Pokemon Horizons

One year later, Spinel had taken over as the leader of the Explorers and also Exceed's president position, while maintaining his charismatic facade to the public by blaming the fault on the Rising Volt Tacklers and framing himself as a hero. It is also revealed that he has also captured the five of the Six Heroes except Rayquaza captive, while plotting to continue his exploitation on Laquium under the guise of environmental protection and conservation.[18] Spinel also lied to the public that Amethio was deceased, even though the boy was only missing for a year.[19]

After learning from his subordinates Rubina and Indy about their failures caused by the regrouped Rising Volt Tacklers, Spinel reassured them that failing is a normal part of life. After Rubella and Indy left his office, Spinel reasserted his ambition to destroy the Rising Volt Tacklers, believing that he would be able to curb them under his thumb once and for all.[20]

Sometime later, while transferring the captive five members of the Six Heroes during one of his tours in an Exceed factory, Spinel found out about Ult through his own Beheeyem, and locked Ult up in a basement. However, he chose not to intervene when he saw Roy rescuing Ult, and later told Chalce that it would be best to observe with the new data gained from the Rising Volt Tacklers for now, before he would destroy them for good.[21] Spinel would later remotely control the Laquium-affected remaining members of the Six Heroes through Super Strong Spheres,[22] and he ordered Indy, Rubina, Coral and Sidian to retreat when he noticed the five affected Pokémon's effects wearing off, while still holding the five Pokémon captive again.

Spinel was mentioned to have helped Chalce at an Explorers Research Facility while the Rising Volt Tacklers were in Galar.[9]

He later fed false information about Rayquaza to the Rising Volt Tacklers and suggested to the rest of the Explorers to continue pursuing the Rising Volt Tacklers and reclaim the pendant which is now a Terapagos. However, his request was denied as the other members wanted to focus on the Shiny Rayquaza.[10]

Spinel arrived at Glaseado Mountains, and cornered both Liko and Amethio. He effortlessly defeated Amethio's Ceruledge with his Laquium-powered Umbreon, when he witnessed Terapagos neutralizing the effects and transforming. He then trapped both Liko and Amethio inside a cave, and told Chalce about his discovery. He also stated Amethio is a nuisance to the Explorers due to Amethio being related to Gibeon, and thus he wished to eliminate the boy out of his competition.[11] He then succeeded in getting Amethio fired by Gibeon, by framing the boy with his Beheeyem that would look like Amethio was betraying the Explorers.[12] Knowing that Hamber was starting to suspect him and Chalce, both Spinel and Chalce decided not to report their updates regarding their research on Laquium and Terapagos.[13]

After Amethio left Cervantis' office in disappointment, Spinel entered the office and agreed with how Amethio had become rebellious.[14]

Spinel would later be chosen to come to Laqua with Gibeon, while planning his ulterior motives to monopolize Laquium for himself. Although he ordered his security to capture Amethio, Zirc and Onia, they were later saved by Hamber after Spinel left them for dead.[1]

Spinel, along with Coral, Chalce and Sidian, appears before Professor Friede and the kids to confront them in Laqua.[15] Spinel then deployed Umbreon and Beheeyem against Friede, who sent out Captain Pikachu and Charizard. At first, Spinel had the advantage by having Beheeyem use Skill Swap on Captain Pikachu to swap out Telepathy for Lightning Rod.

After Amethio reported back on his failure to acquire Liko's pendant due to a black Rayquaza interfering at the last moment, Spinel doubted his claims and began arguing with him before Hamber stopped them. Gibeon then decided to hand the mission over to him, resulting in Amethio setting his sights on Rayquaza.[3]

Upon learning that the Rising Volt Tacklers were in Paldea in a forest near Artazon, Spinel sent his Magneton to cause an electrical interference to get their attention. Alongside his Beheeyem, the two Pokémon relayed information back to him regarding their capabilities, Pokémon and the artifacts in their possession, leaving him impressed. He then declared that their adventure with the pendant would be over before it started.[4]

Spinel later discovered the Brave Olivine and sent a large group of Magneton to interfere with the ship's electrical systems, resulting in the ship being stuck near Levincia as he appeared to set his plan in motion to take the pendant.[5] After battling Friede, Spinel hacked into Liko's Rotom Phone in order to lure her away from her friends upon learning that she was looking for Herba Mystica. Spinel caught up to Liko in disguise, using his Beheeyem to hypnotize her, her Sprigatito and her Rotom Phone. Once he took the pendant, Spinel had his Beheeyem use its powers to erase Liko, Sprigatito and Rotom's memory of the incident. After Liko, Sprigatito and Rotom snapped out of their trance, Spinel left them in their amnesiac state with the pendant in his possession.[6]

When the Rising Volt Tacklers tried to search for Liko, Spinel fed them false information that she was in Artazon. Despite his attempts to misdirect them, they eventually found Liko in Levincia, prompting him to believe that she had some fight in her after all. During this time, he was studying the pendant, discovering that it was similar to a Tera Orb but knew there was much more hidden to it.

Spinel is a crafty and intelligent individual, using both to deceive his opponents. Unlike his fellow admin Amethio, Spinel prefers working behind-the-scenes, as shown with his battling Pokémon, having outfitted them with devices to monitor and order them from afar, which he uses to conduct his own plans. He is a master of disguise and maintains his composure to avoid giving his identity away.

He is extremely fond of his Umbreon; she is his ace battler, who he does not send out unless in dire circumstances or against a worthy opponent. She is always seen by his side and he is known to pat her on the head. However, he will still take advantage of Umbreon's loyalty to make her do his dirty bidding against her will.

Spinel also lacks any sort of loyalty to most of his colleagues. Despite working with Chalce, Coral and Sidian, Spinel ony regards them as pawns to facilitate his own gains. Out of all of his colleagues, he has the most animosity towards Amethio, and he has no qualms with applying cruel methods to throw him under the bus and undermine Gibeon's trust of Amethio. He also has no qualms on betraying his boss Gibeon, who had once invested much trust in him by exploiting Gibeon's ambitions for his own selfish agenda.

Despite his composure, Spinel can still become volatile and impulsive if things go south rather than according to his plan. He is also rather arrogant of his own strategies without being aware of his own equal share of weaknesses.

