#hz134

Thinking about the line that "Charem just wanted Agate", and how this probably applies in Spinel's case too. Agate and Spinel are such effective parallels that I think that what applies to one of them applies to the other too, and is meant to be thought of as something that will be relevant to the other's character. It feels natural to think of it as such (Sango and Onyx are good parallels too, these set of characters are meant to be thought of as duos and their developments reflect each other's etc). Especially considering that in both cases, the partners Pokemon were willing to go through the Rakurium for their humans (Blacky and Charem agreed to the Rakurium/Strong Sphere, and are strongly loyal to their Trainers).

Anyway, I am just thinking that it's a simple thing but in Blacky's case, it really comes down to that to me, ie Blacky just wants Spinel. No matter what, Blacky wants to be by Spinel's side. That line in the context of Spinel and Blacky really makes sense, and Blacky's desire shows through too. Almost all the scenes Blacky shows up in speak for themselves, because she constantly asks for affection and pets from Spinel. It's been consistent from the beginning of the series. Spinel casually shows affection, and Blacky asks for it too (Spinel naturally gives it / Blacky is comfortable being demanding). I think it stands out even more considering that Blacky is one of the few Explorers Pokemon that we get to see in "downtime" scenes, such as the ones where she is taking a nap in Spinel's office while he is working (ep 100 and 130). They are always together in general.

(the two scenes in question btw, I think they're cute)

They lingered on those scenes and specifically highlighted Blacky without anyone else.

Either way, it's cute and kind of heartbreaking to think about. I think Blacky just wants to be with Spinel above everything. I do like thinking of the Pokemon's perspective when it comes to their Trainers "changing" and them witnessing that change and staying by their side regardless. It happened with Gibeon and Zygarde, Agate and Charem, and I wonder if they'll highlight that with Spinel and Blacky. There is something humbling for the Trainer, to me, to realize that their Pokemon has been making an active choice to stay with them out of love. Something grounding about it, too. Agate had a moment of clarity and realized how far she went in the pursuit of her goal thanks to her Pokemon. I really liked seeing her tender side being brought out thanks to Charem, too, it felt so raw. Now, will Spinel and Blacky get something similar... Don't do anything that will make Blacky sad, Horizons.

Anyway, something about the parallels between Spinel and Agate. Going too far in the pursuit of your goal, and having a Pokemon who matches your freak to a certain extent, and who mostly just wants to be with you.

I do have a few thoughts about Sango and Onyx (and still need to get to them and Agate in ep 130..). First, I think they are really cute as hell because they both reacted the same way to the battle. They were both having fun and felt in their element. Their dissatisfaction about what they've been doing felt apparent for a while, and I'm happy they got to let go a little for the first time in a while.. Onyx's talk was pretty interesting, he's always been the most reasonable one, and with the more honorable side, so the fact he admitted defeat and framed it as an ideological one too (the defeat of the Strong Spheres) was compelling. I feel like he's done a lot of thinking on his side. Sango and Agate were never going to say these things out loud, so having Onyx admit that was the sensible choice, and he is speaking for them too, in a way. I also liked that Friede appreciated the fact that Onyx was actually someone they could get through to, and someone they could talk to, despite the fact they aren't on the same side.

Also (personal thoughts that have more to do with my appreciation of Sango and Onyx's dynamics in general/as a ship too, rather than anything directly depicted in the ep itself but), I think it's interesting that for a pair of battle lovers, Sango and Onyx do not actually battle each other..? Narratively, they are made to function as a team and battle together, but not against each other. They both love battling and feel free in that setting, so if they wanted to face someone so badly, they could just battle each other and call it a day?

