I've watched the first two episodes thrice now, and I'm still confused... what exactly stated that Roy and Uruto were in Hoenn? I know there was a news article read by two students that talked about the effects being found in Hoenn, but no one except Roy and Uruto should have seen the Kekking. That makes me think Kekking incident wasn't Hoenn. I don't think there was any "Hoenn, near whatever area" text either?
HZ092 I know was in Kanto. HZ093 most likely too. But HZ090 first half felt like we don't know where it was. I assume Kalos because that's where Roy said he's been at. Did I miss some obvious info?
Wow, okay, I’ve been pretty silent for a while, just didn’t know how to proceed with all that happened at the end of horizons and then Mega Voltage, but this has been brewing in my head for like a week so
Amethio. Is presumed dead?? Hello??? What!!!
I don’t believe he is, but he’s at least been missing for a full year(right before the timeskip to now)
I want to know HOW he went missing, especially because when we last saw him, he was flying off with Zirc and Onia, then apparently they don’t know where he is? Nor did they speak to Hamber for a full year? Help
Personally, I feel like Spinel did something to make him “disappear” after ep 89
Now stay with me here, I’ve had a sort of AU brewing in my head since about a bit over a year ago that I’ve never posted about, and horizons has basically followed the basic outline of it
Right when Spinel was introduced, I thought he was gonna try and kill Amethio, then he did(trapping him in that cave with Liko)(personally I though he was gonna try and stab him, but that’s a bit too dark for Pokemon I suppose)
Then I headcannoned him to change sides and side with Liko, and be at the Rakua to stop Spinel, and look at what happened(I had him more involved with it in the AU, but yet again, I’ve never posted about it, so I have no proof of that😭)
In any case, all this to say, if it continues to follow the outline of my AU/predictions for the series, I think Spinel is experimenting on Amethio
Stay with me again here, but why would Spinel make a cover story for Amethio’s disappearance unless he had a direct involvement with it?
I don’t believe Amethio would just run away like that, especially after being so touched by his grandfather’s words and actions before he died(giving Amethio his will and entrusting him to better the lives of people and pokemon), nor would he WILLINGLY hand over his position to someone like Spinel
I believe Spinel’s keeping him locked up somewhere in the Rakua, or maybe an Exceed laboratory, and testing the effects of the Rakurium on him
Spinel has always shown an interest in studying the Rakurium, even without the direct orders of Gibeon, even going so far to use it on his own Pokemon just to see its effects
If Spinel really wanted to inherit Gibeon’s will and better the lives of people and pokemon(which I don’t believe, but most likely he wants to make advancements in human technology through the power of the Rakurium), wouldn’t he need a human test subject to conduct said research?
And who better than his coworker he hates with every fiber of his being?
Morbid, I know, but he already tried to kill Amethio, who’s to say he won’t try and get some useful information out of our boy?
Also, Pokémon can be.. like that if they really wanted to. Take N’s whole story for example, or Lillie’s mom(in the games specifically, the anime mellowed her out sadly)
That’s just my personal thoughts, hopefully we’ll find out more in tomorrow’s episode
Some character notes and episode notes for HZ093, writing them down for future reference.
Quick summary of the ep.
First half of the ep: Liko and Roy go to Chaba Town to meet up with a Gurumin fan (Nyabiko), who is said to have witnessed the Black Rayquaza. Upon learning that Liko and Roy are from the RVT, Nyabiko challenges them to a battle, which Liko accepts. The battle begins.
Second half of the ep: The battle continues but it is interrupted by Uruto, who was being chased by wild Pokemon for entering their territories. Liko and Roy manage to calm down the agitated Pokemon by playing with them, which makes Nyabiko realize that they are not bad people like she thought they were. Nyabiko admits that the eyewitness report she provided was false and apologizes. Liko and Roy become friends with Nyabiko and continue their journey, leaving Chaba Town.
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Quite a few things to say about this ep.
