Have you ever watched a TV season brimming with potential, only to find yourself questioning how it stumbled so badly in its execution? For many fans, Pokémon Horizons Season 3, known in Japan as the Terastal Debut arc, evoked just this sentiment. This season, while promising in concept, left viewers wondering about the trajectory of its characters and their Pokémon. A central question that arises when watching Liko and her partner Pokémon Floragato navigate this training arc is: does Liko’s Floragato learn any other moves to help her overcome the challenges ahead? This article delves into this very question, exploring the opportunities for growth within the Terastal Training arc and reimagining how Floragato’s journey, and indeed the entire season, could have been more impactful.
Instead of just reviewing the Terastal Debut arc as it was presented, we’re going to explore a more constructive path: rewriting key elements to enhance the narrative and character development, particularly focusing on Liko and Floragato’s progression. This exploration will be divided into two parts. Part 1 will analyze the initial episodes of Season 3 and propose a revised approach for the beginning of the Terastal arc, while Part 2 will extend this reimagining to the season’s latter half and conclusion.
Let’s begin by examining what aspects of the Terastal Debut arc held promise, and where they ultimately fell short.
The Promising Aspects of the Terastal Debut Arc
Before diving into the rewrite, it’s important to acknowledge the positive elements of the Terastal Debut arc. It wasn’t devoid of merit, and recognizing these strengths helps to build a more effective and appreciated revised narrative. So, what worked well in this season?
One significant improvement was the reduced role of Professor Friede. In previous seasons, Friede often overshadowed Liko and Roy, hindering their development and dominating screen time despite being a supporting character. Season 3 thankfully shifted the spotlight, allowing Liko and Roy to finally step into their roles as the central protagonists. This created much-needed space for their individual growth and for the story to focus squarely on their journeys.
This shift naturally led to another positive aspect: Liko and Roy, alongside Dot, felt like the true stars of their own show. With Friede taking a step back, the narrative could concentrate on these new generation characters, giving them the opportunity to shine and develop independently. Dot, in particular, benefited from increased screen time and opportunities for character development. Focusing on the intended main characters undeniably improved the story’s dynamic and engagement.
Furthermore, the arc adopted a structure reminiscent of the classic Ash Ketchum era, with the protagonists traveling from town to town and engaging in Gym battles. This nostalgic nod to the anime’s roots was a welcome element, providing a familiar framework while still exploring new territory with the Terastal mechanic and Paldea region. While the execution had its flaws, the concept of Liko, Roy, and Dot following in Ash’s footsteps, in a way, was inherently appealing.
Given the focus on the Terastal Training course, character development became a central theme. The season explored Roy’s backstory, revealing the origins of his passion for singing, and charted Dot’s journey towards greater social confidence. Crucially, Liko’s arc revolved around taking battles more seriously and evolving into a more capable and courageous trainer. By the end of the arc, each character had demonstrably developed unique battling styles. Liko favored agility and distance, Roy utilized speed and singing-enhanced strength, and Dot emphasized strategy and adaptability. Witnessing this growth, especially seeing them achieve a victory against Explorer Admins, was a significant payoff. This marked a clear progression from Season 2, where Liko and Roy struggled against the same antagonists, highlighting how far they had come.
Finally, unlike the filler-heavy Season 2, Season 3 maintained a tighter narrative with very few skippable episodes, mirroring the pacing of Season 1. This improved focus suggested a clearer storytelling vision, making the season a more engaging and streamlined viewing experience. The improved pacing and reduced filler contributed significantly to a more enjoyable season overall.
And lastly, the conversation between Liko and Amethio while trapped in a cave stood out as a highlight. This scene allowed these adversaries to connect on a deeper level, revealing shared motivations and unexpected common ground. While it was arguably too late in the series to introduce such nuance, this interaction hinted at potential future complexities and shifts in their relationship, leaving viewers intrigued about Amethio’s future trajectory.
Despite these positive aspects, the Terastal Debut arc was ultimately marred by significant execution problems, leading to a frustrating viewing experience.
The Shortcomings of the Terastal Debut Arc
Unfortunately, the Terastal Debut arc exemplifies a situation where promising ideas were undermined by poor execution. Several critical flaws detracted from the overall quality of the season and prevented it from reaching its full potential.
