HZ128: Difference between revisions

HZ128
	ステップ・バイ・ステップ！ドット＆ウェルカモ！！; Step by Step! Dot and Welkamo!!
Japan	February 20, 2026
United States
Opening
Ending
Opening	アイオライト
Ending	ねてもさめても
Animation	Team Kumemura
Screenplay	福島直浩 Naohiro Fukushima
Storyboard	西田章二 Shōji Nishida
Assistant director	又野弘道 Hiromichi Matano
Animation directors	新城真 Makoto Shinjō
	江山梨恵 Rie Eyama
	升谷有希 Yuki Masutani
Additional credits
	Preview thread on BMGf Closed; Original review thread on BMGf;
	Preview thread on BMGf Closed; Original review thread on BMGf;

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VisualWikitext

Revision as of 15:04, 5 June 2026

This article is about an episode of the Pokémon animated series that has not been dubbed into English. As such, its coverage may contain romanized Japanese names, rather than dub names.

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HZ127

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

HZ129

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(Japanese: ステップ・バイ・ステップ！ドット＆ウェルカモ！！ Step by Step! Dot and Welkamo!!) is the 128th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the 1,360th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on February 20, 2026.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Plot

While having food made by Murdock in their hotel room, Roy proposes visiting the Black Rayquaza at the Dragon's Den since not only is it an important part of their search of Pokémon with eighteen Tera types, but there is also Friede's briefcase that is meant for the Sky High Pokémon. Liko and Ult agree to the idea, but the former is still worried about Dot's situation. Elsewhere, Iono is also feeling conflicted about Dot when she spots Quaxwell training with Tinkaton and Gholdengo. Watching them train together, she gets an idea while recording them on her Rotom Phone. Later, Ult calls out Dot for backing out as a Trainer, though Liko and Roy know he just wants to see Rayquaza as soon as possible. While Ult is brash with his words, Iono agrees Dot cannot battle alongside her friends as she arrives to their room. The Levincia Gym Leader asks Dot if she truly understands her partner while showing the footage she recorded earlier. Iono then provokes Dot into a battle to prove the latter understands Quaxwell as well as she claims.

Everyone moves to an open area where the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers also spectate. Bellibolt makes the first move by charging up electricity, but contrary to Dot's expectations for either Spark or Discharge, it instead uses Thunder. Quaxwell avoids all the lightning strikes that come from the attack and attacks with Aqua Cutter, but Bellibolt not only jumps out of the way throughout the barrage, it also charges up electricity in the process. Again contrary to Dot's expectations for a Electric-type move, Iono has Bellibolt use Mud Shot, which successfully hits Quaxwell despite his attempts to cut through it with Aqua Cutter, reducing his speed and leaving him more vulnerable to the EleFrog Pokémon's Thunder. As a result of his reduced speed and stepping into a puddle of water made by Aqua Cutter earlier, Quaxwell is struck by a supereffective Thunder and takes severe damage. Dot begins to lose her confidence again and Iono points out the Dot she knows has always continued battling even when things get tough before questioning if she forgot something important.

Looking at Quaxwell, Dot realizes what she was lacking and decides to press on. Iono is pleased to see Dot gaining some spark of her determined self back, so she has her partner use Thunder again. This time, Dot has Quaxwell use the water puddles to make up for its reduced speed after remembering what she saw from Iono's recording, allowing him to not only dodge all the lightning strikes, but also get close enough to land a Liquidation attack. However, this triggers its Electromorphosis Ability, generating even more electricity. Rather than use an Electric-type move, Iono catches everyone off guard when she calls for Bellibolt to use Slack Off instead. When she sees Quaxwell moving while Bellibolt was healing itself, Dot has an idea. Both Dot and Quaxwell pull back their hair and coif respectively, ready to battle harder as Bellibolt unleashes Thunder that is stronger than before. Nonetheless, Quaxwell runs through it all despite the risk of a lightning strike hitting a puddle. Dot encourages her partner to run faster as she recalls the times they overcame things together, with Quaxwell forming a wave as he runs. Just as Bellibolt runs out of electricity, resulting in Thunder being cleared up, Dot commands Quaxwell use Wave Crash with the wave he made, mimicking Tinkaton and Gholdengo's movements in the process. After landing, Quaxwell glows in a blue light, evolving into Quaquaval, making Dot happy.

