Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope (Season 3): Episode Guide


Season	Horizons Season 3 (the 28th season of the Pokémon anime overall) · the third English season of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, covering episodes 90 to 136 of Japan’s Pocket Monsters (2023) series (HZ090–HZ136)
Series	Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター, TV Tokyo, since 14 April 2023 and still running), dubbed as Pokémon Horizons: The Series — Season 1 (HZ001–HZ045), The Search for Laqua (HZ046–HZ089), Rising Hope (HZ090–HZ136) and Wonders Ahead (HZ137 onwards)
Japanese arcs	Mega Voltage (メガボルテージ, HZ090–HZ111) · Episode: Mega Evolution (エピソード：メガシンカ, HZ112–HZ114, a three-part flashback) · Rising Again (ライジングアゲイン, HZ115–HZ136); Japan has no single title for the 47 episodes
Region	Kanto, Johto, Paldea, Galar, Kalos (Lumiose City) and Unova (Blueberry Academy), with Hoenn and Kitakami in flashbacks; the final battle is fought at Laqua, atop Paldea’s Mount Pericarp
Episodes	47 in Japan and on Netflix — HZ090–HZ136, every one dubbed, with nothing banned, skipped or reordered
First episode	Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One) (HZ090) · Japan 11 April 2025 (one-hour special with HZ091) · UK (BBC iPlayer) 27 October 2025 · US (Netflix) 6 January 2026
Last episode	Stellar Finale (HZ136) · Japan 1 May 2026 · UK (BBC iPlayer) 20 July 2026 · US (Netflix) 18 September 2026
Japanese opening themes	GET BACK – Yuzu (HZ092–HZ111; the ending of HZ091) · Aioraito (アイオライト Iolite) – Eve (HZ115–HZ136); no opening on HZ090, HZ091 and HZ112–HZ114
Japanese ending themes	Ready Go – ME:I (HZ092–HZ111) · Yū (尤, stylised YUU) – Yuzu (HZ112–HZ114) · Nete mo Samete mo (ねてもさめても Asleep or Awake) – Polkadot Stingray (HZ115–HZ136)
English opening theme	Evolving Again – Haven Paschall (HZ092–HZ111, HZ115–HZ136); its instrumental closes every episode
Rising Volt Tacklers	Liko, Roy, Dot and newcomer Ult, with Captain Pikachu, Orla, Mollie, Murdock and Ludlow; Friede, missing for a year, returns in HZ121 and names Roy commander
Antagonists	The Explorers under their new Boss, Spinel — the admins Coral, Sidian and Chalce, and Indi and Rubina — and their Laquium-powered Strong Spheres
Key events	Ult joins (HZ095) · the Tacklers re-form (HZ100) · Mega Dragonite (HZ107) · Roy catches Lucario in the Kalos flashback (HZ114) · Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge (HZ119) · Friede returns (HZ121) · Roy catches the Black Rayquaza (HZ129) · Mega Lucario Z (HZ132) · the Laquium Core is erased (HZ136)
Related movie	None — no new Pokémon film was released during the season; Pokémon: Wild Card was announced on 31 August 2026
Previous season	Horizons Season 2: Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua
Following season	Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead (HZ137 onwards; Netflix US from 27 February 2027)

Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope — in full Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope — is Horizons Season 3: the third English season of Pokémon Horizons: The Series and the 28th season of the Pokémon anime overall. It covers HZ090 to HZ136, which TV Tokyo broadcast on Friday evenings from 11 April 2025, when a one-hour special opened the Mega Voltage arc, to 1 May 2026, and it adapts three Japanese arcs: Mega Voltage (HZ090–HZ111), the three-part Kalos flashback Episode: Mega Evolution (HZ112–HZ114) and Rising Again (HZ115–HZ136). The English dub, recorded by Iyuno USA, reached the UK first, on BBC iPlayer from 27 October 2025; Netflix, its home in the US, released all 47 episodes in four parts — twelve on 6 January 2026, ten on 20 March, twelve on 26 June and the last thirteen on 18 September 2026. Haven Paschall sings the new English opening, “Evolving Again”.

A year after Laqua the Rising Volt Tacklers have disbanded: Liko is back at Indigo Academy with a Pagogo that will not leave its Poké Ball, Dot streams from home, and Roy roams with Captain Pikachu and a Shiny Lucario that can Mega Evolve, shadowed by a brash self-declared rival, Ult. When Laquium’s pink mist turns up again and the Explorers, now led by Spinel, start selling Laquium-powered Strong Spheres to the public, Roy brings Liko back (HZ091), Pagogo wakes (HZ092), Ult joins (HZ095) and the crew re-forms aboard the Brave Olivine in the 100th Horizons episode, learning that Friede is alive (HZ100). Mega Evolution, back in the anime alongside Pokémon Legends: Z-A, runs through the season: Ult’s Dragonite Mega Evolves (HZ107), the Episode: Mega Evolution flashback shows how Roy caught the “Yellow Flash” in Lumiose City (HZ112–HZ114), and Roy’s Lucario becomes the first Mega Lucario Z (HZ132). Along the way Liko catches Charcadet, Dot catches Gimmighoul and Roy catches the Black Rayquaza (HZ129); all of the young Tacklers’ Pokémon reach their final forms; and Friede returns from space (HZ121) with proof that Laquium came from a meteor.

The Rising Again arc takes the team to Blueberry Academy to train, where Briar works out that Pagogo’s Stellar Form must resonate with Pokémon of all eighteen Tera Types to erase Laquium. The Tacklers free the Six Heroes (HZ125), gather the eighteen — Nemona, Penny, Ann, Amethio and Diana’s Pecharunt among them — and storm Mount Pericarp, where Spinel merges with the Laquium Core before Mega Rayquaza, Mega Zygarde and Pagogo erase it in Stellar Finale (HZ136). That finale closes the Laquium and Explorers storyline begun in HZ001, but not Horizons: the Wonder Voyage arc began in Japan with HZ137 on 22 May 2026, and the English Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead is due on Netflix in the US on 27 February 2027, so Rising Hope is the latest season released in English as of October 2026. Our complete episode guide below has a synopsis, both titles and the air dates for all 47 episodes.

47episodes — HZ090 to HZ136, released on Netflix in four parts of 12, 10, 12 and 13
1year between Laqua and the premiere — a timeskip whose Kalos chapter is told in the three-part flashback Episode: Mega Evolution (HZ112–HZ114)
18Tera Types, one Pokémon of each, that Pagogo’s Stellar Form needs to erase the Laquium Core — assembled atop Mount Pericarp in HZ134
100Horizons episodes reached with HZ100, in which the Rising Volt Tacklers re-form
39Mega Nidothing end segments explaining a Mega Evolution after the Japanese broadcasts, from HZ090 to HZ134
3Pokémon released in the finale to protect Laqua: Liko’s Pagogo, Roy’s Black Rayquaza and Amethio’s White Zygarde (HZ136)

It’s been one year since the events in Laqua left the Rising Volt Tacklers without a leader and a way forward, but a mysterious pink mist that harms Pokémon spurs Liko and Roy into action! Both Trainers have gained confidence and strength alongside their Pokémon, including Roy’s newest friend, a yellow Lucario capable of Mega Evolution. They’re joined by Dot, an intel-gathering expert, and Ult, a brash young Trainer who considers Roy his rival. Determined to rebuild the Rising Volt Tacklers and fulfill a promise made in Laqua, Liko, Roy, and friends are training harder than ever as they take on the Explorers and forge a new path!

— Official description

Quick Answers

How many episodes are in Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope?

47 — HZ090 to HZ136, episodes 90 to 136 of Japan’s Pocket Monsters (2023). TV Tokyo broadcast them on Fridays from 11 April 2025, with HZ090 and HZ091 as a one-hour special, to 1 May 2026, with ten Fridays off along the way; every Japanese episode was dubbed, and nothing was banned, skipped or reordered. BBC iPlayer released the English dub in the UK in four batches between 27 October 2025 and 20 July 2026, and Netflix released it in the US in four parts: HZ090–HZ101 on 6 January 2026, HZ102–HZ111 on 20 March, HZ112–HZ123 on 26 June and HZ124–HZ136 on 18 September 2026. Bulbapedia’s alternate codes for the season run from EP1322 to EP1368. Japan has no season break: HZ137 carried straight on, on 22 May 2026, as the first episode of the Wonder Voyage arc.

Is Rising Hope the last season of Pokémon Horizons?

No. It is the latest season released in English — all 47 episodes were on Netflix by 18 September 2026 — but not the end of Horizons. Its finale, Stellar Finale (HZ136, Japan 1 May 2026), closes the Laquium and Explorers storyline that began in HZ001 and ends with a preview of what comes next: the eighth Japanese arc, Pocket Monsters: Wonder Voyage, began with HZ137 on 22 May 2026, with Liko, Roy, Dot and Ult joined by a new companion, Navie, with a Ditto, and a new director, Makoto Nakata, and it is still airing in October 2026. The Pokémon Company International announced its English version on 6 October 2026 as Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead, coming to Netflix in the US on 27 February 2027. A rumour in August 2026 that the weekly anime would move to shorter seasons has not been confirmed by The Pokémon Company or Netflix.

Who is Ult?

The season’s new main character: a brash boy from Lumiose City, voiced by Laura Stahl in English and Natsumi Fujiwara in Japanese, who calls himself Roy’s rival and wants to catch the Black Rayquaza to become “the strongest Trainer”. Taken in off the streets by the detective Emma, he met Roy in Lumiose City during the timeskip and Mega Evolved his Sableye for the first time in the Lost Mayo Maze (HZ112–HZ114). He trails Roy from the premiere, smashes a Strong Sphere and joins Liko and Roy in The Strong Sphere (HZ095), and becomes a Rising Volt Tackler when the crew re-forms (HZ100). The Pokémon in the Dusk Ball he could never open bursts out as a Dragonite to protect Sableye (HZ106) and Mega Evolves when he begs it to help his friends (HZ107); it belonged to his father, Sault, a famous underground explorer of the Dragon Tamer clan, as Team Dragon Rampage reveal (HZ129). His catchphrase is “Mega”, and he alone of the young Tacklers chooses Mega Evolution over Terastallization for the final battle.

Ult and his Sableye in Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One) (HZ090) — Ult and his Sableye in the season premiere, *Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One)* (HZ090) — the episode in which he first appears.Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ090 “Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One)” · via Bulbapedia

How did Roy get his Mega Lucario?

The Episode: Mega Evolution flashback (HZ112–HZ114) tells the story, set during the year between seasons. In Lumiose City Roy meets Ult and the eccentric Master Mayonnaise, who gives both boys a Mega Ring and sends them to the Lost Mayo Maze, where a Shiny Lucario known as the Yellow Flash beats Crocalor and Sableye with ease (HZ112). After a battle with Ult and a Multi Battle against Count Hoisin and Shoyu comes the rematch: Ult Mega Evolves Sableye for the first time, and as Crocalor gets up again Roy’s Mega Ring responds and the Yellow Flash Mega Evolves in sync with him — making Roy the first Trainer in the anime to Mega Evolve a Pokémon he did not own — before Crocalor wins. Lucario asks to join Roy, and he catches it with its Lucarionite (HZ114). In broadcast order it had already Mega Evolved in the premiere (HZ090). Late in the season Master Mayonnaise brings Roy a Lucarionite Z (HZ131), and once Roy and Lucario learn to relax together it becomes Mega Lucario Z, the anime’s first Z Mega Evolution, to beat his Mega Hawlucha in a wrestling ring (HZ132).

What are Strong Spheres, and how is Laquium defeated?

Strong Spheres are Laquium-powered battle items that the Explorers sell through Exceed, first shown at a demonstration in Mochew City (HZ095): they make a Pokémon far stronger while hurting it and stop it obeying its Trainer, and Super Strong Spheres turn five of the Six Heroes against the Tacklers (HZ110–HZ111). The team gathers proof with data stolen from the Exceed Museum (HZ120); Friede traces Laquium to a meteor that struck Mount Pericarp long ago, whose remains, the Laquium Core, still lie beneath Laqua (HZ122); and Naranja Academy bans the spheres (HZ126) even as Exceed launches them worldwide (HZ130). Diana and then Briar work out that Pagogo’s Stellar Form must resonate with Pokémon of all eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength (HZ108, HZ119). The Tacklers free the Heroes (HZ125), complete the roster with Diana’s Pecharunt as the Poison type (HZ132) and storm Laqua; Spinel merges with the Core (HZ135), but Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde break its defences and Pagogo erases it (HZ136). Afterwards the spheres are recalled and destroyed, and Spinel is arrested.

Dash's Swanna after using a Strong Sphere in The Strong Sphere (HZ095) — Dash’s Swanna, boosted by a Strong Sphere at Exceed’s demonstration in Mochew City, in *The Strong Sphere* (HZ095).Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ095 “The Strong Sphere” · via Bulbapedia

When did Rising Hope come out on Netflix?

The Pokémon Company International announced the season on 9 October 2025 for Netflix in the US from 6 January 2026. Netflix released it in four parts: Part 1 (HZ090–HZ101, twelve episodes) on Tuesday 6 January 2026, Part 2 (HZ102–HZ111, ten) on Friday 20 March, Part 3 (HZ112–HZ123, twelve, opening with the three Episode: Mega Evolution episodes) on Friday 26 June and Part 4 (HZ124–HZ136, thirteen) on Friday 18 September 2026, in the US, Latin America, the Nordics and other territories. The dub was seen first in the UK, where BBC iPlayer released every episode but HZ101 ahead of Netflix, in batches on 27 October 2025, 27 February, 25 May and 20 July 2026. The season also reached the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel (from 6 March 2026), Cartoon Network and YTV in Canada (from 7 March 2026) and ABC iview in Australia (from 2 April 2026).

Story Arcs

Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope runs for 47 episodes, from the Rising Volt Tacklers’ reunion a year after Laqua, through the Explorers’ Strong Spheres, the Kalos flashback of Episode: Mega Evolution and the search for eighteen Tera Types, to the final battle at the Laquium Core. Here is how the season breaks down, with stills from our episode guide below.

A year later: Laquium returnsHZ090–HZ095

A year after Laqua the Rising Volt Tacklers have disbanded. Roy, travelling with Captain Pikachu and a Shiny Lucario that can Mega Evolve, is shadowed by his self-declared rival Ult and his Mega Sableye as they beat a Laquium-crazed Slaking — proof that the menace survives (HZ090). At Indigo Academy Liko, rooming with Ann and hiding her past, watches Roy beat Ann and then her own Terastallized Meowscarada, and leaves school with him to clear the team’s name (HZ091). Pagogo wakes after a year to purify two Laquium Steelix (HZ092); a fan’s false Rayquaza tip leads to Teacup Town and Litten Smitten (HZ093); Mollie is found at her family’s Pokémon Center, where Hattrem Terastallizes and learns Healing Wish (HZ094); and at an Exceed demonstration the Explorers unveil Strong Spheres, Laquium-powered items for sale to the public, beat Liko and Roy, and drive Ult to smash a sphere and join them (HZ095).