I liked the little bits that expand on the world. Liko and Roy commenting on Chaba Town. Liko noticing the smell of tea leaves and thinking of Masquernya’s favorite flavor. Pokemon helping people in their work. Nyabiko bringing up the fact that there aren’t many tourists coming here, etc.. Nice details of worldbuilding. Chaba Town seems like a rural place so it also speaks of how far Gurumin is spreading. As long as someone has an Internet connection, anyone could know her even if they don’t live in a big city.
Liko and Roy.. Really liked their moments in general, their relationship feels so cozy to me. Roy is like a Precure boy to me. His closest friends are girls, he hypes up the girls in his life. It was really cute when he reassured Liko that she could keep up with another Gurumin fan, and when he was happy she made another Gurumin friend. Liko saying that she and Roy didn’t take the wrong path at the end too.. She considers that they are walking the same path together. I like how both of them are on the same page and can understand each other’s intentions so easily? Roy immediately followed up on Liko’s suggestion to calm down the Pokemon and worked together with her. They are so attuned to each other. Also, something kinda funny about the way Roy is the one who keeps revealing to others that they are part of the RVT. He kept going on about Rayquaza being his dream and just blurted out that he was part of the RVT. I wonder if that could lead to a dangerous situation if someone realizes that they are part of the RVT.
Liko’s battle style was great in this episode too. Liko was able to accurately analyze Gaogaen’s style and patterns during the battle. Liko’s ruthless tactics during battles is something I never get enough of (using Gaogaen’s fire to make Flower Trick explode), and I like that side of her character. The fact that a kind and empathetic character has such a shrewd and cunning style is so interesting. They are really leaning into that side of her character in this chapter and the fact that Masquernya is a Magician Pokemon. Liko’s knowing smile when she had a trick up her sleeve reminded me so much of Friede, too, who reacted similarly when he was battling against Spinel in HZ044. Both Liko and Friede are the type to use their opponents’ moves or strength against them, which is a really compelling aspect of their characters. In both cases, it was a testament of their strong bond with their Pokemon too. Liko and Masquernya could communicate without words (which Nyabiko acknowledged during the battle and thought that it was proof of the deep bond between them), and so did Friede and Cap.
Nyabiko in general was super cute. Her design was great. In fact, it was so good that I’m hoping we see her again some time. She did appear in the opening, so maybe?? It’s fun that they are exploring oshi culture in Horizons, too. Lots of jargon they use is from fan culture. Nyabiko recognizing Liko’s username and referring to her as the legendary NyahojaSuperFan makes me wonder if Liko is somehow a legend in the Gurumin online fandom?
Nyabiko is the type of fan who reads others’ comments and she even bragged about Gurumin reading her comments, thinking it would make Liko a bit jealous but it didn’t work.. Liko didn’t understand where she was getting at, and was genuinely happy for her. Either way, Nyabiko is a good kid at heart. She cares about Pokemon and she is knowledgeable about the Pokemon territories in her area. She admitted her wrongs when she lied about seeing Rayquaza and misunderstood the RVT and she was even willing to change her username because she copied it from Liko’s, thinking it’d make Gurumin notice her. It did stand out to me that Nyabiko was jealous and wanted to be noticed by someone she admired.. It made me think of Spinel, since my current reading of him is that he is jealous of Amethio and wanted to be noticed by Gibeon. So I’m choosing to read this episode in this additional, specific light regarding Spinel too.
I thought there was interesting stuff that deepened Dot’s character in relation to her Gurumin persona? She told Nyabiko that she had no intention of giving Liko special treatment as Gurumin just because they are IRL friends. In a way, Dot is keeping her Gurumin life in the professional sphere and won’t let her friendship with Liko affect her relationship with her fans in a way that would make it look like she gives preferential treatment to someone above others? She intends to treasure every fan, not just Liko. I’m sure Liko would prefer it that way, too.
