Pokémon: 'Catch Up on Ash’s Alolan Adventures'

A recap of Pokémon the Series Sun & Moon and Pokémon the Series Sun & Moon Ultra Legends.

☆ NintendObs Weekly – Monday, March 18, 2019 – Sunday, March 24, 2019.

Pokémon the Series Sun & Moon Ultra Legends

Catch Up on Ash’s Alolan Adventures

Before diving into the latest season of Pokémon the Series, get a recap of Ash and Pikachu’s recent escapades.

March 18, 2019

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends will premiere soon, featuring Ash Ketchum’s continuing adventures in the Alola region. In the 22nd season of the animated series, you’ll see Ash and his friends from the Pokémon School meet new Pokémon, acquire new Z-Crystals, and learn how to Mantine Surf! They’ll also face new challenges in their role as the Ultra Guardians, and Ash gains a new rival when Hau and his partner Pokémon Dartrix arrive on the scene.

Of course, Ash and Pikachu have already spent two seasons exploring the Alola region and having all sorts of wild escapades. It can be a lot to keep track of, so why not take a moment to get a refresher on what our heroes have been up to in recent years? There’s even a special channel on Pokémon TV where you can watch some highlight episodes from the past two seasons, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures.

Once you’re caught up, get ready to enjoy Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends when it debuts March 23 on Disney XD!

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon Recap

Season 20 of Pokémon the Series starts out with a big change from the previous season—a whole new setting! Ash has left the Kalos region behind to accompany his mother and Mimey on a tropical vacation to Melemele Island in the Alola region. It isn’t long before Ash and Pikachu befriend a group of students from the island’s Pokémon School, which is run by Principal Samson Oak—the famous Professor Oak’s cousin.

We meet Kiawe and his partner Pokémon Turtonator, along with Mallow and Bounsweet, Sophocles and Togedemaru, Lana and Popplio, and Lillie, who has a phobia of touching Pokémon. Ash is having so much fun that he decides to stay and enroll in the Pokémon School with his new friends. His teacher, Professor Kukui, offers Ash a place to stay.

In the first episode (“Alola to New Adventure!”), Ash encounters the Island Guardian Tapu Koko, who gives him a Z-Ring and his first Z-Crystal—an Electrium Z. Throughout the season, Ash learns the secrets of the Z-Moves that these items unlock. To help him toward this goal, Ash vows to take on the island challenge, completing various trials to earn new Z-Crystals and improve his Pokémon battle skills (“The Guardian’s Challenge!”).

To assist Ash on his journey, Professor Kukui gives him a special Pokédex that transforms when a Rotom takes up residence within it (“Loading the Dex!”). Rotom Dex can float and talk, and it possesses an enormous amount of data on Pokémon of all sorts—which it just loves to share! This helpful partner accompanies Ash on his travels.

Not surprisingly, Team Rocket also shows up on Melemele Island to catch (or steal!) new Pokémon from the Alola region. The troublemakers are soon befriended by an overprotective Bewear who rushes to their rescue before they can blast off again—but the giant Pokémon’s affection can be a bit much for Jessie, James, and Meowth. Despite their occasional frustration with their furry friend, Team Rocket eventually sets up a base in Bewear’s den (“The Sun, the Scare, the Secret Lair!”).

We learn more about Lillie’s fear of Pokémon, and her friends help her overcome her trepidation when she is tasked with caring for a Pokémon Egg—which eventually hatches into an Alolan Vulpix that she names Snowy (“Getting to Know You!”). Lillie’s backstory is explored even further with the arrival of her brother, Gladion (“A Glaring Rivalry!”).

Of course, a new region to explore means new Pokémon to discover! During the season, Ash catches a Rowlet (“First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!”), a Rockruff (“Rocking Clawmark Hill!”), and a Litten (“One Journey Ends, Another Begins…”). After a fair bit of training, Ash’s Rockruff evolves into a rare Dusk Form Lycanroc (“Rising from the Ruins!”).

Kiawe catches a fiery-tempered Alolan Marowak (“A Crowning Moment of Truth!”), while Sophocles expands his team with a Charjabug (“So Long, Sophocles!”). Mallow’s Bounsweet evolves into Steenee during a fierce battle against Team Rocket (“A Seasoned Search!”).