At his core, Spinel is an evil man with a massive God complex believing the world must bow to him ranging from seizing the Explorers' leadership by force to deceiving the public about the truth of Laquium, and rejecting Gibeon's wish of entrusting the future to Amethio just to surpass his deceased boss.

Spinel the Leader, Chalce, Sidian, Coral

The Explorers are the main antagonists in Pokémon Horizons: The Series up to the Rising Again arc, led by Gibeon and, following his death, Spinel. Initially, the Explorers referred to a trio of century-old adventurers—Lucius, Rystal, and Gibeon—whose goal was to find Laqua, but underwent a major restructure by Gibeon, turning it into a global villainous organization whose goal is to obtain, monopolize, and extract the powers of the mysterious Laquium found at Laqua and use it for the benefit of humans and Pokémon. Under Spinel's tenure, the goal of the Explorers shifted towards global domination from the shadows via media manipulation and public reliance on his Laquium-based Strong Sphere project.

The Explorers have a strong connection to Exceed, a company founded by Gibeon that is used as a front to conduct research on Laquium.

Ult's team consists Pokémon who can use Mega Evolution. Both of Ult's Pokémon are strong battlers, as they have helped their Trainer out of a tough jam.

Due to his poor organizational skills, which had caused a mess at the Brave Olivine's observatory, Ult got into an argument with Roy, which led him to run away from the airship and arrive in a city. There, he met an aspiring artist named Ryan, whom he told about his cherished Dusk Ball and how much he wanted to earn the approval of the Pokémon inside. Ult later found out that his Dusk Ball was missing, because Rāyu took it to trade it with Indy and Rubina for a Strong Sphere. When seeing how Ryan's Grafaiai was hurt during the battle with Indy and Rubina, and later Ult's own Sableye almost got defeated by the two grunts' and Darmanitan, Ult was surprised when a Dragonite popped out of the Dusk Ball to save Sableye. He then chased after Indy and Rubina's truck, unwilling to let them get away.[15] He then got trapped inside a basement by Spinel, whose Beheeyem spotted him within the same base Spinel was overseeing. After being saved by Sableye and Roy, they were confronted by Indy and Rubella, who were sent out by Spinel, who had been spying on the boys' every move. After Mega Evolving his Dragonite for the first time and defeating Indy and Rubella with Roy, Ult realized Dragonite would only exit from the Dusk Ball whenever he wanted to help his friends and be a team player. He reconciled with Roy and began to accept his role as a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers.[5]

Upon meeting Diana, Ult quickly became friends with the old adventurer. Ult also provided information to his friends about having seen the captured Six Heroes within one of Exceed's bases.[16]

After arriving at Exceed's logistics center, Ult and his friends realized Spinel impersonated under Cervantis' name to lure them out. Unable to keep up with the Laquium-affected Six Heroes that were under the Super Strong Spheres' influence, Ult wasn't able to command Sableye and Dragonite properly, leading to them being outclassed.

On their way to Blackthorn City, Ult, Liko, and Roy were stopped by the Dragon Rampage Gang, who thought they were the Wriggler Gang's minions. When the Dragon Rampage Gang's ladies' masks fell off during the fight, Ult was flustered and unable to command his Sableye. Snake, a member of the Wriggler Gang, believed Ult was a member of the Dragon Rampage Gang, and Ult was unable to protect the Dratini kidnapped by Snake. After being scolded by Liko for not being a team player, Ult learned to cooperate with Liko and Roy and defeated Snake, securing the Dratini. He walked on foot to arrive at the cave where the black Rayquaza had been resting for a year after the Dragon Rampage Gang, and promised Rayquaza a fight to capture it after it had recovered fully.[10]

Ult would meet Dot at Cortondo, where he ate desserts made by Katy at Patisserie Soapberry, although he along with Crocalor, Kilowattrel, and Tinkatuff were silenced by Liko's Hattrem for quarrelling. He then learned that Dot is a girl from Murdock, much to his shock.[11]

Ult and his friends later arrived at Karna's Poké Ball factory to meet up with Orla in order to reinstate the Rising Volt Tacklers, but Orla turned down their offer. Ult and his friends then battled with Indy and Rubina with their respective Pokémon, with Indy and Rubella's Paldean Tauros having used Strong Spheres but were defeated by the kids after they found out about the Strong Spheres' side effects on Pokémon following their Trainers' commands. After Orla decided to fix the Brave Olivine and Mollie, Murdock and Ludlow rejoined, Ult chose to become a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers.[12]

After arriving at Naranja Academy, Ult got bored when his friends were explaining about Laquium to Jacq and tried to steal some food at the cafeteria, until Dendra caught him with her Hariyama before he got released by Dendra thanks to his friends explaining for his sake and watched Roy and Nemona's rematch.

When Roy was investigating a Laquium affected Slaking, Ult kept bothering Roy, and later Ult's Sableye ended up provoking the Slaking, which the boys defeated with their Mega Evolved Pokémon. After Roy left Ult behind the next day, Ult was furious and threw a tantrum.[6]

Ult soon found out that Roy had a female friend. Although shocked, he was also shy about interacting with Liko. After he, along with Liko and Roy, succeeded in calming down two Laquium affected Steelix, he was surprised to have witnessed Pagogo's purification ability. However, he got left behind when he was on a tirade about the black Rayquaza being his, which angered him again.[7]

When trying to find the shiny Rayquaza's whereabouts, Ult accidentally provoked a flock of Dodrio and Fearow. After the Dodrio and Fearow calmed down and left thanks to Liko and Roy, Ult realized Litten Smitten lied about witnessing the shiny Rayquaza, and he thus left in disappointment.[8]

When attending Coral and Sidian's demonstration of Strong Spheres, Ult was in a bad mood due to having motion sickness from earlier, although Liko and Roy thought he was angry at them at first. After witnessing how Strong Spheres caused Pokémon to lose control of themselves, Ult rushed onto the stage when Coral and Sidian were going to corner Liko and Roy, scolding the Explorers for exploiting Pokémon and Trainers alike, which provoked Coral enough to order her Glalie to attack. Ult then took advantage of Glalie's Self-Destruct to escape with Liko and Roy. Afterwards, Liko and Roy were relieved to learn that Ult had only been experiencing motion sickness, and Ult shyly accepted their offer to join them.

