#he's already protected liko and her pokemon several times

[rainb0wfish]

mark my words he will get his redemption arc and join the family. he has to. there's no way he won't right

[amelikos]

Some character and episode notes from HZ006, writing them down for future reference! I wrote a separate post regarding Amethio.

- Liko called Amethio by name during her narration at the beginning of the episode. It’s the first time she does and I’ve been really curious about how she would address him. Amethio called Liko “Liko-san” in HZ001 and that was also the only time he called her by name. Keeping track of how characters refer to each other.

- Amethio takes Liko and Roy seriously as opponents (he doesn’t taunt them about their difference in power), which I like. Liko doesn’t feel like she could win just yet (and I like that this is something she actually thinks about and that she doesn’t overestimate herself), but she still wants to battle together with Roy and tries to think up of a strategy. I think they’ll want to grow stronger to be able to protect themselves against The Explorers in the future, so I hope they’ll improve together. 

- Friede doesn’t like being called a professor but he said in this episode that as a professor, the mystery around Rayquaza intrigue him so he wants to investigate. Also, Roy’s grandpa found the Ancient Pokeball on the beach when he was young (so it was a coincidence) but didn’t really seem interested in finding out more about it? Meanwhile, Roy was always curious and had the mind of an adventurer. I am also curious about how Liko’s grandma got the pendant: did she find it randomly or was it passed down on to her?

- It was cute how Lizardon gave Hogator the Pokeball to encourage it to become Roy’s partner! I like the dynamics between these two. Hogator looks up to Lizardon and in turn, Lizardon really watches over Hogator. I wonder if Roy and Friede will have this kind of dynamics as well. They had nice bits already: Friede congratulating Roy for becoming a trainer (and encouraging him several times), and including him in the crew at the end by giving him the task of raising the Brave Asagi flag.

- I liked the whole scene with Roy telling Hogator his feelings, that he doesn’t want to say goodbye yet and wants to keep singing together. And Hogator giving Roy the Pokeball, showing that it wants to become Roy’s partner too. The way Roy sings Hogator’s song in joy after catching it too! It was heartwarming. They are both so genuine and I’m looking forward to their growth. Liko was so happy for them too. Also, I guess Roy is the first trainer on his island? 

- Roy felt unsure whether his grandpa would let him go on a journey. I actually like this kind of hesitation since usually it’s rarely questioned to let kids go on a journey like that in the anime. Roy’s grandpa could see through him and knew that Roy would want to go on a journey, he just wanted to hear Roy’s resolve clearly. He is supportive! Roy used the word “dream” too (when he used the word “plan” before that). I also like the distinction between Roy’s dream and Hogator’s dream. Roy has his own dream of finding Legendary Pokemon, and Hogator has his own dream of becoming stronger like Lizardon. It’s neat when Pokemon have their own wishes like that. Trainers and Pokemon both helping each other reach their respective dreams. 

- It stood out to me that Liko attributed her meetings with everyone to her grandmother’s pendant at the end. Perhaps she sees it like fate? It’s interesting because she takes into account the positive meetings and we know that she is going to meet other people (like Spinel) who are after her because of the pendant. And she met Amethio through the pendant too. There are many types of connections through the pendant. Also, I like when Roy corrected himself and said “our adventure starts here” (and not just “my adventure”), like he is including Hogator and Liko too. Overall, I enjoyed the setup of Liko and Roy’s dynamics. Liko was more assertive than I thought she would be by encouraging Roy to take a step forward and sharing what she learned with Nyaoha with Roy and Hogator. They click together well. 

[amelikos]

Some character and episode notes from HZ004, writing them down for future reference!

- Liko being happy to be given something to do on the ship is neat, she really seems like she wants to learn to do things by herself, help out and not just be protected etc. She did say in the first episode that she wanted to learn about things she doesn’t know and she is doing just that, at her own pace. I am hoping Friede will teach her other things in the future. I also like that Liko is still keeping up her Nyahoja Observation Diary as she really wants to get to know her partner Pokemon better.

