Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua (S2): Episode Guide


Season	Horizons Season 2 (the 27th season of the Pokémon anime overall; “Season 27” in Asian releases) · the second dubbed season of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, covering episodes 46 to 89 of Japan’s Pocket Monsters (2023) series (HZ046–HZ089)
Series	Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター, TV Tokyo, from 14 April 2023), dubbed as Pokémon Horizons: The Series; this season is the Japanese arcs Terastal Debut (HZ046–HZ067) and Rayquaza Rising (HZ068–HZ089) — “The Search for Laqua” is the dub’s own title
Region	Paldea, Kitakami and Johto (Bulbapedia) — Naranja Academy and the Gym towns, Kitakami’s Crystal Pool, Olivine City and the Whirl Islands, Area Zero — then Pericarp Town and Laqua, “where heaven and earth meet”; Kanto’s Indigo Academy after the time skip (HZ089)
Episodes	44 in Japan, on Netflix and in four digital volumes — HZ046–HZ089, with nothing banned, skipped or reordered
First episode	Welcome to Naranja Academy! (HZ046) · Japan 12 April 2024 · US (Netflix) 7 February 2025 (UK 13 January 2025)
Last episode	Where the Adventure Leads (HZ089) · Japan 21 March 2025 · US (Netflix) 26 September 2025 (UK 17 July 2025)
Japanese opening themes	Will – IVE (HZ046–HZ067) · Only One Story – ZEROBASEONE (HZ068–HZ089)
Japanese ending themes	Let me battle – Giga & TeddyLoid feat. 9Lana (HZ046–HZ056), then in three other vocal versions (HZ057–HZ067) · Pikkān! (ピッカーン！ Sparkle!) – Rina Matsuda & Hikaru Morita (Sakurazaka46) (HZ068–HZ088) · none on HZ089
English opening theme	My Favorite Pokémon – Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd and Haven Paschall (HZ046–HZ089); its instrumental is the international ending
Travelling companions	Liko, Roy and Dot, with Terapagos (“Pagogo”), Friede and Captain Pikachu and the Rising Volt Tacklers — Orla, Murdock, Mollie and Ludlow — aboard the Brave Olivine
Tera Training	Liko (Katy, Grusha), Roy (Brassius, Ryme) and Dot (Iono, Larry) all pass at Naranja Academy; Roy wins the Student Battle Tournament (HZ067)
The Six Heroes	Kleavor (HZ073), the “Entei” revealed as Gouging Fire (HZ081) and Black Rayquaza (HZ082) join Arboliva, Galarian Moltres and Lapras
Other events	Liko catches Terapagos (HZ075) · Lucius and Rystal revealed as Liko’s great-great-grandparents (HZ074) · Lucius emerges alive (HZ087) · Floragato evolves into Meowscarada (HZ088) · Friede lost and a one-year time skip (HZ089)
Related movie	None — no new Pokémon film was released during the Japanese or the Netflix run
Previous season	Horizons Season 1: Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Following season	Horizons Season 3: Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope

Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua key art

Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua is Horizons Season 2, the second dubbed season of Pokémon Horizons: The Series and the 27th season of the Pokémon anime overall. It covers HZ046 to HZ089 of the series Japan simply calls Pocket Monsters (2023), which TV Tokyo broadcast on Friday evenings from 12 April 2024 to 21 March 2025 as two story arcs, Terastal Debut (HZ046–HZ067) and Rayquaza Rising (HZ068–HZ089); the dub’s subtitle, “The Search for Laqua”, has no Japanese equivalent. The English version, dubbed by Iyuno US Studio for The Pokémon Company International, reached the UK first, on BBC iPlayer and CBBC from 13 January 2025; Netflix, its only home in the US, released it in four parts of eleven episodes on 7 February, 25 April, 27 June and 26 September 2025. Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd and Haven Paschall’s “My Favorite Pokémon” replaced “Becoming Me” as the English opening.

In the first half, Liko, Roy and Dot enrol as exchange students at Paldea’s Naranja Academy to master Terastallization. Each receives a Tera Orb and is tested by two Gym Leaders, who judge teamwork and timing rather than the result: Liko passes Katy’s test despite losing, fails Grusha’s and is passed by him after defending the academy against the Explorers; Roy beats Brassius, becomes the first trainee to fail when Ryme beats him, and then wins the rematch; and Dot, choosing to battle as herself rather than as her streaming persona Nidothing, passes against Iono and Larry. Along the way Wattrel, Hatenna and Quaxly evolve, the Paldean Elite Four take on the trainees in Multi Battles, and Roy wins the Student Battle Tournament as Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor (HZ067).

In the second half the repaired Brave Olivine resumes the search for Lucius’s Six Heroes. In Kitakami, Kleavor joins Liko’s care, the Crystal Pool brings Terapagos’s original Trainer Rystal from the past — she and Lucius turn out to be Liko’s great-great-grandparents — and Liko catches Terapagos, nicknamed Pagogo (HZ075). In Paldea’s Area Zero the “Entei” of the legend proves to be the Paradox Pokémon Gouging Fire, and Roy catches Black Rayquaza in his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ081–HZ082) before it leads the airship to Laqua. There Lucius emerges alive, Amethio turns against his grandfather Gibeon, Floragato evolves into Meowscarada to defeat Gibeon’s White Zygarde, and Pagogo’s Stellar Form purifies the land — before Friede falls from the Brave Olivine and the story jumps a year ahead, the anime’s first clear time skip (HZ089). Our complete episode guide below has a synopsis, both titles and the air dates for all 44 episodes.

44episodes — HZ046 to HZ089, released on Netflix in four parts of eleven
6Tera Training tests passed by Liko, Roy and Dot — two each, including two failures put right
6evolutions in the trio’s teams: Kilowattrel, Hattrem, Quaxwell, Crocalor, Tinkatuff and Meowscarada
3of Lucius’s Six Heroes found this season — Kleavor, Gouging Fire and Black Rayquaza — completing the six
100years Lucius has spent sealed in Laquium when he emerges alive in Laqua (HZ087)
1year skipped at the end of the finale (HZ089), the anime’s first clear time skip

The adventure continues for Liko and Roy as they travel the world in search of the remaining Six Hero Pokémon and the legendary land of Laqua. But to grow as Pokémon Trainers, a new challenge awaits — Tera Training! Journeying through Paldea, Liko, Roy and Dot must hone their Terastallization skills and battle the region’s powerful Gym Leaders. Then, Liko, Roy and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers resume their pursuit of the Six Heroes, including the black Rayquaza, as both they and the Explorers race to uncover the secrets behind Terapagos and finally find the path that will lead them to Laqua.

— Official description

Quick Answers

How many episodes are in Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua?

44 — HZ046 to HZ089, episodes 46 to 89 of Japan’s Pocket Monsters (2023). TV Tokyo broadcast them on Fridays from 12 April 2024 to 21 March 2025 as two arcs of 22, Terastal Debut (HZ046–HZ067) and Rayquaza Rising (HZ068–HZ089); BBC iPlayer and CBBC premiered the English dub in the UK from 13 January 2025; and Netflix released all 44 in the US in four parts of eleven — on 7 February, 25 April, 27 June and 26 September 2025 — the same four volumes that are sold digitally. Nothing was banned, skipped or reordered, and there are no clip shows or specials. Japan has no season break: the one-hour HZ090–HZ091 continued the series on 11 April 2025 as the start of the Japanese arc Mega Voltage and of the English Rising Hope.

What is Tera Training?

Naranja Academy’s course in Terastallization, which takes the place of a badge quest this season. Each trainee receives a Tera Orb from Geeta and takes a basics test and then an implementation test with two Pokémon against an assigned Gym Leader; winning does not matter, because the examiner judges teamwork and the timing of the Terastallization and stamps the trainee’s Rotom Phone on a pass, and students may not have Terastal battles with one another during the course. Liko passes against Katy despite losing (HZ047), fails against Grusha (HZ063) and is passed by him after the academy raid (HZ066); Roy beats Brassius (HZ048), becomes the first trainee to fail when Ryme beats him (HZ061) and beats her in the rematch (HZ062); and Dot loses to both Iono (HZ050) and Larry (HZ059) but passes both tests. The course ends with the Student Battle Tournament, in which everyone may Terastallize and Roy beats Liko in the final (HZ067).

Who are the Six Heroes, and which are found this season?

The six Pokémon of Lucius, the Ancient Adventurer who sought Laqua a century ago, each in its Ancient Poké Ball. Arboliva, Galarian Moltres and Lapras had been found in the first season, and Friede returns their belt to Liko (HZ068); this season adds Kleavor, which tests the trio on Kitakami’s Tengu Mountain and joins Liko (HZ073); the “Entei”, which turns out to be the Paradox Pokémon Gouging Fire — mistaken for Entei a century ago because Paradox Pokémon have only recently been recognised — and joins Liko after a battle in Area Zero (HZ081); and Black Rayquaza, which Roy catches in his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ082), though it remains Lucius’s and will not stay inside. The Entei met off Johto is a wild one (HZ078). With Pagogo the heroes guide the climb to Laqua (HZ084) and help purify it (HZ088–HZ089); when Lucius fades they are released, and Spinel’s Laquium Spheres drive all but Black Rayquaza berserk (HZ089).

When does Liko catch Terapagos?

In The Wonders of the World! (HZ075). In the previous episode the Crystal Pool brings Rystal from a century ago, revealing that Terapagos was her partner, not Lucius’s, and that she and Lucius are Liko’s great-great-grandparents (HZ074). Rystal recounts how the original Explorers reached Laqua and how Gibeon’s greed for Laquium ruined it, until Terapagos, in its Stellar Form, raised a dome of energy over the land and fell dormant as a jewel; before vanishing she asks Liko to be its partner. Friede hands Liko an empty Poké Ball, Terapagos taps it eagerly, and Liko keeps Rystal’s nickname for it, Pagogo — the first female main character to officially catch a Legendary Pokémon. Pagogo first fights at her side against Black Rayquaza, in its Terastal Form with Tera Starstorm (HZ082), dissolves Laqua’s barrier (HZ085) and purifies the land in its Stellar Form (HZ088–HZ089).

What happens to Friede at the end of the season?

In the finale, Where the Adventure Leads (HZ089), Pagogo and the Six Heroes purify Laqua, and Lucius and Gibeon, reconciled, fade away. Spinel then turns the freed heroes berserk with Laquium Spheres, and as the ground splits Liko loses Lucius’s belt and notebook. Orla transforms the airship into the Brave Olivine: Infinite Rising to escape, but a gust nearly blows Friede, Charizard and Captain Pikachu off the deck: Friede hands Cap to Liko, asks him to look after everyone and lets go, falling into the clouds with Charizard, his fate unknown. The story then jumps one year ahead — the anime’s first clear time skip: Liko is back at Indigo Academy, Spinel, now Exceed’s director, blames the Rising Volt Tacklers for Laqua’s collapse, and Roy sets out with Captain Pikachu, a Shiny Lucario and a Mega Ring. The story continues in Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope.

When and where did The Search for Laqua air in the US?

Only on Netflix. The Pokémon Company International announced on 20 November 2024 that the season would premiere exclusively on Netflix in the US on 7 February 2025, the day it also reached Netflix in the Nordics, Poland and Latin America. It arrived in four parts of eleven episodes, all on Fridays: Part 1 (HZ046–HZ056) on 7 February, Part 2 (HZ057–HZ067) on 25 April, Part 3 (HZ068–HZ078) on 27 June and Part 4 (HZ079–HZ089) on 26 September 2025. The English dub was seen first in the UK, where BBC iPlayer and CBBC released the same four volumes between 13 January and 17 July 2025, and Canadian television began the season on 8 February 2025; the French dub on Canal J had premiered the first two episodes on 12 January 2025.

Story Arcs

Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua runs for 44 episodes and follows Liko, Roy and Dot from Tera Training at Naranja Academy, through the hunt for the last of the Six Heroes in Kitakami, Johto and Area Zero, to Laqua itself. Here is how the season breaks down, with stills from our episode guide below.

Naranja Academy & the first testsHZ046–HZ050

Liko, Roy and Dot enrol at Naranja Academy in Mesagoza, where Chairwoman Geeta gives each of them a Tera Orb and Director Clavell explains Tera Training: a basics test and an implementation test against an assigned Gym Leader. Liko beats her Indigo classmate Ann, while the Explorers Coral and Sidian enrol as fake students and Chalce poses as a teacher (HZ046). Each trainee then Terastallizes for the first time: Liko wins a cake contest against Coral for the right to face Katy and passes although Teddy’s Bug-type Fury Cutter wins (HZ047); Roy loses to Nemona in the rain, learns at Artazon’s Art Festival to use whatever is within reach and beats Brassius’s Sudowoodo (HZ048); and Dot, asked to battle as her streaming persona Nidothing, chooses to face Iono as herself and passes despite losing a livestreamed battle through a blackout (HZ049–HZ050).

Field reports & gathering shadowsHZ051–HZ054

Observing wild Pokémon for their reports, Liko makes up with a jealous Floragato whose fur has bristled into spikes and watches Toedscool raise a “pillar of petals” (HZ051); Roy meets the mysterious rapper Ryme, and Wattrel evolves into Kilowattrel in mid-dive to catch him (HZ052); and the frightening “Otherworldly” proves to be an Annihilape living with a band of Mankey and Primeape, until Hatenna evolves into Hattrem to silence their brawl (HZ053). Meanwhile Friede visits his old employer Exceed and its director Cervantis and finds the vault of the Treasure of Eternity — Laquium — empty, and Amethio is revealed as the grandson and heir of the Explorers’ leader, Gibeon (HZ054).

