Pokémon Just Triggered EVERYONE

Pokémon Horizons has a unique, flawed cast of characters - but one of the heroes just did something that rubbed many viewers the wrong way, so let's talk about it.
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#pokemon #anime #pokemonhorizons

[@charusharu]

🌱The stage is set for some exciting character growth! 🟡PS: Check out the INSANITY of Pokémon Reburst: 🔥 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWOwaJ6Oir6qaas And have a yourself a wonderful day. 😊

[@leahschaffer7646]

What the heck! Ash has turned down a battle that he was in so Pikachu wouldn't get hurt anymore and I think that Ash did that only twice in the Series! 🤷👌 That's nothing wrong with ending a Training battle against someone because it would be worser if it was a full-fledged battle and Liko turn down the win so fans just need to remember that there's a difference between Training Gym Battles from the Full-fledged Gym Battles! Pokémon Hatenna will make her more confident in herself and that's Liko's next step to help that Pokémon out!

[@leahschaffer7646]

Liko is very kindhearted and cares a lot about people & Pokémon but there's a major downside with that because caring for Pokémon or people can be easily giving your own opponents or Enemy the advantage which isn't a good thing! Liko's Weakest is just being too Kindhearted and that can definitely be used against her which Liko will eventually need to toughen up on more which I think that helping Hatenna will be a great step closer for Liko to realize that she must not always be caring sometimes and to become a Stronger Pokémon Trainer!

[@Snowmon89]

I think that it could be argued that Liko's situation is different from Ash in the fact that Ash's flaws were actual flaws, while Liko's are more "Mary Sue" or more accurately Fairly Odd-Parent's Chloe. Ash is flawed because he's got a lot to learn and can better his personality. Liko is flawed because she's "too perfect".... Nobody likes that type of character. Yes, I (and others) realize that this is a legitimate struggle that real people go through... BUT that doesn't make it an interesting struggle.

[@leahschaffer7646]

​@@Snowmon89Ash didn't have flaws he had problems with things! Ash was extremely rush and beyond rude which was disrespectful and he chose violence to solve his problems which just caused him more problems than he would like besides Ash tried to steal a Pokemon as well! The reason why Ash was like this is because the he was bullied in school and that's why he was removed from school! That's why Ash didn't know that much about Pokemon because he didn't go to school no more which he just learned about things from Wild Pokemon and by watching Pokemon battles on TV! Liko's Character is will Love and respected by the Raising Volt Tacklers even knowing that they're her bodyguard so Liko's character is way better than Ash's Character to begin with!

[@leahschaffer7646]

​@@Snowmon89 So what if Liko is lacking a goal right now because her main objective is to find out what the pendant is first and she did mention that she's not sure what she wants to become but she likes helping people and Pokemon out which that could be a hint towards her finding her own goal in Life! Don't compare Liko with Chloe because they're not the same! Liko's Pendent is her Main Objective in the beginning which Chloe had nothing except school in the beginning! Chloe's Goal is to become a Pokémon Researcher which was confirmed at the end of Pokémon Ultimate Journey the Series!

[@dimaginarylaw]

>Character makes a mistake, it's instantly called out and she reflects on herself >Audience "I can't believe she did that, I hate her now"

[@Tthemoney15]

You all remember when Ash was the most annoying trainer from s1-3? The times he ate humble pie as a result? Liko still has to experience a few things before she develops as a character. A kind character seeing the need to fight/harm so that there's growth on both sides.

[@edmundliankalang5925]

Nothing tops Ash's snarky remarks and dumb sayings but yeah, she needs time for character development.

[@wait_whos_richard]

Now that I think about it, Liko is somewhat an opposite to Ash at the start of their journeys. Ash was arrogant and battle hungry in the early seasons, while Liko was timid and would avoid any action.

[@sunwukong825]

I feel as if people forgets that characters have flaws and those flaws can be worked on with enough time into them.

[@fightorflight2279]

Exactly. Just like real people, characters will change over time, so they will stumble just as much along the way

[@washmycup]

I disagree. I'm going to repose my explaination I put in another comment "In all fairness, I think people are just mad that they are starting to make Liko look superior to the other characters, especially roy.. Why is she taking the spotlight? Why can't roy just have his own chance for just one time... She "let roi win", and is apparently so dominant in battle early on she can disrespect an opponent like that? And apparently she is also holding on to the monster balls, which we expected to be rois. This is the one critique I have about the show". They essentially replaced ash with a woman

[@Cartoonjoker15]

I think people are just so used to Ash and how he was. Liko has different flaws, which means she might make a few mistakes that are different from Ash's. Some people can't help but compare her to him. Therefore, they can't allow her to be her own character with her own flaws and her own moments of getting them corrected.

[@heavydonkeykong5190]

To me, the stupid part is that the episode actively frames Liko as in the wrong and as a flaw she needs to overcome... So why are people complaining about it? The show acknowledged that she needs to step up and have conviction.

[@washmycup]

@@Cartoonjoker15 that is not it. read my comment

[@editimpact66]

Wait why tho, a imperfect character is the best character you could have, we could actually see them develop which is always pog. I LOVED this episode personally because of that reason.

[@charusharu]

Me too! Excited to see how Liko develops over the coming months and years.