Anyway, I was thinking that it highlights how special their companionship actually is. Like, maybe they could be doing that (battle against each other, and maybe they do so but we just don't see it), but it's not the aspect that is emphasized in their dynamics. They are certainly similar in the way that they share the same passion (though they have their own reasons for it, but find satisfaction within it nonetheless), and battling is probably their way to communicate and navigate the world/expand their worldview. Though, they became close for other reasons..? They enjoy each other's company and stay together for reasons that don't have to do with that. They don't really depend on each other to feel fulfilled within their passion, and actually seek it outside of each other. I think that's neat and genuinely compelling. Makes them feel more like individuals with their own agency.

One of the most important questions we got in Pokedoko, I think.

Anyway, the weekly quiz this time is about Friede and Amethio in ep 134. The question is "how does Amethio react when he reunites with Friede?" and there are two possibilities. The first one is a) "He smiles to Friede" and the second is b) "He gives him a cold look".

The hosts then pondered on the question and talked about the fact that Friede and Amethio used to have intense battles (scenes of their battles in ep 25 in chapter 1 were shown), so maybe Amethio doesn't see him in a positive light? But then, they talked about the fact that Amethio is not the same as he was before. After all, he made curry with Mighty G in a cave in the middle of a storm. So, we'll see what the answer is in the next episode.

On a personal level.. I think both options are pretty interesting. I wonder if Amethio will bless us with a wonderful smile.. or maybe it's something that only Friede will see? Amethio's face can't really be seen in the picture they showed in the quiz. It would show Amethio's positive development too. After all, he also smiled when Uruto told him he trusted him in ep 124, and it seems easier for him to smile nowadays (he smiled with relief when he thanked his father in ep 111 too) because he is much more comfortable with himself and with life. It would be cute if he smiled at Friede, after everything they went through. I wonder how Friede would react if he saw him smile?

On the other hand, I wonder if they'll play into the comedic aspect of the second answer. I think it's a funny answer to suggest in the quiz, like it's a feasible possibility for Amethio to react that way specifically. I like the second possibility (Amethio giving him a cold look) because it plays into the fact that Friede has consistently been the only one who gets Amethio's "childish" sides out of him, the one who got Amethio's strong emotional sides out of him and that Amethio felt safe enough to show around Friede. I always loved the fact that Friede and Amethio brought out each other's "childish" sides, and that Amethio was allowed to/allowed himself to act like the brat he was around Friede and scream his desperate need for attention in that space with Friede specifically. And that Friede saw that, took that in, and gave him exactly what he needed. Even though Amethio grew in the timeskip, I liked that they specifically showed that he still needed help/was still a kid, especially with Mighty G. Friede is also one of those characters who highlight that position Amethio is in.

So the potential for the second possibility is also appealing to me, because it's funny. I liked what they did with Amethio's potential for comedy (in ep 105), and I think he has a lot of potential for comedy with Friede. It also makes me think of Friede's potential reactions to the cold look (something like 相変わらずぶれないね~ or playing it up "I thought we got along after everything : (", etc).

Whatever the answer is, I'm ready and I like both possibilities. They better not play with my heart and actually follow up on it, and maybe even give me an interaction. I don't trust like that. The quiz with Sango last week mentioned that she was either having a picnic with her Pokemon or that she was training her Self-Destruct. Sango was chilling with her Pokemon at the beginning of this week's ep (ep 133), but she wasn't really having a picnic, so don't pull that shit with me when it comes to Friede and Amethio ok!! I need to see it the actual thing for real!!

Either way, we're getting Friede and Amethio!! In the same scene!! It's been 3000 years, or more specifically 744 days since ep 45 aired, which was the last time they interacted!! It's even more fucked than not having heard Gibeon's hot voice in a year!! It's been longer than that!! I'm excited!! My favorite thematic trio (Liko, Friede, Amethio) will finally be reunited!! My peak quartet (Liko, Friede, Amethio, Spinel) will be in the same scene!! Friede was so pivotal to Amethio's emotional growth, and he'll see how much Amethio has changed!! Both Friede and Spinel will witness Amethio completing Zygarde!!

