The Lonely Hatenna – Pokémon Horizons Season 1, Episode 21

Plot episodeLiko catches Hatenna

The Lonely Hatenna is the 21st episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1245th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1254, Bulbapedia code HZ021). It first aired in Japan on 8 September 2023 and in the United States on 10 May 2024. It falls within the season’s Galar & the Galarian Moltres stretch (EP19–EP23).

Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 10 May 2024 with the rest of Part 2 (HZ013–HZ023); Australia’s 9Go! had aired it first, on 27 March 2024, and BBC iPlayer released it in the UK on 27 May 2024, after Netflix.

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

Synopsis

On the way to the Galar Mine, Liko takes in a frightened, overly sensitive Hatenna, and by understanding its feelings she finds her own path as a Trainer and catches it as her second Pokémon. During a thunderstorm, the Hatenna flees the lightning and the wild Pokémon around it and hides in a crate in a mountain hut. The next day Ann, who has caught a Sandshrew that is now friends with her Oshawott, asks whether Liko has written her “Who I Want to Be” essay, and Liko admits she has no idea what to write. Heading for the mine with Roy and Friede, she admires Roy’s single-minded hunt for the Black Rayquaza and confesses she does not know what kind of Trainer she wants to be; Friede tells her Trainers come in many kinds and that her answer will come. When rain drives them back to the hut, Liko finds the silent Hatenna in its crate, and Roy’s Pokédex warns that strong emotions exhaust the sensitive Pokémon.

Aboard the Brave Olivine, Mollie finds nothing physically wrong and explains that Hatenna may simply be feeling down, and that even well-meant attention can add to someone’s grief. Liko volunteers to look after it, telling Sprigatito not to be jealous. Taking Dot her Nidothing costume, she learns how many emotional comments Dot receives while streaming and how she shouts back at negative ones in her head, and realises that Hatenna may be reacting to such feelings. Sure enough, Hatenna has slipped away, fleeing first Dot’s emotions and then an argument between Murdock and Orla, which ends when the girls arrive and Murdock notes that it is the first time Dot has spoken to him face-to-face. A box trap baited with Pokémon food catches only Fuecoco, while Hatenna flees Alcremie’s offer of food and hears from Ludlow that avoiding everyone is harder than facing unwanted feelings.

Liko finds Hatenna on the observation deck, where she often goes to think, and tells it she knows how overwhelming a new place full of strangers can be. Hatenna calms down and jumps into her hood, Roy praises her for understanding Arboliva’s feelings and now Hatenna’s, and Orla admits that the considerate nature she once found excessive is exactly what reached it. With the rain over, Liko, Roy and Friede take Hatenna back to the mountain hut to release it, but as it hesitantly walks away, Sprigatito blocks its path, and Hatenna turns and leaps into Liko’s arms. Friede hands her a Poké Ball, and Liko catches Hatenna, resolving to learn more about how Pokémon feel, the path she has been searching for. Meanwhile, the Explorers’ submarine surfaces near the Galar Mine, where Amethio, defying orders to stay out of the mission, sets off with Zirc and Onia after rumours of the Black Rayquaza.

Major Events

• Liko’s Hatenna. Liko catches Hatenna, her first caught Pokémon — the first female main character to catch a Generation VIII Pokémon
• Ann has caught a Sandshrew
• Amethio’s team arrives in Galar

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Hatenna#0856 · HZ021

Captures and evolutions

• Hatenna#0856 · Liko · her first caught Pokémon
• Sandshrew#0027 · Ann · caught off screen

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Naruki Nagakawa.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto, Galar and Paldea storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• The Hindi dub leaves some Pokémon cries in English

Part of our Pokémon Horizons: The Series guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.