#hz095

The guy might be an obnoxious loudmouth and that's probably all Roy really saw him as beforehand, but he really proved himself worthy of their trust and friendship by showing his core character and that he's genuinely a good guy.

Like he saw the exhibition match where Strong Spheres were being used and he could tell that Garganacl and Glalie were in pain under its influence, and he was disgusted by it. Even though he wants to be strong, he showed right there and then that he would never resort to such means to achieve strength. He saw that Glalie and Garganacl became merciless and continued to attack Liko and Roy's Pokemon even after they had already fainted. And then he jumped in and defended them. He not only loudly expressed his disgust with the Strong Spheres and Laquium but expressed his defiance by taking the Strong Sphere he was given and smashing it.

But best of all was that not only did he step in and defend Liko and Roy and help cover their escape, he battled Coral's Glalie by himself with his Sableye, not even needing to Mega Evolve it, and showing his strength by not only battling it but also kicking its ass thoroughly. Like he's showing right there that he's not just talk, he's for real. He doesn't need Laquium to be strong, he's already a strong Trainer and he kicked ass against a Laquium-affected Glalie and provoking Coral into using Self-Destruct (which incidentally had no effect on Sableye ahaha), showing he's the real deal.

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Pokemon Horizons: The Series (Anime 2023) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Roy/Uruto | Ult (Pokemon) Characters: Uruto | Ult (Pokemon), Roy (Pokemon), Spinel (Pokemon), Liko (Pokemon) Additional Tags: written before hz 95, unwilling traitor Ult was such a great idea while it lasted, so here's my fic about it, the royult is currently one sided, this is blatantly just pure angst, lots of yearning with this one, I'm sorry I just wanted to write about Ult spiralling and breaking down, Ult is so slippery slope from VAT7K coded, Liko is barely there but she does some things in chapter two, Ult-centric, Ult stop being my favourite character challenge Summary:

Roy of the rising volt tacklers. Ult thought bitterly as he slumped down against a wall in the hallway of the exceed building, his Sableye crouching beside him. What an ass.

Very curious to see how the episode tomorrow will highlight Uruto's character further. He's so enjoyable. And Liko just being her kind self around a shy-to-girls boy is funny lol.

Quick summary of the episode.

First half of the episode: Liko and Roy head to the Exceed Testing Center where a demonstration battle showcasing the Strong Sphere is taking place. Uruto arrives at the Testing Center as well. Sango and Onyx spot Liko and Roy in the crowd and pick them as opponents to battle.

Second half of the episode: Liko and Roy battle Onyx and Sango. The battle results in their loss. Uruto steps in to defend Liko and Roy after their battle ends. At the end of the episode, Uruto officially joins the group and starts traveling with them. 

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A few things to note about the episode. 

Starting with the Explorers.. More on the thematic threads of “looks do matter and they are relevant when discussing the narrative and manipulation of public opinion”. Spinel was referred to as “handsome” in HZ090, which is relevant and true because he is using his looks to convey a message and get people on his side. The fact that he is hot has a point in the narrative, so I will keep saying it. 

In this episode, Sango and Onyx are marketed as a duo and they have fans in-universe. Agate said that the Explorers need to continue to present themselves as ideal trainers and figures of admiration. Agate seems to be the only one working from the shadows so far, but I can’t help but think that if she were to appear in public as part of the Explorers, the manipulation through looks would continue to succeed because Agate is absolutely gorgeous, so. 

Either way, Sango and Onyx appear together and I feel like the marketing strategy around their duo is that Sango embodies “cuteness” while Onyx is the “cool” one? They are literally a cute/cool duo. Sango is the talkative one who waves to the crowd and hypes them up, while Onyx doesn’t talk much (which is something that makes him popular too, just looking at the crowd elicited a reaction from his fans) and just carries out his battles. Their personalities on stage (and even outside this setting) complete each other in this sense, and I feel like it wouldn’t work as well if one were missing? Which kinda drives me a bit insane. Hamber stated in the last chapter (HZ079 more specifically) that Sango and Onyx work well together because Sango is bold and Onyx is rational, which means they have the necessary assets to carry out and complete missions together. I don’t know who thought of marketing Sango and Onyx as a duo this way in this chapter. Is the idea from Spinel or Agate? Either way, the combination of “cute/cool” works well and gathers fans around them. And whoever had this idea (Spinel or Agate?) knows them well. It also pleases me because it feels like so many characters in the Explorers acknowledge Sango and Onyx as a duo/set and that they work better together rather than individually? 

