#hz034

[amelikos]

It's interesting how the episode highlighted the themes of inheritance and passing on the torch through both Amethio and Liko receiving something (a Terastal Orb, meant to make Amethio stronger, and an adventure log, meant to guide Liko further) from Hamber and Diana respectively.

Roy got his Ancient Pokeball from his grandfather, Liko got her pendant (now turned Terapagos) from her grandmother, and Amethio got a Terastal Orb from Hamber (he is probably not related to him but still an elder figure in his life).

To a lesser extent, because Nanjamo isn't as old as the grandparents figures, Nanjamo is a kind of "senpai" figure to Dot in terms of video making and being a livestreamer and the episode highlighted that too (since she asks Liko and Roy to take care of Dot for her). Dot looks up to her and Nanjamo is clearly happy to see her making friends.

Either way, that's why the situation with Amethio feels different from Liko and Roy to me because his setting intentionally goes against the themes set up for them. In their cases, they are given options and gently pushed forward. Liko and Roy had Diana and Friede protecting them against Rayquaza in HZ033, Amethio was alone. Liko and Roy come out of their training against Diana feeling much more optimistic and realizing that they still have potential to grow, while Amethio comes out of his own training aware of his limits and feeling like he is not enough. Liko and Roy are encouraged to follow their own dreams, while Amethio is trying to fulfill someone else's wish. Rakua is Gibeon's wish, not Amethio's.

I really wonder what direction they'll take now, especially since Amethio is encouraged to continue on his current path (a path fueled by frustration and hastiness so far).. His scene in the opening mentions running towards his own future.

[smilingperformer]

Amethio got teraorb 👀

[rising-volteccers]

So this is just a self indulgent piece exploring a silly idea I had, where Friede latches on to the closest warm object when he's out of it. Thanks to @gem-in-the-horizon for giving me the idea to write up a sort of 5+1 piece and for inspiration on some of the scenes written here! I decided to fully embrace the self indulgence by framing some parts from the perspective of polycule Volt Tacklers (a ship between Friede, Orla, Mollie and Murdock) + a bit of Friede being a dad towards Roy haha!

Oh and Amethio gets to suffer a little too. Anyway, hopefully it's an enjoyable read! Spoilers for HZ033-HZ034.

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Ludlow, Orla, Mollie, Murdock, Roy and Amethio

---

Ludlow was no stranger to how unpredictable the seas could be. Seeing a smattering of gray clouds in the distance, he knew it was time to leave. While it was a shame to cut their fishing trip short, Ludlow preferred to be on land when the storm inevitably hits.

“Huh? We're heading back already, Gramps?” Friede questioned once he stored away his fishing rod.

“Mmhmm. The weather's changing. No sailor wants to be out on stormy seas if they could help it,” Ludlow explained, shuffling his way past Friede towards the helm.

“It's going to storm? Doesn't look like it.”

“Hohoho. You best not underestimate nature.” Ludlow’s hands were on the wheel. He lifted his head, peering at the clouds slowly encroaching. After a beat of silence, he opted to release his trusty Quagsire.

“We might need your help soon, my friend,” Ludlow spoke to his Quagsire. The amphibious Pokemon waddled past Friede who joined Ludlow by the helm. 

“Is it really going to get that bad?” Ludlow caught the undercurrent of worry in his voice. He turned to look over his shoulder, his thick mustache lifting alongside the smile he flashed towards Friede.

“Don't worry. I'll make sure we get back to shore safely.”

True to Ludlow's claim earlier, they were met with rough, choppy waves once the storm fully rolled in. He masterfully steered the Asagi–with Quagsire’s aid in guiding through larger waves–back to Porto Marinada. 

Once he docked the Asagi by the main port, only then did Ludlow release his hands from the steering wheel. Shoulders slumped alongside his soft sigh, it took several seconds for him to recall Friede's presence.

Looking behind him, Ludlow spotted his young charge huddled by the corner, knees drawn to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. It didn't take much for Ludlow to realize that this was possibly a terrifying experience for him. They were never out on the seas with anything less than perfect weather before this after all. 

Feeling his heart twinge with concern, Ludlow shuffled his way towards Friede. He gently placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

“Friede… it’s alright. We're back–ough!?” Ludlow's eyes briefly flew open when Friede's arms suddenly wound up around his small frame. Pulled against his chest, Ludlow didn't even think about struggling once he noticed the light trembles.

Ludlow relaxed his body to make it a bit more comfortable for himself. He raised a hand to gently pat Friede's back, offering quiet assurances for however long it took for him to calm down.

