HZ061

Resonating Spirits in a Challenge to Ryme! (Japanese: 響け魂！ライムへの挑戦 Let Your Soul Resonate! A Challenge to ) is the 61st episode of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and the 1,293rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on August 16, 2024, and in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2025.
==Plot==
Roy and are in high spirits, singing together as they, Liko, and Dot arrive at the town of Montenevera for Roy's second Tera Training battle. The group notes the numerous lit candles around the settlement, which a couple of locals explain to be a part of the town's long-held tradition of honoring the souls of those who have passed on, part of which involves holding festivals and concerts to help them move on, with two concerts due to be held this very day, one during the day and another one at night. The locals help direct Roy and his friends to the Montenevera Gym, but the Gym receptionist informs them that Ryme isn't present at the moment. The receptionist directs the group to search for her near the plaza stage, but as the group does so, they're suddenly surrounded by a pack of popping out of the snow. While they at first find them cute, they quickly start feeling lethargic, which Dot's Rotom Phone reveals to be because of Greavard's natural characteristic of slowly sapping away the life essence of anyone near them. Fortunately, a visit to a restaurant helps everyone recover, but while they eat, a curious approaches a pair of , who grab it and take it for a ride through the air, much to the group's alarm, so they run after them. A gust of wind causes the Drifloon to lose their grip on Terapagos, but it's saved by Nemona and as they show up, to the group's surprise.
Heading back to the plaza, Nemona learns of Roy's test and corrects his misconception that Ryme would be watching the concert, since she's actually both a Gym Leader and a rapper who will be performing on-stage. Nemona herself had come to see the concert since it involves an open participation segment, which can involve Pokémon battles. At the plaza, the group finds a big crowd surrounding the stage, though Ryme herself is still nowhere to be seen. Roy calls out loudly that he wishes to battle Ryme, but instead of Ryme, his call is answered by a man named MC Sledge, who is the host of today's concert and more than happy to have a battle with Roy as a rehearsal, which Roy is happy to accept, joining MC Sledge on stage. MC Sledge sends out , while Roy calls forth Fuecoco, as usual. Sableye attacks with and , both of which Fuecoco dodges before starting to sing with Roy, firing himself up and defeating Sableye with a single . The crowd cheers for Roy as he leaves the stage. Right then, MC Sledge welcomes the star of the day's concert; Ryme, the MC of RIP. Roy is shocked, having not expected that the woman he met in the woods a while back was actually Ryme, whom Nemona reveals to be a specialist. Ryme performs a quick song for the audience. When she calls out to anyone wanting to join her on stage, Roy eagerly volunteers, wanting to battle her for his Tera Training test.
As Roy returns to the stage, Ryme is surprised to see that he is the Tera Training student she had heard was coming. Roy reveals to her that he ended up meeting the she had told him of, which she's happy to hear. However, before their test, she demands that he must beat her in a first. Roy responds to the challenge with vigor, countering Ryme's rhymes with his own, which satisfy the Gym Leader more than enough for her to be ready for the test. Before they start, though, she wants to know what stallizing means to him. Roy responds that to him, it's something he needs to get closer to his dream, the Black Rayquaza. With her question answered, Ryme chooses as the first of her two Pokémon, while Roy chooses to lead with . The attacks with , which grazes Houndstone despite its attempt to dodge, demonstrating Kilowattrel's improved following its Evolution. More grazing Sparks follow, until Ryme tells Houndstone to use , dodging the next attack and striking Kilowattrel, before finishing it off with .
Following Kilowattrel's defeat, Fuecoco steps forward to battle. As usual, Roy and Fuecoco start off by singing their song, during which Houndstone uses , following up with Crunch just as Fuecoco charges in with Flame Charge. The attacks repel each other, and while Fuecoco's second Flame Charge misses due to Phantom Force, he is fast enough to turn around just as Houndstone reappears and hit it with a , defeating it. Ryme recalls Houndstone and notes Roy's confidence following the knockout. As such, she questions what drives Roy and Fuecoco to sing. After a bit of hesitation, Roy answers that it helps them grow stronger and win.
For her second Pokémon, Ryme chooses , which Liko notes to not match her specialty type. Roy and Fuecoco perform their song once more before attacking with Flamethrower, but Toxtricity uses to repel the attack. Roy changes tactics and has Fuecoco use instead, but it too is blocked by another Overdrive. Fuecoco's attempt to attack directly with Flame Charge is also foiled, this time by , making Roy grow more and more desperate. Ryme reveals that her Toxtricity's Ability is , which boosts the power of its . Roy refuses to give up and has Fuecoco sing once more before attacking with . Toxtricity, however, doesn't even flinch from the hit. In the crowd, Nemona reveals to Liko that Punk Rock also has a second effect that decreases the damage taken from sound-based moves. In addition, Disarming Voice is a move that doesn't do much against a type like Toxtricity, not helping the matter. Ryme starts her counterattack and orders Toxtricity to use . Fuecoco dodges the attack by jumping into the air, which backfires as he's hit by an unavoidable Overdrive while mid-air. Roy's desperation takes over, and he immediately Terastallizes Fuecoco in a rushed manner that Ryme criticizes him of. Before Fuecoco can do anything, Toxtricity blinds him with and finishes him off with an Overdrive, ending the battle without Ryme even having to resort to using Terastallization herself.
Roy is devastated by his loss, and his mood only worsens when Ryme criticizes him for being a bad partner to his Pokémon and declares that he has failed his test. Ryme turns her back on Roy, tells him to return once he's "washed his soul", and walks away to resume her concert, leaving Roy to be with his friends and try to cope with how he has failed to utilize his partner's full potential.
==Major events==
* Liko, Roy, and Dot arrive in Montenevera and meet Nemona again.
* Roy meets Ryme again, while Liko and Dot meet her for the first time.
** In the process, Roy learns that Ryme is the Gym Leader.
* Roy has a stal with Ryme and loses.
* Roy fails his second Tera Training test.
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* MC Sledge
====Pokémon debuts====
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* Liko
* Roy
* Dot
* 
* Ryme
* MC Sledge
* Trainers
* Receptionist
* Citizens
* Workers
===Pokémon===
* ()
* (; stallized)
* ()
* ()
* (Dot's; Rotom Phone)
* ('s)
* (Ryme's)
* (Ryme's; )
* (MC Sledge's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (; )
* (DJ G-Rave; debut)
* (×2)
* (×2)
* 
* (multiple; debut)
==Trivia==
* Professor Friede's Pokémon Seminar: What body part of theirs do hate being touched?
** Choices: Their head, their tail, their back
** Answer: Their head
* The first eyecatch features Roy and his , and the second features Ryme and her Houndstone.
* The song performed by Ryme on-stage, Ghost Rhyme, was released as a full music video on the Japanese YouTube channel following the inital airing of this episode.
* This episode marks the first time that one of the main characters has failed a Tera Training test.
* Nemona, Roy, Liko, Dot, Fuecoco, , and Ryme narrate the preview for the next episode.
===Errors===
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
061
Category:Episodes written by Michihiro Tsuchiya
Category:Episodes by one-time storyboarders
Category:Episodes by one-time directors
Category:Episodes animated by Keita Hagiwara
Category:Episodes animated by Chiaki Kurakazu
Category:Episodes animated by Natsumi Hattori
Category:Episodes animated by Toshinari Abe
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes focusing on Roy
Category:Episodes in which a Champion appears
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
de:Hibike Tamashii! Lime e no Chōsen
es:EP1297
fr:LH061
it:OP061
ja:2023年版第61話
zh:宝可梦 地平线 第61集