Something which also stands out to me is that Sango and Onyx’s current positions in the narrative (beloved, attract fans) contrasts Liko and Roy’s, who are mistrusted if they let others know that they are part of the Rising Volt Tacklers. Which goes deeper than that for them too, since Liko and Roy were the school heroes at the end of Terastal Debut because they saved Orange Academy from the bad guys (Sango and Onyx). They are constantly mirroring each other. 

Also.. I liked the way Onyx locked eyes with Liko and the fact he was the first one to notice Liko and Roy in the crowd. Liko noticed him looking at her and there was a kind of acknowledgement there. His stare was quite intense, so I wonder what he was thinking about? Was he thinking about their previous encounter at Rakua and the fact he lost to Liko? Sango referring to Liko and Roy as her friends and asking them how they’ve been doing was an interesting moment. I wonder if she was simply trying to lure them in, or if her words held some truth to them? Knowing Sango, in her own messy way, she might consider Liko and Roy as her “friends” because they are people who entertained her (battled her)? I wonder if these words are hinting at something? She didn’t reveal their ties to the RVT, and she could have done so to get the crowd against them. Liko getting angry and telling Sango not to mess with them was cool on her part because it’s rare seeing Liko react this way! She rarely gets angry, after all. Sango fake crying to get the crowd on her side was fun and shows that she really is playing up the cutesy act as part of her current role. Acting this way makes people feel sorry for her and consider Liko as the bully in the situation. 

I also thought it was interesting that Liko and Roy both tried to talk to Sango and Onyx during their confrontation? Both Sango and Onyx were at Rakua too, and they saw what Spinel’s Rakurium Spheres did to their surroundings. Liko thinks they should know better, so there is a kind of acknowledgment on her side that Sango and Onyx should be better than that too.. In a way, Liko and Roy were trying to reason with them which didn’t really happen before during their battles? This time, it was clearly different though. Liko asked them why they are going so far, and even said they didn’t need to rely on those things. I feel like Liko and Roy were trying to reach out and understand/make Sango and Onyx see the errors of their ways, which makes me wonder if they’ll actually succeed in doing that? Liko’s statement (“you don’t need to rely on those things”) made me wonder if it was a general statement or a personal one directed to Sango and Onyx specifically. I wonder if she meant that “no one needs to rely on that” or if it was more like “you two specifically do not need to rely on it, because if you’re relying on it in order to get stronger, you don’t need to because I know you are plenty strong already”? I think the nuance would be a bit different depending on the interpretation of her words.. If it’s the second one, I like to think that facing Sango and Onyx multiple times (be it in battles or casual settings) made Liko get a sense of who they are as people? The fact Liko is trying to talk to them at all is interesting in itself, because maybe part of her thinks that they can be better than that and be reasoned with? 

I do wonder how Sango and Onyx truly feel about using the Strong Spheres on their Pokemon, given that they have decent/good relationships with their Pokemon? Though having a good relationship with them doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to go to such extremes. Maybe part of them believes in their Pokemon’s ability to withstand the effects of the Rakurium? They seemed to have lines ready to throw them back at Liko and Roy when they questioned the Strong Spheres. Sango said that Liko was the type to start complaining when things don’t go her way (minimizing her opponent’s claims and making it seem like Liko was exaggerating and only reacting in such a way because she was losing, using Liko’s emotions against her basically because she wasn’t being “logical” about the situation), and Onyx said that Pokemon are creatures that love battling (so this is normal for them and even something they like). I wonder if this is something he truly believes, or something he tells himself to convince himself what he is doing is fine, or if it’s an argument used to shut down potential complaints about the Strong Spheres? 

Sango and Onyx were both seemingly against Spinel’s actions at Rakua after Gibeon disappeared and questioned what he was doing. Agate stopped them and told them to just watch. Agate is the one giving them orders in this episode. Sango and Onyx only follow and listen to Hamber and Agate’s orders from what we’ve seen. While they seem ambivalent towards Spinel (and probably lean on the side of not necessarily tolerating him? I don’t know about “disliking”), they still follow his agenda by proxy of listening to Agate, who is on Spinel’s side for some reason. Sango and Onyx probably know that listening to Agate means following whatever Spinel is plotting, so maybe they are okay with this. Lots of power dynamics involved here, which is interesting.