The Elite Four & the legend of LaquaHZ055–HZ057

Back at the academy each trainee teams up with their examiner against the Paldean Elite Four, with the Gym Leaders forbidden to Terastallize: only Dot and Iono win, against Poppy, while Hassel beats Roy and Brassius and Larry and Rika beat the disguised Explorers and their partners (HZ055). Rika then beats Liko and Katy, a loss that teaches Liko to throw herself into battle and leaves her in tears, while Dot meets the League engineer Penny and finds a Terapagos-like drawing in the Scarlet Book (HZ056). Geeta and Clavell link Terapagos to Area Zero, the history teacher Raifort tells the legend of the ancient adventurer, the Six Heroes and Laqua on a field trip, and the second assignments are made: Dot against Larry, Roy against Ryme and Liko against Grusha (HZ057).

HZ056 Liko vs. Rika! Towards the Battle's End

The implementation testsHZ058–HZ063

In Medali, Dot saves an elderly couple’s café by turning their Kingambit’s noodles into a hit (HZ058) and passes against Larry as Quaxly evolves into Quaxwell mid-battle, though Larry’s Normal-type Staraptor wins (HZ059). After a snowy detour in which Roy and Fuecoco find each other again by singing (HZ060), Roy learns that Ryme is Montenevera’s Gym Leader and becomes the first trainee to fail a Tera Training test, beaten by her Toxtricity after a hasty Terastallization (HZ061); with Nemona’s help he rethinks why he sings with Fuecoco and wins the one-on-one rematch against her Ghost-type Toxtricity (HZ062). On Glaseado Mountain Liko learns why the former snowboarder Grusha is so severe, and fails his test against Cetitan and an Ice-type Altaria (HZ063).

HZ059 Dance, Quaxly! The Blue Medali Step!

HZ061 Resonating Spirits in a Challenge to Ryme!

Spinel’s trap & the student tournamentHZ064–HZ067

The Explorers’ researcher Spinel interrupts Liko’s battle with Amethio, tests Laquium on his Umbreon to provoke Terapagos into its Terastal Form and traps Liko and Amethio in a cave, where they open up about their grandparents’ dreams; Grusha rescues Roy and Dot from Coral and Sidian, and Gibeon strips Amethio of his duties on Spinel’s evidence (HZ064–HZ065). During the Tera Training Student Battle Tournament the Explorers raid the academy and Chalce escapes with its Terapagos data, but Liko beats Sidian and Roy beats Coral, and Grusha turns Liko’s failed test into a pass (HZ066). In the final Roy beats Liko as Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor, so that every Paldean first partner has now evolved, and the trio leave Naranja Academy (HZ067).

Kitakami: Kleavor, Rystal & PagogoHZ068–HZ075

The repaired Brave Olivine takes off with three stowaway Tatsugiri, Friede returns Lucius’s belt to Liko, and Arboliva, Moltres and Lapras test the trio until Terapagos calls a halt (HZ068). In Kitakami a machine swaps Roy’s and Crocalor’s bodies at the festival while Friede beats Carmine (HZ069), Tinkatink becomes Tinkatuff against a Terastallized wild Bombirdier (HZ070), and at the Crystal Pool the researcher Briar reveals Heath’s original Scarlet Book while Dot beats the photographer Perrin (HZ071). On Tengu Mountain Lucius’s Kleavor tests the trio and joins Liko’s care (HZ072–HZ073). Liko’s grandmother Diana reveals that Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon founded the Explorers, and the Crystal Pool brings Rystal from the past: she was Terapagos’s Trainer, and she and Lucius are Liko’s great-great-grandparents (HZ074). Rystal tells how Gibeon’s Laquium brought disaster to Laqua a century ago and asks Liko to be Terapagos’s partner, and Liko catches it, keeping Rystal’s nickname, Pagogo (HZ075).

HZ068 Into a New Sky! The Brave Olivine!

HZ070 Tinkatink's Hammer Wasn't Made in a Day

Johto & the hunt for EnteiHZ076–HZ078

Searching for Lucius’s Entei, the crew look up Wy-Yes, a former crew member turned Occulture journalist whose tall tales embarrass Mollie, and settle a clash between Farigiraf and Espathra at a dried-up oasis (HZ076); visit Ludlow’s hometown, Olivine City, where his past as the film hero Guy Silver comes out and he becomes Mighty G to rescue the crew’s Tatsugiri in the Whirl Islands (HZ077); and battle a mighty Entei as a submarine volcano erupts, only to find that it is wild and leaves with Raikou and Suicune. Meanwhile Cervantis is revealed as Amethio’s father, and Briar reports that Lucius’s Entei may be in Area Zero (HZ078).

Area ZeroHZ079–HZ082

To enter Area Zero the trio must beat Geeta three-on-one, and Floragato brings down her Terastallized Glimmora (HZ079). In the Great Crater they meet the first Paradox Pokémon — Roy beats a Sandy Shocks he mistakes for a hairy Magneton, and Coral accidentally catches a Scream Tail (HZ080) — and find that the “Entei” of the Six Heroes is the Paradox Pokémon Gouging Fire, which joins Liko after a hard battle for Lucius’s belt (HZ081). Then Black Rayquaza descends: Pagogo fights at Liko’s side for the first time with Tera Starstorm, Roy catches the dragon in his Ancient Poké Ball, and Rayquaza, still Lucius’s, restores Pagogo’s power and leads the Brave Olivine towards Laqua (HZ082).

HZ080 Total-lie Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?!

LaquaHZ083–HZ089

Gibeon’s butler Hamber tells Amethio of his grandfather’s century of Laquium research (HZ083); in Pericarp Town the Matriarch remembers Gibeon passing through a century ago, and the Six Heroes guide the climb towards Laqua (HZ084). Pagogo dissolves the paradise’s century-old barrier (HZ085), and the Rising Volt Tacklers beat Spinel and his three admins (HZ086). Lucius emerges alive from a Laquium cluster, Spinel mines the Core, and Amethio turns against Gibeon (HZ087); against Gibeon’s White Zygarde, Floragato evolves into Meowscarada and lands a Flower Trick, and Zygarde abandons its Trainer as Pagogo takes its Stellar Form (HZ088). Laqua is purified and Lucius and Gibeon fade away, but Spinel’s Laquium Spheres turn the freed heroes berserk, Friede falls from the Brave Olivine with Charizard, and one year later Liko is back at Indigo Academy, Spinel runs Exceed and blames the Rising Volt Tacklers, and Roy sets out with a Shiny Lucario and Captain Pikachu (HZ089).

Episode Guide

All 44 episodes of Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua are listed below in the official order used by Netflix, the BBC, Bulbapedia and the digital volumes, which is also the production and Japanese broadcast order. The # column is that season number, and the orange code is the Bulbapedia number used by most fan sites. Every episode has its own page with our full synopsis, both titles, air dates, major events, Pokémon debuts, trivia and dub changes — click the title or the screenshot. US dates are the Netflix US releases: the season arrived in four parts, on 7 February (HZ046–HZ056), 25 April (HZ057–HZ067), 27 June (HZ068–HZ078) and 26 September 2025 (HZ079–HZ089), so every episode in a part shares its date; the UK’s BBC iPlayer had each part earlier. Japanese dates are TV Tokyo’s Friday broadcasts from 12 April 2024 to 21 March 2025, with six Fridays in that span left without an episode.

There is no Who’s That Pokémon? in Horizons. Japan’s end segment is Professor Friede’s Pokémon Seminar (フリード博士のポケモンゼミ), a three-choice quiz about a Pokémon from the episode, whose extra scenes are animated rather than stills from HZ046 onwards; several first airings replaced it with a trailer for the coming arc, HZ075 and HZ089 have none, and HZ088 is its last episode before Mega Nidothing’s Mega Mega! Mega Evolution took its place. The episode pages therefore show no quiz answer.

