#hz074

[yasii3]

Why does young Gibeon and Amethio look so similar… I’m gonna cry…

[smilingperformer]

IF Crave is Amethio's father, then he has to be an in-law relative to Gibeon, because Crave doesn't look like Gibeon at all. Not like Amethio does. So, I wonder if HZ075 will give us more answers relating to Gibeon's lineage. Because the RVT folks have a point, Gibeon is way too old to be just a grandpa of Amethio. Either he is great-great-grandpa like Lucius is to Liko, or something else is going on.

But I highly suspect that Lucius as well is alive in Rakua, probably also partly pink now lol. As it would seem Rakurium can cause eternal life, if we are to believe Gibeon to be the same Gibeon Lucius knew.

[amelikos]

Looking more closely at the preview for HZ075, it appears that Rystal owned a copy of the Scarlet Book.

The characters speculated that Lucius must have read Heather's book back when they met Briar, so Rystal is probably the one who showed it to him.

[hupla222]

Silly Little Summaries: HZ071-HZ075

Don't think I forgot about this one. I was just waiting for the hype to die down a little before I posted it. Nothing new to say so onto to the "reviews":

HZ071: The Chaos Trio experiences two different flavors of crazy lady

HZ072: In the woods looking for some Kleavage

HZ073: Cat Girl gets Kleavage, with some help from Friede Jr. and Anti

HZ074: Pokemon Horizons turns into a soap opera for a hot second

HZ075: The original Chaos Trio have a journey, such delightful lore

Alternate Title: Cat Girl adopts Tortellini

[michaellambert]

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ074

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ074

[smilingperformer]

Wanted to share this tidbit from Dephender, usual translator for Anipoke news.

Liko's great grandmother is named Layla, which means night.

So the theme naming of the Lucius - Layla - Diana - Lucca lineage seems to be names related to moonlight in various ways?

I did have a feeling the name intend would be Layla. And them having moonlight related names is so cool.

[smilingperformer]

Bye Sazareeee, HI DIANA!!!

Agshsjskks we learned a new name from Basagiri flashback, I still need to go check what the name was but possibly for the third person in the Lucius/Gibeon group.

EDIT: PREVIEW CONFIRMS THE THREE WERE THE ORIGINAL EXPLORERS, AAAAAHHHH

[smilingperformer]

Considering Rystal comes from Crystal, I'm willing to believe it is intended to be Rystal.

However... I keep hearing Lystal and that is bothering me so muuuuuch 😭 It makes sense for her to be Rystal, just like it makes sense for HZ trio to be Liko Roy Dot (Lucius Rystal Gibeon). Damn.

Watch her be Lystal in dub <.<

[smilingperformer]

Holy shit the lore dumps in HZ074 are huge.

Everyone in RVT now knows about Gibeon, Lucius confirmed as the creator of Explorers, Rystal confirmed great-great-great grandma of Liko, thus same status of pa for Lucius. Could have one less or more great.

Next week we'll learn exactly what happened to Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon. Holy fuck.

[amelikos]

I am already a big enjoyer of Friede and Amethio's rivalry and dynamics in general, so if Crave turns out to be Amethio's father, I feel like this knowledge would reframe their rivalry in very interesting ways and give additional readings and perspectives..

[amelikos]

First promotional pictures for HZ074 (link here and here).

There is a picture of Diana and Hamber when they were younger. I wonder if they traveled together for a while.. either way, they were close enough to take pictures together at some point in their lives.

Our first look at Rystal. The three adventurers that founded the Explorers are definitely Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon. I like Rystal's design and can't wait to see it in color since the picture is old so it's in black and white. The picture showcases the (potential) personalities of the characters well, too. Lucius and Rystal are both more prone to smiling in pictures, while Gibeon doesn't. Rystal being in the middle of the picture is also a detail I like.

The three of them seemed close friends, if they were taking pictures together and wanted to keep memories of their adventures. Given the flashback that was showcased in the previous episode (HZ073) showing Lucius defending Basagiri from people, it also makes me think that the Explorers shared similar values and were on the same wavelength. I imagine that Gibeon may have been someone who cared about Pokemon just like Lucius and Rystal (I can't imagine Lucius befriending someone who wouldn't care about them?). Maybe Gibeon showed kindness to Pokemon the same way Amethio does to Soublades. I wouldn't be surprised if Amethio was similar to Gibeon when he was younger.

