It's so, so fitting that Liko's Pokemon in the past couple of episodes have learned moves out of a desire to heal or save. Mibrim learning Heal Pulse in HZ038 was so she could heal the Ikkanezumi, and now Nyahoja learning Magical Leaf was so she could help save her friends.

NYAHOJA LEARNED MAGICAL LEAF YAHOOOOO!!

Very nice ep that explored Nyahoja's past and why Nyahoja was chosen for Liko ;v;

EDIT: DOT NO MAMA DOT NO MAMA AAAAAAAH

There's something very very interesting about Blanca having Lycanroc-midnight as a partner pokémon, specifically in relation to Dot's way of coping with problems by removing herself from the scene and holing up in her room.

There's a lot implied throughout the series about the relationship between trainer and partner pokémon. Namely, in that both complement each other in some ways while also being mirrors in others. Take, for instance, Liko and Sprigatito in HZ040: while Liko's difficulty to connect with people and Sprigatito's loner attitude manifest in different ways and for different reasons, in the end they both are about not making themselves a problem/nuissance to others while ignoring people's agency and feelings (take Liko losing on purpose to help Wakaba become a gym trainer, robbing her of the opportunity to prove herself worthy of the position, and Sprigatito ghosting her friends after accidentally hurting them when she tried to save them from the Spidops). Same goes for Roy and Fuecoco, with both having a pretty cheerful attitude, but Roy being too goal-oriented sometimes while Fuecoco mostly just wants to do its own thing. Roy and Wattrel have the reverse of that dynamic, as do Liko and Hatenna being similar in different ways to Sprigatito, and so on. It's no coincidence that most characters in Horizons are designed after pokémon they don't have in their teams.

Dot and Quaxly are both performers. The entire Quaquaval line is all about dancing, moving its legs and generally being a big showoff, and Dot's primary passion is in streaming and making videos about pokémon. But while putting itself out there is entirely who Quaxly is, Nidothing is, if not merely a character she's playing, a part of Dot she doesn't exactly flaunt around -- or at least, a facet of her personality she doesn't have the energy to show all the time. Being Nidothing is, like pokémon battling, something that requires her full attention and focus (symbolized by the "mental switch" headband), and Dot isn't one to waste her mental energy unnecessarily. She works hard as a content creator as well as the Brave Olivine's software engineer and IT guy, and disrupting her flow takes her out of it pretty badly (see: every time she got got by Spinel and had a crisis about it); and that part of her, as well as her earnest naivety, is reflected now in Tinkatink, who is constantly looking to build a better hammer for herself while being pretty sensitive and getting upset when interrupted.

So. Blanca and Lycanroc-midnight.

Lycanroc-midnight, as Friede's outro lecture puts it, is a reactive pokémon. It waits for its opponent to move so it can answer in kind. On a surface level, it doesn't seem to fit Blanca, who dictates the scene wherever she's present. She's overbearing toward Dot and just overly energetic in general, always moving first and listening second. People don't seem to have time to learn how to respond. That doesn't seem very "reactive" of her.

But then? When Liko and Roy offer to talk to Dot for her since she doesn't seem to want to talk to her mom, Blanca overtaken with emotion at the fact that Dot has friends who care for her that much, and immediately backs off. She has a hard time understanding Dot, which is why her decisions, which make sense in her head and are made with Dot's best interests at heart, end up making Dot unhappy. And when she gets an inkling that Dot doesn't really want to go back home, she wants to make sure she's making the right call by asking Dot, through a pokémon battle, if this is really what she really wants. And Dot confirms, cutting through every single one of Blanca's rebuttals and counterpoints, that yes, she is having fun being a trainer, traveling around the world and making friends, and no longer wants to hide alone in her dark room. And it makes Blanca so immensely glad and proud that her daughter is happier. And her answer is "of course you can stay here" -- the proper reaction to Dot's actions. The combination of Blanca's helicopter-mom tendencies and Dot's refusal to engage was making things worse for both of them, and in the end open and honest communication was the reason Blanca was finally able to understand her daughter and adjust her mothering style accordingly.