HZ090 Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One)

HZ091 Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part Two)

Reassembling the crewHZ096–HZ100

Pagogo leads the trio to a mountain near Blackthorn City, where the masked Team Dragon Rampage turn out to be guarding the Black Rayquaza, recovering in the Dragon’s Den for a year (HZ096). Dot, detouring to Levincia for Iono, beats Stunner Fisk’s Strong Sphere-boosted Stunfisk as Tinkatuff learns Metal Claw and Terastallizes for the first time (HZ097); in Cortondo Liko beats Gym Leader Katy with Pagogo’s Tera Starstorm and the team reunites with Murdock (HZ098). In Galar they find Orla, who secretly kept the Brave Olivine intact, as the Explorers Indi and Rubina arrive with Paldean Tauros (HZ099). A collision trap beats them, the Rising Volt Tacklers re-form with Ult as a member and Ludlow already in his seat, and a delayed message reveals that Friede is alive — the 100th Horizons episode (HZ100).

Allies, Amethio & Mega DragoniteHZ101–HZ108

At Naranja Academy Jacq agrees to research Laquium, Penny maps the Laquium Signs and Roy’s Mega Lucario beats Champion Nemona (HZ101); Penny beats Dot, and at the ruins they once explored with Raifort Liko catches Charcadet, which saves her from a sphere-crazed Scovillain (HZ102). Zirc and Onia discover that Dot is Nidothing at her meet-and-greet with Iono (HZ103) and with Liko find Amethio hiding on an island, where a battle between Charcadet and his Ceruledge rekindles his resolve to gather his grandfather’s Zygarde Cells (HZ104). Mighty G teaches Amethio to cook curry, and Dot catches Gimmighoul after a day of surfing (HZ105); Ult’s Dusk Ball opens at last on a Dragonite (HZ106), once his father Sault’s, which Mega Evolves when Roy rescues Ult from Spinel’s base (HZ107); and Diana returns with the Scarlet Book’s Stellar Form theory and beats Liko in a Double Battle (HZ108).

HZ101 Terastallization vs. Mega Evolution!

The Six Heroes unleashedHZ109–HZ111

A fake message from Cervantis lures Liko, Roy and Ult into a warehouse trap, while Dot, searching for her lost Tinkatuff, sees it evolve into Tinkaton to rout Coral and Sidian (HZ109). The Explorers turn five of the Six Heroes — Arboliva, Galarian Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor and Gouging Fire — against the children with Super Strong Spheres, while Dot and Hamber free Cervantis and Tinkaton learns Gigaton Hammer to beat Chalce (HZ110). Amethio arrives with White Zygarde, but every Pokémon falls and the Explorers carry the Heroes away; Amethio reconciles with his father, and Briar invites the Tacklers to train at Blueberry Academy (HZ111). This is the end of the Mega Voltage arc.

HZ109 Tinkatuff's Hammer Wasn't Made in a Year!

Episode: Mega Evolution — the lost yearHZ112–HZ114

A three-part flashback with no opening and its own ending, “YUU”. During the timeskip Roy reaches Lumiose City, meets Ult and the eccentric Master Mayonnaise, receives a Mega Ring and is beaten by a Shiny Lucario, the Yellow Flash, in the Lost Mayo Maze (HZ112). The detective Emma, who took Ult in off the streets, asks Roy to be his friend, and Roy’s Crocalor beats Ult’s Sableye (HZ113). Together the boys beat Count Hoisin and Shoyu; Ult Mega Evolves Sableye for the first time, the Yellow Flash Mega Evolves in sync with Roy, and after Crocalor wins, Roy catches Lucario with its Lucarionite and changes into an outfit like Friede’s (HZ114) — the first Horizons episode without Liko.

Blueberry AcademyHZ115–HZ119

In Unova the Tacklers train in Blueberry Academy’s Terarium under the BB League Elite Four Lacey and Drayton, Drayden’s grandson. Nemona beats Roy (HZ115) and Drayton beats him in the rain (HZ116); Lacey’s quizzes and a lost battle help Ult understand his Dragonite (HZ117); and on a Ditto hunt with Ann, Hattrem evolves into Hatterene (HZ118). Briar concludes that Pagogo’s Stellar Form must resonate with eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength, and in a rematch with Drayton Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge and Roy wins (HZ119). This is the start of the Rising Again arc.

Friede returnsHZ120–HZ123

Dot and Penny steal Laquium data from the Exceed Museum as Gimmighoul evolves into Gholdengo (HZ120). Friede falls back from space, and the crew catch his capsule with a barrier of combined moves as Captain Pikachu Terastallizes into the Flying type; he brings a new partner, the Mega-Evolving Instructor Starmie (HZ121). He explains that Laquium came from a meteor, then tests Roy, whose Skeledirge learns Torch Song to beat his Tera Dark Charizard; Friede names Roy commander and leaves on Mega Charizard Y, giving him a meteorite for the Black Rayquaza (HZ122). Diana’s newly caught Pecharunt takes over the ship with poisoned mochi, and Diana gives Liko the Auspicious Armor (HZ123).

HZ120 Dot and Penny's Top-Secret Mission!

The eighteen Tera TypesHZ124–HZ132

With Amethio the Tacklers raid Explorers headquarters, where Charcadet evolves into Armarouge (HZ124); in five separate battles they beat the sphere-boosted Heroes, Kilowattrel Terastallizing and learning Supercell Slam, and Pagogo’s Stellar Form frees the Six Heroes — but Spinel releases doctored footage branding the team as thieves (HZ125). Naranja Academy bans Strong Spheres after Liko beats Dash, and Nemona and Penny join the eighteen (HZ126); training battles at the Pokémon League bring in Ann (HZ127); Quaxwell evolves into Quaquaval as Dot beats Iono and regains her confidence (HZ128); and at the Dragon’s Den Roy catches the Black Rayquaza (HZ129). As Strong Spheres go on sale worldwide, Hamber fails to turn the admins (HZ130); Friede, Wy-Yes, Perrin and Master Mayonnaise gather and the Brave Olivine gets its “Rising Again” upgrade (HZ131); and at Diana’s castle Pecharunt fills the last slot, Poison, as Lucario becomes Mega Lucario Z (HZ132).

The final battle at LaquaHZ133–HZ136

The Tacklers storm Mount Pericarp: Dot, Nemona and Penny beat Indi and Rubina’s Destiny Bond trap with Hamber’s help (HZ133); Roy, Ult and Friede beat the three Mega-Evolving admins, Zygarde regains its Complete Forme, and the Six Heroes arrive to complete the eighteen (HZ134). Coral, Sidian and Chalce turn on Spinel, but he merges with the Laquium Core, which awakens (HZ135). In Stellar Finale, Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde break its defences, Pagogo erases the Core, and Liko defeats Spinel, whose Umbreon leaves him; Liko, Roy and Amethio release Pagogo, Rayquaza and Zygarde to protect Laqua, and the epilogue clears the Tacklers’ name, recalls the spheres and sees Spinel jailed (HZ136).

Episode Guide

All 47 episodes of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope are listed below in the official order used by Netflix, BBC iPlayer and Bulbapedia, which is also the 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 6 January 2026 (HZ090–HZ101), 20 March 2026 (HZ102–HZ111), 26 June 2026 (HZ112–HZ123) and 18 September 2026 (HZ124–HZ136), so every episode in a part shares its date; BBC iPlayer had released all of them but HZ101 earlier in the UK. Japanese dates are TV Tokyo’s Friday broadcasts from 11 April 2025 to 1 May 2026.

There is no Who’s That Pokémon? in Horizons, in either language, so the episode pages show no quiz answer. In Japan each episode was followed instead by Mega Nidothing’s “Mega Mega! Mega Evolution” (メガぐるみんの「メガメガ！メガシンカ」), in which Dot’s streaming persona explains a Mega Evolution — 39 segments between HZ090 and HZ134, replacing the previous seasons’ Professor Friede’s Pokémon Seminar — and several of them were replaced on first broadcast by trailers for the coming arcs.

