DP036

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Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

DP037 : The Grass Menagerie! →

A Secret Sphere of Influence!

DP036   EP502 シンオウ時空伝説！ The Sinnoh Space-Time Legend!

First broadcast Japan May 31, 2007 United States November 10, 2007

English themes Opening Diamond and Pearl Ending

Japanese themes Opening Together Ending 君のそばで 〜ヒカリのテーマ〜 (PopUp.Version)

Credits Animation Team Iguchi Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 牧野行洋 Yukihiro Makino Assistant director 牧野行洋 Yukihiro Makino Animation director 木下和栄 Kazue Kinoshita Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

A Secret Sphere of Influence! (Japanese: シンオウ時空伝説！ The Sinnoh Space-Time Legend!) is the 36th episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, and the 502nd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on May 31, 2007 and in the United States on November 10, 2007.

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

Blurb

Ash and his friends are in Eterna City for Ash's next Gym battle, but first they have to help solve a heist at the Eterna Historical Museum! Someone has stolen the Museum's Adamant Orb, an artifact which is said to increase Dialga's power, and the security footage suggests a Sunflora was one of the culprits. Team Rocket stole the Orb with Meowth disguised as Sunflora, but it's the Pokémon bard Nando and his Sunflora that have been cornered by Officer Jenny! Luckily, our heroes and their recent acquaintance Gardenia, who turns out to be the Eterna Gym Leader, are ready to vouch for Nando's innocence.

This is a day for duplicates, because there's another Officer Jenny in town from Viridian City, too! Everyone splits up to search the Museum for the real culprit, with the Eterna City police especially eager to find the Orb first and uphold the honor of their department. But it's Piplup, Pikachu, and Nando's Sunflora who spot Team Rocket gloating over their theft, and soon backup is on the way.

Now that Meowth is no longer in the Sunflora costume, Team Rocket tries to bluff their way out of this jam. No such luck! But it's risky to battle Team Rocket while they're holding the precious Orb, so Officer Jenny from Eterna City has her Stunky stun Team Rocket with its powerful stench. Once Gardenia retrieves the Orb, it's a simple matter to defeat Team Rocket. Our heroes are then left to ponder the legends surrounding Dialga and Palkia... as well as the true motivation behind this attempted theft!

Plot

Ash and his friends finally arrive in Eterna City, but on their way to the Gym, they hear the alarm going off at the Eterna Historical Museum, and the Eterna City Officer Jenny and her Stunky are summoned to investigate. The Adamant Orb has been stolen, and it shouldn't take a guess or two to figure out who's to blame—Jessie, James and Meowth (disguised as a Sunflora) of Team Rocket are the wrongdoers behind the theft. Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Dawn and Jenny arrive to confront the robbers, but Jessie calls out Seviper and has Seviper use Haze. The crooks disappear, but the exits lock off.

More Police officers rush to the scene of the crime. Gardenia arrives at the investigation, and Ash and his friends say hello to her. Lovestruck Brock is immediately taking notice, but Croagunk jabs him. Gardenia tells Ash and his friends what the police told her—the crooks used a Grass type to steal the orb. Officer Jenny arrives with her first suspect—Nando. Nando claims he isn't the crook because he came to the museum to study the history of the Sinnoh region. Gardenia believes Nando's story because she battled him earlier at her Gym. Officer Jenny doesn't believe his story, because she has a picture of a Sunflora (who was really Meowth in disguise) stealing the orb. Nando had a Sunflora with him, but it managed to sneak out of its Poké Ball before the police nabbed him. Nando is brought in for questioning.

The Officer Jenny of Viridian City arrives and tells them it's her day off. The Viridian Jenny tells the Eterna Jenny that all Trainers with Sunflora must be investigated, and not just Nando, but the Eterna Jenny doesn't listen to her, and tells her not to get involved. Security Guards and Police Officers surround the museum. There wasn't a way for Team Rocket to get out with police everywhere, so they decide to fight their way out.

Gardenia explains that the orb Team Rocket stole was somehow linked with the Legendary dragons, Dialga and Palkia. Ash, Brock and Dawn set out to catch the crooks. Ash sends out Aipom, Staravia and Turtwig and Dawn sends out Piplup, Pachirisu, Buizel and Buneary and they send them to search for the crooks. Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Nando keeps trying to tell Jenny he is innocent, but Jenny continues to refuse to listen to him.

