"My mother just adores technology like this."
"Wow, she does?"
"I think it’s because of the kid in her."
—Lillie commenting on the ongoing Sentai-esque Transformation Sequence, with response from Lana and Mallow
Japanese Title: Set Off! Our Ultra Guardians!!
Original Airdate: February 8, 2018
US Airdate: July 16, 2018
Buzzwole decides to provide its own distraction.
Ash and the other students at the Pokémon School have been called to their first mission as the Ultra Guardians. An Ultra Beast has been identified, and is sucking the life out of Pokémon all over Melemele Island. It's up to the students to apprehend it and return it to the Ultra Wormhole.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Anime Theme Song: New opening and closing themes premier in this episode in the Japanese. The new opening is "Mirai Connection" (Future Connection), while the new closing song is "Jari-boy, jari-girl" (Twerp, Twerpette).
- Continuity Nod: This is the anime premier of the Max Potion and Full Restore items.
- Gender Reveal: The Pokémon of the Ultra Guardians all wear amulets. All the confirmed males (and the genderless RotomDex) wear them as stick-ons or necklaces, while the confirmed females wear them as bows. If this is the case, then this would confirm Lycanroc, Litten, Charjabug, and Marowak as male, and Popplio as female.
- Human Resources: Buzzwole is found by the twerps when it's literally sucking a Snorlax dry. They have to use their entire stash of berries and potions to restore it.
- Mama Bear: Sure, Bewear grabbing Team Rocket and running from Buzzwole looks like a Screw This, I'm Outta Here moment. But if she was stalemated with Buzzwole, she probably knew Jessie and James didn't stand a chance.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Komala alerts the School to a call by banging frantically on the bell.
- Transformation Sequence: During their trip down to their Ultra Guardians mission room, the twerps get color-coded uniforms, and their Pokémon all get amulets.