#	Episode	First aired	In short
1HZ090	Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One)大空へ向かって、再び　前編	Japan 11 Apr 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	One year after the events at Laqua, Roy and a brash new rival named Ult discover that Laquium is still harming wild Pokémon, while Liko… · Premiere: one year later Episode guide →
2HZ091	Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part Two)大空へ向かって、再び　後編	Japan 11 Apr 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	Roy visits Indigo Academy to ask Liko for help investigating the pink mist, and after battles against Ann and then Liko she decides to leave school… · Liko rejoins Roy Episode guide →
3HZ092	Following Traces of Laquiumラクリウム・サインを追って	Japan 18 Apr 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	Investigating holes left by two Laquium-crazed Steelix, Liko and Roy are rescued by Ult’s Mega Sableye and then by Pagogo, which finally wakes… · Pagogo wakes Episode guide →
4HZ093	Clash of the Nidothing Fansガチ推し！？ぐるみんファン対決！！	Japan 25 Apr 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	A tip from a devoted Nidothing fan called Litten Smitten leads Liko and Roy to Teacup Town, where her distrust of the Rising Volt Tacklers turns into… · Litten Smitten Episode guide →
5HZ094	The Pokémon Center Ladyポケモンセンターのお姉さん	Japan 2 May 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	In Mochew City, Liko and Roy reunite with Mollie, now back at her family’s Pokémon Center, and together they cure a Laquium-poisoned… · Mollie returns Episode guide →
6HZ095	The Strong Sphereストロングスフィア	Japan 9 May 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	At an Exceed demonstration in Mochew City, Liko and Roy discover that the Explorers are selling Laquium-powered “Strong Spheres” to the… · Strong Spheres revealed Episode guide →
7HZ096	Crash! Team Dragon Rampage!激突！ドラゴン爆走団	Japan 16 May 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	Following Pagogo’s lead to a mountain near Blackthorn City, Liko, Roy and Ult clash with the masked Dragon Tamers of Team Dragon Rampage,… · Team Dragon Rampage Episode guide →
8HZ097	The Pranksterいたずらマッギョのイイ笑顔？	Japan 30 May 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	On her way to rejoin her friends, Dot detours to Levincia at Iono’s request and defeats Stunner Fisk, a would-be streamer whose Strong… · Dot beats Stunner Fisk Episode guide →
9HZ098	Reunion in Cortondo再会のセルクルタウン！	Japan 6 Jun 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	In Cortondo the young Tacklers reunite in person with Dot, Murdock and Katy, and Liko proves how far she has come by defeating the Gym Leader in a… · Liko beats Katy Episode guide →
10HZ099	Orla, Grounded飛べないオリオと	Japan 13 Jun 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	In Galar the children find Orla working at a Poké Ball factory and refusing ever to fly again — until they learn that she has secretly… · Orla and the Brave Olivine Episode guide →
11HZ100	We Are the Rising Volt Tacklers!我らライジングボルテッカーズ！	Japan 20 Jun 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	Liko, Roy, Dot and Ult beat Indi and Rubina’s Laquium-crazed Tauros with a collision trap, and the original crew reunites aboard the restored… · The Rising Volt Tacklers re-form Episode guide →
12HZ101	Terastallization vs. Mega Evolution!闘え！テラスタル対メガシンカ！！	Japan 27 Jun 2025 US 6 Jan 2026	The re-formed Rising Volt Tacklers fly to Naranja Academy to recruit allies against the Strong Spheres, where Jacq agrees to research Laquium and… · Roy beats Nemona Episode guide →
13HZ102	The Knight in the Ruins遺跡で出逢った騎士	Japan 4 Jul 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	After Penny beats Dot in a Double Battle, the Tacklers follow a Laquium Sign to the ruins they explored with Raifort a year ago, where the Charcadet… · Liko catches Charcadet Episode guide →
14HZ103	Nidothing Love!燃やせ、ぐるみん愛！	Japan 18 Jul 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	At a joint meet-and-greet with Iono in Levincia, Liko helps a heartbroken Zirc recover a lost ticket from a wild Wugtrio, and afterwards Zirc and… · Nidothing’s meet-and-greet Episode guide →
15HZ104	Charcadet’s Wishカルボウの願い	Japan 1 Aug 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	Liko, Zirc and Onia find Amethio hiding alone on a remote island, and a hopeless but determined battle between Liko’s Charcadet and his… · Amethio found Episode guide →
16HZ105	Riding the Waves嵐のち波乗りサーフゴー	Japan 8 Aug 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	In a two-part episode, Ludlow’s masked alter ego Mighty G rescues Amethio from a storm and teaches him to cook curry, while on a sunny beach… · Dot catches Gimmighoul Episode guide →
17HZ106	The Dusk Ball That Wouldn’t Openメガすげぇ！？開かずのダークボール	Japan 15 Aug 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	After a quarrel with Roy, Ult storms off the Brave Olivine and befriends a struggling young painter, Ryan, who steals Ult’s mysterious Dusk… · Ult’s Dragonite emerges Episode guide →
18HZ107	Friends as Two, Me and Youふたり、友として	Japan 22 Aug 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	Captured while spying on Spinel, Ult is rescued by Roy, and when Rabsca’s Gravity pins both their teams, Ult’s Dragonite — once his… · Mega Dragonite Episode guide →
19HZ108	Taking the Next Stepsダイアナ・カムズ・バック！！！！	Japan 29 Aug 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	Diana returns to the Brave Olivine with new Pokémon and new information — her Scarlet Book’s theory of Terapagos’s Stellar… · Diana returns Episode guide →
20HZ109	Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year!ナカヌチャン、最強ハンマーの作り方	Japan 5 Sep 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	While a lost Tinkatuff hunts for the perfect iron for her hammer, Dot stumbles on Coral and Sidian after their Flying Taxi crashes, and Tinkatuff… · Tinkatuff evolves into Tinkaton Episode guide →
21HZ110	The Six Heroes Unleashed!牙を剥く六英雄	Japan 12 Sep 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	The Explorers turn five of the Six Heroes against Liko, Roy and Ult with new Super Strong Spheres, while Dot, teaming up with Hamber to free the… · Super Strong Spheres Episode guide →
22HZ111	Better, Farther, Stronger!強く、高みを目指して	Japan 19 Sep 2025 US 20 Mar 2026	Amethio arrives with his grandfather’s White Zygarde to help against the Laquium-crazed Six Heroes, but even together they are defeated and the… · The Six Heroes taken Episode guide →
23HZ112	Mega Evolution – Royロイ ――修行	Japan 10 Oct 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	In the first part of a three-episode flashback set during the year-long timeskip, Roy travels to Lumiose City, meets Ult and the eccentric Master… · Episode: Mega Evolution, part 1 Episode guide →
24HZ113	Mega Evolution – Ultウルト ――最強	Japan 17 Oct 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Roy learns about Ult’s past from Emma, the detective who took him in off the streets, and beats Ult in a battle that shows the importance of… · Episode: Mega Evolution, part 2 Episode guide →
25HZ114	Mega Evolution – Bondsメガシンカ ――絆	Japan 24 Oct 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	In the final part of the flashback, Roy and Ult win a Multi Battle against Count Hoisin and Shoyu, Mega Evolve for the first time in a rematch with… · Episode: Mega Evolution, part 3 Episode guide →
26HZ115	Welcome to Blueberry Academy!テラ☆キラ！ブルーベリー学園	Japan 31 Oct 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	The Rising Volt Tacklers fly to Unova to train at Blueberry Academy, where they meet its forgetful director Cyrano and Elite Four members Lacey and… · Blueberry Academy Episode guide →
27HZ116	Terarium Training!修行開始！テラリウムドーム	Japan 7 Nov 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	The Tacklers begin training in Blueberry Academy’s Terarium, reunite with Briar and Carmine, and Roy asks the laid-back Elite Four member… · The Terarium Episode guide →
28HZ117	Ult-imate Trainingクイズです！ウルトの修行はなんでしょう？	Japan 14 Nov 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Elite Four member Lacey teaches Ult through quizzes and a battle he loses, helping him finally understand his Dragonite, while at Briar’s lab a… · Lacey’s quizzes Episode guide →
29HZ118	Liko and Hattrem, Bonded by Happiness!リコとテブリム、幸せの絆！	Japan 21 Nov 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	On a Ditto-hunting Blueberry Quest with Ann, Liko realises that her selfless Hattrem has always been doing exactly what makes her happy, and the… · Hattrem evolves into Hatterene Episode guide →
30HZ119	Don’t Give Up, Crocalor!ふんばれアチケータ、明日のために	Japan 28 Nov 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Briar reveals that Pagogo needs the power of eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength to erase Laquium, and before the Tacklers leave… · Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge Episode guide →
31HZ120	Dot and Penny’s Top-Secret Mission!ドット＆ボタン！極秘大作戦（シークレットミッション）	Japan 5 Dec 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Dot and Penny sneak into the Exceed Museum to steal its Laquium data, escaping the Explorers Chalce, Indi and Rubina when Dot’s Gimmighoul… · Exceed Museum heist Episode guide →
32HZ121	The Catcher in the Skyキャッチャー・イン・ザ・スカイ	Japan 12 Dec 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Friede returns from space in a capsule that cannot slow its descent, and the Rising Volt Tacklers catch it with a barrier of combined moves while… · Friede returns from space Episode guide →
33HZ122	Roy vs. Friede: Wings of Fire!灼熱の翼！ロイVSフリード	Japan 19 Dec 2025 US 26 Jun 2026	Friede explains what he learned in space about Laquium’s meteoric origin, then pretends to disband the team to test Roy’s resolve, and… · Roy beats Friede Episode guide →
34HZ123	Mochi Mayhem!戦慄！船上のキビキビパニック	Japan 9 Jan 2026 US 26 Jun 2026	While Diana is on her way to visit, a mysterious Pokémon sneaks aboard the Brave Olivine and takes control of the entire crew with poisoned… · Pecharunt’s mochi Episode guide →
35HZ124	Operation Infiltration!突入！エクスプローラーズ本部	Japan 23 Jan 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Allied with Amethio, the Tacklers storm Explorers headquarters to rescue the Six Heroes, and Liko’s Charcadet evolves into Armarouge mid-battle… · Charcadet evolves into Armarouge Episode guide →
36HZ125	Battle for the Six Heroes!六英雄を取り戻せ！	Japan 30 Jan 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Isolated with sphere-boosted Six Heroes, each Tackler and Amethio wins their battle, Pagogo’s Stellar Form frees the Heroes from the Super… · The Six Heroes freed Episode guide →
37HZ126	Strong Bonds, Can’t Lose!負けられないバトル！試される絆！！	Japan 6 Feb 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Back at Naranja Academy, the Tacklers persuade the school to ban Strong Spheres, and Liko’s battle with Dash shows the sphere turning… · Strong Sphere ban Episode guide →
38HZ127	The Training Royale!大特訓！それぞれの想い	Japan 13 Feb 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	At the Pokémon League, the young Tacklers hold four training battles: Liko’s Armarouge draws with Ann’s Samurott, which earns Ann… · Training battles at the League Episode guide →
39HZ128	Dot and Quaxwell Step it Up!ステップ・バイ・ステップ！ドット＆ウェルカモ！！	Japan 20 Feb 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Challenged by Iono to understand her partner, Dot rediscovers her fighting spirit in a battle against Iono’s Bellibolt, during which Quaxwell… · Quaxwell evolves into Quaquaval Episode guide →
40HZ129	Destiny of the Black Rayquaza黒いレックウザ、決着の時	Japan 27 Feb 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	At the Dragon’s Den, Friede’s meteorite restores the Black Rayquaza’s strength, it Terastallizes into the Dragon type to test Roy… · Roy catches the Black Rayquaza Episode guide →
41HZ130	Hamber’s Moonlight Battle赤い月夜のハンベル	Japan 6 Mar 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	As Strong Spheres go on sale worldwide and the Tacklers complete their roster of eighteen Tera Types, Hamber tries to turn his former students Coral,… · Strong Spheres on sale Episode guide →
42HZ131	A Surprise Reunion来たる！集まる！仲間たち	Japan 13 Mar 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Old friends gather in Levincia as Wy-Yes, Perrin, Nemona, Ann, Penny and finally Friede join the Tacklers, and Master Mayonnaise arrives with a new… · Friede rejoins Episode guide →
43HZ132	Lucario’s Challenge!リベンジマッチ！ルカリオの挑戦！！	Japan 20 Mar 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	At Diana’s rebuilt castle in Galar, Pecharunt becomes the final Poison Tera Type, and after learning to relax with Lucario, Roy unlocks Mega… · Mega Lucario Z Episode guide →
44HZ133	The Final Battle Is Near最後の戦いへ	Japan 10 Apr 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	The Tacklers and their allies launch their assault on Laqua, splitting up as the Explorers intercept them: Dot, Nemona and Penny beat Indi and… · The assault on Laqua Episode guide →
45HZ134	One Step Closer頂上決戦！メガシンカ！！	Japan 17 Apr 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	Roy, Ult and Friede defeat the Explorers admins in their Mega Evolution battle, Amethio’s White Zygarde regains its Complete Forme to calm… · Zygarde’s Complete Forme Episode guide →
46HZ135	The Core Awakens覚醒！滅びのラクリウム・コア	Japan 24 Apr 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	As Pagogo begins erasing the Laquium Core, Coral, Sidian and Chalce turn against Spinel, but Spinel merges with the Core, which awakens into a… · The Laquium Core awakens Episode guide →
47HZ136	Stellar Finaleステラ・フィナーレ	Japan 1 May 2026 US 18 Sep 2026	In the season finale, Roy’s Black Rayquaza and Amethio’s White Zygarde Mega Evolve to break the Laquium Core’s defences, Pagogo… · Season finale Episode guide →

Characters & Travelling Companions

Liko, a year older and back at Indigo Academy rooming with Ann, has kept her past as a Rising Volt Tackler secret and worries about a Pagogo that has not left its Poké Ball since Laqua. Roy’s visit, and a battle in which her Meowscarada Terastallizes for the first time this season, bring her back on the road in a new outfit (HZ091). Pagogo wakes (HZ092); Hattrem learns Healing Wish (HZ094) and evolves into Hatterene (HZ118); and Liko beats Gym Leader Katy with Pagogo (HZ098) — her first win over a Gym Leader — catches Charcadet (HZ102), which becomes Armarouge with Diana’s Auspicious Armor (HZ124), finds Amethio (HZ104) and draws with Ann (HZ127). She leads the eighteen Tera Types at Laqua, defeats Spinel and releases Pagogo to protect it (HZ136), ending the season with Meowscarada, Hatterene and Armarouge. Liko is voiced by Alejandra Reynoso in English and Minori Suzuki in Japanese.

Roy spent the year training in Kalos with Captain Pikachu, where, as the Episode: Mega Evolution flashback shows, he caught the Shiny “Yellow Flash” Lucario and changed into an outfit like Friede’s (HZ112–HZ114). He re-forms the team (HZ100), beats Nemona (HZ101) before losing to her twice (HZ115, HZ127), loses to and then beats Drayton as Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge (HZ116, HZ119), and beats Friede to become commander of the Rising Volt Tacklers (HZ122). He catches the Black Rayquaza he has chased since leaving his home island (HZ129), unlocks Mega Lucario Z (HZ132), Mega Evolves Rayquaza in the finale and then releases it (HZ136), ending with Skeledirge, Kilowattrel and Lucario. Roy is voiced by Anjali Kunapaneni in English and Yuka Terasaki in Japanese; he is the first main character other than Ash to use Aura (HZ091).

Dot, who streams as Nidothing, works remotely until she rejoins her friends in person in Cortondo (HZ098). She beats Stunner Fisk as Tinkatuff Terastallizes for the first time (HZ097), catches Gimmighoul (HZ105), sees Tinkatuff evolve into Tinkaton (HZ109) and learn Gigaton Hammer to beat Chalce (HZ110), steals Exceed’s Laquium data with Penny as Gimmighoul becomes Gholdengo (HZ120), and, after losing to Penny twice (HZ102, HZ127) and stepping back to be a “supporter”, wins back her confidence against Iono as Quaxwell evolves into Quaquaval (HZ128). At Laqua she works out the Core’s weak point (HZ135). Dot is voiced by Faye Mata in English and Yoshino Aoyama in Japanese.

Ult, new this season, is a brash boy from Lumiose City with a Mega Sableye who declares himself Roy’s rival and wants to catch the Black Rayquaza to become “the strongest Trainer”. Raised by the detective Emma after living on the streets (HZ113), he trails Roy from the premiere, joins Liko and Roy (HZ095) and the Tacklers (HZ100), and finally sees the Dragonite in his Dusk Ball burst out to protect Sableye (HZ106) and Mega Evolve to rescue his friends (HZ107) — his father Sault’s Dragonite, as Team Dragon Rampage realise when they recognise him as Sault’s son (HZ129). He loses to Lacey (HZ117) and Hassel (HZ127), chooses Mega Evolution over Terastallization for the final battle and fights the admins beside Roy and Friede (HZ133–HZ134). His catchphrase is “Mega”, and his Mega call is “Break through with outrageous power!” Ult is voiced by Laura Stahl in English and Natsumi Fujiwara in Japanese.

The Explorers

Horizons has no Team Rocket: the villains are the Explorers, now led by Spinel, who after Laqua has become their Boss and Exceed’s director, blames the Rising Volt Tacklers for what happened at Mount Pericarp and holds five of the Six Heroes (HZ091). Through Exceed he sells Laquium-powered Strong Spheres (HZ095), captures Ult (HZ107), turns the Heroes on the Tacklers with Super Strong Spheres (HZ110–HZ111, HZ125), frames the team with doctored footage (HZ125) and launches the spheres worldwide (HZ130). Facing defeat at Laqua he merges with the Laquium Core (HZ135); after Liko defeats him, his Umbreon, his partner since she was an Eevee, smashes her Poké Ball and leaves him, and he is arrested (HZ136). Spinel is voiced by Matthew Mercer in English and Makoto Furukawa in Japanese.

His admins Coral (Glalie, later Mega Glalie, and the Scream Tail she calls Screamypuff), Sidian (Garganacl and Mega Aerodactyl) and Chalce (Medicham, later Mega Medicham, and Xatu) were once Hamber’s recruits — an outcast, a street fighter and a teacher whose school had closed (HZ130). They front the Strong Sphere campaign, but doubts set in, and at Laqua they defect, Coral’s Scream Tail taking the fainted Sylveon’s place as the Fairy type (HZ135). Indi and Rubina, who debut with Paldean Tauros (HZ099), keep returning with sphere-boosted Pokémon — Galarian Darmanitan, Rabsca, Salamence, Drapion and Scolipede, Cofagrigus and Runerigus — and are beaten again by Dot, Nemona and Penny at Laqua (HZ133); their fates are not shown. Hamber, a double agent inside the organisation, revolts (HZ130), helps the Tacklers in the final battle and leaves the Explorers to travel with Diana (HZ136). Coral is voiced by Lizzie Freeman and Ikue Ōtani, Sidian by SungWon Cho and Yuki Onodera, Chalce by Shara Kirby and Mimi Maihane, and Hamber by Paul Mercier and Hironori Kondo.

The crew, allies, rivals & new faces

Friede, missing since Laqua, is revealed to be alive by a delayed voice message (HZ100). He spent the year with Steven Stone at Devon and at the Mossdeep Space Center, where he caught Instructor Starmie, obtained a Mega Ring and Starminite and went into space (HZ121–HZ122); he returns in a capsule the crew must catch (HZ121), tests Roy and makes him commander (HZ122), finishes his research at Devon in Rustboro City (HZ130) and rejoins for the final battle (HZ131), becoming Exceed’s Laquium research lead with Yanga in the epilogue (HZ136). Captain Pikachu, in Roy’s care during the timeskip, returns to his command (HZ121). Orla, who hid the Brave Olivine in a Galar forest while working at her friend Karna’s Poké Ball factory (HZ099), flies it again and builds its “Infinite Rising” and “Rising Again” upgrades; Mollie is found at her family’s Pokémon Center in Mochew City, where her mother is a Nurse Joy (HZ094); Murdock has been working at Katy’s Patisserie Soapberry (HZ098); and Ludlow’s masked alter ego, Mighty G, rescues Amethio (HZ105) and calms Pericarp Town (HZ134). Diana returns with the Stellar Form theory (HZ108), Pecharunt (HZ123) and her rebuilt castle (HZ132).

Amethio, reported dead by Spinel (HZ092), is found hiding on an island by Liko, Zirc and Onia (HZ104) and sets out to gather the Cells of his grandfather Gibeon’s White Zygarde, which he brings to the battle with the Six Heroes (HZ111), reveals as his own catch (HZ125), restores to its Complete Forme (HZ134) and Mega Evolves with Gibeon’s spirit at his side (HZ136). He reconciles with his father, Cervantis, the former Exceed director, who is reinstated as director in the epilogue (HZ111, HZ136), while his loyal Zirc and Onia help from inside the Explorers.

