Summary
Riko and Roy have taken down Galarian Moltres and now possess a powerful Legendary Pokémon, which is a feat Ash has never achieved. Riko also possesses two other Ancient Poké Balls containing powerful Pokémon but it is unclear whether they count as members of her team. Despite her limited training experience, Riko now possesses a Legendary Pokémon, placing her in an elite club of anime characters and posing a threat to anyone who tries to take her pendant. Miss.
Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon Horizons Episode #23Latest episode of Pokémon Horizon ends in a surprising way, as Riko and Roy manage to take down Galarian Moltres, return it to its Ancient Poké Ball… and leave the Legendary Pokémon for the children to possess, a feat Ash has never accomplished.
Galarian Moltres marks the third Ancient Poké Ball the team has found, with the first belonging to the shiny black Rayquaza and the second belonging to the Titan Arboliva. While Riko was entrusted with Arboliva and its Poké Ball, Rayquaza fled as soon as it was released, leaving Roy with an empty ball that once contained Rayquaza, and perhaps they could recall it if they encountered it again. . However, by having Rayquaza on the run, it solves a potentially difficult problem in that Liko and Roy get a powerful Legendary Pokémon early in the story. This time, however, Galarian Moltres did not run away, and now Riko was holding a Poké Ball containing a powerful Legend.
Riko’s Galarian Moltres makes Ash’s Pokémon look weaker
Despite possessing the Ancient Explorer Lucius’ Pokémon, Riko cannot freely use their powers at any time. For example, Arboliva has been summoned once, but not to fight, and here it summons itself from a Poké Ball to confront Galarian Moltres. It can be assumed that Galarian Moltres will be treated similarly, only exiting the Poké Ball on its own terms or when the situation is dire enough to require its powers. It is also unclear whether these Pokémon and their Ancient Poké Balls count as members of Riko’s team; Currently, she’s only caught Hatenna and the starter Pokémon Sprigatito for herself, so even including two Ancient Poké Balls won’t get her team past six.
However, after just 23 episodes, Riko now possesses a legendary Pokémon. Despite having grown close to several Legendary Pokémon and even commanding a few in battle, Ash Ketchum has never actually captured a Legendary Pokémon for himself. Ash already has the Mythical Pokémon Meltan/Melmetal, but not the Legendary. However, Ash’s companion Goh captured Suicune at one point, so it’s not unheard of in anime for a main character to possess a Legendary. What’s surprising is how early Riko was entrusted with a legendary Pokémon, as she only had minimal training experience at this point and had only just caught her second Pokémon.
Commanding Galarian Moltres in battle may be a bit more than Riko is capable of at the moment, but the day will surely come when Riko and Roy can use these Ancient Poké Balls in battle. Very few anime characters have legendary Pokémon at their disposal, so Riko is already in a very elite club, even if she doesn’t yet have full loyalty. One thing is certain, however: Adventurers should be more careful the next time they come to claim Riko’s pendant, as they may find themselves facing one of the strongest Pokémon yet to appear in Pokémon Horizon.
