Now, that's what I call a real breather episode. Amidst all the battling and trainer progression, we get an episode that offers a well-fleshed-out villain plotline and story. It takes me back to Horizons/PM2023's main appeal: the stakes, mystery, uncertainty, and thrilling aspects. Such a good episode all around, and I felt that being dialogue-heavy didn't detract from its impact.
I love Friede as a character and professor for this series. He's an action-oriented, charming, and unique figure within his archetype for this anime. His sassy Pikachu is no exception, and it felt good to see them in action again, making real progress with the mystery surrounding Terapagos. It’s an excellent way to utilize the adult character while the kids are away. Friede is handling the real, crazy, secret business by returning to a corporation he once worked for—who would have thought he had a connection to Eternal Blessing, AKA Rakulium? What a fitting name for the episode.
We can make a few educated guesses now. It’s nicknamed or project-named “Eternal Blessing” and is pink in coloration—the same color as the mist Terapagos surrounds them with during visions of the Ancient Adventurer alongside the hero Pokémon. "Eternal Blessing" immediately brings to mind immortality, along with one of Lucius's lines: "I won't die... I will return to Rakua" (IIRC). We know Lucius is about a hundred years old—hardly ancient, but by Pokémon world standards, Diana implies he's likely dead. So, is he truly dead, or is there more to it? Could Gibeon also be an "ancient" human kept alive by Rakulium or Eternal Blessing, blessed with immortality?
Gibeon calls Terapagos the key and tells Amethio to bring him the turtle when it awakens. But isn't it already awake? It’s not in pendant form, so I assume its normal form is its "awakened" form. This also implies Amethio is lying to Gibeon and is out of the loop. That means Terapagos may have another form we haven't seen (unlikely since it already reached its final form while helping out against Rayquaza). More likely, Amethio is just lying to his grandpa. It also seems Gibeon might not fully trust Amethio and once again confronted him to test his "resolve" or commitment to fulfilling these duties for the sake of his family line and Gibeon. This definitely points to Amethio's redemption. He had countless opportunities to kidnap the turtle but has recently focused only on training for Rayquaza. He even protected Terapagos from a stray attack by Rayquaza.
Gibeon's instructions imply Amethio must bring the key to him once it awakens. So maybe he will go after Terapagos again? Speaking of Terapagos, it’s likely the key to Rakua, where this substance is found, leading to the imminent prosperity of Amethio/Gibeon’s family or the Explorers. This clears things up while still leaving some vagueness.
As for Gibeon, his face reveal and unique design stood out. The Explorers’ designs always look so eyecatching and slightly off, mainly because they don’t fit the typical Pokémon aesthetic. They appear very unique, very anime, and a bit edgy, which is not a bad thing. It's great that they’re willing to conceptualize characters that look so different in a more colorful and playful world. Gibeon looks great, very villainous, and his dialogue and treatment of Amethio just ooze abuser/groomer energy. I was initially annoyed at Onyx/Sango, thinking their Team Rocket-like role could undermine the seriousness of the Explorers, but thankfully, it didn't.
As for Spinel—man, oh man. I love this lunatic. Still spying on Professor Friede and using his history and past against him to get ahead and steal the Rakulium from under his and Gibeon's noses. Zirc and Conia monitoring Spinel for Amethio this time after his first rogue attempt with Rayquaza was a smart move. It’s insane how the RVTs don’t seem to take these guys seriously, despite the Explorers hunting them around the world. Liko walking around with Terapagos in a bag without countermeasures for being spied on by Psychic Pokémon or brainwashing is baffling. The world through the kids' eyes is cute and ideal, but when Friede is in focus, it becomes adult, business-like, mysterious, and dangerous.
Regarding Amethio's father—perhaps he’s the director of Exceed, the business Friede used to work for? There aren’t many other characters of interest from this episode, but it implies Amethio's dad disappointed Gibeon, so he (Amethio) must prove himself. Maybe his dad was a good guy, aligning with Exceed's leader, who wasn’t upset at Friede for quitting to follow his dreams and even supported him. Friede's one badass scene running away with Volt Tackle Lizardon was thrilling to watch.
To summarize the clues:
- Rakulium is "Eternal Blessing"
- It’s pink and provides "prosperity"
- Likely connected to the pink haze in Lucius’s visions
- Spinel possesses it and is spying on Friede (while Spinel is monitored by Amethio)
- The relationship between Amethio's father and Gibeon remains a mystery
- Amethio seeks further power to accomplish his mission alongside Soulblades, despite having Terastal.
This episode gave us much to think about and look forward to!
