Pokémon Horizons [Season 1 Episode 120: Dot & Botan Secret Mission!]

Pokémon Horizons Ep 120: Dot & Penny’s Secret Mission Is The Filler We All Needed (Plus A Wild Space Twist!)

Hey fellow Pokémon fans—let’s dive into Episode 120 of Pokémon Horizons: “Dot & Botan Secret Mission!” (Side note: Botan’s probably Penny’s Japanese name, but let’s stick with Penny since that’s the moniker we know her by.) If you thought this was just another throwaway filler, think again—this episode packs character heart, a deep-cut move reveal, and an ending twist that left the fandom spiraling into theory chaos.

First off, the core of the episode is Dot and Penny teaming up for a school-assigned secret mission to study wild Pokémon behavior. On paper, that sounds like generic filler—but their dynamic turns it into gold. Dot’s the quiet, tech-obsessed introvert glued to her tablet, while Penny’s the bubbly Sylveon stan who’d chase a Pikachu into a bush without a second thought. Their banter feels so real: when Penny tried to befriend a wild Clefable by offering it a berry (and got zapped for her trouble), Dot deadpanned, “Maybe next time use a Poké Ball instead of your hand?” Fans on TikTok ate this up—edits of their friendship blew up with captions like “me and my chaotic bestie on group projects” and “Dot’s patience is a superpower.”

Then there’s the big move moment: Power Swap! For the uninitiated, this Gen IV move has never been used in the anime before—until now. When Penny’s Sylveon pulled it off to swap stats with that Clefable, the fandom lost its mind. A Reddit user gushed, “FINALLY! I’ve been waiting for Power Swap to get screen time. The animation was chef’s kiss—Sylveon’s ribbons glowing pink, the stat-swap effect looking sleek as hell.” Another fan tweeted, “Had to Google Power Swap after the episode—forgot it swaps Attack and Special Attack stats. Such a niche deep cut, love that the writers care about these little details.”

But let’s talk about the ending twist that no one saw coming: Friede, the leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers, is in space. Like, actual space—sitting in a spaceship, staring at a star map with a Terapagos symbol emblazoned on it. How did he get there? Is he hiding from the Explorers? Or is he chasing a clue about Lucius and the Six Heroes? The fandom exploded with theories. On Discord, one user joked, “Friede’s just taking a cosmic vacation—space is the only place the Explorers can’t bug him.” Another said, “Terapagos has space-related powers, right? This must tie into Lucius’s ancient adventure. I need answers NOW.”

The eyecatches were a small but meaningful touch too. The first features Penny and her Sylveon, looking playful and cute (Sylveon’s ribbons are fluttering like it’s having the time of its life), while the second shows Dot and her Quaxwell, looking cool and composed. Fans loved that Penny got this spotlight—she’s been underrated lately, so seeing her front and center made a lot of people happy. A MyAnimeList user wrote, “Penny’s Sylveon eyecatch is so adorable. Wish we got more scenes of them together—they’re such a dynamic duo.”

Overall, this episode is the perfect example of filler done right. It doesn’t advance the main plot of the Six Heroes or Terapagos much, but it deepens our love for Dot and Penny, throws in a cool game reference, and drops a bombshell twist that sets up future drama. It’s the kind of episode that makes you smile, laugh, and then gasp at the end.

If you haven’t watched it yet, stop scrolling and go hit play. The space twist alone is worth it. And if you have watched it—let’s bond over our confusion about Friede’s cosmic detour. What do you think he’s up to? Drop your theories in the comments below!

Final rating: 8/10. The only downside is we didn’t get more of Liko and Roy, but the Dot-Penny moments and Friede’s space surprise more than make up for it. Can’t wait for the next episode—let’s see where this cosmic rabbit hole leads!

P.S. Shoutout to the animators for the beautiful nature shots in this episode—those forest scenes were stunning. And props to the writers for finally giving Power Swap its anime debut. We see you, and we appreciate you. ✨