I wonder at what point the three of them met. I think Lucius and Rystal were married, so when did Gibeon join them on their journey? Were they acquainted with Gibeon before that? Is Gibeon someone Lucius and Rystal met when they were looking for Rakua, and they both invited him to join them so he could help them with his knowledge? I am really curious about the kind of dynamics the three of them had.

Taking a closer look at young Gibeon's design.. it seems a bit similar to Amethio's. Similar clothes? He also has that same gemstone? jewelry-like thing? that Amethio has. I wonder if he gave it to Amethio as a gift (similarly to how Diana gave the pendant to Liko). I wonder if Amethio perhaps wants to emulate Gibeon, which is why he wears the outfit he does now.. or if it's just the kind of clothes they wear in their family? Those don't seem to be clothes you'd picture when you think of an adventurer?

At the very least, when I look at Gibeon in that picture, it feels like his clothes could indicate something about his background (refined?). He also seems to be wearing a long coat, which makes me think of "researcher".. I wonder if Gibeon was into research and mysteries, which is the reason he would have wanted to go on a journey. It's also interesting that the current Gibeon wears clothes that are similar to the ones Lucius was wearing in the past. It says a lot about Gibeon's feelings towards Lucius to me. I wonder if part of Gibeon doesn't want to forget about Lucius and wants to keep his memory alive in some form, so he keeps the Explorers name in the current day and wears similar clothing, etc...

Gibeon is the only character in that picture that is confirmed to be alive. Rystal is going to appear at the Crystal Pool which means she's already passed on, and Lucius's status is currently unknown. It adds mystery around Gibeon's existence, who is probably over 100 (which means he's reaching the limits of a human lifespan, etc).. How is he still alive? Probably because of the Rakurium. For what purpose is he keeping himself alive? What is so important to him that he is doing all of this? I wonder if Liko and the others will learn of Gibeon's name in the upcoming episode and Liko will connect the dots with what Amethio told her in HZ065 and realize that Amethio's grandfather is the same person on the picture with Rystal and Lucius. Though they could doubt that because Gibeon would be considered too old to still be alive.

[amelikos]

I wonder if Rystal appearing at the Crystal Pool means that she remembered that event somehow in the past or some bits of it and knew that Terapagos would be okay.

The alternative being that Rystal lost literally everything and had to live her whole life not knowing what happened to everyone.

[amelikos]

Liko casually revealing that she knew Gibeon's name and nervously looking away when the others said that they haven't heard of what happened in the cave and pretending that she forgot to mention..

She really considered her heart-to-heart with Amethio a private conversation and kept it to herself.

[amelikos]

Gibeon being confirmed to be the chairman of Exceed.. definitely gives more weight to the idea that Crave is his son?

Bringing up Exceed at this point and giving it more depth than just the place Friede used to work at, confirming that Gibeon used it as a cover to conduct research on the Rakurium, Friede only being aware of Crave as the director (and bringing him up by name in this week's episode).. I feel like it'd be a reasonable train of thought that Gibeon would let his son be the director of Exceed as a facade (and entrusting him with this position and no one else), so no one else suspects that there is a guy who is suspiciously too old as the actual chairman. No one at Exceed has actually met Gibeon, and Crave was aware of higher ups and talked about the fact that there are people he cannot disobey. So he seems aware of Gibeon's existence on some level.

Besides, it just keeps adding to the narrative around Liko and Amethio's characters. Liko's mother, Lucca, being Friede's teacher and who is the reason Friede and Cap met and helped him become the person he is now. Crave (potentially Amethio's father) who is someone who personally took interest in Friede's research and offered him an opportunity to work with him. Both characters helping and guiding Friede at different points in his life, and Friede doing the same thing for Liko and Amethio now (albeit in different ways).. It makes too much thematic sense and feels like an intentional set up.

[amelikos]

Some character notes and episode notes for HZ074, writing them down for future reference.