–

When Orla poked her head into the meeting room, her gaze softened upon spotting Friede fast asleep on the spare couch. From the scattered pieces of paper all over the ground, it seemed that he really was studying hard to earn his pilot license.

On the days where Orla worked on turning a fool’s dream into reality, Friede busied himself in Rustboro’s flight school, clocking in his flight hours and doing tests every other week. He returned periodically, both to see her progress and let her know of his own, all beaming smiles and wild hand gestures that never failed to draw out Orla’s own smile. His excitement was infectious, while his genuine awe and gratitude at her handiwork caused warmth to blossom in her chest. 

Quietly closing the door behind her, Orla got to work in picking up the papers, stacking them on the table so she didn't accidentally step on it. After that, she grabbed a spare blanket from the pile of boxes tucked at a corner before making her way back to the couch.

Looking down at his slumbering form, she couldn't help but find him rather cute like this. Messy bangs covered one side of his face, lips parted slightly from the soft snores slipping out–she just about resisted the urge to reach out and brush back his bangs.

Orla briefly shook her head, then began the process of carefully draping the blanket over him.

When Friede shifted underneath it, she froze, hands still on the blanket. Orla looked at his face to see golden eyes slowly opening, blinking a couple of times before they flickered to her.

“Orla?” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

“Hey Friede, sorry for waking you up,” she began in a whispered voice. “I was just–”

Orla didn't get to finish her sentence. Faster than she could react, arms suddenly shot up from underneath the blanket, wrapping themselves around her back before pulling her down. 

She let out an undignified yelp, just about throwing her hands out to prevent a collision with Friede's chest. Orla’s heart rate picked up when she realized the position she was in; half sprawled over Friede, her cheek pressed against his torso. 

“F-Friede! What are you–!?” she squeaked, feeling her cheeks warm up. Orla tried to push herself up but Friede's arms trapped her in place. 

“Mmm… warm…” came his confusing response before his breaths evened out, falling back into slumber. 

Orla took a few deep breaths to calm down. Right, so it seemed that in his half awakened state, Friede decided to latch onto the closest warm object. She knew of his sensitivity to the cold, craving warmth even if he was struck by a simple breeze. That was why she wanted to cover him with the blanket, knowing full well that he'd whine about it later.

She knew that the best course of action was to pry herself loose from his arms. Orla still had a lot of work to do if she wanted to finish the airship on schedule.

Yet when an experimental wiggle prompted Friede to rest his cheek atop her head, mumbling cutely about passing his tests, she didn't have it in her to disturb his slumber.

Orla heaved out a deep, resigned sigh. Despite her feelings on the matter, a smile still curled her lips. Might as well get comfy if she had to play the part of an oversized Teddiursa bear.

(When his steady heartbeat eventually lulled her to sleep, Orla found herself dreaming of her childhood, to a time when they were two small kids with big dreams, where their whole worlds revolved around one another).

–

With a small paper bag tucked underneath her arm, Mollie exited the infirmary with her Chansey toddling behind her. She headed towards the living quarters located on the lower deck, passing by several of the wild Pokemon that opted to join them on their travels. Mollie flashed them a light smile before schooling her features once she spotted Orla standing outside.

“Hey, thanks for keeping watch,” Mollie said in lieu of greeting. “He didn't try to make an escape again, did he?”

“No problem! And nope, think he got the message last time. Or at least he’s finally exhausted himself enough to just stay in bed,” Orla replied, slightly shaking her head. “Honestly, he should have done that in the first place but…”

“You and I both know that he's incapable of staying still for long. Still, he needs plenty of rest if he wants to recover quickly.”

Mollie quickly learnt that Friede, when under the weather, became quite the menace of a patient. She wanted to believe that he wasn't intentionally crossing her orders but she could only take so much of his escape attempts before enough was enough. 

She had a responsibility for the health and safety of this ship's occupants, which included making sure the sick stay in bed even when they really didn't want to. Luckily they were docked for a few days while waiting for Friede to get better, so Mollie employed Orla's aid whenever she had to grab stuff from the infirmary. 

“It's pretty quiet in there so my guess is that he really did fall asleep. Means you'd have to wake him up.”

“Shouldn't be too hard,” Mollie uttered, passing by Orla to give gentle raps on the door. From the lack of a response, she slowly pushed it open and peeked her head inside. 

True to Orla's assumption, Friede was fast asleep on his bed. He had his back to the wall, giving Mollie easy access to his peaceful, dozing expression. 

Momentarily she felt guilty to wake him up but it was necessary that he took the medicine on time. Mollie switched on the light before crossing the short distance to his bed.

Looming over his form, Mollie placed a hand on Friede's shoulder, giving it a few light shakes. 