So, yeah. Blanca and Lycanroc-midnight, Dot and Quaxly. Meeting in the middle. I don't know how to end this post lol bye

Are there any animals you associate Liko and Dot with? Personally I associate Liko with birds due to her hair "spike" looking like the head feathers of a cockatiel, while Dot would be rabbits since her little hair tufts kinda look like tiny rabbit ears to me. Plus I believe the Nidoran line are partially inspired by rabbits, so that would make it extra fitting. (Bonus: Roy and his golden retriever energy)

visually i definitely agree with your associations here, liko has bird energy and dot has rabbit energy. however. okay i don't have suuuper strong opinions on dot or roy in terms of animal associations, but liko? she's a cat. she's so catcoded

liko's sprigatito is not just visually similar to a cat, but she is also extremely catlike in personality and behavior. which is notable because liko and her initially grow closer because both of them relate to each other. liko relates to the way that it is difficult to understand sprigatito, and through that they are able to understand each other. this is a common sentiment with cats - a lot of people don't understand them and think they get upset for no reason or are just fickle/nonsensical

on another note, liko just Really Likes Cats. we have established that sprigatito is really catlike. and she LOVES sprigatito. like in a way that isn't the same with roy @ fuecoco or dot @ quaxly. in the second op her child self is shown holding a sprigatito plush. her online username is nyahoja (sprigatito) superfan, and not only that but she represents herself online with a photo of her holding sprigatito to the camera. in HZ040 she's briefly distracted looking for her own sprigatito because other sprigatito are being cute LOL

and you know. i just posted a screencap of this facial expression she made in a previous ask but i'm using it again

canon instance of liko :3 mouth in HZ019

anyway if liko had a pokesona it would be sprigatito and i need to draw her with :3 mouth more because she is sooo cat thanks for coming to my ted talk

Silly Little Summaries HZ036-HZ040

It's at this point that I realize it's going to be such a pain to have to wait five weeks (or more!) to post one of these. Oh well. At least it gives me something to look forward to even if I don't like the episode that much. Anyway, on to the "reviews":

HZ036: Tsundere pigs + Swag shows off his rizz

Alternate Title: Leafage is a girl

HZ037: Friede Jr. becomes cool Friede Jr. + Croc family teaches Hungry how to scream

HZ038: Baby Hat is super cute + John isn’t a background character for once

HZ039: Bam Bam vs Alaskan Bull Worm. Anti is impressed.

HZ040: Leafage Forgets leafage…huh + Cats. Cats everywhere

Pokemon HZ040 thoughts and spoilers.

Another episode I personally enjoyed watching! I'm always a sucker for episodes that focuses on a character's backstory, be it humans or Pokemon! I love that we get a more in depth look on Sprigatito's character! While it was a training accident, it appears that seeing Liko hurt prompted Sprig to leave the ship, heading to where she used to live at (conveniently close by to where the ship docked at in the previous episode).

I love the showcase of a cat sanctuary! Seeing all the cat Pokemon made me want to be there myself! Skitty is a personal fav of mine (have a plushie and everything!) so seeing it there alongside other cats was so nice! All the Sprigs were so cute too!

I couldn't fully grasp what had Liko in a tizzy but her attempts on conversing and making amends with Sprig just ended up with her getting scratched again. At least the kind lady gave her Sprig's backstory, which explained a lot of her earlier behavior.

I do enjoy how they showed why Sprig had trouble with Leafage in the beginning, and why it was so strong in the first place. Sprig was like the big sister of all the other Sprigs, but after accidentally getting them hurt while trying to save them from a Spidops, the other Sprigs were scared of her. Sprig had opened up from being the aloof sort but that just made her close up again until she was chosen as Liko's partner.

The bit where Liko tickled Sprig and gave her words of affirmation was the highlight for me. Liko genuinely adores her partner Pokemon, and wants Sprig by her side. Them making up made me tear up! Of course after seeing Terapagos and Hatenna get off the ship earlier, it was quite clear to me where it was going.

When they got caught, Sprig was hesitant to use Leafage again cause she feared about hurting the pair but with Liko's encouragement, ended up using it--which turned out to be Magical Leaf! At last after 30+ episodes, Sprig finally learnt a new move! I do love how it gave Sprig the confidence boost as Magical Leaf is a move that never misses! Now she doesn't have to worry about accidentally hurting her friends again.

