Beyond the Shining Rainbow – Pokémon Horizons Season 2, Episode 37

Plot episodeRoy catches Black RayquazaPagogo’s first battle

Beyond the Shining Rainbow is the 37th episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua, the second season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1306th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1315, Bulbapedia code HZ082). It first aired in Japan on 31 January 2025 and in the United States on 26 September 2025. It falls within the season’s Area Zero stretch (EP79–EP82).

Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 26 September 2025 with the rest of Part 4. It had gone on sale in UK digital stores on 5 July 2025, reached Australia’s Stan on 12 July and BBC iPlayer on 17 July 2025, and Cartoon Network Africa showed it on 30 August 2025.

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

Synopsis

The Rising Volt Tacklers battle Black Rayquaza in Area Zero, and with Pagogo fighting for the first time at Liko’s side, Roy finally catches the dragon in his Ancient Poké Ball, after which it restores Pagogo’s power and leads the airship towards Laqua. With their Tera Orbs spent in the battle with Gouging Fire, Liko, Roy and Dot are still determined to fight, Friede joins them, and Briar looks after Pagogo. Friede’s Charizard lures Rayquaza towards a cliff where Crocalor waits with Flamethrower, but it dodges easily, as it does Floragato’s Acrobatics after Hattrem lifts rocks with Confusion to give her a foothold. Quaxwell’s Liquidation and Tinkatuff’s Slam land, followed by Charizard’s Air Slash, Acrobatics and Flamethrower, but Rayquaza is unaffected and rains down Draco Meteor. Dot proposes soaking it under a nearby waterfall, as they did Gouging Fire: Crocalor and Charizard push it towards the falls while Floragato and Quaxwell smash rocks to drench it, and Captain Pikachu charges in with Volt Tackle.

Rayquaza retaliates with Dragon Tail, badly hurting Charizard and throwing Captain Pikachu off, and Kilowattrel rescues Cap as Dragon Pulse knocks out Quaxwell and Tinkatuff. Against another Draco Meteor shower, Hattrem smashes some meteors with Brutal Swing and holds others with Confusion, and Floragato’s Magical Leaf and Kilowattrel’s Spark provide cover while Crocalor lands on Rayquaza’s head for a super-effective Disarming Voice before being thrown off. A Draco Meteor redirected with Dragon Tail knocks out Hattrem, Floragato and Kilowattrel; Captain Pikachu saves Pagogo from a meteor with Rising Volt Tackle and sends Rayquaza upward, but Dragon Ascent takes Cap out of the battle, leaving only Crocalor standing. When Liko says she still wants to fight, Pagogo answers by taking its Terastal Form and battling at her side for the first time: its Ancient Power and Crocalor’s Disarming Voice both hit super effectively, and its Protect shields them from Dragon Pulse, though some meteors still get through.

As Rayquaza charges with Dragon Ascent, Pagogo counters with Tera Starstorm; both take heavy damage and Rayquaza crashes into a gorge, and Pagogo uses its last strength to let Crocalor Terastallize before reverting to its Normal Form. With Rayquaza pinned and weakened, Roy finishes with a boosted Flame Charge and throws his Ancient Poké Ball, catching it. Rayquaza then emerges to restore Pagogo’s full power and shares a vision of Lucius, Rystal and Gibeon reaching Laqua, and Liko realises that it wants to be with the other heroes and Pagogo to fulfil Lucius’s promise. When Roy tries to recall it, it refuses to go in; Friede explains that it still belongs to Lucius, and Roy vows to earn its approval someday. Rayquaza takes off with Pagogo on its head, and the group realises where it is heading. They say goodbye to Briar, who thanks them for helping with her book, while Sidian and Coral leave to report, and the Brave Olivine flies alongside Rayquaza as the children send their families news of their journey to Laqua.

Major Events

• Roy catches Black Rayquaza. The battle with Black Rayquaza
• Pagogo fights for Liko for the first time, in its Terastal Form, with Ancient Power and Tera Starstorm
• Roy catches Rayquaza in his Ancient Poké Ball, but it stays out and remains Lucius’s
• Rayquaza restores Pagogo’s power and leads the airship towards Laqua
• Briar leaves
• Halo as an insert song

Captures and evolutions

• Rayquaza#0384 · Roy · Black Rayquaza, caught in his Ancient Poké Ball but still Lucius’s

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Kureha Matsuzawa.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Paldea, Kitakami and Johto storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• Halo returns as an insert song as the Brave Olivine flies beside Black Rayquaza, in a shot recreating a frame of its opening; the English dub replaces it with an instrumental of Becoming Me, the first season’s English opening
• The Japanese opening adds Gouging Fire

Part of our Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.