I'm so excited for this bit specifically above anything else. I haven't stopped thinking/writing about Friede and Amethio, and they have been one of my main investments in the narrative from day one ok. Sometimes, thematic peak is when two characters are so deeply intrinsically linked in a story that they experience narrative death simultaneously. Or when you project the older figures in your life on this guy so much that it naturally turns out that this guy was your father's student.

Anyway, we got two new titles (here and here), and we basically have little info about what's coming next. No staff list (though, I do have a guess on who's going to write these episodes), and no summaries so far. It's dire out there.

I'm just writing current thoughts based on the titles alone, and because I want to write about Horizons a bit.

I don't have much to say about ep 134's title, because Mega Evolution. I don't have an emotional investment in the gimmick, I think it's unequal (only some Pokemon get to have these forms and are favored over others), its implementation in the narrative has been odd (Terastal is a full part of the mystery and the story and involves everyone, unlike Mega), Liko hasn't had a narrative connection to it so I can't feel immersed or invested if the protagonist is removed from that. There is a disconnect there (the actual story VS Mega, which feels removed from that story). It felt a bit more relevant when Agate was revealed to have Mega Evolution (the Explorers are connected to the mysteries and the story), but I'm still not really convinced. So we'll see what this ep has in store, but for now, I've Had Enough.

Ep 135's title sounds really intriguing, on the other hand.

My first thought is that it's interesting that it seems like Spinel will actually activate the Rakurium Core..? He really is surpassing Gibeon, and doing what the latter couldn't. And maybe I'm normal about it. I'm also going batshit insane thinking about how Spinel is probably going to lose in the very same place Gibeon lost, ie Rakua (their fall from paradise). Connected in life and death or whatever. A tragedy repeating twice. And maybe three times, even. Maybe I'm normal about it. Maybe they invented twisted soulmates shit. I'm going to lose it, actually.

Gibeon and Spinel are each other's mirrors in the worst ways and enabled each other's worst (accidentally or intentionally), in a way that was so dear to both of them because their meeting meant a lot to both of them.. It's precious in a peculiar way to me, and I'm fascinated by the way they tempt each other and pave(d) their way to hell together in a dance of mutual destruction. Gibeon tempted Spinel with the unknown, and Spinel tempted him back and encouraged him, and the forbidden fruit imagery isn't lost on me. Ok. They could have been So Good for each other had they met in other circumstances (they are equally driven and curious and have an affinity for intellectual pursuit), but it's precisely these specific circumstances that led to their meeting, and they made of it what they could at the time. (I could go on, I think it's peak.)

There is also something to be said about Gibeon who went to Rakua after 100 years and ended up reuniting with Lucius (whom he didn't expect to be still alive), and Spinel who will head to Rakua but won't find anyone there.. Chasing a ghost of sorts. Two ghosts, even (Gibeon and Lucius).

I look forward to Spinel, and I hope his character will benefit from these episodes. I love him, and how fascinating he is. I hope we get more on Spinel's relationship with Gibeon, or on any dynamics involving him in general. I'm especially curious about his ties to Liko and Amethio. I wonder if they'll interact?

Anyway, it's a bit reassuring to know that we'll have multiple episodes in Rakua. I was worried about that. Ep 135 doesn't seem to be the last ep of the arc. I could see it ending at ep 136 or 137..? I don't know though. I want to get to the Liko-centric and Spinel-centric parts of the climax neow.

I'm also holding to this scene in the opening like a lifeline (posting the pics because the cats are cute).

Like, I'm waiting. I want my confrontation between Liko and Spinel. My two parallels who are strangely similar in certain ways but couldn't be more different if they tried, or something. I'll keep waiting until we get to that part in the opening. Genuinely my most anticipated part. (Also, I like that Spinel's Blacky is using Bark Out in this scene because it's the first move Blacky used against Liko and her friends in ep 16 when Spinel sent her to battle.. So there is that, and also the fact it feels like such a protective move to me, like repelling opponents and not allowing them to get closer.. which is what Spinel does by not allowing anyone close.)

