Unveiling Pokémon Horizons: A Stunning Evolution of the Games
Pokémon Horizons flawlessly captures the essence of Scarlet/Violet, offering an unparalleled adaptation that stays true to the original games
Pokémon Horizons took a new approach in its latest episode, introducing the gym leader from the Paldea region and closely following the storyline of the Scarlet and Violet games. This marks the first time the anime has directly adapted content from the Pokémon games, with Brassius's gym challenge being a near identical translation, complete with borrowed dialogue. Liko and Roy's initial visit to Brassius was motivated by their search for the legendary Black Rayquaza, hoping to find a clue to its whereabouts. However, upon their arrival in episode #10 of Pokémon Horizons, they discover that Brassius is feeling down and the townsfolk are determined to lift his spirits by gathering Sunflora from the surrounding area. Fans of the Scarlet and Violet games will immediately recognize this as the Artazon gym test, a prerequisite to challenging the gym leader in a battle.
Pokémon Horizons Adapts Scarlet/Violet Like Never Before
During their outing, Liko, Roy, and the newly introduced Nemona gather Sunflora to uncover Brassius's encounter. Contemplating whether or not to disclose the existence of the Black Rayquaza, Brassius challenges Roy to a battle, mirroring the gameplay experience. With his Sudowoodo as his trump card, Brassius leaps from the windmill and recites dialogues reminiscent of the Scarlet/Violet battle. As the battle ensues, Brassius astounds everyone by Terastallizing his Sudowoodo into a Grass-type, an accurate representation of the games and a remarkable introduction of the ninth generation's signature mechanic in the anime.
Although Roy ultimately falls short in the gym battle, his experience closely aligns with that of players who faced Brassius. This level of fidelity to the games is quite uncommon in the Pokémon anime, as Ash's journey diverged at the outset with his choice of Pikachu as his starter, a possibility only available in Pokémon Yellow (which was influenced by the anime) and not the other way around. While the anime often borrows names and locations from the games, the visuals of these areas tend to differ significantly. Even the characters, although generally consistent in their personalities, have undergone notable changes – as exemplified by the anime's portrayal of Sabrina, which differs greatly from the game.
By contrast, Artazon provides a remarkable replication of the captivating world depicted in Scarlet and Violet. The portrayal of Brassius's words and actions in the game is flawlessly mirrored in Artazon. The upcoming episode of Pokémon Horizons will take a new direction, delving into its own unique storyline once again. The protagonists will venture into a dense forest, guided by Brassius's claim of spotting Rayquaza, with Nemona faithfully by their side. It will be intriguing to observe if this pattern persists as Pokémon Horizons further explores Paldea, encountering additional iconic characters and locations from the games.
