Pokémon Horizons – Rising Hope

Lore & Background

The season comprises three story arcs. The first arc covers the first 22 episodes and follows protagonists Liko and Roy, alongside Dot, as they reform the Rising Volt Tacklers, one year after the collapse of Laqua. The second arc covers the next three episodes and shows how Roy met a rival in the Kalos region. The third arc covers the final 22 episodes and follows the Rising Volt Tacklers as they attempt to expose the Explorers, destroy the Laquium, and clear their name.

Reader's Guide

Pokémon Horizons – Rising Hope marks a significant narrative shift for the Pokémon anime, introducing a timeskip and the return of Mega Evolutions after a long absence. The season's three-arc structure allows for both a continuation of the main storyline and a flashback arc exploring the origins of the rivalry between Roy and the new character Ult. The season also debuted new opening and ending themes by prominent Japanese artists Yuzu, Eve, Me:I, and Polkadot Stingray, as well as an English opening theme 'Evolving Again' performed by Haven Paschall. Its release strategy—airing weekly in Japan and later on Netflix in the US—reflects the ongoing international distribution model for the franchise.

Did You Know?

• The season was first teased by CoroCoro Comic on March 13, 2025, with a look at the 'Mega Voltage' arc.
• The new character Ult, voiced by Natsumi Fujiwara, was revealed in a trailer on March 21, 2025.
• In the United Kingdom, the first eleven episodes of Rising Hope were released simultaneously on BBC iPlayer and CBBC on October 27, 2025.
• The Japanese ending theme 'YUU' by Yuzu was used for only three episodes.

Narrative Architecture & Story Arcs

Rising Hope is organized into three clearly delineated story arcs that together span the full season. The opening segment, branded Mega Voltage and stretching across twenty-two episodes, picks up the narrative a full year after the catastrophic fall of Laqua. Liko, Roy, and Dot work to rebuild the Rising Volt Tacklers, now bolstered by Roy's new rival Ult. The middle section, Episode: Mega Evolution, is a compact three-episode interlude that flashes back to the Kalos region to reveal the circumstances under which Roy and Ult first crossed paths. The final arc, Rising Again, returns to the present across another twenty-two episodes and centers on the reformed team's mission to expose the antagonistic Explorers, dismantle the Laquium, and restore the group's tarnished reputation. Their adventures in this stretch take place at Blueberry Academy, giving the season a grounded, institutional backdrop against which the larger conspiracy unfolds.

Production & Creative Leadership

As the twenty-eighth installment in the long-running Pokémon anime franchise and the third season under the Horizons banner, Rising Hope carries the weight of an established continuity while introducing fresh creative direction. The series is produced by OLM, the animation studio behind much of the franchise's history, and is guided by a dual-director team: Daiki Tomiyasu serves as chief director while Saori Den shares the helm. This pairing signals a collaborative creative approach to the season's storytelling. In Japan, the episodes aired on TV Tokyo over a span of roughly thirteen months, from April 11, 2025, through May 1, 2026, giving the season a long, steady broadcast run. The Japanese title carries multiple aliases—Pocket Monsters: Mega Voltage, Pocket Monsters Episode: Mega Evolution, and Pocket Monsters: Rising Again—reflecting the three-arc structure and underscoring how the production team wove the season's identity into its very naming.

Global Release & Distribution Strategy

The season's rollout followed a carefully staggered international schedule. In Japan, the first teaser appeared in CoroCoro Comic on March 13, 2025, hinting at a significant timeskip. The following day, The Pokémon Company confirmed the April 11 broadcast start on TV Tokyo. A week later, on March 21, a trailer and poster revealed the return of Mega Evolutions and introduced Ult, voiced by Natsumi Fujiwara. The three-episode Episode: Mega Evolution interlude was announced on August 22, 2025, and after the Mega Voltage arc wrapped in September, the Rising Again arc was confirmed for an October 31 premiere. In the United Kingdom, the first eleven episodes landed on BBC iPlayer and CBBC on October 27, 2025. The United States received the full season on Netflix on January 6, 2026, under the title Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 – Rising Hope, making the streaming platform the primary English-language home for the complete run.

Music & Soundtrack Identity

The season's musical identity is notably layered, with multiple artists contributing to different thematic slots. In Japan, the opening theme rotates between Get Back by Yuzu, which plays for twenty-one episodes, and Iolite by Eve, covering the remaining twenty-one. The ending sequence is even more varied: Ready Go by Me:I accompanies twenty episodes, YUU by Yuzu appears for three, and Asleep or Awake by Polkadot Stingray closes out twenty-two episodes. This rotation gives the soundtrack a sense of evolution that mirrors the narrative's three-arc structure. For English-speaking audiences outside Asia, the opening is Evolving Again performed by Haven Paschall, with an instrumental rendition serving as the closing theme. In Asian markets, the Japanese tracks are retained, with Yuzu's Get Back as the opening and Me:I's Ready Go as the ending, preserving the original musical pairing for those regions.