When Ult was a child, he received his special Dusk Ball containing a mysterious Pokémon from his father. Since then, he had strived to win the mysterious Pokémon's approval as he set off on his journey as a Pokémon Trainer.[5] As time wore on, Ult forgot what was inside the Dusk Ball, but continued to journey and train himself to win the Pokémon's validation.

He later became Roy's rival, whom the latter met when training in Kalos.

Ult is an abrasive, impulsive boy who often gets himself and Roy into trouble. He always acts as an attention-seeker who strives to be the strongest. He is secretly very lonely and craves for genuine friendships, but is unsure how to make friends properly. He also gets bashful easily at girls he doesn't feel familiar with.

At first, Ult valued honing his own strength more than collaborating with any of his companions, usually with him bickering with Roy or isolating himself away from Roy's friends. However, after joining the Rising Volt Tacklers and realizing that Dragonite only exits from its Dusk Ball whenever he chooses to selflessly help others, Ult has slowly learned to become a better team player.

While he strives to become a strong Trainer, Ult has a strong sense of justice and truly cares about the well-being of Pokémon. For example, he becomes furious upon realizing that the Explorers are taking advantage of Laquium regardless of causing afflicted Pokémon agony, ignoring how he has gotten himself the ire of Explorers as a result.

He gets motion sickness easily, and is also terrible with directions.[2][3] He has a notoriously huge appetite.[4]

Combined with the rough first-person pronoun, he frequently uses rough slang constructions (e.g. してえ・しねえ as opposed to したい・しない, or っつう instead of という) in his dialogue, which portrays an arrogant or assertive demeanor.

Mollie's team consists of Normal-type Pokémon. Both of her Pokémon are strong in battle and can hold their own. She usually uses her Pokémon to help with her medical and care for anyone who is sick or injured.

Mollie and her Chansey find out that there is a pair of Tandemaus that need medical attention through Hatenna's pleas. After treating the singular injured Tandemaus, Mollie and Chansey arrive at a cave where Liko and Sprigatito volunteer to get the other Tandemaus out, only to find out that the Tandemaus has more members needed to be helped. When a fallen tree blocks the entrance of the cave, Mollie lets Hatenna search for Liko after Chansey gives Hatenna an egg, while she calls for the other Rising Volt Tackler members' help. She is relieved when Liko is safe, and learns that the injured Pokémon are actually a family of Maushold. She and her Chansey later struggle to give the Maushold checkups due to the Family Pokémon's activeness.[9]

When the Rising Volt Tacklers reunited with former member Wy-Yes, Mollie got mad at him and ordered her Chansey to blast Wy-Yes and his Wynaut off. She later helped the kids when she and the other adults learned that they were fighting against some Psychic-type Pokémon. After parting with Wy-Yes again, Mollie admitted to Liko that as much as she still has resentment towards him, some of his tall tales are mixed with truths, especially when he has Wynaut speak for him.[2]

After Spinel smeared the Rising Volt Tacklers' name, which forced the Rising Volt Tacklers to disband and go their separate ways, Mollie had to return to her family's Pokémon Center in Uirou City to treat injured or sick Pokémon, while also looking after her Maushold. Mollie along with Liko and Roy then battled a Vileplume that was affected by Laquium and was causing many Pokémon to fall ill. After Pagogo purified the Vileplume, Mollie said she still had much to learn at the Center, but promised that Liko and Roy that she would be rejoining them when one day she would feel ready to do so.[10] Eventually, Mollie rejoined the Rising Volt Tacklers after Orla contacted her about the Brave Olivine being renovated, and her mother respected her choice to flt aboard again.

Mollie and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers are hired by Lucca to protect her daughter Liko,[3] and they befriend Liko who joins them.[4] Mollie later tells Liko to run an errand of obtaining her reserved prescriptions from a Pokémon Center.[5]

When Amethio and his two henchmen attack, Mollie sends out her Chansey against Zirc's Rhydon, but is overwhelmed.[6]

Mollie accompanies Liko and Roy to the forest where Lucius's Arboliva resides in, and she tells Liko her past during break time. She later rescues an injured Paldean Wooper, and along with the Wooper calms down the angry Arboliva, who mistakes Liko and Roy for being intruders. This in turn helps Liko and Roy earn Arboliva's trust.[1]

When Liko brings forth a weakened Hatenna for Mollie to have a checkup on, Mollie tells her that the Hatenna is only stressed out from receiving too many negative emotions. Mollie later makes up with Orla to assure Hatenna that everyone on the Brave Olivine are good friends.[7] She is later glad that Hatenna has become one of Liko's teammates.

Mollie is a serious individual when it comes to ensuring the well being of the crew members and the Pokémon onboard the Brave Olivine. She can get annoyed by Friede's negligence such as in informing Liko about the situation. Although rarely displaying significant emotions, Mollie is an expert in the medical field, and is a caring individual who aims to provide the best medical treatment for her companions.

After the Rising Volt Tacklers disbanded, Mollie, like most of the adult members, lost faith in the group, both due to said disbandment and Spinel's lies painting the Rising Volt Tacklers as bad people. Mollie even went as far as to tell Liko and Roy not use the name, out of fear of the targets it would put on them. It was after witnessing the two’s determination that Mollie remember why she joined the group in the first place, and officially rejoined.

Murdock's team consists of Pokémon who help him in the kitchen, such as his Alcremie. Also, Murdock's Pokémon are good in battle, but sometimes can get overwhelm by stronger opponents. In addition, Murdock would only use his Lycanroc for its sense of smell to help him find lost individuals and Pokémon battles.

