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SM144

← SM143 : Fiery Surprises!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM145 : Dreams of the Sun and Moon! →
From Z to Shining Z!
SM144.png
SM144   EP1083
アローラ最強のZ！カプ・コケコVSピカチュウ！！
Alola's Strongest Z! Kapu-Kokeko VS Pikachu!!
First broadcast
Japan October 20, 2019
United States February 22, 2020
English themes
Opening The Challenge of Life
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening キミの冒険
Ending タイプ：ワイルド
Credits
Animation Team Kato
Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui
Storyboard 齋藤徳明 Noriaki Saitō
Assistant director 小柴純弥 Junya Koshiba
Animation directors 中野悟史 Satoshi Nakano
志村泉 Izumi Shimura
Additional credits

From Z to Shining Z! (Japanese: アローラ最強のZ！カプ・コケコVSピカチュウ！！ Alola's Strongest Z! Kapu-Kokeko VS Pikachu!!) is the 144th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 1,083rd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on October 20, 2019 and in the United States on February 22, 2020.

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

As the Alola Pokémon League’s exhibition match nears its conclusion, Tapu Koko appears—it wants to team up with Professor Kukui and battle Ash! Our hero responds by sending out Naganadel, and the clash of Island Guardian and Ultra Beast powers is an amazing sight. But Tapu Koko manages to overpower Naganadel, so Ash turns to Pikachu, his last Pokémon standing! Tapu Koko raises the stakes as it and Professor Kukui unleash a legendary Z-Move reserved for Island Guardians, but Ash and Pikachu rise to the challenge with their own Z-Move: 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt! Once the dust clears, Tapu Koko falls, and Ash and Pikachu are victorious!

Plot

Ash's exhibition match with Professor Kukui continues, with Tapu Koko having unexpectedly entered the match in the place of Kukui's final Pokémon and its Electric Surge having covered the battlefield with an Electric Terrain. Naganadel uses Sludge Bomb, but Tapu Koko uses Steel Wing to shield itself from the attack and proceeds to use the same move offensively when Naganadel uses X-Scissor. Naganadel readies another X-Scissor, but it is hit by Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam. When Ash orders Dragon Pulse, everyone is shocked by this since Tapu Koko is a Fairy-type Pokémon and thus immune to Dragon-type moves. However, instead of hitting Tapu Koko, the attack goes past it and hits the ground below, stirring a lot of dust, which obscures Tapu Koko's vision, giving Naganadel the chance to land an X-Scissor on its opponent. Tapu Koko charges through a barrage of Sludge Bombs to batter Naganadel with Dazzling Gleam and Discharge, which outruns Naganadel's Thunderbolt and defeats the Ultra Beast. Ash takes a moment to thank Naganadel for its assistance before recalling it back to its Beast Ball.

Ash calls Pikachu out as his final Pokémon, and it uses Thunderbolt first. The attack collides with Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam. Pikachu uses Quick Attack, but it fails to strike the airborne Tapu Koko. Kukui orders Tapu Koko to retaliate with Dazzling Gleam, but Pikachu leaps out of the way and counters with Iron Tail. Tapu Koko prepares to use Nature's Madness, but Ash calls for an Electroweb, which contains the attack. Tapu Koko is again stunned by the stirred dust, allowing Pikachu to land a clean hit and send it toward the battlefield. Pikachu follows up with Electroweb, pinning Tapu Koko to the ground. Tapu Koko attempts to break its restraints using Discharge, but Pikachu stops it with a Thunderbolt, creating a blinding yellow explosion of electricity.

After the explosion has cleared up, the Electric Terrain dissipates and Kukui congratulates Ash on how much he's grown during the League. Tapu Koko approaches Kukui, pointing at his Z-Ring. Kukui realizes that Tapu Koko wants to launch a Z-Move, but he explains that it isn’t possible as he already used up his Z-Move with Incineroar earlier. Determined, Tapu Koko breaks out into song and summons its fellow guardian deities to Manalo Stadium. The united quartet begins harmonizing together, showering the stadium with glittering scales. Both Ash and Kukui's Z-Rings start glowing, signaling that their Z-Power has been recharged. Tapu Koko also offers Kukui a Tapunium Z crystal, previously thought to have been only an ancient myth. Kukui is taken aback but complies with Tapu Koko's wishes. He calls out to Ash and orders him to launch his Z-Move at the same time, which Ash happily agrees to. Kukui performs the Z-Pose perfectly, passing on the ancient power to Tapu Koko. The ground trembles and the field fractures as a yellow headless giant emerges from underground, shocking everyone watching.

Everyone in the stadium is startled by the appearance of the gargantuan. However, Ash's attention quickly turns to his Z-Power Ring as it begins sparking, his Electrium Z suddenly transforming into a Pikashunium Z. Ash promptly puts his hat on Pikachu's head and prepares his own full power Z-Move. Tapu Koko takes its position as the head of the titan as Kukui orders it to attack with the move Guardian of Alola. As the titan's fist descends towards him, Pikachu unleashes 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, and the two signature Z-Moves clash. With both Kukui and Ash giving all the power they can towards their respective Z-Moves, the two super-powered moves struggle against each other. However, the titan's body begins to fracture. As they continue to push themselves as hard as possible Ash and Pikachu briefly find themselves in a white void, where Ash tells Pikachu how they had felt the power of Alola throughout their travels across the region, feeling it as they battled, met new Pokémon, and made new friends, and now it was time to become one with that power. With extreme effort, Pikachu's ultimate Z-Move slowly but surely overpowers Guardian of Alola, causing the titan's body to crumble and creating a huge explosion of light that envelops Tapu Koko. The blinding collision clears, with Ash and Pikachu visibly exhausted by the combined effort. Tapu Koko begins to descend gently, before collapsing onto the debris-littered field. Hala makes the official judgment, ruling Tapu Koko unable to battle and proclaiming Ash as the winner of the exhibition match. Ash finally collapses from both exhaustion and relief, while the crowd erupts into cheers and applause, and Ash's classmates are overjoyed.

While Ash fully realizes he just won, Tapu Lele showers the battlefield in its sparkling scales, helping both Pikachu and Tapu Koko to recover from the exhausting battle. Kukui leaps forward and thanks Tapu Koko for its help with a handshake. Pikachu and Ash also thank their formidable opponents for the spectacular match. With the Manalo Conference now officially completed, Professor Kukui takes a moment to gaze over the crowd and he declares the League a success. Ash agrees, earning himself a pat on the head from his mentor. Kukui warns Ash not to get too overconfident over his victory, and the young Trainer accepts the advice.

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?: Golisopod (US and international), Tapu Koko (Japan)

Trivia

Errors

Dub edits

In other languages



← SM143 : Fiery Surprises!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM145 : Dreams of the Sun and Moon! →
  This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.
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