The episode starts with Liko, Roy, Dot and Friede meeting Diana in the Brave Asagi's kitchen. She witnesses and compliments the fact that the trio's Pokemon evolved and reveals that she has new information about Lucius. However, she challenges Liko to a battle beforehand. Everyone gathers on the wing deck to watch Liko and Diana's battle. Liko remembers their previous battle in HZ033 and how it took her and Roy everything they had to land a single hit on Windie, but feels more confident about her chances this time. Liko and Diana give the battle all they have, and Liko ends up winning. Diana is pleased at seeing how much Liko has grown with her Pokemon, and Liko says she was able to come this far thanks to Roy and Dot. Diana proceeds to agree to reveal the information she found about Lucius.

Back to the Brave Asagi, Diana starts her story by explaining her history with Hamber. She tells everyone that he is an old friend that she used to travel with sometimes and who came to her a year ago under the pretense of wanting to aid her in adventures but was actually after Liko's pendant. She learned at the Galar castle that Hamber was part of the Explorers, which surprised her as she reveals that Lucius was the founder of the Explorers, which shocks everyone as they cannot imagine the Explorers as anything else than bad guys. Diana explains that she went to towns Lucius had visited to learn about the Explorers from locals who had lived a long time. She had them fill her in on old legends and learned about Lucius and his friends. She shows everyone a picture and reveals that the three original members of the Explorers were Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon. Liko remembers Rystal's name from the past memory Basagiri showed them. As for Gibeon, Liko surprises everyone by revealing that she heard his name from Amethio, who told her that he is her grandfather. They wonder how Gibeon would still be alive after a hundred years. Diana also reveals that she found out that someone named Gibeon is the chairman of the company Exceed. Friede reveals that he used to work there as a researcher and that he never heard of a chairman before. Friede explains that Exceed was researching the Rakurium at some point before. They come to the conclusion that Gibeon was using the company to research the Rakurium, while using the Explorers to reach Rakua and that the Explorers' goal is the Rakurium that can be found in Rakua.

Over a snack break, everyone reviews their discussion. While some questions remain unanswered, such as how Gibeon is still alive to this day and what he needs the Rakurium for, they feel like they have gotten closer to the truth. Friede says he is curious about the person named "Rystal", which makes Terapagos react to her name. Liko decides she wants to go to the Crystal Pool again, hoping they could meet Rystal if the legend is true. Liko, Roy, Dot, Friede and Diana head there. They pray to get to meet Rystal while Terapagos calls out to her.

A few moments later, the pool starts shining and a woman carrying a baby appears. Terapagos recognizes her and Liko asks her if she is Rystal. She confirms that she is, but wonders how they know her and where she is. Lucius's Pokemon suddenly appear and Rystal seems relieved to see that they are okay, but wonders why everyone has them. Liko isn't sure where to start her explanation so Friede steps in to sum up the situation. He explains to Rystal that they are trying to go to Rakua with the Six Heroes to recover Terapagos's powers. He adds that through the power of the Crystal Pool, Rystal has been brought to the future to meet them. Rystal believes the explanation as they have Lucius's Pokemon with them, as well as her partner Terapagos (that she calls Pagogo). Liko and her friends are surprised to learn that Terapagos was Rystal's Pokemon and not Lucius's like they had assumed. As Rystal tries to comfort the baby in her arms who is crying, she addresses her as Leyla. This catches Diana off guard, as Leyla was the name of her mother. Rystal wonders if that makes Diana her granddaughter, which in turn makes her Liko's great-great grandmother. Rystal finally understands why Terapagos was with them and tells Liko and Diana that they are both her and Lucius's descendents, which shocks Liko as it makes Lucius her great-great grandfather.

--

Overall, very information heavy episode.

Going over the battle first. I loved Diana and Liko's battle and seeing Liko being much more confident despite the type disadvantage. She remained calm, she was strategic (I love Liko's strategies which tend to destabilize her opponents) and made use of everything she learned to win. It was also interesting to me that Liko told Nyarote to take on Windie's attack head-on towards the beginning of the battle, as Liko tends to be evasive? Seeing her take something head-on like that felt like I was seeing a new side of her blossom during the battle. It felt like she was incorporating bits of Roy and Dot's battle styles in her own. Diana getting serious and going all out was so cool too! It makes me wonder if she used to have these kinds of intense battles with Hamber in the past? Either way, Liko winning against her grandmother (and everyone being happy for her) was great, I love how they depict her growth in battles. And Diana's affection towards Liko is so palpable, I really like how it keeps being brought up that she barely recognizes her and how she says these words with so much love every time.. She wants Liko to surpass her and feels proud when Liko does just that.

