#hz114

My thoughts will be disconnected from each other, it's just that I need to write about Uruto or else, I will lose it.

I think what I find compelling about Uruto's direction so far is that he often faces hurdles, even after achieving something he wanted to do.. his writing is similar to Liko, Dot and Amethio's characters in this aspect and I appreciate it because I want to see how characters grow and confront their shortcomings. It's easier for me to want to root for a character like that. For example, in HZ114 (this week's episode), Uruto and Yamirami manage to Mega Evolve, yet he immediately faces an obstacle.. Uruto and Yamirami quickly get defeated, they show that Yamirami is still not accustomed to his Mega Evolution form and cannot carry his gem because it has become too heavy for him. Uruto also reaffirms his desire to want to be acknowledged by the Pokemon in his Dusk Ball (which at this point, we know that it's Kairyu), which means he realizes that there are still things he needs to achieve. He managed to take a step forward by Mega Evolving Yamirami for the first time, but it doesn't exactly end "happily" for him because he still needs to work on having Yamirami get used to Mega Evolution, get acknowledged by his other Pokemon, etc. He still has stuff to deal with.

It reminds me a bit of some of the story beats he got in Mega Voltage. Like, in HZ107, Kairyu accepted to come out of the Dusk Ball when Uruto called out for him and he managed to Mega Evolve too, but at the end of the episode, Uruto still thinks he hasn't been acknowledged by Kairyu and declares that he will become someone who can protect others. Or at the end of the previous chapter, Uruto acknowledges that he got in his friends' way and was scared of the Six Heroes and felt overwhelmed by their power and realizes that he couldn't do anything against them. I like characters who face personal hurdles and walls on their paths and who have to overcome them.

Other things I liked from this week's ep.. Uruto crying for Yamirami and calling him the coolest. They are both adorable.

The whole "Pokemon watching over their trainer" motif. We got that with many other duos in Horizons. Kuwassu watching over Dot. Nyahoja watching over Liko. Zygarde watching over Gibeon. I just really appreciate when Pokemon are given agency and feel more put together than their Trainers and push them forward. Uruto acknowledges that Yamirami was always the one who watched over him, and wanted to do the same for him during the battle.

Uruto saying he doesn't aim to be the strongest anymore because his priority is Yamirami. It's about making Yamirami the strongest. It's about his bond with his Pokemon. Only then, Yamirami can make Uruto the strongest. I liked these bits because it shows a mutual relationship between Trainer and Pokemon, give and take, helping each other, etc. Giving those nuances to Uruto's goal makes it more interesting for me because I tend to not be invested in stuff that feels too much like "basic male characters journeys".. Uruto's goal being about Yamirami and his desire to grow stronger being connected to his wish to protect people who are important to him (which is very similar to Liko, btw) is more compelling than if it was just "I want to win things".

Yamirami seemingly deciding to stick with Uruto and stay together with him reminds me a bit of Dot and Kuwassu too. Kuwassu just kind of chose Dot as his partner and stayed by her side for a long time even though Dot hadn't actually officially caught him.. I wonder if Yamirami did the same with Uruto. It's kind of interesting to think about too, because Uruto was living in some back alley and seems to be an orphan.. My point here is that Pokeballs cost money, so maybe Uruto didn't even catch Yamirami because he simply didn't have the money to buy a Pokeball for him. We do know Uruto worked and picked up trash to make some pocket money, which was probably so he could buy some food and not starve.. I wonder if he saved up some money just to be able to buy a Pokeball, or if Matiere gave him one.. It's up in the air, but I think it's something interesting to think about given Uruto's background.

Yamirami is also interesting to me because he feels a bit out of place in the city.. He is usually a Pokemon who lives in caves, yet he decided to stay with Uruto in the backstreets and followed him around because he could probably feel they were similar. Uruto was picking up things too, and Yamirami likes shiny things so Yamirami probably thought they could look for things together. In general, I liked the emphasis on what Yamirami was doing for Uruto and Uruto putting that into words himself (Uruto talking about how Yamirami was always leading him forward and watching over him, etc).

