Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon Horizons, episode #82As it closes in on the 2-year mark, Pokémon Horizons looks like it's entering the endgame for its main story arc, signaling that the series may be drawing to a close sooner than most fans expected. This was confirmed in the most recent episode, which saw a series-spanning goal finally accomplished.

Pokémon Horizons began with two major plot points, which turned out to be connected: Liko's mysterious pendant, which has since been revealed as the Legendary Pokémon Terapagos, and the recapture of the Black Rayquaza, which came out of Roy's Ancient Poké Ball. Both the pendant and the Poké Ball are tied to Liko's ancestor, Lucius, who discovered a Pokémon Paradise known as Laqua over a century ago. Lucius performed a heroic sacrifice to protect the paradise, sealing himself inside. Liko and Roy made it their quest to track down Lucius' former Pokémon, including the Black Rayquaza, to find their way to Laqua.

Pokémon Horizons Finally Defeats the Black Rayquaza

After Several Failed Attempts, the Black Rayquaza is Conquered At Last

With four of Lucius' six Pokémon at their disposal, Liko and Roy headed to Area Zero, tracking the fifth, which they believed to be Entei. They managed to defeat it, but it turned out it was a Paradox Pokémon, Gouging Fire, rather than Entei. Upon defeating Gouging Fire, the Black Rayquaza showed up, demanding a confrontation of his own. Though Liko, Roy, Dot, and Friede had their Pokémon weakened already, they battled on bravely, and after an intense battle involving every Pokémon they had access to, Terapagos and Crocalor were finally able to beat it back.

With Rayquaza defeated, Roy was able to recall it to the Ancient Poké Ball, securing the last of Lucius' Pokémon. Rayquaza was pleased to see that Terapagos had regained much of its power, and agreed to show the Rising Volt Tacklers the way to Laqua. With the crew and Lucius' other Pokémon in tow, the Brave Olivine took off for Laqua, allowing Rayquaza to lead the way.

Defeating the Black Rayquaza and recapturing it marked a major moment for the series, as the Black Rayquaza has been Roy's goal since the moment he ed the crew. While the Rayquaza isn't really "his" yet, as it still technically belongs to Lucius, Rayquaza's return to its Poké Ball signified the beginning of its acceptance of Roy's skill. Roy hopes to further earn Rayquaza's trust as they enter Laqua, and perhaps make a more permanent relationship with the Legendary Pokémon.

Pokémon Horizons Moves Into the Series' Endgame

The Story is Approaching a Climactic Showdown in the Pokémon Paradise of Laqua

Following the airing of episode #82, there was a special preview for episodes, which showcased some surprising sights. Lucius was revealed to still be alive in Laqua, despite his sacrifice and all the time that has ed. Liko was shown meeting her ancestor, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the Explorers managed to follow the Rising Volt Tacklers to Laqua, setting up for a major showdown with Gibeon, leader of the Explorers, and his own shiny Legendary, the White Zygarde. It even seems as if Amethio may be teaming up with the heroes to defeat his grandfather.

With the Black Rayquaza plot now tied up, and Laqua looking to be moving into its final phase as well, it's looking increasingly likely that Pokémon Horizons may be coming to an end surprisingly soon. Since it's still under 100 episodes, this would make Pokémon Horizons the shortest Pokémon series to date by a significant margin, which is a bit odd. It's possible that this confrontation could lead into a new story arc for Pokémon Horizons, but it would have to be quite different from what the series has been about so far.

Back during the Game Freak "Teraleak" in 2024, some information about the overarching plot of Pokémon Horizons was leaked, although it's not known if these plans are being followed or if they're already out of date. In the leak, Pokémon Horizons was set to discover Laqua at the half-way point of the story, so if that's still true, then Horizons might not be as close to ending as it appears. The story will move into a new phase if it continues, and there's no telling exactly what that will look like. One thing's for sure, though: the arc of finding Laqua and the Six Heroes is at an end.

Pokémon typically debuts new anime series alongside new games, so a replacement for Pokémon Horizons may not come until the 10th generation of games are released. If that's the case, then the ending could be quite far away. For now, though, Pokémon Horizons' existing story arcs are hitting their endgame, so unless something new emerges, the series' ending appears imminent.