We have reached the end of the first major arc of the Pokémon: Horizons anime that ends on a high note. It is impressive how far Liko, Roy, and Dot have come as characters, stepping outside their comfort zones to fully embrace a lifestyle that they never originally thought possible. Liko embraces the adventure aspect of what it means to be a trainer in hopes of fulfilling Lucius's dream. Roy hopes to get his rematch with the Black Rayquaza, the symbol for his journey, and Dot finally learns to stand up for herself properly, fighting for a more exciting life outside of her room. Seeing them go up against the Explorers during this season's climax seemed like a complete 180° to how they were at the beginning with prominent differences between the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Explorers.

The Explorers seem to embody the idea of fulfilling your agenda by any means necessary. While they do work for a leader, they don't get along and almost seem to be working for the sake of using each other rather than for the sake of building something together. This is a complete contrast to the Rising Volt Tacklers, who still feel like a family. The trust they put into each other is apparent, especially when our main kid characters willingly put themselves into dangerous situations. I know I can make a joke about adults leaving dangerous matters to children, but the show earned that display of confidence when you consider what everyone went through during the journey.

Granted, this season didn't display any incredibly over-the-top battle animations compared to what we had in the previous parts, but it is still incredibly consistent and high-quality. The way that combination moves are utilized led to different forms of creativity, and every attack feels strong when an impact is made. It's a shame the battles aren't any more exciting due to the use of the show's music. I don't think the Americanized soundtrack is bad, but it is severely lacking in exciting battle themes. The soundtrack is at its best when it uses either familiar leitmotifs from the games or very gentle piano melodies to set the mood. However, when that gentle music is being used during combat, it does suck a lot of tension out, and I hope we get more exciting tracks in future episodes.

Another drawback is that while the final three episodes were powerful and well-earned, I cannot say the same for the start of this arc. There are some strong character moments, my favorites being the ones that focused on Dot catching her second Pokémon and when Dot stands up to her mom. However, the show takes a while to start up again before that. The first three episodes of part four felt like fillers, and though there were some cute moments, they were not as strong as some of the other filler episodes we had before.

That being said,Pokémon: Horizons is still quality Pokémon content. We see a type of character progression that was missing in other parts of the franchise, the journey and overarching mysteries are still engaging. The writing could be tighter, but there is passion and respect for the material and its audience. It appears that the next major arc will focus on Terastallization, and I am very much looking forward to that. Until we get to that, any Pokémon fan, young or old, should sit down and watch this arc, because if you're not already, then you are seriously missing out.