Nando's Sunflora, after sneaking out of its Poké Ball, is walking around the museum. Two Security Guards spot Sunflora, and Sunflora Leech Seeds them. Sunflora soon runs into Aipom and Turtwig, and seeds them, too. Sunflora quickly ducks into the vents. Ash and his pals find Aipom and Turtwig seeded, while the Security Guards, after having somehow freed themselves from the Leech Seed, report to Officer Jenny. In the room Team Rocket is hiding in, the Security Guards take a look inside. Team Rocket hides on the ceiling so the guards won't spot them. Then, the guards leave.

Dialga's statue

Palkia's statue

Team Rocket drops from the ceiling. The vent Sunflora is in leads into the room Team Rocket is hiding in. Pikachu and Piplup have caught Sunflora, but Sunflora tells them the Sunflora in the room Team Rocket is in, is really Meowth in disguise. When Team Rocket removes their disguises and replaces them with new ones, they realize Sunflora is right! Piplup decides to attack, but Pikachu prevents Piplup from doing so. Pikachu runs back to tell Ash. Team Rocket spots Sunflora and Piplup, and Cacnea attacks them with Pin Missile.

Meanwhile, Pikachu is leading Ash and co. to Team Rocket. Team Rocket, still in disguise, walks past them, trying to act nonchalant. Sunflora attacks them with Cut, and their disguises fall off. Gardenia and Ash conclude that Nando's Sunflora isn't criminal, and that Team Rocket are the real criminals. After Team Rocket recites their motto and reveal they were hired to steal the Adamant Orb by another group, Ash and his friends demand they return the orb, but they refuse. Ash's Pikachu, Aipom, Staravia and Turtwig, Dawn's Piplup, Buneary, Buizel and Pachirisu, Brock's Sudowoodo, Nando's Sunflora and Gardenia's Turtwig surround them, but they can't use their attacks, because they could harm the Adamant Orb.

The Eterna City Jenny and her Stunky arrive on the scene and Stunky sprays Team Rocket, filling the room with its Stench. The orb falls out of Jessie's hands, and Gardenia's Turtwig quickly responds with a Leaf Storm. The orb lands in Gardenia's hands. Team Rocket makes a run for it while the Pokémon surrounding them are holding their noses, but the cops who were surrounding the museum have them cornered. The stink starts to spread outside the museum, forcing the cops to cover their noses and thus allowing Team Rocket to escape. After that, everyone outside is happy that the Adamant Orb is returned. Ash still wants to know the full legend of the Pokémon of Myth, and Nando tells the group of the Original One, who helped shape the world by creating Dialga and Palkia before creating three other Pokémon to act as the world's spirit. Ash and Dawn are confused, the legend raising more questions than answers. Viridian Jenny poses another question that remains unanswered; who hired Team Rocket to steal the Adamant Orb. While everyone puts forwards familiar names (Butch, Cassidy and J being likely suspects), no-one can be sure who is responsible. For now the mystery will have to remain unanswered.

Meanwhile, high above Eterna City, a helicopter flies away from the city. Inside are members of a different, unfamiliar organization. The pilots remark what a mistake it was to entrust the bungling Team Rocket with stealing the Adamant Orb while their Commander sits in the back, unimpressed. Stealing the Adamant Orb will have to wait for another day.

Major events

• Ash and his friends arrive in Eterna City and meet up with Nando again.
• Nando is revealed to own a Sunflora and to have won the Forest Badge, as well as his first Contest Ribbon.
• Ash also meets the Officer Jenny from Viridian City again.
• Ash, Dawn, and Brock learn that Gardenia is the Gym Leader of the Eterna Gym.
• Team Rocket, hired by Team Galactic, attempts to steal the Adamant Orb from the Eterna Historical Museum, but are foiled.

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

Debuts

Humans

• Team Galactic
  • Saturn
  • Team Galactic Grunts

Pokémon debuts

• Stunky
• Dialga

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Dawn
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Officer Jenny (of Eterna City)
• Officer Jenny (of Viridian City)
• Cassidy (flashback)
• Butch (flashback)
• Gardenia
• Nando
• J (flashback)
• Saturn
• Team Galactic Grunts
• Sinnoh Now staff
  • Rhonda
• Policemen

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Mime Jr. (James's)
• Aipom (Ash's)
• Staravia (Ash's)
• Turtwig (Ash's)
• Buneary (Dawn's)
• Pachirisu (Dawn's)
• Buizel (Dawn's)
• Sudowoodo (Brock's)
• Croagunk (Brock's)
• Seviper (Jessie's)
• Cacnea (James's)
• Carnivine (James's)
• Turtwig (Gardenia's)
• Stunky (Eterna City Officer Jenny's; debut)
• Roselia (Nando's)
• Sunflora (Nando's)
• Growlithe
• Dialga (fantasy; debut)
• Palkia (fantasy)

Trivia

• Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia: Rampardos
  • Pokémon senryū: ラムパルド　あたまみがいて　せんとうじゅんび Ramuparudo, atama migaite, sentō junbi. "Rampald polishes its head, preparing for battle."