[@tyrantneptune3202]

I feel the same. I wasn't really "rubbed the wrong way," fully understanding where she was coming from, in spite of the results she inadvertently caused. While some characters are fine without development, even a major character, a "MAIN" character SHOULD start "flawed." It is precisely because of this that I hope Liko ends up becoming the "Gym Challenger," if for some strange reason they decide to go through with a full Paldea Journey. (Further, I think Dot would be perfect for the Team Star mission; I feel like she and Penny would have an interesting dynamic together)

[@sentasuS049]

Same here

[@oven723]

Make up your mind women, that's all I'm gonna say

[@yorhaalm]

If I were to guess, casual watchers are so used to anime like SAO and other anime like it where the protags are effectively perfect(Even though in cases like Kirito, they're still flawed.)

[@fluck6959]

i think that Liko`s kindness is not a character flaw that she has to overcome. She needs to understand the bigger picture and be kind to everyone: her pokemon, her rivals and herself. Thats respecting nyaohas will to fight, knowing that letting others easy win is not good for them and more importantly respecting her own emotions of wanting to win.

[@leahschaffer7646]

Liko's Weakest is being too Kindhearted and she needs to realize that she can be taken advantage of that which getting to understand Hatenna will help Liko get a step closer into realizing that she has a weakness!

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Absolutely. You got it. It's just that her kindness was directed in the wrong way😅 At least she'll know better next time

[@rafaeltavares3203]

I think it also ties up with the gym leader speech, she doesn't actually want to win, she kinda didn't care about winning that fight, she doesn't want to become a Pokemon master like Ash, there's nothing driving her to become better, to fight, or to win, YET

[@whitedragoness23]

I agree, ash was an idiot and he didn’t work on that to overcome it. I think he just had to experience life more and his stubbornness and determination was his main drive. He seemed to be toned down in his determination and just stale. He didn’t progress nor declined. At that point I think the company didn’t want to touch him

[@momokosakurada605]

the interesting thing about Riko is that she only fights seriously if her life is on the line or to protect others, if not for that she wont. She is more like an adventurer / explorer rather than a trainer/master/champion. adventurer/explorer only fights because they protect others or they have to fight since their life in dangers but trainer/master/champion are different they fight to be the best trainer@@rafaeltavares3203

[@TheSilvershadow200]

Liko is an introvert. She has introduced herself as such from the first episode. Additionally, she is modest and cares about others excessively. This is the exact opposite from Ash. He was an incredible extrovert, boisterous all the while caring more for himself and his own goals (at the start of his journey, that is. He grew to take others' presence into account overtime.). Of course this was going to happen. Note that the gym leader also said Liko's passion with Pokemon might not lie in battling and that there are many ways for a trainer to create an identity for themselves. Thus, while Roy is clearly the battle passionate of the team, Liko might go another direction similar to May, Dawn and Serena, or something else entirely.

[@Lupinemancer87]

I just hope she doesn't become ANOTHER girl character to choose the showcase route. I would like for her to be more of the main character and partake in battles instead.

[@staco522]

ngl i find contests kind of boring. a battler like ash is always fun, but doesn't make sense for the character. im hoping for more of an adventurer vibe as her path, also dipping into battling a bit

[@tokitomuimui]

We all want Liko choose battles like ash 😊

[@EricBurns1]

I bet that "other way" will be shown next episode with Hatenna.

[@PaletteMorning]

​@@roxylasch9058They did say "at the start of his journey, that is"

[@riv3r_mango705]

Sometimes it irks me when people say that Ash has more character than Liko. Ash had a whole 20 years of series to build himself yet people won’t let Liko have 20 minutes to build one. Plus, it’s not like Ash was, and still is, super developed either. If you’re gonna be a total Gordon Ramsey on one kids show protagonist, then it’s not fair to leave the other hanging.

[@p3mcthedoor32]

And during that 20 years also comes with character assasination as well *cough* Black and white *cough* Not to mention lots of people aren't fond with Ash's mental de-aging in SM (imo it sucked not solely because Ash became like that, it's because the transition makes zero sense). And can I bring up that before Ash have those league wins coming to him, pretty much everyone who aren't hardcore fans sh*tted on him and wanted him to be replaced? Why? Because they're sane enough to get tired of how awfully stagnant Ash's character had become over the years even for kids shows standards. I would never understand why there are people who suck him off so much that they slam on Horizons just because no generic one dimensional "be the very best" protagonist.

[@knightsblight]

Nostalgia blinding them as always

[@Wario1382]

​@@knightsblightcopium over others having different opinions than you

[@dethtroy2185]

@@p3mcthedoor32 I still believe personally that the reason unova was handled like that, was due to the fact that the first 2 unova games forced players to only be able to use new pokemon until the post game, essentially making us start fresh so they probably wanted to reflect this "freshness" through Ash...but they went too far with it.

[@momokosakurada605]

Ash didnt even develop much hes quite dumb. Hes too stubborn at times to a fault. Riko is a lot more likeable tbh there are times i feel like Ash is stupid and annoying cause hes the type that would send a pokemon that is a type advantage and thinks hes gonna win. When he does its mainly plot armor unless he thinks outside the box

[@EricBurns1]

I think they had Liko do this because 1) it is her personality and 2) Kabu pointed it out to her and someone needed to. Now that she notices this, she'll change. Character development exists for a reason.

[@maverick5169]

So, people are pissed off because a character does something wrong which is aknowledged in the story as a flaw? Lol

[@leahschaffer7646]

Kindness isn't a Flaw it's a trait that you inherit from your own parents which Liko was never told that people can take advantage of kindhearted people which is a Life Lesson! 😔👏

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Pissed off at Liko herself lol😂 it gives them more reasons to hate her

[@charusharu]

Basically, yes lol

[@NineHundredDollarydoos]

I get the feeling that the people upset about this just wanted Liko to literally be Ash 2.0, and would have been upset at her for doing pretty much anything that Ash wouldn't have done.

