Crash! Team Dragon Rampage! (Japanese: 激突！ドラゴン爆走団Clash! The Dragon Rampage Gang) is the 96th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the 1,328th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on May 16, 2025, in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2025, and in the United States on January 6, 2026.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Blurb
After Terapagos shows interest in a mountain near Blackthorn City in Johto, Dot learns that someone reported seeing the black Rayquaza there about a year before. Liko, Roy, and Ult set off toward the mountain, but a local delivers a warning—a group called Team Dragon Rampage has been threatening Trainers who enter their territory. Sure enough, Team Dragon Rampage appears, but as the trio tries to scare off Liko, Roy, and Ult, they accidentally mention the black Rayquaza. Could Team Dragon Rampage be the key to finding the Legendary Pokémon?
Plot
Liko, Roy, and Ult return to Mochew City late at night, but as they arrive, Pagogo is highly interested in going to a nearby mountain. Dot notices, and points out that it is in the direction of Blackthorn City, home to Dragon Tamers. Roy is interested, but Dot is intrigued by the fact that someone had seen a Black Rayquaza on a mountain nearby, almost a year prior. They all rush off towards the mountain, ready to complete their mission, and not knowing what they are about to run into.
Though Ult is excited to finally get close to finding Rayquaza, the others realise it is already late. They set up camp by a stream along their path, and their partner Pokémon help by setting up a campfire. But soon, Ult confronts Roy, as he believes it is a trick to get him to fall asleep so that they can ditch him again. He goes off on his own, despite the others' warnings, only to immediately end up going in a circle and returning to the campsite. He helps Liko make pancakes by the fire. She asks him why he wants to find the Black Rayquaza, to which he answers that he wants to become the strongest trainer there is, but he is not very open to further conversation, and climbs onto a tree branch to be alone. He doesn't even come down when the pancakes shaped as members of the team are finished, despite his hunger and his Sableye abandoning him to eat, and Liko gets a little concerned.
He finally comes down when the others are asleep, scolds Sableye for leaving him be, and ponders what to do, before Sableye offers him a pancake. He loves it, and they both eat the entire stash of pancakes, but this angers Roy once they all wake up, as it was supposed to be their breakfast. Liko just wants them to get along, and they leave together after she suggests they eat berries on the way, but the boys are still annoyed at each other. They ask a passing traveler about the Black Rayquaza. While he knows nothing about that, he warns them about Team Dragon Rampage, who are roaming nearby. They acknowledge his warnings, stories about the team mugging people and stealing their Poké Balls, and the knowledge that the hideout is exactly along their path, and continue their trek up the mountain.
On a mountain path, they are met by three masked people, riding atop Cyclizar, who introduce themselves as Team Dragon Rampage. They tell the children to stay out of their territory, and recoil in shock at the mention of Rayquaza. Roy assures them that he is acquainted with the Black Rayquaza, that they traveled to Laqua together, and that he is not a member of the rival gang Team Wriggle, though Team Dragon Rampage does not believe any of that. A fight breaks out between the Cyclizar, Roy's Lucario, and soon Sableye as well. A collision between Dragon Pulse and Power Gem causes a whirlwind, which blows off the team's masks, revealing them to all be women, to Ult's shock and fear. His loss of respect angers the leader, and they launch a combined Dragon Rush. Sableye dodged the first Cyclizar, but was knocked to the ground by the others. Now that the battle is over, the team put on their masks, and take off on their Cyclizar. Pagogo exits its Poké Ball and insists that they continue up the mountain path, so that is what they do.
While stopping briefly, they notice a man with an Arbok stealing an egg from a nest, which immediately hatches as a Dratini, and places it into a cage. Ult does not stand for it, and gets Sableye to preemptively attack with Shadow Sneak, but Arbok sees it coming at the last moment. This man is a member of the aforementioned Team Wriggle, and antagonizes the children by assuming their affiliation with Team Dragon Rampage. Ult is sure he alone can take him, before a Seviper jumps out of nowhere. Its poison attack could harm the remaining eggs, if Meowscarada had not jumped into just in time. Liko convinces Ult that collaboration is what will make him stronger, and so both he and Roy Mega Evolve their Pokémon. Meowscarada holds the snakes in place, and a combined high-power attack sends Team Wriggle running away. Ult is a little uncomfortable to have worked together with Roy, but proud of their victory. Soon enough, Team Dragon Rampage, who had been watching from afar, congratulate them on saving the eggs. Liko asks about the Black Rayquaza, and this time, they invite the children to join them in their hideout, except for Ult, who showed less-than-honorable intentions with meeting Rayquaza, and has to run after them.
In a cavern deep in the mountain, the team shows them the clearing where the Black Rayquaza is resting. Pagogo's call is what awakes it, something that seemingly hasn't happened in a long time. This place is a shrine where Dragon-type Pokémon can regain energy, and where Rayquaza has been slumbering for the last year. The team's only intentions was to protect Rayquaza once it lay to rest, and not let others find out about its presence by spreading bad rumours about themselves. Roy and Liko wish Rayquaza well, and for its quick recovery, but Ult is not impressed. The slumbering Pokémon before him is not strong enough for him, and Ult wants it to regain its strength so that he can complete his goal, and become the strongest Trainer. They wish Team Dragon Rampage good luck in their mission to protect Rayquaza until the day when it can fly again.
Dot is surprised to hear all that has happened, and helps the group to decide their next course of action. She suggests that they return to the Paldea region, and reunite with Murdock, who she has recently discovered is working with Katy. They agree to meet in Cortondo, and Ult does too, and they set off. Dot gets ready to leave as well, but as she packs up her room, she gets a phone call from Iono.
