HZ006

This article is about an episode of the Pokémon animated series that has not been dubbed into English. As such, its coverage may contain romanized Japanese names, rather than dub names.

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HZ006

HZ006   EP1238 いにしえのモンスターボール The Ancient Monster Ball

First broadcast Japan May 12, 2023 United States

English themes Opening Ending

Japanese themes Opening ドキメキダイアリー Ending RVR〜ライジングボルテッカーズラップ〜[モリーVer.]

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 松澤くれは Kureha Matsuzawa Storyboard 野田泰宏 Yasuhiro Noda Assistant director 野田泰宏 Yasuhiro Noda Animation directors 岡昭彦 Akihiko Oka 志村泉 Izumi Shimura 新岡浩美 Hiromi Niioka 山田俊也 Toshiya Yamada 中矢利子 Toshiko Nakaya Additional credits

Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf

(Japanese: いにしえのモンスターボール The Ancient Monster Ball) is the sixth episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the 1,238th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on May 12, 2023.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Plot

Continuing from the end of the last episode, Amethio's attempt to seize Liko is halted by her pendant forming a protective barrier around her. To further add to the confusion, Roy's Ancient Poké Ball also starts glowing. The barrier lowers itself, and while Zir and Conia hold Friede and his Charizard back, Amethio confronts Liko and Roy. As they refuse to hand over the pendant, he challenges them to a battle, using his Ceruledge against Sprigatito and Fuecoco. Despite them managing to land a hit with their teamwork, the two starter Pokémon are quickly overwhelmed. Ceruledge prepares to finish them, with Liko pleading for help. Suddenly, her pendant and Roy's Poké Ball start glowing again, catching everyone's attention. The Poké Ball suddenly clicks open, releasing a beam of light into the sky that clears away all the clouds and materializes into a black Rayquaza. Roy is astonished to learn that the ball wasn't just not empty, like he had assumed, but was even containing a black Rayquaza all along. Rayquaza uses Draco Meteor, raining devastation all over the beach. With this overwhelming force now in the middle of everything, Amethio orders the Explorers to retreat. Roy's pleas for Rayquaza to return to its ball are ignored, and the Sky High Pokémon eventually flies away, much to everyone's relief.

Later, Liko, Roy, and Friede talk about Rayquaza and the Poké Ball with Roy's grandfather. He's unable to tell them anything useful, however, as he had simply found the ball on the beach when he was younger and later given it to Roy, not having an idea that it actually had a Pokémon inside it, much less the Legendary Rayquaza that's said to have obeyed the legendary ancient adventurer. He had assumed the whole thing was just a fairy tale, but now, he has reliable evidence right in front of his eyes, much to Roy's pleasure. Liko remembers how her pendant and the Poké Ball glowed at the same time, but Roy's grandfather doesn't recognize it at all. Friede is excited by this mystery and decides to investigate it, while Roy wonders where Rayquaza could've gone to. Receiving a call from Mollie, the three learn that she's finished treating Sprigatito and Fuecoco, so they rush back towards the beach, with Roy's grandfather looking after them. Aboard the Brave Asagi, Friede's Charizard gives Fuecoco an empty Poké Ball.

Arriving at the beach, Roy shouts out that he wants to spend more time with Fuecoco, not wanting to say goodbye to someone who gets his heart racing this way. Sprigatito and Fuecoco come out of the airship, with Fuecoco spitting out the Poké Ball that Charizard had given to it, signifying that it wants Roy to catch it. With Friede's approval, Roy makes the Poké Ball throw he's been practicing for an officially makes Fuecoco his first partner. The Rising Volt Tacklers prepare to resume their journey to Paldea, with Liko extending an invitation to Roy to come with them. Roy is uncertain, given that his grandfather has rebuked his desires to travel before, but Liko assures him that things are different now that he's a Pokémon Trainer and has a Pokémon by his side. This assurance gives Roy the confidence to talk with his grandfather, who unexpectedly appears next to them. Roy pleads for a permission to join the Rising Volt Tacklers, wanting to realize both his own dream of following in the ancient adventurer's footsteps by finding and catching Rayquaza, as well as Fuecoco's dream of becoming as strong and cool as the Charizard it admires so much. His grandfather approves his decision on the grounds of him now wanting to fulfill his partner's dream in addition to his own, and hands him his bag, already filled with everything he might need for his adventure. Taking his bag, Roy promises to be riding on Rayquaza when he comes back and let his grandfather ride it as well.

In the Explorers' base, Amethio has just finished giving a mission report to the team's leader, Gibeon. Another team member, Spinel, mocks Amethio of his failure and acts disbelievingly towards his claims of a Rayquaza having disrupted the attempt at capturing Liko's pendant. Due to his failure, Amethio is relieved from the mission, with Gibeon assigning Spinel to take it over in his place. Storming out of the hall, Amethio tells Zir and Conia that he's now going to focus on pursuing Rayquaza instead, believing its resonance with the pendant to hold the key to the mystery behind it.

As the Rising Volt Tacklers prepare to set off, Roy gives Friede the flag he found earlier. Friede is happy to get their ship's flag back and realizes that it ended up being the factor that brought Roy and Fuecoco together. Hearing Friede's words, Roy realizes that the treasure the storm brought to him was actually Fuecoco. Friede tells Roy to put the flag back in its place, which he does before the Brave Asagi takes off. On the flying ship's deck, Liko and Roy notice the residents of Roy's hometown on the beach below, having come to see him off. Even his grandfather is amongst the crowd, wish his grandson good luck. The two wave the crowd goodbye and turn to look at the setting sun, preparing to start their adventure together.

Major events

Roy joining the Rising Volt Tacklers

• Roy's Ancient Poké Ball opens to reveal a Shiny Rayquaza, which flies away.
• Roy catches Fuecoco, making it his first Pokémon.
• Roy joins the Rising Volt Tacklers.
• Gibeon removes Amethio from the mission to obtain Liko's pendant and assigns it to Spinel instead.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Humans

• Spinel
• Gibeon (voice)

Characters

Humans

• Liko
• Roy
• Friede
• Mollie
• Orla
• Ludlow
• Murdock
• Amethio
• Conia
• Zir
• Nidothing (video)
• Hamber
• Spinel
• Gibeon (voice)
• Roy's grandfather
• Explorers Admins
• Citizens

Pokémon

• Sprigatito (Liko's)
• Rotom (Liko's; Rotom Phone)
• Fuecoco (Roy's; new)
• Charizard (Friede's)
• Pikachu (Friede's; Captain Pikachu)
• Rotom (Friede's; Rotom Phone)
• Rockruff (Murdock's)
• Ceruledge (Amethio's)
• Corviknight (Amethio's)
• Skarmory (Conia's)
• Skarmory (Zir's)
• Quaxly
• Rayquaza (Shiny)
• Scyther
• Krabby (×2)
• Pidgey (×3)
• Tentacool (×2)
• Shellder

Trivia

• Professor Friede's Pokémon Seminar: What flows out of Ceruledge's swords when it cuts?
  • Choices: Moisture, nutrition, life force
  • Answer: Life force
• The first eyecatch of this episode features Amethio and his Ceruledge, while the second one features Roy and his Fuecoco.
• Despite Rayquaza having made its main series debut in Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!, 630 episodes earlier, this is the first time one has received a Pokédex entry in the anime.
• The commercial break occured around the first quarter of the episode, instead of the halfway point as usual.

In other languages

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Pokémon Horizons: The Series

HZ007 →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.