Speaking of Team Rocket, even they meet with some success when Jessie catches a Mimikyu who harbors a grudge against Pikachu (“First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!”) and James catches a Mareanie who is unusually affectionate toward its new Trainer (“The Sun, the Scare, the Secret Lair!”).

Throughout the season, Ash continues to face incredible challenges as he attempts multiple trials and faces off against highly skilled island kahunas. After these battles, he joins his classmates on a field trip to the Kanto region, where he reunites with his old friends Misty and Brock (“Alola, Kanto!”).

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Adventures Recap

Season 21 begins with a strong hint as to Ash’s upcoming adventures when our hero has a dream involving the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala. Shortly thereafter, Tapu Koko leads Ash to a Cosmog, and—prompted by his dream—he decides to protect it (“A Dream Encounter!”). This little Pokémon, which Lillie nicknames Nebby, will become very important by the end of this season.

Although Ash continues his goal of clearing trials and earning new Z-Crystals (his Z-Ring even gets an upgrade into a Z-Power Ring), an exciting new series of events is set into motion when he learns of the Aether Foundation. This organization is staffed by Professor Burnet, Wicke, the scheming Faba, and the foundation’s president, Lusamine, who is also Lillie and Gladion’s mother! The Aether Foundation is researching Ultra Wormholes and the Ultra Beasts that exist within them.

This research takes a frightening turn when Faba kidnaps Nebby to assist him in opening an Ultra Wormhole. The experience prompts Nebby to evolve into Cosmoem, and the terrifying Ultra Beast that emerges—known as Nihilego—abducts Lusamine and drags her back through the Ultra Wormhole (“Faba’s Revenge!”).

This prompts a rescue mission in which Ash and his friends travel into the Ultra Wormhole (“Rescuing the Unwilling!”). To get there, however, the gang needs some help from Nebby, who evolves once more into Solgaleo to give everyone a ride (“Revealing the Stuff of Legend!”).

After our heroes rescue Lusamine, she asks them to join the Ultra Guardians, a team of talented Pokémon Trainers who are ready to take on any Ultra Beasts that show up in the Alola region (“The Professors’ New Adventure!”). During the season, the Ultra Guardians have run-ins with Buzzwole (“A Mission of Ultra Urgency!”), Celesteela (“Rise and Shine, Starship!”), Blacephalon and Xurkitree (“Twirling with a Bang!”), and Stakataka (“The Long Vault Home!”).

It’s not all serious business, though! A few lighthearted episodes involve Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet’s wedding (“The Professors’ New Adventure!”) and the debut of the famous Battle Royal Dome champion, the Masked Royal (“Pushing the Fiery Envelope!”). Spoiler alert: the Masked Royal is actually Professor Kukui in disguise, and he goes to great lengths to keep his alter ego a secret—even from his own wife! Ash also meets a mysterious Pokémon who decides to join his team. Dubbed Poipole by the Aether Foundation, this cheerful Pokémon is revealed to be another Ultra Beast (“Love at First Twirl!”).

Ash’s Litten evolves into Torracat in a battle against the Masked Royal (“Pushing the Fiery Envelope!”), and Mallow’s Steenee once again takes advantage of a battle against Team Rocket to evolve, this time into Tsareena (“All They Want to Do Is Dance, Dance!”).

The season closes out with an epic, multi-episode arc that sees another Ultra Wormhole opening above the Altar of the Sunne just as all the Alola region’s adults have their energy mysteriously drained (“Filling the Light with Darkness!”). Ash and the other Ultra Guardians once again travel into an Ultra Wormhole to discover the source of the trouble, where they discover Poipole’s home (“The Prism Between Light and Darkness!”) and witness a clash between Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma. Although the Ultra Guardians emerge triumphant, they must bid farewell to Poipole when it decides to remain and defend its home within the Ultra Wormhole (“Securing the Future!”).

Remember, the new season of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends starts on Disney XD beginning March 23, 2019. Before that, though, be sure to tune in to Pokémon TV to relive Ash’s most significant adventures in the Alola region. And be sure to take the Masked Royal’s advice and “En-joy!”

— Pokémon News
Source: Pokémon.