Liko’s roommate Ann becomes a Blueberry Academy exchange student and the Ground type of the eighteen (HZ090–HZ091, HZ115, HZ118, HZ127). From the games, Champion Nemona (Fighting) and Penny (Fairy) battle Roy and Dot and join the final campaign (HZ101–HZ102, HZ126–HZ127, HZ131–HZ136); Geeta, Clavell, Jacq and Dendra back the Tacklers at Naranja Academy (HZ101–HZ102, HZ126); Iono helps Dot again and again (HZ097, HZ103, HZ126–HZ128); Katy (HZ098), Grusha (HZ103), Hassel and Larry (HZ127) and Dash, Niko and Rob (HZ095, HZ126) return; Blueberry Academy brings Director Cyrano, the Elite Four Lacey and Drayton, Briar and Carmine (HZ115–HZ119), with cameos by Kieran, Amarys and Crispin (HZ119); and Steven Stone appears in Friede’s flashback (HZ122).

New faces include Master Mayonnaise, the Mega Evolution promoter of Lumiose City who owns the Lost Mayo Maze and a Mega Hawlucha (HZ112–HZ114, HZ131–HZ132); the detective Emma of the Looker Bureau, Ult’s guardian, with a Mega Ampharos (HZ113–HZ114); Count Hoisin and Shoyu (HZ113–HZ114); the influencers Litten Smitten (HZ093) and Stunner Fisk (HZ097), who help restore the Tacklers’ image in the finale; Team Dragon Rampage — Neki, Dorara and Dora (HZ096, HZ129) — and Snake of Team Wriggle (HZ096); Karna (HZ099–HZ100); Pepper (HZ102); the young painter Ryan (HZ106); Ult’s father, Sault (HZ107, HZ129); Friede’s friend Yanga at Exceed (HZ131, HZ136); and Yuha of Pericarp Town (HZ133–HZ134). Wy-Yes, the former Tackler turned Pokémon journalist, and Perrin plan a joint exposé to clear the team’s name (HZ131).

Voice cast

Character	English voice actor	Japanese voice actor
Liko	Alejandra Reynoso	Minori Suzuki
Roy	Anjali Kunapaneni	Yuka Terasaki
Dot	Faye Mata	Yoshino Aoyama
Ult	Laura Stahl	Natsumi Fujiwara
Friede	Crispin Freeman	Taku Yashiro
Captain Pikachu	— (the Japanese voice is kept)	Ikue Ōtani
Orla	Mara Junot	Ayane Sakura
Mollie	Erica Mendez (also a voice director)	Kei Shindō
Murdock	Major Attaway	Kenta Miyake
Ludlow / Mighty G	Larry Kenney	Ikkyū Juku
Amethio	Daman Mills	Shun Horie
Spinel	Matthew Mercer (credited as Matt Mercer)	Makoto Furukawa
Hamber	Paul Mercier	Hironori Kondo
Cervantis	Ben Diskin	Keisuke Fujii
Coral	Lizzie Freeman	Ikue Ōtani
Sidian	SungWon Cho	Yuki Onodera
Chalce	Shara Kirby	Mimi Maihane
Zirc	Michael Schneider	Kohsuke Tanabe
Onia	Lisa Ortiz (also voice and casting director)	Arisa Shida
Master Mayonnaise	Patrick Seitz	Masahiko Tanaka
Emma	Ari Thrash	Misaki Kuno
Lacey	Risa Mei	Seiran Kobayashi
Drayton	Xander Mobus	Hiroyuki Yoshino
Gibeon	David Kaye	Show Hayami

Pokémon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

In brief:

Liko catches one new Pokémon, the Charcadet she met a year earlier, which saves her from a sphere-crazed Scovillain with its Flash Fire Ability and kneels to offer her its protection (HZ102); it learns Clear Smog (HZ104) and Fire Spin (HZ108) and, with the Auspicious Armor Diana found in her castle (HZ123), evolves into Armarouge and learns Armor Cannon (HZ124) — the first non-starter Fire type evolved by a main character other than Ash, leaving all of Liko’s Pokémon fully evolved. Hattrem Terastallizes into the Psychic type and learns Healing Wish (HZ094), then evolves into Hatterene and learns Psycho Cut (HZ118), and Meowscarada Terastallizes for the first time this season (HZ091). Pagogo, dormant for a year, wakes (HZ092), fights its first official battle with Rapid Spin and Tera Starstorm (HZ098), Terastallizes Captain Pikachu, Rayquaza and Pecharunt (HZ121, HZ129, HZ132), takes its Stellar Form to free the Six Heroes (HZ125) and erase the Laquium Core, and is released to protect Laqua (HZ136).
Roy’s Shiny Lucario, the “Yellow Flash” of the Lost Mayo Maze, was caught with its Lucarionite during the timeskip (HZ114) and Mega Evolves from the premiere; with a Lucarionite Z it becomes Mega Lucario Z and learns Aerial Ace (HZ131–HZ132). Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge in the rematch with Drayton (HZ119) and learns Torch Song against Friede (HZ122); Kilowattrel’s Wind Power Ability is confirmed (HZ119), and it Terastallizes for the first time and learns Supercell Slam (HZ125). Roy catches the Black Rayquaza after he and Ult beat it at the Dragon’s Den (HZ129), Mega Evolves it in the finale and releases it (HZ136). Captain Pikachu, in Roy’s care until Friede’s return, Terastallizes into the Flying type for the first time (HZ121) and destroys Spinel’s devices at the Core (HZ134).
Dot catches the Chest Form Gimmighoul that stowed away on the Brave Olivine (HZ105); it uses Astonish (HZ109), evolves into Gholdengo and uses Make It Rain during the Exceed Museum heist (HZ120), and shows its Good as Gold Ability at Laqua (HZ133). Tinkatuff learns Metal Claw and Terastallizes into the Steel type (HZ097), evolves into Tinkaton (HZ109) and learns Gigaton Hammer (HZ110); Quaxwell learns Wave Crash, evolves into Quaquaval and Terastallizes into the Water type (HZ128) — the first time all concurrent first partner Pokémon have reached their final stage. Ult’s Sableye, which found its Sablenite while hunting for shiny things (HZ112), Mega Evolves for the first time in the flashback (HZ114), and the Dragonite that has been in his Dusk Ball for as long as he can remember — his father Sault’s — emerges (HZ106) and becomes Mega Dragonite (HZ107).
Friede reveals Instructor Starmie, caught at the Mossdeep Space Center, which Mega Evolves, and Mega Evolves his Charizard into Mega Charizard Y (HZ121–HZ122); Mollie’s Maushold is confirmed as caught (HZ121), and Murdock’s Rockruff has become a plump Midday Form Lycanroc (HZ098). Diana reveals a Revavroom and a Wash Rotom (HZ108) and catches Pecharunt with Hamber’s help in Kitakami (HZ107, identified in HZ123); Hamber reveals a Mow Rotom (HZ123) and a Bloodmoon Ursaluna (HZ130); and Amethio’s own White Zygarde regains its Complete Forme (HZ134) and Mega Evolves (HZ136). Among the game characters, Ann’s Dewott and Sandshrew have evolved into Samurott and Sandslash (HZ090), Katy’s Teddy is now an Ursaring (HZ098), Dash’s Ducklett a Swanna (HZ095), Nemona has a Ribombee (HZ101) and a Decidueye caught as a Rowlet at Blueberry (HZ115), and Penny shows a Flareon and a Sylveon (HZ101), a Jolteon (HZ120) and a Vaporeon (HZ127).

New Pokémon captured or hatched

Charcadet#0935 · Liko · the Charcadet she met a year earlier, which saves her from a sphere-crazed Scovillain and asks to join her · HZ102
Gimmighoul#0999 · Dot · a Chest Form Gimmighoul that stowed away on the Brave Olivine · HZ105
Pecharunt#1025 · Diana · a mysterious Pokémon caught in Kitakami with Hamber’s help, identified as Pecharunt later in the season · HZ107
Lucario#0448 · Roy · the Shiny “Yellow Flash” of the Lost Mayo Maze, caught with its Lucarionite in the Kalos flashback · HZ114
Decidueye#0724 · Nemona · caught as a Rowlet after she arrived at Blueberry Academy · HZ115
Starmie#0121 · Friede · Instructor Starmie, caught at the Mossdeep Space Center during the timeskip · HZ121
Maushold#0925 · Mollie · the Brave Olivine’s Maushold, confirmed as hers · HZ121
Zygarde#0718 · Amethio · his grandfather Gibeon’s White Zygarde, revealed as his own catch · HZ125
Rayquaza#0384 · Roy · the Black Rayquaza, after he and Ult beat it at the Dragon’s Den · HZ129
Ursaluna#0901 · Hamber · a Bloodmoon Ursaluna caught in Kitakami, revealed in battle · HZ130

Evolutions

Dewott → Samurott#0503 · Ann · off screen during the timeskip · HZ090
Sandshrew → Sandslash#0028 · Ann · off screen during the timeskip · HZ090
Ducklett → Swanna#0581 · Dash · revealed at the Strong Sphere demonstration · HZ095
Rockruff → Lycanroc#0745 · Murdock · Midday Form, off screen, now plump from tasting his sweets · HZ098
Teddiursa → Ursaring#0217 · Katy’s Teddy · off screen, revealed for her rematch with Liko · HZ098
Tinkatuff → Tinkaton#0959 · Dot · lifting the hammer she built with a Corviknight feather · HZ109
Hattrem → Hatterene#0858 · Liko · overwhelmed with joy; learns Psycho Cut · HZ118
Crocalor → Skeledirge#0911 · Roy · in his rematch with Drayton; Terastallizes into the Fire type · HZ119
Gimmighoul → Gholdengo#1000 · Dot · during the Exceed Museum heist; uses Make It Rain · HZ120
Charcadet → Armarouge#0936 · Liko · with Diana’s Auspicious Armor; learns Armor Cannon · HZ124
Quaxwell → Quaquaval#0914 · Dot · after learning Wave Crash against Iono · HZ128

Releases, departures and returns

The finale brings the first releases of Horizons. With Laqua badly damaged, Pagogo, Zygarde and the Six Heroes want to stay and protect it, and Liko, Roy and Amethio release Pagogo, the Black Rayquaza and White Zygarde — the first time Legendary Pokémon have been released voluntarily in the anime, and Liko’s release of Pagogo the first permanent release by a female main character since Misty’s Togetic, 1,049 episodes earlier (HZ136). Zygarde disperses into its Cells, Rayquaza soars away, and the Six Heroes, Lucius’s former partners, freed from Spinel in HZ125 and gathered at Laqua for the final battle, remain there.

Other partings: Spinel’s Umbreon, his partner since she was an Eevee, smashes his Poké Ball and leaves him once Liko’s Meowscarada frees her from Laquium, and later visits him in prison by moonlight (HZ136); Captain Pikachu, who travelled with Roy during the timeskip, returns to Friede’s command (HZ121); and the Laquium-crazed Pokémon the Tacklers purify go home — the Vileplume to Woody Park (HZ094), Pepper’s Scovillain to its Trainer (HZ102) and the Six Heroes to the wild until they gather at Laqua (HZ125).

The young Rising Volt Tacklers’ Pokémon

Trainer	Pokémon	This season	Episodes
Liko	Meowscarada	First Terastallization this season (Grass); Flower Trick, Magical Leaf, Acrobatics and Quick Attack; resists the Core’s last mist and beats Spinel’s Umbreon	HZ091, HZ126, HZ136
Liko	Hattrem → Hatterene	Terastallizes (Psychic) and learns Healing Wish; evolves and learns Psycho Cut	HZ094, HZ118
Liko	Charcadet → Armarouge	Caught; Clear Smog; Fire Spin; the Auspicious Armor; evolves and learns Armor Cannon; first Terastallization (Fire)	HZ102, HZ104, HZ108, HZ123, HZ124, HZ127
Liko	Terapagos (Pagogo)	Wakes after a year; Rapid Spin and Tera Starstorm; Stellar Form frees the Heroes and erases the Core; released	HZ092, HZ098, HZ125, HZ136
Roy	Crocalor → Skeledirge	Evolves and Terastallizes (Fire); learns Torch Song	HZ119, HZ122
Roy	Kilowattrel	Electro Ball; Wind Power confirmed; first Terastallization (Electric) and Supercell Slam	HZ090, HZ119, HZ125
Roy	Lucario (Shiny)	Mega Evolves from the premiere; caught with its Lucarionite in the flashback; Lucarionite Z; Mega Lucario Z and Aerial Ace	HZ090, HZ114, HZ131, HZ132
Roy	Rayquaza (the Black Rayquaza)	Terastallized (Dragon) by Pagogo; caught; Mega Rayquaza; released	HZ129, HZ136
Friede (with Roy until HZ121)	Captain Pikachu	First Terastallization (Flying); Rising Volt Tackle; destroys Spinel’s devices	HZ121, HZ134
Dot	Quaxwell → Quaquaval	Learns Wave Crash, evolves and Terastallizes (Water); Low Kick	HZ128
Dot	Tinkatuff → Tinkaton	Learns Metal Claw and Terastallizes (Steel); evolves; learns Gigaton Hammer	HZ097, HZ109, HZ110
Dot	Gimmighoul → Gholdengo	Stows away; caught; Astonish; evolves and uses Make It Rain; Good as Gold	HZ102, HZ105, HZ109, HZ120, HZ133
Ult	Sableye	Mega Sableye from the premiere; finds its Sablenite; first Mega Evolution under Ult; trains its gem as a shield	HZ090, HZ112, HZ114, HZ132
Ult	Dragonite	Emerges from the Dusk Ball; Mega Dragonite; Dragon Rush, Hyper Beam and Twister	HZ106, HZ107

The eighteen Tera Types

Tera Type	Pokémon	Trainer
Normal	Arboliva	One of the Six Heroes (HZ125)
Dark	Galarian Moltres	One of the Six Heroes (HZ125)
Ice	Lapras	One of the Six Heroes (HZ125)
Bug	Kleavor	One of the Six Heroes (HZ125)
Rock	Gouging Fire	One of the Six Heroes (HZ125)
Dragon	The Black Rayquaza	Roy (HZ129)
Grass	Meowscarada	Liko
Psychic	Hatterene	Liko
Fire	Skeledirge	Roy
Electric	Kilowattrel	Roy
Flying	Captain Pikachu	Friede
Water	Quaquaval	Dot
Steel	Tinkaton	Dot
Fairy	Sylveon, then Scream Tail	Penny (HZ126); Coral’s Screamypuff after Sylveon faints (HZ135)
Fighting	Pawmot	Nemona (HZ126)
Ground	Samurott	Ann (HZ127)
Ghost	Ceruledge	Amethio
Poison	Pecharunt	Diana (HZ132)

