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Pokémon Horizons has always sold itself as a fundamentally different anime from the original Pokémon anime with Ash and Pikachu, and one of the clearest ways this is seen is that the series never adapted the story of the ninth-generation games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Granted, Pokémon Journeys didn’t fully adapt Sword and Shield’s story, but it at least covered the conflict with Rose and Eternatus, yet with Horizons, Paldea is just a region that the Rising Volt Tacklers visit now and then and not the central focus of the story.
One of the major strengths of the Pokémon Horizons anime has been its ability to tell its own story and not be beholden to the games or its predecessor, but at the same time, it’s undoubtedly disappointing for any fans of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to not see it adapted in any way, especially with how beloved the characters and story beats have become in recent years. That makes it all the more surprising, then, that things might be changing on that front in the anime, and overall, it couldn’t be more exciting.
Pokémon Horizons Is Finally Delivering The Gen 9 Story We Need
Pokémon Horizons is currently in the third arc of its Mega Evolution saga, Rising Again, and not only has it been confirmed that the arc will be ending soon, which will also end the overarching conflict with Laquium and the Explorers, but the anime will also continue with another new story arc titled Wonder Voyage. Not much is known about Wonder Voyage, but the key visual notably shows all of the ninth-generation legendary Pokémon that haven’t appeared in the anime, which suggests that Pokémon Horizons will finally adapt Scarlet and Violet’s story in some way.
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That’s likely not the end of it, of course; not only has it been stated that Wonder Voyage will incorporate material from Pokémon Go, Pokémon Unite, and Pokémon Sleep, but a shot of Mega Lucario Z fighting a Mega Falinks suggests an adaptation of Pokémon Legends Z-A, and with a new character who uses a Ditto, there might also be references to 2026’s Pokémon Pokopia. In short, Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage is poised to adapt everything that’s defined Gen 9, making it one of the most ambitious projects for the Pokémon anime to date.
Pokémon Horizons Is Giving Gen 9 The Sendoff It Deserves
Pokémon Horizons is finally giving the ninth generation the adaptation it deserves, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was recently confirmed that the tenth generation of Pokémon games, Pokémon Wind and Waves, is officially in development and will be released in 2027, so there’s only one year left until Gen 9 officially ends. Wonder Voyage will likely run until Wind and Waves’ release, so with that in mind, it can be seen as the swan song for Scarlet and Violet and everything else associated with it.
Most of the time, when a Pokémon generation ends, it simply comes to an end with no fanfare as everyone moves on to the next one, and with Pokémon Wind and Waves taking longer than normal to come out, Gen 9 felt as if it would have an especially anticlimactic sendoff. As such, Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage possibly devoting a year to adapting Gen 9 is a perfect way of ending things on a high note, and it’s something everyone can be excited about.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the games associated with them brought incredible life to the franchise with their fresh, character-driven stories that gave fans some of the best character writing in ages, so the end of their generation feels especially bittersweet. Pokémon Horizons might have ignored Gen 9 up until this point, but it’s finally giving it the respect it deserves, and hopefully, it will live up to the hype as Gen 9 reaches its finale.
- Released
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November 18, 2022
- ESRB
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E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
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Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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no
- Cross Save
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no
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https://screenrant.com/pokemon-anime-scarlet-violet-gen-9/
Joshua Fox
Almontather Rassoul
