As soon as Liko was teased to be getting a new Pokemon, my train of thought was that Amethio would probably appear in some capacity in that episode since he has been deeply linked and involved with Liko's important steps as a trainer and journey as a character so far.
So, it's not a coincidence that Amethio is brought back in the narrative specifically after Liko gets her first Pokemon and after she pondered about the kind of trainer she wants to be and ultimately affirming a new desire for herself (to be a trainer who understands the feelings of Pokemon).
Some character notes and episode notes for HZ021, mostly centered on Liko and Amethio for this post. Writing them down for future reference!
Liko and Mibrim
I wrote a few things about why Mibrim seemed to be an interesting choice for Liko specifically given the theme of emotions this Pokemon has and they delivered. Liko and Mibrim are both sensitive to emotions, and Liko felt an affinity for Mibrim and wanted to take care of her. Liko is also a calm person and Mibrim usually feel at ease and relaxed around such people, so this was fitting. Mibrim had trouble dealing with arguments on the ship (when Orio and Murdock argued), and seemed a bit shy to approach other Pokemon.
I am glad that Liko asked Dot for advice (and it's interesting how both Liko and Roy asked Dot for advice when it came to Kaiden and Mibrim respectively but for different reasons). The similarities between Dot and Mibrim were also brought up.
Dot felt like she could understand where Mibrim was coming from and offered her perspective, which gave Liko a push in the right direction.
In fact, Liko trying to connect with Mibrim reminded me of when she was trying to do the same with Dot initially. Plus, Mibrim and Dot look a bit similar since we don't see their eyes (and Mibrim's smile after Liko took her to bring her to the ship made me think of Dot's smile when she realized Liko considered her a friend).
The visuals showing a separation between characters (in Dot's case, the door of her room was the visual "wall" between her and Liko), but Liko still trying to talk and connect with the other. I also found it interesting that Liko thought back about the first time she arrived on the ship (especially since Amethio was involved at that moment), and tried to use her experience to understand Mibrim.
Liko wanted to leave Mibrim in the forest because she thought she'd struggle living in a place where people feel strong emotions, but she didn't seem to want to say goodbye just yet (which Nyahoja saw). She eventually caught Mibrim and told her that she'd send lots of happy thoughts her way which was just... such a wonderful thing to say and made me love Liko even more. I just really enjoyed that Liko's calm and quiet nature and Mibrim feeling emotions were taken into consideration to make them partners. Liko thought that meeting Mibrim allowed her to know more about herself and understand herself more in the process.
Liko and Nyahoja
I feel like the anime played more on Liko and Nyahoja being similar at the beginning, but now their differences are highlighted and it's interesting. Liko wondered what kind of trainer she wanted to become, and wondered if Nyahoja wanted to become stronger as well. Nyahoja was also very observant this episode and paid close attention to Liko and her reactions.
Nyahoja is actually the one who encouraged Mibrim to go back to Liko at the end (and was the one who found Mibrim in the first place and drew Liko's attention to her). She saw Liko's expression and probably guessed that she didn't want to leave Mibrim and since neither Liko nor Mibrim were going to do anything about it out of consideration towards each other, Nyahoja talked to Mibrim. It's especially sweet, given how Liko told Nyahoja not to be jealous in the episode since she was going to take care of Mibrim for a while.
I was reminded of how Nyahoja gave Liko a push forward in HZ002 as well (against Amethio at the end), and encouraged her to be more honest. I like how Nyahoja seems determinate and I wonder how it'll affect Liko going forward.
(Also, Nyahoja playing with boxes like a cat would was adorable.)
Liko's path
It was brought up in the previous episodes that dealt with Liko's kindness and how it could be a strength or a weakness depending on the situation. I'm glad that this episode showed that all the moments that were there from the start were deliberate and became a pattern building up to this. Liko's considerate nature was brought up by several characters and complimented and it's considered a strength of character.
Roy recalled the time with Oliva.
Which I'm glad he did, because the time with Oliva was the first one which made me think that they seemed to be going somewhere with the theme of emotions in regards to Liko (given how Liko noticed Oliva's feelings and couldn't leave it alone).
Liko shared her story to Orio and Mollie and they gave her their thoughts as well. Orio thought that Liko used to be overly considerate at the start, but it turned out to be what Mibrim needed. Mollie reassured Liko that being able to show compassion was something to be proud of.
Friede also noted that getting through Mibrim is quite impressive.
And that, in fact, it might be her strongest point and talent. Liko probably didn't realize it. While she admired people like Roy and An for being straightforward and advancing without hesitation towards what they want to do, others also think there are admirable traits in her. I really like the ways they show different personalities and ways to approach life and that there is no one right way to be a trainer.
Liko had a newfound resolve at the end, which is to be a trainer that understands the feelings of Pokemon, because she loves them. I do feel like this could be relevant in regards to the Six Heroes Pokemon in the future.
Liko and Amethio
Amethio has been connected to Liko and some of her pivotal steps from the start. To sum up:
Amethio is the first main character Liko meets in the story (HZ001).
He is the one who activated the pendant's protective powers for the first time onscreen albeit accidentally since his Pokemon's attack missed Friede's Lizardon (HZ001).
He is the one who brings up in-universe the fact that the pendant seems to have mysterious powers and that Liko is connected to it, which makes her aware of it (HZ002). If it weren't for his involvement, Liko wouldn't have known.
In turn, this knowledge makes Liko want to keep traveling with Friede and the others to know what her pendant truly is and why the Explorers are after her because of it (HZ003).
Amethio was also Liko's incentive to become stronger to protect what she holds dear in the first place (HZ007) as she felt frustrated at not being able to do much against him. He was what motivated her and she brought him up specifically.
Now that Amethio is back after Liko found a new resolve, I do wonder how they'll both challenge each other and impact each other's actions especially since Amethio isn't on the pendant mission anymore. Will he make it clear that he isn't after the pendant?
I think that Liko wanting to understand the feelings of Pokemon might be key to find out more about the Explorers, potentially connecting with them through their partners Pokemon? Liko has been shown to connect with isolated people or Pokemon (Dot and Mibrim, for example), so I wonder if that theme of connection will extend to the antagonists side given how they have been involved from the start (just like in my magical girls shows).
I also found it noteworthy that this episode highlighted Liko's considerate nature, and while Amethio's scene was short, it highlighted the same quality on his side?
Amethio's thoughtfulness was conveyed in this scene, as he is willing to handle things by himself as he fully knows that he is acting beyond orders at this point and his line implies that Zir and Conia may suffer consequences if they keep following him. He knows this, and he is being considerate in his own way by being willing to go alone and not put them in a difficult situation. However, Zir and Conia are willing to follow him and seem personally loyal to him.
Overall, Liko and Amethio have been shown to be more similar than they think they are, and I wonder where this will lead. They are integral to each other's stories so far (kind of kickstarting each other's personal journeys).
As a side note: With Mibrim's addition to Liko's team, she and Amethio both have a Paldean and Galarian Pokemon in their teams respectively.
