SM036 : Trials and Determinations!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM038 : Mimikyu Unmasked!
Rising from the Ruins!
SM037.png
SM037   EP976
イワンコといのちの遺跡の守り神!
Iwanko and the Guardian Deity of the Ruins of Life!
First broadcast
Japan August 10, 2017
United States October 22, 2017*
October 28, 2017*
English themes
Opening Under The Alolan Sun
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening めざせポケモンマスター -20th Anniversary-
Ending ポーズ
Credits
Animation Team Kato
Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui
Storyboard 神谷純 Jun Kamiya
Assistant director 渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe
Animation director 直井由紀 Yuki Naoi
No additional credits are available at this time.

Rising from the Ruins! (Japanese: イワンコといのちの遺跡の守り神! Iwanko and the Guardian Deity of the Ruins of Life!) is the 37th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 976th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on August 10, 2017 and in the United States on October 28, 2017.

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Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
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Blurb

After attacking Rowlet during Ash’s grand trial, Rockruff is too upset to sleep. It sneaks out of the house and encounters Tapu Lele, who wants to battle! The Island Guardian thinks they’re just having fun, but Rockruff is badly hurt.

Olivia’s Midday Form Lycanroc and Gladion’s Midnight Form Lycanroc discover the injured Rockruff and take it to Tapu Lele for healing. After Ash comes looking for his friend, Tapu Lele uses Draining Kiss to take energy from both Lycanroc and give it to Rockruff. Rockruff is feeling better—and then it evolves into a Lycanroc no one has ever seen before, a Dusk Form Lycanroc with bright green eyes!

Plot

It is nighttime on Akala Island and Ash and his friends are sleeping in the Pokémon Center, due to go back to Melemele Island the next morning. However, Rockruff cannot go to sleep and is deep in thought. Rockruff plays back the moment where it used Bite on Rowlet. Evidently, Rockruff is still sad from the event. Rockruff jumps off the couch, heads for the door and leaves the Pokémon Center, waking Pikachu in the process. Noticing that Rockruff is missing, Pikachu gets up and wakes Ash to inform him of Rockruff's disappearance.

Tapu Lele is seen gliding and singing through the sky on the full moon night. It soon spots Rockruff using Rock Throw against a cliff face and dodging the falling rocks to train itself. Tapu Lele finds this amusing and goes to join Rockruff. Tapu Lele destroys the whole cliff face with one move and comes face-to-face with Rockruff. Tapu Lele uses Psychic Terrain and Rockruff barks at Tapu Lele, obviously wanting to fight. Rockruff jumps up at Tapu Lele but the guardian deity dodges the attack and uses a move in retaliation. Rockruff gets back up and attacks Tapu Lele but it dodges again. Rockruff then uses Rock Throw but Tapu Lele counters with Dazzling Gleam and then makes direct contact several times. The battle leaves Rockruff badly injured and unable to get up. Tapu Lele smiles and laughs, oblivious to Rockruff's wounds. Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu search for Rockruff and when Tapu Lele hears Ash, it quickly leaves. Ash finds Rockruff moments later, but Rockruff is still very hostile and howling. Pikachu notices Tapu Lele's sparkle again. Rockruff tries to wander off, but Ash stops it, and Rockruff bites Ash again. However, when Rockruff does so, it remembers what it did to Rowlet and runs off. Ash and Pikachu follow suit.

The sun rises on Akala Island and the gang, Professor Kukui and Olivia are out searching for Ash, Pikachu, and Rockruff. Then, Olivia spots Ash. Ash and Pikachu look very tired, and Kukui tells Ash off for running away and not telling anyone. Ash explains that Rockruff disappeared. Olivia tells everyone that her Lycanroc disappeared before it evolved, adding that is probably a normal thing for Rockruff to do so. Ash informs everyone that he found Rockruff severely hurt. Lillie then tells the group to search for Rockruff over a wider area, while Sophocles runs a simulation to find out where Rockruff was likely to go. Olivia's Lycanroc can be seen sneakily going into the forest to find Rockruff by itself. Elsewhere, Gladion's Midnight Form Lycanroc hears Rockruff's howl and walks off. Gladion lets Lycanroc leave and goes inside a cave with his Umbreon as he tries calm his restless Type: Null.

Still on the cliff, Rockruff is startled by a Fearow and falls off the ledge into a river. Later, Rockruff lies exhausted on the riverbank when both Olivia's and Gladion's Lycanroc find it. Midnight Lycanroc picks up Rockruff and carries it to Tapu Lele. Before Lycanroc reaches Tapu Lele, a wounded Yungoos goes to Tapu Lele and is healed by the Tapu's sparkles. The Lycanroc then reach Tapu Lele and ask it to heal Rockruff. Tapu Lele refuses and attacks Midnight Lycanroc. Olivia's Lycanroc tries to ask Tapu Lele again. Tapu Lele replays the battle it had with Rockruff in its head and then glides close to Rockruff to partially heal its wounds. Tapu Lele tries to attack Rockruff, but Olivia's Lycanroc protects Rockruff and takes the damage for Rockruff.

Ash, Olivia and Kukui are still looking for Rockruff when they notice a Yungoos appear out of the nearby bushes. It has Tapu Lele's sparkle around it, which leads Ash to conclude that Tapu Lele must be close by, and that Rockruff must have gone to see it. Olivia says that although Tapu Lele is only trying to be playful, it does not realize how powerful it is and can leave Pokémon badly injured in battle. Ash speculates that Rockruff must have been battling Tapu Lele before he found it hurt overnight. The trio then heads for the Ruins of Life, and they soon arrive there. Tapu Lele uses Draining Kiss on both of the Lycanroc and Ash, then uses the energy to heal Rockruff. Rockruff is instantly feeling better and wakes up Ash in the process. Both Lycanroc wake up too, and Tapu Lele leaves.

Rockruff stares at the sunset intently as its orange glow turns a luminous green, and soon Rockruff evolves into Dusk Lycanroc. The trio of Lycanroc all howl at the phenomenon. Rotom states that it has no data on this new Lycanroc. Kukui explains that the "Green Flash" is very rare and can only be seen when the sun rises or sets. Olivia starts crying at the beauty of the Green Flash and comments that anyone who sees it receives good luck. Ash also notes that Lycanroc's eyes are now the same color as the Green Flash.

The next morning, Ash and his friends head back to Melemele Island on Olivia's boat. Ash suggests that they should come back to Akala Island soon because it is where Rockruff evolved, and Lycanroc barks in agreement.

Major events

For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

 
Dare da?

Pokémon

 
Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Tapu Lele

Trivia

Errors

Dub edits

In other languages



SM036 : Trials and Determinations!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM038 : Mimikyu Unmasked!
  This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.