[@TheChoujinVirus]

"Ash would never do that" *ignores Ash threw his match against Brock twice, threw his match against Sabrina, literally threw a match so a Paras can evolve*

[@wait_whos_richard]

They liked those moments because it was Ash. They hated this moment because it wasn't Ash.

[@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache]

Hey remember when Ash had flaws when he first started out as Trainer. Granted most of them was because he was a weak Trainer, and was arrogant of his skills, but he eventually overcame those problems. It's interesting that Liko is apparently a skilled Trainer, as she defeated Roy in her first battle, and defeated Conia's Golduck no problem. Liko's major flaw is that she wants to make people happy, as she let Roy win the Gym Challenge, and forfeit her battle so she wouldn't make the Gym Trainer feel bad about losing. Granted, maybe her Sprigatito is actually strong and Liko is just skating by on her Pokemon's strength. Either way, Liko needs to learn not to hold back because of people's feelings, otherwise she is hurting her potential, and she is only going to let down her Sprigatito, who already looks like it's starting to get fed up with Liko. I wonder if that's going to go anywhere?

[@washmycup]

Dude, I think that's what people are mad about. The show is "Rico and Roy", but it's apparently all rico. And on a side note, she did not deserve most of her wins. Essentially, they replaced ash with a woman

[@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache]

@@washmycup Really? I think most people are complaining that Roy is having more of the focus on him than on Liko. Also, that is a little sexiest just to refer to Liko as just a "woman". That's like me saying that Ash is just a "man"

[@washmycup]

@@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache (Sorry for a long response) No, it's not sexist. It would be the same if a show had a female protagonist (with a female audience), and they continue the show by swapping the show with a male lead. it just doesn't make sense, and ruins it for a lot of people Also, I wouldn't say that Roy has more of a focus. The entire plot is formed around Rico's pendant. All of Roy's achievements are shared with Rico. We used to think that the ancient trainer balls were his thing, but Ricos holding it on for him, and is always directed at when it's brought up. RIco goes with him to the gyms, etc. He's never given a chance to shine And for some reason, Rico is portrayed as the more gifted/powerful trainer despite having less training... Most of her wins felt like she didn't deserve them. Remember when she stood ground with the explorers on the first episode? That's just one example.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

But hey at least Ash had a roasting skills and was pretty funny 😃 Before that left😞

[@JustSomeMexicanwithaMustache]

@@ZenithintheMaking Yeah he had some nice roasts in the first series, then he became Mr. nice guy in the latter series.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

Also Media with the POV character being well a doormat at first and showcasing why you shouldn't be one. Is really rare and I appreciate the anime team for making her character this way.

[@Diretance]

the thing is ash did give up. especially when he was just starting out. he gave up for basically the same reason when fighting brock,

[@leahschaffer7646]

Ash did stop battling a few times because of Pikachu like 1 to 2 Times but he just did that to protect Pikachu from getting hurt even more! There's nothing wrong with giving up and they learn from those mistakes which is a part of Life!

[@ZenithintheMaking]

That's the thing people don't get. Wanting to give up ain't the same as needing to give up.

[@Pikachu-hs1wn]

He also gave up against Sabrina

[@Aioba3846]

To be honest, this episode kinda personally hit me as I'm a bit of a people-pleaser myself, with a long log of times I give up (either myself or my things) just for happiness of another person. That isn't to say I wasn't interested in this series or character earlier, but now I'm simply even more interested in Liko's journey. I really like how this series puts greater focus on emotions of trainers. It's one of the things I see a pretty big potential in within world of Pokémon, even trying my hand a bit at capturing it in my fanfic (which only really uses the world rather than characters), albeit it never really got far outside of 7 chapters resting in my drawer. Maybe I should finally get back to it. >_>

[@bacd-nn2lg]

I have no problem with this episode since Liko is getting some good character development.

[@leahschaffer7646]

Being Kindhearted is nice but Liko needs to realize that her own kindness can be taken advantage of and Liko's Weakest is being too Kindhearted! Liko helping Hatenna will eventually will lead her into realizing that she must not always be caring and later on she'll realize that it's her own Weakness!

[@aleexandeer1770]

Development ?😂😂😂

[@wait_whos_richard]

​@@aleexandeer1770 this is an anime, what kind of twisted show are you watching for the main character who's supposed to be completely normal be perfect from the start?

[@Cartoonjoker15]

I am glad this episode addressed this flaw. She learned from it and will carry that lesson with her. This is only the 2nd time Liko did something like this and i believe it will be the last because the lesson was learned. She shows early signs of being a good battler, so I don't see her going down a non battle route. I know there are a few people who think she won't be a battler because they only want Roy to be a battler or because she is a girl or because of what happened in the last episode. Ep 20 was for character development, that's why they made Liko do what she did and I don't believe they will write her doing that again. They gave Liko potential at battling and gave her a partner who's always up for a battle and never shys away from it. With these things in mind, I just don't see pokemon making her a non battle trainer.

[@kykipz]

She just started becoming a trainer. She is a different character, who will react like...herself. I am glad she is growing as a character, and its something I relate to as an emotional person or "people pleaser". And working on that, being aware of that...I hope she can keep pushing. ❤😊

[@leahschaffer7646]

Excuse me but opponents or Enemies can use Liko's Kindhearted Nature against her which is Liko's major Weakest! Kindhearted Nature people can be used which some people keep forgetting about that!

