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| Season | Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures (Season 21) · Ula’ula Island & Nanu’s grand trial arc (SM073–SM077) |
| Episode | Season 21, episode 33 · English episode 1011 · Japanese episode 1017 · Bulbapedia code SM077 |
| English title | Guiding an Awakening! |
| Japanese title | クチナシの大試練！ルガルガン覚醒！！ Kuchinashi no Daishiren! Rugarugan Kakusei!! — “Kuchinashi’s Grand Trial! Lugarugan Awakens!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 31 May 2018 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 3 November 2018 · Disney XD |
| Screenplay | Shōji Yonemura |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Mirai Konekushon (Future Connection) – ЯeaL · Jarī Bōi Jarī Gāru (Twerp, Twerpette) – Taiiku Okazaki |
| English opening | Under the Alolan Moon – Haven Paschall and Ben Dixon |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Sableye (US) |
| Previous episode | A Battle Hand-Off! (SM076) |
| Next episode | Twirling with a Bang! (SM078) |
Plot episodeLycanium ZUla’ula grand trial
Guiding an Awakening! is the 33rd episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures, the twenty-first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1011th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1017, Bulbapedia code SM077). It first aired in Japan on 31 May 2018 and in the United States on 3 November 2018. It falls within the season’s Ula’ula Island & Nanu’s grand trial stretch (EP73–EP77).
Synopsis
Ash wins his third grand trial when Lycanroc, fighting alone against three of Nanu’s Pokémon, learns to channel its red-eyed rage into power and earns him a Lycanium Z. After Acerola and Nanu leave an offering of Berries at the Ruins of Abundance, Ash fits his Rockium Z into his Z-Power Ring and challenges Nanu, with Acerola as referee. The rule is that Ash may use only one Pokémon against three, and he chooses Lycanroc, to Nanu’s scepticism. Nanu opens with Krookodile, but Lycanroc is not rattled by Intimidate. When Krookodile traps it in Sand Tomb and dirties its fur with Mud-Slap, Lycanroc’s eyes turn red—yet this time it leaps free, shakes off the mud and calms down. Remembering how Counter beat him before, Ash avoids Accelerock and sticks to Rock Throw, which Krookodile swats away with its tail.
Nanu calls the battle dull and accuses Ash of cowardice, arguing that battles should be exchanges of power, and Lycanroc seems to agree. Ash orders Accelerock, which strikes before Counter can activate, and a follow-up Rock Throw defeats Krookodile; Ash thanks Nanu for his harsh words, and Nanu admits that he had been setting a Counter trap. Nanu’s Sableye cancels Rock Throw with Shadow Ball, hits with Shadow Sneak, clashes Shadow Claw against Bite and pins Lycanroc with Mean Look, and repeated blows turn Lycanroc’s eyes red again. Nanu notes that an angry Lycanroc grows stronger, and although Ash doubts it will obey, it defeats Sableye with Stone Edge. Lycanroc is exhausted, so Tapu Bulu appears and drops a Sitrus Berry to restore its strength.
Nanu’s Alolan Persian knocks Lycanroc down with Power Gem, takes a Stone Edge in return and then hammers it with Dark Pulse while Nanu taunts Ash that Lycanroc would be better off without a Trainer. When Lycanroc’s eyes turn red and Ash tells it to calm down, it knocks him to the ground. Ash realises that the red eyes are a sign of growing power rather than blind rage and apologises for letting Nanu distract him; Lycanroc accepts, dodges Persian’s Night Slash and strikes back with its newly learned Counter. Nanu answers with Black Hole Eclipse, Ash with Continental Crush, and the Z-Moves cancel out before Accelerock defeats Persian. Instead of a Darkinium Z, Nanu gives Ash a Lycanium Z. As Ash sails away, Acerola waves goodbye, and Nanu admits that the boy is interesting.
Major Events
- Nanu’s grand trial. Ula’ula’s grand trial, one Pokémon against three: Lycanroc beats Krookodile, Sableye and Alolan Persian, Continental Crush meets Black Hole Eclipse, and Lycanroc learns Counter and controls its red-eyed state
- Ash receives a Lycanium Z instead of a Darkinium Z, his third grand trial
- Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -20th Anniversary- insert
- Shadow Sneak’s debut
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Shōji Yonemura.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Alola storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- The grand-trial kanji on the VS screen becomes “VS”
- The dub’s captions wrongly add “(Alolan Form)” to Sableye in Who’s That Pokémon?
- Japanese version: Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -20th Anniversary- insert with Continental Crush
Part of our Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.