Pokemon Horizons Episode 53 recap: The Specter of Rage

Pokemon Horizons 52 alluded to an "unworldly" Pokemon roaming the wilds of Paldea, and our heroes have encountered it in all its unbridled rage in Episode 53 "Hatenna and the Unworldly", which aired in Japan on June 7, 2024. The rumors by the Paldean gym leader Ryme appear to have been true, and our heroes have come face to face with a particularly angry Annihilape in the forests of Paldea.

For fans who may have missed out on the unfolding events, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at the latest entry in this animated series with a Pokemon Horizons Episode 53 recap.

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Recapping Pokemon Horizons Episode 53 "Hatenna and the Unworldly"

Pokemon Horizons Episode 53 kicks off roughly where Episode 52 concluded, as Liko, Roy, and Dot attempt to document wild Pokemon for their upcoming reports for Naranja Academy. News of "unworldly" Pokemon from the gym leader Ryme has the kids excited to document a rare creature, but the noise from deeper in the nearby woods results in three trainers and their Pokemon appearing.

These three trainers seem oddly similar to our heroes, all with their partner Pokemon and having visual similarities to Liko, Roy, and Dot. They introduce themselves as Luka, Rai, and Bocco, sharing that they're also Naranja students undertaking their Terastal Training course, as Hatenna heals them and their Pokemon. However, they got lost and noticed a scary-looking tree nearby.

The lost trainers were then attacked by a terrifying Pokemon but couldn't defeat it in battle, forcing them to flee. Our Pokemon Horizons protagonists believe that this frightening Pokemon might be the "unworldly" creature Ryme was talking about and say that they want to document the mysterious Pokemon. Luka, Rai, and Bocco are terrified at the thought and run away.

Our heroes head deeper into the forest as a few Mankey scurry across the tree cover overhead. The group is stunned when an Annihilape makes its presence known in Liko's Rotom Phone Pokedex, and they realize that Annihilape's rage transcending its physical body fits the description of it being unworldly. Annihilape attacks while our heroes' Pokemon spring into action to try and fend off the angry creature.

Thanks to the assistance of Quaxly, Floragato, and Fuecoco, the Pokemon Horizons crew manages to escape Annihilape for a time, reaching a nearby river. However, the trio notices a group of Mankey near the spooky tree the three trainers from earlier mentioned. One of the Mankey is holding a broken vine from the tree, which the group recognizes as the same one Luka used to fix her bag.

Dot surmises that the three trainers the kids met earlier must have disturbed the spooky tree, which upset the Mankey and Annihilape. Now, due to how similar those trainers and the Pokemon Horizons heroes look, the wild creatures are attempting to exact their rage on Liko, Roy, and Dot in a case of mistaken identity. The Mankey begins attacking the kids by throwing rocks.

One rock almost hits Terapagos, but Hatenna protects it. A group of Primeape charges the group, but the Primeape and Mankey step aside when Annihilape emerges again. Despite the combined strength of Liko, Roy, and Dot's Pokemon, the Annihilape only grows angrier. Hatenna points out a cluster of berries across the river, and the kids realize why the Annihilape and its followers are so angry.

The broken vine that Luka used to fix her bag was used by the Mankey to cross the river and collect the berries. Realizing this, the Pokemon Horizons gang gets to work constructing a makeshift bridge across the river so that the Annihilape, Primeape, and Mankey can cross. Hatenna's psychic abilities are essential to the task, and when Liko goes to thank Hatenna, she notices that it starts to glow.

Meanwhile, the group of Mankey are so excited they begin stomping, inadvertently causing a boulder to fall and crush their berries. They fly into a rage again, attacking each other, and two Primeapes evolve into Annihilapes out of pure anger. The Monkey Pokemon send fur and fists flying, but Hatenna approaches to try and stop the fracas, evolving into a Hattrem.

With its new powers, Hattrem defeats the three Annihilape on its own, and Dot is astonished to see Hattrem heal the three Rage Monkey Pokemon once the fight is finished. Time passes, and the sun sets to find our heroes sharing berries with the group of calm Monkey Pokemon as Dot documents Annihilape for the upcoming Naranja Academy report.

Hattrem notices that it's too large to ride in Liko's jacket hood anymore, but it accepts its new form, and our heroes begin making their way back to Naranja Academy.