Japanese Title: Beware of Shovels!!
Original Airdate: April 13, 2017
US Airdate: July 8, 2017
Although he no longer has Stoutland, Litten still has plenty of friends.
Another day at the beach is complicated when the psychic powers of a Sandygast strike. But when an attack from Rockruff knocks its shovel into Melemele Sea, it evolves into Palossand, swallows Ash and Litten, and goes berserk, threatening Litten and RotomDex if it doesn't get its shovel back.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- And I Must Scream: Thanks to Ash, RotomDex is stuck on top of Palossand, and unable to do anything as the latter drains it and Litten of their energy.
- Berserk Button: Sandygast freaks out when its shovel is knocked into the ocean. But unlike Pangoro in the previous era, whom turn timid when losing their leaves, it instead evolves into Palossand and starts draining energy from Litten and RotomDex.
- Big Damn Heroes: Snowy uses Powder Snow to freeze Palossand and stop it from draining Litten and RotomDex, then exhausts herself to keep it frozen long enough for Popplio and Pikachu to return with its shovel.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: This Sandygast was partially powered up when one time Kiawe found its shovel, and was suddenly compelled to build Sandygast larger.
- End-of-Episode Silliness: At the end of the episode, Palossand rises up the cliff and eats Professor Kukui's house!
- Eye Catch: The Japanese Dare da? is Palossand, while the US Who's That Pokemon? is Sandygast.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A Rock Throw from Rockruff accidentally knocks off Sandygast's shovel.
- Palatial Sandcastle: Once evolved, Palossand becomes humoungous, and the shots featuring Ash trapped inside it show that its insides are very spacious (as much as a small house at least). At the end of the episode, it even swallows Kukui's cottage whole.
- Survival Mantra: RotomDex tries to get through the ordeal of being stuck on Palossand as a stand-in for its shovel by remembering a situation that the TV detective Laki was once in.
- You Are Not Alone: Ash and all the twerps' Pokémon are right behind Litten as he tries to master Fire Fang.