[@kykipz]

@leahschaffer7646 aka character development being needed. Hopefully, she can learn her lessons instead of repeating them. You are excused.

[@Low_Tier_Elf]

Imagine hating an inexperienced 10 year old kid because of her flaws? Lol! Liko is just getting started to learn the ways of life. Have patience and let her grow. Please don't compare him to another 10 year old kid with 26 years of experience.

[@adrianoctavio]

Pokemon fans are used to cardboard protagonists that the second a character has flaws to be overcame in an arc they throw a hissy fit

[@thend4427]

So true

[@runningoncylinders3829]

That’s a good lesson for kids to learn, respect between competitors, that it’s not just about who wants to win the most but the challenge therein. For someone who takes a more relaxed approach to life and wants to help others improve it’s tricky being in an advantageous role as well as a disadvantageous one. Now that the opponent’s true motivation is understood they can get more out of a hard-fought defeat.

[@alolaamii]

While I think it has been confirmed that she forfeit to save the feelings of the other Trainer, I more like to look at it as, perhaps she really doesn't like battling. Not every Trainer is a battler, or a Co-ordinator, or a Performer, etc... I'm looking foward to seeing if she can find her own path, and what she wants to do in life.

[@charusharu]

Could be - it'll be interesting to see what route she takes. Perhaps Friede will mentor her on a journey to become a Professor.

[@mariotheundying]

In the episode she surrendered, but I think Liko isn't interested in Pokemon battling and she has 0 motive to be interested, so she doesn't care about winning or losing at all, but as Kabu told her, there are many paths as there are trainers, she can find a path she's interested in, Liko is definitely gonna get a set goal other than the pendant in one of the next episodes

[@saramations]

I couldn't imagine watching a Pokemon show who's mc was a trainer and didn't like battling. Ya know, the whole concept that the entire franchise is built on. And before you say it, yes, that's exactly why ash's companions anyways sucked, starting with May.

[@Omnislash7]

@@saramationsHow did they suck starting with May? May and Dawn did Contests but that in itself involved battles and in an intricate and interesting manner. One couldn’t get very far in the Coordinator world without battling skills. And Iris was also a battler to the point that she had her own rival and took part in every non-League tournament arc. It was only from Gen 6 onwards that the writers began to act like battles were a boys only event and barely let the girls do anything with it

[@ShittyAnimationTV]

I'm starting to think she doesn't like battling either. She is trying to figure herself out, she said it in the beginning of episode 1. So maybe she will have a different goal.

[@michaelcayabyab2387]

I understand the fact that Liko is a newbie at pokemon battles, that is why we should give her some slack because she is a PROTAGONIST. We fans should respect the storywriting of the pokemon anime team because at the first place this is a Shonen/Shoujo series that develops the main character throughout the the episodes. I just want you all to remember that Ash wasn't a very perfect pokemon trainer, he may be the fan favorite and the worlds strongest pokemon champion, but he is not perfect and was a very bratty individual in his early series. That is why I believe in Liko and Roy filling the shoes of Ash, making the pokemon anime a very relevant series for a long time

[@il3fortunato664]

Riko is a character that is too kinder, and that is because she's still a novice trainer. She started her journey for a few time now, she doesn't want to battle if is not necessary and also she wants to make other happy more then herself. Her flaws are necessary for her to grow as someone that would reach a goal someday, we are still on episode 20 so is too soon to say how much she would become on the next 50 episodes, Horizons is doing a better job on character development more then the whole Ash saga.

[@freezingfire3157]

it's weird how people got triggered, it was clear that behavior was just a learning opportunity, and that's just the base of the building that is Liko's Great trainer personality.

[@Zistheone2]

I like the way Liko was handled in this episode, but at the same time I feel a little burnt out since we’ve seen the “kind-hearted pokégirl with no dreams archetype we’ve seen with Serena, Lillie, & Chloe

[@ZenithintheMaking]

Pretty much.... The moment I saw Liko I could have just saw Chloe's face 😂 And when it came to these types of characters we knew they were side characters and we cared about their interactions with Ash. (Because like it or not a lot of viewers were there to ship) But now this type of character IS the protagonist. And now we finally see the the drawbacks and boringness this from this architype when they're the sole focus of the story. (co-protagonist but for some reason Roy didn't feel equal to Liko like Goh was to Ash) But just because we seen the personality a million times before, the arcs and hardships along the way will make us see her differently..... Hopefully 😅

[@lakspur5322]

I was getting hella fed up with that troupe after being spoon fed it for three years just for it to have no pay off but with Liko being the protagonist she will find her dream so much quicker and we will see how the carpet will roll out that’s why I’m not mad at her compared to Chloe being an enormous waste of time as a character

[@YuseiTheSynchroHero]

The single most controversial episode of Pokémon Horizons BY FAR (unless this week's episode overtakes it if a certain event doesn't occur). I am actually happy that this turning point happened. Well, OBVIOUSLY, as a viewer, I was upset when Liko just stopped the battle but as someone who observes this stuff a lot, I believe this wasn't just a random out of nowhere occurrence. Even back at the beginning with episode 1 & 2 (especially episode 2), Liko was already not great in communicating her actual feelings to others (like her shared love for Nidothing.) because she is a bit of an introvert and even this seemed like Liko not wanting to bother others. When surrendering herself to Amethio, this was absolutely her trying to protect others (the Rising Volt Tacklers and the Brave Asagi) but we all saw how things backfired by the very end of the episode with her LOSING Sprigatito. (That was still a crazy way to end episode 2). Already, the signs of her flaws were there and I am rooting for her character to grow and overcome her personal weaknesses over time. Roy certainly has his OWN weaknesses to overcome but see, they are basically apples and oranges but share ONE thing in common: The connection between the Pendant and the Ancient Pokeballs (and by extension, connecting and becoming friends with Friede and the other members. Heck, it was Liko who really tried to get Dot to come out of her shell a bit more and we saw the positive impact that had) And I think its actually interesting how episode 20 handled this particular situation and it directly goes into what appears to be happening in episode 21 (The Lonely Hatenna) so perhaps, this is really the big turning point for Liko's character and no matter what happens next, I will be there for the ride from start to finish! Great analysis!

