Pokémon Horizons

Leaving her home in Paldea, Liko travels to Kanto to enroll in Indigo Academy and become a Pokémon Trainer. She's nervous but also excited to learn new things about herself and the world. After Liko meets her roommate, Ann, both girls receive their partner Pokémon: Ann is overjoyed to get Oshawott, but Liko seems disappointed when her partner is Sprigatito, a Pokémon from Paldea. Still, Liko attempts to befriend the Pokémon, and they eventually begin to bond. But one day, a mysterious young man approaches Liko, claiming to have a letter from her grandma. He also seems interested in Liko's pendant, but Liko is suspicious…

Liko and Sprigatito continue to flee Amethio, but when Friede swoops in with his Charizard, Amethio is forced to pause the pursuit to battle. During the fight, Liko is nearly hit by an attack, but her pendant suddenly surrounds her with a barrier. Inside, Liko is shocked to see an unfamiliar Pokémon, but it quickly reverts back into the pendant. Liko and Sprigatito fall, but Friede and Charizard catch them and take them to the Brave Olivine, an airship that's home to the Rising Volt Tacklers. Liko has lots of questions but no time to ask them. Amethio is back, so Friede calls on a powerful partner-Captain Pikachu!

After the Explorers steal Sprigatito, Liko awakens on board the Brave Olivine to find Friede looking for the group. His trail has gone cold, so Liko insists on searching by herself. Friede rejects her plan, revealing that her mother asked the Rising Volt Tacklers to protect her. So, Murdock's Rockruff tries to track down Sprigatito's scent while Liko and Mollie run errands. Suddenly, Liko hears Rockruff barking at someone who leads them directly to the Explorers…and to Sprigatito! As Friede and Amethio resume battling, Liko and Sprigatito create a diversion and escape. Knowing the Rising Volt Tacklers are good people, and wanting answers to her questions, Liko has a request…

Now a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers, Liko gets lookout duty, but the Brave Olivine must land on an island for repairs. Soon, Liko notices Fuecoco is missing and realizes it must have fallen off the airship. She and Sprigatito search for it, but they're chased by wild Pokémon who are angry that Fuecoco ate their food. Meanwhile, Fuecoco meets Roy, a boy who lives on the island and dreams of becoming a Pokémon Trainer. Eventually, Roy and Fuecoco meet up with Liko, but the wild Pokémon remain angry, so Friede and Captain Pikachu come to the rescue. The Rising Volt Tacklers bid farewell to Roy, but he's conflicted…

Wanting to see Fuecoco, Roy sneaks aboard the Brave Olivine-but the Rising Volt Tacklers confront him! They let him stay, but he and Liko aren't able to find Fuecoco. The next day, the airship must once again land for repairs, so Roy suggests asking his gramps for help. Meanwhile, Fuecoco rushes onto the island in search of Roy, but then it sees the Explorers closing in! It finds Roy, and everyone returns to the Brave Olivine to battle the Explorers as the island's wild Pokémon make repairs. When it's Roy and Fuecoco's turn to fight, Fuecoco struggles to attack-can Roy figure out a way to cheer it on?

Amethio almost grabs Liko, but her pendant again surrounds her with a barrier-and strangely, Roy's Ancient Poké Ball glows in sync. The three begin to battle, but Amethio has the upper hand, so Liko pleads for help. Suddenly, the pendant and Ancient Poké Ball light up, and a black Rayquaza emerges from the Ancient Poké Ball. It causes the Explorers to flee and then flies away. Later, Roy's grandfather explains that the Pokémon is mentioned in a legend involving an Ancient Adventurer, and Roy decides to officially become a Pokémon Trainer with Fuecoco. But when it's time for the Rising Volt Tacklers to leave, will he join them?

Liko, Sprigatito, Roy, and Fuecoco become official members of the Rising Volt Tacklers, but Liko laments that she put everyone in danger because of her pendant. She wants to become stronger so that she can stand tall against her foes. Eager to learn, Liko and Roy ask Friede to train them-but they don't know the first thing about Pokémon battles! Liko and Sprigatito, together with Roy and Fuecoco, face Friede and Captain Pikachu. Slowly but surely, Liko seems to pick up on what Friede and Cap are teaching them, and her newfound skills are put to the test when Friede asks Liko and Roy to battle each other! Will these two manage to uncover what it takes to become true Pokémon Trainers?

After finishing a meal cooked by Murdock, Liko notes that Dot never eats with the group. Murdock says he just needs to make something tasty enough, but he seems to be hiding something when Mollie mentions they're running low on certain ingredients. Friede proposes a shopping trip, and Liko stays behind to watch the ship. She delivers lunch to Dot and tries to chat about Nidothing, who's about to start a livestream, but Dot hurriedly brushes her off. Later, Liko and Roy meet up outside Dot's room, and although Dot is annoyed, she starts to open up a bit. Meanwhile, Murdock has a new recipe to try…

The Brave Olivine arrives in Paldea, and Roy is eager to track down the black Rayquaza. But Liko is apprehensive upon realizing that her time with the Rising Volt Tacklers is coming to an end. Friede and Roy accompany her home, where her dad, Alex, is working on a painting. After Alex's Fidough warmly greets Liko and Fuecoco, Sprigatito puts distance between itself and Liko. As Liko searches for it, she overhears a conversation between Friede and Alex that gives her a new perspective. Wanting to continue her journey, she decides to work up the courage to tell her dad.

Arriving in Artazon, Liko and Roy search for clues about the black Rayquaza. They want to meet with Gym Leader Brassius, but first they encounter Nemona, a Champion-ranked Trainer with tons of enthusiasm. Brassius, on the other hand, is in a slump, so Nemona helps Liko and Roy gather Sunflora to cheer him up. It turns out Brassius feels inadequate as an artist after seeing the black Rayquaza in real life, but when Roy shares how the Rayquaza inspired him, Brassius cheers up and challenges Roy to a battle. Afterward, Brassius reveals he saw another mysterious Pokémon, too-an Arboliva. What could be its connection to the black Rayquaza?

Liko and Roy are off to the forest where Brassius saw Arboliva-and after learning about a recent wildfire there, Mollie decides to join them. The group finds a burned wasteland, so Roy races ahead, only to find an Ancient Poké Ball on a giant tree. Meanwhile, Liko gets lost, so she heads toward the giant tree to meet up with Roy and Mollie. On the way, she finds an injured Paldean Wooper, but some other wild Pokémon see her as a threat and attack. At the giant tree, Liko finds Roy, and both Trainers end up in a desperate fight-against the tree itself! Could it be Arboliva?

With Arboliva's forest ruined, Liko and friends set out to replant seeds and encourage new growth. Even Ludlow helps with his Quagsire, whose Rain Dance brings water to the dry land. After Arboliva restores the forest, Liko's pendant glows and turns into the unfamiliar Pokémon from before. Liko, Roy, and the Pokémon then receive a fleeting message from a mysterious man, and Arboliva returns to its Ancient Poké Ball. Later, Friede and Liko's mom discuss the situation, and Liko and Roy read about the Ancient Adventurer who traveled with six Pokémon. Liko's grandma might know more, so it's up to Liko to decide what's next…