Getting a Jump on the Competition! – Pokémon Season 21, Episode 17

Plot episodeSled Jump GamesSnowy learns Aurora Veil

Getting a Jump on the Competition! is the 17th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures, the twenty-first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 995th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1000, Bulbapedia code SM060). It first aired in Japan on 1 February 2018 and in the United States on 9 July 2018. It falls within the season’s Interlude across the islands stretch (EP56–EP60).

Premiered on Monday 9 July 2018, in Disney XD’s summer line-up of seven Monday-evening premieres (2 July – 13 August 2018); Prime Video had released it on 5 July.

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

On snowy Mount Lanakila, the PokéSled Jump champion Cerah helps Lillie overcome her fear of speed, and Snowy learns Aurora Veil just before Hala and his newly evolved Crabominable win the Pokémon Sled Jump Games. Professor Kukui leads the class up the mountain on Ula’ula Island—Ash’s first visit—to see Hala’s Crabrawler evolve, mentioning that Snowy’s Egg was found there. After a rest, Sophocles spots a giant footprint, and Snowy suddenly bolts. A snowboarder’s Alolan Ninetales shields Lillie and Snowy with Aurora Veil as the woman’s snowmobile soars over them, and Sophocles and Rotom recognise her as Cerah, Alola’s top PokéSled Jumper. Nearby, Hala’s Crabrawler beats a wild Sneasel with Power-Up Punch and evolves into Crabominable, whose punch into the snow made the mysterious footprint. Hala has come to compete in the Games, and Kiawe, Ash and Lillie sign up too—as do Team Rocket.

Cerah takes the group to her childhood track, where her Ninetales dazzles them with Frost Breath in mid-flight. Ash and Pikachu jump without using a move, Kiawe falls short because Turtonator is so heavy, and Ash electrocutes himself trying Thunderbolt. Lillie is overwhelmed by the speed, closes her eyes and crashes. Sensing her fear, Cerah explains that she once felt the same: she trained against her mother’s wishes and was frightened after a bad fall with her Alolan Vulpix, until Vulpix encouraged her. Kiawe’s Charizard flies Lillie through the sky to get her used to speed, and her next jump with Snowy succeeds. Lillie then sets her sights on Aurora Veil, which requires hail; Snowy already knows Hail, and after several failures it manages Aurora Veil at sunset.

At the Games, a veteran Sled Jump master judges the competitors. Kiawe’s spinning Flamethrower falls short, “Jessicle” speeds up with Mimikyu’s Shadow Ball and spins into a Wood Hammer before Bewear snatches Team Rocket away, and Hala and Crabominable launch themselves with a Power-Up Punch, Hala drumming on his belly in imitation of Belly Drum. Ash’s Gigavolt Havoc sends him tumbling backward and breaks the master’s long-standing negative record. Lillie and Snowy fight through a gust and land with Hail and Aurora Veil, and Cerah closes with an exhibition of Frost Breath, Dazzling Gleam and Aurora Veil. Hala wins—the prize is a 99-year-old wooden Slowpoke sled—and Lillie apologises to Snowy for not winning, but Cerah reminds her that frustration can fuel future success before Kukui leads the class home.

Major Events

• The Sled Jump Games. Ash’s first visit to Ula’ula Island and Mount Lanakila
• Hala’s Crabrawler evolves into Crabominable
• The PokéSled Jumper Cerah
• Snowy’s Hail is revealed and it learns Aurora Veil
• Hala wins the Pokémon Sled Jump Games, whose prize is a 99-year-old Slowpoke sled
• Anime debuts of Alolan Ninetales, Crabominable and Alolan Sandshrew

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Crabominable#0740 · SM060

Captures and evolutions

• Crabrawler → Crabominable#0740 · Hala · on Mount Lanakila, before winning the Sled Jump Games

Trivia

• The English title plays on the phrase “a leg up on the competition”, for the Sled Jump Games.
• The screenplay is by Shōji Yonemura.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Alola storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• The Japanese caption naming Gigavolt Havoc is erased

Part of our Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.