Pokémon Horizons Wonder Voyage Arc Introduces New Characters

The Pokémon Company has officially unveiled Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage, the next chapter of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, set to premiere on May 22. On April 24, the anime revealed a new character, a new companion Pokémon, and theme songs for the "Wonder Voyage" arc.

The arc will introduce Navi, a Lumiose City girl, who meets a Ditto from an airship. The new visual of the anime, centered around Ditto, shows that the arc draws inspiration from multiple Pokémon titles, with elements from Pokémon UNITE, Pokémon Sleep, and Pokémon GO.

The key visual also features The Loyal Three, sleeping Snorlax, Miraidon, Koraidon, Chien-Pao, Ogerpon, Wo-Chien, Chi-Yu,and Ting-Lu, all originally introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Apart from the new characters' reveal, the announcement also introduced Liko and Roy’s opening theme, Sekai Tsunagare, and idol group CUTIE STREET’s ending theme Cute na Kyutai.

What is Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage Anime?

Wonder Voyage is the eighth arc of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, functioning as a new chapter of the Pokémon franchise’s first mainline series without Ash Ketchum. The Horizons series follows new protagonists Liko and Roy, signaling a generational shift after more than two decades of Ash-led storytelling.

Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage anime is directed by Saori Den, with Daiki Tomiyasu, who has previously worked in the Pokémon franchise, serving as creative director. Production remains under long-time animation partner OLM, Inc., which has handled Pokémon franchise animation for decades.

When and Where to Watch Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage?

The anime will air every Friday at 6:55 p.m. JST in Japan. As of now, an international release date has not been announced. Horizons season 3, Rising Hope, currently streams on Netflix, with previous seasons also available on the streaming platform.

Historically, the Pokémon Horizons anime was globally distributed by Netflix since its debut in 2023, except for a few select regions, such as South Korea. Considering the history, Netflix is likely to globally roll out Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage.

Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage Anime Plot

The Wonder Voyage arc continues after the Scarlet and Violet era and will likely incorporate thematic episodes tied to mobile and spinoff titles. The narrative will expand on the Rising Volt Tacklers’ adventures, introducing new allies and conflicts tied to exploration themes.

The newly released visual features Liko, Roy, Dot, and Ulto, maintaining  previous seasons’ cast; however, Navi being at the center reflects that a major part of the narrative might revolve around her and her Pokémon Ditto. Her precise role in the main narrative has not been disclosed, as of yet.

The Wonder Voyage release reflects a broader franchise strategy that ties anime arcs to game releases. The spinoff game integration woven into Wonder Voyage's plot signals The Pokémon Company's continued effort to use the anime as a cross-platform engagement vehicle while redefining the franchise with new characters, marking a generational shift.

Disclaimer: Source materials have been machine translated from Japanese.