#	Episode	First aired	In short
1HZ046	Welcome to Naranja Academy!ドキドキ！オレンジアカデミー	Japan 12 Apr 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Liko, Roy and Dot enrol at Naranja Academy to begin Tera Training, and Liko wins a rematch against her Indigo Academy classmate Ann while the… · Season premiere Episode guide →
2HZ047	Put Your Heart Into It!リコとニャローテ、心をこめて	Japan 19 Apr 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	In Cortondo, Liko wins a cake-baking contest against Coral for the right to battle Gym Leader Katy, then Terastallizes Floragato for the first time… · Liko’s first Terastallization Episode guide →
3HZ048	Sparkle! The Glow of Flame and Art輝け！炎とアートのきらめき	Japan 3 May 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	In Artazon, Roy loses a rain-soaked battle to Nemona, learns at an art festival to use whatever is within reach, and then beats Brassius in his first… · Roy’s first Terastallization Episode guide →
4HZ049	Dot and Nidothingドットとぐるみん	Japan 10 May 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	In Levincia, Iono asks Dot to battle as her online persona Nidothing in a livestreamed test, and Dot, after freezing on camera, finds her nerve in a… · Dot chooses to battle as herself Episode guide →
5HZ050	Trending Terastallization! Dance, Dance, Quaxly!映えろテラスタル！ダンス・ダンス・クワッス！！	Japan 17 May 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Dot Terastallizes Quaxly for the first time in a livestreamed battle against Iono and her Bellibolt, and although she loses, she passes her test by… · Dot’s first Terastallization Episode guide →
6HZ051	The Flower Towerトゲトゲニャローテ！？不思議な花ばしら	Japan 24 May 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	While the trio camp by a river to observe wild Pokémon for their reports, a jealous Floragato’s fur bristles into spikes when Liko… · Floragato’s spiky fur Episode guide →
7HZ052	Wattrel’s High Wind Warning!カイデン、強風注意報！	Japan 31 May 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Roy meets a mysterious rapper named Ryme who is searching for a Pokémon called the Otherworldly, and his Wattrel, struggling to fly in strong… · Wattrel evolves into Kilowattrel Episode guide →
8HZ053	Hatenna and the Otherworldlyミブリムとこの世ならざるもの	Japan 7 Jun 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Searching a foggy forest for the Otherworldly, the trio discover that it is an Annihilape living with a band of Mankey and Primeape, and Liko’s… · Hatenna evolves into Hattrem Episode guide →
9HZ054	The Treasure of Eternity永遠（とわ）のめぐみ	Japan 14 Jun 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Friede visits his former employer Exceed to investigate the Treasure of Eternity, battling his way into a guarded vault only to find it empty, while… · Friede at Exceed Episode guide →
10HZ055	Showdown! The Paldea Elite Four対決！パルデア四天王	Japan 21 Jun 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Back at Naranja Academy, each Tera Training student teams up with the Gym Leader who tested them for Multi Battles against the Paldean Elite Four,… · Elite Four Multi Battles Episode guide →
11HZ056	Liko vs. Rika! Towards the Battle’s EndリコVSチリ！バトルの先に	Japan 28 Jun 2024 US 7 Feb 2025	Liko and Katy’s Multi Battle against Rika ends in defeat, but the loss teaches Liko to throw herself into battle wholeheartedly, while Dot… · Rika beats Liko and Katy Episode guide →
12HZ057	The Terapagos I Don’t Knowわたしの知らないテラパゴス	Japan 5 Jul 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	Friede brings the trio to Geeta and Clavell to learn about Terapagos, and the history teacher Raifort takes them on a field trip where she tells the… · The legend of Laqua Episode guide →
13HZ058	Food Fit for a Kingambit!看板ポケモンはドドゲザン！？	Japan 12 Jul 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	In Medali, the trio help an elderly couple save their struggling café, and Dot turns their loud Kingambit’s udon into a hit dish, using… · Kingambit Noodles Episode guide →
14HZ059	Dance, Quaxly! The Blue Medali Step!おどれクワッス！碧きチャンプルステップ！！	Japan 26 Jul 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	Dot’s Quaxly learns to weave other Pokémon’s movements into its moves and evolves into Quaxwell during her Terastal battle with… · Quaxly evolves into Quaxwell Episode guide →
15HZ060	Roy and Fuecoco’s First Snow!はじめての雪！ホッホッゲー！！	Japan 9 Aug 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	On their way to Montenevera, the trio enjoy Glaseado Mountain’s snow, and Roy and Fuecoco, separated in a snowstorm, find each other again by… · Roy and Fuecoco’s song Episode guide →
16HZ061	Resonating Spirits in a Challenge to Ryme!響け魂！ライムへの挑戦	Japan 16 Aug 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	In Montenevera, Roy discovers that the rapper Ryme is the town’s Gym Leader, wins a rap battle to earn his test, and then loses to her… · Ryme beats Roy Episode guide →
17HZ062	A New Song for Fuecocoホゲータとぼくの歌	Japan 23 Aug 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	With Nemona’s help, Roy rethinks why he sings with Fuecoco and wins his rematch against Ryme at her evening concert, passing his second Tera… · Roy beats Ryme Episode guide →
18HZ063	Ice Battle! Cold-Eyed Grusha氷の戦い！冷たい瞳のグルーシャ	Japan 30 Aug 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	At Glaseado Mountain, Liko learns why the former pro snowboarder Grusha is so severe, then loses her Terastal battle to his Cetitan and Altaria and… · Grusha beats Liko Episode guide →
19HZ064	The Approaching Shadow!ナッペ山、しのびよる影	Japan 6 Sep 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	Spinel separates Liko from her friends on Glaseado Mountain, interrupts her battle with Amethio, tests Laquium on his Umbreon to provoke Terapagos… · Spinel’s Laquium Episode guide →
20HZ065	Liko and Amethioリコとアメジオ	Japan 13 Sep 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	Trapped together beneath Glaseado Mountain, Liko and Amethio open up to each other about their grandparents’ dreams and escape, while Grusha… · Liko and Amethio trapped Episode guide →
21HZ066	Infiltrating the System! Naranja Academy in Danger!システム侵入！オレンジアカデミーの危機！！	Japan 20 Sep 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	During the Tera Training Student Battle Tournament, the Explorers raid Naranja Academy for its Terapagos data; Chalce escapes with it, but Liko beats… · The academy raid Episode guide →
22HZ067	Shine on, Terastallization! Liko vs. Roy!輝けテラスタル！リコVSロイ！！	Japan 27 Sep 2024 US 25 Apr 2025	The Tera Training tournament ends with Liko facing Roy, and Roy wins after Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor mid-battle, before the trio leave Naranja… · Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor Episode guide →
23HZ068	Into a New Sky! The Brave Olivine!新たなる空へ！ブレイブアサギ号！！	Japan 11 Oct 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	With Tera Training over, the trio rejoin the Rising Volt Tacklers aboard the repaired Brave Olivine, discover three stowaway Tatsugiri, test… · Rayquaza Rising begins Episode guide →
24HZ069	Roy is Crocalor, and Crocalor is Roy!ぼくがポケモンで、キミがぼく！？	Japan 18 Oct 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	At Kitakami’s Countryside Harvest Festival, a mysterious machine swaps Roy’s and Crocalor’s bodies, while Friede beats the local… · Roy and Crocalor swap bodies Episode guide →
25HZ070	Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Dayカヌチャンのハンマーは１日にしてならず	Japan 25 Oct 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	On the way to the Crystal Pool, a prankster Bombirdier keeps stealing the metal plate Dot’s Tinkatink is working on, and Tinkatink evolves into… · Tinkatink evolves into Tinkatuff Episode guide →
26HZ071	Encounters at the Crystal Poolてらす池の出会い	Japan 1 Nov 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	At the Crystal Pool, the group meets the Terapagos researcher Briar, who reveals Heath’s original Scarlet Book, while in Mossui Town Dot beats… · Briar and the Scarlet Book Episode guide →
27HZ072	The Search for Kleavor!追跡！バサギリを探せ！！	Japan 8 Nov 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	Guided by Perrin, the group climbs Tengu Mountain in search of Lucius’s Kleavor, getting split up by wild Pokémon before reuniting at a… · Tengu Mountain Episode guide →
28HZ073	Kleavor the Solitary Warrior孤高の戦士バサギリ	Japan 15 Nov 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	Lucius’s Kleavor tests the trio in a bamboo grove on Tengu Mountain, then shows them a vision of how it met Lucius and enters an Ancient… · Kleavor joins Liko Episode guide →
29HZ074	The Three Explorers３人のエクスプローラーズ	Japan 22 Nov 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	Diana returns, loses a battle to Liko and reveals that Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon founded the Explorers, and at the Crystal Pool the group meets… · Liko beats Diana Episode guide →
30HZ075	The Wonders of the World!託された未来、この世界の輝き	Japan 29 Nov 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	Rystal tells the story of the original Explorers’ journey to Laqua and the disaster caused by Gibeon’s Laquium, then returns to her own… · Liko catches Terapagos Episode guide →
31HZ076	Wynaut?! Wy-Yes!ソーナノ？ソーダヨ！	Japan 6 Dec 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	Searching for a lead on Lucius’s Entei, the Rising Volt Tacklers look up Wy-Yes, an Occulture journalist and former crew member whose tall… · Wy-Yes Episode guide →
32HZ077	Ludlow’s Homecoming!ランドウ、故郷へ帰る	Japan 13 Dec 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	In Olivine City, Ludlow’s hometown, the group discovers that he once starred as the hero of a series of Sharpedo films, and he becomes Mighty G… · Mighty G Episode guide →
33HZ078	Entei’s Fierce Battle Cry!激闘エンテイ！炎のおたけび！！	Japan 20 Dec 2024 US 27 Jun 2025	The Rising Volt Tacklers battle a mighty Entei as a submarine volcano erupts off Johto, only to find that it is a wild Entei that leaves with Raikou… · A wild Entei Episode guide →
34HZ079	Over the Top!オーバー・ザ・トップ	Japan 10 Jan 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	Back in Paldea, Liko, Roy and Dot must beat Geeta in a three-on-one battle to win permission to enter Area Zero, and they defeat her Glimmora and… · The trio beat Geeta Episode guide →
35HZ080	Total-lie Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?!エリアゼロでオニイケポケモン！？	Japan 17 Jan 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	In Area Zero, Roy battles a strange Sandy Shocks that he mistakes for a hairy Magneton, while the Explorer Coral, shadowing the group, teams up with… · Paradox Pokémon Episode guide →
36HZ081	The Pillar of Fire大バトル！大地を穿つ炎	Japan 24 Jan 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	In Area Zero, the group finds the “Entei” of the Six Heroes, which turns out to be the Paradox Pokémon Gouging Fire; after a hard… · Gouging Fire joins Liko Episode guide →
37HZ082	Beyond the Shining Rainbow光り出した虹の先で	Japan 31 Jan 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	The Rising Volt Tacklers battle Black Rayquaza in Area Zero, and with Pagogo fighting for the first time at Liko’s side, Roy finally catches… · Roy catches Black Rayquaza Episode guide →
38HZ083	The Truth Revealed!明かされる真実？アメジオの決意！	Japan 7 Feb 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	Investigating Spinel’s work at Exceed, Amethio learns from Hamber the truth about Gibeon’s century of Laquium research and resolves to… · Hamber’s story Episode guide →
39HZ084	Where the Land Meets the Sky天と地が出会う処	Japan 14 Feb 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	In Pericarp Town, the trio help a boy named Yuha rescue his Noibat from a cave of Vibrava while Friede learns from the town’s Matriarch how… · Pericarp Town Episode guide →
40HZ085	The Pokémon Paradise of Laqua!到着！楽園ラクア	Japan 21 Feb 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	Black Rayquaza parts the clouds to reveal Laqua, a lush paradise where Pokémon of all kinds live together, and after Pagogo removes its… · Arrival in Laqua Episode guide →
41HZ086	The Rising Volt Tacklers vs. The Explorers!ライジングボルテッカーズVSエクスプローラーズ！	Japan 28 Feb 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	In Laqua, the Explorers reveal that they have been waiting for Pagogo to break its barrier, and in a series of battles Friede beats Spinel while Dot… · Rising Volt Tacklers vs Explorers Episode guide →
42HZ087	Guided by the Black Rayquaza!黒いレックウザの導き	Japan 7 Mar 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	At the heart of Laqua, the long-sealed Lucius emerges from a Laquium cluster to explain how Zygarde and Black Rayquaza set the adventure in motion,… · Lucius emerges Episode guide →
43HZ088	The Earthshaking White Zygarde激震の白いジガルデ	Japan 14 Mar 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	Liko, Roy, Dot and Amethio battle Gibeon’s White Zygarde, and when Floragato evolves into Meowscarada and lands a Flower Trick, Zygarde… · Floragato evolves into Meowscarada Episode guide →
44HZ089	Where the Adventure Leads冒険の先に	Japan 21 Mar 2025 US 26 Sep 2025	Pagogo and the Six Heroes purify Laqua, Lucius and Gibeon fade away, Spinel turns the freed heroes berserk with Laquium Spheres, and Friede is lost… · Season finale Episode guide →

Characters & Travelling Companions

Liko, from Cabo Poco in Paldea, swaps her Indigo Academy uniform for Naranja Academy’s Tera Training: she beats her classmate Ann (HZ046), loses to Katy but passes (HZ047), cries for the first time after a loss when Rika beats her and Katy (HZ056), fails Grusha’s test (HZ063) and is passed by him after defending the academy against Sidian (HZ066), and loses the tournament final to Roy (HZ067). Trapped with Amethio beneath Glaseado Mountain, the two open up to each other about their grandparents’ dreams (HZ065). With Lucius’s belt back in her care (HZ068) she gathers Kleavor (HZ073) and Gouging Fire (HZ081), beats her grandmother Diana (HZ074), learns that Lucius and Rystal are her great-great-grandparents (HZ074) and catches Terapagos, “Pagogo”, at Rystal’s request (HZ075) — the first female main character to officially catch a Legendary Pokémon. Floragato evolves into Meowscarada as she, Roy, Dot and Amethio defeat Gibeon’s Zygarde (HZ088); she loses Lucius’s belt and notebook in Laqua and, a year later, is back at Indigo Academy in Kanto, hiding her membership of the Rising Volt Tacklers (HZ089). Liko is voiced by Alejandra Reynoso in English and Minori Suzuki in Japanese.

Roy, the boy from a southern island who dreams of battling Black Rayquaza, beats Brassius in his first Terastal battle (HZ048), meets the rapper Ryme (HZ052), becomes the first trainee to fail a Tera Training test when she beats him (HZ061) and wins the rematch by rethinking the song he sings with Fuecoco (HZ062), as flashbacks show his parents singing on their ship before leaving him with his grandfather. He wins the Student Battle Tournament against Liko as Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor (HZ067), swaps bodies with Crocalor in Kitakami (HZ069), beats a Sandy Shocks in Area Zero (HZ080) and at last catches Black Rayquaza in his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ082) — though it remains Lucius’s and refuses to stay in the ball. After the time skip he has Captain Pikachu, a Shiny Lucario and a Mega Ring, which makes him the first main character other than Ash with more than one battle gimmick (HZ089). Roy is voiced by Anjali Kunapaneni in English and Yuka Terasaki in Japanese.

Dot, the reclusive programmer behind the streamer Nidothing, joins Tera Training too. Asked by Iono to battle in costume on a livestream, she chooses to face her as herself and passes (HZ049–HZ050); she and Iono are the only pair to beat an Elite Four member, Poppy (HZ055); she learns from Penny that the new teacher “Chive” is suspicious and borrows the Scarlet Book (HZ056), later exposing Chalce’s data theft (HZ066); and she passes against Larry as Quaxly evolves into Quaxwell (HZ059). Her Tinkatink becomes Tinkatuff (HZ070), she beats Perrin (HZ071) and, in Laqua, Chalce (HZ086), and Occulture even mentions her anonymously (HZ076). Dot is voiced by Faye Mata, who also voices Terapagos in English, and Yoshino Aoyama in Japanese.

Friede, the Pokémon Professor who captains the Rising Volt Tacklers, investigates his old employer Exceed (HZ054), returns Lucius’s belt (HZ068), leads the expeditions to Kitakami, Johto, Area Zero and Laqua and beats Spinel in a Double Battle (HZ086); in the finale he hands Captain Pikachu to Liko and lets go of the Brave Olivine, falling into the clouds with Charizard, his fate unknown (HZ089). The engineer Orla repairs and upgrades the airship and presses the emergency button that turns it into the Brave Olivine: Infinite Rising (HZ089); the cook Murdock takes a part-time job at Cortondo’s Patisserie Soapberry (HZ047); the healer Mollie’s past comes out through the former crew member Wy-Yes (HZ076); and Ludlow turns out to have starred as the film hero Guy Silver, alias Mighty G (HZ077). Friede is voiced by Crispin Freeman and Taku Yashiro; Ikue Ōtani voices Captain Pikachu, whose Ability, Lightning Rod, is revealed in HZ086.

The Explorers & Exceed

The Explorers are led by Gibeon, the chairman of Exceed’s board and, it emerges, one of the three original Explorers with Lucius and Rystal, kept alive for a century by Laquium (HZ074–HZ075, HZ083). He names Amethio his grandson and heir (HZ054) but strips him of his duties after Spinel frames him (HZ065). Amethio learns the truth about his grandfather from the butler Hamber, who holds a Zygarde Cell (HZ083); his father is Cervantis, Exceed’s director, Friede’s old boss and Gibeon’s son-in-law (HZ078, HZ083), and his late mother was Maria. In Laqua Amethio turns against Gibeon to fight his White Zygarde beside the trio (HZ087–HZ088); abandoned by Zygarde, Gibeon is reconciled with Lucius and Amethio and fades away (HZ089). Gibeon is voiced by David Kaye and Show Hayami, Amethio by Daman Mills and Shun Horie.

