The new one Pokémon anime, Pokémon Horizons, debuted in Japan, and fans’ first look at the new protagonist makes it clear that the new heroine Riko isn’t Ash Ketchum–and that’s a good thing.
The Pokémon Horizons premiere introduced Riko, the new hero of the Pokémon reboot, her first proper introduction, and in stark contrast to Ash’s bubbly enthusiasm, Riko proved very timid and worried. Riko faces some of the same challenges as Ash, despite the school setting. However, Riko handles these situations in a distinctly different way than Ash would, suggesting that the series would be very different from its predecessor, if only for the way the protagonist reacts to situations. . Of course, Riko also has the advantage that she doesn’t start completely alone.
Riko & Sprigatito Echo Ash and Pikachu’s Pokémon Trouble
Riko isn’t at school long before she gets a chance to choose her first Pokémon. There were still a few options left when she stepped up, and she chose carefully, but was still surprised to end up with Sprigatito. Coincidentally, since people from all over the world were present, Riko picked one from her hometown of Paldea. However, while her roommate and their Oshawott get along well from the start, Sprigatito doesn’t accept Riko so easily. It often wanders away from her, and instead of trying to stop it, Riko just makes a habit of observing where it likes to hide and marking those places so she knows where to look for it.
Of course, Ash and Pikachu also got off to a bad start. Pikachu repeatedly electrocutes Ash, and Ash tries to pull Pikachu around with a rope while wearing rubber kitchen gloves to deal with that. The big difference is clearly how Riko and Ash deal with a disobedient Pokémon; Ash tried to win Pikachu’s trust by protecting it, and that eventually led it to believe. However, for Riko, it was Sprigatito who really planted the first olive branch. When they face the bad guys, Sprigatito wants to fight them with Riko, but Riko herself hesitates. Riko’s anxiety scares her, and Sprigatito can sense it, but there are times when action is needed, and Riko is finally starting to realize it. This type of character has appeared in Pokémon anime before, though only through supporting characters.
While it remains to be seen how the dynamics of Riko and Sprigatito will ultimately turn out, the two have planted the seeds of an interesting relationship. Pokémon Horizons is off to a great start, and hopefully Riko’s stark difference from Ash will help set the series apart and open a new direction for anime.