Uruto's relationship with Matiere.. I want to point out that Uruto's words before leaving were reminiscent of some lyrics in the first opening, Dokimeki Diary: いってきますを声にできたなら / ちょっとだけ大人になったかもね ("If I can find it in myself to say "I'm off now", then I guess I'll know I've grown up a bit"). Uruto told Matiere "I'm off now" so it shows that he's grown up a bit and in his specific case, that he accepts Matiere's words that they are family and that her place is his home. His words also imply that he intends to go back at some point, so I hope that we eventually see Matiere again. I liked that he took time to thank her and say goodbye to her, and that he does feel grateful for everything she did for him. The RVT already represent a kind of unconventional home and family, and I appreciate that Uruto also had a home for himself and bonds prior to meeting Liko and Roy and everyone else in the RVT, even though his background is such a stark contrast from the others'. Matiere's VA refers to her as a kind of "nee-san role" so putting this into perspective, it could explain why Uruto had closer moments with Mollie out of anyone else in the RVT. Mollie is a kind of big sister figure, especially to Liko, so this is another point of connection between Liko and Uruto, who both have "big sisters figures" influencing them and caring for them.

I am also thinking about the fact that Uruto brought up his father, which confirms that Kairyu used to be his father's and that he passed on his legacy to Uruto.. While we don't know what happened exactly, it's heavily implied that Uruto's father died (which would explain why he ended up alone in the first place), so this is an interesting parallel to Amethio's situation too.. Though, both situations contrast each other. Amethio's mother died when he was young, but he still had someone to take care of him. That person being Hamber. Amethio lived in financial comfort his whole life and had a place where he could sleep and eat. On the other hand, Uruto's situation was the opposite because it seems like as soon as he lost his father, he lost everything along with him (with the exception of the Dusk Ball) and didn't have a home anymore. Uruto was homeless and had to pick up trash to earn some pocket money which was probably used to buy food. Either way, something about these two characters losing a parent at quite a young age and their situations turning out completely different because of their respective backgrounds. Though, both Uruto and Amethio ended up becoming closer to a figure who is an "outsider" to their family but they ended up seeing them as such anyway. Amethio sees Hamber as his parental figure and we know Hamber took care of him for most of his life. Matiere took in Uruto to give him a warm place when he had no one else to rely on and she considers them family, and Uruto accepted her words before telling her that he'd be setting off, which means he does see her as family as well.

It's also interesting that they pointed out that Uruto didn't know how to read or write before Matiere taught him these skills, especially in a series where multiple central characters are researchers or teachers. Lucca is a teacher and she is the reason the RVT were even created in the first place because she is the one who introduced Cap to Friede. Agate was a teacher, and it's part of the mystery surrounding her character. Friede, Spinel and Gibeon are all researchers and their knowledge and positions are driving forces in regards to the Rakurium. Horizons puts so much emphasis on narratives and passing down knowledge (both of which need the skills of reading and writing), and even how narratives and knowledge can be weaponized for harmful purposes (Spinel creating narratives about Amethio or the RVT / Crave pointing out that there is a possibility that Spinel would release his own research about the Rakurium to affirm that it's safe, implying he knows that people tend to trust those in position of power or those "who know better").. So actually pointing out that a character was deprived of literacy and knowledge is interesting. Uruto being a character who fell down through the cracks of the world and who was deprived of basic things for a long time (a home, probably food, a school experience)..

In general, I think Uruto's backstory is quite bold because modern anpk tends to show that the kids have homes and parents around. So having a character who actually had none of these things feels different in this regard. Especially since I think it explains so much of his behavior, like being abrasive or awkward around others, his way of eating (Matiere scolded him for not chewing properly in HZ113 which really came off to me as someone who eats quickly because he is scared food will be taken away from him), the way he doesn't sleep on a bed, etc.. Even the fact that Uruto picked the observation deck as his room on the ship adds to it to me, because he lived in the backstreets, which were narrow places.. So wanting to see the wide sky probably makes him feel less restrained? Either way, I noticed a lot of things about Uruto that were piling up, so it's nice that it felt intentional and that those elements were there for a reason.

