Gibeon

Not to be confused with Gideon.

Gibeon ギベオン Gibeon
Gibeon in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Age	100+
Gender	Male
Eye color	Pink
Hair color	Silver and pink
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Unknown
Relatives	Amethio (grandson) Unnamed son
Member of	Explorers Exceed
Rank	Co-founder, Boss (Explorers) Chairman (Exceed)
Animated series	Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Debut	The Ancient Poké Ball
English voice actor	David Kaye
Japanese voice actor	Show Hayami

Gibeon (Japanese: ギベオン Gibeon) is a recurring character and the main antagonist of Pokémon Horizons: The Series. He is the current leader of the Explorers, one of its founders, and the chairman of Exceed. Additionally, he is Amethio's grandfather.

History

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Pre-series

Gibeon, Lucius, and Rystal, the original Explorers

100 years prior to the events of the series, Gibeon was a traveling Trainer searching for the mythical paradise Laqua alongside his Shiny Zygarde. One day, while at a saloon, he overheard two other patrons deriding a pair of travelers who had come to ask for information regarding Laqua. He presented them with an extensive document of all the research he had conducted proving Laqua existed. Later, the two travelers, Lucius and Rystal, invited him to accompany them on their journey to locate the paradise, and he agreed. The group adopted the name of the Explorers and traveled around the world, ultimately locating Laqua after several days lost at sea.

In Laqua, Gibeon studied the local Pokémon, seeking to understand what could have created such a lush environment. The trio pushed on deeper into Laqua, discovering evidence of plant life that had withered from an unknown force. They eventually came across a growth of unusual crystals radiating a pink mist. Gibeon approached the growth to take a sample, observing the intense levels of energy the crystal possessed. Lucius, fearing what kind of effect the crystals could have on his group, instructed Gibeon and Rystal to leave Laqua with him, but Gibeon did not listen. Driven mad by the power of the mist, Gibeon used Zygarde in an attempt to force more crystals to grow, unleashing more mist in the process. The mist, in turn, caused the Pokémon nearby to begin rampaging, forcing Lucius and Rystal to fight them off. Zygarde, realizing the effect the mist was having on its Trainer, shed some of its cells in an attempt to seal the crystals' energy away, but this measure failed. The crystals' explosive growth ruptured the ground beneath Gibeon's feet, causing him to fall into a fissure. Following her departure from Laqua after Lucius's sacrifice to save the world from the crystals, Rystal never learned of Gibeon's ultimate fate.

Following this, Gibeon's role in Lucius's adventures was largely forgotten. However, he somehow survived the fall and secretly continued living on into the present, during which time he organized the modern incarnation of the Explorers and created the company known as Exceed to serve as the group's scientific research front. He sought to return to Laqua and harvest the crystals, now known as Laquium, and eventually recruited Hamber to his cause. He also sought to recruit Hamber's old friend Diana, Lucius and Rystal's granddaughter, but she turned down Hamber's invitation. Gibeon also fathered a son who he tasked with carrying on his legacy, but through unknown circumstances, his son strayed from this path and failed to live up to Gibeon's expectations, eventually being expelled from the Explorers. His son had a child of his own, Amethio, who Gibeon later brought into the Explorers with the same task, to find Laqua once again.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Gibeon communicating with the Explorers admins

Gibeon was mentioned for the first time in The Treasure After the Storm!, when Hamber questioned Amethio about the results of his mission.

In The Ancient Poké Ball, Gibeon appeared communicating with his Admins regarding Amethio's mission to Roy's hometown. Believing that Amethio did not carry out his mission properly, he dismissed him and sent Spinel to investigate the Rising Volt Tacklers. When all the members left the meeting, Hamber and Gibeon realized that they had finally found their true purpose.

In Rivals in the Dark of Night!, Gibeon contacted Hamber during the events in Galar. After the battle ended, Hamber was seen talking to Gibeon again by the monolith, informing him that events had finally begun to move again. Gibeon, in response, expressed that their wishes would soon come true.

In Respective Departures, Amethio sought an audience with Gibeon following his mission with the Black Rayquaza in the previous episode. Gibeon, awakening, spoke to Amethio about the battle and inquired how he felt while fighting Rayquaza. After Amethio claimed that he felt Rayquaza was not taking the battle seriously, Gibeon suggested that it was either testing him or toying with him, then informed Amethio that Rayquaza and Terapagos were the keys to his paradise, Laqua.

Gibeon made his first physical appearance in From So Far Away. He presided over another meeting of the Explorers following the failure of their plan to collectively battle the Black Rayquaza. In the light of their failure, he ordered a change of tactics, directing his subordinates to spy on the Rising Volt Tacklers and allow them to gather the Six Heroes, while also ordering Coral and the others to monitor Liko and Terapagos. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Gibeon was seen in his personal chamber, musing to himself about his desire to return to Laqua and how Lucius's adventure wasn't yet over.

