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| Season | Pokémon Horizons: The Series (Horizons Season 1) · Interludes & the Lapras Pirates arc (HZ027–HZ034) |
| Episode | Horizons Season 1, episode 29 · English episode 1253 · Japanese episode 1262 · Bulbapedia code HZ029 |
| English title | Orla and the Poké Ball Smith |
| Japanese title | オリオとモンスターボール職人 Orio to Monsutā Bōru Shokunin — “Orio and the Monster Ball Craftsman” |
| First aired (Japan) | 17 November 2023 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 9 August 2024 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Naohiro Fukushima |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Haro (Halo) – yama × BotchiBoromaru · RVR ~Raijingu Borutekkāzu Rappu~ PART2, Orla Ver. – Roy (Yuka Terasaki) & Liko (Minori Suzuki) |
| English opening | Becoming Me – Haven Paschall (version 2, with clips from Halo) |
| Previous episode | The Stolen Treasure (HZ028) |
| Next episode | Slip and Crash! A Mystery Pokémon?! (HZ030) |
Filler / stand-alone episodeOrla’s episodeGalarian Weezing
Orla and the Poké Ball Smith is the 29th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1253rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1262, Bulbapedia code HZ029). It first aired in Japan on 17 November 2023 and in the United States on 9 August 2024. It falls within the season’s Interludes & the Lapras Pirates stretch (EP27–EP34).
Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 9 August 2024 with the rest of Part 3 (HZ024–HZ034); BBC iPlayer had released it in the UK on 27 May 2024.
Synopsis
At the factory of the cheerful Poké Ball craftsman Karna, the overworked Orla repairs her neglected machinery, helps defeat an invasion of Galarian Weezing with one of Friede’s reckless plans, and turns down a job offer, realising that life aboard the Brave Olivine is what she wants. As the ship heads for the address Tepen gave them, Roy apologises for the hole he made practising Poké Ball throws, and Orla tells him to practice outside because important wiring runs through the ship; the crew keeps reporting faults, and Liko notices how tired Orla looks. At the factory, which Orla immediately judges to be in poor shape, an explosion sends Karna, a lively girl with glowing blue eyes, running out to invite them in. Karna, whose Magby heats the tea water, apologises for Tepen, explains that making Poké Balls is her passion, and is amazed by Roy’s Ancient Poké Ball but cannot explain it, so she gives him a box of unfinished prototypes to practice with.
Orla quickly repairs Karna’s malfunctioning machine, which turns out stylish silver Poké Balls, and declares that well-cared-for machines work as good as new. Roy tests the prototypes: the Rocket Ball flies straight, the Boomerang Ball loops back into his face, and the Bomb-Bomb Ball explodes in his hand, while a shadowy Galarian Weezing watches from the trees. Back on the ship, the crew passes around the blame for overworking Orla. At the factory, Orla’s idea of having Pokémon help speeds up production, and Karna asks her to stay and work with her, which worries Liko. Orla tells Liko that every day on the ship is fun, if sometimes a lot to handle: she once had an easy shipyard job in Slateport City, but questioning her ambitions led her to accept Friede’s request to turn Ludlow’s boat into the Brave Olivine, a chance to test all her skills.
Before she can finish, Roy bursts in with a Galarian Weezing chasing him: his Chase Ball hit it without opening. Strange Steam confuses Fuecoco, and Weezing’s Sludge Bomb overwhelms Sprigatito, but Orla’s Metagross, a Steel type immune to Poison, spins to block the steam and knocks Weezing away with Metal Claw. Then a whole army of Weezing appears, and even after Captain Pikachu’s Thunder Punch, more keep coming. Studying the factory’s smoke, Friede tells Orla to push the machinery beyond its limits; with Magby stoking the furnace, Elekid supplying power and Metagross holding the machine together with Psychic, it overloads and releases a huge cloud of smoke, which the Weezing gorge on before exhaling clean air. Orla builds a pipe so they can keep feeding, declines Karna’s offer, and receives a silver Poké Ball with blue ornaments as a keepsake, telling Liko she wants to try things she has never done, which the ship will always offer.
Major Events
- Orla and Karna. Karna’s Poké Ball factory
- A swarm of Galarian Weezing
- Orla turns down a job and stays with the ship
- Weezing’s first anime Pokédex entry
- The preview was posted two days early
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Naohiro Fukushima.
- This is a stand-alone episode: it can be skipped without losing the thread of the Kanto, Galar and Paldea story.
Changes in the English Dub
- The UK (BBC) title card reads “ORLA AND THE Poké Ball SMITH”
Part of our Pokémon Horizons: The Series guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.