I'm not sure what to add that I didn't write about previously. Uruto, Yamirami and Matiere were by far the highlights of these set of episodes, and I like what they did with Uruto. He has flaws, is called out on them, and works on them and grows as a result. The themes of legacy going on with Matiere and Uruto fit nicely with the rest of the series (Matiere giving a home to Uruto like someone did for her in the past, she saw herself in Uruto / Friede teaching Liko, Roy and Dot like he was taught and guided in the past by Lucca and Crave).

I'm still not exactly convinced by the implementation of Mega Evolution in the narrative. I do wonder if they'll leave it behind now and we'll focus back on Terastal for good. Though, would Liko and Dot ever have an opportunity to access Mega Evolution..? I don't like the idea of it being restricted to the boys. Uruto and Yamirami were convincing in terms of Mega Evolution. They had a strong bond and history, and I was happy for them when Yamirami Mega Evolved. Unfortunately, Lucario and Roy haven't convinced me at all, which is kinda sad because it feels like Lucario was just the obligatory Pokemon to include because of those fuckass games being released. Kairyu was a ZA tie-in too, but it feels like there are things to say about him in comparison (dragons are prominent in Horizons, it's part of Uruto's legacy, Kairyu's Mega Evolved form has wings reminiscent of an angel which paints a guardian angel imagery, making Kairyu a protector and someone who watches over Uruto after the loss of his father, angel/devil imagery in contrast to Yamirami, etc).. Lucario doesn't exactly have traits to work on or flaws (the most recent catches in Mega Voltage were interesting for example, because Carbou's character was explored and his "noble flaw" addressed early on, Dot's Collecurei fit in nicely with Dot and her team and has learned to be less selfish etc).. It's just a shame about Lucario in general, given how strong the teams are in terms of themes for characters in Horizons.

Also, quite curious about the next chapter. My main points of interests in the trailer are Liko and Friede calling at the end. The fact that Friede is teased so early makes me wonder if he'll call the group in the first episodes of Rising Again.. I wonder what he's up to.

Seems like the kids will all battle someone at Blueberry Academy. Uruto faces Taro (interesting duo to me, and adds to Uruto's connections to female characters). Roy will battle Kakitsubata (I haven't been invested in Roy's battles recently or his victories, so I hope they can make something interesting with this because Roy's character needs it..), Dot will battle Seille (unexpected, but seems to be fun). Seems like Liko is the only one whose opponent is hidden for now. Maybe she'll battle Ann because Ann will be at Blueberry? Or someone else. As always, I look forward to Liko's developments the most because her writing compels me the most. I want to see more of her Pokemon in general. I wonder if Carbou will evolve in the next chapter.

Info for HZ112 (here), HZ113 (here), and HZ114 (here).

Other promotional stuff around Episode Mega Evolution include (lots of links, so I'll just make a list for stuff that stood out to me):

scenes featuring Roy (here),

scenes featuring Uruto (here),

a key frame of Matiere (here),

a key frame of Uruto and Yamirami (here),

an interview with Natsumi Fujiwara (Uruto's VA, which can be found here),

an interview with Yuka Terasaki (Roy's VA, which can be found here),

an illustration of Uruto and Yamirami (here),

an illustration of Roy and Achigator (here),

there will be a third illustration on October 9 apparently (will add it to this post if I remember to do so)

Stuff that stood out to me in these links.. The Uruto lore that dropped, which is that he is apparently from Kalos, more specifically Miare City as he says that he would be suited for Mega Evolution as a native of Miare City. I think it's neat. Especially when I think that we got several blonde with blue eyes characters from Kalos in the past, so I like that Uruto is the Miare City character this time.