Murdock eventually reunites with Mitchell. Despite their awkward meeting, he eventually battles Mitchell alongside Liko, and the two reconcile after a baking showcase.[1]

After Friede's announcement to the team that they'll be heading to Steelbound Town, Roy and Liko agree that Dot should come with them on this mission, which sparks a heated debate when Murdock disagrees, saying that Dot has plenty of work to do on the ship. After seeing Dot purchase an item in her handbag, he rushes over and hugs her for going into town and purchasing something on her own, before Dot pushes him back for "over-doing it", before suggesting hosting a party for her triumph. After overhearing Orla's scream and being blamed for using Orla's metal, it is soon revealed that Orthworm was the culprit, in which he watches Dot, Quaxly, and Tinkatink stop them, and Tinkatink unites with Dot and joins the Rising Volt Tacklers.[9]

Murdock is surprised when his sister Franka visits the Brave Olivine and tells him she plans to pick Dot up. He later tears up after watching Dot and Quaxly successfully defeat Franka's Lycanroc.[10]

After the Brave Olivine is damaged by Rayquaza, Murdock begins to work part-time at Patisserie Soapberry in order to raise money for the repairs. When Liko, Roy, and Dot arrive in Cortondo to complete Liko's trial, he reunites with them and introduces Katy to them. He also witnesses Liko and Floragato passing Katy's dessert-making test and Terastalisation battle

Murdock and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers are hired by Lucca to protect her daughter Liko,[2] and they befriend Liko who joins them.[3]

When Liko's Sprigatito is held hostage by Amethio, Murdock lets his Rockruff to accompany Liko on searching for Sprigatito.[4]

Murdeock instructs his Rockruff to battle against Zirc's Rhydon in order to protect the Brave Olivine, but is at a disadvantage. He and Orla then instruct the wild Pokémon brought by Roy to repair the ship's leaking air bag, so as to help the ship be up and running again.[5]

Murdock later reveals that the Rising Volt Tacklers' data collector and app developer is his niece Dot, who is also the peson behind Nidothing.[6] He also sneakily uses a lot of ingredients under Friede's allowance in order to entice Dot into tasting his treats, and is excited and relieved once learning that she has started eaeting his desserts.[7]

When chatting with Orla and Friede, who mentions that Dot was always annoyed of Murdock pestering her about her diertary pereferences, Murdock admits that he only did so out of goodwill and looking after Dot on behalf of his own sister, but also acknowledges that an elder relative like him should tone down his concerns to avoid annoying their younger family members.

Despite his rough appearance, he is generally pretty friendly and enjoys cooking. He is also tender towards his loved ones, such as his Rockruff.

Due to his over-affectionate side, sometimes Murdock's younger companions or family members will get annoyed with his tendency to dote on them. This is shown whenever Dot finds him annoying due to his worries and nags, and thus acts strained towards him. He once mentioned that his niece Dot got so irritated with him after he kept asking what she had been eating.

Murdock was the one who ultimately decided that the Rising Volt Tacklers would disband, with his protective side believing that the kid members couldn’t handle the fake news that Spinel was spreading about the group. This mindset stayed with him when Murdock reunited with them Cortondo.

After witnessing Liko battle and win against Katy, Murdock began to see how strong she, Roy and Dot had become in the past year. Murdock revealed to Katy how guilty he felt about disbanding the Rising Volt Tacklers. Looking back and realizing that it was the wrong decision. With Katy’s encouragement, Murdock was able to come to peace with his guilt and officially rejoined.

Ludlow's team consists of Water-type Pokémon. Both of his Pokémon are strong in battle and can hold their own. He usually uses his Quagsire as himself, while his Sharpedo is used when he is the Mighty G. His Pokémon are kept in Dive Balls.

Ludlow debuted in The Pendant That Starts It All (Part One) alongside the other members of the Rising Volt Tacklers, sitting at a bus stop looking at his Rotom Phone whilst the other members of the Rising Volt Tacklers were looking for Liko at Indigo Academy. In the following episode, he was seen aboard the Brave Olivine.

In For Sure! 'Cause Sprigatito's with Me!, Ludlow remained onboard the Brave Olivine while the others searched for Liko's Sprigatito, whom the Explorers had taken hostage, in the nearby city. Whilst fishing, he was unaware that Zirc had found the ship and placed a dispostive on the hull. In The Ancient Poké Ball, Ludlow and Quaxly found the device and destroyed it so the Explorers wouldn't come after the group again.

In The Future I Choose, to everyone's surprise, Orla took Ludlow with her to a forest destroyed by a fire. When they got there, he sent out his Quagsire and ordered it to use Rain Dance, moistening the ground and allowing Arboliva to regrow the forest.

In Flying Pikachu, Rising Higher and Higher!, Ludlow was asked by the younger members as to how Captain Pikachu was able to fly during his battle against Roy in the previous episode, but could’t give them an answer because he didn't know himself. However, Ludlow decided to help the younger members get the answer they seek from Friede, which they were able to do as he tells everyone as to how he met Captain Pikachu and also tells of Ludlow's role in the formation of the Rising Volt Tacklers.

In Song Within the Mist, the Rising Volt Tacklers began searching for a mysterious Lapras they believed could be one of Lucius's Six Heroes. After finding a lead, the crew successfully found Lapras, only to learn it had become the leader of a group of Pokémon food thieves, the Lapras Pirates. In the following episode, Ludlow used his boat piloting skills and Quagsire's Surf to simultaneously keep pace with the fleeing Lapras Pirates and prevent the Brave Olivine from being hit by their attacks.

Orla and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers are hired by Lucca to protect her daughter Liko, [2] and they befriend Liko who joins them.[3]

When the Brave Olivine is forced to be berthed onto the island where Roy lives, Orla has to fix the ship's airbag, but ends up getting stuck and has to ask for Murdock's assistance.[4]

After being interviewed by an excited Roy and Liko about Friede, Orla makes an announcement on her phone for all crew members to join in a listen to Friede's story, which annoys Friede and Captain Pikachu, but Orla encourages him, saying that it's good for friends to know more about each other. After all the 'guests' arrive, Friede soon caves in and tells them his story about how he became friends with Cap.[1]

Along with Liko, Roy, and Friede, Orla meets Karna who has the Ancient Poké Ball. Both Orla and Karna become fast friends over mechanics, and Orla also helps optimizing Karna's production with her own expertise. She also helps calming down a horde of wild Galarian Weezing under Friede's commands. However, Orla decides to decline the offer from Karna when being asked to stay behind, as she doesn't want to leave the Rising Volt Tacklers behind. She also tells Liko her past in Hoenn, and continues to serve the rest of the crewmates on mechanical maintenance.[5]

After Friede's announcement to the team that they'll be heading to Steelbound Town, Orla becomes excited, mentioning that it's a great place to stock up on spare parts. After Orla sees Dot, Liko and Roy return to the ship, she checks down at the basement in order to repair something, before screaming in horror at the suddenly bent and broken pieces of metal, becoming angry at the rest of the team, initially putting the blame on Murdock for using the metal to make cooking utensils, which he declines. It is soon revealed that Orthworm was the culprit, in which she watches Dot, Quaxly and Tinkatink stop them. Tinkatink unites with Dot and joins the Rising Volt Tacklers.

