Pokémon Horizons has slowly set up its heroes, who didn't initially have strong goals like Ash's dream of being a "Pokémon Master." Roy was first inspired by the Black Rayquaza, aiming to catch up to it some day, but as more details were revealed about the Ancient Poké Ball, that dream has begun to shift to something bigger, and episode 13 confirms this with one subtle detail tying into the Scarlet and Violet games.

Roy and Liko only recently learned that the Black Rayquaza, as well as the Titan-sized Arboliva, are both Pokémon which belonged to a legendary adventurer by the name of Lucius. Roy had heard tales of this adventurer before, and long idolized him even without knowing his name, but the connection with Black Rayquaza cemented Roy's new goal: to become an adventurer worthy of being Lucius's successor. While still a bit vague, it's a much more concrete goal than "Pokémon Master," which Ash hadn't fully defined even by the final episode of his series. Roy subtly confirms this choice, though, during an ordinary scene about making sandwiches.

Roy's Sandwich Pick Says A Lot About Him

In episode 13, Roy attempts to build a massive sandwich, as one does in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games. The final step in assembling a sandwich in the games is to use a pick to hold it together, and that holds true here as well. Liko uses an ordinary flag pick, one of the cheaper and less imaginative choices in the game, which the other characters criticize as being a bit basic. Roy, however, is shown to be holding a sword-shaped pick, known as the Heroic Sword Pick. It's one of the most expensive picks in the game, and has an item description which states, "A pick made to be the coolest. Once you've eaten, you can pretend you're a hero of legend."

Roy, obviously, has come to idolize Lucius and aspires to be like him, so a pick like this is the perfect choice for his character. Although Roy got distracted by a Wattrel, it's not hard to imagine him playing with the pick afterward. While it's not clear if the item in Scarlet and Violet is explicitly referencing this character (likely not), the idea of its connection to an ancient hero like Lucius remains intact. The use of this particular item really reinforces Roy's recently set goal in a way that's probably not even going to be noticed by the majority of viewers, even those who've played Scarlet or Violet.

Small details like this one have been a big part of what has made the new series so good thus far, as it shows the writers are really paying close attention to characterization. This has helped Liko and Roy to quickly become distinct and recognizable characters with their own personalities, rather than simple copies of Ash with no other desire than to be the best. While Ash and Roy maintain many similarities, Pokémon Horizons has gone out of its way to give Roy his own unique goals and motivations, and details like the Heroic Sword Pick are a big part of that.