Allies’ and rivals’ Pokémon

Trainer	Pokémon	Episodes
Friede	Charizard (Tera Dark; Mega Charizard Y), Instructor Starmie (Mega Starmie)	HZ121–HZ122, HZ133–HZ134
Amethio	Ceruledge, Corviknight, White Zygarde (10%, 50% and Complete Forme; Mega Zygarde)	HZ104, HZ111, HZ124–HZ125, HZ134–HZ136
Diana	Revavroom, Wash Rotom, Squawkabilly, Arcanine, Pecharunt	HZ108, HZ123, HZ132–HZ136
Hamber	Dusknoir, Mow Rotom, Bloodmoon Ursaluna	HZ123, HZ130, HZ133
Ann	Samurott (Tera Ground), Sandslash	HZ090–HZ091, HZ115, HZ127
Nemona	Pawmot (Tera Fighting), Ribombee, Decidueye	HZ101, HZ115, HZ127
Penny	Sylveon, Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon	HZ101–HZ102, HZ120, HZ127
Katy / Iono	Ursaring “Teddy” (Tera Bug) / Bellibolt (Tera)	HZ098, HZ128
Lacey	Plusle, Minun, Excadrill (Tera Fairy)	HZ115, HZ117
Drayton	Archaludon, Kingdra, Dragonite	HZ116–HZ117, HZ119
Hassel	Baxcalibur	HZ127
Master Mayonnaise / Emma	Hawlucha (Mega Hawlucha) / Ampharos (Mega Ampharos)	HZ113, HZ131–HZ132
Count Hoisin / Shoyu	Escavalier / Accelgor	HZ114
Litten Smitten / Stunner Fisk / Dash	Incineroar and two Litten / Stunfisk / Swanna	HZ093, HZ097, HZ126
Zirc / Onia	Rhydon / Golduck	HZ103, HZ134

The Explorers’ Pokémon

Explorer	Pokémon	Episodes
Spinel	Umbreon, Beheeyem	HZ107, HZ135–HZ136
Coral	Glalie (Mega Glalie), Scream Tail “Screamypuff”	HZ095, HZ109, HZ133–HZ135
Sidian	Garganacl, Aerodactyl (Mega Aerodactyl)	HZ095, HZ109, HZ133–HZ134
Chalce	Medicham (Mega Medicham), Xatu	HZ110, HZ120, HZ130, HZ133–HZ134
Indi / Rubina	Paldean Tauros (Aqua Breed / Blaze Breed), Galarian Darmanitan, Salamence, Drapion / Scolipede, Cofagrigus, Runerigus, Electrode; Rubina’s four Rabsca	HZ099–HZ100, HZ106–HZ107, HZ120, HZ124, HZ133, HZ135
The Six Heroes, held by Spinel	Arboliva, Galarian Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor, Gouging Fire	HZ110–HZ111, HZ125

Pokémon making their anime debut this season

Generation IX keeps arriving: Tandemaus (HZ101), a surfing wild Gholdengo (HZ105), Mabosstiff (HZ106), Rabsca (HZ107), Rellor and Diana’s Revavroom (HZ108), Overqwil and Drayton’s Archaludon (HZ116), Poltchageist in a flashback and the Mythical Pecharunt (HZ123), and Hamber’s Bloodmoon Ursaluna (HZ130). Indi and Rubina’s Aqua Breed and Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros complete the set of Paldean forms (HZ099), and their Darmanitan show Galarian Zen Mode (HZ107). Mega Evolutions arrive too: Ult’s Mega Dragonite (HZ107), Mega Tyranitar in a fantasy (HZ112), Chalce’s Mega Medicham (HZ130), Master Mayonnaise’s Mega Hawlucha (HZ131), Roy’s Mega Lucario Z (HZ132), Sidian’s Mega Aerodactyl and Coral’s Mega Glalie (HZ133) and Mega Victreebel in the Mega Nidothing corner (HZ134), with Mega Slowbro’s first anime appearance in the HZ104 corner; the finale then brings Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde (HZ136). Long-absent species return, among them Cacturne after 861 episodes, Prinplup after 733 and Servine after 575 (HZ090), Shelmet (HZ098), Mienfoo (HZ120), Deino (HZ130) and Gothorita (HZ131), and by HZ128 every evolved form of the Paldean first partners has appeared.

Tandemaus#0924 · HZ101 · debut
Gholdengo#1000 · HZ105 · debut: a wild Gholdengo surfing with its fans
Mabosstiff#0943 · HZ106 · debut, guarding a Nanab Berry tree
Rabsca#0954 · HZ107 · debut: Rubina’s four Laquium-affected Rabsca, with Gravity and Revival Blessing
Rellor#0953 · HZ108 · debut
Revavroom#0966 · HZ108 · debut: Diana’s, attached to her car
Overqwil#0904 · HZ116 · debut: a sleeping wild Overqwil in the Terarium
Archaludon#1018 · HZ116 · debut: Drayton’s
Poltchageist#1012 · HZ123 · debut, in a flashback
Pecharunt#1025 · HZ123 · debut: Diana’s; the first Mythical Pokémon in Horizons

Key Events, Battles & the Fight for Laqua

Events of note

One year later: Ult debuts, and Roy’s Lucario Mega Evolves to beat a Laquium-crazed Slaking (HZ090 – Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part One))
Liko rejoins Roy; Meowscarada Terastallizes; Roy uses Aura (HZ091 – Eyes to the Skies Once Again (Part Two))
Pagogo wakes and purifies two Laquium Steelix; Hamber sends Zirc and Onia to find Amethio (HZ092 – Following Traces of Laquium)
Mollie found; Hattrem Terastallizes and learns Healing Wish (HZ094 – The Pokémon Center Lady)
Strong Spheres revealed; Ult joins Liko and Roy (HZ095 – The Strong Sphere)
The Black Rayquaza found asleep in the Dragon’s Den (HZ096 – Crash! Team Dragon Rampage!)
Tinkatuff learns Metal Claw and Terastallizes; Dot beats Stunner Fisk (HZ097 – The Prankster)
Liko beats Gym Leader Katy; Murdock rejoins (HZ098 – Reunion in Cortondo)
Orla and the Brave Olivine found; Indi and Rubina debut (HZ099 – Orla, Grounded)
The Rising Volt Tacklers re-form with Ult; Friede is alive — the 100th Horizons episode (HZ100 – We Are the Rising Volt Tacklers!)
Jacq joins the Laquium research; Roy’s Mega Lucario beats Nemona (HZ101 – Terastallization vs. Mega Evolution!)
Liko catches Charcadet; Penny beats Dot (HZ102 – The Knight in the Ruins)
Zirc and Onia learn that Dot is Nidothing (HZ103 – Nidothing Love!)
Amethio found; he resolves to gather White Zygarde’s Cells (HZ104 – Charcadet’s Wish)
Dot catches Gimmighoul (HZ105 – Riding the Waves)
Ult’s Dusk Ball opens: Dragonite (HZ106 – The Dusk Ball That Wouldn’t Open)
Ult’s Dragonite Mega Evolves; Diana catches a mysterious Pokémon (HZ107 – Friends as Two, Me and You)
Diana’s Stellar Form theory; Diana beats Liko (HZ108 – Taking the Next Steps)
Tinkatuff evolves into Tinkaton (HZ109 – Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year!)
Super Strong Spheres; Tinkaton learns Gigaton Hammer; Cervantis freed (HZ110 – The Six Heroes Unleashed!)
The Tacklers lose to the Six Heroes; Amethio and Cervantis reconcile; end of Mega Voltage (HZ111 – Better, Farther, Stronger!)
Episode: Mega Evolution begins: Roy meets Ult and Master Mayonnaise (HZ112 – Mega Evolution – Roy)
Emma’s story; Roy beats Ult (HZ113 – Mega Evolution – Ult)
Roy and Ult Mega Evolve for the first time; Roy catches Lucario (HZ114 – Mega Evolution – Bonds)
Rising Again begins at Blueberry Academy; Nemona beats Roy (HZ115 – Welcome to Blueberry Academy!)
Drayton beats Roy (HZ116 – Terarium Training!)
Lacey beats Ult, who bonds with Dragonite (HZ117 – Ult-imate Training)
Hattrem evolves into Hatterene (HZ118 – Liko and Hattrem, Bonded by Happiness!)
Briar’s eighteen-Tera-Type theory; Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge; Roy beats Drayton (HZ119 – Don’t Give Up, Crocalor!)
The Exceed Museum heist; Gimmighoul evolves into Gholdengo (HZ120 – Dot and Penny’s Top-Secret Mission!)
Friede returns; Captain Pikachu Terastallizes; Instructor Starmie (HZ121 – The Catcher in the Sky)
Laquium’s meteoric origin; Roy beats Friede and becomes commander (HZ122 – Roy vs. Friede: Wings of Fire!)
Diana’s Pecharunt; Liko receives the Auspicious Armor (HZ123 – Mochi Mayhem!)
Charcadet evolves into Armarouge (HZ124 – Operation Infiltration!)
The Six Heroes freed; Kilowattrel Terastallizes; Spinel’s doctored footage (HZ125 – Battle for the Six Heroes!)
Naranja Academy bans Strong Spheres; Nemona and Penny join the eighteen (HZ126 – Strong Bonds, Can’t Lose!)
Liko and Ann draw, and Ann joins the eighteen (HZ127 – The Training Royale!)
Quaxwell evolves into Quaquaval; Dot beats Iono (HZ128 – Dot and Quaxwell Step it Up!)
Roy catches the Black Rayquaza; Ult revealed as Sault’s son (HZ129 – Destiny of the Black Rayquaza)
Strong Spheres go on sale; Hamber’s revolt fails (HZ130 – Hamber’s Moonlight Battle)
Friede rejoins; the Lucarionite Z; the “Rising Again” upgrade (HZ131 – A Surprise Reunion)
Pecharunt completes the eighteen; Mega Lucario Z (HZ132 – Lucario’s Challenge!)
The assault on Laqua begins (HZ133 – The Final Battle Is Near)
Zygarde’s Complete Forme; the eighteen assembled (HZ134 – One Step Closer)
The admins defect; Spinel merges with the Laquium Core (HZ135 – The Core Awakens)
Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde; the Core erased; Pagogo, Rayquaza and Zygarde released (HZ136 – Stellar Finale)

Key battles

Roy (Lucario) beats Ann (Samurott), then Roy (Crocalor) beats Liko’s Terastallized Meowscarada — HZ091
Liko (Meowscarada) v Litten Smitten (Incineroar): interrupted by wild Dodrio and Fearow, no result — HZ093
Exhibition Multi Battle: Coral and Sidian (Strong Sphere Glalie and Garganacl) beat Liko and Roy — HZ095
Dot (Quaxwell, Tinkatuff) beats Stunner Fisk’s Strong Sphere Stunfisk — HZ097
Gym Leader rematch: Liko (Pagogo, Tera Starstorm) beats Katy (Tera Bug Ursaring) — her first win over a Gym Leader — HZ098
Liko, Roy, Dot and Ult beat Indi and Rubina’s Strong Sphere Paldean Tauros with a collision trap — HZ099–HZ100
Double Battle, first knockout wins: Roy (Mega Lucario, Crocalor) beats Nemona (Tera Fighting Pawmot, Ribombee) — HZ101
Double Battle: Penny (Sylveon, Flareon) beats Dot (Quaxwell, Tinkatuff) — HZ102
Liko’s Charcadet v Amethio’s Ceruledge: Ceruledge ends it — HZ104
Ult (Mega Sableye, then Dragonite) beats Indi and Rubina’s Strong Sphere Darmanitan — HZ106
Roy and Ult (Mega Lucario, Mega Dragonite) beat Galarian Zen Mode Darmanitan and four Rabsca — HZ107
Double Battle: Diana (Wash Rotom, Arcanine) beats Liko (Meowscarada, Charcadet) — HZ108
Dot (Tinkaton) v Coral and Sidian: Brutal Swing sends Glalie flying and the admins flee — HZ109
Dot (Tinkaton, Gigaton Hammer) beats Chalce’s Strong Sphere Medicham — HZ110
Liko, Roy, Ult and Amethio lose to five of the Six Heroes on Super Strong Spheres — HZ110–HZ111
Flashback: the Yellow Flash (Shiny Lucario) beats Roy and Ult (Crocalor, Sableye) — HZ112
Flashback: Roy (Crocalor) beats Ult (Sableye) — HZ113
Flashback: Roy and Ult beat Count Hoisin and Shoyu (Escavalier, Accelgor), then the Mega-Evolved Yellow Flash — HZ114
Double Battle: Nemona (Pawmot, Decidueye) beats Roy (Crocalor, Lucario) — HZ115
Double Battle: Drayton (Archaludon, Kingdra) beats Roy (Crocalor, Kilowattrel) — HZ116
Lacey (Tera Fairy Excadrill) beats Ult (Sableye); Dot v Carmine is called off — HZ117
Rematch: Roy (Kilowattrel, Crocalor evolving into Skeledirge) beats Drayton (Kingdra, Tera Archaludon) — HZ119
Exceed Museum: Penny beats Indi and Rubina; Dot escapes Chalce with the data as Gimmighoul evolves — HZ120
Roy (Tera Skeledirge, Torch Song) beats Friede (Tera Dark Charizard) — HZ122
Liko (Armarouge) and Amethio (Ceruledge) beat Indi and Rubina’s Strong Sphere Salamence — HZ124
Five battles with the sphere-boosted Six Heroes: Roy beats Galarian Moltres, Ult Gouging Fire, Dot Arboliva, Amethio Lapras and Liko Kleavor — HZ125
Liko (Meowscarada) beats Dash’s Strong Sphere Swanna, with the Strong Sphere ban at stake — HZ126
Pokémon League training battles: Liko (Tera Fire Armarouge) draws with Ann (Tera Ground Samurott); Nemona beats Roy; Hassel beats Ult; Penny beats Dot — HZ127
Dot (Quaxwell evolving into Quaquaval) beats Iono (Tera Bellibolt) — HZ128
Roy and Ult beat the Tera Dragon Black Rayquaza, and Roy catches it — HZ129
Chalce (Mega Medicham), Coral and Sidian beat Hamber (Dusknoir, Mow Rotom, Bloodmoon Ursaluna) — HZ130
Master Mayonnaise (Mega Hawlucha) beats Roy (Lucario), whose Mega Evolution fails — HZ131
Wrestling-ring rematch: Roy (Mega Lucario Z) beats Master Mayonnaise (Mega Hawlucha) — HZ132
Dot, Nemona and Penny beat Indi and Rubina’s Destiny Bond trap, with Hamber’s help — HZ133
Mega Evolution battle: Roy, Ult and Friede (Mega Lucario Z, Mega Sableye, Mega Starmie) beat Chalce, Coral and Sidian (Mega Medicham, Mega Glalie, Mega Aerodactyl) — HZ133–HZ134
The Laquium Core: the eighteen, Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde break its defences, Pagogo erases it, and Liko (Meowscarada) beats Spinel’s Umbreon — HZ135–HZ136

Mega Voltage: Strong Spheres and the Six Heroes

Five of the Six Heroes driven by Super Strong Spheres in The Six Heroes Unleashed! (HZ110) — Five of the Six Heroes, driven by Super Strong Spheres, in *The Six Heroes Unleashed!* (HZ110).Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ110 “The Six Heroes Unleashed!” · via Bulbapedia

The Explorers’ new weapon is the Strong Sphere, a Laquium-powered battle item that Exceed demonstrates in Mochew City (HZ095): Dash’s Swanna and the admins’ Glalie and Garganacl grow far stronger, but the boost visibly hurts them, and Dot later works out that Laquium heightens a Pokémon’s fighting instincts while stopping it from obeying its Trainer (HZ100). Liko and Roy lose that exhibition Multi Battle; after it, sphere users keep losing to teamwork — Stunner Fisk’s Stunfisk to Tinkatuff’s first Terastallization (HZ097), Indi and Rubina’s Paldean Tauros to a collision trap (HZ099–HZ100), their Darmanitan to Ult’s Dragonite (HZ106–HZ107) and Chalce’s Medicham to Tinkaton’s Gigaton Hammer (HZ110). Liko’s rematch with Katy, won with Pagogo’s Tera Starstorm, is her first win over a Gym Leader and the first by a female main character in a non-Tag Battle (HZ098), and Roy’s Mega Lucario beats Champion Nemona in a Double Battle at Naranja Academy (HZ101), where Penny, Jacq and the staff take up the cause.