The researcher Spinel takes the Laquium from Exceed’s vault (HZ054), experiments on his Umbreon and traps Liko and Amethio (HZ064), frames Amethio (HZ065), steals the academy’s Terapagos data with Chalce (HZ066) and mines Laqua’s Core with his newly evolved Magnezone (HZ087); after the purification his Laquium Spheres turn the Six Heroes berserk, and a year later he is the director of Exceed, leading the Explorers and blaming the Rising Volt Tacklers for Laqua’s collapse (HZ089). The admins Coral and Sidian enrol at Naranja Academy as fake students — “Cornbread” and “Seasoning” in the dub — and pass their own tests before quitting the course (HZ046–HZ064), while Chalce poses as the teacher “Chive” (HZ056, HZ066); Coral accidentally catches a Scream Tail, “Screamypuff” (HZ080), and all three lose to the trio in Laqua (HZ086). Amethio’s loyal Zirc and Onia stay with him throughout. Spinel is voiced by Matthew Mercer and Makoto Furukawa; Ikue Ōtani, Captain Pikachu’s voice, is also Coral’s Japanese voice.

Gibeon, the Explorers’ leader, in The Earthshaking White Zygarde (HZ088)

Naranja Academy, the Paldea League & the people of the past

At Naranja Academy, Director Clavell runs the course, and the chairwoman and Top Champion Geeta hands out the Tera Orbs (HZ046) and later tests the trio herself before letting them into Area Zero (HZ079). The student council president Nemona and her Pawmot beat Roy in the rain (HZ048) and help him train (HZ062); the League engineer Penny helps Dot (HZ056); the history teacher Raifort, whose Zoroark disguises itself as Terapagos and as Captain Pikachu, tells the legend of Laqua (HZ057); Dendra referees and teaches Battle Studies and Jacq teaches biology; and Liko’s Indigo classmate Ann takes the course as an exchange student before returning to Kanto (HZ046–HZ067). Arven makes his debut at the tournament (HZ067).

The examiners are the Gym Leaders Katy of Cortondo, with her Teddiursa, Teddy; Brassius of Artazon, once mentored by Hassel; Iono of Levincia, who had arranged the trio’s contact with the Rising Volt Tacklers (HZ049); Larry of Medali, also a member of the Elite Four; the rapper Ryme of Montenevera; and Grusha of Glaseado, a former professional snowboarder (HZ063). Kofu and Tulip complete the set, and by HZ056 all eight Paldea Gym Leaders have appeared. The Elite Four — Rika, Poppy, the art teacher Hassel and Larry — appear together in HZ046, the first time a whole regional Elite Four has done so, and battle the trainees in HZ055–HZ056.

Lucius, the Ancient Adventurer, is seen in visions (HZ073, HZ081, HZ082) until he emerges in person from the Laquium that sealed him for a century (HZ087), explains how Zygarde and Black Rayquaza set the adventure in motion, and fades away with Gibeon once Laqua is purified (HZ089). Rystal, Terapagos’s original Trainer, appears through the Crystal Pool with her baby daughter Layla, Diana’s mother (HZ074–HZ075). The researcher Briar, a Blueberry Academy teacher in the dub who has seen an awakened Terapagos before, guides them in Kitakami and Area Zero (HZ071, HZ078, HZ080–HZ082); Carmine (HZ069) and the photographer Perrin (HZ068, HZ071–HZ073) help in Kitakami; and in Pericarp Town the boy Yuha and the Matriarch, who saw Gibeon a century ago, point the way (HZ084). Lucius is voiced by Steve Blum and Daisuke Namikawa, Rystal by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Yukana.

The guests include the picture-book author Alex (HZ048); Niko, Rob and Dash, three Naranja students who look strikingly like the trio (HZ053, HZ066–HZ067); Exceed’s researcher Yanga (HZ054); the café owners Nandy and Mokichi (HZ058); the dancer Diva (HZ059); MC Sledge (HZ061); Kitakami’s Caretaker and Shizune, and the stall owner with the Synchro Machine, voiced in Japanese by Masaki Terasoma (HZ069); Heath, author of the Scarlet Book, in flashback (HZ071); Siskel, a fan of Ludlow’s films (HZ077); and Amethio’s late mother, Maria, in a portrait (HZ083).

A scene from Welcome to Naranja Academy! (HZ046), the premiere in which Liko, Roy and Dot begin Tera Training

Grusha in Liko vs. Rika! Towards the Battle’s End (HZ056); he fails Liko in HZ063 and passes her in HZ066

Voice cast

Character	English voice actor	Japanese voice actor
Liko	Alejandra Reynoso	Minori Suzuki
Roy	Anjali Kunapaneni	Yuka Terasaki
Dot / Nidothing	Faye Mata	Yoshino Aoyama
Terapagos (Pagogo)	Faye Mata	Yuka Terasaki
Friede	Crispin Freeman	Taku Yashiro
Captain Pikachu	Ikue Ōtani	Ikue Ōtani
Orla	Mara Junot	Ayane Sakura
Murdock	Major Attaway	Kenta Miyake
Mollie	Erica Mendez	Kei Shindō
Ludlow	Larry Kenney	Ikkyū Juku
Wy-Yes	Mark Whitten	Shimba Tsuchiya
Gibeon	David Kaye	Show Hayami
Amethio	Daman Mills	Shun Horie
Spinel	Matthew Mercer	Makoto Furukawa
Coral	Lizzie Freeman	Ikue Ōtani
Sidian	SungWon Cho	Yuki Onodera
Chalce	Shara Kirby	Mimi Maihane
Hamber	Paul Mercier	Hironori Kondo
Zirc	Michael Schneider	Kōsuke Tanabe
Onia	Lisa Ortiz (also a voice director; HZ089 is her last episode in that role)	Arisa Shida
Cervantis	Ben Diskin	Keisuke Fujii
Lucius	Steve Blum	Daisuke Namikawa
Rystal	Mary Elizabeth McGlynn	Yukana
Diana	Nancy Linari	Kiri Yoshizawa
Clavell	Brian Villalobos	Mahito Ōba
Geeta	Lipica Shah	Sanae Kobayashi
Nemona	Yolis Arroyo	Eri Kitamura
Katy	Lauren Mayfield	Kotono Mitsuishi
Brassius	J. Michael Tatum	Kazuya Nakai
Iono	Erika Harlacher-Stone	Kaede Hondo
Larry	Ben Diskin	Kōsuke Toriumi
Ryme	Melique Berger	Kimiko Saito
Grusha	Bryce Papenbrook	Chiaki Kobayashi
Rika	Erika Ishii	Mitsuki Saiga
Poppy	Debi Derryberry	Miria Takagishi
Hassel	Ross Marquand	Ryōtarō Okiayu
Penny	Kristen McGuire	Ryō Hirohashi
Raifort	Mela Lee	Takako Honda
Ann	Xanthe Huynh	Yuna Ogata
Briar	Samia Mounts	Yū Shimamura
Carmine	Sarah Anne Williams	Misato Fukuen
Perrin	Kimiko Glenn	Marika Kōno

Pokémon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

In brief:

Liko’s Floragato Terastallizes into a Grass type for the first time against Katy (HZ047), bristles with jealous spikes (HZ051), learns Acrobatics against Rika (HZ056) and Sucker Punch in the tournament (HZ067), and evolves into Meowscarada against Gibeon’s White Zygarde, learning Flower Trick to end the battle (HZ088) — the first Grass-type first partner to reach its final stage since Ash’s Torterra, 688 episodes earlier. Her Hatenna evolves into Hattrem to silence three raging Annihilape, learning Brutal Swing (HZ053), and its Ability, Healer, is revealed in the tournament (HZ067).
Liko catches Terapagos, Rystal’s former partner, and keeps Rystal’s nickname for it, Pagogo (HZ075). It takes its Terastal Form when Spinel’s Laquium threatens (HZ064) and in Laqua (HZ085, HZ087), shows its Stellar Form in Rystal’s story (HZ075) and again to purify Laqua with the Six Heroes (HZ088–HZ089), and battles at Liko’s side for the first time against Black Rayquaza with Protect, Ancient Power and Tera Starstorm (HZ082). Lucius’s belt, with Arboliva, Galarian Moltres and Lapras, is returned to Liko (HZ068), and two more of the Six Heroes enter her care: Kleavor, after testing the trio on Tengu Mountain (HZ073), and Gouging Fire, Lucius’s supposed Entei (HZ081). All six are released when Lucius fades (HZ089).
Roy’s Fuecoco Terastallizes into a Fire type against Brassius (HZ048) and evolves into Crocalor in the tournament final against Liko, winning with a Tera Flamethrower and Flame Charge (HZ067); his Wattrel overcomes its fear of the wind and evolves into Kilowattrel in mid-dive to catch him (HZ052). He catches Black Rayquaza in his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ082), though it remains Lucius’s and will not stay inside, and after the time skip he owns a Shiny Lucario, the first non-Legendary Shiny in Horizons, and travels with Captain Pikachu (HZ089).
Dot’s Quaxly Terastallizes into a Water type and learns Liquidation against Iono (HZ050), then evolves into Quaxwell in the middle of her battle with Larry (HZ059), learning Air Cutter (HZ071) and Aqua Cutter (HZ081); her Tinkatink, which shows Brutal Swing (HZ059), evolves into Tinkatuff to protect Quaxwell from two Bombirdier and learns Play Rough (HZ070). Elsewhere, Friede’s Charizard Terastallizes into a Dark type and Captain Pikachu’s Lightning Rod is revealed (HZ086), Coral catches a Scream Tail (HZ080), Spinel’s Magneton evolves into Magnezone (HZ087), and Gibeon’s White Zygarde regains its 50% Forme (HZ087) before abandoning him (HZ088).

New Pokémon captured or hatched

Kleavor#0900 · Liko’s care · Lucius’s; it enters its Ancient Poké Ball after testing the trio · HZ073
Terapagos#1024 · Liko · Rystal’s former partner, caught at her request and nicknamed Pagogo · HZ075
Scream Tail#0985 · Coral · caught by accident in Area Zero and nicknamed Screamypuff · HZ080
Gouging Fire#1020 · Liko’s care · Lucius’s “Entei”, after a battle for his belt · HZ081
Rayquaza#0384 · Roy · Black Rayquaza, caught in his Ancient Poké Ball but still Lucius’s · HZ082
Lucario#0448 · Roy · a Shiny Lucario, revealed after the one-year time skip · HZ089

Evolutions

Pawmo → Pawmot#0923 · Nemona · off screen, revealed at the academy · HZ046
Oshawott → Dewott#0502 · Ann · off screen, revealed in her rematch with Liko · HZ046
Wattrel → Kilowattrel#0941 · Roy · in mid-dive, to catch him as he falls from a cliff · HZ052
Hatenna → Hattrem#0857 · Liko · to calm three raging Annihilape; learns Brutal Swing · HZ053
Quaxly → Quaxwell#0913 · Dot · in her Tera Training battle with Larry · HZ059
Fuecoco → Crocalor#0910 · Roy · in the tournament final against Liko · HZ067
Tinkatink → Tinkatuff#0958 · Dot · protecting Quaxwell from two Bombirdier; learns Play Rough · HZ070
Magneton → Magnezone#0462 · Spinel · powering the machines that mine Laqua’s Core · HZ087
Floragato → Meowscarada#0908 · Liko · against Gibeon’s White Zygarde; learns Flower Trick · HZ088

Releases, departures and returns

When Lucius fades away in Laqua, the Six Heroes — Arboliva, Galarian Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor, Gouging Fire and Black Rayquaza — are released from their Ancient Poké Balls, and Spinel’s Laquium Spheres drive all but Black Rayquaza berserk; Black Rayquaza holds off its former allies so that the children can escape, and as the ground splits Liko loses Lucius’s belt and notebook (HZ089). Lucius himself entrusts Pagogo to Liko before he goes.

Friede hands Captain Pikachu to Liko and falls from the Brave Olivine with his Charizard, still weak from the Laquium (HZ089); a year later Cap is travelling with Roy. Earlier, Diana sets off again with Arcanine once her quest is over (HZ075), Briar parts from the crew after the battle with Black Rayquaza (HZ082), Ann returns to Kanto at the end of the course (HZ067), and the three Tatsugiri that stow away on the Brave Olivine stay aboard (HZ068, HZ077).

