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| Season | Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope (Horizons Season 3) · The eighteen Tera Types arc (HZ124–HZ132) |
| Episode | Horizons Season 3, episode 39 · English episode 1352 · Japanese episode 1361 · Bulbapedia code HZ128 |
| English title | Dot and Quaxwell Step it Up! |
| Japanese title | ステップ・バイ・ステップ！ドット＆ウェルカモ！！ Suteppu Bai Suteppu! Dotto ando Werukamo!! — “Step by Step! Dot and Welkamo!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 20 February 2026 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 18 September 2026 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Naohiro Fukushima |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Aioraito (Iolite) – Eve · Nete mo Samete mo (Asleep or Awake) – Polkadot Stingray |
| English opening | Evolving Again – Haven Paschall |
| Previous episode | The Training Royale! (HZ127) |
| Next episode | Destiny of the Black Rayquaza (HZ129) |
Plot episodeQuaxwell evolves into QuaquavalDot beats Iono
Dot and Quaxwell Step it Up! is the 39th episode of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1352nd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1361, Bulbapedia code HZ128). It first aired in Japan on 20 February 2026 and in the United States on 18 September 2026. It falls within the season’s The eighteen Tera Types stretch (EP124–EP132).
Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 18 September 2026 with the rest of Part 4; BBC iPlayer had premiered it in the UK on 20 July 2026 and ABC iview released it in Australia on 4 September 2026.
Synopsis
Challenged by Iono to understand her partner, Dot rediscovers her fighting spirit in a battle against Iono’s Bellibolt, during which Quaxwell learns Wave Crash, evolves into Quaquaval and wins — restoring Dot as one of the eighteen Tera Type Trainers. Over Murdock’s cooking, Roy proposes visiting the Black Rayquaza at the Dragon’s Den to deliver Friede’s briefcase and look for Tera Type allies, and Liko agrees while worrying about Dot. Iono, also uneasy, films Quaxwell training alongside Tinkaton and Gholdengo, and an idea forms. Ult bluntly criticises Dot for stepping back, Liko and Roy suspect he just wants to reach Rayquaza quickly, and Iono agrees that Dot is not ready to battle beside her friends. She arrives with the footage, asks Dot whether she truly understands her partner, and challenges her to a battle. Bellibolt builds up electricity and, instead of the Spark or Discharge Dot expects, uses Thunder, then leaps clear of Aqua Cutter while charging further.
Iono’s Mud Shot surprises Dot and lowers Quaxwell’s Speed, and when he steps into a puddle left by his own Aqua Cutter a super effective Thunder hits hard. As Dot doubts herself, Iono reminds her that the Dot she knows never gave up and asks if she has forgotten something important. Looking at Quaxwell, Dot understands what she has been missing and resolves to keep fighting. Recalling Iono’s footage, she uses the puddles to make up for Quaxwell’s lost Speed; he dodges every bolt and lands Liquidation, triggering Bellibolt’s Electromorphosis, but Iono has it use Slack Off to heal instead. Quaxwell charges through the storm as Dot urges him faster, remembering every hardship they have overcome, and his running churns up a wave; when Bellibolt’s Thunder fades, Dot orders Wave Crash using that wave, mirroring the moves Tinkaton and Gholdengo showed in training. Quaxwell glows blue and evolves into Quaquaval.
Iono Terastallizes Bellibolt and Dot Terastallizes Quaquaval into the Water type for the first time. Under the smoke of clashing Mud Shot and Aqua Cutter, Quaquaval’s Low Kick sends Bellibolt airborne and it cancels another Thunder; Dot sees through a planned Sucker Punch because Iono overreacts whenever she is hiding something, and a second Wave Crash wins the battle. Iono happily accepts defeat, and Dot asks her friends to let her join them as a Trainer for one of the eighteen Tera Types, which they gladly accept. At a celebration feast Iono pulls Dot into a dance. Afterwards Dot stays in Paldea to keep analysing data while Liko, Roy and Ult leave for the Dragon’s Den. All three concurrent starters are now fully evolved for the first time in the anime, and artwork of the young Tacklers was released after the broadcast for Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
Major Events
- Quaxwell evolves into Quaquaval. Iono challenges Dot
- Quaxwell learns Wave Crash, evolves into Quaquaval and Terastallizes into the Water type for the first time
- Dot beats Iono’s Bellibolt and becomes one of the eighteen again
- All concurrent first partner Pokémon are fully evolved for the first time
- 30th-anniversary artwork was released after the broadcast
Captures and evolutions
Quaxwell → Quaquaval#0914 · Dot · after learning Wave Crash against Iono
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Naohiro Fukushima.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Rising Volt Tacklers storyline.
Part of our Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.