Pokémon Horizons: The Ultimate Solution to Journeys' Critical Error

Warning: Spoilers ahead for episode #19 of Pokémon Horizons. The final series of the Pokémon anime featuring Ash deviated from the norm by devoting less time to Galar-related content. However, Pokémon Horizons is now rectifying this by showcasing what fans missed in Journeys, including the appearance of Kabu, the gym leader of Motostoke. In Journeys, Ash traveled across various regions instead of focusing on just one, leaving Galar with limited screen time. As a result, gym leaders like Kabu, Nessa, and Melony never had the opportunity to make an appearance, and many iconic towns in Galar went unnoticed.

Pokémon Horizons Brings the Galar Experience to the Anime

The cast of characters in Pokémon Horizons has recently arrived in the Galar region and the show is now focusing on aspects of Galar that were previously overlooked. For example, Motostoke, one of the major cities in Galar, was never featured in Journeys, although it was mentioned. In episode #19 of Pokemon Horizons, the Brave Asagi's crew makes Motostoke their first stop, arriving by airship and planning to explore Galar by train. This episode highlights another notable feature of Galar - the battle cafes, and it also introduces Kabu, Motostoke's gym leader who was absent in Journeys.

So far, Horizons has stayed true to the games, and Liko and Roy's encounter with Brassius accurately mirrors his gym challenge from Scarlet and Violet. It appears that the same will be true for Galar, as the next episode preview shows Liko and Roy undergoing Kabu's gym trial, just like in Sword and Shield. Kabu's backstory, which connects him to the Hoenn region and Rayquaza, hints at the possibility that he may have knowledge about the Black Rayquaza. This demonstrates that while Horizons is making up for missed content from Journeys, it is still advancing its own storyline rather than simply filling in gaps.

Fans who were disappointed that certain characters never appeared in the anime during Ash's time can now hope that Horizons will manage to include them, just like they did with Kabu. This also suggests that not too much time has passed since Ash's era, assuming that the series takes place in the same universe, as the line-up of gym leaders remains unchanged. With Galar and Paldea being the only regions with gym leaders that Ash didn't meet in Journeys, any other regions that Pokémon Horizons explores will either introduce new original gym leaders or further confirm that the series exists in the same universe.