Currently, Sango and Onyx are still in the Explorers and part of the narrative constructed by Spinel which paints the Explorers as benevolent and good. I wonder how they truly feel about their current roles as “ideal trainers”. Sango seems to love the attention, but at the same time, the role she plays is not who she really is. There is the implication that Sango was forbidden from using Self-Destruct, because it clashes with the image of needing to appear as presentable and righteous. Agate literally had to hide Sango using Self-Destruct from the crowd and Onyx tried to stop her too (I thought it was neat, he is always so quick to react when it comes to Sango). Self-Destruct is Sango’s signature move at that point and we, as the viewers, know that this is Sango’s way of battling and that she often uses that move, but it seemed that it was something surprising for the crowd, which means that they never saw that side of Sango before and it’s something that she had to keep hidden. Her true personality clashes with her duty to present herself as an ideal trainer. She has to behave herself and hold back, and I wonder how she feels about it? At the end of the demonstration battle, her fan in the crowd said “I like Sango’s new performance style” which is what made me think that it probably meant Sango never used Self-Destruct on stage before Yet, this also made me think that Sango has potential to be appreciated for who she is? Her Self-Destruct was considered as an interesting performance style, so it made me wonder if in other circumstances, she could be appreciated for that kind of style without the need to lie? 

The lack of reactions from the crowd about the Strong Spheres and the fact that Sango and Onyx kept attacking Liko and Roy’s Pokemon after they fainted made me question their morals. I wonder if they could see the effects of the Strong Sphere from where they were sitting. As the viewers, we could see them, but maybe the crowd couldn’t? If the Pokemon world has boost items (the games have them but I’m not sure about the anime), I wonder if they would consider the Strong Sphere as something along the lines of the X Attack item? Would they just tolerate anything as long as it’s “progress”? Also, I thought about one of the antagonists from a Yu-Gi-Oh series who became twisted over time because he was an entertainer who dueled to please a crowd and the crowd kept pushing for more exciting duels, which made that character become more brutal as he tried to meet the crowd’s expectations.. Something about the crowd’s need to be entertained at all costs. Not saying it’s the same situation here, but I thought about this.

I thought it was neat how Boc’s character was brought back in this context and how her failure to complete the Terastal Course made her resort to taking an interest in the Strong Sphere. She looked really awkward and like she was pushed to take part in this test? The Strong Sphere pries on people’s insecurities. Boc is insecure because she keeps losing to her friends. Her Pokemon has the type advantage against her friends’, yet she is not too confident in her own skills and can’t see her own progress? Her partner Pokemon evolved and became a Swanna after the Terastal Debut chapter, so she is growing at her own pace but probably can’t realize it because she feels frustrated and inferior compared to her friends.. Which feels very realistic. She is so caught up in her own issues that she can’t see the bigger picture at the moment, and the Strong Sphere offers her an easy way out to get what she wants. 

Uruto.. I was wondering what was going on with him after the preview for this episode, but it turns out he only acted strange because he gets carsick. It’s a fun character trait, but I wonder if he’d get sick on the Brave Asagi if he ever gets on the ship? The current ending theme shows him on the Brave Asagi, so I am wondering. I am relieved that they didn’t really go the route of Uruto being tempted by the dark side and using the Strong Sphere. He already proved he could be observant when it mattered and this episode reinforced it too, since he was closely paying attention to the battle and could see the Strong Sphere for what it was. Liko even pointed out that he was someone who properly looked at Pokemon (which shows that Liko was paying attention to him too and could see the kind of person he is). His refusal to use the Strong Sphere shows his strength of character, and potentially confidence in his own strength too? His Yamirami could hold his own against Sango’s Onigohri, so he is not just talk, he is reliable when the situation calls for it. 

