#takeori

Iori, despite being younger than Takeru, is pretty mature and knowledgeable, having a strong sense of justice but a black and white world view. It's not like Takeru doesn't have some of these things, but Iori is more flat and monotone compared to Takeru and I believe Takeru finds it hard to find something in common with Iori and maintain a conversation with them.

Because while they do have parallels, both being the youngest of their first respective teams, having family problems, and having a strong sense to do the right thing, they are also both very different in personality. With Takeru being cheery and cool-headed(most of the time) and Iori being analytical and kinda flat.

Takeru also doesn't know that much about Iori, because they don't really talk to each other. Just like how Iori was confused on how Takeru acted, I believe Takeru was also confused on what could make Iori act the way he did, considering Takeru would remember how he acted close to Iori's age. I do not believe at the moment their Jogress Arch takes place Iori has every told them his father is dead(please correct me if i am wrong), so Takeru wouldn't know how much this affects Iori and how he acts. Takeru would be confused on what could make someone so young, have such a strong sense of justice and act so mature. Of course, this is a part of who Iori is, but it is heavily influenced by his father's death.

Takeru hides this(like he does so much else) focusing on BlackWarGreymon and the Holy Stones. I believe Takeru was just hoping Jogress will just happen between them like it seemingly did for the others, or maybe he was too distracted by other things, which is why we don't really see him reaching out to Iori about the fact they have to Jogress-Evolve, until something happens.

Iori than goes to Yamato to learn more about Takeru, and you can see in the scene that Takeru is slightly angry and/or annoyed at Iori for going to his brother instead of him(like takeru would have told iori anything).

However, I think Takeru isn't angry because he realizes that Iori is trying to get to know him, trying to bond with him by trying to understand him. Takeru says that's just how Iori's acts, and he says it almost fondly and with a smile on his face, no longer angry once he realizes Iori's just trying to get closer to him. No one else has done this, and it changes how Takeru's been acting for the past two episodes where Iori has been trying to understand Takeru behind the scenes.

Once he learns that Iori is actively trying to get to know him better and bond with him(even if he goes to yamato for that) he decides to reach out to Iori as well, making the bond between them instead of just waiting for it to happen(takeru also probably feels happy but uncomfortable when iori notices somethings wrong with him because he always has a mask on and no one else can see through it)

This is why we see Takeru reaching out to Iori and believing they can Jogress-Evolve in the episode right after Iori goes to Yamato and than Yamato snitches on Iori to Takeru. He also does a bit in pervious episodes, but this is specifically Takeru reaching out to Iori about their Jogress-Evolution.

I believe this is also the reason it's Takeru that reaches out to Iori during their Jogress instead of the other way around like the others were(you know, the one that can see through the others bullshit reaching out to the repressed one) because Iori needed to learn that to know more about Takeru, he has to reach out to Takeru instead of trying to learn about him on his own. Takeru also learned that to make a bond between him and Iori he needed to reach out as well instead of his hoping everything would happen suddenly.

However, once Takeru learns Iori was reaching out to him, managing to see through the mask that fooled everyone else, Takeru realizes that Iori is trying and that he should as well(also probably feels some feelings, because takeru probably wants comfort but doesn't want to be seen as a crybaby and iori saw through everything that fooled everyone else and sorry im rambling). Sure, Takeru doesn't admit everything, but he reaches out to Iori like Iori was doing with him and that's what finally allows them to Jogress-Evolve.

Maybe Takeru always felt like he and Iori could bond and was just waiting for it to happen, though I prefer him also being worried about their bond like Iori but not showing it or being too distracted with everything else to confront it like Iori did. Either way, Takeru didn't let any of it show, and that hiding his emotions and feelings is what made Iori feel like he couldn't bond with Takeru because Takeru never shows the true him.

Both Takeru and Iori learn that they have to reach out to each other, not go to someone else or keep it all inside. Iori learned that he has to speak with Takeru to truly know everything about him, and Takeru learns he has to speak to Iori about his mind if they are going to get closer.

Takeru's confidence(even if fake at times) about them being able to Jogress-Evolve, the absolute belief in their bond is also what helps Iori believe as well, but Takeru only started showing this belief after he learned Iori wanted to know about him, to understand him and why he acted the way he did, so I still think Takeru has a realization he needs to reach out to Iori instead of just doing nothing and hiding how he feels.

This is what I feel really separates Takeori's Jogress compared to Daiken and Miyakari. While they also fight for their Jogress, it is much more clear(at least to me) that Takeru and Iori both have to work for it and make it happen. The other's did as well, I'm not saying they didn't, but it seem to come a lot easier for the others than it did for Takeori.

Both Takeru and Iori need to learn that if you want something to happen, and to bond with someone you have to make it happen yourself. You can't wait for anyone to do it for you, you can't wait for some magical force to do it, you need to do it yourself. They both learned that to bond, to Jogress-Evolve, they both need to reach out to the other and make their bond happen by themselves. With each other by the other's side, not going to someone else and not hiding everything.