Anyway, I think that's it. There is not much info about upcoming episodes and my priorities are where they've always been (Liko, and the Explorers).

Not knowing what's coming up is a bit stressful. Especially since this time, we don't have much to speculate about and the future is unclear. Rayquaza Rising was clear in terms of direction (Friede, Lucius and Gibeon's fates were pretty clear and built up to, and that seamlessly led into the timeskip, which felt logical), but this time, we don't really know anything about the future direction of the story.. Maybe it'll feel obvious in retrospect when we get news about what comes next, but for now, I'm not sure what to think and the promotional aspects of the game finding their way in the original anime story aren't helping.

Anyway, it seems like the current arc is wrapping up in the next two episodes, which is.. certainly something, because I would have expected a bit more considering that we're going back to Rakua (in comparison, the finale at Rakua during Rayquaza Rising was longer, but it was the first time Liko and co were going there too, etc).

I sure hope we actually get to the bit in the opening which shows Liko's Masquernya vs Spinel's Blacky. That's the major part in the opening in terms of "updates that have been added later on" that hasn't been covered yet. Though with how little time there is left for this chapter, I'm starting to get a bit worried. But they showed everything else, so there is no reason for them to not feature Blacky and Masquernya..? But who knows. That's the part I've been looking forward to the most, so they better show it though. I need Liko and Spinel facing each other. She is the first person in the RVT who met him and they put particular care in the connections between Liko, Amethio, Spinel and Friede so I need a follow up on that.

Speaking of Spinel.. Well, as always, he is hot and I love when he says terrible things with his beautiful voice (his line in the trailer when he says "how long will they last", like ok you don't have to say it like that). There are still many narrative threads around his character that need some closure/follow up/something, literally anything, so I wonder how they'll handle that.. We got more insight and a peek into Sango/Onyx/Agate's characters recently, which was really good. Spinel is a major character in the narrative too, so it demands a kind of focus on this scale, imo. I'll take literally anything at this point. I can and will analyze things afterwards, but Spinel needs something showing a bit more about his character, it would feel odd if he doesn't (especially considering he foils and reflects shades of so many important characters like Liko, Amethio, Gibeon and Friede, all of whom got focus on their interiority and circumstances).

Aside from that, I think it's interesting that Spinel will potentially be defeated soon-ish..? Unless there is more going on with him after Rising Again. But either way, I do have point out the parallels of him and Gibeon facing similar circumstances at the exact same place (Rakua), ie heartbreak/rejection (Gibeon got his heart broken when Lucius and Rystal couldn't understand him / Spinel was disappointed after Gibeon's passing and expressed the wish to be the one who inherits his will) and potentially a defeat.. Just soulmate things <3 They are literally bound together in life and death <3 No one does it like them or whatever.

A bit more on Spinel, because he is the one I want to know the most about right now anyway. In the case that he gets defeated soon, I do wonder how they'll handle his character..? I've been thinking a lot about what they could do, because I'm not sure what could feel "satisfying" for him narratively. I've considered the idea that Blacky could "leave" him (temporarily?) for several reasons, such as the fact it'd make a parallel between him and Gibeon. I do think Zygarde left at the end of ep 88 for many reasons which had nothing to do with "not caring about his partner anymore", but out of love/trust for him.. Lucius explained that Zygarde wanted to show Gibeon the strength of bonds, and their bond wasn't broken by their distance anyway, I think it was Zygarde's show of trust that he knew Gibeon would understand his intentions, which he did in the end. Leaving because he knew Lucius and Amethio were there for his partner, too.