Orla is acquainted with Friede, being his childhood friend when they were in Kanto. When she grew up, she parted ways with him, becoming an engineer in Hoenn. While she enjoyed the job, she wondered if working at the docks was what she wanted for her entire life.

After Friede caught his Pikachu, he went to Orla, reuniting in the first time in a while. He asked her if she could turn Ludlow's boat into an airship, which she accepted to put her skills in the test. Orla was successful in doing so, and the ship was renamed from the Brave Asagi to the Brave Olivine. Having grown bored of her dock job, Orla quit to become a full-time engineer for the Brave Olivine, after which she met Mollie, Murdock and Dot.

Orla is extremely professional in mechanics, and she takes her job as the airship's mechanic diligently and seriously, although she often overworks herself to exhaustion with the repairs. However, she is more clumsy on other practical tasks she is assigned to do.

When not dealing with maintenance, Orla is a merry and friendly individual. She is also close to Friede, whom she has been friends with since childhood.

After the Rising Volt Tacklers disbanded, Orla became depressed, believing that without Friede, the group had no reason to exist. Orla’s outlook changed after reuniting with Liko, Roy and Dot, realizing that even though Friede wasn’t there physically, he was still with the group in spirit. After learning that both Friede and Charizard had survived, Orla was moved to tears of joy.

Lucca hired Friede and his group to protect her daughter, who had gone to Indigo Academy in Kanto. Upon arriving, Friede and his group tried to find Liko to no avail. Later in the day, Friede found Liko being pursued by Amethio and the Explorers, and he took her away with him.[2]

While introducing Liko to the other members and resident Pokémon, Amethio and his group had caught up to them, so Friede tried to lose them in a nearby storm. As his Charizard was busy powering the furnace, he had to use his Pikachu to battle Amethio. Liko initially wanted them to stop fighting, but after her Sprigatito refused, it unleashed a powerful Leafage that destroyed the barrier around the ship's wind deck. Friede managed to grab Liko, but was unable to get Sprigatito, who was saved by Amethio but not returned.[3]

Friede and the group later arrived at a nearby port in search of Sprigatito, only to discover the Explorers there. Knowing Amethio was a strong Trainer, he concocted a plan with Liko to distract him so she could find her Sprigatito. The plan was successful, and they returned to the ship, where he revealed to her that he and his group were hired by her mother to protect her. He then decided to head back to Paldea to claim some of the owed money, as they couldn't go adventuring otherwise.[4]

Friede gave Dot a Pokéball and offered her some advice after she caught it. Friede requested that the teams split up and 'look for anyone who might seem suspicious' after Murdock's team arrived, while he would roam from above with help from Charizard. After a cargo ship decided to leave, Liko told Friede that there may be a problem on the ship, so he ordered Charizard to go there. He found a suspicious Trainer and chose Cap to take on the suspect Trainer, who sent out Bisharp. Friede won after Thunder Punch finished off Bisharp. He then confronts the suspect and questions him, but Pikachu denies that he's the culprit. Soon, he got a call from Murdock.

Friede is childhood friends with Orla, living in the Kanto region. The two eventually parted, with Friede becoming a researcher for the Exceed company. He was a student of Liko's mother, Lucca. He eventually quit the job, having lost his passion for work and met Ludlow, and began fishing with him on his boat. Lucca eventually contacted him, telling him about a special Pikachu residing near Medali. Friede was uninterested until he saw Pikachu floating in the sky by creating a massive vortex. With his passion rekindled, Friede attempted to befriend Pikachu, though his initial attempts ended in failure as he was either tackled or it ran away from him. Eventually, he managed to gain his trust after he and his Charizard gathered berries for it to eat. After flying with Charizard, Friede realized Pikachu's dream and subsequently saved him from falling. After this, he caught up with Orla in Hoenn and asked her to convert Ludlow's boat into an airship and formed the Rising Volt Tacklers, gathering Mollie, Murdock and Dot.

Professor Friede is a lively, adventurous, and unconventional Pokémon Professor who breaks the mold of the typical scholarly figure. Charismatic and free-spirited, he brings boundless energy and curiosity to his work, often diving headfirst into the field rather than staying confined to a lab. As the leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers, he's both courageous and supportive, serving as a mentor and protector to his team, especially the young protagonists like Liko and Roy. Despite his laid-back and sometimes chaotic appearance—complete with his trademark goggles and leather jacket—Friede is highly intelligent, resourceful, and deeply passionate about Pokémon research. He's approachable, good-humored, and brave, often balancing moments of comic relief with genuine wisdom and leadership. His bond with his partner Pokémon, Captain Pikachu, reflects his loyalty and deep sense of camaraderie. A lot of times he forgets to say somethings, usually of important status.

Despite his Professor title, he prefers to be referred by name and does not like being called a professor.

Dot's team consists of Pokémon who are outgoing and enjoy doing various activities: Quaquaval is relaxed, Tinkaton has determination, and Gholdengo is easy-going, which is the opposite of their Trainer. Also, Dot's Pokémon have been a good influence on their Trainer, as they inspired her to be friendly, determined, and see the world. All her Pokémon participate in her Nidothing videos, even when Quaquaval and Tinkaton were in their previous stages.

Furthermore, her Pokémon seemed to take on a particular role on the team as they developed: Quaquaval and Tinkaton are Dot's main battlers while Gholdengo is the secondary battler, although it does sometimes act as aerial support through its board. Dot's Pokémon share a close bond with each other and act like siblings.

In battle, Dot analyzes her surroundings that is best suited for her Pokémon and would figure out the move her partners need to use. This is demonstrated in Tinkatink's Ideal Hammer when she had Quaquaval, while he was a Quaxly, use Water Gun around the sand so the wild Orthworm that took Tinkatink's hammer won't get away. This is shown again in The Pillar of Fire when she had Quaquaval, as Quaxwell, use the water in a nearby river on Lucius's Gouging Fire, learning Aqua Cutter in the process.