In HZ054, Gibeon summoned Amethio to meet with him in-person. During this meeting, it was revealed that Amethio was Gibeon's grandson, and his heir in the search for Laqua. Amethio swore he would prove himself worthy of carrying Gibeon's blood by finding the paradise and the Laquium within, thus succeeding where his father, Gibeon's son, had failed.

In HZ065, after an operation against the Rising Volt Tacklers concluded in Glaseado Mountain, Spinel presented evidence that Amethio had betrayed the organization by allowing Liko to leave with Terapagos. The other admins believed his claim, while Hamber was willing to listen to his defence. Before Amethio could explain anything, Gibeon chimed in, questioning whether Amethio was straying from the path much like his own son did. He then made the decision to expel Amethio, seemingly unaware that he was being manipulated by Spinel and coldly told his grandson not to show his face again after his explusion.

In HZ075, Liko and the Rising Volt Tacklers learned about the Explorers' past from Rystal after summoning her through time at the Crystal Pool. Gibeon was later seen resting in his chamber while Spinel and Chalce schemed to usurp the position at his side once he returned to Laqua.

Character

Gibeon in his physical debut appearance in From So Far Away

In the past, Gibeon was a determined, scientifically-minded adventurer. He habitually gathered volumes of information on his goals, recording all of his research into Laqua on a scroll that reached a significant length. He also did not tolerate what he deemed as foolishness regarding topics such as whether Laqua existed or not. Although he was generally flat emotionally, he did display some signs of appreciation and happiness during his time on Lucius and Rystal's team. When the three Explorers reached Laqua, he immediately tried to satisfy his scientific curiosity, seeking to understand how the paradise gained its rich environment.

However, following his exposure to the mist given off by the Laquium, Gibeon's character changed significantly for the worse. He grew maniacal and reckless in his efforts to cultivate more Laquium, behaving in a way that displayed no concern over the rampaging Pokémon around him or the risk to the world posed by the Laquium's growth. When his Zygarde turned against him and tried to seal the Laquium, he grew enraged and berated Zygarde for its betrayal.

In the present, he initially appears to be a calm, detached leader, mostly delegating the day-to-day work of running the Explorers to Hamber. He tends to directly involve himself only when major events relating to his goals take place, and is pragmatic in managing his resources at these times, as seen when he replaces Amethio with Spinel on the mission to obtain Liko's pendant. When he discovered that Hamber, Coral and Sidian had gone to Galar in an attempt to confront the Rising Volt Tacklers, he immediately contacted Hamber; however, he later overlooked this insubordination due to the value of the intelligence they had gathered. He is generally cold-hearted, displaying a willingness to do anything regardless of morality to achieve his goals. Gibeon is also secretive in his activity; few know that he is the chairman of Exceed but no employees are known to have ever met him face-to-face.

His hatred of betrayal remains, however, and is no stronger than it is with his family members. Gibeon disowned and exiled his son from the Explorers when he strayed from the path of Gibeon's wishes, and did the same after discovering his grandson Amethio's apparent betrayal. He did not allow Amethio a chance to defend himself, instead assuming that he was going down the same path as his own son and dismissed him, considering him a disgrace for his actions.

Gibeon's subordinates hold him in high, almost reverential regard, typically referring to him as "Master Gibeon", behaving in a highly deferential way when in his presence, and identifying the Explorers as "only existing to fulfill" his wishes. His followers must specifically seek out time when they wish to speak to him, for which he awakens until he chooses to conclude that subordinate's audience with him. For currently unclear reasons, he is confined to an elaborate wheelchair and dwells within a sealed chamber filled with what appears to be Laquium mist. When he does meet with someone directly instead of using his holographic monolith, they must speak with him from the other side of a barrier and cannot enter his chamber.

Pokémon

Zygarde

Debut	From So Far Away

The White Zygarde (Japanese: 白いジガルデ White Zygarde) is Gibeon's only known Pokémon. It is usually seen by his side in its 10% Forme in Gibeon's personal chamber. It is kept in a silver, mechanical-looking Poké Ball.

In HZ075, it was revealed that in the past, Zygarde tried to seal away the Laquium mass Gibeon uncovered, against its Trainer's orders, though to no avail. In the end, Lucius and Terapagos sealed the crystals away, with Zygarde remaining in its 10% Forme while still accompanying its Trainer.

Zygarde's known moves are Thousand Arrows and Land's Wrath.

Voice actors

Gallery

Artwork

Younger Gibeon	Gibeon expression sheet

Names

Related articles

Explorers Boss: Gibeon Administrators: Hamber • Spinel Coral • Sidian • Chalce Amethio (probation) Agents: Onia • Zirc Former: Lucius • Rystal Related: Laqua • Exceed • Laquium

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.