The Pokémon Horizons series is on its way to a brave new world in Paldea, a region that Ash Ketchum never got to visit. However, a mysterious crewmate aboard the airship wants Liko and Roy to prove themselves before earning their approval, and this mysterious figure has some tie to their favorite streamer, Nidothing.

When Do Pokémon Horizons Episodes Release?

Episodes of Pokémon Horizons are currently airing only on Japanese TV, on the channel Tokyo TV, at 6:55 PM Japanese Time, which roughly equates to 5AM on the east coast of the US and 2AM on the west coast. These airings do not have any form of subtitles, so viewers will need to have some level of Japanese fluency in order to watch. While a localization of Pokémon Horizons has been announced, it is currently only known to have a “2023” release date, meaning it could be released in English at any time during the year–but likely not until well after Ash Ketchum’s final Pokémon episodes have debuted.

What Happened in Episode 7 of Pokémon Horizons?

Episode 7 of Pokémon Horizons was set aboard the airship and mostly focused on Liko and Roy doing some actual Pokémon training for the first time. Liko and Roy battled it out with each other, spamming attacks and exhausting their Pokémon. They asked Friede to help, so he set them up with a training session with Captain Pikachu, who proceeded to wipe the floor with the two newbies. It was all for a reason, though–Liko and Roy needed to understand that it’s important to watch the moves of one’s opponent when in battle, and that their orders must be reactions to their opponent, rather than blindly attacking. Their effort in this training helped earn them the respect of the mystery crewmember as well, getting them some help in finding that shocking crystallized shiny Rayquaza which escaped from Roy’s Ancient Poké Ball in episode 6.

Pokémon Horizons Introduces Its Last Main Character in Episode 8

This mystery crewmember appears to be the secret identity of Nidothing, aka “Gurumin” in Japanese. They were shown working on editing a video of Nidothing and wearing the costume at both the very beginning and very end of the episode. Friede mentioned this crewmate to Liko and Roy, and called her Dot, saying that she was Murdock’s daughter, of a similar age, and that she can be a bit grumpy at times. The preview for episode 8 gave a clearer peak at her purple hair with pink highlights, but Dot’s face reveal will have to wait for the episode itself. Nidothing/Dot seems to be the partner of the airship’s Quaxly, which may mean that she’s meant to take on a protagonist-like role alongside Liko and Roy, who are partnered with the other members of the starter trio, Sprigatito and Fuecoco. How important Dot’s role will be will hopefully be cleared up in this episode. Episode 9 is said to see the crew’s arrival in Paldea, so this episode will likely also be set exclusively aboard the airship.

Episode 8 of Pokémon Horizons will be the last before the show starts a new arc in the Paldea region, and it seems the final pieces are being laid out to give that arc the biggest push it can get.