As an influencer and a video distributor, it is Nidothing's job to entertain young aspiring Trainers. Within the videos, she is seen as perky, using exaggerated teaching methods, and giving a beginner's guide to Trainers interested in starting their own journey. However, after becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself in Quaxly, We Can Do It, Dot got a taste of Pokémon battles, which she found enjoyable. Dot also uses the experiences she gained from being a Trainer as inspiration for her videos, as seen in Terapagos's Adventure, when she attempted to make a video about Multi Battles. In addition, Dot learns more about Pokémon and to create bonds with them, especially with her own.

As Nidothing, she always starts her videos or livestreams with the catchphrase, What's up! (Japanese: よぉーっす！ Yoo-su!). Her Japanese catchphrase is a combination of the common English slang "yo" and part of Quaxly's Japanese name (Japanese: クワッス Kuwassu). Outside of being a streamer, Dot seems to be reclusive and spends most of her time behind doors creating videos, and is rarely seen by the other Rising Volt Tacklers members. Rather than having herself talk to Roy and Liko, she used Quaxly as a messenger to communicate with them. While not necessarily shy, she is incredibly introverted and finds the other members too bothersome to interact with. However, after being touched by Liko's kindness, Dot opens up a bit, as seen in The Door That Never Opens when she sneaked out of her room to grab the donuts Murdock made for her and Quaxly. This was shown again in the next episode, where Dot took Ludlow's advice to the heart, as she realized that she and Liko do have some similarities, even leaving a drawing for her at her room.

Dot eventually grew to consider Liko a friend, as seen in An Unexpected Picnic!, when she was surprised that she wanted to share experiences with her by giving her and Ludlow their own picnic to enjoy on the Brave Olivine. Dot also went out of her way to look for her friends.

Dot grew up with her mother, Franka, and has known her uncle, Murdock, for a long time. Eventually, she became a popular video streamer known online as Nidothing, inspired by Iono, with whom she would form a friendship as her online career took off.

As revealed in A Wild Mom Appears!, sometime before the events of the series, Dot struggled to find inspiration for her content, as she lacked the personal experience to properly discuss the topics she covered. One day, she met Friede, a Pokémon Professor and friend of Murdock, who asked if she could develop an app for his band of adventurers, the Rising Volt Tacklers. Dot initially refused, but words of advice from Iono led her not only to accomplish Friede's request, but also to join his group on the Brave Olivine, allowing her to go out and see what the world could offer, on the condition that she would have to return home if her mother felt she had been away for too long.

During her time on the Brave Olivine, Dot befriended a wild Quaxly that started making appearances on her streams.

Roy's team consists mainly of gluttons, which is a trait their Trainer's also has, who had problems in the past, usually involving some form of insecurity: Skeledirge was initially embarrassed of singing in front of others, Kilowattrel was scared of heights, and Lucario would easily get frustrated. However, through his unorthodox methods, he was able to help his Pokémon overcome them and, by doing so, allowed them to truly grow. During Skeledirge and Kilowattrel's first stages, they used to look up to Friede's Charizard and Captain Pikachu, respectively, due to their shared types. His Pokémon all share Roy's eagerness for battling, as they don't give up until the end.

Furthermore, his Pokémon seemed to take on a particular role on the team as they developed: Skeledirge and Lucario are Roy's main battlers, with Lucario's Mega Evolution in particular acting as the team's power equalizer against tougher opponents, while Kilowattrel is the secondary battler, although it mainly acts as aerial support. When Captain Pikachu was traveling with Roy, he often contributed in tough battles with his greater experience and power. Roy's Pokémon seem to have a tight knit bond with each other and especially work well together as a unit due to their extensive training in Kalos.

In battle, Roy makes good use of his Pokémon's moves and unique abilities, such as Kilowattrel being able to confound its opponents as it flies through the air and Lucario's Mega-Evolved forms, as seen in One Step Closer when he had it use its head appendages as weapons to fight Chalce's Mega Medicham. He also makes great use of Skeledirge's singing voice through Disarming Voice and Torch Song.

Roy is an upbeat and energetic boy who likes to go hunting for treasures. Adventurous by nature, Roy seeks to start a journey to meet Pokémon he has not seen and see the world, just like the fabled Ancient Adventurer he has heard about from his grandfather. Although he starts inexperienced about the inner workings of being a Pokémon Trainer, he is nonetheless adept at other related activities, such as building Secret Bases, and an expert in stone throwing, being able to ricochet pebbles for long distances to cut Berries from trees and create distractions, which makes his Poké Ball throws very accurate. Roy also seems to enjoy mysteries and doesn't rest until he's solved them. Due to growing up on an island, Roy struggles to navigate through large cities like Levincia and Lumiose City as all the buildings look the same to him, leading him to get lost easily as shown in Someone We Can’t See! Whosawhatsit?! and Mega Evolution - Roy.

He always keeps his head up and is looking ahead, which Emma's points out in Mega Evolution - Bonds. Those characteristics seem to be an inspiration to those around him, such as Dot and Ult. He also has a way of cheering up his friends whenever they are sad or down and knows how to raise their spirits. In addition, Roy doesn't usually show less positive emotions, such as depression and sadness. Although Roy does show those emotions, he doesn't let them affect him very long and shakes it off quickly.

Roy is shown to enjoy singing and eating, especially berries and spicy food. Roy's enjoyment of berries and spicy flavored foods is also shown in his curry, as seen in As Long as I'm with My Friends, as most of the ingredients he uses are spicy flavored and berries. However, despite berries and spicy stuff being his favorite food, Roy does like certain other types of foods, such as sweets. Roy also gets excited to eat in general, as seen in The Bittersweet Truth, when he and Fuecoco got excited to eat.

One year after Where the Adventure Leads, Roy received a message from Dot informing him about Laquium effects still existing worldwide. Roy and his rival Ult both battled and defeated a Laquium-enhanced wild Slaking with their respective Pokémon, after which Roy left his rival behind to meet with Liko at Indigo Academy. Roy then showed up at Indigo Academy, meeting up with Liko for the first time in a year. He then battled and defeated both Ann and Liko. After that, Liko then decided to join Roy and Dot in exposing the truth about the events at Laqua and clearing the Rising Volt Tacklers' name.