“Friede, wake up.”

“Mmm…?” It appeared that she roused him from his slumber. Friede raised a clumsy hand to swipe at his face, yawning.

“C’mon, it's time for–”

Mollie would deny that she made any sort of noise when Friede, faster than she could react, reached up to wrap his arms around her. She’d insist that she did not squeak upon realizing the precarious position of being on top of him flushed against this chest. It was just the surprise that increased her heart rate, the close proximity to his fevered skin that made her cheeks warm.

Mollie had little chance to free herself. Friede already had more (defined) muscle mass in the first place. His surprisingly strong grip with his (toned) arms reminded her of an Octillery that caught its prey (not that she'd see herself as one but–)

“Orla help!”

“Mollie? What happened–oh.” Orla had rushed in at the call but paused once she took in the sight. Much to Mollie's rising embarrassment, Orla stifled her giggles behind a gloved hand.

“It's Friede he just–grabbed me like this!”

“Yeah he does that sometimes. When he's out of it, he tends to grab the nearest warm object within arm's length. In this case, I'd say you were unfortunate. Or maybe fortunate…?”

Mollie didn't think it was possible for her cheeks to get any redder. In any case, Orla did eventually help her out (but not before snapping a photo). 

–

“Hey Murdock. Muuuurrdooock…”

Murdock paused in his task of drying off the plates. He mentally counted down from three in his head before looking over his shoulder, expression schooled into a light smile. 

“Yes Friede? What is it this time?”

“Nothing. Just wanna–wanna say you’re preeetttyyy….”

Arceus above please grant him strength. Murdock fought to keep his smile in place even as warmth crept up his cheeks. He nodded once in response, then went back to his task before any more distractions cropped up.

Who would've thought that Friede was such a lightweight? After the success of a rather lucrative mission, the crew decided to celebrate. Murdock had the chance to make some nice cocktails as a rare treat, though nothing too strong as per Mollie's request.

It became apparent after the first glass that Friede didn't hold his drink very well. He became a rather giggly sort of drunk, spouting off whatever that came to mind. So not too different from his usual self. 

Except he lacked even more of a filter, or maybe he was honestly revealing his true thoughts when he waxed tales of how beautiful Orla’s eyes were, how much he loved Mollie's hair and–oh boy, did Friede have some words to share about him.

Murdock tried not to melt underneath the barrage of drunken compliments. It didn't help that Mollie and Orla joined him, being in various degrees of tipsiness themselves. Though not as nearly gone as Friede.

In the end, Murdock convinced his partners to get some rest before they partied too hard. After he made them drink some water first, that left him alone with Friede, who was far too sloshed to make it to his room safely. Murdock wouldn't put it past him to trip and break his leg or something in his drunken stumble.

Hearing him babble about anything and everything was rather endearing, albeit distracting. Especially when Friede felt the need to call for him, just to spout off a compliment about how pretty he was for the umpteenth time. 

It never failed to make Murdock feel a tad embarrassed, not used to such words given to him. He was still finding his place in this relationship, and while he didn't feel like he lacked anything in comparison skill wise, he just didn't think he was as physically attractive as his partners. 

So while Friede was influenced by alcohol in his system, Murdock didn't doubt the sincerity of his words. That was one of the reasons he fell for his captain in the first place after all.

Eventually, Murdock cleaned the kitchen enough to be satisfied. The only thing left to do was to bring Friede back to his room before retiring to his own quarters for the night.

Murdock approached his drunken partner, who by that point had fallen into a light doze. Friede rested his chin atop folded arms, a healthy flush coloring his cheeks. Maybe Murdock could see about having him drink water too later. 

For now, he gently placed a hand on Friede's shoulder, giving it a light shake. That appeared to rouse him, so Murdock got a nice view of Friede blinking sleepily, one hand clumsily swiping at his eyes.

“Hey, how about we get you to–woah!” Contrary to how he looked, Friede's reflexes didn't match his drunken state. Murdock suddenly had to offset the abrupt weight clinging to his front, his arms automatically wrapping themselves around Friede.

“Murdock! Murdooockk missed you!” Friede giggled, and Murdock just about short circuited when he felt the nuzzling against this chest. He didn't think it was possible to get any redder than he did earlier but clearly, he was mistaken.

After he took a few breaths to calm down, Murdock decided that it'd be a waste of effort to try and get Friede to let go. He heard stories of how strong his grip could be, and Murdock just didn't have the energy to deal with that right now.

So what he ended up doing was hooked his arms beneath Friede, pulling him up further so Murdock could carry him. At the shift in position, Friede wound up wrapping his arms around Murdock's neck, resting his cheek against the crook of it, still giggling softly.