On Liko’s side, I thought it was cute that she was able to gush over her hobbies with someone else. Her relationship with both Dot and Gurumin is really fascinating to me, too. She admitted that even though she is friends with Dot, Gurumin makes her nervous in her own way. She makes a separation between them, but not really at the same time? She knows Dot is Gurumin. She doesn’t get nervous or embarrassed around Dot anymore, but Gurumin affects her a bit in such a way. Just like how Dot separates her life as Dot and her Gurumin persona, it seems like Liko is doing the same to some extent (separating Dot and Gurumin in her mind).. But it’s not completely separate either, both sides are blending together in healthy ways? Liko is a friend to Dot and a fan of Gurumin and acknowledges that Dot is Gurumin, and Dot is friends with Liko and her IRL experiences affect her content as Gurumin, but she is still going to treat all her fans equally.
Something I also thought about is that Liko and Dot react differently to potential lies?
This is not the first time Dot believes information that is false. Spinel tricked her multiple times before when he published false sightings about Liko in HZ015 to make it harder for the RVT to find her, and when he lied about a Rayquaza sighting to Dot in HZ027. Something really interesting about the manipulation of information/truth in this series. Either way, Dot believed these things and felt genuinely frustrated for being fooled so easily. This time, she was desperate for information too and even commented on the fact that she “bought it too easily” when Nyabiko admitted to lying, though she didn’t hold it against her. Perhaps she was more willing to believe in a fan of hers? Either way, I think it’s interesting that Dot, who’s been lied to many times previously, still chooses to extend her trust and is willing to believe others despite everything. She would have reasons to distrust them, yet she still chooses to believe in people’s honesty. Dot is the one who is more familiar with the Internet and probably knows that it can be used to spread misinformation. As Gurumin, she is relying on people for their information about Rakurium sightings, so she is hoping she can trust them.
I think it’s interesting in contrast to Liko too, because the first episodes of Liko And Roy Set Off showed that Liko is a very cautious person. She wasn’t willing to trust Amethio at all and immediately thought something wasn’t right. It took time for her to trust Friede and the RVT too, and she wasn’t going to be convinced by them just because Friede saved her from the Explorers. I think it’s a neat contrast between both Liko and Dot. Dot was shown to easily believe others’ words, while Liko had moments of cautiousness which highlighted the fact she doesn’t easily give out her trust.
I thought it was pretty interesting that the first episode which involves clearing the RVT’s name involved calming down agitated Pokemon? It is reminiscent of HZ004, which was the first episode in which Liko met Roy, and when Roy met Friede for the first time. In that episode, Hogator ate food which belonged to the Pokemon in the forest, which made them angry. Eventually, Friede managed to appease them and Liko and Roy gathered berries for all of the Pokemon who eventually forgave them. The solution clearly wasn’t attacking the Pokemon. Similarly here, the Pokemon didn’t do anything bad and just needed to be calmed down. The first thing Liko, Roy and Friede did together as a trio, which was helping Pokemon in need/calming down agitated Pokemon, is happening again and the situation reflects who the RVT are at their core and is instrumental in helping clear their name. This time, Liko and Roy have grown enough to know how to handle the situation without Friede, too. They both knew what to do and were on the same page.
I feel like we could be getting more situations like this which are reminiscent of early chapters? This show loves its parallels, after all. The beginning of Mega Voltage had lots of callbacks to the show’s premiere, too. Dot is not traveling in person with Liko and Roy yet, just like in the first two chapters. She was interacting with Liko and Roy back then, but it took her time to come out of her room. I think it will be a bit similar in this chapter, too.