Liko’s, Roy’s and Dot’s Pokémon this season

Trainer	Pokémon	What happens	Episodes
Liko	Floragato → Meowscarada	Grass Tera; Acrobatics; Sucker Punch; evolves against White Zygarde and learns Flower Trick	HZ047, HZ056, HZ067, HZ088
Liko	Hatenna → Hattrem	Evolves and learns Brutal Swing; Ability Healer revealed; heals Charizard in the escape from Laqua	HZ053, HZ067, HZ089
Liko	Terapagos (Pagogo)	Terastal Form; caught; first battle at Liko’s side; Stellar Form purifies Laqua	HZ064, HZ075, HZ082, HZ088–HZ089
Liko (Lucius’s)	Arboliva, Galarian Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor, Gouging Fire	Belt returned; Kleavor and Gouging Fire join; all released when Lucius fades	HZ068, HZ073, HZ081, HZ089
Roy	Fuecoco → Crocalor	Fire Tera; evolves in the tournament final; body swap with Roy	HZ048, HZ067, HZ069
Roy	Wattrel → Kilowattrel	Evolves in mid-dive to catch Roy	HZ052
Roy	Black Rayquaza	Caught in his Ancient Poké Ball, but still Lucius’s; covers the escape from Laqua	HZ082, HZ089
Roy	Lucario (Shiny), Captain Pikachu	With Roy and his Mega Ring a year later	HZ089
Dot	Quaxly → Quaxwell	Water Tera and Liquidation; evolves against Larry; Air Cutter; Aqua Cutter	HZ050, HZ059, HZ071, HZ081
Dot	Tinkatink → Tinkatuff	Brutal Swing; evolves against the Bombirdier and learns Play Rough	HZ059, HZ070

Terastallizations this season

Trainer	Pokémon	Tera Type	Episodes
Liko	Floragato	Grass	HZ047 (her first), HZ056, HZ066, HZ074, HZ079
Roy	Fuecoco, later Crocalor	Fire	HZ048 (his first), HZ062, HZ067, HZ082
Dot	Quaxly, later Quaxwell	Water	HZ050 (her first), HZ055, HZ059, HZ067
Katy	Teddy the Teddiursa	Bug	HZ047
Brassius	Sudowoodo	Grass	HZ048
Iono	Bellibolt	Electric	HZ050
Rika	Clodsire	— (its boosted Earth Power wins)	HZ056
Larry	Staraptor	Normal	HZ059
Ryme	Toxtricity (Low Key Form)	Ghost	HZ062
Grusha	Altaria	Ice	HZ063
Amethio	Ceruledge	Ghost	HZ064, HZ087–HZ088
Sidian	Garganacl	Rock	HZ066, HZ086
Wild	Bombirdier	Dark — the first Terastallized wild Pokémon	HZ070
Wild	Milotic, at the Crystal Pool	Ghost	HZ071
Geeta	Glimmora	Rock	HZ079
Friede	Charizard	Dark	HZ086
Coral	Scream Tail (Screamypuff)	Fairy	HZ086

Examiners’, rivals’ and other Trainers’ Pokémon

Trainer	Pokémon	Episodes
Katy / Brassius / Iono	Teddy the Teddiursa, Lokix / Sudowoodo, Dolliv / Bellibolt	HZ047–HZ050, HZ055–HZ056
Larry	Dudunsparce, Staraptor, Flamigo, Oricorio	HZ055, HZ059
Ryme / Grusha	Houndstone, Toxtricity (Low Key Form) / Cetitan, Altaria	HZ052, HZ061–HZ063
Kofu / Tulip	Wugtrio / Espathra	HZ055
Rika / Poppy / Hassel	Dugtrio, Clodsire / Tinkaton (Tinkie), Copperajah (Rajah) / Baxcalibur, Flapple	HZ055–HZ056
Geeta / Nemona	Glimmora, two Glimmet / Pawmot	HZ048, HZ079
Ann	Dewott, Sandshrew	HZ046, HZ054–HZ057, HZ066–HZ067
Raifort / Carmine / Perrin	Zoroark / Sinistcha / Hisuian Growlithe, Leafeon	HZ057, HZ069, HZ071
Diana	Arcanine, Squawkabilly	HZ073–HZ075
Gibeon	Zygarde (White, regaining its 50% Forme)	HZ087–HZ088
Amethio	Ceruledge, Corviknight	HZ064, HZ087–HZ089
Spinel	Umbreon, Beheeyem, Magneton → Magnezone	HZ054, HZ064, HZ086–HZ087
Coral / Sidian / Chalce	Glalie, Scream Tail / Garganacl, Aerodactyl / Medicham, Xatu	HZ055–HZ066, HZ080, HZ086
Hamber / Cervantis	Dusknoir / Cinccino	HZ054, HZ083
Wy-Yes	Wynaut, which senses the truth	HZ076

Pokémon making their anime debut this season

Generation IX keeps arriving. Nemona’s Pawmot opens the season (HZ046); the Elite Four and Gym Leaders bring Lokix, Wugtrio, Espathra, Tinkaton, Baxcalibur and Clodsire (HZ055), Kingambit (HZ058), Larry’s Two-Segment Dudunsparce (HZ059), Ryme’s Houndstone (HZ052), Grusha’s Cetitan (HZ063) and Geeta’s Glimmora (HZ079); the wild debuts run from Toedscool and its “pillar of petals” (HZ051) and Annihilape (HZ052–HZ053) to Gimmighoul (HZ057), Frigibax and Arctibax (HZ060, HZ067), Tatsugiri in three forms (HZ068) and Kitakami’s Sinistcha and Dipplin (HZ069). Area Zero shows the first Paradox Pokémon on screen, Great Tusk, Scream Tail and Sandy Shocks (HZ080), and Gouging Fire (HZ081); Perrin’s Hisuian Growlithe is the first physical Hisuian form outside the specials (HZ071), Terapagos’s Stellar Form appears in Rystal’s story (HZ075), and Bulbapedia also lists the trio’s Hattrem, Quaxwell, Crocalor, Tinkatuff and Meowscarada. Long-absent species return too: Terrakion for the first time since the fifteenth movie (HZ075), Raikou outside the films for the first time in 1,130 episodes (HZ078), Feraligatr after 682 episodes (HZ085), Tangrowth after 631 (HZ050), Eelektrik after 537 (HZ087) and Deerling after 489 (HZ051).

Pawmot#0923 · HZ046 · Nemona’s, newly evolved
Dachsbun#0927 · HZ046 · seen in a picture
Tarountula#0917 · HZ047 · in Cortondo
Nymble#0919 · HZ047 · in Cortondo
Grafaiai#0945 · HZ048
Flamigo#0973 · HZ049
Varoom#0965 · HZ049 · the wild one that steals the Nidothing suit
Toedscool#0948 · HZ051 · the herd behind the “pillar of petals”
Capsakid#0951 · HZ052
Houndstone#0972 · HZ052 · Ryme’s
Squawkabilly#0931 · HZ052 · a flock in White Plumage
Annihilape#0979 · HZ052 · seen only in shadow, before its full appearance in the next episode
Hattrem#0857 · HZ053 · Liko’s, evolved from Hatenna; listed as a debut on Bulbapedia
Lokix#0920 · HZ055 · Katy’s
Wugtrio#0961 · HZ055 · Kofu’s
Espathra#0956 · HZ055 · Tulip’s
Tinkaton#0959 · HZ055 · Poppy’s Tinkie
Baxcalibur#0998 · HZ055 · Hassel’s
Clodsire#0980 · HZ055 · Rika’s
Charcadet#0935 · HZ057 · at an old fort in South Province
Gimmighoul#0999 · HZ057 · in its Chest Form, with its Roaming Form also seen
Kingambit#0983 · HZ058 · the café’s signature Pokémon
Dudunsparce#0982 · HZ059 · Larry’s, in its Two-Segment Form
Quaxwell#0913 · HZ059 · Dot’s, evolved from Quaxly
Frigibax#0996 · HZ060 · on Glaseado Mountain
Greavard#0971 · HZ061 · in Montenevera
Cetoddle#0974 · HZ063
Cetitan#0975 · HZ063 · Grusha’s
Flittle#0955 · HZ063
Glimmet#0969 · HZ064
Crocalor#0910 · HZ067 · Roy’s, evolved from Fuecoco
Arctibax#0997 · HZ067
Scovillain#0952 · HZ067
Tatsugiri#0978 · HZ068 · three stowaways, in Curly, Droopy and Stretchy Forms
Kleavor#0900 · HZ068 · Lucius’s, seen only in shadow
Sinistcha#1013 · HZ069 · Carmine’s
Dipplin#1011 · HZ069
Bombirdier#0962 · HZ070 · including the first Terastallized wild Pokémon
Tinkatuff#0958 · HZ070 · Dot’s, evolved from Tinkatink
Maschiff#0942 · HZ075
Terrakion#0639 · HZ075 · TV-episode debut, in Rystal’s story; its first appearance since the fifteenth movie
Farigiraf#0981 · HZ076 · at a dried-up oasis
Glimmora#0970 · HZ079 · Geeta’s
Great Tusk#0984 · HZ080 · among the first Paradox Pokémon shown
Scream Tail#0985 · HZ080 · caught by Coral
Sandy Shocks#0989 · HZ080 · beaten by Roy
Gouging Fire#1020 · HZ081 · Lucius’s, long mistaken for Entei
Meowscarada#0908 · HZ088 · Liko’s, evolved from Floragato

Key Events, Gym Battles & Tera Training

Events of note

Liko, Roy and Dot enrol at Naranja Academy and receive Tera Orbs; Liko beats Ann (HZ046 – Welcome to Naranja Academy!)
Liko Terastallizes for the first time and passes Katy’s test despite losing (HZ047 – Put Your Heart Into It!)
Roy Terastallizes Fuecoco and beats Brassius (HZ048 – Sparkle! The Glow of Flame and Art)
Dot chooses to take her test as herself, not as Nidothing (HZ049 – Dot and Nidothing)
Dot Terastallizes Quaxly, loses to Iono and passes (HZ050 – Trending Terastallization! Dance, Dance, Quaxly!)
Wattrel evolves into Kilowattrel; Roy meets Ryme (HZ052 – Wattrel’s High Wind Warning!)
Hatenna evolves into Hattrem (HZ053 – Hatenna and the Otherworldly)
Friede finds Exceed’s Laquium vault empty; Amethio is revealed as Gibeon’s grandson (HZ054 – The Treasure of Eternity)
Dot and Iono beat Poppy in the Elite Four Multi Battles (HZ055 – Showdown! The Paldea Elite Four)
Rika beats Liko and Katy; Dot finds the Scarlet Book (HZ056 – Liko vs. Rika! Towards the Battle’s End)
Raifort tells the legend of Laqua; the second assignments are made (HZ057 – The Terapagos I Don’t Know)
Quaxly evolves into Quaxwell; Dot passes Larry’s test (HZ059 – Dance, Quaxly! The Blue Medali Step!)
Ryme beats Roy: the first failed Tera Training test (HZ061 – Resonating Spirits in a Challenge to Ryme!)
Roy beats Ryme and passes (HZ062 – A New Song for Fuecoco)
Grusha beats Liko, who fails (HZ063 – Ice Battle! Cold-Eyed Grusha)
Spinel tests Laquium on Umbreon; Terapagos takes its Terastal Form (HZ064 – The Approaching Shadow!)
Gibeon strips Amethio of his duties (HZ065 – Liko and Amethio)
The Explorers steal the academy’s Terapagos data; Grusha passes Liko (HZ066 – Infiltrating the System! Naranja Academy in Danger!)
Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor; Roy wins the tournament; the trio leave Naranja Academy (HZ067 – Shine on, Terastallization! Liko vs. Roy!)
The repaired Brave Olivine flies again; Lucius’s belt returns to Liko (HZ068 – Into a New Sky! The Brave Olivine!)
Tinkatink evolves into Tinkatuff; the first Terastallized wild Pokémon (HZ070 – Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day)
Briar shows Heath’s original Scarlet Book; Dot beats Perrin (HZ071 – Encounters at the Crystal Pool)
Kleavor joins Liko’s care (HZ073 – Kleavor the Solitary Warrior)
Lucius and Rystal are revealed as Liko’s great-great-grandparents (HZ074 – The Three Explorers)
Liko catches Terapagos (HZ075 – The Wonders of the World!)
A wild Entei; Cervantis is revealed as Amethio’s father (HZ078 – Entei’s Fierce Battle Cry!)
The trio beat Geeta for permission to enter Area Zero (HZ079 – Over the Top!)
The first Paradox Pokémon; Coral catches Scream Tail (HZ080 – Total-lie Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?!)
Lucius’s “Entei” is Gouging Fire, which joins Liko’s care (HZ081 – The Pillar of Fire)
Roy catches Black Rayquaza in his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ082 – Beyond the Shining Rainbow)
Hamber tells Amethio of Gibeon’s past (HZ083 – The Truth Revealed!)
Arrival in Laqua (HZ085 – The Pokémon Paradise of Laqua!)
The Rising Volt Tacklers beat Spinel and his three admins (HZ086 – The Rising Volt Tacklers vs. The Explorers!)
Lucius emerges alive; Amethio sides with Liko (HZ087 – Guided by the Black Rayquaza!)
Floragato evolves into Meowscarada; Zygarde abandons Gibeon (HZ088 – The Earthshaking White Zygarde)
Lucius and Gibeon fade away; Friede is lost; one year later (HZ089 – Where the Adventure Leads)