Something else I liked was the whole process explaining how Diana got new information about the Explorers. The whole segment was well done. Diana went to the towns Lucius is said to have visited and actually talked to people there. The fact that they mentioned that she talked to older people who lived there for a long time and how she got to hear old legends and stories and read diaries. Explaining the whole process in a convincing manner (instead of just saying that she somehow found new information and not elaborating), which shows how efficient Diana is at connecting and looking for information and the importance of generational knowledge. It also opens a world of possibilities, since it means that Lucius and his friends probably were really helpful to the people they met (just like the RVT are btw) and it shows us a glimpse of the past in small ways.. The Explorers made a name for themselves and left a positive impact on the people they met and those people still remember them and their deeds to this day.

Everyone had a specific vision of the Explorers (as in, bad people who stop at nothing to get what they want.. and Amethio wasn't shown in that sequence when they showed the other Explorers), so learning that Lucius was the founder of the Explorers was a shock to them.. The Explorers didn't begin with bad intentions. I also like how everything ties in so well together, and how the writing rewards the viewer for picking up on all the implications left here and there. We are supposed to think it's strange that Gibeon is still alive to this day and that he is too old to be Amethio's grandfather, and the writing itself points it out. How he is still alive to this day will probably be revisited later. Everyone just discussing all the possibilities (potentially someone else using the name Gibeon, etc) is also interesting. The way they all exchange information, connect everything together, and keep everyone updated is always good. Despite the amount of information, every little thing matters and is taken seriously.

The whole sequence at the Crystal Pool was also good.. I like Rystal's design a lot. And also her voice (the way she said Lucius's name at the end when she was about to reveal that Liko and Diana were their descendents felt so full of love for him). Her nickname for Terapagos is cute (Pagogo). It was great to finally get confirmation for what we've been theorizing about for so long (Lucius being Liko's ancestor). And I really like that Lucius's descendents are only girls. There is not a single man who matters in this family line except for Lucius himself and Alex (Liko's father), and I think it's neat. (Diana's husband is inexistent. The possibility that she had Lucca with Hamber is out there and it's funny, but it's not of interest. She is living her best life and has a family she loves either way.) I just like the emphasis on the female-centric narrative of Liko's journey and I genuinely find it refreshing that Lucius's family only has girls. The continuing line of mother and daughter. Grandmother and granddaughter. It's something I enjoy a lot. (Which, in turn, probably means that Gibeon's descendents are strictly boys in contrast. I hope we learn more about Amethio's family soon.)

I will probably talk/think about it after the next ep but... yeah, the whole thing about the original Explorers being strictly AmeLiko's ancestors is driving me insane. This is their Narrative And Story, which has been built up from day one and it's so rewarding seeing it unravel slowly now.. Liko is probably going to think about Amethio more differently now and feel more connected to him, knowing that her ancestors were friends with Amethio's grandfather. (She doesn't have to be his enemy. She already said that since they had the same goal, they could work together and I think learning everything will reinforce that thought in her, maybe. They can be friends, just like the original Explorers were.)

Anyway, it was overall great! Lots of implications to ponder about. Such as the original Explorers leaving an impact on the people they met in the past... which makes me wonder exactly how Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon helped others.. and that they were probably liked as people, Gibeon included. Which means he wasn't cold and ruthless in the past.

In terms of episode numbers: ep 34 is when Diana left and she came back 40 eps later. Ep 54 is when we learned of Gibeon's connection to Amethio and Friede's connection to Exceed and we're now learning more about both 20 eps later. Ep 24 is when we had the first mention of Diana finding the pendant in her house (and Leyla having a spoken role in that ep as she talked to Diana then), Diana and Hamber being friends and we're learning more about them 50 eps later.

Ep 25 was when we learned that "the Explorers were Lucius's friends" according to Diana and next week (ep 75) is when we'll learn the full story.

Also, in ep 24, Diana mentioned that Hamber had visited her "a couple months back" to aid her in her adventures.. and in this ep, she mentioned that Hamber had visited her "a year ago" so time is passing.

[amelikos]

Liko talking about Lucius being her great-great-grandfather the same way she did when she mentioned being the heroine of a story.