The official staff for the Pokémon Horizons anime has officially announced new cast members and theme songs for its upcoming arc, titled “Rising Again,” which is set to debut in Japan on Friday, October 31st. This highly anticipated arc will see protagonists Liko and company venture to the familiar setting of Blueberry Academy, a location introduced in “The Indigo Disk” DLC for the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games.
A New Adventure at Blueberry Academy
The “Rising Again” arc marks the sixth main arc of Pokémon Horizons: The Series and will pick up after the conclusion of the “Mega Voltage” arc, which aired its final episode in Japan on September 19th. Before the new main arc commences, fans can look forward to a three-episode mini-arc titled “Episode: Mega Evolution,” which will bridge the one-year timeskip between previous arcs and focus on Roy and Uruto’s Mega Evolution training in Lumiose City, tying into Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
The central location for the “Rising Again” arc, Blueberry Academy, promises new challenges and characters for Liko and Roy as they continue their journey. This aligns the anime with recent developments in the Pokémon video game universe.
Key New Cast Members Join the Journey
The anime’s staff has revealed several new voice actors who will be bringing Blueberry Academy characters to life. Seiran Kobayashi will voice Lacey (Taro), Hiroyuki Yoshino is cast as Drayton (Kakitsubata), and Shinya Ōwada will lend his voice to Cyrano (Cyano in Japanese). Lacey and Drayton are known as members of the BB League’s Elite Four, while Cyrano serves as the director of Blueberry Academy.
Prior to the “Rising Again” arc, the “Special Episode: Mega Evolution” mini-arc will also introduce new characters: Misaki Kuno as Emma (Matiere) and Masahiko Tanaka as Master Mayonnaise. Emma is a character from the Pokémon Legends: Z-A game.
Fresh Sounds for a New Horizon
Accompanying the new storyline and characters are brand-new theme songs that will set the tone for the “Rising Again” arc. Eve will perform the new opening theme song, “Iolite.” For the ending theme, Polkadot Stingray will provide “Netemo Sametemo” (meaning “Whether Asleep or Awake”).
These new musical additions follow previous theme songs for Pokémon Horizons, such as “Will” by K-Pop group IVE and “Let Me Battle” by 9Lana, which were featured in the “Terastal Debut” arc.
International Release Information
While the new arc details have been revealed for Japan, there is currently no information available regarding the international release of the next season, which is expected to include the fifth, mini-special, and sixth arcs. Pokémon Horizons: The Series has been released internationally on platforms such as Netflix in the United States, BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, Teletoon and Cartoon Network in Canada, and 9Go! in Australia. The series originally premiered in Japan in April 2023.
