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| Season | Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope (Horizons Season 3) · The eighteen Tera Types arc (HZ124–HZ132) |
| Episode | Horizons Season 3, episode 43 · English episode 1356 · Japanese episode 1365 · Bulbapedia code HZ132 |
| English title | Lucario’s Challenge! |
| Japanese title | リベンジマッチ！ルカリオの挑戦！！ Ribenji Matchi! Rukario no Chōsen!! — “The Revenge Match! Lucario’s Challenge!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 20 March 2026 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 18 September 2026 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Kureha Matsuzawa |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Aioraito (Iolite) – Eve · Nete mo Samete mo (Asleep or Awake) – Polkadot Stingray |
| English opening | Evolving Again – Haven Paschall |
| Previous episode | A Surprise Reunion (HZ131) |
| Next episode | The Final Battle Is Near (HZ133) |
Plot episodeMega Lucario ZPecharunt’s Tera Poison
Lucario’s Challenge! is the 43rd episode of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1356th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1365, Bulbapedia code HZ132). It first aired in Japan on 20 March 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
At Diana’s rebuilt castle in Galar, Pecharunt becomes the final Poison Tera Type, and after learning to relax with Lucario, Roy unlocks Mega Lucario Z in a wrestling-ring rematch against Master Mayonnaise and his Mega Hawlucha. Diana is surprised by the visit and explains that Hamber secretly paid for the repairs, giving the castle’s wild Pokémon a home again. Pecharunt offers Friede mochi, which the children frantically warn him against, and Pagogo shares its Terastal energy with Pecharunt, revealing its Poison Tera Type — the last type they need — and letting it make larger mochi. While Orla maintains the ship, the group stays at the castle; Roy turns to Friede to discuss training and finds him silently doing the mochi dance, having eaten it anyway. On a castle tower Roy’s Mega Ring again fails to respond to the Lucarionite Z, and Roy, echoing Master Mayonnaise, says their Aura is not yet good enough. Noticing how tense Lucario is, he invites it to relax with his other Pokémon.
Lucario, once the battle-hardened Yellow Flash and always the first to volunteer for a fight, struggles even to sit still, but as Roy and his Pokémon begin singing, it gradually joins in and smiles, and Roy suggests they improve together rather than Lucario rushing ahead alone. In the courtyard, Ult and Mega Sableye are training with Diana and Master Mayonnaise to use the gem as a shield, explaining that they must prepare several fighting styles for Laqua — an idea that interests Roy. By nightfall the courtyard is a wrestling ring, with Murdock commentating, Friede analysing, Diana as guest commentator, Captain Pikachu refereeing and Tinkaton ringing the bell. Mega Hawlucha shrugs off Metal Claw and uses Encore, but Lucario stays loose and simply waits for attacks, making Encore useless; Nemona explains that Lucario is focusing Aura in its limbs while Roy predicts Hawlucha’s moves, and a perfectly timed Metal Claw lands hard.
Feeling completely in tune, Roy and Lucario sense that the moment has come, and Lucario Mega Evolves into Mega Lucario Z, the first Z Mega Evolution in the anime. It outpaces Hawlucha’s Acrobatics, sends it flying with Metal Claw and learns Aerial Ace, striking so fast it seems to vanish. Master Mayonnaise has Hawlucha climb a tower for Flying Press; Lucario’s Flash Cannon misses, Hawlucha’s wings blast it into the air for a finishing Flying Press, and at the last moment Aerial Ace catches Hawlucha mid-air, slams it into a corner post and finishes it with an elbow drop. Hawlucha reverts, Cap declares it unable to battle, and a smiling Master Mayonnaise is pleased by Roy and Lucario’s growth. The next day he stays behind to spread knowledge of Mega Evolution, while everyone else boards the Brave Olivine for Laqua, flying towards the rising sun. With the Stellar type, all nineteen Tera Types have now appeared in the anime.
Major Events
- Mega Lucario Z. At Diana’s rebuilt castle Pecharunt Terastallizes into the Poison type, completing the eighteen
- Roy and Lucario learn to relax
- Lucario becomes Mega Lucario Z, the first Z Mega Evolution, and learns Aerial Ace to beat Mega Hawlucha in a wrestling ring
- All nineteen Tera Types have now appeared
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Kureha Matsuzawa.
- 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.