“Murdock. Muuuurrdooock. Love you…”

While Friede might not remember this in the morning, Murdock still responded with, “Love you too.”

–

Crossing paths with the Rising Volt Tacklers meant an inevitable clash against their infuriating captain. Amethio wasted no time in issuing his challenge when he came across Friede, who foolishly parted from his crew upon realizing his approach.

“No need to drag anyone else in this. This shouldn't take too long,” came his simple reply, lips set in a challenging smirk.

Amethio’s left eye twitched from that taunt, though he kept himself composed to release Ceruledge. Friede mirrored him by bringing out his Charizard. For a moment, no one issued any commands, both Trainer and Pokemon staring down their respective opponents.

Friede broke the stalemate by ordering a Dragon Claw. Amethio ordered Ceruledge to block it, thus activating its Weak Armor. Now with the speed advantage, he had Ceruledge use Psycho Cut to create some distance.

Predictably, Friede ordered Charizard to pull back in order to dodge the psychic blade. 

“Night Slash!” Amethio took that brief moment by having Ceruledge press its advantage, dashing towards Charizard with its glowing arm blades. 

“Tch–Air Slash! Don't let it get close!” 

Charizard did as such, its wings briefly glowing white before a bevy of air slashes were fired off towards Ceruledge. 

“Now, use Phantom Force!” 

Ceruledge parried one of the air slashes with its blade before jumping back towards the formed portal. Both Charizard and Friede paused, eyes going this way and that to seek out where Ceruledge would pop out. 

“There! Spin tail before using Dragon Claw!” Just as Ceruledge emerged behind Charizard, the dual-type spun around, using its hefty tail to nail Ceruledge. Though before it could follow that up with Dragon Claw, Ceruledge's Weak Armor activated, granting it another speed boost to just barely avoid those glowing claws.

“Psycho Cut! Don't give it any breathing room!”

Ceruledge first jumped back to create distance once again. Then it fired off several blades of psychic energy towards Charizard.

What Amethio didn't take into account was the Pokemon’s distance from Friede. Charizard dodged or parried most of the Psycho Cuts but one did veer dangerously close to Friede. 

Amethio saw how the older Trainer dodged, causing the blade to hit the bush behind him instead. There was a miniature explosion from the impact, though nothing that would stop the pair from their battle. 

That was, until an angry looking Shiinotic popped out from the damaged bush. Amethio found himself calling out a warning instead when the Grass-type puffed up.

Friede turned around just in time to get a face full of glowing spores. Charizard and Ceruledge paused in their battle at the eruption of coughs, and Amethio felt a small chill trail down his spine when moments later, Friede just… collapsed. 

As much as he wanted to beat him, Amethio didn't want Friede to actually get hurt. His steps carried him towards Friede's fallen form while Charizard angrily chased after the Shiinotic, furious at its attack on its Trainer.

Amethio fell to his knees, eyes immediately roving over still body. At least Friede seemed to be breathing based on the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He couldn't tell how badly affected Friede was from the spore so Amethio took off a glove, intending to check for his pulse.

That proved to be a huge mistake on his end. The moment Amethio leaned in and had two fingers to the side of Friede's neck, an arm suddenly shot up to wrap around his waist. Moments later, Amethio collided against Friede's chest when the guy abruptly pulled him close. 

That moment knocked the breath out of Amethio but it didn't take long before he started struggling.

“What are you–let me go!” he snarled, any hints of concern evaporating once he heard the soft snores. This guy was just fast asleep! How dare he grab him like this?

Amethio didn't expect such strength from Friede's lanky arms. No matter how much he struggled, the guy held on like a Grapploct. Even Ceruledge just sort of stood nearby, uncharacteristically hesitant in the face of its Trainer’s desperation.

Briefly Amethio considered ordering Ceruledge to Bitter Blade Friede's butt into next Sunday but his pesky morals kept buzzing at the back of his mind. He released an aggravated sigh, then redoubled his efforts into freeing himself from the Vice Grip. 

At some point, Amethio thought that getting into a different position would give him enough wiggle room to slip out. His plan of rolling on their side backfired horribly when Friede (who remained infuriatingly asleep) lazily rolled half on top of Amethio instead, one leg now pinning both of Amethio's in place.

As if to add insult to injury, Friede lightly nuzzled the top of Amethio's head, messing up his hair.

Only Ceruledge saw how apoplectic with rage he became. If Amethio elbowed the guy in the stomach or kneed him at a spot where the sun didn't shine, well, it was entirely deserved.

