Pokémon Horizons: The Series Season 2 Episode 23 (Finale): Recap, Review, & Ending Explained

Fiery Galarian Moltres

The Season 2 finale of Pokémon Horizons: The Series begins with Liko and Roy visiting a Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy and her helper Pokémon arrive with Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Captain Pikachu (Cap) and they’re all healed up. Next, Friede arrives, much to Liko and Roy’s surprise. Friede asks Nurse Joy to treat his Charizard’s wounds. After Nurse Joy and her team treat Charizard’s injuries, Friede, Liko, and Roy head outside to chat. 

What happens during Friede’s discussion with Liko, Roy, and Dot?

Friede tells Liko that he and Charizard fled the battle. He says the mysterious bird Pokémon they battled was too much for them. Then, Dot calls Friede and shares intel about the mysterious bird Pokémon’s lore and rumors. Dot says the mysterious Pokémon Friede, Liko, and Roy battled with was Galarian Moltres. 

Dot reminds the three that these are rumors, but to take them with a pinch of truth. She signs out and wishes the three the best. Despite everyone’s concerns, Liko knows of a way to confront Galarian Moltres. Liko says her Hatenna sensed something off about Galarian Moltres’s behavior. She argues that Galarian Moltres might be experiencing a different emotion. 

Friede realizes Liko wants to develop a plan to calm Galarian Moltres down. Suddenly, Wattrel and Fuecoco fight over a berry. Fortunately, Sprigatito calms the two down with its soothing aroma. This helps Friede and the others hatch a scheme involving that same aroma.

What happens when Friede, Roy, and Liko enter the Galar Mine?

Later, Friede, Liko, and Roy enter the Galar Mine. While our heroes wander the mine, Friede tells Liko and Roy to flee if things get hasty with Galarian Moltres. Eventually, our heroes encounter Galarian Moltres. Friede summons Charizard and Roy tells Fuecoco to help Friede’s Charizard get Galarian Moltres’s attention. Sprigatito summons its aroma and Cap assists Sprigatito by using Thunder Punch on Galarian Moltres. 

Liko tells Sprigatito to use Leafedge on Galarian Moltres. It uses the aroma-covered Leafedge on Galarian Moltres twice, but the legendary bird blocks each attack by flapping its wings. Sprigatito hops on Charizard’s back and Friede tells Charizard to get close to Galarian Moltres. While the legendary bird’s dealing with Charizard, Roy tells Fuecoco to hit it with a Flamethrower attack.

While Galarian Moltres handles that Flamethrower, Liko tells Sprigatito to use the same attack on Galarian Moltres again. Galarian Moltres blocks it again by flapping its wings harder. Liko and Roy try reasoning with Galarian Moltress but it ignores them and plans to use a deadly attack. Friede tells Liko and Roy to take shelter somewhere. 

Roy and Fuecoco fall behind so Cap uses Volt Tackle on Galarian Moltres to stop it from attacking. Liko tries reasoning with Galarian Moltres again. Lucius’s (the ancient Pokémon adventurer) Arboliva exits its ancient Poké Ball and Liko’s pendant glows. Arboliva tries reasoning with Galarian Moltres, but it attacks Arboliva.

How do Liko, Roy, and the others calm Galarian Moltres Down?

Liko tells Roy she’ll try using her words to connect with Galarian Moltres. After hearing Liko’s passionate remarks, Arboliva uses Grassy Terrain, signaling to Friede that this will increase Sprigatito’s abilities. Liko commands Sprigatito to perform several aroma-covered Leafedge attacks on Galarian Moltres. Meanwhile, Friede and Roy’s Pokémon assist Liko and Sprigatito.

Friede tells Roy to summon Wattrel and have it keep the leaves in the air. With their combined might, Liko and the others quell Galarian Moltres.

What happens after Liko and the others defeat Galarian Moltres?

Galarian Moltres wanders toward Liko and chats with the Pokémon inside her pendant. The pendant Pokémon appears and greets Galarian Moltres. Next, it starts raining inside the cave, making everyone confused. Liko turns to her left and notices Lucius comforting Galarian Moltres. Lucius tells Galarian Moltres that they’ll find “Rakua” one day and he disappears.

Galarian Moltres wanders toward Liko and Roy and drops the ancient Poké Ball stuck to its foot. Then, this legendary bird returns to its ancient Poké Ball. Liko realizes Galarian Moltres wants to tag along with them. Also, Liko speculates that Galarian Moltres acted harshly because it was longing for something. This motivates Liko to become a stronger Pokémon Trainer who can understand what any Pokémon is going through.

How does Pokémon Horizons: The Series Season 2 end?

Hatenna leads Liko and the others to the pendant Pokémon. After that, a miner and Kabu enter the Galar Mine. Liko, Roy, and Friede greet Kabu. Liko and Roy inform Kabu about their experiences with Galarian Moltres. Kabu praises the two for their effort and suggests they battle down the pipeline. The pendant Pokémon starts rummaging through Friede’s bag.

This entices Friede, Roy, and Liko to depart from the mine and head for the Brave Olivine Ship. Amethio and his minions observe the three from afar. He tells his lackeys that he doesn’t care about Galarian Moltres. Although one of his goons doesn’t want to leave empty-handed, Amethio says they at least attained knowledge about Liko’s pendant.

Amethio tells his lackeys that they’ll trail Friede and the others. The season closes with Amethio telling his lackeys that he wants to capture that pendant Pokémon. 

Read More: Pokémon Horizons: The Series Season 2 Review

The Episode Review

That wraps up the next phase of Pokémon Horizons: The Series episodes as far as Netflix is concerned. This ending leaves fans with a commendable cliffhanger regarding Amethio and his minions’ next move. After getting kicked off the case in Season 1, it’s interesting that Amethio and his allies went rogue. At the same time, it shows how determined Amethio is to complete his former mission. This may convince viewers to value his role as one of the series’s primary antagonists.

 On that note, it’s upsetting that this episode didn’t show how Friede, Amethio, and his lackeys escaped Galarian Moltres’s grasp. Although Friede shares how he and Charizard pulled this off, this resolution feels contrived, jarring, and overly convenient. This essence of convenience has been an ongoing issue with this series (so far).

Although it won’t bug some fans, others will find most of our heroes’ successes inauthentic. Nevertheless, Liko, Roy, and Friede’s rage-quelling tactic in episode 23 was fitting and satisfying. This season exceptionally tackled the idea that strength isn’t the only component that makes a great Pokémon Trainer. The previous episodes centering around Liko and Roy’s encounters with Dot, Kabu, and their new secondary Pokémon add to that notion.

Although it’s strange to leave fans hanging on the 23rd episode, this chapter provides intrigue, development, and action that’ll leave fans hungering for the next batch of episodes. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait months for those to release on Netflix.