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Pokemon Horizons is rapidly approaching its 30th episode, which will air in Japan on November 24, 2023. The animated series is already progressing through its second narrative arc. There have been a ton of memorable occurrences and events in the adventures of Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers. Some moments have been incredibly pivotal for the show's ongoing success.
From Liko's beginnings in the Indigo Academy to the journey to return Terapagos to the paradise of Rakua, Pokemon Horizons has come a long way in a pretty short period.
Before Episode 30 airs in a few days, it might not be a bad time to take a look at the five best moments from the series to this point.
Note: This list is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer
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5 most memorable moments in Pokemon Horizons so far
1) The debut of Terapagos
A few days before its arrival in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was confirmed by Game Freak, Terapagos surprised audiences by appearing in the two-part pilot for Pokemon Horizons, "The Pendant That Starts it All." Moreover, the standard form that Terapagos appeared in was in stark contrast to the Terastallized variant that leakers had found for Scarlet and Violet's DLCs.
It's no secret that Terapagos is a huge part of the animated series to this point. However, a new Pokemon's debut in the anime series has not happened often in recent years. Fans immediately launched into speculation surrounding the little Legendary Pokemon, and new details surrounding it in Horizons have been helpful for fans of the games.
2) The emergence of the Black Rayquaza
In Episode 6 of Pokemon Horizons, "The Ancient Poke Ball," budding friends Liko and Roy were dealing with an attack by The Explorers when Roy's grandfather's ancient Poke Ball unleashed quite the surprise: a massive and shimmering Black Rayquaza. Though it left on its own accord shortly after scaring away The Explorers, finding this creature has remained a primary objective in the series.
It's later revealed that the Black Rayquaza was one of the Six Heroes, a group of powerful Pokemon who accompanied the ancient trainer Lucius on his adventures. Its presence seems to be crucial to unlocking the secrets of Lucius' paradise Rakua. However, the Rising Volt Tacklers have been unlucky in finding the Black Rayquaza since its first appearance.
3) The showdown with Galarian Moltres
On the path of the Black Rayquaza, the Pokemon Horizons heroes entered the Galar Mine only to encounter a group of miners who had had their stamina completely drained. The Explorers arrived soon after, resulting in a conflict that stirred the burning rage of a Galarian Moltres, one of Lucius' Six Heroes. The creature's anger caused a partial mine collapse, forcing the inhabitants to flee.
Determined to get to the bottom of the issue, Liko, Roy, and Friede returned to the mine and faced Galarian Moltres again. It proved too strong for Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and even Captain Pikachu, leaving things seeming pretty hopeless. Fortunately, the combination of a well-placed Sweet Scent from Sprigatito and the power of Liko's pendant finally calmed the rage of the Galarian Legendary Bird.
Moreover, the Galarian Moltres' presence resulted in the reappearance of Terapagos from Liko's pendant. The powerful bird eventually retreated into its ancient Poke Ball and joined our heroes, but Terapagos remained in its physical form instead of returning to the pendant. This event set the stage for the second narrative arc known as "The Sparkling of Terapagos."
4) The backstory of Captain Pikachu
Friede and Captain Pikachu are two of Liko and Roy's most stalwart allies and are arguably the most important supporting characters in Pokemon Horizons. In the series' 18th episode, fans finally got a glimpse of how the duo formed the Rising Volt Tacklers. It all began when Friede was an ex-Pokemon researcher and had discovered "Cap," a Pikachu capable of flight with its Volt Tackle move.
Initially, Friede had a tough time befriending the stalwart Flying Pikachu. However, everything changed one day when Friede and Charizard flew out to meet it in midair. The Pikachu began to fall, only to be saved and befriended by Friede.
Friede then decided to strike out into the world with the Pikachu, tasking Orla to convert Ludlow's boat into what would become the Brave Olivine airship.
In memory of Cap's Volt Tackle move that allowed it to fly, Friede, Ludlow, and Orla took to the skies with the name "Rising Volt Tacklers," donning Pikachu with its captain's hat and setting sights on future adventures.
5) Revealing Liko's family
Almost immediately after Pokemon Horizons was announced, fans began to speculate that Liko was the daughter of longtime Pokemon anime protagonist Ash Ketchum in the future. This turned out not to be the case, but watchers did learn that Liko came from an established family of trainers and adventurers.
In Episode 9, fans were introduced to Liko's father, Alex, a former trainer and current artist who had once created a thorough sketchbook surrounding the exploits of Lucius.
Three episodes later, fans met Lucca, Liko's mother and a friend of Friede who happened to be the one to introduce him to Captain Pikachu.
Meanwhile, in Episode 24, the Pokemon Horizons crew met Diana, Liko's grandmother and a proficient trainer and former explorer. Diana proved to be a huge help surrounding the mysteries of Terapagos and Lucius, ultimately joining the Rising Volt Tacklers after fending off an attack from The Explorers with her trusted Arcanine.
Some fans were likely bummed that Liko had no connection to speak of with a beloved character like Ash Ketchum, but her own family has been some of her most steadfast supporters throughout the series. Diana's knowledge, in particular, has become indispensable to forging a path to bring Terapagos back to Rakua in the second arc.