Firstly, the rules of the Terastal Training course were illogical and undermined any sense of stakes. The fact that trainers could pass tests even after losing battles significantly diminished the importance of victory. This felt like a contrived way to repeatedly showcase the protagonists as underperforming rookies, even three seasons into their journey. This constant portrayal of inexperience became tiresome and contradicted the expected progression of main characters. Adding to this, the minimal difference between the Basics and Implementation tests – merely requiring one or two Pokémon respectively – felt uninspired. A more engaging approach would have involved progressively challenging rules, with winning battles being a fundamental requirement for passing the Implementation Test to truly raise the stakes.
Secondly, Liko’s character arc suffered considerably. The season seemed to unnecessarily put her through a series of defeats, seemingly for the sake of portraying her as the struggling protagonist. Her loss to Grusha, followed by an arbitrary passing of the test due to an external event, felt particularly contrived and unfair. This pattern continued to the season’s end, culminating in a loss to Roy and a discouraging comment from Rika, suggesting Liko was “not fit for the League.” This relentless negativity towards Liko felt unmotivated and counterproductive to character development. While struggle is important, the execution felt more like unwarranted punishment than meaningful growth. The question of does Liko’s Floragato learn any other moves to overcome these challenges becomes almost ironic, as the anime seemed reluctant to let Liko succeed regardless of any potential improvements.
Conversely, Roy was portrayed too favorably throughout the arc. Similar to how Dot was arguably over-glorified in Season 2, Season 3 unduly elevated Roy. He secured the majority of victories, including the final, climactic battle, and enjoyed rematches with Gym Leaders for redemption arcs. This preferential treatment felt unbalanced, particularly given Roy’s initially established lack of battling prowess, which was even highlighted early on by Liko’s comparative skill. Roy’s sudden surge in competence, surpassing Liko despite her more focused character development, felt unearned and weakened the narrative balance. Furthermore, many of Roy’s victories felt reliant on plot armor rather than genuine skill progression. Opponents seemed to conveniently handicap themselves or behave out of character to facilitate Roy’s wins, making his victories less convincing and more plot-driven.
Adding to the season’s woes, Pokémon Horizons managed to make Gym Battles, traditionally a highlight of the anime, feel tedious. The battles became formulaic and repetitive: the protagonists would fight a Gym Leader, initially struggle, Terastallize for a comeback, only for the Gym Leader to Terastallize and often overpower them. This predictable pattern, especially the frequent losses for Liko and Dot compared to Roy’s wins, made the battles feel monotonous and uninspired. The battle choreography lacked creativity and excitement, contributing to a sense of boredom and diminishing the anticipated thrill of Gym challenges.
The introduction of new evolutions also felt underwhelming. Wattrel and Hatenna evolved into Kilowattrel and Hattrem respectively, yet these evolutions did not translate into significant in-story impact or improved battle performance. Hattrem’s evolution, in particular, felt detrimental as its subsequent loss to Kilowattrel indirectly led to Liko’s defeat against Roy. Even Ann, despite her fan-favorite status and apparent purpose of providing Liko with a victory, felt underutilized and somewhat arbitrarily included.
The Explorers, antagonists of the series, were also mishandled. Coral, Sidian, and Chalce’s infiltration of the academy was largely inconsequential, and Coral and Sidian were reduced to comedic relief, a disservice to their established threat level. Amethio, despite a compelling episode with Liko that hinted at deeper complexities, was abruptly relegated to a new status quo due to Spinel’s actions after minimal screen time in the arc. This felt rushed and underdeveloped, undermining the potential of his character arc.
Finally, the season finale was profoundly anticlimactic. Instead of capitalizing on the setup for a meaningful rematch between Liko and Grusha, which could have provided satisfying closure and validation for Liko’s journey, the finale opted for a battle between Liko and Roy. This battle, devoid of any real stakes, felt like a weak and inconsequential conclusion to an arc that had promised significant character development and growth. The finale failed to deliver on the built-up anticipation and instead concluded on a note of ambiguity and missed opportunity.
