The reboot of Pokémon anime, Pokémon Horizons, debuted in Japan, and with it the reveal of a brand new Legendary Pokémon, in a move reminiscent of its original first episode.
When Ash Ketchum first began his Pokémon journey over 25 years ago, he spotted a never-before-seen Pokémon flying over a rainbow, what fans now know as Ho-Oh. This created a huge amount of excitement and proved to be a good omen for Ash, who was on the verge of ever greater success, even if it took a while. Pokémon Horizons repeats this by having a brand new Pokémon appear at the midpoint of the two-part prologue, though this time it takes a slightly more aggressive approach.
Pokémon Horizons ‘launches a new Legendary Pokémon
Riko, the protagonist of Horizons, finds herself under attack by a mysterious group, led by Amethio, a young man with Ceruledge as his teammate. They’re after a mysterious pendant she’s wearing, but the new Pokémon Professor Friede shows up to save her. A stray psychotic cut from Ceruledge nearly hit Riko, but just before it made contact, a magical shield suddenly appeared, blocking the attack. The shield forms a bubble, and inside it, Riko glimpses a Pokémon that resembles the pre-evolved form of the new Legendary Pokémon Terapagos, which is currently scheduled to be released in the upcoming Scarlet/Violet DLC. As previously noted, Riko’s pendant is very similar to the Terapagos gem-encrusted case, so it’s not too surprising that there’s a connection there. However, this younger form of Terapagos was not revealed in the DLC announcement, making it the first time it has appeared in any Pokémon media.
Terapagos’ new form in the Pokémon anime looks like it could actually be sealed inside the pendant somehow, and implies that Terapagos is what makes Scarlet and Violet’s time-traveling “Paradise Form” could happen, so it’s not hard to see why the bad guys might want to get their hands on it. However, it’s interesting that it actively intervenes on Riko’s behalf; Ho-Oh’s first appearance is just for a peek, but this new Pokémon doesn’t hesitate to join in, even if it means exposing itself to the bad guys. Since the Pokémon is attached to the pendant, it’s likely that it will appear more in the future in a way that the real Ho-Oh hasn’t done in years. This won’t be a one-off cameo, but seems to be laying the groundwork for the series’ plot.
New Pokémon are always interesting to speculate on, and this baby Terapagos is full of mystery, as no one even knows its name. Pokémon Horizons promises some answers, but fans will have to buckle up and ride with them if they want to know more.