- Little scenes showing off the Pokemon’s personalities are always fun to see (and something I really enjoy about the anime in general), so Hogator playing with Lizardon was cute. The reveal that Hogator looks up to Lizardon was also nice, and I like how Liko remembered a scene from HZ002, with Hogator running up to Lizardon and being happy to see it when it came back on the ship. We also got Hogator mimicking Lizardon and trying to produce fire in HZ002, so it’s nice that there was buildup for this Pokemon dynamics. I do wonder if this will also parallel Friede and Roy’s relationship once Roy joins the crew, as Roy seemed impressed by Friede’s skills and mentioned that he looks up to Trainers.

- I like how Liko deals with the search for Hogator. First asking Murdock, then asking the Rotom Dex, and then asking the rest of the crew before following Nyahoja. Methodical and I like how we get insights about Hogator each time (that it was trying to sneak food, that it looks up to Lizardon, and that it enjoys singing). 

- Roy seems to be taking online classes as well. I like that so far, the series brings up the school aspect and that these kids go to school and learn, actually. He seems to have classmates from different regions, which is nice, the world feels more connected. He mentioned that he watched some videos about other places but he’s never left his island. That’s a similarity he shares with Liko, as she didn’t leave Paldea before going to school in Kanto. 

- There are two things which stood out to me about Roy: he uses boku to refer to himself, and he doesn’t seem to talk about dreams. The boku thing was a bit surprising for me since I kind of expected him to be the type to use ore (adventurous and seemingly an extravert type of character, etc). For example, Amethio could have been the type to use boku since he seems more put together and has a professional facade but he uses ore. I feel like Roy using boku already says something about his character (usually in Pokemon, male protagonists use ore). Moreover, when his classmates ask him what he wants to do, Roy says that he doesn’t know (similarly to Liko who doesn’t exactly know what she wants to do and doesn’t have a precise dream but knows she wants to learn many things). Then, Roy adds that he has a “plan”. Not a dream, but a plan. And it is a pattern since he repeats that word several times in the episode, saying he needs a partner Pokemon to pull off that plan and later in the episode, mentioning to Hogator that he has a plan. I wonder if he’ll eventually mention the word “dream”? It feels very intentional that he doesn’t use that word. Perhaps a lack of confidence? Roy mentions that his grandfather and others say that “everywhere is the same” (perhaps implying that there is no need to go on a grand adventure or that his grandfather doesn’t want him to put himself at risk?), so perhaps he doesn’t talk about his plan to others? He built a secret base for himself too, so maybe he doesn’t want to talk openly about his aspirations to his grandfather? I guess we’ll learn soon. 

- Roy only seems to have his grandfather as relative so far. I wonder if something happened to his parents? He only mentioned “living here with Gramps” and didn’t mention anyone else. I also like the hints being set up for a potential Friede backstory as he seems to know Roy’s grandfather. At least this way, when Roy eventually joins the Rising Volt Tacklers, it’ll be easier for his grandfather to entrust his safety to someone he actually knows rather than to someone he doesn’t. Roy and his grandfather seem to have a good relationship from the bits we’ve seen (Roy cheerfully greeting him good morning in HZ003 when he left the house, and seemingly being able to play around in the island). His grandfather seems to have a bit of a strict side as seen with Friede, and also seems to be respected on the island as he is called “Elder” by someone and is asked about the Pokemon going on a rampage. So it seems people go to him for guidance? Either way, I think that if Roy mentions wanting to go on a trip, his grandfather will refuse at first and will eventually have to be convinced, as we’ve seen something potentially hinting at that in the preview for HZ005. 

- The dynamics between Roy and Hogator was nice, and I enjoyed the buildup. Roy trying to encourage it to sing and helping with his confidence was good (and I wonder if Roy will eventually have to be helped to be more confident as well?). They seem to work well together and Roy seems to have quick thinking too. He also recognized Strike’s cry directly after hearing it (which implies that he has a good memory and seems to be knowledgeable about the little quirks of the Pokemon living on his island). 