These shortcomings combined to create a season that, despite its promising premise, left many viewers feeling frustrated and underwhelmed. To address these issues and create a more compelling narrative, a significant rewrite is necessary. Let’s explore how the initial episodes of the Terastal Debut arc could be reimagined to better serve the story and character development, particularly in relation to Liko and Floragato’s journey and answering the question: does Liko’s Floragato learn any other moves that truly matter?
Rewriting Episodes 46-54: A Focus on Growth and Meaningful Progression
Episode 46, which introduces the Terastal Training course, is structurally sound and can remain largely unchanged. However, a crucial modification is needed regarding the course rules. In this revised version, the Basics test retains its lenient passing condition – allowing trainers to pass even if they lose the battle. This reflects its introductory nature. However, the Implementation Test will be made significantly more challenging by requiring a victory to pass. This immediately raises the stakes and provides a clear, tangible goal. Furthermore, to add a layer of strategic depth, rematches will be allowed, but limited to a single rematch attempt. This means trainers have only two chances to succeed; failure on the rematch results in failing the course entirely, establishing real consequences for underperformance.
Crucially, this rewrite aims for equitable treatment of both Liko and Roy. Instead of favoring one protagonist over the other, both will experience meaningful victories and growth throughout the arc. This balanced approach ensures that both Liko and Roy fans find the narrative satisfying, with both characters receiving ample opportunity to shine and develop without overshadowing each other.
Episode 47, in the original season, saw Liko’s Basics Test against Katy, but was unfortunately overshadowed by unnecessary filler. In this rewrite, Episode 47 will focus solely on Liko’s test and character development. Coral’s disruptive cameo will be removed to streamline the narrative and allow for a more focused and impactful battle. Ann will also be integrated into the traveling group as a companion, giving her a more organic role in the story beyond a brief, isolated appearance. The episode will begin with Liko, Roy, Dot, and Ann arriving in Cortondo Town. They will experience the town’s culinary delights at Katy’s patisserie, reunite with Murdock, and then formally meet Katy for Liko’s Basics Test. In this revised battle, Liko will decisively WIN her Basics Test against Katy.
The battle will open dynamically, with Liko commanding Floragato to use Quick Attack, landing a direct hit. Katy will respond with her signature Cute Charm and Sweet Scent strategy using Teddiursa. However, unlike the original episode where Liko seemed passive, in this rewrite, Liko will quickly adapt and effectively counter Katy’s strategy, landing more significant hits on Teddiursa. When commanding Floragato to use Scratch, Floragato will surprise Liko (and the audience) by instinctively using Sucker Punch – a Dark-type move that adds strategic depth to Floragato’s moveset and directly addresses the question of does Liko’s Floragato learn any other moves. This early acquisition of Sucker Punch signals Floragato’s growth and potential for learning new techniques.
Facing a cornered Teddiursa, Katy will Terastallize it into a Bug-type and unleash a Fury Cutter. Despite taking a strong hit, Floragato will persevere, her Overgrow ability activating due to low HP. Seizing this opportunity, Liko will command Floragato to Terastallize and unleash a Tera-boosted and Overgrow-enhanced Magical Leaf. This powerful combination will overwhelm Teddiursa, securing Liko’s victory in her Basics Test on her first attempt. This win will be a significant moment of triumph for Liko, highlighting both her strategic growth and Floragato’s developing move pool, directly showcasing that yes, Liko’s Floragato does learn other moves and can effectively use them to win.
Episode 48, focusing on Roy’s Basics Test against Brassius, will also be adjusted for balance. Roy’s battle will not be a one-sided victory. Instead, it will be a more evenly matched and challenging encounter. Brassius will not handicap himself by Terastallizing Sudowoodo into a Grass-type. He will maintain its Rock typing, forcing Roy to strategically utilize Terastallization to gain the necessary edge to win. Similar to Liko, Roy will also win and pass his Basics Test on his first attempt, ensuring parity in their early successes.
Episodes 49 and 50, featuring Dot’s Basics Test against Iono, will remain largely unchanged. These episodes are effective in portraying Dot’s struggles and eventual breakthrough and do not require significant revision. The decision to have Dot be the only one to lose her initial Basics Test is intentional, reflecting her later start in her Pokémon training journey compared to Liko and Roy. This provides a natural point of differentiation and allows for nuanced character arcs. The cameos of Coral and Sidian in Episode 50 will be removed to maintain narrative focus.