Maybe if he got lucky, Amethio could get out of this mess before anyone saw him. 

(He was not lucky. Amethio very nearly considered asking for Spinel’s expertise in erasing a snapped picture that now existed in one of the RVTs Rotom Phones but he wasn't that desperate. Yet).

–

After his talk with Diana, Friede quietly left the observation deck, mind filled with various thoughts. Today had been more action packed than usual, filled with danger that they narrowly avoided.

Had Terapagos not… shifted like it did, Friede wasn't keen on their chances of getting past Rayquaza unscathed. He already had his hands full in keeping Roy back, and after the Legendary became enraged at Amethio's abrupt challenge, he didn't think even Charizard and Cap could stop its rampage. 

Speaking of Roy, he recalled the surge of fear when he saw the shockwave heading towards the boy. Roy might not have gotten badly hurt but Friede didn't want to risk it, his body surging forward to cover Roy in a protective embrace. 

He remembered the growing frustration of his insistence in fighting Rayquaza. Roy did have a one track mind when it came to the Legendary but he didn't realize it was to the extent of not recognising the danger they were in. While Friede typically supported his goal, that wasn't a moment to let Roy do what he wanted. 

Friede promised his grandfather to keep Roy safe after all.

Above all, Friede couldn't shake off the mild concern at Roy's despondent mood throughout dinner time. Sure it wasn't as lively as usual (unsurprising considering the day they had) but seeing Roy eat only two servings as opposed to his usual three was rather surprising. 

Roy waved off Murdock's worried question, citing his exhaustion for the lack of appetite. No one pushed him about it, so dinner ended with everyone choosing to retire early for the night. 

Well, mostly everyone.

Sighing softly, Friede raised his hand to gently scratch Cap underneath his chin.

“Guess we should get some sleep too, eh Cap?”

At the nod, Friede made his way to the lower deck. Just as he rounded the corner towards the living quarters, he paused in his steps.

There, sitting right outside of his room was Roy. He was hugging Fuecoco to his chest, chin resting atop the Fire-type’s head. Even from where he stood, Friede could tell that the boy was fast asleep.

Now the question was why did he come here? 

Friede quietly approached the boy, glancing down at his half slumped form against the door. He crouched down till he was eye level with Roy before placing a hand on his shoulder, giving it a few light shakes.

“Hey Roy, wake up. It's more comfy to sleep in your room–huh?”

Friede barely had time to react when one of Roy’s arms suddenly shot up, hooking itself behind Friede's neck, his other one still holding on to Fuecoco. Roy then pulled himself close to Friede, tucking himself against his torso.

On Friede's end, he just about kept his balance from the sudden added weight. He remained crouched, one arm going around Roy’s body to keep him secured, an instinctive gesture for the most part.

“Pika?”

“Ah… guess I'm in a bit of a pickle,” he murmured, eyes flickering to Cap. Then it went to Roy, who remained blissfully unaware of the predicament he placed himself in. 

Briefly Friede considered his options. In the end, he decided that it was easier to just bring him back to his room instead of waking him up. With that plan in mind, Friede hooked one arm underneath Roy’s knees. Using the wall for balance, he slowly rose to his feet, carefully adjusting his grip on Roy until he was standing upright.

Roy merely nuzzled his cheek against Friede's chest. Once he got to Roy’s room, getting the boy to let go had been quite the challenge but he managed it in the end. Just as Friede tucked Roy and Fuecoco in, he just about caught faint mumbles that sounded suspiciously like thank you.

Friede didn't know if Roy was even awake but it sparked something warm within his chest, a feeling that he carried with him all the way back to his own room much later.

[hupla222]

Silly Little Summaries HZ031-HZ035

Next up, a batch that I tend to forget about. I have know idea why. I get to watch Amethio lose twice which is always a treat. Anyway, on to the "reviews":

HZ031: Haven’t these people ever heard of sirens?

HZ032: In-Diana advocates for piracy + Team Aqua Admin is a friend now

HZ033: Tofu gets his ass beat by Spaghetti Noodle. Good for him. + Tortellini becomes a big pasta briefly 

HZ034: In-Diana treasure hunts elsewhere + Tofu does something not boring.

Alternate Title: Merryweather dies and no ones cares

Alternate Title: Tofu gets his ass beat by Hamburger. Good for him.

HZ035: Mr. Doctor Professor and SpongeBob sneeze around.

[michaellambert]

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ034

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ034

[amelikos]

Amethio and Hamber's conversation earlier in the episode was kind of interesting since Hamber told Amethio that he taught him all that he could, so it feels like Hamber may have been Amethio's personal "coach" and already battled him several times before and helped him get to his current level. I wonder if this was on Gibeon's orders.

