The Pokémon anime spent 26 years telling the story of a boy becoming a master, and then, with the final episode of Season 3, handed the microphone to the next group. Pokémon Horizons Season 3, “Rising Hope,” Part 4, launched on Netflix in the United States on September 18, 2026. This is the final part of the season, and the climactic battle of Liko, Roy, Dot, and Ult against the Explorers.
The official plot summary is straightforward: they must stop the Explorers before Laquium spreads, and to do so they must gather all the allies they met on their journey, using Terastallization, Mega Evolution, and new moves, pushing their skills and bonds to the limit. But what truly makes this season worth discussing is what it accomplishes—turning an anime centered on “one person” into an anime about “how a group of people each grow up.”
The time skip at the beginning of Season 3 is the first structural change introduced in the series; Liko and Roy are no longer children but teenagers. This means the narrative logic shifts from “adventure brings growth” to “growth brings new adventures.” Roy is gradually pushed into a leadership position this season, while Friede hands responsibility to the younger generation. This is not a character’s exit, but a moment when an entire generation hands the steering wheel to the next. Liko, Roy, Dot, and Ult each enter the final battle with different arcs, but they share the same proposition: every relationship they built over the first two seasons is tested here. “Gathering all friends” is not a slogan, but an inventory this anime takes of its own three years of accumulation.
Ash’s story taught viewers, “You can become a champion too.” Season 3 of Horizons, however, says something closer to reality: one day you will have to pick up that ball yourself, and then you will realize you can pick it up because someone along the way taught you how to hold it.
FAQ
Q: Where can I watch Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Part 4?
A: It launched on Netflix in the United States on September 18, 2026.
Q: What is the biggest structural change in Season 3?
A: Season 3 introduces the series’ first time skip at the beginning; Liko and Roy grow from children into teenagers, the narrative logic shifts from “adventure brings growth” to “growth brings new adventures,” Roy is gradually pushed into a leadership position, and Friede hands responsibility to the younger generation.
Source: The Pokémon Company