The arc ends in a trap. Lured to a warehouse by a fake message from Cervantis, Liko, Roy and Ult face five of the Six Heroes — Lucius’s former partners Arboliva, Galarian Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor and Gouging Fire — driven by Super Strong Spheres (HZ110). Pagogo purifies them once, but the Explorers use the spheres again; Amethio arrives with White Zygarde in its 10% Forme, and Charcadet, Mega Lucario and Mega Dragonite fight on, but every Pokémon falls. Only when the spheres wear off do the Heroes collapse, and the Explorers carry them away (HZ111).

Episode: Mega Evolution

Roy in Mega Evolution - Roy (HZ112) — Roy in *Mega Evolution – Roy* (HZ112), the first part of the *Episode: Mega Evolution* flashback.Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ112 “Mega Evolution – Roy” · via Bulbapedia

Japan’s three-part Pocket Monsters Episode: Mega Evolution (HZ112–HZ114), broadcast either side of the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, tells how Roy and Ult learned Mega Evolution in Lumiose City during the timeskip. Master Mayonnaise explains that a Key Stone must resonate with a Pokémon’s Mega Stone and that Trainer and Pokémon need a strong bond, gives the boys Mega Rings and points them to the Lost Mayo Maze, where the Shiny Lucario known as the Yellow Flash knocks out Crocalor and Sableye at once (HZ112). Roy’s Crocalor then beats Ult’s Sableye, and Master Mayonnaise tells Ult that his constant orders show no trust in his partner (HZ113). In the maze the boys beat Count Hoisin’s Escavalier and Shoyu’s Accelgor; in the rematch Ult Mega Evolves Sableye for the first time, and when Crocalor gets up again, Roy’s Mega Ring responds and the Yellow Flash Mega Evolves in sync with him. Crocalor’s Flamethrower beats Mega Lucario, which asks to join Roy, and he catches it with its Lucarionite (HZ114). The maze, it turns out, was built to help Trainers strengthen their bonds.

Mega Evolution and Terastallization

Ult's Mega Dragonite in Friends as Two, Me and You (HZ107) — Ult’s Mega Dragonite in *Friends as Two, Me and You* (HZ107) — the first Mega Evolution to debut in the anime before a game.Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ107 “Friends as Two, Me and You” · via Bulbapedia

The season sets its two battle gimmicks side by side — HZ101 is called Terastallization vs. Mega Evolution!. Roy’s Lucario and Ult’s Sableye Mega Evolve from the premiere; Ult’s Dragonite becomes Mega Dragonite, the first Mega Evolution to debut in the anime before a game (HZ107); Friede returns with Mega Starmie and Mega Charizard Y (HZ121–HZ122); Chalce’s Mega Medicham (HZ130), Coral’s Mega Glalie and Sidian’s Mega Aerodactyl (HZ133) give the Explorers Mega Evolution too; Master Mayonnaise’s Mega Hawlucha beats Roy before Lucario becomes Mega Lucario Z, the first Z Mega Evolution (HZ131–HZ132); and in the finale Roy’s Black Rayquaza and Amethio’s White Zygarde Mega Evolve, the first Legendary Mega Evolutions in the TV series (HZ136). Terastallization keeps its place: Hattrem, Tinkatuff, Captain Pikachu, Kilowattrel, Armarouge and Quaquaval Terastallize for the first time, and Roy becomes the first main character to use two battle techniques in one episode, Mega Evolving Lucario and Terastallizing Skeledirge against the Black Rayquaza (HZ129).

Rising Again: the eighteen Tera Types

At Blueberry Academy Briar refines Diana’s theory from the Scarlet Book: to use its full power and erase Laquium, Pagogo’s Stellar Form must resonate with Pokémon of all eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength (HZ108, HZ119). The Heroes’ own Tera Types are revealed when the Tacklers win them back — Arboliva Normal, Galarian Moltres Dark, Lapras Ice, Kleavor Bug and Gouging Fire Rock (HZ125) — and the Black Rayquaza’s, Dragon, when Pagogo Terastallizes it to test Roy and Ult (HZ129). The team covers Grass (Liko’s Meowscarada), Psychic (Hatterene), Fire (Roy’s Skeledirge), Electric (Kilowattrel), Flying (Captain Pikachu), Water (Dot’s Quaquaval) and Steel (Tinkaton); Nemona’s Pawmot takes Fighting and Penny’s Sylveon Fairy (HZ126), Ann’s Samurott Ground (HZ127), Amethio’s Ceruledge Ghost, and Diana’s Pecharunt Poison, the last slot (HZ132). Ult alone chooses Mega Evolution instead. Along the way Roy loses to Nemona and Drayton before beating Drayton (HZ115–HZ119) and Friede (HZ122), Lacey and Hassel beat Ult (HZ117, HZ127), Liko beats Dash with the Strong Sphere ban at stake (HZ126) and draws with Ann (HZ127), and Dot loses to Penny before beating Iono (HZ127–HZ128).

The final battle at Laqua

The eighteen Tera Types in Stellar Finale (HZ136) — The eighteen Tera Types at Laqua in *Stellar Finale* (HZ136).Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ136 “Stellar Finale” · via Bulbapedia

The Tacklers fly to Mount Pericarp with the eighteen: Roy, Ult and Friede act as decoys while the rest advance on foot, and none of the eighteen may faint. Dot, Nemona and Penny beat Indi and Rubina’s Destiny Bond and Curse trap, with Gholdengo’s Good as Gold and Hamber’s Dusknoir and Bloodmoon Ursaluna turning the tide (HZ133); in a six-way Mega Evolution battle, Mega Lucario Z, Mega Sableye and Mega Starmie beat Chalce’s, Coral’s and Sidian’s Megas, Sidian admitting that the spheres have damaged his bond with his Pokémon (HZ133–HZ134). At the Core, Spinel agitates the Laquium; Captain Pikachu destroys his devices, Amethio’s White Zygarde regains its Complete Forme through Power Construct, Mighty G calms Pericarp Town, and the Black Rayquaza arrives with the other Heroes to complete the eighteen (HZ134).

Pagogo’s Stellar Form Terastallizes all eighteen and begins to erase the Core; when Penny’s Sylveon faints, Coral’s Scream Tail takes its place as the admins turn on Spinel. Spinel embraces the crystals and merges with the Core, which awakens as a self-repairing crystal tower that adapts to every attack (HZ135). In Stellar Finale Roy’s promise to Lucius makes Rayquaza Mega Rayquaza, Gibeon’s spirit stands beside Amethio as Zygarde becomes Mega Zygarde — the first time a Legendary needs both a Mega Stone and a Key Stone — and Dragon Ascent, Nihil Light and Skeledirge’s Torch Song break the Core’s defences; Pagogo surrounds it in a Stellar barrier and erases it. Liko’s Meowscarada beats Spinel’s Laquium-driven Umbreon, which smashes his Poké Ball and leaves him; Liko, Roy and Amethio release Pagogo, Rayquaza and Zygarde, and the epilogue clears the Tacklers’ name, recalls the Strong Spheres and sees Spinel in prison (HZ136).

Movies & Specials Released During the Season

The Japanese logo of Pocket Monsters Episode: Mega Evolution, the three-part special arc counted inside this season (HZ112–HZ114).Image: Pokémon anime logo · via Bulbapedia

No new Pokémon film was released during Horizons Season 3, in Japan or in English, between the Japanese premiere on 11 April 2025 and Netflix’s final part on 18 September 2026; the most recent remained Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (Japan, 2020). The next one was announced on 31 August 2026 at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco: Pokémon: Wild Card, a feature about a young aspiring Pokémon Trading Card Game player and his partner Mimikyu, produced by Story Inc. with animation by CloverWorks, directed by Katsuhiko Kitada with character designs by Akemi Hayashi, and dated only “2027 and beyond” — what Cartoon Brew called “the franchise’s first theatrical feature in seven years”. In a film’s place the window brought the season’s own three-part special arc, Episode: Mega Evolution, the second part of Netflix’s stop-motion Pokémon Concierge, the English version of CoMix Wave Films’ short Dragonite and the Special Delivery, and a handful of YouTube shorts and Japan-only TV specials (see Side Stories below).

Episode: Mega Evolution (HZ112–HZ114) is counted inside this season everywhere, but in Japan it was presented as a special arc with its own logo and key visual, timed with Pokémon Legends: Z-A (16 October 2025, between HZ112 and HZ113) and given a separate listing on Prime Video; it was simulcast in Taiwanese Mandarin and Hong Kong Cantonese and dubbed in Korean within days. The Japanese slot also carried a 45-second bonus short after HZ122, Mega Evolution Showdown “Mega Charizard Y VS Mega Starmie”, a one-hour special pairing HZ131 with a live-action hot-spring segment, and, two weeks after the finale, the Pocket Monsters Music Fest (15 May 2026); none of them has been released in English.

Side Stories, Specials & Crossovers

Side-story tie-ins

Key art for Dragonite and the Special Delivery — Key art for *Dragonite and the Special Delivery*, the CoMix Wave Films short released on YouTube in Japanese on 27 February 2025 and in English on 19 May 2026.Image: The Pokémon Company · via Bulbapedia

Episode: Mega Evolution. In Japan the three flashback episodes (10–24 October 2025) were a special arc tied to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with no opening, their own ending and a separate Prime Video listing. They premiered simultaneously in Taiwanese Mandarin and Hong Kong Cantonese on the Traditional Chinese Pokémon YouTube channel, were dubbed in Korean for JEI TV (재능TV) from 14 October 2025 — before Mega Voltage had aired there — and reached Indonesian YouTube on 16 June 2026.
Pokémon Concierge, Part 2. Four more stop-motion episodes (PC05–PC08) by dwarf studios, directed by Iku Ogawa, announced at the Pokémon Presents of 27 February 2025 and released worldwide on Netflix on 4 September 2025, the day before Japan aired HZ109.
Dragonite and the Special Delivery. A CoMix Wave Films short directed by Taku Kimura, with music and the theme song “Paper Airplane” by Evan Call and vocals by suis of Yorushika, first released on the Japanese YouTube channel on 27 February 2025 and in an English dub on YouTube on 19 May 2026.
Summer YouTube shorts. Two shorts of Running Through a Pokémon Summer Story (ポケモンと駆ける夏物語): First Outing with Morpeko (4 July 2025) and Hikozaru and the Rookie Pokémon Researcher, produced by Shanghai Huijie Culture Communication with voices including Kana Hanazawa and Megumi Hayashibara, released in China on 22 April 2025 and in Japan on 11 July 2025, a Friday with no TV episode.
Japan-only TV extras. A 45-second bonus short, Mega Evolution Showdown “Mega Charizard Y VS Mega Starmie”, followed HZ122 on 19 December 2025 as part of the Charizard’s Charge campaign; HZ131 aired on 13 March 2026 inside a one-hour special whose live-action segment sends comedians in search of Terapagos at the Kusatsu Onsen hot-spring resort; and the Pocket Monsters Music Fest (ポケットモンスター音楽祭) filled the slot on 15 May 2026. None was dubbed.
What came next. Pocket Monsters: Wonder Voyage (ワンダーボヤージュ), the eighth arc, began on 22 May 2026 with HZ137, Reboot! To a World of Adventures!!: Liko, Roy, Dot and Ult are joined by a new companion, Navie, with a Ditto, under the new director Makoto Nakata; its opening, Connecting the World (セカイツナガレ), is sung by Minori Suzuki and Yuka Terasaki as Liko and Roy, its ending, CUTIE SPHERE, by CUTIE STREET, and Mega Study with Instructor Starmie replaces the Mega Nidothing corner. The English version, Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead, was announced on 6 October 2026 for Netflix in the US from 27 February 2027.

