The Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope batch of episodes doesn't immediately pick up where the last batch left off. The first three episodes of Season 3 are their own self-contained arc, focusing on Roy and Ult's first meeting during the one-year time skip in Lumiose City. While this inclusion is awkward because it comes out of nowhere, it still works as a self-contained story, highlighting the beginning of Roy's arc during the season.

Technically, this is the first time we get to see Roy separated from the Rising Volt Tacklers on his own, and it's refreshing to go back and see him a little more childish, especially in his first introduction to Ult. While there isn't anything new about their relationship that couldn't have already been inferred from the series thus far, it's nice to see the start of that sibling rivalry. More context is given to Ult's backstory, like how he seems to have grown up without his family, which later ties into more complicated feelings about the Dragonite that was left for him. It also ties the phenomenon of mega evolution directly to the character arcs that Roy and Ult both go through throughout the extended season.

There is also a lot of proper weight given to this mysterious shiny Lucario. While there's the cynical part of my brain that can see the marketing potential in giving Roy this Pokémon, the show at least makes it feel like an earned accomplishment. I do wish the show highlighted a bit more of Lucario's personality since it feels a little like a prize he won rather than its own character. However, what Lucario lacks in character, Roy himself firmly makes up for. Not sure if this was always the intention, but this batch of episodes starts and ends by firmly positioning Roy in the leadership position for the next generation of the Rising Volt Tacklers while also giving a lot of layers to Ult and his development as a character. Like I said last time, even though Roy and Ult are sort of representing different shades of the standard shōnen protagonist, there is solid writing here to make them feel more than your typical carbon cutouts.

Back in the modern day, the rest of the season focuses on the training and development of the Rising Volt Tacklers at Blueberry Academy. If you were a fan of that DLC in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, then half of this season was made for you. Not only does the season show off a lot of the fun gimmicks that DLC really focused on, like double battles, but the introduction of the game characters here feels the most integrated into the main plot compared to previous outings. I love how Lacey and Drayton's dynamic ties directly into Roy and Ult's development specifically. Special shout-out to Rida Mei for giving Lacey a bit of a Texan accent, which ties into her background as Clay's daughter, which is something that a lot of die-hard Pokémon fans know.

I know I have talked mostly about Roy and Ult during this review because they are the de facto focus of this season, but it is great that the episodes also give Liko and Dot something to do as well. Liko trains with her new Charcadet while also learning more about her Pokémon dynamics, while Dot continues to look for what she can do as support for the team. Nobody feels like they're a background character during this season, and it feels like the show finally has found a way to balance its main cast with the supporting cast, leading to one of the more engaging parts of this entire arc thus far.

It's also the best looking part of the arc thus far. While all the battles still feel a little bit stilted from time to time, nothing is as bad as a lot of the awkward or off-model movements from when this saga started. There is some decent choreography, especially with the introduction of the double battles as a standard, and it feels like the show is getting back to utilizing the fun particle effects of the previous saga. The show hasn't hit any massive highs yet, but it is a definitive step up from what I had been slowly getting used to, so I hope this is a sign that things will get even better moving forward.

Considering that this part of the show focused on the protagonist leveling up, I think it's fitting that the character development also leveled up here. It feels like this was getting back to basics, both narratively and production-wise, so that the show could focus on what it was doing best. I like how this part better firmly establishes Roy as the main character of the saga and everyone gets to grow in their own way while also showcasing plenty of that classic Pokémon fan service. The pacing is still a bit uneven, but I am looking forward to seeing what all of these stepping stones build toward, both for the larger plot as well as for the individual characters when the bad guys are defeated.