The new one Pokémon Anime Horizons has proven that its new villains are far more capable than Team Rocket, but it looks like the organization may have some more in common than it appeared, as the show introduced. introduces a new boss character resembling Giovanni.
The opposing team (known as Explorers) is introduced through Amethio, a young man who appears to be the leader, and his two subordinates, Zir and Conia. The new Pokémon villains have proven themselves to be rivals to Team Rocket, operating on a fairer level and creating a distaste for Pokémon stealing… but they still pursue Riko and her pendant her, and made every effort to continue following her in to get it. Now, the series has revealed that there is a bigger boss than Amethio in the Explorers organization, and he seems to be the driving force of the plot at the moment.
Pokémon Horizon teases its new villain, Gideon
In episode 4, Amethio is seen communicating via video call with a man who appears to be a housekeeper. The man asks if they have successfully obtained Riko’s pendant, stating that it represents a mysterious figure named “Gideon”. Gideon seems to be the real leader of the Adventurers, and the image on the screen near the butler showing scans and detailed diagrams of the pendant makes Riko so important in Pokémon. The call was kept brief and took place towards the end of the episode, making Gideon very mysterious, as he wasn’t even shown.
Of course, Team Rocket has their own big boss Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket in the games, and the head of Viridian City’s gym. Giovanni remains a rather menacing character throughout the anime, despite Meowth’s “imaginary Boss” scenes, where he is often seen behaving in a goofy, out-of-the-ordinary manner. Giovanni is responsible for creating Mewtwo, and even unleashes the trio of Forces of Nature in Black and White, nearly causing a cataclysm. However, that event was actually Ash’s first time seeing Giovanni in person, and it already has over 750 episodes in the series. Given the new focus on Pokémon Horizons’ plot, it makes sense to set up the series’ major villain early, although care should also be taken not to reveal too much.
Hopefully fans won’t have to wait 750 episodes to see Gideon and Riko interact, like they did with Ash and Giovanni. With more capable subordinates in the form of Amethio and his crew, along with the submarine they were revealed to have, Gideon was highly regarded. Pokémonhis final big boss, and could eventually become a more dangerous threat than Giovanni ever was.