In The Strong Sphere, Roy and Liko went to an Exceed facility after their battle with a Laquium-enhanced Vileplume in the last episode, figuring it might have something to do with its Laquium infection. Roy and Liko then battled Coral and Sidian, only to be defeated by their Laquium-enhanced opponents before either of them could Terastallize their Partner Pokémon. Afterwards, both Trainers were saved by Ult, who managed to hold the Explorers off and help them escape after Coral recklessly commanded Glalie to use Self-Destruct. Roy and Liko, now joined by Ult, then proceeded on traveling to a new destination ahead.

Liko and the others eventually returned to Mount Pericarp to look for Friede, only to find that Exceed had the area blocked off. With Spinel framing Laqua's destruction on the Rising Volt Tacklers, the group decided to lay low and go their separate ways, with Liko initially returning home. In the year following these events however, Liko couldn't stay at home in Paldea because of Spinel's actions, and she ended up returning to Indigo Academy in Kanto. Fortunately, Liko was able to have a regular life at Indigo Academy because nobody, except Ann, knew she was a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers.

One year after Where the Adventure Leads, Liko reunited with Roy, who revealed that he and Dot discovered that Laquium was still affecting Pokémon worldwide, and told her that he needed her help. However, between being accustomed to Indigo Academy, Pagogo not coming out of its Poké Ball in the last year, and not wanting everyone there to know she was a Rising Volt Tackler, Liko refused, but apologized to Roy. Although, seeing Roy battling Ann and realizing that her three best friends were always moving ahead, Liko decided to have a battle with Roy. Liko gave it her all, but lost to Roy once again. Despite the loss, Liko with her newfound confidence decided to join Roy and Dot in exposing the truth about the events at Laqua in order to clear the Rising Volt Tacklers' name.

In Following Traces of Laquium, while Liko, Roy, and Ult battle two Laquium-enhanced Steelix, when Liko was about to be attacked by both, Pagogo finally awakened from its Poké Ball to protect her with its energy barrier, proceeding to change into its Terastal Form and purify the Laquium affecting the two Steelix, much to Liko's joy.

Liko is a kind, soft-spoken, and polite girl who doesn't do well in stressful situations. She seems to be studious when it comes to learning how to build a bond with Pokémon and is rather insightful, being able to spot behavioral patterns with ease, such as Captain Pikachu's during the special training. She has also been shown to be cautious about trusting others, as she quickly realized something was amiss when Amethio presented himself as a representative of her grandmother, Diana, and she was initially unsure about the Rising Volt Tacklers since Friede took her to their airship without providing her with any information about what was happening. However, after seeing the Rising Volt Tacklers willing to protect her and help rescue Sprigatito from the Explorers, Liko came to trust them. Despite her intelligence, Liko has also been shown to be gullible and naïve on occasion, mainly when it comes to realizing that Nidothing and Dot are the same person until she is told the truth in Quaxly, We Can Do It. Liko can also be clumsy and has a tendency to lose her balance, stumble, or fall down on occasion.

Liko is a big fan of Nidothing and watches her videos, where she posts comments under the username Sprigatito Love (Japanese: ニャオハ大好きっ子 Nyahoja Superfan). Although she now knows that Nidothing and Dot are the same person, Liko openly treats them both as individual people. She even goes to the point of trying to believe that Nidothing is just Nidothing and nobody is inside the costume, as seen in Tinkatink's Ideal Hammer and Nidothing Love!. She gets excited to meet others who are also Nidothing fans, such as Yuno and Litten Smitten, and when she finds out that those she knows are a fan of her as well, such as Zirc.

She appears to be adept at drawing, as it is common for her to do so when she writes in her diary about her day. As revealed in Welcome to Paldea!, Liko gets her drawing skills from her father, Alex. Liko is also good at painting, as seen in Sparkle!.

Liko's team mostly consist of Pokémon who are, in some way, related to strong emotions, tying it to her goal of learning more about the feelings of Pokémon. As Liko matured as a Trainer, so did her ability to recognize and deal with the emotional necessities of her Pokémon, which can be most clearly seen in her history with Meowscarada. Her team has also shown to have a strong bond with each other, as they look out for one another. In addition, Meowscarada has occasionally been seen carrying Hatterene during her first two evolutionary stages, and when Pagogo was with them had Armarouge, as a Charcadet, ride its back. Her Pokémon all have Liko's compassion, loyalty, and reckless nature, as they would do anything to protect anyone in danger, especially their Trainer and each other.

Furthermore, her Pokémon seemed to take on a particular role on the team as they developed: Meowscarada and Hatterene are Liko's main battlers, while Armarouge is a secondary battler. Additionally, Hatterene can be seen as the healer, healing any Pokémon, even her own teammates, when they are injured. When Pagogo was on the team it was a main battler and the protector, considering its ability to put up shields and purify Laquium.

In battle, she shows great capability of using her Pokémon's unique traits, such as Meowscarada's invisible stem to confuse her opponents then tying them up and Hatterene's, while she was a Hattrem, psychic power to help detect enemies, as shown in The Six Heroes Unleashed!, when she used her to guide Meowscarada around Kleavor's attack. She also makes consistent use of her Armarouge's Flash Fire Ability by letting it absorb fire attacks to strengthen itself while also protecting Meowscarada showcasing her talent in battle tactics as a Trainer. Furthermore, she is smart enough to counter her opponents strategy, demonstrated when she used her Armarouge's Clear Smog to eliminate the power up Indi and Rubina's Salamence had with Dragon Dance.

The arc takes place one year after the events at Laqua, with Liko attending Indigo Academy while Roy continues his adventures with Captain Pikachu. When Roy discovers information about Pokémon exhibiting abnormal behavior, he begins investigating, while being followed by Ult and his Sableye. The investigation reveals that Laquium, which was supposedly eliminated, is causing Pokémon to go berserk, including a Slaking that Roy and Ult witness in the forest. The arc also features the aftermath of the Explorers and the Six Heroes, as Liko and Roy reunite for a new adventure alongside Dot and their new companion Ult.

After reuniting with the Rising Volt Tacklers, Friede returns Lucius's Pokémon to Liko's care, leading to a battle with Arboliva, Moltres, and Lapras. The group travels to Kitakami, where they meet Carmine, Briar, and Perrin. During their search for the remaining Six Heroes, they discover Lucius's Kleavor and learn about Lucius's connection to a woman named Rystal.