Episode 51 will be repurposed to focus on Ann’s Basics Test instead of being a filler episode. Set in Cascarrafa, Ann’s test will be against Kofu, the Water-type Gym Leader. The episode will incorporate the Gym Challenge element from the Scarlet and Violet games, where the group helps Kofu by participating in a bidding war for a rare ingredient. This integrates game elements and adds a unique local flavor. Afterward, Kofu treats the kids to dinner at his restaurant before Ann’s battle. Ann will battle Kofu using her Dewott against his Crabominable. The unexpected Fighting/Ice-type Crabominable will present a significant challenge for Ann. Crabominable’s powerful Ice Hammer and Brick Break, enhanced by its Iron Fist ability, will push Dewott to its limits. While Dewott skillfully dodges many attacks with Detect, Crabominable will land several blows, dealing substantial damage. Despite her best efforts, Ann will ultimately lose the battle. However, Kofu will still pass her, impressed by her resilience, strategic Terastallization timing, and never-give-up attitude. Despite passing, Ann will be visibly unsatisfied with her loss.
This leads into Episode 52, where Ann expresses her mixed feelings about passing but losing. She explains to Liko, Roy, and Dot that her goal is to compete in the Pokémon League, and losing to Gym Leaders during training raises concerns about her ability to succeed in official Gym battles back in Kanto. Seeing Ann’s disappointment, Liko proposes a training session with Roy and Dot. Episode 52 will then showcase a series of training battles between the four friends, allowing them to refine their skills and strategies. During this training, Ann’s Sandshrew will evolve into Sandslash, a positive moment of growth for her team. The training session will be interrupted by Coral and Sidian, who challenge Liko and Ann to a battle. Liko and Ann accept, leading to a tag battle: Floragato and Dewott against Garganacl and Glalie. This battle will be more challenging than their previous encounters with the Explorers. However, through teamwork and newly honed skills, Liko and Ann will emerge victorious. Significantly, during this battle, Dewott will learn Brick Break, and Floragato will learn Acrobatics, further emphasizing the theme of Pokémon learning new moves and growing stronger – directly addressing the question of does Liko’s Floragato learn any other moves and showcasing it in action. Coral and Sidian will retreat, and Ann will be elated by her win, feeling more confident about her upcoming Implementation Test and her League aspirations. This victory will reassure Ann and reinforce her determination. Coral and Sidian will report their encounter to Calace, noting the kids’ increasing strength. Calace will acknowledge this, remarking that their growing strength could be useful for their purposes, and coldly remind them to stay ahead, lest the children surpass them.
Episodes 53 and 54 will be adjusted in terms of evolution timing. Wattrel’s evolution episode will be moved to Episode 53, maintaining its original narrative content. Episode 54 will then feature Hatenna’s evolution. The only change to Hatenna’s evolution episode is the removal of the unnecessary doppelganger characters, Luka, Rai, and Bocco. Their inclusion was a convoluted and weak explanation for the Annihilape troop’s aggression. The Mankey line’s naturally aggressive temperament is sufficient motivation for their attack, simplifying the narrative and making the episode more focused.
The original Episode 54, which introduced Friede’s side plot involving the Exceed company and the Eternal Blessing, will be entirely removed from Season 3. This storyline felt like a tangential detour that disrupted the pacing and focus of the Terastal Training arc. In this rewrite, these plot points will be deferred to Season 4, allowing Season 3 to maintain its thematic coherence and narrative momentum. This streamlining ensures that Season 3 remains tightly focused on the Terastal Training and character development arcs.
This concludes Part 1 of the Terastal Debut arc rewrite. By focusing on balanced character development, meaningful victories, and showcasing Pokémon learning new moves like Sucker Punch and Acrobatics for Floragato, and Brick Break for Dewott, this revised beginning sets a stronger foundation for a more compelling and satisfying season. Part 2 will continue this rewrite, covering the Elite Four battles, the Implementation Tests, and the season finale, further enhancing the narrative and addressing the shortcomings of the original arc.
Continued in Part 2…