Space-Time Towers diorama

• This episode's English title is a reference to the international political term "sphere of influence".
• Meowth's Sunflora costume reappears in this episode.
• Music from Destiny Deoxys and Pokémon Heroes, as well as a remix of the Sealed Chamber music, are used as background music, in addition to 4Kids background music.
• A model of the Space-Time Towers from The Rise of Darkrai can be seen.
• Nando quotes The Original Story from the Sinnoh myths.
• Ash narrates the preview for the next episode.
• The Viridian City Officer Jenny shouting "Objection!" outside of the screen, her appearance, the showing of "contradicting" evidence by Eterna City Jenny, and an eyewitness account from Gardenia are all possible references to the Ace Attorney game series.
• After Stunky emits a foul odor, Meowth covers his nose, even though he said before that he wasn't affected because he doesn't have a nose.
• This is one of the few episodes prior to Pokémon the Series: Black & White where Team Rocket does not blast off. In this episode, they just flee from the museum.
• When Brock flirts with Gardenia, he says, "You're like the green grass of home", which is a reference to the song Green, Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones. This is also referenced in the English dub title of a later episode.
• When Nando appears, the Oceanic Museum music from the games can be heard.
• When Team Rocket recites the motto, the background is a reference to the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Errors

• When Ash and his friends turn towards Officer Jenny after she captures Nando, the pockets on Brock's vest are missing.
• When Nando tells his story to Ash and his friends, the linings on Officer Jenny's shirt are briefly colored blue like the rest of the shirt instead of red.
• Nando's bangs cover his right eye for most of the episode, but they usually cover his left eye.
• Though the Virdian City Jenny claims that Team Rocket's motto is different than last time, she wasn't present at the moment when they recited their motto in Pokémon Emergency!.
• When Officer Jenny presents the security photo, the strap on her bag partially disappears.
  • In the same scene, when Ash slides into view, his left arm is missing.
• When the Viridian City Jenny approaches the Eterna City Jenny, Dawn's socks are missing.
• When the Pokémon surround Team Rocket, Staravia and Turtwig are behind them, with Turtwig standing in front of a doorway. A few scenes later, there are no Pokémon behind Team Rocket. However, after Stunky sprays its stench and the camera pans out to show Jessie tossing the Adamant Orb, Pokémon are behind them again, though Staravia is now in front of them.
• Because Turtwig is a Grass-type, it wouldn't be affected by Leech Seed in the games.
• Dawn seems to know who Butch and Cassidy are in the episode when the group lists possible suspects for the theft of the Adamant Orb. However, when she first met Team Rocket, she not only didn't recognize them, but it was implied that she and the rest of Sinnoh has absolutely no knowledge of Team Rocket's existence. However, it might be possible that Ash and Brock informed her about Butch and Cassidy at some point earlier on their adventures, off-screen.
• In the backseat of Team Galactic's helicopter, Saturn's arms are crossed with his left arm over his right, but in the next shot, it is the opposite way around.
  • In the same scene, the female Team Galactic Grunt's arms are colored black instead of gray.
• In the English dub, when Jessie tosses the orb up, Ash speaks with Dawn's voice.

• 

  Nando's bangs error

• 

  Dawn's missing socks

• 

  The Grunt's miscolored arms

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		神奧時空傳說！
Czech		Tajná sféra vlivu
Danish		En hemmelig sfære af indflydelse!
Dutch		Bol van mysteries!
Finnish		Mystisen kuulan salaisuus
European French		Le vol de l'orbe Adamant
German		Wer sind die wahren Gauner?
Italian		Il furto della sfera
Korean		여경 대 여경! 범인은 누가 잡을 것인가!
Polish		Sekretna kula potęgi
Portuguese	Brazil	Uma Esfera Secreta de Influência!
	Portugal	Influência Secreta!
Romanian		O Sferă Secretă de Influență
Russian		Тайная сфера влияния
Spanish	Latin America	¡Una Esfera Secreta de Influencia!
	Spain	¡Una Esfera muy Valiosa!
Swedish		Adamantorben
Thai		ตำนานมิติเวลาชินโอ

← DP035 : An Elite Meet and Greet!

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

DP037 : The Grass Menagerie! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.