[@ZenithintheMaking]

I would have thought the most controversial episode was the liko mindwiping scene from ep 14 when Spinel ran into her in town 🤣🤣

[@Pensushets]

Lmao, Imagine being so used to vanilla that even a slight deviation pisses you off 😂😅

[@jamesliamdyson2583]

It’s almost like good characters need to develop so they need to have flaws

[@madnessarcade7447]

People need to chill The people getting triggered over this need to go cure cancer and be productive or something it’s not that serious 😅

[@paolocalapatia6401]

...yep...ever since Liko made that mistake, a “NOT so nice” part of The AniPoke Community started to diss on Liko to the point of Hating Her &/OR This Pokemon Series entirely...again. REALIZING & LEARNING from Your mistakes counts as Character Development. Theyr'e complaining about she doesn't know the "Don't pity me. Give your actual all. Let's have a good Battle" speech. She just learned that Lesson IN THAT EPISODE! Emphasis on "just learned that IN THAT EPISODE!" Liko is still A Starting Young Trainer you know? Ash WAS a newbie, Red WAS a newbie, I WAS a newbie, WE WERE Newbies before! Would they prefer to be judged the same if they did mistakes similar to this back then? That Episode became controversial for NO good reason. It’s just One of those days 😓😓😓😓😓

[@thend4427]

OG pokemon fans dont understand character development cause ash barely had any lol

[@billybobjoe1335]

This moment is Liko’s version of Ash stomping Casey’s entire team with his Charizard

[@tempertenchi]

Liko is human. she has flaws, she's young and makes mistakes. no one is perfect. I stand by Liko. no she shouldnt have done quit the match but she will learn from it.

[@chaserseven2886]

sir, please do not predict what i am thinking

[@kawaiiemolga]

The new episode confirmed that Liko takes other's feelings into consideration and forgets about her own, she even caught a pokémon that does the same, Hateenna, I'm interested in seeing how this will play out. Liko is no Ash, she's her own character with her own strength and weaknesses, she's still at the beginning of her journey

[@fubuki5hiro764]

Idk I feel like, THAT is Liko's personality. Which definitely is different than Ash. She has never had any goals apart from finding the truth about the pendant. I can understand her, when you see someone passionate about something, sometimes you just cant help but want to help them or give it to them because they want/need it more. But Liko IS learning, she's basically just started her journey recently (She's practically still using Leafage 🤣). She now sees the effect of her intention to other people and Sprigatito. I love to see her not figuring it all out like instantly or quickly. That is called GROWTH and Character development. We can see that she and Roy even Dot, are learning slowly one thing at a time to become better trainer which I think something Ash lacked. Because of how disjointed it felt sometimes from one episode to another during his time. Besides, Liko is willing to change to improve her ways so that's definitely a good lesson to be learned. I love this episode btw 😆

[@seedsmyth]

I love the Hauever cuts. Hau just vibin like "Yup!"

[@Ammiteur9]

I haven't even Seen the episode but this description makes me Love Liko even more. It's a very relatable idea, and I love what they did with it.

[@ks020bikrampaul6]

I think this indecisiveness of Liko is somehow gonna change when Sprigatito evolves into Floragato and starts to ignore Liko (like when Ash's Charmender evolved into Charmeleon). After finally realising her flaw and what Floragato will want I think she will finally become a more determined character.

[@felisenpai9625]

I LOVED THE FACT SHE SURRENDERED, I was whole episode sitting there scared that with power of friendship Liko is gonna overcome 4x type weakness to Kabu pokemon. Thankfully since Kabu is a powerful gym leader he clearly avoided attacking liko's spriggatito after dealing one hit. He knew she had no chance against him. Then he let her fight his student she was also a rookie trainer like Liko but had type advantage and I would still be disappointed in writing if Liko won with out the evolution handicap. But it was to fast for Spriggatito to evolve for me. And then she wanted to be nice to her opponent and not obstrucked her dreams so Liko who still doesn't understand what pokemon battles really mean surrendered out of her good heart. To ppl who were mad. They cannot lie to us. Let's be real everyone used option to run away from a fight at least once in their pokemon adventure.

[@EricBurns1]

No way are they going to have Sprigatito evolve. Fuecoco I can see them evolving since it wants to be as powerful as Charizard. Thinking about it now it would've been interesting if Liko won and then seen her reaction if Kabu's student got upset.

