Pokémon Horizons has begun teasing its next story arc in Japan, and it sees the return of Mega Evolution, which will be debuting for the first time in Horizons. The arc appears to be related to the Pokémon Legends Z-A game, and will see several exciting developments play out.

Pokémon Horizons is currently at the end of its first storyline, the Search for Laqua, which has seen Liko, Roy, and Dot traveling with the Rising Volt Tacklers to collect the "Six Heroes," Pokémon that once belonged to the Ancient Adventurer Lucius, who is also an ancestor of Liko. The search for Laqua has brought Liko and Roy to the legendary land, where they're currently facing off with the Explorers, a rival group who have their own plans for the Pokémon paradise. The new storyline seems to mark a distinct shift away from the anime's original content, to more closely match with the game.

Pokémon Horizons Brings Mega Evolution Back

Will Horizons' Heroes Master Mega Evolution?

The first tease of the new storyline occurred after a preview for episodes 87-89 of the anime, which showed an arm (seemingly belonging to Roy) wearing a Mega Bracelet, and commanding a Shiny Lucario to Mega Evolve. More recently, a special feature in the issue of Japanese Coro Coro Magazine allegedly features images of Liko, Roy, and Dot aged up, and seemingly confirms that the Shiny Lucario will belong to Roy. Also teased is a new character, whose name translates to "Ulto," who may be a rival to Roy and will reportedly have a Mega Sableye.

The information was leaked on Reddit from an early-release copy of the Coro Coro magazine, which is due out on March 14, 2025. While the information can't be verified at this time, it does align well with the earlier preview, and presents some tantalizing possibilities for the future of Horizons. Of note is the fact that while Captain Pikachu appears on the poster, Friede doesn't, potentially signaling his absence from the next arc. Why that might be is certainly a mystery at this point, but should become clear in the next few episodes as the Laqua storyline draws to a close.

Pokémon Horizons Follows the Games

Legends Z-A Appears to Have a Major Influence on Horizons' New Arc

The appearance of Mega Evolution in Pokémon Horizons is almost certainly due to the series tying in with the Pokémon Legends Z-A game, due out in late 2025. The game sees the return of Mega Evolution to the franchise for the first time since Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, which came out in 2019. It only makes sense to have the anime echo what's going on in the games; that was often the case for Ash's era, and even Horizons has done so with its use of Scarlet and Violet DLC locations.

If the arc does take inspiration from Legends Z-A, then it's likely that the heroes will be heading towards the Kalos region, an area of the Pokémon world which they haven't visited yet. Fans may get their first glimpse at the revamped Lumiose City in Pokémon Horizons, not the game, and it will be interesting to revisit the area for the first time in almost a decade.