- Liko and Roy seem to have an interesting dynamics so far too and the connection between the pendant and the ancient Pokeball is an intriguing one. I do like the parallels between them (Liko receiving her pendant from her grandmother, Roy receiving his Pokeball from his grandfather). I look forward to them both growing together as Trainers. It was also really cute how they both had the same thought at the end, which was to gather food for the Pokemon to properly make up for Hogator eating all of it. They’re really thoughtful! 

- I also liked the way Friede dealt with the agitated Pokemon. He doesn’t engage in battle and tells Lizardon that his fire would make things worse so he is thinking about the Pokemon’s safety. And he finds a way to calm them down and then properly feeds them. Since he was investigating the problem, it seemed he guessed that the Pokemon on a rampage needed food and brought berries with him. He really is a professor~ And he thanks Roy for helping Liko and the Pokemon. Liko calls him “Friede-san” too!

- Soulblades casually being out of its Pokeball at the end with Amethio is cool to see. I like seeing trainers with their partner Pokemon, and they do seem close. I hope we’ll see more of their bond (like how they met, or something). I also wonder who Amethio was talking to (he didn’t say his name), but it seems to be someone who can report to a superior. At least we got another name, “Gibeon”, and given the way the butler (?) calls him with the -sama suffix, it looks like it’s the boss (and the one who wants the pendant anyway). Amethio not wanting to report anything right away was curious, I wonder if he only wants to report once he’s got actual results to show. Seeing how Liko and Roy seem to have important bonds with relatives (grandmother and grandfather respectively), I wonder if Amethio will have some kind of family bond too.

[amelikos]

Some character notes and episode notes for HZ024, writing them down for future reference.

I wrote about Amethio and Terapagos here, and Amethio and Hamber here.

Nyahoja sulking and being jealous of Liko's attention being on Mibrim and Terapagos was cute, I like how it's just really a cat and how Liko was speaking gently and trying to get Nyahoja to follow her to introduce it to her grandma. While Nyahoja was the one who encouraged Mibrim to join Liko because both of them were too shy to make the first move (so it wasn't opposed to a new Pokemon befriending them), it's understandably probably overwhelmed at seeing a new Pokemon joining Liko soon after Mibrim joined them. Nyahoja probably thinks it's being replaced. Also, I just like how Liko carries all her Pokemon around with her and doesn't make them go inside their Pokeballs. It makes the world feel much more alive and I just enjoy seeing Pokemon as part of the world in mundane ways!

Seeing more of the Explorers is always good. It seems like Spinel and Agate are working together in a lab, which is interesting to know. Perhaps they are investigating more of the pendant's properties? We haven't seen the Explorers working with others much, except for Amethio (who works with Zir and Conia) and when Spinel was introduced, he was operating alone and seems like the type who handles things better when he is alone. So I wonder how he acts when he has to work with someone else. I do hope we'll get to see more of Spinel and Agate eventually. Spinel was already analyzing the pendant in HZ015, and Agate was the one asking him more about it in HZ016 during the Explorers meeting so she was already showing interest in the research side of things before.

Sango and Onyx argue with each other. It seems like no one in the Explorers is giving each other a break ww They quickly stop protesting once Hamber calls them out, so it seems like they respect his authority. It's also cool seeing them both around with their partners Pokemon! Again, it makes the world feel much more alive and it shows their bond with them too.

Liko and the others took the train to go to Knuckle City. It's kind of fun that Friede was the one sleeping during the ride, while Liko and Roy didn't.

Liko talks about her grandmother while they're all taking a secret passage to go to the castle. She explains that the last time she saw her was a year before the current events when she was accepted into Sekiei Academy. Her grandmother gave her the pendant as a good-luck charm then. So Liko had the pendant for a year at this point. Liko looks up to her grandmother and thinks she is cool and explains that she is always traveling with Pokemon, looking for ancient ruins and sunken ships and other things like that.