In response to this, Iono pulls out her Tera Orb and Terastallizes Bellibolt, with Dot doing the same with her newly evolved Quaquaval, Terastallizing into a pure Water type. A smokescreen made by a clash between Mud Shot and Aqua Cutter allows Quaquaval to run up to Bellibolt and kick it into the air with Low Kick. Bellibolt uses Thunder again, but Quaquaval is able to cancel it out before running up to the EleFrog Pokémon. Iono's plan for an unexpected Sucker Punch backfires when Dot remembers how Iono likes to overreact whenever she is hiding something. Quaquaval finishes off Bellibolt with another Wave Crash and the Levincia Gym Leader accepts her defeat. Dot compliments her partner as Iono comes up to her, happy to see her confidence restored. Dot walks up to her friends and, with the Dancer Pokémon's encouragement, asks to join as a Trainer for one of the eighteen Tera types again, which they happily accept.

Later that night, the group including Iono have a celebration feast, where Iono pulls Dot into a dance after seeing the Pokémon having fun. Afterwards, Dot stays behind in Paldea with the others to continue with her analysis while Liko, Roy, and Ult head off to the Dragon's Den to see Rayquaza again.

Major events

Dot's Quaxwell learns Wave Crash and evolves into Quaquaval.
Dot has a rematch against Iono and wins.
Liko, Roy, and Ult set off for the Dragon's Den to deliver Friede's gift to the Black Rayquaza.

For a list of all major events in Pokémon Horizons: The Series, please see the timeline page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Quaquaval (Dot's)

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Floragato (Liko's; Terastallized; flashback)
Meowscarada (Liko's)
Terapagos (Liko's; Pagogo; Normal Form)
Rotom (Liko's; Rotom Phone)
Crocalor (Roy's; Terastallized; flashback)
Skeledirge (Roy's)
Kilowattrel (Roy's)
Pikachu (Friede's; Captain Pikachu)
Quaxly (Dot's; flashback)
Quaxwell (Dot's; Terastallized in flashback; evolves)
Quaquaval (Dot's; newly evolved; debut; Terastallized)
Tinkaton (Dot's)
Gholdengo (Dot's)
Rotom (Dot's; Rotom Phone)
Sableye (Ult's)
Dragonite (Ult's)
Chansey (Mollie's)
Metagross (Orla's)
Elekid (Orla's)
Quagsire (Ludlow's)
Ceruledge (Amethio's; Terastallized; flashback)
Zygarde (Amethio's; White Zygarde; 50% Forme; flashback)
Bellibolt (Iono's; Terastallized)
Rotom (Iono's; Rotom Phone)

Trivia

Mega Nidothing's Mega Mega! Mega Evolution: Pinsir
The first eyecatch features Iono and her Bellibolt and the second features Dot with her Quaxwell, Tinkaton, and Gholdengo.
This episode marks the first time in all of the animated series that all of the concurrent first partner Pokémon have reached their final stage of Evolution.
As of this episode:
- All of the Pokémon owned by the younger members of the Rising Volt Tacklers are fully evolved.
- All of the evolved forms of the Paldea first partner Pokémon have appeared in the animated series.
- Pagogo is the only single-type Pokémon owned by the younger members of the Rising Volt Tacklers.
This episode marks the first time that a Water-type first partner Pokémon has evolved into a dual type since Lana's Brionne, who evolved into Primarina in The One That Didn't Get Away!, 301 episodes earlier.
Artwork of Liko, Roy, Dot, Ult and their Pokémon was released after this episode to commemorate Pokémon's 30th Anniversary, also being released as a motion poster with a promotional video for the next episode.
Roy, Ult, Sableye, Pagogo, and Liko narrate the preview for the next episode.

Errors

Dot's Quaxwell uses Wave Crash in this episode, despite Quaxwell being unable to learn the move in the games without evolving into Quaquaval first. This marks the first instance of an animated series move error in Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

Dub edits

In other languages

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