Uruto’s interactions with Roy were fun.. They showcase another side of Roy, since he doesn’t usually tease others? I keep thinking of Friede whenever Roy puts his hand on Uruto’s shoulder, because Friede used to do that a lot with Roy too. Uruto getting nervous around Liko when she thanked him for believing them was cute as hell? Like, the gap between him trying to act tough and getting nervous when Liko talks to him makes him so endearing? It’s so cute. He doesn’t seem to be used to girls, so I wonder how he’ll act once Dot shows up or if he’ll be more used to others by then. He is awkward around Liko, but he isn’t rude about it, he is just embarrassed. He possibly has a tiny crush on Liko too, so I wonder if it’ll be brought up again or not. Liko and Uruto is a relationship I’m particularly interested in seeing more of. I thought Liko’s words to Uruto were interesting, since she thanked him and noticed specific things about him and saw him for who he is. 

Uruto interfering in the battle after it ended and defending Liko and Roy was a really cool moment for him and my favorite in terms of his character. It says a lot about the kind of person he is? It reminded me a lot of Gibeon too. Gibeon’s first meeting with Lucius and Rystal was him standing up for them when their beliefs were mocked. Similarly, Uruto stood up for both Liko and Roy and defended them. Both Gibeon and Uruto stood up for others when they were wronged and shunned by the public and couldn’t stand by and let it happen. Both of them stood by their beliefs fiercely, which shows how honorable they are. Both of these moments bring turning points as they are followed by Gibeon / Uruto officially joining Lucius and Rystal / Liko and Roy in their journey and traveling with them. In a way, their journeys mirror each other because Lucius and co traveled to find something most people didn’t believe in and uncovered a truth (Rakua’s existence), while Liko and co are currently traveling to get back the truth of the RVT, which most people currently don’t believe in either. (Btw, I really like that Uruto only officially joins the group once Liko said “let’s go together”.. it’s her approval that makes him fully part of the team now and she had to be the one to accept it.)

Other things I liked in the episode.. Masquernya protecting Achigator during the battle and getting him out of the way when he was about to be hit by a move, because it highlights her protective and knightly nature. She is so cool. 

Uruto’s interactions with Sango.. Sango has a personal rivalry with Roy, so seeing another character close to Roy interact with her was interesting. Especially since Uruto doesn’t mince his words like her? Sango was offended when he said that her battles were lame, so I wonder if she’ll hold a grudge against him now? 

Liko and Masquernya exchanging a look towards the beginning of the episode (around 0:57 for the timing). I always like the continuous way of showing Masquernya as present and involved in Liko’s life and the way these two constantly keep track of each other. Given how Liko told Sango and Onyx to properly look at their Pokemon during the battle, I thought it was significant to have a casual scene that showed that Liko and Masquernya were looking at each other. It establishes the importance of “looking” at one’s own Pokemon and shows that Liko is doing that in casual scenes. 

Roy and Liko showing Dot what they are having for breakfast in the morning. I thought it was really cute. It reminded me of the first picnic episode (HZ013) when Roy sent a picture of the sandwiches they were having to make Dot feel included in his own way. I think it’s sweet that both Liko and Roy still try to include Dot with them through food even though they are physically apart currently.

The small exchange between Sango and Onyx before they started using their Strong Spheres. Onyx saying “Sango, it’s time” and Sango enthusiastically replying with “okay!”.. Something about the way they are both in sync and work so well together? Onyx led the way and took initiative (given how mission-oriented he is, it makes sense that he is the one who prioritizes what their demonstration battle is for, which is to show off the Strong Sphere), and Sango followed his word without talking back. Which I have to mention, because it does stand out to me that he is one of the few people she listens to without complaining too much these days. And I also have to mention that Sango is one of the few people Onyx actually called by name multiple times (iirc, Gibeon and Liko are the only people he referred to by name so far.. Sango being the only admin he considers and acknowledges to such an extent is important). I thought their teamwork during the battle against Liko and Roy was quite effective too, and speaks of how much they know each other’s styles and Pokemon. It’s neat seeing the way these two bounce off each other in a battle setting after the timeskip, especially considering that they are constantly facing Liko and Roy (who also work really well together). 

This episode was written by Naruki Nagakawa btw (the last ep he wrote was HZ078 which aired at the end of 2024.. the episode with Amethio and Crave’s only onscreen interaction so far, and Spinel saying “your son is at a difficult age, director <3”). 