Characters from the games, manga and specials

Steven Stone in Roy vs. Friede: Wings of Fire! (HZ122) — Steven Stone in Friede’s flashback at Devon, *Roy vs. Friede: Wings of Fire!* (HZ122).Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ122 “Roy vs. Friede: Wings of Fire!” · via Bulbapedia

Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Mega Dimension. The season’s Mega Evolution theme was timed with the game, released on 16 October 2025 between HZ112 and HZ113, and with its download Mega Dimension, released between HZ120 and HZ121. The flashback is set in Lumiose City; Emma’s Mega Ampharos references the game (HZ113); Mega Lucario Z, the first Z Mega Evolution, comes from Mega Dimension (HZ132); Ult’s Mega Dragonite appeared in the anime before any game (HZ107); and the Mega Nidothing corner for Hawlucha recreates its reveal-trailer bout with Machamp (HZ131).
Scarlet and Violet and their downloads. Blueberry Academy and its Terarium come from the games’ downloadable content: Lacey’s quizzes cite her Elite Trial in The Indigo Disk (HZ117), and Briar has “seen” the Stellar Form, a nod to the same expansion (HZ119). Mochi Mayhem! takes its title from the epilogue of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, and Pecharunt’s backstory follows The Untold Story of Pecharunt (HZ123); Diana and Hamber find Pecharunt and the Bloodmoon Ursaluna in Kitakami. Captain Pikachu’s Flying Tera Type echoes the Flying Tera Pikachu given away in Scarlet and Violet from 18 November 2022 to 28 February 2023 (HZ121).
Characters from the games. Nemona, Penny, Geeta, Clavell, Jacq, Dendra, Iono, Grusha, Katy, Hassel and Larry return from Paldea, and Steven Stone appears in Friede’s flashback at Devon (HZ122). Lacey quotes a line of her father, the Gym Leader Clay, from Black and White (HZ117); Drayton is the grandson of Drayden (HZ116); and Looker is mentioned for the first time since BW122 — the first appearance in any capacity in Horizons of a recurring character from Pokémon the Series other than Nurse Joy (HZ113).
Emma and other cross-media faces. Emma (Matiere in Japanese), the Looker Bureau detective who raised Ult, previously appeared in Pokémon Generations, where she was voiced by Maaya Uchida and Carrie Keranen; in Horizons she is voiced by Misaki Kuno and Ari Thrash. Ult himself was first revealed in the April 2025 issue of CoroCoro Comic, on sale on 14 March 2025.
Nods and homages. The English titles borrow from The Catcher in the Rye (HZ121) and Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” (HZ111), and HZ109’s title echoes HZ070’s Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day; Zirc’s ticket number matches Rhydon’s Pokédex number, 0112 (HZ103); Starmie, #0121, debuts as Friede’s partner in HZ121, broadcast on 12 December; HZ095’s breakfast is Nagoya’s Ogura toast; and a Pokémon GO trailer featuring Professor Willow replaced the end corner of HZ092.

Opening & Ending Themes

In Japan, Yuzu’s GET BACK, written and arranged with TeddyLoid, opens the Mega Voltage episodes — first heard as the ending of the one-hour premiere (HZ091), then as the opening from HZ092 to HZ111 — with ME:I’s Ready Go as the ending; they are the first Japanese themes since “Look Look☆Here” not published by a Media Factory or Sony Music Japan imprint. The three Episode: Mega Evolution episodes have no opening and a Yuzu ending of their own, YUU, in three versions, and Rising Again brings Eve’s Iolite and Polkadot Stingray’s Asleep or Awake (HZ115–HZ136). HZ090 has no opening at all: its title appears at the end. In English, Haven Paschall sings “Evolving Again”, written by Ed Goldfarb and Nataan Hong for Madcap Labs, over the openings of HZ092–HZ111 and HZ115–HZ136, and its instrumental closes every episode over clips of the Japanese ending; as usual, the Japanese songs were not dubbed. The Japanese score is by Conisch, with Bulbapedia also crediting the games’ composers, among them Gō Ichinose, Junichi Masuda and Toby Fox, and the English score by Madcap Labs (Ed Goldfarb, Akhil Gopal and Geoff Li, joined by Maddie Liu from HZ121).

Opening · GET BACK — Opening · *GET BACK*Yuzu · HZ092–HZ111 (the ending of HZ091)Lyrics by Yūjin Kitagawa and Kōji Iwasawa, music by Kitagawa and TeddyLoid, arranged by TeddyLoid and Yuzu. The animation changes as the arc goes on — Indi and Rubina and a fuller crew in the group shot from HZ101, Liko’s Charcadet from HZ103, Amethio and Ceruledge at the beach in HZ105, Dot’s Gimmighoul, Ult’s Mega Dragonite and finally Tinkaton (HZ110–HZ111). It is the first opening with no “Pocket Monsters” logo at the start or the end — it appears halfway through. Full version released on 21 May 2025; it is also the opening of the Asian English, Indonesian and Taiwanese Mandarin versions.

Ending · Ready Go — Ending · *Ready Go*ME:I · HZ092–HZ111Lyrics by Masami Kakinuma, music by Daisuke “D.I” Imai and MINTAKHA, arranged by Imai. Its animation variants add the Rising Volt Tacklers on the Brave Olivine (HZ100–HZ101), Charcadet, Gimmighoul, Ult’s Dragonite and Tinkaton. The song is on ME:I’s album *MUSE*, and it is the ending of the Asian English version from HZ090.

**Ending · Yū (尤, stylised YUU)**Yuzu · HZ112–HZ114The *Episode: Mega Evolution* ending, with lyrics by Yūjin Kitagawa, arranged by TeddyLoid and Yuzu. Its three versions pan over still images and end on a determined Roy (HZ112), an arrogant Ult (HZ113) and Roy in his new jacket with Lucario (HZ114); Looker and Croagunk appear in a blurry photo at the Looker Bureau. Digital single released on 27 August 2025.

Opening · Aioraito (アイオライト Iolite) — **Opening · *Aioraito* (アイオライト Iolite)**Eve · HZ115–HZ136Lyrics and music by Eve, arranged by TAK and Numa. Its many animation variants follow the arc — Nemona’s Decidueye, each new evolution, Friede replacing Lacey, Diana’s Pecharunt, White Zygarde, the Six Heroes Terastallized, the Black Rayquaza, Hamber’s Mow Rotom and Bloodmoon Ursaluna and, from HZ133, Mega Lucario Z and Mega Hawlucha with Laqua behind them. Digital single released by TOY’S FACTORY on 31 October 2025.

Ending · Nete mo Samete mo (ねてもさめても Asleep or Awake) — **Ending · *Nete mo Samete mo* (ねてもさめても Asleep or Awake)**Polkadot Stingray · HZ115–HZ136Lyrics and music by Shizuku, arranged by Polkadot Stingray; on the band’s album *Gekirin* (24 December 2025). It also plays as an insert near the end of HZ125, with on-screen credits — the first episode since JN147 to use an ending that way — and over the credits of the finale, HZ136.

English opening · Evolving Again — English opening · *Evolving Again*Haven Paschall · HZ092–HZ111, HZ115–HZ136Lyrics and music by Ed Goldfarb and Nataan Hong for Madcap Labs; the 29th English opening, sung by the English voice of Serena in XY and featuring the dub’s XY Mega Evolution leitmotif. Version 1 uses footage from *GET BACK*, version 2 (from HZ115) footage from *Iolite*, and the instrumental is the ending of every episode. The full version was released on 6 January 2026, the day Netflix’s Part 1 arrived.

Besides the theme songs, HZ100 replays the first Horizons opening, “Heart-Pounding Diary”, as the Brave Olivine takes to the sky again — a remix of “Becoming Me” in the dub; “Halo” plays as Liko and Roy Terastallize and Ult Mega Evolves in HZ110; an instrumental of “Only One Story” accompanies the Terarium training montage of HZ116 — the first insert-song instrumental since JN147 — and returns in HZ135; and “Asleep or Awake” doubles as an insert in HZ125 and HZ136.

The official trailer for Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope, released when The Pokémon Company International announced the season for Netflix in October 2025. Video: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.

TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Japan. TV Tokyo and its network aired the season on Fridays at 6:55 p.m. from 11 April 2025, when HZ090 and HZ091 opened Mega Voltage as a one-hour special, to 1 May 2026, when Stellar Finale (HZ136) ended Rising Again. Ten Fridays in that span had no episode — 23 May, 11 July, 25 July, 26 September, 3 October and 26 December 2025 and 2 January, 16 January, 27 March and 3 April 2026 — and on 13 March 2026 HZ131 aired inside a one-hour special with a live-action segment in which comedians search for Terapagos at the Kusatsu Onsen hot-spring resort. The three Episode: Mega Evolution episodes (10–24 October 2025) straddled the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A on 16 October, and HZ120 and HZ121 its Mega Dimension download; HZ129 aired on 27 February 2026, the 30th anniversary of Red and Green, and from then on TV Tokyo’s broadcasts carry a Captain Pikachu 30th-anniversary logo. Trailers for the coming arcs and campaigns replaced the end segment several times. After the finale came a blank Friday (8 May) and the Pocket Monsters Music Fest (15 May) before HZ137 began Wonder Voyage on 22 May 2026. The episodes also stream in Japan on Prime Video, U-NEXT, TVer and YouTube. No Japanese ratings have been found.

The US: Netflix. On 9 October 2025 The Pokémon Company International announced Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope for Netflix in the US from 6 January 2026, with a trailer on The Official Pokémon YouTube channel. Part 1 (HZ090–HZ101, twelve episodes) arrived on Tuesday 6 January 2026, the day the full version of “Evolving Again” was released; Part 2 (HZ102–HZ111, ten episodes) followed on Friday 20 March, Part 3 (HZ112–HZ123, twelve, beginning with the three Episode: Mega Evolution episodes) on Friday 26 June and Part 4 (HZ124–HZ136, thirteen), which What’s on Netflix called “the fourth and final part of Pokémon Horizons Season 3”, on Friday 18 September 2026, in the US, Latin America, the Nordics and other territories. Netflix lists the season as “Pokémon Horizons: Season 3: Rising Hope”. There was no US television broadcast, and no viewing figures or Netflix Top 10 placings have been reported.

The UK: BBC iPlayer first. The English dub was seen first in the UK, where BBC iPlayer released the season in four batches, each ahead of Netflix: HZ090–HZ100 on 27 October 2025, HZ102–HZ114 on 27 February 2026 (CBBC then broadcast the three Episode: Mega Evolution episodes on 18, 19 and 23 March 2026), HZ115–HZ123 on 25 May 2026 and HZ124–HZ136 on 20 July 2026, two months before Netflix’s final part. Only HZ101, which has no UK date on Bulbapedia, was first released in English by Netflix.

Elsewhere in English. The Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel began the season on 6 March 2026, using GET BACK and Ready Go as its opening and ending, with English subtitles; Cartoon Network and YTV began it in Canada on 7 March 2026; and ABC iview in Australia added it from 2 April 2026, with the last thirteen episodes on 4 September 2026, two weeks before Netflix.

Other languages. Episode: Mega Evolution was simulcast in Taiwanese Mandarin and Hong Kong Cantonese on the Traditional Chinese Pokémon YouTube channel and dubbed in Korean for JEI TV from 14 October 2025, four days after Japan and before Mega Voltage had aired in Korea; the Korean release uses its own themes, “Go Beyond” and “Secret Quest”, and later reached Netflix, Wavve and TVING. German and French broadcasts were showing the season’s last episodes in September and October 2026.

Numbering. The season’s 47 episodes are numbered 1 to 47 by Bulbapedia and Netflix, HZ090 to HZ136 being episodes 1 to 47, and Bulbapedia’s alternate codes run from EP1322 to EP1368. In the Asian territories where The Pokémon Company distributes the anime itself, the season is numbered 28, as on this site. Japan has no season break and no single title for these episodes — they are the Mega Voltage, Episode: Mega Evolution and Rising Again arcs of Pocket Monsters (2023) — and the series ran straight on into Wonder Voyage (HZ137), which the English dub will release as Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead on Netflix in the US from 27 February 2027.

Dub Edits & Localisation

Changes in the English version

Nothing banned, every episode dubbed. All 47 Japanese episodes reached English in production order, dubbed for The Pokémon Company International by Iyuno USA (credited as “Iyuno US Studio” until the previous season), with voice direction by Felecia Angelle, Laura Post, Erica Mendez, Jalen Cassell and Lisa Ortiz and scripts adapted by Barton Bishop, Rachel Robinson and Hilary Thomas from William Flanagan’s translations; Horizons is the first series whose English dub is unionised. As usual for Horizons, most English titles translate the Japanese ones directly; the freer ones include Clash of the Nidothing Fans, The Prankster, Orla, Grounded, Taking the Next Steps (Japanese: Diana Comes Back!!!!), Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year!, Better, Farther, Stronger!, Ult-imate Training, Mochi Mayhem!, A Surprise Reunion and One Step Closer. HZ104 is “Charcadet’s Wish” on its title card but “Charcadet’s Wish!” on Netflix, BBC iPlayer and ABC iview.

Music. Haven Paschall’s “Evolving Again” opens every episode that has a Japanese opening, and its instrumental plays over the end credits with clips of the Japanese ending — Ready Go, then all three versions of YUU mixed together for HZ112–HZ114, then Asleep or Awake. Inside the episodes, the dub replaces the first Japanese opening, “Heart-Pounding Diary”, with a remix of “Becoming Me” as the Brave Olivine takes off again (HZ100), and swaps out the Kanto wild-Pokémon battle theme for the first time since its debut (HZ101).

Cuts and rewrites. The on-screen “Mayo-Maze Palace” text is removed from HZ112, and the Japan-only bonus short that followed HZ122 is in no foreign release. In HZ122 Ludlow’s comment after Charizard Terastallizes is rewritten: in Japanese, Charizard Terastallized to dodge a super effective hit; in English, by Terastallizing it is no longer immune to Ground-type moves. The Japanese static eyecatches are kept in the dub.

Slips. The English captions call Orthworm an “earthworm” (HZ092) and read “Power Gems” (HZ100); Ult calls Dragon Rush by its Japanese name, “Dragon Dive”, in HZ107 (correct on the BBC iPlayer and CBBC masters); Haven Paschall is credited for the instrumental ending of HZ090 and HZ091; the series logo is missing from HZ113’s opening shot on BBC iPlayer and Amazon, though present on Netflix and ABC iview; and the BBC’s HZ119 keeps the Crocalor version of the ending although Crocalor evolves in that episode. Bulbapedia also lists slips in other dubs, such as the Polish “Mochi City” for Mochew City (HZ094–HZ096).

HZ113’s opening shot with the series logo, as on Netflix and ABC iview…Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ113 “Mega Evolution – Ult” · via Bulbapedia

…and without it, as on BBC iPlayer and Amazon.Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ113 “Mega Evolution – Ult” · via Bulbapedia

No Who’s That Pokémon? Horizons has no quiz segment. In Japan, the end corner Professor Friede’s Pokémon Seminar gave way this season to Mega Nidothing’s “Mega Mega! Mega Evolution” (メガぐるみんの「メガメガ！メガシンカ」), in which Dot’s streaming persona explains a Mega Evolution — 39 segments between HZ090 and HZ134, several of them replaced on first broadcast by trailers, and posted on the Japanese anime’s X account afterwards; from HZ137 it is succeeded by Mega Study with Instructor Starmie. Bulbapedia gives the corner an English name, but whether the Netflix release includes it episode by episode has not been confirmed.

