What Is Wonder Voyage and When Does It Begin?
Wonder Voyage is the next major chapter of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, kicking off on May 22 during the show’s regular Friday evening slot in Japan. This arc picks up after the Blueberry Academy storyline and other Scarlet & Violet-inspired adventures, continuing Liko and Roy’s journey as they explore new regions and mysteries beyond Paldea. While plot details are still under wraps, the promotional visual highlights Ditto and a mysterious new girl, signaling a shift toward a more travel-focused, discovery-driven tone. The arc’s title, Wonder Voyage, hints at surprise encounters and experimental settings rather than a single, school-based location. For Horizons, which was built around the idea of a roaming explorer crew from episode one, this feels like a natural evolution: instead of revisiting Ash’s old formula, it leans even harder into road-trip storytelling anchored by its dual protagonists.
Meet Navi, the New Character Who Befriends Ditto
The headline addition in Pokémon Horizons Wonder Voyage is Navi, a new character described as a girl who lives in Lumiose City. She enters the story after meeting a Ditto that comes from an airship, immediately tying her into the Horizons crew’s skyfaring lifestyle. While casting details have not yet been announced, her design and the key visual place her front and center with Ditto, suggesting she is more than a one-episode guest. As a resident of the bustling Lumiose City, Navi likely brings a city kid’s resourcefulness and curiosity to Liko and Roy’s more wide-eyed explorer energy. Her partnership with Ditto—a Pokémon defined by transformation—also teases comedic mishaps and identity-based plots that could challenge how the main cast relate to each other. Expect Navi, the new character, to act as both local guide and wildcard catalyst as Wonder Voyage unfolds.
New Pokémon Anime Opening and Ending: Artists, Songs and Visual Flavor
A new arc means a new Pokémon anime opening and ending, and Wonder Voyage delivers on both counts. The opening, titled Sekai Tsunagare, is produced by HoneyWorks and performed in-character by Minori Suzuki and Yuka Terasaki as Liko and Roy. Framing the theme as a duet from the protagonists’ point of view reinforces Horizons’ focus on partnership and shared adventure. The Wonder Voyage theme song’s title, which points to a world being connected, aligns neatly with the arc’s emphasis on travel and cross-world encounters, including nods to Pokémon GO, Pokémon Unite and Pokémon Sleep in promotional imagery. The ending, Cute na Kyutai, is performed by eight-member idol group CUTIE STREET, whose CD jacket features the members reimagined as Pikachu. That playful, idol-flavored energy should give the credits sequence a bright, poppy contrast to the more mysterious tone teased for the arc itself.
New Settings, Game Tie-Ins and What They Signal for Horizons
Beyond Navi, new setting materials and visuals tease how Wonder Voyage will broaden Pokémon Horizons’ scope. The key art spotlights Ditto and Navi but also weaves in imagery based on the spin-off titles Pokémon GO, Pokémon Unite and Pokémon Sleep. That mash-up suggests a more experimental, multi-faceted journey, where Liko and Roy might encounter locations and scenarios inspired by different corners of the wider Pokémon ecosystem. Coming after arcs that directly adapted elements from The Indigo Disk, The Teal Mask and Blueberry Academy, Wonder Voyage looks poised to push the anime beyond straightforward game tie-ins and into a celebration of the brand’s broader culture. The tone hinted so far mixes whimsical exploration with gentle meta-references, positioning this chapter as a bridge between in-game lore and the everyday ways fans interact with Pokémon in their own lives.
How Wonder Voyage Fits the Post-Ash Era—and Where to Watch
Pokémon Horizons is the franchise’s first full step into a post-Ash era, led by completely new protagonists Liko and Roy. Wonder Voyage continues that break from tradition by doubling down on ensemble storytelling and long-form arcs instead of the old gym-badge pattern. If you have been curious about Horizons but have not started, this is an ideal moment: Wonder Voyage is framed as a fresh chapter with a clear hook (Navi and Ditto’s airship encounter) and a new Pokémon anime opening to mark the tonal shift. To catch up, earlier Pokémon Horizons episodes are already available in English: Season 1 and subsequent arcs premiered on BBC iPlayer and later on Netflix, with The Search for Laqua and Rising Hope continuing the story. A release date for Wonder Voyage outside Japan has not been announced yet, but given the pattern so far, an international drop is very likely to follow.