Tera Training tests & key battles

Exchange-student rematch: Liko (Floragato) beats Ann (Dewott) — HZ046
Tera Training basics test: Katy (Teddy, Bug Tera) beats Liko (Floragato, Grass Tera) → pass — HZ047
Unofficial battle without Terastallization: Nemona (Pawmot) beats Roy (Fuecoco) in the rain — HZ048
Tera Training basics test: Roy (Fuecoco, Fire Tera) beats Brassius (Sudowoodo, Grass Tera) → pass — HZ048
Livestreamed basics test: Iono (Bellibolt, Electric Tera) beats Dot (Quaxly, Water Tera) → pass — HZ050
Elite Four Multi Battles, with the Gym Leaders barred from Terastallizing: Dot and Iono beat Poppy; Larry beats Coral and Kofu; Hassel beats Roy and Brassius; Rika beats Sidian and Tulip — HZ055
Elite Four Multi Battle: Rika (Dugtrio, Clodsire) beats Liko and Katy (Floragato, Lokix) — HZ056
Implementation test: Larry (Dudunsparce; Staraptor, Normal Tera) beats Dot (Quaxly → Quaxwell, Tinkatink) → pass — HZ059
Implementation test: Ryme (Houndstone, Toxtricity) beats Roy (Kilowattrel, Fuecoco) → fail — HZ061
Rematch, one-on-one: Roy (Fuecoco, Fire Tera) beats Ryme (Toxtricity, Ghost Tera) → pass — HZ062
Implementation test: Grusha (Cetitan; Altaria, Ice Tera) beats Liko (Floragato, Hattrem) → fail, made a pass in HZ066 — HZ063
Liko (Floragato) v Amethio (Ceruledge, Ghost Tera), interrupted by Spinel’s Laquium-maddened Umbreon — HZ064
Roy and Dot (Fuecoco, Quaxwell) v Coral and Sidian (Glalie, Garganacl), stopped by Grusha’s Altaria — HZ065
Student Battle Tournament and academy raid: Dot (Quaxwell) beats Rob (Darumaka); Liko (Floragato) beats Sidian (Garganacl, Rock Tera); Roy (Fuecoco) beats Coral (Glalie) — HZ066
Tournament final: Roy (Fuecoco → Crocalor, Kilowattrel) beats Liko (Floragato, Hattrem) — HZ067
Liko, Roy and Dot v Lucius’s Arboliva, Moltres and Lapras, called off by Terapagos — HZ068
Friede (Captain Pikachu) beats Carmine (Sinistcha) — HZ069
Dot (Quaxwell) beats Perrin (Leafeon) — HZ071
Liko, Roy and Dot v Lucius’s Kleavor in a bamboo grove: Kleavor wins, then joins Liko’s care — HZ073
Liko (Floragato, Grass Tera) beats her grandmother Diana (Arcanine) — HZ074
The Rising Volt Tacklers v a wild Entei, which leaves with Raikou and Suicune — HZ078
Three-on-one: Liko, Roy and Dot beat Geeta (Glimmora, Rock Tera, and two Glimmet) → permission to enter Area Zero — HZ079
Roy (Crocalor) beats a Sandy Shocks; Coral’s Glalie and Scream Tail v a Great Tusk — HZ080
The Rising Volt Tacklers beat Gouging Fire to win back Lucius’s belt — HZ081
The Rising Volt Tacklers and Friede v Black Rayquaza: Pagogo’s Tera Starstorm, then Roy’s Ancient Poké Ball — HZ082
Friede (Captain Pikachu; Charizard, Dark Tera) beats Spinel (Umbreon, Beheeyem); Dot beats Chalce; Liko beats Sidian; Roy beats Coral (Scream Tail, Fairy Tera) — HZ086
Liko, Roy, Dot and Amethio (Floragato → Meowscarada, Crocalor, Quaxwell, Ceruledge) v Gibeon’s White Zygarde, which gives up after Flower Trick — HZ087–HZ088
Escape from the berserk Six Heroes, covered by Black Rayquaza — HZ089

Tera Training at Naranja Academy

Paldea’s Tera Training course at Naranja Academy takes the place of the badge quest. Terastallization is unique to Paldea, and Trainers can harness it only with a Tera Orb, which Geeta gives each trainee (HZ046); the course has a basics test and then an implementation test with two Pokémon, each against an assigned Gym Leader, and students may not have Terastal battles with one another while it lasts. Winning is not the point: as Katy explains after beating Liko, the examiner judges teamwork and the timing of the Terastallization, and a pass is stamped on the trainee’s Rotom Phone (HZ047).

In the basics tests Katy’s Teddiursa, Terastallized into a Bug type, beats Liko’s Grass-type Floragato, but Liko passes (HZ047); Roy beats Brassius’s Sudowoodo with a Fire-type Fuecoco (HZ048); and Iono’s Electric-type Bellibolt beats Dot’s Water-type Quaxly in a livestream plunged into darkness, but Dot passes for staying true to herself (HZ050). In the implementation tests Larry’s Normal-type Staraptor beats Dot as Quaxly evolves, and she passes (HZ059); Ryme beats Roy after a hasty Terastallization — the first time a trainee fails — and Roy wins a one-on-one rematch against her Ghost-type Toxtricity (HZ061–HZ062); and Grusha’s Cetitan and Ice-type Altaria beat Liko, who fails (HZ063), until Grusha, having watched her defend the academy against Sidian, turns the result into a pass (HZ066).

The Elite Four Multi Battles & the Student Battle Tournament

Back at the academy, each trainee partners the Gym Leader who tested them in a Multi Battle against the Paldean Elite Four; Clavell bars the Gym Leaders from Terastallizing (HZ055). Dot and Iono beat Poppy’s Tinkaton and Copperajah when Bellibolt fires a point-blank Zap Cannon; Coral’s Glalie knocks out every Pokémon with Self-Destruct, which counts as a loss, so Larry beats her and Kofu; Hassel’s Baxcalibur and Flapple beat Roy and Brassius with Thermal Exchange and Glaive Rush; and Rika beats Sidian and Tulip (HZ055). Rika then beats Liko and Katy with a Terastallized Clodsire’s Earth Power, though Floragato learns Acrobatics, and Liko cries after a loss for the first time (HZ056).

The course ends with the Tera Training Student Battle Tournament, one-on-one battles in which everyone may Terastallize, pass or fail: Ann’s Dewott meets Niko’s Roserade and Dot’s Quaxwell beats Rob’s Darumaka with a Tera Liquidation, while the Explorers raid the academy for its Terapagos data and Liko and Roy beat Sidian and Coral (HZ066). In the final Roy beats Liko: Floragato learns Sucker Punch and Hattrem’s Healer is revealed, but Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor mid-battle and wins with a Tera Flamethrower and Flame Charge (HZ067).

Rayquaza Rising: the Six Heroes & Laqua

With the course over, the battles turn to Lucius’s Six Heroes. Arboliva, Moltres and Lapras test the trio until Terapagos calls a halt (HZ068); Lucius’s Kleavor wins a battle in a bamboo grove on Tengu Mountain before joining Liko (HZ073); and in Area Zero the supposed Entei, Gouging Fire, raises Burning Bulwark and, under the sunlight its Protosynthesis needs, unleashes Raging Fury, until Quaxwell’s new Aqua Cutter drives it into a river and Captain Pikachu knocks Lucius’s belt free (HZ081). Against Black Rayquaza, Friede and the trio are worn down by Draco Meteor and Dragon Ascent, until Pagogo takes its Terastal Form to fight beside Liko, Tera Starstorm and Crocalor’s Flame Charge bring the dragon down, and Roy throws his Ancient Poké Ball (HZ082). Before that, the trio beat Geeta three-on-one for a permit to enter Area Zero (HZ079), and the crew’s battle with a wild Entei off Johto ends when it leaves with Raikou and Suicune (HZ078).

In Laqua the Rising Volt Tacklers win all four battles against the Explorers: Friede beats Spinel in a Double Battle that brings Charizard’s Dark-type Terastallization, Captain Pikachu’s Lightning Rod and the anime’s first Skill Swap, Dot beats Chalce, Liko beats Sidian and Roy beats Coral’s Fairy-type Scream Tail (HZ086). Maddened by Laquium, Captain Pikachu and Charizard knock each other out (HZ087). Then Liko, Roy, Dot and Amethio Terastallize against Gibeon’s White Zygarde, which has regained its 50% Forme: Thousand Arrows, Thousand Waves, Land’s Wrath and Core Enforcer nearly overwhelm them until Floragato evolves into Meowscarada and lands a Flower Trick, and Zygarde gives up and abandons its Trainer (HZ087–HZ088).

Terapagos’s forms

Terapagos has three forms in the anime. Its Normal Form travels in Liko’s bag; its Terastal Form appears when Spinel’s Laquium experiment drives it to Tera Shift (HZ064), against Black Rayquaza (HZ082), at Laqua’s barrier (HZ085) and in the final confrontation (HZ087); and its Stellar Form is seen in Rystal’s story of the disaster a century ago, when it raised a dome of energy over Laqua and fell dormant as a jewel (HZ075), and again when it purifies Laqua with the Six Heroes (HZ088–HZ089). Its own moves this season are Protect (HZ075), Ancient Power and Tera Starstorm (HZ082).

Movies & Specials Released During the Season

No new Pokémon film was released during Horizons Season 2, either in Japan (12 April 2024 – 21 March 2025) or in its Netflix run (7 February – 26 September 2025): the most recent theatrical film was still Secrets of the Jungle (2020), and Pokémon: Wild Card was not announced until 31 August 2026. The season’s screen companions were shorter: Netflix released the fourth part of the first Horizons season (HZ035–HZ045) on 22 November 2024, two days after this season was announced; the Pokémon Day 2025 short アニメ『カイリューとゆうびんやさん』 (literally “Dragonite and the Mail Carrier”), made by Comix Wave Films, went up on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on 27 February 2025; and four new episodes of Pokémon Concierge reached Netflix on 4 September 2025, three weeks before the season’s last part.

In Japan the anime’s slot carried no one-hour special during the season. Instead, on several first airings the Seminar gave way to trailers for the coming arc (HZ065–HZ067, HZ078, HZ082, HZ086 and HZ088), later uploaded to the Japanese YouTube channel; the Sunday variety show Pokémon to Doko Iku!? held a live-dubbing event with the anime’s cast for Rayquaza Rising on 6 October 2024 and a Pokémon Day special with ZEROBASEONE on 2 March 2025; and a “Shibuya Anime Base” special marked the new chapter on 28 March 2025, a week after the finale. Mega Voltage then premiered with the one-hour HZ090–HZ091 on 11 April 2025.

Side Stories, Specials & Crossovers

Side-story tie-ins

The Pokémon Day 2025 short. アニメ『カイリューとゆうびんやさん』 (Kairyū to Yūbinya-san, “Dragonite and the Mail Carrier”), released on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel on 27 February 2025 after a trailer on 21 February. Made by Comix Wave Films, it was directed and storyboarded by Taku Kimura (Studio Lemon) from a script by Kentaro Nana, with original character designs by Asuka Dochi, character design and animation direction by Maho Aoki and music by Evan Call; its heroine, Hana (Riko Fukumoto), sets out to find the sender of an unaddressed letter, and the theme song, 「紙ひこうき」, is by suis of Yorushika and Evan Call.
Pokémon Concierge. Episodes 5 to 8, billed as Season 1 Part 2, arrived on Netflix on 4 September 2025, three weeks before the season’s Part 4, with Tatsuro Yamashita’s “ONOMATOPE ISLAND” as their theme; the return, first announced in February 2025, was dated at Pokémon Presents on 22 July 2025.
Companion programming in Japan. The Sunday variety show Pokémon to Doko Iku!? (“Pokédoko”) ran “Pokédoko Volt Tacklers” segments alongside the anime — a Setouchi trip with a Black Rayquaza raid (22 December 2024), Osaka (12 January 2025), Fukuoka (9 March 2025) and a “final battle” with an anime trailer (16 March 2025) — and ten “LikoRoy Channel” promotional videos are listed on Bulbapedia’s series page. Ryme’s Ghost Rhyme got a full music video on the Japanese YouTube channel after HZ061.
Game events. Scarlet and Violet distributed Roy’s Fuecoco (announced 26 July 2024), news of a Flying Tera Type Eevee distribution followed on 31 January 2025, and Pokémon GO held a “Pokémon Horizons: The Series Celebration Event” with the debut of the Tinkatink line (announced 4 April 2025). Pokémon TCG Pocket launched on 30 October 2024, during the Japanese run.

Characters from the games, manga and specials

Scarlet and Violet. The season is built from the games: Naranja Academy, Tera Orbs, the Gym Leaders and Elite Four, Area Zero and the Paradox Pokémon (Chalce alludes to Slither Wing and Scream Tail as early as HZ056). The Treasure Eatery and its grilled rice balls (HZ059), Montenevera’s Hyper Training (HZ062) and Geeta’s Champion Assessment (HZ079) come from the games, and Roy’s throw of his Ancient Poké Ball imitates a Tera Raid capture (HZ082).
The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk. Kitakami — Mossui Town, Kitakami Hall, Infernal Pass, Oni Mountain, Tengu Mountain and the Crystal Pool — comes from the first expansion, along with Carmine and her Sinistcha; Ogerpon’s Teal Mask and a Munkidori mask are seen at the festival, but Ogerpon itself appears only as a mask (HZ069). Briar, who teaches at Blueberry Academy in the dub and has “seen an awakened Terapagos before”, comes from the second (HZ071).
Legends: Arceus. Lucius’s Kleavor uses Stone Axe, the first move from Legends: Arceus in the anime, and its vision of the past shows Jubilife Village’s citizens and Anvin (HZ073); Perrin’s Hisuian Growlithe is the first physical Hisuian form outside the specials (HZ071).
Johto and the Legendaries. The crew visit Ludlow’s hometown, Olivine City, and the Whirl Islands (HZ077); Entei, Raikou and Suicune appear together off Johto, where Entei’s Sacred Fire is the move’s first use by anything but Ho-Oh (HZ078). Rystal’s story shows Latias, Latios and Terrakion living in Laqua (HZ075), and Gibeon’s White Zygarde uses Thousand Arrows (HZ075) and Thousand Waves (HZ088) for the first time in the anime.
Returning faces. Liko’s Indigo classmate Ann returns as an exchange student (HZ046–HZ067) and is heard again in HZ089; Liko’s grandmother Diana returns with the history of the Explorers (HZ073–HZ075); Nemona, met in the first season, battles Roy (HZ048); and Arven makes his debut at the tournament (HZ067).