[@Omnislash7]

I mean, there was also just the option that she loses the battle just as Roy did. The entire thing was just meant to be a test of their strength. There’s no shame in losing

[@tophatsquirrel1886]

I have a looong history with enjoying Ash's Pokémon journey, and I personally LOVED that we saw Liko forfeit the battle. Because when I was a kid, I always got confused whenever I watched anime and a battling character would go "You better not hold back! I won't forgive you!". Especially to a close friend. My juvenile understanding of competitions was that losing is the worst feeling there is, and I would never impose that on someone that needed a win more than I did. If I really wanted to win something, I would be happy to know that my opponent took my feelings into account and let me have that victory. However, THIS EPISODE helped explain something that I only learned way later in life: Many people will not enjoy a handed victory, because it's not a testamanet to their own skills. There is a unique sense of joy and accomplishment to compete in something you have trained hard for, and come out victorious. Of course Liko, who is unfamiliar with the culture of pokémon-battles and who has a predisposition of being empathetic and giving to people, thought that she gave Wakaba what she wanted. Kabu's lesson was insightful without berating Liko for doing something she genuinely thought was out of kindness. It's the sort of lesson that was missing from when I grew up with the anime, and I'm glad we can have a protagonist that can grow from this experience.

[@alexrusso47]

Thank you for another great video Charles! Hope you and Wei Wei are doing well! I look forward to your next video

[@bluefirekid]

Ash's resilience was there from the start, but his lack of experience early on in his journey was very clear. He did a somewhat similar thing during his rematch with Brock: Throwing in the towel when he felt the win wasn't legitimately earned. BUT, was also thinking about Brock's siblings and how they felt. (Ash and Pikachu's synergy wasn't always perfectly aligned either. They had the connection and potential, but they grew together.) Liko is still at the start of her story, clumsiness climbing up the hill is to be expected. What matters is what she takes from this experience and applies it going forward towards her goal.

[@ryutak777]

I like it when characters make me feel something. I'm excited to see where things go and see more character growth.

[@thefearlessone2649]

She has a flaw to work on which makes her a normal 10 year old girl. Ash also has a problem with his mindset going into a match, and it's not a one off thing. Her problem is that she's already competent enough in battles, but she has the sense of responsibility to hold herself back in order to spare her opponents' feelings, therefore disappointing her own Pokemon. There might be more flaws that will rear its ugly head around in the future, same with Roy's. If Pokefans have survived Ash in OS, it's very easy to tolerate Liko. People are just so impatient.

[@grimstuart22]

well said, cant wait to see where they go with Liko's character. Ash was a kid you enjoyed watching grow as the series progressed from a cocky upstart kid to a respectful leader you just had to follow. I enjoyed your analysis and look forward to the next breakdown

[@Redeyeclipse]

Liko is a great mc she might have more talent then goh lmao her sprigatito is op

[@just_a_rebel8261]

Fr she be overpowering fire types with fucking leafedge

[@SpikeThePorcupine23]

Another issue is some fans is expecting an Ash clone character. Or just never wanted Ash to leave the anime altogether. End of the day, Liko is her character with her imperfections and deserves time and patience to grow

[@leahschaffer7646]

Kindness isn't a Flaw it's actually a Trait that you inherit from your own parents which isn't a bad thing! Kindness can go either way Good or Bad because certain people can use your own kindness to take advantage of which is the downside of being Kindhearted! Being taken advantage of being Kindhearted can happen to everyone which is a part of a Life Lesson! Liko will eventually realize that her own kindness can be used against her which she'll need to find another way to become stronger and remain the kindhearted side of herself!

[@frankbingham53]

Love this video dude.

[@melvondrewhite2674]

@0:23-0:31 Lmfao , Why Is That So Damn Funny . 😂😂😂

[@Shivusszz]

I actually really like Liko's personality and I find it very cute

[@nellymaldonadooyola4606]

Guess what i have waited for a someone like Liko i love her and i dont care what people think

[@josuemassa2027]

If they hate her for that, they dont understand the character, as an introvert, she is putting others feelings over her own. Sometimes thats a good trait and sometimes it does wrong, Liko needs to learn that lesson and she is on her way to do so. Horizons is presenting actual growth instead of a badge with artificial progression.

[@ShittyAnimationTV]

Didn't ash did the same thing one time when he fought against a paras, trying to help it gain exp? He kept holding back on purpose for it to win. But that was only one time.

[@TheDragonfang134]

Not the same. When Ash and Team Rocket were helping Paras, their Pokemon were also on the same page. Every single one of them had the same goal in mind. "Help Paras Evolve into Parasect". They gave Paras every opportunity to fight back and cheered them on as they fought. When Liko surrendered she did it because she felt bad for her opponent. By surrendering she told her opponent that they weren't good enough to finish off". Not only that but like what was said in the video, her pokemon's victory was stolen from it too. Her actions were out of the blue and ended up upsetting both her opponent and her pokemon.

[@ZenithintheMaking]

All the few times Ash gave up a battle it came from him needing to. Otherwise he would either win or lose. He just doesn't give up unless there's a good reason to. 😎 Liko semi-thought of the same thing as him, but her good reason wasn't the right reason and it ended up making things worse for, Wakaba her opponent and her Pokemon because wasn't right.

[@pilotman463]

1: Oh no, characters actually have the potential to grow 😭(like shush) 2: THIS ISNT ABOUT ASH PEOPLE

[@kaialter9990]

Ofc liko would be different from ash and have different flaws bc she's NOT ash she's a NEW protagonist and arguably the polar opposite of him she's not supposed to be ash or surpass ash she's supposed to be herself and currently she's an introveted people pleaser which is pretty rough to deal with but that's the point if you think about it she's uniquely flawed and she'll work it out and grow into a better person

[@Axecon1]

It's been forever since I followed the Pokemon anime (stopped watching after Battle Frontier). I don't have time to watch it but I'm glad to watch these occasional episode recaps. From the sounds of it, the new season is headed off in very interesting directions and I think people will really grow to love the new protagonists. They already seem just as nuanced and multi-dimensional as Ash.