All in all, it was another episode that I enjoyed! I'm looking forward for next week's episode as we finally get to see Dot's mom! From the preview, it seems that she has a Midnight Lycanroc, which is a nice touch seeing that Murdock has Rockruff! I imagine as to prove herself that she wants to stay on the ship, Dot would have to clash against her mom. I'm hoping this gives Quaxly a chance to learn a new move too!

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ040

Let's Talk About Pokemon HZ040

Nyahoja ep Nyahoja ep NYAHOJA EP-

Some character notes and episode notes for HZ040, writing them down for future reference.

Dot went out after Kanuchan by herself, which made Murdock proud. Nice way to tie in with the previous episode since we get to see Dot and Kanuchan and how Kanuchan helps Dot come out of her shell a bit more.

Friede and Orio were shown fixing the ship together. It's cute to see because the Brave Asagi is kind of their thing since Orio built the ship at Friede's request, and they're taking care of it together now.

Liko made Mibrim and Terapagos take a bath. I think it's the first time we've seen such a scene in Horizons. I love scenes like these since it shows everyday life things with Pokemon. Nyahoja wasn't with them. I like how her personality shines through in this moment. She still has a jealous streak potentially, even though she warmed up a lot to Mibrim and Terapagos. And I also think it's just Nyahoja's personality, she prefers keeping to herself and probably would like to clean up alone. I appreciate that she still has her own pace and keeps a distance sometimes.

Liko and Roy battle together. Liko ends up injuring her wrist when falling as she tried to protect Mibrim and Terapagos (who had walked in on the battlefield). Nyahoja immediately feels guilty and apologetic over it.

Roy held Liko's injured hand and walked her to Mollie so she could take a look at it. It's cute seeing them feel so casually comfortable around each other. Roy also stayed with Liko until he was sure it wasn't anything bad.

Nyahoja left the ship so Liko goes to look for her. She asks Mibrim to look after Terapagos and Mibrim seemed proud of having this kind of responsability. Mibrim is growing a lot lately, she seems stronger around others and grows more courageous with time. It parallels Liko's growth in a way.

Liko goes to the forest where Nyahoja went and comes across a house, which is where Nyahoja was raised. She meets Marnya, who is a breeder specialized in cat Pokemon. She recognized Liko from Sekiei Academy (since she took part in the school interview process). Marnya mentions the possibility of the Pokemon she raised to be separated from their trainers in the worst possible case, which makes Liko worry.

Liko looks for Nyahoja and wonders if she is going to be separated from her. She thinks that she knows Nyahoja better than anyone, and adds a "maybe"... I like that Liko's hesitation still seeps through at times and that she often says things like "I think" or "maybe". Nyahoja is on the roof of the house since it's her favorite spot but she avoids Liko because she still feels guilty about injuring her. She ends up scratching Liko to run away and Liko feels like they are back at square one.

Marnya offers some tea to Liko (matcha flavor, Liko notes it's bitter but it makes her feel relaxed because it's Nyahoja's favorite flavor). Liko seems down and Marnya points out that Nyahoja often wore the same expression too. She starts talking about Nyahoja's past and how she was more solitary than others Nyahoja and kept to herself a lot. She saved another Nyahoja from a fall with her Leafage once, and from then on she made friends with them and other Pokemon were interested in her strong Leafage. I like how this establishes several things about Nyahoja: that she is really observant and cares about others since she immediately protected the other Nyahoja from falling, even though she might seem indifferent and distant at first. I feel like this protective streak also shows through her relationship with Liko since she always watches over her and makes sure she doesn't get in trouble. Nyahoja's Leafage is also stronger than average and Marnya thought that she might have a knack for battling. Liko recalled the events of HZ002 since that was when Nyahoja used a powerful Leafage.

Marnya keeps telling her story. Liko was happy to hear Nyahoja managed to make friends in the past, but something happened eventually.. Nyahoja's friends were trapped by a Wanaider and in an attempt to save them, Nyahoja harmed them with her Leafage. From then on, the other Nyahoja started avoiding her because they were scared of her and Nyahoja found herself alone again and stayed on the roof all by herself. She never used Leafage once after that. Liko recalls the events of HZ001: when she trained with Nyahoja, she couldn't use Leafage properly. This puts the scene in a whole new perspective. Back then, Liko thought that Nyahoja was just not used to it but she was actually holding herself back and made herself not use the move (which parallels how Liko also held herself back subconsciously out of fear of hurting others in HZ020, the Kabu episode). Liko also realizes that maybe Nyahoja though that Liko would abandon her like her old friends did because she hurt her, which is why she distanced herself first.