Opening & Ending Themes

In Japan the season brings two new openings, both by Korean groups: IVE’s Will for Terastal Debut (HZ046–HZ067) — the first Japanese main-series opening sung by a non-Japanese artist — and ZEROBASEONE’s Only One Story for Rayquaza Rising (HZ068–HZ089). The endings are Giga & TeddyLoid’s Let me battle, sung by 9Lana and then in three rotating “feat.” versions, whose animation shows more Gym Leaders than any ending before it, and Pikkān! (Sparkle!), sung by Rina Matsuda and Hikaru Morita of Sakurazaka46 to lyrics by DECO*27; the finale has no ending at all. In English, Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd and Haven Paschall’s “My Favorite Pokémon”, written by Ed Goldfarb and Nataan Hong for Madcap Labs, opens every episode in a 45-second TV version, cut first from Will footage and from HZ068 from Only One Story, and its instrumental plays over the international ending; the Asian English release uses IVE’s Korean Will and NCT WISH’s Make You Shine (English Ver.) instead. As usual, the Japanese songs were not dubbed. The series’ background music is by Conisch.

Opening · Will — Opening · *Will*IVE · HZ046–HZ067Sung by the Korean girl group IVE, with lyrics and music by YHEL, gratia, Sorato and Ryo Ito and arrangement by Sorato; the opening of the *Terastal Debut* arc, replacing *Halo*, and the first Japanese main-series opening sung by a non-Japanese artist. The animation is updated as the trio’s Pokémon evolve — Kilowattrel (HZ053), Hattrem (HZ054), Quaxwell (HZ060) — and adds Raifort for HZ057–HZ059. Digital release 12 April 2024, the day of *Welcome to Naranja Academy!*; it is on IVE’s Japanese album *ALIVE*. Its Korean version, released on 15 October 2024, is the opening of the Asian English release.

Opening · Only One Story — Opening · *Only One Story*ZEROBASEONE · HZ068–HZ089By the Korean boy band ZEROBASEONE, with lyrics by Tomoki Tamatani and KUSHITA, music by Tamatani, KUSHITA and Sora Tansho and arrangement by Sora Tansho — the second consecutive opening by a non-Japanese artist. The animation changes with the story: Tinkatuff from HZ071, Geeta and the Legendary beasts from HZ074, Gouging Fire in HZ082 and Laqua’s silhouette behind Black Rayquaza from HZ083, while a Rotom Pad photo shows the previous episode. Digital release 11 October 2024, the day of *Into a New Sky! The Brave Olivine!*; on the EP *PREZENT* (29 January 2025).

Ending · Let me battle — Ending · *Let me battle*Giga & TeddyLoid feat. 9Lana · HZ046–HZ056, then three other vocal versions to HZ067Lyrics by TOPHAMHAT-KYO (FAKE TYPE.), music and arrangement by Giga & TeddyLoid. After 9Lana’s original (digital 19 April 2024), three versions rotate: feat. Tug & Wakabayashi & Myomyo (HZ057, HZ060, HZ063, HZ066), feat. Muto (HZ058, HZ061, HZ064) and feat. KANKAN (HZ059, HZ062, HZ065, HZ067). The animation shows Katy, Brassius and Iono, then Larry, Ryme and Grusha — the ending with the most Gym Leaders and the first to show Elite Four members — and the trio copy 9Lana’s hand gestures.

Ending · Pikkān! (ピッカーン！ Sparkle!) — **Ending · *Pikkān!* (ピッカーン！ Sparkle!)**Rina Matsuda & Hikaru Morita (Sakurazaka46) · HZ068–HZ088Lyrics by DECO*27 (OTOIRO), music and arrangement by Giga & TeddyLoid. HZ068’s credits withheld the singers, who were revealed on 16 October 2024 and first credited in HZ069; the Tinkatink in the animation becomes Tinkatuff from HZ070. Digital release 18 October 2024. It is the first theme by a Sakamichi group since version 3 of *1·2·3*; HZ088 is its last episode, and the finale has no ending theme.

English opening · My Favorite Pokémon — English opening · *My Favorite Pokémon*Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd and Haven Paschall · HZ046–HZ089Written by Ed Goldfarb and Nataan Hong for Madcap Labs, Inc. and mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman; the credits misspell “Tyrell”. Its 45-second TV version is the first English opening since *We Will Carry On!* to run longer than 30 seconds, and the first planned to be updated whenever a main character’s Pokémon evolves: version 1 uses *Will* footage (HZ046–HZ067), version 2 *Only One Story* footage (from HZ068), and the instrumental is the international ending, over clips from *Let me battle* and *Sparkle!*. The full version was released digitally on 7 February 2025, the day of Netflix’s Part 1.

Halo, the previous Japanese opening, returns as an insert song when the trio build a bridge for the Mankey (HZ053) and as the Brave Olivine flies beside Black Rayquaza towards Laqua, in a shot recreating a frame of its opening (HZ082); the English dub drops it from HZ053, leaving only the score, and replaces it with an instrumental of “Becoming Me”, the first season’s English opening, in HZ082. Dot performs Nidothing’s verse of RVR ~Rising Volt Tacklers Rap~ Part 2 (HZ049), partly rewritten in English; Ryme performs Ghost Rhyme (ゴーストライム) in HZ061; and Roy and Fuecoco sing their own song in HZ060, HZ062 and HZ067.

My Favorite Pokémon — Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd and Haven Paschall’s English opening, used for all 44 episodes, in its 45-second TV version. Video: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.

TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Japan. TV Tokyo aired the season on Fridays at 6:55 p.m., the slot Horizons had held since its one-hour premiere on 14 April 2023, from Welcome to Naranja Academy! (HZ046) on 12 April 2024 to Where the Adventure Leads (HZ089) on 21 March 2025. Of the 50 Fridays in that span, 44 brought new episodes and six had none — 26 April, 19 July, 2 August, 4 October and 27 December 2024 and 3 January 2025 — for reasons the sources read do not state. The first 22 episodes formed the arc Terastal Debut, announced on 15 March 2024 as the series’ third chapter, and the other 22 Rayquaza Rising, which began on 11 October 2024; there was no one-hour episode within the season. On several first airings the Seminar was replaced by an arc trailer, HZ074 and HZ083 went out on TV without it, and the finale had no ending theme and was followed by a preview of Mega Voltage. HZ064, HZ075, HZ076, HZ081, HZ082 and HZ087 were also posted on the official Japanese YouTube channel for a limited time without geo-blocking. No Japanese ratings have been found.

The US: Netflix. On 20 November 2024, two days before Netflix added the last part of the first Horizons season, The Pokémon Company International announced that the season, subtitled “The Search for Laqua”, would premiere exclusively on Netflix in the US on 7 February 2025, and on Netflix in the Nordic countries, Poland and Latin America the same day. Part 1, HZ046–HZ056, arrived on Friday 7 February 2025, the day Japan aired HZ083; Part 2 (HZ057–HZ067), announced on 26 March, followed on Friday 25 April; Part 3 (HZ068–HZ078), announced on 21 May with a synopsis sending the heroes to Kitakami in search of Briar, on Friday 27 June; and Part 4 (HZ079–HZ089) on Friday 26 September 2025, the release day of the Mega Evolution card set. Each part held eleven episodes, which Netflix numbers 1 to 44. There was no US television broadcast, and no viewing figures have been published.

The UK: the English premiere. BBC iPlayer and CBBC premiered the dub on 13 January 2025, almost four weeks before Netflix, releasing the same eleven-episode volumes: HZ046–HZ056 on 13 January, HZ057–HZ067 on 17 February, HZ068–HZ078 on 12 May and HZ079–HZ089 on 17 July 2025. CBBC showed HZ046 and HZ047 back to back, cutting the opening from the live broadcast, and the fourth volume went on sale in UK stores on 5 July 2025, twelve days before it reached iPlayer. A Pokémon UK press release covered the debut on 14 January 2025.

Canada, Australia and elsewhere. Canadian television began the season on Saturday 8 February 2025 and continued weekly — on Cartoon Network and YTV according to Bulbapedia, which calls it the first season to air regularly on YTV in about ten years, or on Cartoon Network and Télétoon according to TPCi’s announcement and English Wikipedia. In Australia, 9Go! began the season on 27 February 2025 and Stan added it from 1 April, four weeks before 9Go! reached HZ067; 9Go! showed HZ068–HZ075 between 30 April and 9 May 2025, before the UK, but the last 14 episodes did not air on 9Go! and were released on Stan on 12 July 2025. The French dub on Canal J premiered HZ046 and HZ047 on 12 January 2025, the first dub anywhere; the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel began the Asian English release on 28 February 2025; Cartoon Network Africa followed from 26 April 2025; and the Hebrew dub of HZ079 came out before the American English one.

Numbering. The season’s 44 episodes are numbered 1 to 44 by Bulbapedia and Netflix and grouped into Volumes 1 to 4 of eleven by the BBC and the digital stores. Asian English releases count it as “Season 27” of the overall series, and Australia’s 9Now lists it that way with a logo that drops “Season 2”, while Stan keeps the original logo. Japan has no season break: the series simply continued with HZ090 in April 2025, the first episode of the English Rising Hope.

Dub Edits

Changes in the English version

Nothing banned — a new opening. All 44 episodes were dubbed in order by Iyuno US Studio for The Pokémon Company International, with voice direction by Felecia Angelle, Laura Post, Erica Mendez, Jalen Cassell and Lisa Ortiz — HZ089 is the last English episode directed by Ortiz — and script adaptation by Barton Bishop and Rachel Robinson. “My Favorite Pokémon” replaced “Becoming Me” as the opening, its version 1 cut from Will footage and version 2, from HZ068, from Only One Story, and its instrumental runs over clips from the Japanese endings; like the Japanese version, HZ089 has no ending theme. The Asian English release uses the Korean Will and Make You Shine (English Ver.) instead.

Music. The insert song Halo is removed from HZ053, where only the background score plays, and replaced by an instrumental of “Becoming Me” in HZ082; Nidothing’s verse of RVR ~Rising Volt Tacklers Rap~ Part 2 is partly rewritten (HZ049).

Dialogue and names. Nemona calls Geeta “chairwoman” rather than by her title, La Primera (HZ046); Friede’s remark that no one in Paldea has caught a Roaming Form Gimmighoul loses the form’s name, implying that no one has caught a Gimmighoul at all (HZ057); the noodles named after Kowtow Cleave become “Kingambit Noodles”, and Nandy’s reference to “that adventurer guy” — Friede, from the first season — becomes “the adventurers passing through” (HZ058); Coral and Sidian’s fake student names, Sandwich and Onigiri, become “Cornbread” and “Seasoning”, with Coral’s sandwich line and the rice-ball joke rewritten to match (HZ067); Raifort says Briar teaches at Blueberry Academy, which the Japanese leaves unnamed (HZ068); Crocalor’s Japanese cries, misheard as words for “wrong” and “sandals”, become jokes on “Or!” (HZ069); Mollie’s “Tackle” becomes “hit it” (HZ076); Hamber praises Coral’s “aggressiveness” where the Japanese praises her bold adaptability (HZ079); the Japanese title’s allusion to Gouging Fire is lost (HZ081); and the on-screen “One year later” caption becomes a line added for Liko, “It’s been a year since then” (HZ089).

Slips. The English dub has Roy say that he has met Ryme, though he learns who she is only in HZ061 (HZ057); Nemona say that Punk Rock weakens all moves, rather than sound-based ones (HZ061); Friede say “we’ve seen” wild Pokémon Terastallize, though only Dot saw it (HZ071); and a Leafeon say “Flareon” (HZ089). Among other dubs, the Latin American Spanish dub adds a “blasting off again” line for Wy-Yes (HZ076); the Korean release of HZ089 adds We Are The One and removes the on-screen credits; and the Taiwanese, Cantonese and Thai dubs, based on the Japanese version, drop the English production credits.

No Who’s That Pokémon? Horizons has no Who’s That Pokémon?; Japan’s end segment is Professor Friede’s Pokémon Seminar, a three-choice quiz that ran from HZ002 to HZ088, with animated extra scenes from HZ046 and none in HZ075 or HZ089. Bulbapedia’s episode pages give its questions in English, but whether the English version carries the corner has not been confirmed. Its eyecatches pair characters with their Pokémon; HZ071’s second, Briar alone, is the first since DP120 without a Pokémon, and HZ075 has none.

Names and titles. The dub keeps Rystal’s nickname for Terapagos, Pagogo, while Orange Academy becomes Naranja Academy, the airship Asagi the Brave Olivine, Chanpuru Town Medali, Mount Nappe Glaseado Mountain, the Treasure of Eternity Laquium, and Gurumin, Crave and Sōdayo become Nidothing, Cervantis and Wy-Yes. Netflix and listings use a few variant titles, among them “Sparkle! The Glow of Fire and Art!” (HZ048), “Liko vs. Rika! Toward the Battle’s End” (HZ056), “Trending Terastallisation!” (HZ050) and “Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Built in a Day” (HZ070), and English Wikipedia lists HZ079 as “Over the Top” without the exclamation mark.

