Pokémon Horizons' Hero Proves She's Ash's True Successor With One Moment, & It's Absolutely Brutal

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Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon Horizons episode 63

Pokémon Horizonshas just delivered Liko a devastating loss against the Gym Leader Grusha for her Terastal implementation exam, and unlike Roy, it seems she won’t be getting a second chance, or at least not any time soon. However, this loss may prove to be a valuable learning experience for Liko, and it only makes her more like Ash, who was no stranger to failure.

The Terastal implementation tests that Liko, Roy, and Dot have been doing weren’t the same as winning gym badges; technically speaking, Liko didn’t need to defeat Grusha, she merely had to prove she understood how to use Terastallization well in battle, and arguably she accomplished that goal. However, Grusha is a results-oriented person, and equated a loss to him with a failure of the exam. WhileRoy was given a shot at redemption after his loss to Ryme, Liko will be receiving no such pity from Grusha. However, despite Grusha’s cold-hearted demeanor, this may actually prove to be a valuable lesson for Liko, especially given her particular circumstances.

Liko in her winter outfit getting ready to battle.

Liko’s Failures Are The Real Reason She’s Worthy Of Being Ash’s Successor

Liko’s Failure Follows in Ash’s Footsteps

Anyone familiar with the original anime starring Ash will know that Ash failed quite a lot, especially early on. Even as late asXY, Ash was still suffering critical losses which shook his confidence and had him second guessing his goals.Ash failed to win in his first matches with Brock, Lt. Surge, Sabrina, and Blaine (where Pikachu almost died), and ultimately lost the league conference in the original series. Ash would struggle with other later Gym Leaders as well, often needing to retreat and come up with a new strategy before victory came his way. Yet, Ash rarely allowed these losses to derail him from his goals.

While Liko has lost battles before, they were rarely battles with anything major at stake.This is the first time where Liko has had an actual setback from a loss, and it’s clear already that this will be difficult for her to handle. In some ways, Grusha had an important lesson for Liko: that there are some battles where the results are all that matter. A bit cruel, to be sure, but an important lesson for someone dealing with villains like the Explorers, who would give no mercy to Liko if she lost to them.

The three main protagonists of Pokemon Horizons, Liko, Dot, and Roy.

Pokémon Horizons Does What Ash’s Series Never Could, And That’s Why It Feels So Fresh

An important theme has emerged in the story of Pokémon Horizons, and that theme is one that the original series with Ash could never have pulled off.

However, there’s an even more important lesson for Liko to learn here, and that’s how to come back from a loss. This setback doesn’t have to represent the end of Liko’s journey, no more than any of Ash’s losses were the end of his. As Ash himself said, “there’s nothing you’re able to ever do that’s a waste of time.“Liko can learn from this experience and apply what she’s learned to the future. Grusha was a difficult and skilled opponent, the kind of person Liko doesn’t have much prior experience dealing with. But then, how else was she going to get that experience other than by losing?

Amethio and Liko run into each other by surprise.

How Liko’s Big Failure Can Set Her Apart From Ash

Liko Can Take Her Future in a New Direction

Ash was a plucky kid who rarely let his losses get him down, although that’s not to say it never happened at all. Liko, however, is a much more sensitive type of person, and this loss is likely to weigh on her quite heavily, especially given that it’s the first major loss she’s suffered. Just as Ash often relied on his friends to pull him out of a funk, Liko will need to depend on Roy and Dot for support. While Ash’s losses mostly only affected him, Liko is likely to feel like she’s not only let herself down, but also her friends and Friede.

Liko’s goal is about more than just herself; she needs to become strong enough to protect Terapagos from the Explorers. That already sets her apart from Ash, whosedreams of being a Pokémon Masterlargely only affected him. Failure for Liko will have much harsher consequences, but that’s all the more reason not to let this loss bring her down. Liko has no choice but to stand up again and get back to work, because the forces hunting her and Terapagos won’t stop simply because she’s feeling down.

Liko has no doubt suffered a major blow to her confidence, and that may take some time to fully heal. But in the meantime, it’s essential that Liko persevere and push forward, just like Ash would. Whether she gets a second shot at battling Grusha or not, Liko must move on from this loss and continue her journey. Liko can prove herself a worthy successor to Ash simply by dusting herself off and preparing for next time.

Where Pokémon Horizons Will Go After Liko’s Failed Test

Trouble is Brewing for Liko and Friends

As far as the Terastal course is concerned, it’s not quite clear what the consequences of Liko’s failure will be. It could be as severe as having her Tera Orb revoked, but that seems unlikely; Liko did still pass the Terastal Basics, after all. The end of the course definitely marks the end of the trio’s journey across Paldea, and it may have been enough time that the airship has finally been repaired. That would mean setting off and hunting down the remainder ofthe Ancient Adventurer’s Pokémon, getting back to the main plot of the series.

Based on the preview for the next episode, Liko is going to have a new problem to deal with very soon, as the Explorers are showing their faces once again. Though her confidence may be shaken, Liko has no choice but to pull herself together, or else all is lost. With something on the line to protect, Liko may well find her inner strength once again, and stand up to the bad guys just like Ash used to. Much like Ash and Pikachu, Liko can still depend on her bond with her Pokémon. It’s time for Liko to step up and become the true successor to Ash, and provePokémon Horizonswon’t be shut down by a simple loss.