Pokémon Horizons Anime Launches New Rayquaza Rising Story Arc in October 2024

On Friday, September 13, 2024, The Pokémon Company announced a new story arc titled “Rayquaza Rising” for the Pokémon Horizons anime, which will begin airing on October 11, 2024. The announcement also introduced a new key visual showcasing the iconic Pokémon in its Shiny form, featuring its distinctive black coloration.

The upcoming arc of the Pokémon Horizons series will prominently include characters from Kitakami, a location introduced in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games through “The Teal Mask” DLC expansion. While further details have yet to be disclosed at the time of writing, fans can look forward to additional information and promotional content in the weeks ahead.

Pokémon Horizons anime to showcase Shiny Rayquaza in upcoming arc

As of this article’s writing, specific details about the new arc are limited, but the recently unveiled key visual hints at the inclusion of other Legendary Pokémon, such as Entei and Terapagos in its Terastal form, alongside popular older-generation Pokémon like Lapras and Charizard.

Fans can anticipate that the new arc will weave in various elements from the DLC beyond character introductions, possibly incorporating significant plotlines or Pokémon unique to the Teal Mask extension. The Rayquaza Rising arc might even serve as a deeper conclusion to the storyline featured in the Teal Mask DLC.

The anime first aired in April 2023, starting with a one-hour special for its premiere episode. It broadcasts weekly in Japan every Friday at 6:55 PM Japanese Standard Time (JST). The inaugural arc was titled the “Terastal Debut” arc, followed by the second arc, “The Brilliance of Terapagos,” which included its 29th episode airing in Japan last October.

The series is available for streaming on Netflix, albeit released in segments rather than weekly episodes alongside the Japanese release. The initial segment debuted in the United States on March 7, 2024, after a delay from its intended February 23 launch. Subsequent segments followed with the second part on May 10 and the third on August 9. The fourth part is scheduled for release on Netflix on November 22.

The Pokémon Horizons series features dual protagonists Liko and Roy, along with the 9th generation starters from the Violet and Scarlet titles: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. As previously mentioned, the anime showcases Rayquaza in its Shiny variant. Additionally, Pikachu retains its role as Captain Pikachu, who partners with Pokémon professor Friede in battles against Liko and Roy.