I think this is the first time four different battles were squeezed in one episode, yet it didn’t feel too rushed, but I do wish Dot had more screen time. Basically, it’s Friede vs Spinel, Liko vs Sidian, Roy vs Coral, and Dot vs Chalce. Liko and Roy already battled their opponents back in Episode 43 and 66, so they're basically like rivals. It was great to see Liko strategizing and even beating Sidian without the need for Terastal. Coral decided to use Scream Tail instead of her signature Glalie, but still lost. I’ve read comments saying that Roy’s win against Coral was ridiculous, but remember that Scream Tail is a Fairy/Psychic type and it has a Fairy-type Terastal, meaning that being a pure Fairy-type makes its Fairy-type moves not that effective against a Fire-type like Crocalor. I hope people can do their Pokemon math before jumping into conclusions. Dot had a bit of a rivalry of her own with Chalce before then too, but this is their official first battle together. Chalce is so tough that even Dot had a hard time against her—none of them even Terastalized. Their fight is mainly them showing off their intellect with Dot eventually outsmarting her.
Other than the battles, there are story elements present. The reason why the Explorers never really pursued Liko and the Rising Volt Tacklers was because their goal was to get Terapagos to remove the barrier leading to the Laquium, which is why they let the heroes do their dirty work. Also, Gibeon has entered the barrier with Zygarde 10% trailing behind. I honestly can’t wait to see what his motivations for obtaining the shards are.
I can’t wait for the next episode to air. The preview looks enticing and I can’t wait to see how the conflict will unfold and if Spinel really will betray Gibeon and for what purpose. Let me know your own thoughts on this episode!