[@minermole101]

While I get why fans would be mad, I actually get why Liko did this from a personal standpoint. Not trying to be an apologist about it, but I understand the pain of the people-pleaser as I can relate.

[@charusharu]

Likewise I think it was great to emphasize an aspect of her character that's both a virtue and a vice - it'll be interesting to see where she goes from here!

[@cartooncentral263]

Watch your language, Liko! This is a family-show!

[@516tigergirl]

People really need to stop comparing Liko to Ash. They are 2 very different characters. Ash is outgoing, loves to battle, and very goal driven. Liko is timid, a people pleaser, and very observate. I really love that episode because it a highlight of Liko character devolopment, who falling behind to the other characters like Roy. Liko is a great character and I can relate to her so much. I don't get the hate for her at all.

[@hakirayleigh]

I believe fans must take time to waiting the Liko best moments. We know Ash is now a past stuff and he only will appears in special episodes.

[@Larka661]

This is common for the anime, the new characters just got there and they haven't grown as trainers yet🤷‍♀️. Heck, rewatch every generation. Even season 1 Ash wasn't as good as he was later on. Even the new characters added per generation had to grow as a trainer.

[@leahschaffer7646]

Remember that Pokémon Horizons Series also has Life Lessons in it! Liko will eventually realize that some people or Pokemon could take advantage of her own Kindness which People do that more which is very sad!

[@Larka661]

@@leahschaffer7646 most likely

[@PokemonWorldChampions]

I remember when Charles claimed that Roy's appearance looked too "generic" and had presumed hate, when it turns out Roy is one of the more awesome characters in Horizons thus far... smh

[@respectfullyrazerian2154]

Anyone remember that time Ash got several badges without battling?

[@spinotikus1518]

He received half of his kanto badges as a gift 😉And during the first fight with Blaine, he gave up 😏

[@psychicmaster92]

I have a feeling the upcoming episode 21 will be the start of Liko's development in the right direction

[@MiYuuki.DFP1]

I really like Liko the way she is, i like her so much more than Ash.. like i don’t even miss him didn’t even cry with his goodbye tbh 😅 so i’m sure Liko will grow as a character and i’m ok with that, as long as she won’t be turned into Ash 0.1

[@leahschaffer7646]

That's True but Liko needs to realize that being Kindhearted or Caring can be taken advantage of that which is a major step in life to understand how some people are! Opponents or Enemies can use your own kindhearted against you which is Liko's Weakness!

[@MiYuuki.DFP1]

@@leahschaffer7646 oh believe me, i’m like Liko always putting others before myself.. unfortunately the most special person in my life just used me because of that kindness.. never ever did i feel as broken as with this person betraying me.. I became harder when needed thanks to it tho but yeah, i guess that’s why i like Liko so much, cause I kinda understand how she feels 😅

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

Liko is the Next Great Gen that Really is Something New and we All can Learn to Love.

[@MrCrow-tl5tv]

I actually understand the urge to not hurt people it would probably be my flaw if i was a trainer

[@ohmygodtheykilledkenny4887]

Wow, pokemon fans are mad? Such a shocker

[@villainreacts936]

people simply have no memory, that is all.

[@athakyeon]

I feel like this also showed the duality between Liko and Nyaoha, with Liko being too empathetic and Nyaoha very proud and competing, and somewhat prepares for episode 21 where Liko meets a Pokemon who is very much like her.

[@Eddman368]

For me it would depend if the story treats it as a character flaw, cause Ash being a hothead was treated as a flaw and would often get humbled by others like Brock in their 1st battle.

[@delivermypain]

I wasn't upset about Liko in this episode actually. I just started to get the impression that Roy was the main protagonist instead of Liko. Roy is like the new Ash and he's stealing the spotlight because he won this challenge (Liko let him win but okay), does an impressive fight against two gym leaders with zero real experience, catches a second pokémon before Liko does, has a hero attitude, fuecoco learns moves up and down etc. Meanwhile Liko is still in her character development arc and that's not an issue. In fact, that's great! But there's very little focus on it given the fact that Roy is running the show right now. Can't put the main character on the backburner like that folks. But I feel like the episodes that came after fixed that issue a little.

[@piplup0089]

Liko will become the GOAT. Thanks for bringing up the memory of Prima, lol.

[@JoelTheParrot]

wait so people are upset... about the flaw in the character... that is called out within a minute of it happening? and because it's something unique from ash, who has had decades in the spotlight?

[@johanstenfelt1206]

Hm, fair and valid points and opinions, i can see where people are coming from, but I think their reaction was exactly as intended from the Episode, When you have a well written Character, this can just be part of course sometimes and it’s going to be very interesting to see how things develop from here.

[@strix3688]

it makes me think that Liko has grew little by little... and she somehow gets mature for a young kid

[@Mnemoniforma9.00]

Honestly, the fact that they're exploring the psychological ramifications of this unthinkable elective really puts into context how inglorious a lot of Ash's "pity badges" early in the series actually were. And by proxy, it explores my former frustration with Gen I difficulty as a kid. I think that a story arc like this is thought provoking and has a lot of potential for character development. Liko's personality ISN'T a "perfect fit" for battling the way Ash was. That's what makes her fresh. We get to explore what this world is with a new set of eyes after over a quarter of a century. If that's why people are bitching, they can stuff it.