Hamber commenting on Amethio's battle style stood out to me too. This was in response to Amethio commanding Soulblades to grab Yonoir's arm as he was about to use Shadow Punch and not letting it go (I feel like this kind of move reflects Amethio's current state as well: desperate, not letting go of his objective, and stubbornly holding on to it). Hamber seemed surprised about Amethio's battle style being different from usual. I am thinking that this is due to Friede's influence on Amethio. They battled multiple times in chapter 1 and got used to each other's styles and their last battle at the castle had Friede praising Amethio for his ability to adapt to the situation, so I feel like this is a continuation of that? Amethio quickly adapted to the situation, even if it was in an unexpected way for Hamber. Either way, I like that Amethio is changing in some ways thanks to his multiple encounters with Friede and the RVTs. Interacting with Friede through battles has given him the opportunity to witness other options and it impacted him, if only for a little bit. So far it's just his fighting style, but this opens the door for Amethio being influenced further in other ways imo. After all, Hamber was surprised to see this so this was definitely something new for Amethio.

Also, noting that Amethio wonders if Hamber is downplaying him, which is something that already happened a few times when he faced Friede before (in HZ003 and HZ025, for example). Amethio seems to feel inadequate (he did say in this episode that he is still lacking strength), which fuels his desire to prove himself. Every time he's been praised so far (by Friede and Hamber), he initially thought he was being looked down on. It's a pattern. I wonder what made him distrust words like that..

And Hamber initially thinking that he had taught Amethio everything he could at the beginning only to be surprised later by how Amethio has changed while he wasn't looking nicely connects with the scene of Diana telling Liko that she barely recognizes her!

Both Hamber and Diana being impressed by Amethio and Liko, and both Amethio and Liko growing beyond what they expected.. (Though in Liko's case, her changes are positive and allow her to find out more about herself, while in Amethio's case, it still seems like he is not acting for his own sake. I like the opposite trajectories of their journeys and how their directions contrast and intersect in some ways.)

[amelikos]

This was a small moment but I liked the scene when Amethio tells Soulblades to dodge Yonoir's Shadow Ball, and Soulblades cuts Shadow Ball in two with his sword to repel the attack rather than actually dodging it like Amethio asked him to.

And then I realized it's because Amethio was right behind and if Soulblades had actually dodged the attack, the Shadow Ball would have potentially landed close to Amethio and he could have been caught up in the impact of the attack. So Soulblades decided to stay where he was and deflected the attack. He is still fulfilling commands in other ways, but he seems to have his own ideas in mind too.

This reminds me of HZ002 when Soulblades immediately jumped in front of Amethio to protect him from the impact of Nyahoja's Leafage. It's kind of similar now, he is staying in front of Amethio to make sure Amethio isn't getting caught up attacks.

[amelikos]

Amethio encouraging and complimenting Soulblades during his battle against Hamber.

[amelikos]

I was curious about how Amethio would call Hamber since he never referred to any character in the Explorers by their names until now. In chapter 1, the only characters he called by name were Liko and Friede (Liko with the "-san" suffix once in episode 1, and he calls Friede just by his name).

Amethio calls Hamber just by name (no suffix added), while Hamber addresses him (and all the other Explorers) with the "-sama" suffix (a show of respect). Agate also called Hamber by his name when she showed up in the episode. Similarly to the Rising Volt Tacklers, the Explorers members seem to call each other by names for the most part but there is still a hierarchy because Gibeon is addressed differently so far ("Gibeon-sama" by Spinel and Hamber) and Hamber doesn't refer to anyone casually either.

Also, despite being in a scene with Gibeon, they are still carefully avoiding having Amethio address him in any way whatsoever, which is curious.

[amelikos]

The two Pokemon (Rayquaza and Terapagos) who specifically reacted to Amethio upon seeing him are apparently the key to Rakua. Curious.

I wonder if Gibeon knows of any connection Amethio might have to Lucius and his Pokemon? He specifically asked him what he felt when battling Rayquaza. I wonder if Gibeon faced Rayquaza a long time ago and wanted to draw parallels with his own experience (though, timeline wise, it doesn't seem possible since the Six Heroes might have been sealed away a century ago), or if Amethio was supposed to feel something in particular when facing Rayquaza. They also brought up the possibility that Rayquaza might have been testing Amethio or toying with him, so Rayquaza seems to have its own ideas and way of dealing with things.