Names. Riko, Uruto, Gurumin, Orio, Hambel, Crave, Matiere and Mayonnaise-shishō become Liko, Ult, Nidothing, Orla, Hamber, Cervantis, Emma and Master Mayonnaise, and Rakurium becomes Laquium. Roy keeps his name in English but is renamed in the German, Spanish, French and Portuguese dubs, where it would clash with Raihan’s local names, and in Korean, where it would clash with James’s.

Episode titles explained

Most of this season’s English titles translate the Japanese ones directly, but a few play on familiar phrases, songs and books:

Clash of the Nidothing Fans — a free adaptation of the Japanese “Super-Stans?! A Gurumin Fan Showdown!!” that echoes the English title of BW080
Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year! — the proverb “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, by way of HZ070’s “Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day”, in which Tinkatink evolved
Better, Farther, Stronger! — Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
Ult-imate Training — a pun on Ult’s name and “ultimate”
The Catcher in the Sky — the novel The Catcher in the Rye, for the crew catching Friede’s falling capsule
Mochi Mayhem! — the epilogue of Scarlet and Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, in which Pecharunt’s mochi cause chaos
Stellar Finale — Terapagos’s Stellar Form, which erases the Laquium Core in the finale

DVD & Blu-ray / Streaming

No DVD or Blu-ray release of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope has been found in North America, the UK or Australia, and Bulbapedia’s home-video lists stop before Horizons, so for now the season is a streaming release. Germany has had DVDs of earlier Horizons episodes — Pokémon Horizonte – Volume 4 (25 July 2025), Volume 5 (26 September 2025) and Die komplette Staffel 1 (13 March 2026) — but none covering this season has been found.

Japan

No Japanese rental or retail DVDs of HZ090–HZ136 have been found: Bulbapedia’s list of Japanese new-series home video releases ends with Aim to Be a Pokémon Master Vol. 4 (September 2023). In Japan the episodes stream on Prime Video — where Episode: Mega Evolution has its own listing — U-NEXT, TVer and YouTube; Prime Video and U-NEXT drop the next-episode previews of HZ111 and HZ114, which YouTube and TVer keep.

Streaming

Netflix released the season in the US, Latin America, the Nordics and other territories in four parts between 6 January and 18 September 2026. In the UK it is on BBC iPlayer, which premiered it from 27 October 2025, with CBBC broadcasts, and a Bulbapedia error note mentions an Amazon release there; in Australia it is on ABC iview, from 2 April 2026; in Canada it aired on Cartoon Network and YTV from 7 March 2026; and in Asia the English version is on the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel, from 6 March 2026. In Korea the season followed its JEI TV broadcast onto Netflix, Wavve and TVING. 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.

NetflixReleased the season in the US, Latin America, the Nordics and other territories in four parts, from 6 January to 18 September 2026; availability varies by region.
BBC iPlayer (UK)Premiered the English dub in four batches from 27 October 2025 to 20 July 2026, with CBBC broadcasts.
ABC iview (Australia)Has carried the season since 2 April 2026; the last thirteen episodes arrived on 4 September 2026.
Pokémon Asia ENG (YouTube)The Asian English release, from 6 March 2026, with the Japanese themes GET BACK and Ready Go.

Trading Cards Released During the Season

Seven English expansions fell within the season’s runs, from Mega Evolution, released during the Japanese broadcast, to 30th Celebration, two days before Netflix’s last part:

Mega Evolution — 26 September 2025 — between HZ111 and HZ112 in Japan; the first expansion of the Mega Evolution series (ME1), including Mega Lucario ex
Phantasmal Flames — 14 November 2025 — the day Japan aired HZ117; the series’ second expansion (ME2)
Ascended Heroes — 30 January 2026 — between Netflix’s first and second parts; a special expansion (ME2.5) of 217 cards plus 78 secret rares from MEGA Dream ex, including Mega Dragonite ex, Mega Hawlucha ex, Mega Lucario ex, Pecharunt, Rayquaza, Terapagos and Terapagos ex, Medicham and Iono’s Kilowattrel
Perfect Order — 27 March 2026 — a week after Netflix’s Part 2; 88 cards plus 36 secret rares from Nihil Zero, including Mega Starmie ex, Mega Zygarde ex and Hawlucha
Chaos Rising — 22 May 2026 — the day Wonder Voyage began in Japan; 86 cards plus 36 secret rares from Ninja Spinner, including the Supporter card Emma
Pitch Black — 17 July 2026 — between Netflix’s third and fourth parts; 84 cards plus 36 secret rares from Abyss Eye, including Armarouge
30th Celebration — 16 September 2026 — two days before Netflix’s Part 4; a 128-card set

The English sets drew on Japanese expansions released around the season’s Japanese run: Mega Brave (the source of Mega Lucario ex), MEGA Dream ex (Ascended Heroes), Nihil Zero (Perfect Order), Ninja Spinner (Chaos Rising) and Abyss Eye (17 April 2026, Pitch Black). Emma appears in Ninja Spinner under her Japanese name, Matiere.

Our TCG section has a full card list, print variations and the most valuable cards for each of them; the next set, Delta Reign, follows on 6 November 2026.

Cards with a link to the season

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

Mega Dragonite ex · Ascended Heroes 152/217

Firsts & Lasts

First Legendary Pokémon to Mega Evolve in the TV anime, and the first Legendary Mega Evolution to need both a Mega Stone and a Key Stone: Mega Rayquaza and Mega Zygarde, in Stellar Finale (HZ136).
First Z Mega Evolution: Roy’s Mega Lucario Z (HZ132).
First Mega Evolution to debut in the anime before a game: Ult’s Mega Dragonite (HZ107).
First time all concurrent first partner Pokémon have reached their final stage: Dot’s Quaquaval completes the set (HZ128).
First Mythical Pokémon in Horizons: Diana’s Pecharunt (HZ123).
First Trainer to Mega Evolve a Pokémon he did not own — Roy and the Yellow Flash — and the first Horizons episode without Liko (HZ114).
First win over a Gym Leader for Liko, and the first by a female main character in a non-Tag Battle: Katy (HZ098).
First Terastallizations of Hattrem (Psychic, HZ094), Tinkatuff (Steel, HZ097), Captain Pikachu (Flying, HZ121), Kilowattrel (Electric, HZ125), Armarouge (Fire, HZ127) and Quaquaval (Water, HZ128); all nineteen Tera Types seen by HZ132.
First Mega Evolution undone mid-battle (HZ134), and the first main character to use two battle techniques in one episode: Roy (HZ129).
First anime uses of Follow Me and Effect Spore (HZ094), Gravity (HZ107), Power Swap (HZ120) and Curse (HZ133); Volt Absorb activates for the first time (HZ115).
First releases by main characters in Horizons, and the first voluntary release of Legendary Pokémon: Pagogo, the Black Rayquaza and White Zygarde (HZ136).
First Horizons eyecatch with more than one human character (HZ103), and the first opening with no “Pocket Monsters” logo at its start or end (GET BACK, from HZ092).
Last Mega Nidothing segment (HZ134), last episode of Rising Again and of the Laquium storyline (HZ136), and Saori Den’s last episode as director before Makoto Nakata takes over in HZ137.

Trivia & Facts

Mega Evolution returns. The season is built around Mega Evolution, back in the TV anime with Roy’s Lucario and Ult’s Sableye from HZ090 and timed with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, released between HZ112 and HZ113, and its Mega Dimension download, released between HZ120 and HZ121. Ult’s Mega Dragonite (HZ107) is the first Mega Evolution to debut in the anime before appearing in a game, and Mega Lucario Z (HZ132) the first Z Mega Evolution.
Legendaries Mega Evolve — and go free. HZ136 is the first TV episode in which a Legendary Pokémon Mega Evolves (films and the Mega Evolution Specials aside), the first time a Legendary needs both a Mega Stone and a Trainer’s Key Stone, the first Horizons episode in which main characters release Pokémon and the first time Legendary Pokémon are released voluntarily; Liko’s release of Pagogo is the first permanent release by a female main character since Misty’s Togetic, 1,049 episodes earlier.
All starters fully evolved. With Crocalor evolving into Skeledirge (HZ119) and Quaxwell into Quaquaval (HZ128), HZ128 is the first time in the anime that all concurrent first partner Pokémon have reached their final stage, and by then every evolved Paldean first partner has appeared.

Crocalor blazes into battle in Don’t Give Up, Crocalor! (HZ119), the episode in which it evolves into Skeledirge. Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ119 “Don’t Give Up, Crocalor!” · via Bulbapedia
All nineteen Tera Types. With Pecharunt’s Poison type (HZ132), every Tera Type, Stellar included, has now appeared in the anime. The final battle needs one Pokémon of each of the eighteen standard types, and Ult is the only young Tackler who sits it out in favour of Mega Evolution.
A flashback mini-arc. Episode: Mega Evolution (HZ112–HZ114) has no opening theme and no eyecatches, its own ending, simultaneous Chinese-language premieres on YouTube and a separate Prime Video listing; HZ114 is the first Horizons episode without Liko.
The 100th episode. HZ100, the 100th episode of Horizons, re-forms the Rising Volt Tacklers to the first opening, “Heart-Pounding Diary” — a remix of “Becoming Me” in the dub — and the anime’s X account marked it with special illustrations.

The Rising Volt Tacklers back together in We Are the Rising Volt Tacklers! (HZ100), the 100th episode of Horizons. Screenshot: Pokémon anime, HZ100 “We Are the Rising Volt Tacklers!” · via Bulbapedia
Thirty years of Pokémon. HZ129, in which Roy catches the Black Rayquaza, aired on 27 February 2026, the 30th anniversary of Red and Green; from it TV Tokyo’s broadcasts carry a Captain Pikachu 30th-anniversary logo, and anniversary artwork of the young Tacklers was released after HZ128.
Long gaps. Looker is mentioned for the first time since BW122, 596 episodes and twelve years earlier (HZ113). Cacturne other than Harley’s returns after 861 episodes, Prinplup after 733 and Servine after 575 (HZ090); Shelmet after 610 (HZ098), Mienfoo after 509 (HZ120), Deino after 565 (HZ130) and Gothorita after 426 (HZ131); and the moves Amnesia (HZ112, first since EP066), Metal Burst (HZ119, first since DP108), Encore (HZ131), Giga Drain and Healing Wish (HZ094) after long absences.
Moves at last. Follow Me and Effect Spore (HZ094), Gravity (HZ107), Power Swap (HZ120) and Curse (HZ133) appear in the anime for the first time, and Volt Absorb activates for the first time (HZ115); Curse has the longest gap of any move between its game debut and its animated debut, and in HZ133 a Starmie uses a Psychic attacking move for the first time, 1,358 episodes after EP007.
Number games. Zirc’s ticket number matches Rhydon’s Pokédex number, 0112 (HZ103); Starmie, #0121, debuts as Friede’s partner in HZ121, broadcast on 12 December; and Captain Pikachu’s Flying Tera Type echoes the Flying Tera Pikachu given away in Scarlet and Violet from 18 November 2022 to 28 February 2023.
Firsts for Liko and Dot. Liko’s win over Katy is the first time a female main character has beaten a Gym Leader in a non-Tag Battle (HZ098); her Charcadet is the first non-starter Fire type caught by a female main character since Serena’s Fennekin (HZ102), and its evolution the first item evolution by a female main character since Misty’s Politoed (HZ124). Hatterene is the first main character’s non-starter to evolve in two different regions (HZ118).
Ult and Roy. Ult was first revealed in CoroCoro Comic (on sale 14 March 2025), he calls himself ore-sama in Japanese, and his name comes from “ultra” and “ultimate”. Roy is the first main character other than Ash to use Aura (HZ091), the first Trainer in the anime to Mega Evolve a Pokémon he did not own (HZ114) and the first main character to use two battle techniques in one episode (HZ129).
The ending as an insert. “Asleep or Awake” plays with on-screen credits inside HZ125 — the first episode since JN147 to use an ending theme that way — and again over HZ136’s credits, and HZ116’s “Only One Story” instrumental is the first insert-song instrumental since JN147.
A record card. Mega Zygarde ex (Perfect Order 47), released on 27 March 2026, has 310 HP — the highest of any tournament-legal Basic Pokémon card — and Mega Starmie ex from the same set featured in the Official Pokémon YouTube channel’s ten-hour April Fools’ stream of 2026.
The UK went first. BBC iPlayer premiered every episode except HZ101 ahead of Netflix, finishing the season on 20 July 2026, two months before Netflix’s Part 4 on 18 September.
Behind the scenes. OLM’s Team Kumemura animated every episode under chief director Daiki Tomiyasu, who storyboarded HZ121, and director Saori Den, who storyboarded and co-directed the finale and is succeeded by Makoto Nakata from HZ137. Kureha Matsuzawa wrote 23 of the 47 episodes, including every one from HZ130 to the finale, and Dai Satō, the series construction writer, wrote the premiere two-parter.
Not the end. The season closes the Laquium and Explorers saga begun in HZ001, but not the series: HZ136 ends with a preview of Wonder Voyage, which began in Japan on 22 May 2026, and the English Season 4, Wonders Ahead, arrives on Netflix on 27 February 2027.
Games and cards. The English card sets of the season’s run — Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order, Chaos Rising, Pitch Black and 30th Celebration — carried Mega Dragonite ex, Mega Hawlucha ex, Mega Lucario ex, Mega Starmie ex, Mega Zygarde ex, Pecharunt, Terapagos ex, Armarouge and an Emma Supporter card; see our TCG section.

Reception

Ratings and viewing. No Japanese ratings have been found for the season, and Netflix has published no viewing figures; neither What’s on Netflix nor Netflix Junkie reported a Netflix Top 10 entry for any of the four parts.

Coverage. The season was covered as release news rather than reviewed: Famitsu and Oricon reported the Mega Voltage reveal (14 March 2025), and What’s on Netflix, Netflix Junkie, GoNintendo, PokéJungle and the Bulbagarden forums followed the Netflix announcement and each of its parts. No critical reviews of the season, its finale or individual episodes have been found, and it has won no known awards.

Promotion and fans. In Japan the arcs were promoted with key visuals and with trailers in place of the end corner, special illustrations for HZ100 and guest illustrations by Oku (HZ116) and Nao (HZ117) on the anime’s X account, matchup cards for HZ127’s four battles posted before broadcast, and 30th-anniversary artwork of the young Tacklers after HZ128; a Pokémon GO trailer replaced the end corner of HZ092, and a Horizons celebration event returned to the game on 2 September 2026. MyAnimeList and IMDb scores for the season could not be checked for this page.

Continue the journey with Pokémon Horizons: Season 4—Wonders Ahead, the Wonder Voyage arc that began in Japan with HZ137 on 22 May 2026 and comes to Netflix in the US on 27 February 2027, go back to Horizons Season 2: Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua, or browse every season of the Pokémon anime.