Pokémon Horizons Keeps Developing Its Most Interesting Mystery

Warning: Spoilers for Pokémon Horizons Episode #56

Summary

Pokémon Horizonshas introduced a new wrinkle to the mysteries surrounding Terapagos with the inclusion of the Scarlet Book, a key item fromPokémon Scarletthat has a secret connection to the Pokémon. The only problem, however, is thatPokémon Horizonshas already given Terapagos a radically different past than it had in the games, and this new information suggests that Terapagos' history is far more complex than it appeared.

InPokémon ScarletandViolet, particularly the Indigo Disk DLC, the Scarlet (or Violet) Book is a travel log by an ancient adventurer known as Heath, which chronicles his descent into the mysterious area at the center of Paldea known as Area Zero. In the book is an imageresembling Terapagos' true form, and the Pokémon is eventually found deep underground in Area Zero. However, in the anime, Terapagos was traveling with the ancient adventurer Lucius over a hundred years ago, and thus it couldn’t have been underground in Area Zero the whole time, as it was in the games.

Terapagos looks at the Scarlet Book, which contains an image of its true form.

So, just how did Terapagos escape from Area Zero, and how will the Scarlet Book relate toHorizons' ongoing mystery surrounding Terapagos and Lucius?

Terapagos' Mystery Deepens With the Introduction of the Scarlet Book

Terapagos' Past Just Got a Lot More Complicated

In theHorizonsanime, it’s known that Terapagos traveled with Lucius, who was active over a hundred years ago, and ended up in a legendary paradise known as Laqua for some time. It then spent the intervening time until the present as a pendant stored in Liko’s family attic. It only recently reverted to being a Pokémon again, as a result of the pendant coming into the proximity of Lucius’s Ancient Poké Balls. These balls housed Pokémon known as the Six Heroes, Lucius' companions, and collecting them seems to be essential to unlocking the path to Laqua.

All of that would suggest that Terapagos hasn’t been in Area Zero for at least a hundred years, meaning the effects of its presence seen inScarletandVioletshouldn’t be there. Since the Scarlet Book ultimately reveals the Heath expedition’s trip deep underground to discover Terapagos, it mayshed some light on Terapagos' origins, but won’t actually be leading them to Terapagos the way it does in the games. Could it be that Liko, Roy, and Friede might actually make a descent into Area Zero in hopes of learning more about the origins of Terapagos?

The introduction of the Scarlet Book toPokémon Horizonsis certainly an interesting turn of events, as it seemed as if the anime’s origin for Terapagos was completely original. It will be fascinating to see exactly how the original backstory of Terapagos fromScarletandVioletwill be integrated into the anime’s lore around Terapagos; perhaps Lucius adventured into Area Zero himself in the distant past, and met Terapagos there. Maybe Lucius was even a part of Heath’s expedition. Regardless of the answers, the mysteries surrounding Terapagos inPokémon Horizonshave only grown deeper.