Don’t Give Up, Crocalor! – Pokémon Horizons Season 3, Episode 30

Plot episodeCrocalor evolves into SkeledirgeRoy beats Drayton

Don’t Give Up, Crocalor! is the 30th episode of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1343rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1352, Bulbapedia code HZ119). It first aired in Japan on 28 November 2025 and in the United States on 26 June 2026. It falls within the season’s Blueberry Academy stretch (EP115–EP119).

Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 26 June 2026 with the rest of Part 3; BBC iPlayer had premiered it in the UK on 25 May 2026.

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

Briar reveals that Pagogo needs the power of eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength to erase Laquium, and before the Tacklers leave Blueberry Academy, Roy wins a rematch against Drayton as Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge. At her lab, Briar explains that the key to ridding the world of Laquium is the Stellar Tera Type that only Terapagos’s Stellar Form can use. Liko recalls that the Six Heroes seemed to resonate with Pagogo inside Laqua, and Briar refines Diana’s theory: Pagogo lacked power even with the Heroes’ help and must resonate specifically with the eighteen Tera Types of Pokémon on the Six Heroes’ wavelength to use its full power. The Tacklers resolve to start by rescuing the Six Heroes, Dot decides to call Cervantis about more Laquium research, and Roy announces that they will leave immediately. Drayton, noticing that Roy is still anxious even after his breathing exercises, asks him for a battle; Roy tries to decline, but Liko’s words and Crocalor’s eagerness persuade him.

At the Polar Plaza, with Carmine starting the match, Drayton opens with Kingdra’s Rain Dance. Kilowattrel shields Crocalor from Electro Shot, and its Wind Power Ability — confirmed here, though it first activated in HZ017 — turns Kingdra’s Hurricane into stored electricity. Crocalor slips off Kilowattrel’s back but lands a combined attack with it, Archaludon’s Stamina raises its Defense, and its Metal Burst hits Roy’s Pokémon hard — the move’s first use since DP108. Roy’s Pokémon take the initiative: Crocalor’s Flamethrower fired into the wind speeds Kilowattrel into a Spark, and Crocalor’s Disarming Voice knocks out Kingdra. Drayton grows serious; Kilowattrel shields Crocalor from another Electro Shot, flies into the sunlight to make Archaludon miss, and launches Crocalor into a diving Flame Charge, but Archaludon catches it and counters with Metal Burst, and Kilowattrel takes the full hit and is defeated.

With one Pokémon each, Roy remembers the journey he and his partner have shared since it was a Fuecoco. Archaludon’s Electro Shot meets Crocalor’s Flamethrower, and as Roy resolves to grow stronger with his partner, Crocalor’s fireball glows brighter. Crocalor keeps stomping with Stomping Tantrum until the attack lands, and with one determined stomp its fireball becomes a fiery bird that settles on its head: Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge, the first Fire-type starter of a main character other than Ash to evolve into a dual type on screen since May’s Combusken. Drayton Terastallizes Archaludon and Roy Terastallizes Skeledirge; when the smoke clears, both are down, but only Skeledirge gets back up, and Carmine declares Roy the winner. As the Tacklers say their goodbyes, Cervantis calls Dot to reveal the Exceed Museum, really a data centre that probably holds the Laquium data they need; because it cannot be hacked from outside, Dot asks Penny to help retrieve it from inside. Kieran, Amarys and Crispin make cameo debuts.

Major Events

• Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge. Briar explains that Pagogo must resonate with eighteen Tera Types on the Six Heroes’ wavelength
• Kilowattrel’s Wind Power is confirmed
• Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge and Terastallizes into the Fire type as Roy beats Drayton
• Metal Burst is used for the first time since DP108
• Kieran, Amarys and Crispin make cameo debuts
• Cervantis reveals the Exceed Museum

Captures and evolutions

• Crocalor → Skeledirge#0911 · Roy · in his rematch with Drayton; Terastallizes into the Fire type

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Naruki Nagakawa.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Rising Volt Tacklers storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• The BBC release keeps the Crocalor version of the ending, although Crocalor evolves in this episode

Part of our Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.