The illustration/key frame with Uruto and Yamirami are cute as hell.. Matiere's key frame too. The bits I'm most curious about from these episodes are around Uruto and Matiere in general. Uruto's character, his past (which will apparently be revealed too!), his relationship with Yamirami, and his relationship with Matiere. There is apparently a story behind Uruto and Matiere, and he is living with her during Episode Mega Evolution. Which is curious to me, because it's implied that the one who gave Uruto his Kairyuu is his relative (probably his father), so did he run away from home? Did Matiere feel sorry for him and couldn't leave him alone, so she just invited him to live with her? In the games, Matiere was an orphan, so if she is one in the anime too, it could explain why she took in Uruto because maybe she saw herself in him. I think it's interesting that Uruto has emotional ties of varying degrees to different female characters (Liko, Diana, Mollie, Matiere), it makes him more compelling to me. Matiere was probably my favorite XY game character when I played those games and I found her story emotional, so I look forward to seeing how she'll be in the anime (especially since my favorite writer is the one writing her).

Additional news about Episode Mega Evolution here (which I didn't link above).

A bit I liked is that they addressed the fact that Yamirami had a Mega Stone before his training even began because he likes collecting shiny objects. I like when Pokemon have their own quirks, so it's cute that Yamirami is just doing his own thing and collecting stuff. Especially since we know Uruto also likes picking up rocks from places he traveled to, so that makes them similar? Also, Uruto apparently had no interest in Mega Evolution prior to meeting Roy so I wonder what made him change his mind.

Matiere can also use Mega Evolution (which is good, and I hope we'll see her quite a bit in those episodes), and she has a Denryu who can Mega Evolve. I really like this Pokemon, so it's cool. I also noticed that in this picture, Matiere is holding a newspaper.. and if you look really closely, there is a picture of the Brave Asagi on one of the pages. This is post-Rakua, so it seems like the RVT got talked about in newspapers following those events and after Spinel painted them as reckless adventurers who messed up Rakua. I don't know if they'll talk about these events in the episode itself, but I like that they are connecting what happened in Rakua to Matiere in some capacity, since the newspaper she is reading probably mentions that.

Lucario has a nickname, which is Yellow Blast, which makes me curious about him.. Roy's VA mentioned that she really liked the reason Lucario joined Roy, so I hope we get to understand Lucario's personality more? I wonder what the reason is. My issue with Lucario is the fact that his focus was mostly battle-centric and that his personality didn't really shine through.. which didn't make me invested in him. I didn't have this issue with Yamirami (who is great all around). I am not sure if these eps will completely change my perspective on Lucario, but it seems like we'll finally learn more, which is very much needed.

Not sure what else to mention. I wonder if Cap's reason for following Roy will be brought up. I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but I want more on Cap's perspective. He'll be appearing in those episodes so I hope we see more of his feelings. I wonder how/why Uruto left to follow Roy, too. The summaries of the eps are all battle-centric, and it depends on how they're depicted for me to be convinced by them. But all the episodes are written by Kureha Matsuzawa (who is the script coordinator who handles the most pivotal episodes), and I love his writing so we'll see what's in store. I wonder if the episodes will be depicted as a kind of long flashback: ep 112 starting on the Brave Asagi, the RVT heading to Blueberry Academy to contextualize things, something happening that makes Roy and Uruto talk about their past together to everyone else, and ep 114 ending on the RVT reaching Blueberry Academy? I'd like to see the RVT more before we head into the next chapter.

My main points of focus for these episodes are Uruto, Matiere and Yamirami as of now.

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Additional info on Rising Again (here), and summary for HZ115 (here).

First episode of the new chapter will be written by lead writer Dai Sato (just like Mega Voltage's episodes were), so I'm curious about that. I'm happy we'll see Anne again. Seems like Roy and Nemo will battle again, so I just hope this confrontation will be more compelling than the previous one.

I'm curious about Taro and her dynamics with the group. I wonder if they'll meet Briar in this episode.

Not much to mention about this ep based on the summary. I just hope the visuals for the new op/ed slay. I'll be insane if I don't get to know more about Spinel and Agate before the end. I said it before, but it bears repeating.