"Pokémon Anime Ages Up Main Cast After 30 Years"

After 26 years of thrilling adventures in the Pokémon anime, Ash Ketchum, the perpetually 10-year-old protagonist, has finally hung up his hat. Yet, in a surprising twist, The Pokémon Company is set to break tradition with Pokémon Horizons by allowing its new protagonists, Liko and Roy, to grow up.

The announcement came from the recent CoroCoro magazine, unveiling the next arc of Pokémon Horizons, titled "Mega Voltage." This arc will feature a significant "time skip," advancing Liko and Roy's ages by about three years. New designs for the main characters showcase Liko, Roy, and Dot as noticeably taller and more mature:

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These characters share the same universe as Ash Ketchum, implying that off-screen, Ash and his friends like Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, and Serena have also aged three years. While it's uncertain if we'll see an older Ash in this arc or future seasons, the fanbase is buzzing with speculation about potential appearances.

The Mega Voltage arc will reintroduce Mega Evolutions, aligning with the return of this mechanic in the upcoming game Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Liko's Floragato has evolved into Meowscarada, and Roy now boasts a shiny Mega Lucario.

One glaring omission in the reveal is Friede, the captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. His partner Pikachu appears wearing Friede's goggles, which show cracks, sparking concern among fans about Friede's fate.

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The Mega Voltage arc is scheduled to premiere in Japan on April 11 of this year, with a delayed release in the United States due to the lag in the English dub. Our previous review gave Pokémon Horizons Season 2 a 5/10, critiquing it for "refusing time and again to commit to its strengths." With the time skip, fans are hopeful that this new energy will reinvigorate the Rising Volt Tacklers' journey.