SM002

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Sun & Moon series

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The Guardian's Challenge!

SM002   EP941 守り神カプ・コケコ登場！挑戦、オレたちのZワザ！！ The Guardian Deity Kapu-Kokeko Appears! Challenge, Our Z-Move!!

First broadcast Japan November 17, 2016 United States December 5, 2016*

English themes Opening Ending

Japanese themes Opening アローラ!! Ending ポーズ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui Storyboard 冨安大貴 Daiki Tomiyasu 樋口香里 Kaori Higuchi Assistant directors 高橋知也 Tomoya Takahashi 牧野吉高 Yoshitaka Makino Animation directors 安田周平 Shūhei Yasuda 村田理 Osamu Murata 松田真路 Shinji Matsuda No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

The Guardian's Challenge! (Japanese: 守り神カプ・コケコ登場！挑戦、オレたちのZワザ！！ The Guardian Deity Kapu-Kokeko Appears! Challenge, Our Z-Move!!) is the second episode of the Sun & Moon series, and the 941st episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on November 17, 2016 as a one-hour special alongside SM001, and in the United Kingdom as a sneak peek preview of the full series on November 20, 2016 as a one-hour special alongside Alola to New Adventure!. It aired in the United States as a sneak peek preview of the full series on December 5, 2016 as part of a marathon with Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel and Alola to New Adventure!.

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

Plot

This plot summary is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this plot summary to add missing sections and complete it.

Major events

• Sophocles's Togedemaru is revealed to know Zing Zap and have Lightning Rod as her Ability.
• Ash encounters Tapu Koko again, with his classmates encountering it for the first time.
• Ash and Pikachu have a battle against Tapu Koko, which gets called off when Tapu Koko flees.
• Ash and Pikachu perform Gigavolt Havoc for the first time.
• Ash's Electrium Z shatters.
• Ash decides to take on the island challenge in order to get new Z-Crystals and qualify as a Z-Move user.
• Ash receives a Pokédex from Professor Kukui.

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Rockruff
• Komala

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Lana
• Kiawe
• Lillie
• Sophocles
• Mallow
• Professor Kukui
• Samson Oak

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Rockruff (US and international), Tapu Koko (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Popplio (Lana's)
• Turtonator (Kiawe's; flashback)
• Togedemaru (Sophocles's)
• Bounsweet (Mallow's)
• Rockruff (Professor Kukui's; debut)
• Tapu Koko (anime)
• Komala (anime; debut)
• Eevee (Trainer's)
• Drifloon (Trainer's)
• Machoke (Trainer's)
• Sableye (Trainer's)
• Electabuzz (Trainer's)
• Elekid (Trainer's)
• Alomomola (×2)
• Goldeen
• Finneon (multiple)
• Sharpedo
• Poliwag
• Exeggutor (Alola Form)
• Braviary (×6)
• Fearow (×4)
• Corsola
• Luvdisc (×2)
• Tauros (Ride Pokémon; 2)

Trivia

• This episode aired as a sneak peek on November 18, 2016 in France, November 19, 2016 in Italy, November 20, 2016 in Germany and Belgium, November 26, 2016 in Spain and December 5, 2016 in the United States alongside Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel and SM001. Its airdate in France was only one day after its airing in Japan.
• Jessie, James, and Meowth narrate the preview for the next episode.

Errors

• As the screen flashes between Ash and Pikachu just before Pikachu fires off Gigavolt Havoc, Pikachu can be heard talking but not actually opening his mouth.
• When Ash decides to take the Island Challenge, Kiawe mentions that he's the only one with a Z-Ring, when in fact Ash also has one (However, he might have meant that he was the only one of Ash's classmates with a Z-Ring).

Dub edits

• The Japanese text depicting Gigavolt Havoc's name when Pikachu is about to use the move is edited out in the dub.

In other languages

Language		Title
Dutch		De uitdaging van de beschermer!
European French		Le défi du Gardien !
German		Die Herausforderung des Schutzpatrons!
Italian		La sfida del protettore!
European Spanish		¡El recorrido del espíritu!

← SM001 : Alola to New Adventure!

Sun & Moon series

SM003 →

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