Where the Adventure Leads (Japanese: 冒険の先にAt the End of the Adventure) is the 89th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the 1,321st episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on March 21, 2025, and in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2025 and is scheduled to air in the United States on September 26, 2025.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Plot
With the help of the Six Heroes, PagogoTerastallizes into its Stellar Form and successfully purifies the Laquium on Laqua, leaving Gibeon to mourn the goal he can no longer fulfill. Amethio steps forward and tells his grandfather what he has observed by his side before vowing he will fulfill his goal without resorting to the Laquium. Gibeon believes he does not have the right to think about the future since Zygarde left him, but Lucius points out Zygarde chose Gibeon as its partner because it understood Gibeon's goals before he lost his way. Lucius then tells Gibeon to entrust the future to the next generation, starting with Amethio. Looking at his grandson, Gibeon agrees with Lucius and the two begin to glow, with Lucius revealing it's time for them to go. The Rising Volt Tacklers are devastated since they have only just met, but Lucius is content with it since he has done everything he needed to do and entrusts Pagogo to Liko. Gibeon tells Amethio to continue walking the path he believes in with Ceruledge before the two reconciled friends join Rystal in the afterlife. Pagogo is happy to see Lucius one last time as the Six Heroes are released from their Ancient Poké Balls now that Lucius is gone.
However, Spinel is upset by the situation and declares he will surpass Gibeon. Bringing out a gadget that Amethio recognizes as the Laquium Spheres, Spinel tosses it towards the Six Heroes, ejecting Laquium mist that causes the Six Heroes to go berserk. Spinel also declares the Explorers shall take over Laqua as the Six Heroes begin attacking each other. The kids wants to do something but Friede points out they're currently lacking power to do anything. When Liko sees Pagogo being too exhausted to do anything, she pleads with the Six Heroes to stop fighting. Unfortunately, that just turns Arboliva and Moltres's attention on her, unleashing their attacks on the kids, who are saved by the Black Rayquaza. Rayquaza urges the Rising Volt Tacklers to leave just as Zirc and Onia do the same with Amethio. Amethio escapes first on his Corviknight with his subordinates while the Rising Volt Tacklers leave Rayquaza to keep its former allies distracted.
Seeing the Pokémon leave the former paradise in disarray leaves the kids feeling devastated while Friede questions the Explorers' intent in taking over Laqua despite the Laquium being purified. Just then, the earth below them breaks apart, causing Liko to lose her balance and fall down. This results in Lucius's belt and notebook falling from her backpack into the chasm below, making Liko upset at losing something important. Friede consoles the kids by saying Lucius's adventure will last when they remember it before turning to the sky and wishing they could escape by flying, remembering his Charizard is still weak from the Laquium exposure. Hattrem comes out from her Poké Ball to restore Charizard's health with a Heal Pulse. With Roy on Kilowattrel and Friede, Liko, and Dot on Charizard, the group flies out of Laqua while braving the winds that picked up along the way. Reaching the edge of the crater, the younger members are unsure how to escape as Mount Pericarp itself begins to shake, making the way down dangerous. Friede calms them down by mentioning the people they can depend on as the Brave Olivine comes into view. However, they can see the Olivine struggling to go beyond its maximum altitude limit. In the captain's deck, recognizing this to be an emergency, Orla presses the emergency button that transforms the airship into the "Brave Olivine: Infinite Rising", allowing the crew to rescue Friede and the others. Unfortunately, before they can make it inside, the wind becomes stronger, and Friede, Charizard, and Captain Pikachu are nearly blown overboard since they were unable to hold onto anything. With Charizard barely holding onto the airship, Liko, Roy, Dot, and Orla try to save the three. Friede takes Cap, who was hanging onto Friede's goggles, and entrusts him to look after everyone before safely handing him to Liko. Friede gives a wistful smile before he and Charizard lose their grips and fall into the clouds, leaving the onlookers horrified.
One year later, Liko is in her dormitory at Indigo Academy, looking at her last adventure as Ann fetches her for class. Liko, Meowscarada, and Hattrem leave the room, with a Poké Ball resting on Liko's desk. In Levincia, Spinel is giving an interview on Laqua's restoration as the new director of Exceed. He also frames the Rising Volt Tacklers for Laqua's collapse the year prior and tells the interviewer everything will be safe in the hands of the Explorers, including the unknown phenomenon affecting Pokémon worldwide. Elsewhere, Roy, with a Mega Ring on his wrist, gets ready to set off, with his Pokémon team by his side, including a ShinyLucario and Cap.
Spinel is revealed to have become the new director of Exceed and the leader of the Explorers, framing the Rising Volt Tacklers for the events that took place at Laqua.
Hattrem is no longer the only Pokémon owned by a young member of the Rising Volt Tacklers to not be from Generation IX.
Ash is no longer the only main character to have access to more than one battle technique, as Roy has access to both Mega Evolution and Terastallization.
Instead of a traditional next episode preview, this episode is followed by a preview of the Mega Voltage arc.
This is the first instance where a clear timeskip between events in the animated series has been shown.
Errors
Dub edits
The on-screen Japanese text stating "One year later" is replaced by an additional line of dialogue by Liko saying "It's been a year since then."