It also felt like Gibeon had limited time to interact with Amethio, since the audience was short and Hamber mentioned that he had awakened. That was a strange way to phrase it. It seems like Gibeon can only communicate for short periods of time. I wonder where he is communicating from. Maybe he needs Rayquaza and Terapagos to release himself somehow?

[amelikos]

Some character notes and episode notes for HZ034, writing them down for future reference.

Roy suggesting they make a party for Diana after he noticed Liko would be sad when her grandmother leaves was thoughtful of him. I wonder if he misses his grandfather too, even though it was his dream to see more of the world and leave his island.

Kaiden and Ikirinko hanging out together seems so obvious in retrospect since they are both birds, so I'm glad they showed it.

Dot potentially hinting that she (and probably Liko and Roy too?) will eventually use Terastal, since her video doesn't hit right if she hasn't experienced the topic itself... it's like when she couldn't make a video about picnics in episode 13 until she experienced one for herself.

I like that Dot still snaps from time to time, like when her phone was ringing and she was getting annoyed at the sound. I just enjoy these sides of her. Her conversation with Nanjamo was fun too. Nanjamo teased her but she is happy to see her with friends. I wonder if the group will eventually meet Nanjamo IRL since she suggested battling Dot.

The small Pokemon singing Hogator's song for Diana was so cute~ I like the voice acting a lot there. It was nice seeing Potdeath roaming around the ship and playing pranks too. Also, Roy and Dot made a kind of fist bump through the phone after the video made Diana happy, that was a nice detail.

Amethio "caught up" to Friede in a way since he has a Terastal Orb now too.. I wonder if him and Friede will battle again eventually, and what Soublades's Terastal type will be. Given how Dot mentioned that she might need to use Terastal to make a video which feels true about the subject, I wonder if the main group and Amethio will eventually cross paths when it comes to this.

I'm not sure what Spinel is thinking about when monitoring Amethio's training... does Hamber know he is watching? Either way, it was interesting that Agate said that they would be the ones to seize Rayquaza, as in she and Spinel intend to team up on this matter (and probably both of them are going to act independently from the others). I wonder why they want to seize Rayquaza first, what do they gain out of this? Do they owe to Gibeon somehow? Spinel also said that they had the data on Terapagos's resonance reaction. I wonder if he is referring to the one he might have gotten in episode 16? Because there were implications back then that he didn't write everything in his report, so if he is sharing this information with Agate only and not anyone else... makes me more interested in what they have going on, because their dynamics is so intriguing. Spinel and Agate were mentioned to be working together a few times already, and Spinel definitely behaves differently around her and she also sees through him in many ways. I wonder how long they've known each other.

The talk between Liko and Diana was so nice. Liko opened up to her and admitted that Diana's words gave her strength to move forward and speak her mind. Also, Liko learned to make bracelets from An! The bracelet Liko gave to Diana is supposed to be a protective charm (just like how Diana gave the pendant to Liko as a charm), so I think this foreshadows Diana getting into some kind of trouble somehow when she goes after the Explorers. They established that Diana doesn't have a phone in HZ033 and that the group won't be able to contact her. If Ikirinko has to be the one to convey a message to Liko and the others, it'll probably take some time to find them and relay the message to them if Diana is in danger.

The group reaffirmed their desire to find the Six Heroes and Rakua together at the end of the episode. I like how this contrasts with the Explorers who are scattered and act individually as we've seen in the episode. In fact, this episode reminds me of HZ027 which was also a Naruki Nagakawa episode, and nicely showed the contrasts between the main group and antagonists (the kids making curry and Liko and Dot deepening their friendship VS the strict atmosphere and focus on the mission with the Explorers, etc).

[amelikos]

Naruki Nakagawa's episodes are always so good! I love how his episodes often incorporate different plot points, and contrast them, without feeling overwhelming. Such strong writing.

[amelikos]

It's so fitting that Amethio was present when Liko's Nyahoja evolved given that he's been involved in most of Liko's important steps as a trainer so far.

He is the reason Liko's pendant activated its powers for the first time in the series (when it had been dormant for decades before that point) which made Liko want to know more about its mysteries, Nyahoja managed to use her Leafage at full power against him back in HZ002 (and with her backstory from HZ040 in perspective, it was significant that Nyahoja stopped holding back at that moment).. Their narratives kept being intertwined every step of the way, Liko catching her first Pokemon and deciding the kind of trainer she wants to be in HZ021 was immediately followed by Amethio being woven back into the story and appearing in contrast.

In fact, Liko wanting to become stronger in the first place was in relation to Amethio, too.

Liko specifically brought up Amethio in HZ007 and the fact that not being able to do anything against him left her frustrated (in comparison, Roy's motivations were tied to Rayquaza). She learned that feeling of frustration for the first time because of him, which gave her the resolve to grow stronger.

