What people might not realize right away from watching this episode is that Mollie is confirmed to be from Johto! The Pokémon Center she works in is her mom’s, and it’s in the Johto region! If you didn’t realize, Liko and Roy are currently in the Johto region. They've actually been there since episode 92, as mentioned by Liko when she was admiring the view from a mountainside and talking about how it was next to Kanto, where Indigo Academy is. There’s also the plethora of Johto and Kanto Pokémon shown since that episode. Yes, the previous episode did have a trainer with the Litten line, which are Alolan Pokémon, but they’re primarily in Johto—remember that Pokémon is very global these days so maybe Nyabiko could’ve gotten her Litten from someone as a gift or something…
This episode also shows a glimpse of how the Rising Volt Tacklers’ disbandment came to be, with the adults bluntly telling the kids that the adventure is over as Friede is gone, and they've fulfilled their goal of taking Pagogo to Laqua. While Roy and Dot were against it, Liko accepted their decision, which lead to how she was back in episodes 90 and 91 before regaining the drive to start anew with her friends. I did like that Mollie was being bluntly honest about how their newfound decision to restart the Rising Volt Tacklers was dangerous given their notoriety, but she later accepts it and even tells them that if the Brave Olivine were to return, she’d love to come back.
While Mollie chooses to stay and learn at her parents’ place for now, I’m glad that she’s doing well. While she did leave home for her desire to treat more than the Pokémon Center’s capabilities, she is still able to fulfill her goal of treating wild Pokémon during her breaks, showing that she can do both and that it’s fulfilling for her. I was worried that she might have the same appearance as she did before, as with the other recurring adult characters like Franka, Zirc, Onia and Hamber. That doesn’t seem to be the case though, as Mollie’s not only sporting a new outfit, but also has longer hair now. She’s also taking care of the Maushold that lived aboard the Brave Olivine, meaning that the other Pokémon that lived there are most likely being taken care of the other members—it makes me wonder who is taking care of which Pokémon. I was surprised that Mollie’s not taking care of the Pawmi and Snorunt that were usually seen with her in previous episodes; I wonder where they could’ve gone…
Like how episode 92 featured Steelix as the Laquium-affected Pokémon, this episode features a rampaging Vileplume who lives in a forest with various Kanto and Johto Pokémon. I feel like this Vileplume was much more of a threat due to the poison it keeps spreading to the Pokémon. Like you know things are dire when Meowscarada and Crocalor have to be returned to their Poke Balls due to them being poisoned, and for their Trainers to have to use their other Pokémon. Hattrem was the ultimate star of this episode as she’s the one who quells the Vileplume with her newly learned Healing Wish that’s boosted due to Liko terastalizing her for the very first time. I also liked that Lucario and Kilowattrel were both able to contribute. Lucario was able to do some damage to the Vileplume as its poison doesn’t affect it, and also protected Hattrem from the poison. Kilowattrel meanwhile contributed as aerial support before being knocked down by Petal Blizzard.
Other than the main focus of this episode, there's two minor details I’d like to talk about before I end this review. The first is the fact that Liko and Roy were staying at a hotel and not in a Pokémon Center. I find this really interesting as the Pokémon Center was usually the go-to choice for shelter when Trainers needed a respite. I feel like hotels have been a common sight since the start of modern Pokémon games—Pokémon X and Y were full of them! I feel like it does make sense that hotels are now a thing, though it does make me wonder where Roy and Liko got the money to stay in one because the one they stayed at was quite big. The second detail is that Horizons does dive into more of the Nurse Joy lore that the previous anime series played around with at times. I’ve always wondered if elderly Nurse Joys existed, and it does seem to be the case with Mollie’s mother being an aged Nurse Joy. One fun fact about her mother is that her voice actress is Chika Fujimura, who voiced the Unovan Nurse Joys during the BW era of the original series. Mollie’s voice actress Kei Shindo meanwhile voiced the Nurse Joys in Pokémon Journeys. It does feel like a Nurse Joy legacy party in this episode…
With this episode being about quelling yet another Laquium-affected Pokémon, and with the next episode preview featuring the return of the Explorers, it does make me feel like my theory of the even-numbered episodes being the Laquium episodes and the odd ones being battle-focused might just come to fruition. Anyways, let me know your thoughts on Mollie’s return! Who do you want to see next from the Rising Volt Tacklers?
