a big man who loves baking sweets and questions conventional masculinity. With his quips and insightful comments, even the generally silent Ludlow has shown to be somewhat amusing. Knowing that Liko and Roy have these people around helps them to avoid having to deal with challenging issues by themselves.
Pokémon Horizons has distinguished itself from what came before in a good way with its better treatment of characters, bigger cast, and compelling plot out of a progressively disintegrating mystery. Even if I would miss Ash and Pikachu after all these years, the Pokémon universe offers so much promise for fascinating narrative that it seemed like a waste to concentrate just on them. Having seen Pokémon Horizon, I can state with certainty that retiring Ash was the correct decision since it has let the Pokémon Anime soar like never before.
Following the 1997 original series comes Pokémon Horizons. It chronicles the exploits of Liko and Roy, two aspirant Pokémon trainers from disparate backgrounds, as they tour the Paldea area. Having fresh tools and devices, they come across a range of Pokémon and confront trials that try their bravery and ability. Liko and Roy learn about the huge universe of Pokémon with every discovery and fight, then aim to leave their mark on the Pokémon leagues.