[@Lanulure]

I got really attached to liko immediately because of her flaws, I find her pretty relatable and makes the anime feel more real and immersive, sure I was a little mad when she forfeited, I cant say that I didn’t do that myself before

[@bronzeboi3392]

I think what pissed fans off was the fact that we know how capable Liko is when it comes to a fight and that paired with the fact that her first strategy in any conflict is to dash out of there. It's just the first time we saw this trait of her in a fight so people probs didn't notice till now.

[@mobilenation1104]

NO MORE DEX CUT IN ALL THE FUTURE POKEMON GAMES!

[@SealFormulaMaster]

To play devil's advocate, I'd argue that it was Kabu who cheapened everything when he pulled from the match and there's plenty of reason for that. 1: While it may seem nice that he pulled out to allow his student to prove themselves, it also denied them the chance to learn. Just because they may understand something, doesn't mean they truly _know_ that thing. 2: If Kabu was truly watching, he'd have see how Wakaba was struggling to hold their own. Even if it became a 1v1, Kabu weakening Liko undermines any growth that could've been had. The old saying about loosening the pickle jar still holds some water, or in this case, pickle juice. 3: Even if Liko *had* continued the match, the result would still be the same. Might even be worse honestly. Instead of being mad at Liko, Wakaba would now have reason to resent Kabu for making her look like a fool. Even if Kabu wanted to teach her a lesson, about how the truly strong never give up or whatever, the lesson would ultimately be lost. Just look at Avery and Klara, potential gym leaders who lost their way and were sent to Mustard for training. Self doubt would have undoubtedly taken hold. 4: Finally, even if Liko *had* continued the match, the outcomes provide little. If Wakaba wins, what does it prove? That a grass cat shouldn't have been against a fire type? There's no horn to thunderbolt, nor sprinkler to break. Spriggatito and Liko (ESPECIALLY Liko) would likely question their battle prowess and each other. If Liko wins, what does that prove? That Wakaba isn't ready yet? While serving some humble pie is good from time to time, it's also good to remember that as their teacher, you need to not only nourish their skills but also know to let them fly. Kabu obviously failed. No matter what, it's a lose-lose-lose. While the anime showed us the good outcome, there's plenty of universes where nothing good was gained.

[@dragaleoreforged3999]

Liko is literally an introvert I bet she will develop well

[@OOB080]

I hope Liko doesn't end up like Steven, but I hope Amethio ends up like Peridot.

[@Neekazan]

Getting angry that a 10 year old kid makes stupid mistakes is more idiotic than the actions of said 10 year old. 😂 Niko's bad move came from good intentions. She just failed to understand that her actions would have the opposite effect than what she was intending. She's young, and somewhat naive. Of course she is going to make mistakes. Everyone does. It's being given the opportunity to learn from her mistakes that will help her grow.

[@eclipsesoluna3453]

4:05 I'm glad I'm not the only one whomstve has that opinion

[@DremunH]

I wonder how people would have reacted if she already know what she wanted to do. They’d probably say that she’s taking things to fast but I’m glad that she’s taking things slow because if she already knew then that wouldn’t make her that interesting and would make her like everybody else. And I understand she felt like for fitting because she didn’t want to hurt someone feelings but continuing the battle she would know her flaws that she needs to fix but for fitting now she feels like theirs nothing she can do and she is a bad trainer.

[@GFCOLCQuote]

Holy shit, characters can learn Growth? Shit, and here I am stuck with all 4 moveslots of mine being Rest.

[@denisewest1643]

Well most of us can't have 5 move slots you know 😏

[@liamtherobot9656]

Wait, in size?

[@March3233]

I can't believe people are pissed off This is what people call good writing and also a good lesson for to much kind ppl too. I think Pokémon fans forget that the anime is for children.

[@jbarry1075]

Not to mention early Ash had some sick burns!! 😂

[@Csalahydn]

Did we forget that ash used to get FLEXED in the beginning???

[@azurechemical]

Idc what they do as long as Liko EVOLVES HER POKÉMON!

[@tomdaturtle5792]

I wasn't upset because they framed Likos choice as a bad thing. That means this isn't going to be something that happens often, it'll be a flaw that is explored and overcome.

[@aqdrobert]

Team Rocket Meowth: Hey, Sprig? Want to join Team Rocket, so we can teach you to lose in a spectacular fashion? Get those fans REALLY triggered!

[@elenatheartistandgamer2001]

Maybe Battling might not her thing. Maybe she'd like doing something else that isn't Gym Battles or Contest or Catching.

[@Aioba3846]

Wakaba... isn't she from Battle Report? Or Battle Story, was it? @_@

[@charusharu]

Yes, Pokémon Battle Stories! Here is the promised goat lol: 🐐

[@dragonphoenix790]

It really was shocking to see that Liko surrender just because she was so damn kind to the others but saying this in front of the Gym Trainer is like an insult. Liko shouldn't be carried away with kindness because battle is battle.

[@leahschaffer7646]

Don't blame her because of her own Weakness kay because Liko will eventually realize that her own Weakness of being Kindhearted or Caring can be used against her means that she can be taken advantage of! That is one of the Steps that are a part of Life and a lot of people get taken advantage of all because of their own Kindness!

[@ZenithintheMaking]

This is Pokemon so I doubt any of that will be part of the plot 😑

[@dragonphoenix790]

@@leahschaffer7646 I know I don't blame her is just it shook me but at least she did realized after her mistake. She now has her "catching up" to do