I thought the premise of the episode was simple and the kind of classic setting we could see in Pokemon. Going to a town, meeting someone, battling someone, solving a problem that involves Pokemon. But because it’s Horizons, even those kinds of simple premises work well and generally feel deeper? The character we meet isn’t someone completely random, she is a Gurumin fan, so she is connected to Dot and adds more to her character and her Gurumin persona (all these little details about Gurumin’s fanbase, etc). The battle was actually a conversation that allowed both trainers to understand each other better (Nyabiko noticing the strong bond between Liko and Masquernya who could understand each other without words, and Liko knowing that Nyabiko is a real Nyabby fan because she paid attention to her behavior around her Pokemon and could see she really loved them). The Pokemon problem is instrumental in having Nyabiko realize that the RVT aren’t bad people and that they do care about Pokemon, which shows that Liko and Roy are getting back the truth of the RVT one step at a time. The premise is simple but it’s connected to the overarching narrative, so we get a sense of why it matters. In general, Horizons wants the viewer to constantly remember that there is a story going on because everything feels connected to it.
Overall, it was a chill episode. Lots of cute stuff with the Pokemon. I liked seeing the secondary Pokemon, I hope they keep appearing regularly. Masquernya being jealous was fun, that trait of hers never really goes away. Pagogo being friendly with literally every Pokemon is a very endearing trait, too. I am still curious about Uruto, this time he is the one who ditched the group and Roy didn’t try to stop him. Roy singing for the first time in a while was cute too, btw. Just lots of sweet stuff and interactions all around.
Also, all the clips we’ve seen from Mega Voltage so far seemed to be showing stuff up to this episode. Some of the bits from the Liko promotional clip (which released a while ago here) that we had yet to see before this week appeared in this episode, so going forward we should be seeing new stuff.
Going over lots of information and promotional stuff for Mega Voltage that was recently released.
This includes episode titles (from HZ090 to HZ093), writers, promotional pictures, clips of the characters, etc.
No monthly calendar was released this month, but here is the link for the March calendar (because oji-san moe, etc). (Edit: April calendar is here.)
First, the promotional pictures for the one-hour special (HZ090 / HZ091) that will air on April 11 (link here).
I think Roy's face on the second picture is amusing. We've never really seen him look like that? He is usually pretty chill with most people, so I wonder what Uruto is saying for him to react like that? Cautiously curious about their dynamics.
Also, it seems like the Pokemon is reacting to the Rakurium in a different way than what we've seen before? Usually, Pokemon were enveloped in a pink mist and looked ferocious under the influence of the Rakurium, but these pictures are a bit different than the cases of Pokemon affected by the Rakurium we've seen in HZ064 (Spinel's Blacky) and HZ075 (the original Explorers backstory). Kekking looks almost.. relaxed? Despite the clear Rakurium presence in the area.
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Onto the promotional clips of the characters.
Liko's clip is here.
Noting the phrase associated with the clip itself: "As long as we're with Pokémon, we can get going!".. Liko used to keep her grandmother's words close to heart ("As long as we're with Pokemon, it'll be fine"), so I wonder if this is a new phrase she made for herself? Taking Diana's words and learning from them, and adding her own spin/experiences to them? It would be neat.
Also, I like the clip itself. Masquernya is so cool. Liko is also so cool! I love that she is a character who can make many expressions, too. It's fun, and also adds a lot to my liking of the character. We know that Liko has been affected by the events in Rakua, but I love that there is this nuance to her character. She can still smile or have fun with her Pokemon despite it. I remember it's something I liked a lot at the beginning of Horizons too. Liko struggled to express herself and was nervous around strangers, yet she was still able to talk to the girl who was worried for her Pokemon at the Pokemon Center in HZ003. When characters aren't reduced to a single trait and are allowed to have multiple layers to them and feel human. When the writing is peak, etc. Also, I like seeing Liko and Roy walking side by side at the end of Liko's clip! They've grown a lot, and their friendship means a lot to me.
Roy's clip is here.
Roy's voice direction is very interesting to me. His voice sounds deeper and calmer, too. More measured, and mature. Really looking forward to how Roy will sound like in this chapter. This clip delivered, and Terasaki Yuka did an amazing performance in these few lines already, so I can't wait for the actual episodes to air.
Roy's Mega Evolution phrase also stood out to me ("Seize true power, then exceed it!"). The "exceed" part is Friede's influence on him, since Friede's Terastal phrase is "surpass your potential". It's the same verb being used in both cases.