Anyway, back to Spinel, I also considered that option because the Strong Spheres are said to break the trust/bond between humans and Pokemon, so it'd feel ironic if Spinel's bond with his own partner ended up being damaged too (not necessarily because of that item either). But I keep facing a wall when I consider that option because Blacky is loyal towards Spinel (something steady about Blacky too, and I feel that scene of Blacky using Bark Out in the op against Masquernya further shows that protective side because it feels like it's a move that prevents others from "getting closer"), and Spinel and Blacky are quite literally constantly shown to be affectionate and communicating, and it has been shown again recently in ep 130.. Blacky demanded affection, Spinel constantly pats his Pokemon, the talk about going to have lunch together, etc. It's the one constant about Spinel's character and it hasn't changed since Blacky was revealed as his partner in ep 12. Spinel is always shown to be affectionate and it's something genuine about him, because they mostly only do it in private settings, ie, Spinel has no reason to maintain a facade in private. Which is what is compelling about his character in the first place too, the fact he is someone who goes to great lengths for the sake of research and simultaneously holds genuine affection for his Pokemon. So I'm not sure. At the same time, I don't know what else could get to Spinel on a deeper level. I consider that both Gibeon and Blacky are the two beings that help get an understanding of Spinel's character the most so far, and Blacky is the one he cherishes the most. But nothing suggests that Blacky holds resentment against Spinel, quite the opposite actually.

I guess we'll see. I do want something satisfying for Spinel's character, and something that makes me think. His character needs to be explored on a deeper level. I want a compelling outcome. I hope we'll get something interesting regarding Liko, Spinel and Amethio.

Other things that stood out to me in the trailer (and next ep preview).. Sango and Onyx using Mega Evolution too. I remember noticing (and many others did) the fact that they both (alongside Agate too) had Pokemon who were able to Mega Evolve, so I was wondering if they were going to do something with it.. And now, they did. It feels quite organic for their characters, even though Onyx's Ptera was mostly a transportation Pokemon. Sango's Onigohri has been developed quite well, though. Sango's Pokemon are among some of the best in the Explorers imo. They both have lots of character, and fun interactions with her.

I liked seeing Cap on Pagogo in the trailer, and Cap accompanying Liko, Diana and Ann while being on Diana's Windie. Feels refreshing to see Cap with literally anyone else than Roy these days. The bar is on the floor, but I'll take anything if it means Cap feels like a full character again and gets to interact with others instead of just sticking with one person (when he's been asked to take care of everyone in the ship too).

Zygarde's Perfect Forme isn't exactly a slay, but it is what it is. I do like the fact that Amethio asks Zygarde to lend him his strength. It feels really respectful. I like how much Amethio respects Zygarde and the stance he takes towards him.. Feels a bit different from the way Amethio is with Soublades. Almost like Amethio defers to Zygarde?

I hope Liko gets to have interesting moments in this finale. There is a lot at stake.

As for the small snippet of Metamon Cap at the end of the trailer, I'm quite curious and anxious. I'll try to keep an open mind about this. I was skeptical about Terastal Debut when it was announced, and it ended up being one of the strongest arcs in terms of structure. The character writing (humans and Pokemon) was great and so was the balance between rising up the stakes for the plot/mystery while focusing on the trio finding their ways and gaining more independence.

The focus distribution in Rising Again has been the weakest so far. I've been quite tired of the focus on Roy at everyone else's expense (and the last two eps focusing on Lucario when we could have built up more towards the climax certainly didn't help). It was unequal and annoying, because as I wrote before, literally everyone else has more depth and they haven't managed to achieve that with Roy despite how much he got in this arc. I enjoyed the focus on Liko, Dot, Uruto, the Explorers. Everything about them was engaging and interesting, but not really Roy. Which is a shame, because I enjoyed him pre timeskip, but now it feels like his writing stands out in an odd way and affects others in a bad way. So I want to move on to something else and I hope the balance will be restored this time, because I've had enough.

Seems like Metamon might have a connection to Pokopia (which I haven't played), and my stance on the games is always that they get in the way of the anime's writing, so they better not do something like Lucario again. Especially because Horizons is such a good original story, so it needs to focus on its strengths. I'm worried about what the next arc might mean for the Explorers too. As always, my main focus and investments are Liko, and the Explorers.