Marnya admits to Liko that she is glad the two met each other. During the interview for Sekiei Academy, Nyahoja immediately seemed interested in Liko and couldn't stop gazing at her through the screen. Marnya knew that they both would be a good fit for each other, and explains to Liko that the reason Nyahoja came back to her house is probably because she doesn't want to hurt someone important to her again.

Liko ends up finding Nyahoja and opens up to her, saying it's fine if Nyahoja wants to scratch her and recalling their shared memories (Amethio appeared in a flashback too ww), reaffirming that she wants to keep growing alongside Nyahoja and experience new things with her. Nyahoja decided to trust Liko and they both made up and hugged.

Liko and Nyahoja reunite with Mibrim and Terapagos too. The two of them end up being trapped by Wanaider, mirroring what happened to Nyahoja's friends in the past. Nyahoja wanted to save them but was a bit hesitant to use her move out of fear of hurting them both but she eventually manages to free them both with Liko's encouraging words. She learned Magical Leaf because she wanted to save her friends and they all end up cuddling too. Nyahoja really warmed up to Terapagos (she was jealous before, but is now okay with being close and affectionate).

At the end (it feels like this scene happens a few days after the meeting with Marnya since Liko's wrist is healed), Liko and Roy continue their battle. Liko eventually wins thanks to Nyahoja's Magical Leaf. I feel like this battle is the most confident we've seen Liko so far: she genuinely seemed to have fun, quickly made up strategies on the spot, commanded Nyahoja with assurance, and seemed to be going all out. Getting closer to Nyahoja definitely helped. Her gradual growth in this aspect has been so nice to witness.

Overall, this is my favorite from Michihiro Tsuchiya so far! It really has all the elements I love from Horizons: tying in with previous episodes (Dot and Kanuchan), buildup from elements that were sprinkled through in the series (Nyahoja being unable to use Leafage properly in the first episode actually had history behind it), and Pokemon and human focus (Nyahoja and Mibrim both growing in different ways in this episode, as well as Liko)... also love that Liko keeps bonding with all these female characters in the series. And Kabu's episode (HZ020) keeps gaining more depth to it (since that episode established that Liko, similarly to Nyahoja, often held back out of fear of hurting others, even if it was detrimental for her, and she had to learn to be more honest with what she wants).

As a last note, Minori Suzuki (Liko's VA) really recommended this episode and talked a lot about it on her account.

It's so fitting that Amethio was present when Liko's Nyahoja evolved given that he's been involved in most of Liko's important steps as a trainer so far.

He is the reason Liko's pendant activated its powers for the first time in the series (when it had been dormant for decades before that point) which made Liko want to know more about its mysteries, Nyahoja managed to use her Leafage at full power against him back in HZ002 (and with her backstory from HZ040 in perspective, it was significant that Nyahoja stopped holding back at that moment).. Their narratives kept being intertwined every step of the way, Liko catching her first Pokemon and deciding the kind of trainer she wants to be in HZ021 was immediately followed by Amethio being woven back into the story and appearing in contrast.

In fact, Liko wanting to become stronger in the first place was in relation to Amethio, too.

Liko specifically brought up Amethio in HZ007 and the fact that not being able to do anything against him left her frustrated (in comparison, Roy's motivations were tied to Rayquaza). She learned that feeling of frustration for the first time because of him, which gave her the resolve to grow stronger.

Even now at the end of the first year, Amethio is still acting as a source of motivation of sorts to Liko, albeit differently.

Liko asks Friede how they can use Terastal, and Roy brings up that Lizardon was amazing, to which Liko adds that Amethio's Soublades was amazing too! She thinks of Soublades positively and was impacted by the experience, and may see it as a kind of inspiration.

Amethio went from someone Liko couldn't trust, to someone she can thank and maybe consider as someone she wants to reach too. I wonder if Amethio will be involved somehow if Nyarote evolves in Masquernya in the future.