Dot's clip is here.
Pretty interesting to me that Dot will remain in her room and not physically travel with Liko and Roy for the time being. It mirrors the first chapter a bit, since Dot was still in her room back then. This time, it's different though, since she built genuine bonds with Liko and Roy and will work in tandem with them remotely. I wonder when she'll join them? Either way, this choice is compelling to me, and more intriguing than having her join them right off the bat.
Also, Blanca appeared! She brings pancakes to Dot, which is cute. I love that food remains a constant motif in Dot's arc. It's probably Blanca's way of getting closer to her daughter. Which she learned from Murdock in HZ041, since he advised her to bring donuts to talk to Dot because it might make it easier.. And now we're seeing Blanca bring pancakes to her, which means Dot keeps trying out different food and enjoys them, too. Dot being embarassed about her mother in her room is fun too, I like seeing these sides of her since she is usually composed.
Uruto's clip will probably be posted tomorrow on the PR account.
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Now going over information about the episodes.
Starting with HZ090/HZ091, the one-hour special (link here). Continuing with HZ092 (link here).
Really looking forward to this set of episodes, since Dai Sato (the lead writer) is writing all of them. It's the first time he is writing three episodes in a row, too. Since the story is heading to a new stage, the set up episodes for the new chapter have to be handled by the lead writers. Also, so far every chapter debut episode has been written by either Dai Sato or Kureha Matsuzawa, so they are keeping up this pattern. (Chapter 1's debut was Dai Sato, chapter 2 was Kureha Matsuzawa, chapter 3 was Dai Sato, chapter 4 was Kureha Matsuzawa, etc).
Also, curious about the fact that Spinel is probably going to appear in the one-hour special, which is written by Dai Sato.. Because he hasn't written Spinel so far, actually. He wrote HZ024 which mentioned Spinel (the offhand mention of him and Agate working together in the lab), but in terms of actual lines said by the character.. I don't think he did. So, I wonder how Spinel will be written in these specific eps.
Continuing with HZ093 (link here).
This episode is written by Kureha Matsuzawa. Which also pleases me, because I enjoy this writer's scripts a lot.. Though it did surprise me a bit to see him back so soon, since he wrote so many episodes in a row for the climax Rayquaza Rising. He wrote everything from HZ082 to HZ089, with the exception of HZ084.
No summary for this ep yet, but it seems like it's focusing on Gurumin. Her fanbase, too? In-universe, we know that Liko and Zir are fans of Gurumin. We met a Gurumin fan in HZ036 (Yuno), and we know Botan watched Dot's videos, too.. So I wonder if we'll meet new fans, or if it'll focus on a character we already know? The ep is written by the script coordinator, so it should be significant. He doesn't introduce characters who won't be relevant, usually (for example, he wrote HZ054 which introduced Crave, who was later confirmed to be Amethio's father, etc). Very curious about what will happen in this one.
Overall, curious about the April episodes since my favorite writers are on it!
I wonder how many Explorers characters will appear at the beginning of Mega Voltage? New chapter means setting up the direction for both the protagonist and antagonist factions. It's been this way every single chapter so far, so it should be the same this time too. Spinel is a given (we've seen him slay in the teaser for Mega Voltage teaser and the Six Heroes minus Rayquaza locked up), but I do wonder about the others?
I guess it'd be too crowded if we got to know what everyone in the Explorers is up to first thing in the chapter. It's probably part of the intrigue too, and we'll probably learn what they are doing during the chapter. Now that Gibeon is gone and that Spinel took over both the Explorers and Exceed, it raises questions about what Amethio and Hamber, Sango&Onyx (they are a set, do not separate), and Agate will do. Very curious to learn about their loyalties and current goals for this chapter!
That's it for now, I think. I'm excited for the new chapter ww
For future reference, Animedia poll is here. Liko is on there. Some of the Wonderful Precure girls too!