On one hand I love seeing Liko be more assertive and harsher and giving those two some angry and harsh words, but on the other hand there's almost an underlying sense that...she can tell they're actively deluding themselves in an attempt to maintain the Explorers' public image? Like she literally yells at Coral to stop the act when she gets all cutesy and sweetie pie and obviously putting on a facade for the public masses who adore her and Sidian. When she saw them using the Strong Spheres on their Pokemon, she questioned them why they're taking it this far and literally told them that they don't need Strong Spheres. That latter part is interesting because she's battled Sidian several times and has seen Coral's raw strength with her own eyes. She knows they're strong on their own without the need for power-ups. She's quite emotionally perceptive, and she could tell not only that Glalie and Garganacl were in pain under the Laquium but that Coral and Sidian were lying to themselves in an attempt to maintain the public image they've forged and try to enjoy the sense of public relevance they have.

Because after Liko, Roy, and Uruto escape, it's quite clear in Coral and Sidian's private meeting with Chalce that Coral honestly doesn't really enjoy this charade. She has to put on a cutesy act and make herself likable and put on a public persona, but she's not really happy about it. Sidian isn't as up and front with his feelings, but I think he's also lying to himself to maintain this public charade. It's incredibly out-of-character for him to willingly put his Garganacl through that much pain just to keep the public enticed and sell this Strong Sphere to the masses.

For better or worse, Liko knows the two of them almost too well. She knows what they're like, she's butted heads with them several times, and she's even interacted with them a few times in casual settings. I think as angry as she was at them for what they were doing in the Exceed testing center, she could tell that they were actively deluding themselves to help Spinel keep up his public charade. It's almost like she still sees something in them worth saving, unlike with Spinel.

She's close with Amethio now, who while MIA has been on his way to a better path, but in her own way she nudged the guy down a better path. She's become close with him in her own way even though the two of them originally met as adversaries. She knows him quite well and managed to get him to open up to her in that time when they were trapped in a cave together.

And it's funny that she in a way knows all three of Amethio, Coral, and Sidian well because they were all trained and coached by Hamber, who is an old close friend of Liko's grandmother Diana. Incidentally, Liko's becoming more and more like Diana. She has the same fierceness and intensity of Diana and ability to deliver harsh words, even if she's still a kind and compassionate person deep down.

The root event that led to Liko butting heads with the Explorers to begin with, starting with Amethio, was Hamber and Diana confronting each other after not having seen each other in a while. Even though Diana and Hamber have been butting heads despite their old friendship, just like with Liko and the others, Diana and Hamber seem to know each other almost too well themselves. Diana immediately spotted that Hamber wasn't being totally honest with his intentions when he came to visit her and claimed he would like to introduce her to someone who was interested in joining her on her adventures. Hamber didn't outright say he wanted her to hand over the pendant, but Diana could still suss it out. And then when he came to visit her at her castle she was still guarded but more than anything she threw some very harsh words at him that also expressed bafflement underneath her guardedness and anger. She was baffled as to why he would be doing this, why the "Explorers" would be after her and Liko, because the Explorers were Lucius's friends. Hamber didn't fully open up about Gibeon, but he definitely knows Diana well based on his actions around her. He knows Diana is fierce and intense, and that she's a one-woman army when provoked. He had Coral and Sidian with him as backup and Amethio was there, yet he didn't ask any of them to confront her. He knew she would wipe the floor with them. The two of them don't actually battle it out when they see each other like his four personally coached admins do with the RVT kids. They both intrinsically knew how formidable the other was.

Yet Diana's words when she alludes to Hamber talking about him to the RVTs suggest she does still see something in him. Even if they're not exactly on good terms at present she still calls him a friend. Hamber's shown a bit more of a good side as of late as he's asked Zirc and Onia to locate Amethio's whereabouts without Spinel discovering them. He's also probably a factor as to why Coral, Sidian, and even Chalce are still there under Spinel's reign, as he's still in the organization and acting like Spinel's loyal servant, even if he's secretly defying him, banking his hopes on Amethio's return. Given that it gives a better picture as to why Diana considers him a friend and why she still sees something in him, having known him for so many years.

all that drama due to car sick lol.

God damn it why is Uruto such a fun character akjhsfkjfs.

Gotta say, Mega Voltage has a really strong start. It knows what story it wants to tell and it's not slowing down at all. Every episode so far is needed for getting RVT reputation back up.

It is very curious how Sango and Onyx decided on not exposing Liko and Roy as Rising Volt Tacklers, instead keeping up their public image and calling them friends.

Quite happy about his addition to the cast now.