The Rising Volt Tacklers reunite with Diana, who reveals that Rystal was Terapagos's original Trainer and Liko's great-great-grandmother. After Rystal shares the history of the original Explorers and Laqua, Liko formally catches Terapagos, adpoting its original nickname Pagogo. The group then travels to Johto and eventually Area Zero in Paldea, where they discover that Lucius's Entei is actually a Gouging Fire.

At Area Zero, the group encounters the Black Rayquaza, which Roy captures after an intense battle. The Black Rayquaza leads them to Laqua, where they face the Explorers in a climactic confrontation. There, they discover that Lucius has been sealed in Laquium crystals, and encounter Gibeon for the first time. After Amethio turns against Gibeon to help the protagonists, Liko's Floragato evolves into Meowscarada during their battle. Pagogo transforms into its Stellar Form and purifies Laqua alongside the Six Heroes, but this causes Lucius and Gibeon to fade away. Spinel uses the remaining Laquium to make the Six Heroes go berserk, and Friede along with his Charizard disappears while rescuing the group, setting up the next arc.

Liko, Roy, and Dot enroll at Naranja Academy alongside Explorers members Coral and Sidian, who are undercover. The trio receives Tera Orbs from Geeta and are assigned to battle specific Gym Leaders to complete their Terastal training: Liko faces Katy in Cortondo, Roy battles Brassius in Artazon, and Dot challenges Iono in Levincia. During their training, they reunite with Ann, whose Oshawott has evolved into Dewott, and discover that Chalce has become a teacher at the academy, who is working undercover.

After completing their first tests, the group faces second-round challenges against Larry, Ryme, and Grusha. During this period, Roy's Wattrel evolves into Kilowattrel and Liko's Hatenna evolves into Hattrem. The training takes a dangerous turn when Spinel traps Liko and Amethio in a cave beneath Glaseado Mountain, leading to revelations about Gibeon and the Explorers' goals. Amethio is subsequently placed on probation for helping Liko escape.

The arc climaxes when the Explorers attack Naranja Academy to steal data about Terapagos. During this crisis, the students participate in a tournament where Roy's Fuecoco evolves into Crocalor, and Roy defeats Liko in their battle. The arc concludes with the trio completing their Terastal training and departing the academy, while Spinel begins analyzing the stolen Terapagos data.

After Terapagos emerges from its pendant form, Liko receives Lucius's belt from her grandmother Diana, who shares the legend of Lucius and his journey to Laqua with the Six Heroes. The Rising Volt Tacklers embark on a quest to find the remaining members of Lucius's team, discovering a giant Lapras as the fourth member. During their journey, they encounter the Black Rayquaza multiple times, with Terapagos transforming into its Terastal Form for the first time during one of these encounters.

The Explorers intensify their efforts to capture the Black Rayquaza, with Amethio training under Hamber and receiving a Tera Orb. Diana departs from the group to continue her own journey. During this period, Dot catches a Tinkatink, and the group meets Franka, Dot's mother, who ultimately permits Dot to remain with the Rising Volt Tacklers.

The arc reaches its climax when the Explorers launch their operation to capture the Black Rayquaza. The Brave Olivine suffers major damage during the confrontation, and Amethio uses Terastallization for the first time while battling alongside the Rising Volt Tacklers against the Black Rayquaza. Despite their combined efforts, they are all defeated. Liko's Sprigatito evolves into Floragato during the battle. The arc concludes with Liko, Roy, and Dot deciding to learn more about the Terastal phenomenon, while Gibeon orders his admins to continue monitoring Liko and Terapagos. Gibeon is revealed to own a Shiny Zygarde.

Liko, a beginner Trainer from Paldea, enrolls at Indigo Academy in Kanto and receives Sprigatito as her first partner Pokémon. She encounters Amethio and becomes targeted by the mysterious organization called Explorers due to her pendant, which briefly reveals a mysterious Pokémon. Friede and the Rising Volt Tacklers intervene, rescuing Sprigatito from Amethio's captivity, and Liko joins their crew as they head for Paldea.

Upon arriving in Paldea, Liko meets Roy, who befriends a stowaway Fuecoco traveling with the Rising Volt Tacklers. When the Explorers attack Roy's hometown, his Ancient Poké Ball opens to reveal a Black Rayquaza before it flies away. Roy catches Fuecoco and joins the Rising Volt Tacklers. After this incident, Gibeon removes Amethio from the mission and assigns it to Spinel instead. Dot, who streams as the popular Nidothing, eventually tags along with Liko and Roy. The group discovers a giant Arboliva holding another Ancient Poké Ball, which goes into the ball under Liko's care. They learn about Lucius, an ancient adventurer connected to the Ancient Poké Balls.

After Spinel steals Liko's pendant, the group travels to Levincia where Dot catches her first Pokémon, Quaxly, and helps retrieve the pendant. The Rising Volt Tacklers then journey to Galar, where Liko catches a Hatenna and they locate Lucius's third Pokémon, a Galarian Moltres, which joins Liko's care. The mysterious Pokémon from the pendant fully emerges and is identified as Terapagos when the group meets Liko's grandmother Diana at her castle. The arc concludes with Diana tagging along with the Rising Volt Tacklers and revealing that Lucius's remaining three Pokémon are Lapras, Kleavor, and Entei.

The series features dual protagonists Liko and Roy, who join together with a group of adventurers known as the Rising Volt Tacklers and set out to travel the Pokémon world with them, visiting various regions introduced in the core series from Kanto to Paldea. Liko also finds herself targeted by the mysterious Explorers organization, which is after her equally mysterious pendant. During the series, Dot, another member of the Rising Volt Tacklers, joins the group of main characters and begins traveling with Liko and her friends as they enroll in Naranja Academy to learn to use the Terastal phenomenon. After completing the course, the Rising Volt Tacklers continue their search for the Six Heroes and Laqua.

During the Mega Voltage arc (which takes place a year later, after the events at Laqua), Liko and her friends decide to uncover the mystery of the remains of Laquium, as well as recover the good name of the Rising Volt Tacklers, who were accused by Spinel and the Explorers of being the culprits of the Laqua incident. Despite their hard work, Liko finally defeats Spinel while Pagogo and her friends successfully destroys the Laquium Core with the surprising help of the former members of Explorers and saved Laqua.

During the Wonder Voyage arc, Liko decide to set off her another adventure with Roy, Dot, and the Rising Volt Tacklers.