I liked Diana's description of Liko, telling Nyahoja that Liko can be more stubborn than she looks and that she is kind. I hope we'll get to see more of Liko's stubborn aspects! Nyahoja was wary and tried to scratch Diana though. Also, it's kind of interesting that Diana's main partner seems to be Windie (a dog), while Liko's partner is Nyahoja (a cat).

Lots of Pokemon live in the castle with Diana. They are wild Pokemon for the most part and can choose to leave if they want to, or stay if they like it there. Friede points out that it's like the Brave Asagi. I like that we've seen several instances of Pokemon who live with humans who aren't necessarily their trainers. Roy's island was like that, the Brave Asagi is too, and now Diana's castle. Diana lives a carefree life by herself and her Pokemon.

Diana apologizes for getting Liko caught up in the Explorers business. We get more clarification about the timeline. Diana was approached by the Explorers a few months before the beginning of the series, so she didn't know Liko would be in trouble when she gave her the pendant. She immediately contacted Lucca who then hired the Rising Volt Tacklers to protect Liko.

Liko explains that the pendant turned into a Pokemon and Diana recognizes it as Terapagos. Diana never realized that it was sleeping all this time in the pendant. She mentions Lucius's records and how Terapagos looks different from what she saw there. She also explains that Terapagos traveled with Lucius.

Diana liking canned food because it's practical and there are no plates to wash afterwards... liking the way she lives!

Either way, Diana tells her story. She found the pendant and records written by Lucius in an old suitcase in her attic when she was a kid. She wondered if the records were true and who Lucius really was and she set off on a journey to find out more about it. She looked all over the world and investigated but didn't find anything. She gave up thirty years before the story started. However, despite admitting that she gave up, she doesn't regret anything. She became the adventurer she is today thanks to the pendant and Lucius's story, and found a true passion in it. After all, she is still traveling now and enjoys adventures as much as when she started.

Diana mentions that she was contacted by an old friend a few months before the current events. Her old friend being Hamber. This is really interesting to me. How long have they been friends? (perhaps they were exes ww) I hope we get to see more of their bond. Apparently, Hamber wanted to introduce her to someone who could aid her in her adventures (certainly Gibeon), so it seems to imply that Diana has quite a reputation as an adventurer? Since Gibeon would have probably known that she had the pendant and that she was looking to solve its mystery? The Explorers had to know on some level that Diana is an adventurer and investigated a lot of things related to the pendant.

Terapagos reacts to the mention of "Rakua" and Diana explains that it's the paradise Lucius sought.

I am not sure if Liko is a descendant to Lucius at the moment. Diana's family having the pendant and records in their attic could be a case similar to Mohn in Sun and Moon when he found Magearna in a shop and decided to take her back home. So maybe Diana's family randomly found the pendant somewhere (in a shop or something) and just took it. It's a possibility and I'm waiting for a confirmation. Diana had the pendant during decades and Terapagos remained dormant. Though Liko had it for a year and a lot of things happened since Terapagos awakened and the Six Heroes are showing up one after the other, and the pendant resonates in her presence.

Terapagos feeling a strong surge of emotions upon seeing Amethio is a Mood. Just like me fr.

Amethio ends up casually intruding in the castle. He intruded in the Brave Asagi in HZ002 so it's interesting that he is doing the same kind of thing for the climax, especially since the castle has been paralleled with the Brave Asagi (both being similar since a lot of wild Pokemon live there). I already wrote about Terapagos's reaction to Amethio but it was really curious and I hope we'll know a bit more about it next week. Mibrim conveyed how strong Terapagos's reactions were since she got excited, ran around and fell down because of the surge of emotions Terapagos was expressing. Amethio is definitely more involved than initially thought in this mystery.

Overall, this was great. I absolutely love Diana, especially as an older woman character. She is bold, curious, adventurous, fun and just cool! I like how carefree she is and the way she enjoys life and adventure. No wonder Liko looks up to her so much. I do hope she'll get to know more about Terapagos and Rakua because she spent so many years traveling in order to know more but didn't really find anything so I hope Liko will be able to tell her about these things, just like how her grandmother's stories inspired her. Her grandmother inspiring her and Liko giving back in her own way would be great to see.