"Pokémon Anime Ages Up Main Cast After Nearly 30 Years"

After an epic 26-year journey through the Pokémon anime, the iconic protagonist Ash Ketchum has finally hung up his hat at the age of perpetually 10. Yet, in a surprising twist, The Pokémon Company is breaking tradition with Pokémon Horizons by allowing its new protagonists, Liko and Roy, to grow up. The recent reveal from CoroCoro magazine about the upcoming arc, Mega Voltage, has confirmed that this new chapter will feature a "time skip" aging Liko and Roy by approximately three years. This development comes with fresh designs for the main cast, showcasing Liko, Roy, and Dot as taller and more mature:

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These young adventurers share the same universe as Ash Ketchum, even though he's currently absent from the screen. This means that Ash, along with Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena, and the rest of the gang, have also aged three years off-screen. While it's uncertain if we'll see a grown-up Ash in this arc or in future seasons, fans are buzzing with speculation about potential appearances.

The Mega Voltage arc will not only age its characters but also bring back the thrilling mechanic of Mega Evolutions, aligning with its reintroduction in the upcoming game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We've seen that Liko's Floragato has evolved into Meowscarada, and Roy now possesses a shiny Mega Lucario, adding exciting new dynamics to their journeys.

However, a notable absence in the reveal is Friede, the captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. His partner, Pikachu, appears with Friede's goggles, which show signs of damage, sparking concerns among fans about Friede's fate.

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The Mega Voltage arc is set to premiere in Japan on April 11 of this year, though fans in the United States will have to wait a bit longer due to the delay in the English dub. Our review of Pokémon Horizons Season 2 gave it a 5/10, critiquing it for "refusing time and again to commit to its strengths." With the introduction of the time skip, there's hope that it will inject new energy into the adventures of the Rising Volt Tacklers.