Even now at the end of the first year, Amethio is still acting as a source of motivation of sorts to Liko, albeit differently.

Liko asks Friede how they can use Terastal, and Roy brings up that Lizardon was amazing, to which Liko adds that Amethio's Soublades was amazing too! She thinks of Soublades positively and was impacted by the experience, and may see it as a kind of inspiration.

Amethio went from someone Liko couldn't trust, to someone she can thank and maybe consider as someone she wants to reach too. I wonder if Amethio will be involved somehow if Nyarote evolves in Masquernya in the future.

[amelikos]

Something about Amethio's Terastal pose being similar to Friede's (their ways of holding their Tera Orbs and throwing them are the same).

We known Hamber presumably taught Amethio most of what he knows in battles (and Amethio goes to him when he seeks guidance and strength), and even Hamber could pick up on Amethio's battle style changing in HZ034, which happened after Amethio's encounters with Friede.

Hamber is the one who gave Amethio his Tera Orb and also used Terastal in a battle with him, yet when the time comes for Amethio to use Terastal, he channels Friede's stance and posture, not Hamber's. Despite being shaken by his loss against Friede's Terastal in HZ025, Amethio seems to subconsciously be influenced by him (probably much more than he'd like to admit).

[amelikos]

Initial thoughts on the title for HZ074.

Link here. I need to write my thoughts as usual. No summary or staff list for the episode, those will probably be released in the Animage magazine at the end of this week.

Given that this is the title for the episode just after the Basagiri episode, that means Basagiri will join the group as planned and that HZ074 probably has the mysterious woman at the Crystal Pool.

So, the three Explorers are probably referring to Lucius, Gibeon and the mystery woman. Which means Gibeon taking on the Explorers name may be an homage to his friends (something I wrote about before, I think) and that he is keeping the name out of nostalgia/sentimality and to keep their name going on.. which is endearing (to me), and also cute..

Anyway, I hope that this is a proper flashback episode and that we'll get a lot of information. I also remember seeing merch for shiny Zygarde being released in December and while merch lines don't necessarily have something to do with the anime, shiny Zygarde feels too specific to me to be about anyone else other than Gibeon, so maybe we'll see Gibeon in action around the end of the year or early January.. Which reminds me that the last episode that aired in 2023 was HZ034 (which also had Gibeon, Amethio, etc).

Either way. Explorers lore coming soon. I will keep going on and on about Gibeon keeping the Explorers name in present day, because that feels like such a loving gesture. I can't wait to learn about his real motives (which I hope are nuanced and human, and not boring like certain antagonistic teams).

I will also keep going on about Lucius and Gibeon going through a divorce.. I don't think any pair of characters embody "divorced characters" as much as them tbh. Are they divorced if it doesn't involve a long custody battle lasting decades over a magical turtle—

I feel like Gibeon really loved Lucius, and Lucius broke his heart somehow and he is still chasing Lucius to this day. Love in the wider sense of the word. It really feels like Gibeon still wishes he were still traveling with his friends, especially Lucius.. He really feels focused on the past, too much, even. To the point he can't properly see his family in present day. I hope all parties involved get proper closure eventually.

Maybe my current thoughts about the past Explorers are off the mark, but I like the kind of thoughts and theories one can only have while a show is still airing.. it's part of the ongoing mystery and the process which makes us feel fully invested in the narrative instead of being passive watchers. I'm looking forward to this episode!

[amelikos]

I am not sure what to make of Agate's smile at the end when she looked at Spinel.. I wonder if she was smiling because she was satisfied about their plan going smoothly, or was she smiling thinking about how she would betray Spinel eventually and that he was acting exactly the way she wanted him to. Spinel said that he was the only one who can actually analyze the Rakurium, so maybe Agate needs him for that.

It's pretty interesting thinking about how Spinel is getting quite comfortable around Agate, too. He usually shows open affection towards Blacky when they are both alone, yet in this episode, he gave Blacky pats with Agate around (and he was so cute about it too w). That's something he didn't do when him and Agate met up privately back in HZ034. So it feels like things are shifting a bit for them, and Spinel behaves a bit differently around Agate now.

The two of them clearly have their own agenda now, since they do not intend to report information to Hamber, presumably because he would report said information to Gibeon. And it looks like they need Gibeon for some reason (Spinel talking about ensuring the future of the Explorers back in HZ064), so they had to take Amethio out of the equation. I am still not sure what to make of their dynamics. Maybe they are really working together towards a common goal. Or maybe Spinel thinks he is using her, while she is the one using him?