Episode titles explained

Many of this season’s English titles play on familiar phrases or on the episodes’ own lines:

Put Your Heart Into It! — the advice Katy gives Liko: she baked a fine cake without practice because she put her heart into it, which is what matters in battle
Wattrel’s High Wind Warning! — a weather advisory, as in the Japanese title (強風注意報), for the gusts Wattrel struggles against
The Flower Tower — the “pillar of petals” the Toedscool create, called a flower pillar (花ばしら) in the Japanese title
Food Fit for a Kingambit! — the phrase “fit for a king”, for the café’s Kingambit Noodles; it is one of the few Horizons titles that are not a direct translation
Roy is Crocalor, and Crocalor is Roy! — a chiasmus, for the episode in which Roy and Crocalor swap bodies
Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day — the proverb “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, which the Japanese title (ローマは一日にして成らず) also echoes
Wynaut?! Wy-Yes! — “Why not?! Why yes!”, playing on Wynaut and Wy-Yes, as the Japanese title plays on their Japanese names, Sōnano and Sōdayo (“that’s right”), and echoes EP192’s Wobbuffet pun
Over the Top! — the same English phrase as the Japanese title, オーバー・ザ・トップ, for the trio’s battle with Geeta, Paldea’s Top Champion
Total-lie Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?! — “totally awesome”, as in the literal translation of the Japanese title, Totally Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?!
The Pillar of Fire — the way Briar describes Gouging Fire’s Raging Fury, which looks like a pillar of fire; the Japanese title’s pun on Gouging Fire (穿つ, “gouge”) is lost
Where the Land Meets the Sky — the Japanese title’s description of Laqua, “the place where heaven and earth meet”

DVD & Blu-ray / Streaming

No DVD or Blu-ray of Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua has been found in any region: Bulbapedia’s season page has only placeholders for North American and Australian releases. The season is sold digitally instead, in four volumes of eleven episodes — Vol. 1 HZ046–HZ056, Vol. 2 HZ057–HZ067, Vol. 3 HZ068–HZ078 and Vol. 4 HZ079–HZ089 — on Apple TV and YouTube in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia and on Amazon in the US and the UK. A German DVD, Pokémon Horizonte – Volume 5, was listed for 26 September 2025, but its contents have not been checked.

Japan

In Japan the episodes went out on TV Tokyo, and HZ064, HZ075, HZ076, HZ081, HZ082 and HZ087 were also posted on the official Japanese YouTube channel for a limited time without geo-blocking. Bulbapedia’s list of Japanese new-series home video releases ends with Journeys, so no rental DVDs of these episodes are documented there.

Streaming

Netflix released the season in the US in four parts between 7 February and 26 September 2025, and in the Nordic countries, Poland and Latin America from 7 February 2025. In the UK, BBC iPlayer and CBBC have carried it since 13 January 2025, with Vol. 4 on sale in UK stores (iTunes, Amazon and Google Play) on 5 July 2025, twelve days before it reached iPlayer. In Australia, Stan added the season from 1 April 2025 and the last 14 episodes on 12 July 2025, and the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel has carried the Asian English release since 28 February 2025. Check your local service, as availability changes often.

Where to Watch & Buy

Availability changes constantly, so treat this as a snapshot (October 2026) and check your local service. Links will be added here once we have settled on referral partners.

NetflixPremiered the season in the US in four parts, from 7 February to 26 September 2025, and in the Nordic countries, Poland and Latin America from 7 February 2025; availability varies by region.
BBC iPlayer (UK)The first English release, in four volumes from 13 January to 17 July 2025, also shown on CBBC.
Stan (Australia)Has carried the season since 1 April 2025; the last 14 episodes, which did not air on 9Go!, arrived on 12 July 2025.
Digital purchaseVolumes 1–4, eleven episodes each, on Apple TV and YouTube in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia and on Amazon in the US and the UK.
Pokémon Asia ENG (YouTube)The Asian English release, from 28 February 2025, with IVE’s Korean Will as its opening.

Trading Cards Released During the Season

Ten English expansions fell within the season’s runs, from Twilight Masquerade, released during the Japanese broadcast, to Mega Evolution, released the day Netflix’s last part arrived:

Twilight Masquerade — 24 May 2024 — during the Japanese run of Terastal Debut (SV6)
Shrouded Fable — 2 August 2024 — during the Japanese run (SV6.5)
Stellar Crown — 13 September 2024 — the set of Terapagos ex (128), the Pokémon Liko catches in HZ075 (SV7)
Surging Sparks — 8 November 2024 — including Ceruledge ex (36), the partner of Amethio (SV8)
Prismatic Evolutions — 17 January 2025 — three weeks before Netflix’s Part 1, with reprints of Terapagos ex and Ceruledge ex (SV8.5)
Journey Together — 28 March 2025 — between Netflix’s first and second parts; 159 cards plus 31 secret cards from Battle Partners, with the Trainer’s Pokémon of Iono, N, Lillie and Hop, including Iono’s Bellibolt ex and Meowscarada (SV9)
Destined Rivals — 30 May 2025 — between the second and third parts; 182 cards plus 62 secret cards (SV10)
Black Bolt — 18 July 2025 — between the third and fourth parts, released alongside White Flare
White Flare — 18 July 2025 — Black Bolt’s companion set
Mega Evolution — 26 September 2025 — the same day as Netflix’s Part 4 (10 October in Europe, the Middle East and Africa); drawn from Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia, including Mega Lucario ex (ME1)

The English sets drew on Japanese expansions such as Stellar Miracle, the source of Terapagos ex, Battle Partners, the source of Journey Together, and Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia, the sources of Mega Evolution; Gouging Fire ex, from Wild Force, had reached English players in Temporal Forces on 22 March 2024, before the season began. Pokémon TCG Pocket, with its first set, Genetic Apex, launched on 30 October 2024, during the Japanese run.

Our TCG section has a full card list, print variations and the most valuable cards for every one of them.

Cards with a link to the season

Three cards from those sets follow the season’s story:

Iono’s Bellibolt ex · Journey Together 53/159

Firsts & Lasts

First English season with “Season” in its name, and the first counted as Season 27 in Asia while keeping its own Season 2 logo.
First Japanese main-series opening sung by a non-Japanese artist: IVE’s Will (HZ046), followed by ZEROBASEONE’s Only One Story (HZ068).
First episode animated by OLM Team Kumemura, and the first time a whole regional Elite Four appears together: Welcome to Naranja Academy! (HZ046).
First time a main character fails a Tera Training test: Roy, beaten by Ryme (HZ061).
First Terastallized wild Pokémon: a Dark-type Bombirdier (HZ070).
First move from Legends: Arceus in the anime, Kleavor’s Stone Axe (HZ073), and the first time the term “Hidden Ability” is used, for Diana’s Arcanine (HZ074).
First female main character to officially catch a Legendary Pokémon: Liko, with Terapagos (HZ075).
First Paradox Pokémon on screen: Great Tusk, Scream Tail and Sandy Shocks (HZ080).
First uses of Thousand Arrows (HZ075) and Thousand Waves (HZ088).
First Grass-type first partner to reach its final stage since Ash’s Torterra, 688 episodes earlier: Liko’s Meowscarada (HZ088).
First clear time skip in the animated series, and the first main character other than Ash with more than one battle gimmick: Roy, with a Mega Ring as well as Terastallization (HZ089).
First non-Legendary Shiny Pokémon in Horizons: Roy’s Lucario (HZ089).
Last Terastal Debut episode (HZ067); last episode with Sparkle! and Professor Friede’s Pokémon Seminar (HZ088); and last English episode voice-directed by Lisa Ortiz (HZ089).

Trivia & Facts

Season 27. The first English dub season with “Season” in its title is counted as Season 27 of the overall series in Asian releases; Australia’s 9Now lists it that way with a logo lacking “Season 2”, while Stan keeps the original logo.
Korean openings. IVE’s Will is the first Japanese main-series opening sung by a non-Japanese artist and ZEROBASEONE’s Only One Story the second; the Korean Will also became the opening of the Asian English release — the first English opening translated directly from Japanese and the first mostly in another language.
Pass by losing. In Tera Training an examiner can pass a trainee who loses, as Katy, Iono and Larry did, and fail one who tries, as Ryme and Grusha did; Roy’s loss to Ryme is the first time a main character has failed a Tera Training test (HZ061).
Every Paldean partner evolves. With Fuecoco’s evolution into Crocalor (HZ067) all three concurrent first partners have evolved in their native region, the Fire type last, and every Paldea first partner has evolved at least once; Floragato’s evolution into Meowscarada (HZ088) makes it the first Grass-type first partner to reach its final stage since Ash’s Torterra.

Roy and Fuecoco face Liko and Floragato in Shine on, Terastallization! Liko vs. Roy! (HZ067), the battle in which Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor. Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ067 “Shine on, Terastallization! Liko vs. Roy!” · via Bulbapedia
Episode 1,300. Bulbapedia counts HZ068, the first Rayquaza Rising episode, as the anime’s 1,300th.
A family secret. HZ074 reveals that Lucius and Rystal are Liko’s great-great-grandparents and that Rystal, not Lucius, was Terapagos’s Trainer; their daughter Layla is Diana’s mother. In HZ075 Liko becomes the first female main character to officially catch a Legendary Pokémon.

A faded photograph of Lucius’s expedition in The Three Explorers (HZ074). Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ074 “The Three Explorers” · via Bulbapedia
Not Entei after all. The “Entei” of the Six Heroes is the Paradox Pokémon Gouging Fire, mistaken for Entei a century ago because Paradox Pokémon have only recently been recognised (HZ081).
Wild Terastallization. HZ070’s Bombirdier is the first Terastallized wild Pokémon, and HZ071’s Crystal Pool Milotic carries the Ghost Tera Type programmed into its game counterpart but never shown in the games.
The first time skip. HZ089 jumps “one year later” — the first clear time skip shown in the animated series — leaving Friede missing and the Rising Volt Tacklers framed, and by then every type is represented among the Pokémon owned by the Rising Volt Tacklers or living aboard the Brave Olivine.
Roy, double-equipped. After the time skip Roy has a Mega Ring as well as Terastallization, so Ash is no longer the only main character with more than one battle technique; his Shiny Lucario is the first non-Legendary Shiny in Horizons (HZ089).
A new team. HZ046 is the first episode animated by OLM Team Kumemura, with Daiki Tomiyasu returning as chief director; Kureha Matsuzawa wrote 15 of the 44 episodes, including every one from HZ085 to the finale.
Gym Leaders on parade. HZ046 is the first time a whole regional Elite Four appears together, and Let me battle shows more Gym Leaders than any ending before it and is the first to show Elite Four members; by HZ056 all eight Paldea Gym Leaders have appeared.
Legendary firsts. Thousand Arrows (HZ075) and Thousand Waves (HZ088) are used for the first time, HZ075 shows an alternate design for Shiny Zygarde Cells, “a first for the franchise”, and Terrakion appears for the first time since Kyurem VS. the Sword of Justice.
A Your Name in-joke. In the Roy–Crocalor body-swap episode (HZ069) the stall owner with the Synchro Machine is voiced by Masaki Terasoma, Mitsuha’s father in Your Name.
Long absences. Raikou appears outside the films for the first time in 1,130 episodes and Entei’s Sacred Fire is the move’s first use by anything but Ho-Oh (HZ078); Feraligatr returns after 682 episodes (HZ085), and Charm is used for the first time in 671 episodes, now as a Fairy-type move (HZ047), and Glare for the first time in 1,100 (HZ059).
Quiet episodes. HZ051 has the fewest humans of any Horizons episode, three; HZ052 is the first episode with no Generation I Pokémon; and in HZ047 Friede and Captain Pikachu appear only in the Seminar.
Dubbed abroad first. The French dub (Canal J, 12 January 2025) and the UK’s BBC iPlayer (13 January) both beat Netflix US by almost a month, and the Hebrew dub of HZ079 came out before the American English release.
Games and cards. The English card sets of the season’s runs, from Twilight Masquerade to Mega Evolution — released the same day as Netflix’s Part 4 — carried Terapagos ex, Ceruledge ex, Iono’s Bellibolt ex, Meowscarada and Mega Lucario ex, while Gouging Fire ex had arrived in Temporal Forces before the season began; see our TCG section.

Reception

Ratings and viewing. No Japanese ratings have been found for the season, and Netflix, its only outlet in the US, has published no viewing figures for The Search for Laqua.

Reviews. Reviewing the first part for IGN on 12 February 2025, Kirsten Carey gave the season 5 out of 10, finding that it “largely ditches the series’ innovations” for a familiar, classic format, where the first season had felt like a fresh reboot; it is the only review Rotten Tomatoes lists, so the season has no Tomatometer score. Anime News Network reviewed the season in parts, beginning with episodes 1 to 11, and English Wikipedia summarises its grades for the first 33 episodes as A, A- and B-.

Awards and fans. A pocketmonsters.net headline of 13 February 2025 reported two nominations for Pokémon Horizons: The Series at the EGA’s Hermes Awards, though the categories and the outcome have not been checked, and English Wikipedia lists no awards. With no physical release there are no DVD reviews, and IMDb’s episode ratings could not be checked for this page.

Continue the journey with Horizons Season 3: Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope, go back to Horizons Season 1: Pokémon Horizons: The Series, or browse every season of the Pokémon anime.