Captain Pikachu quickly made himself an integral part of Pokémon Horizons, even if he isn’t as omnipresent as Ash’s Pikachu was throughout that era of the anime. In episode 18, the series took a step back into the past to learn about how Friede first met Captain Pikachu, ultimately revealing how he developed his special powers of “flight” in the first place.
Episode 18 of Horizons is an extended flashback, mostly following Friede as a young man who’s rapidly become disillusioned with working in a lab. Friede feels like he already knows everything he could learn in such an environment, and is beginning to feel like there’s very little left for him to learn at all. That’s when his old teacher (and Liko’s mother), Miss Lucca, takes him to see a truly incredible sight: a wild Pikachu who, each morning, performs a dangerous combo to launch himself high into the air, only to fall back down slowly and land without getting hurt. Friede is stunned at this unusual behavior, and begins observing the Pikachu immediately.
Captain Pikachu Dreams of Adventure
Friede eventually works out the details of what Pikachu is up to–he’s performing a Volt Tackle attack in a circular motion, creating a tornado-like rush of wind that he can ride high into the sky. What’s less clear is why Pikachu does this every day, especially when Friede notices that he actually hurts himself a little each time he attempts this. Friede is impressed by the Pikachu’s determination and decides to see for himself what all the fuss is about, flying up on his Charizard to the height Pikachu reaches. Friede is stunned at the beautiful sunrise on the horizon, which seems to be what Pikachu wants to see. Friede saves Pikachu when he loses control, and promises Pikachu even better sights if he will come with him.
Captain Pikachu demonstrates determination in the face of adversity and a hunger for adventure, traits which Friede immediately relates to. It inspires Professor Friede to create the Rising Volt Tacklers, named after Captain Pikachu’s technique, and to build an airship with the help of Orla and Ludlow. Pikachu is the reason the group exists at all, so it only seemed appropriate to name him the Captain. Aboard the airship, Pikachu can look out over the horizon all it wants, in any direction, and sees new horizons every day as they travel across the world. Pikachu chasing its dream inspired Friede to follow his own, and the rest is history.
This background on Captain Pikachu makes it clear that this Pikachu is a very different character from Ash’s Pikachu, despite them both being Pikachu. Captain Pikachu has his own goals and desires, which is definitely an interesting thing to establish. It also poses an interesting twist on the Pokémon Horizons title, offering it a second meaning that ties into both Cap and Friede’s origins.
