SM093

←	SM092 : Turning the Other Mask!

Lillier and the Staff!

SM093

EP1032

勇者リリエルとアローラの杖！
The Hero Lilier and the Alola Staff!

First broadcast

Japan	October 21, 2018
United States	March 23, 2019

English themes

Opening
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	キミの冒険
Ending	ジャリボーイ・ジャリガール

Credits

No additional credits are available at this time.
Animation	Team Kato
Screenplay	藤咲淳一 Jun'ichi Fujisaku
Storyboard	浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director	渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe
Animation director	直井由紀 Yuki Naoi

Lillier and the Staff! (Japanese: 勇者リリエルとアローラの杖！ The Hero Lilier and the Alola Staff!) is the 93rd episode of the Sun & Moon series, and the 1,032nd episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on October 21, 2018 and aired in Canada on March 2, 2019, and in the United States on March 23, 2019 as the first episode of the twenty-second season, Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon—Ultra Legends.

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

Plot

Outside the Pokémon School, Team Rocket is busy selling their honey-glazed donuts when a play script flies into Jessie's face. She reads the script and fantasizes about being an actress, while James, Meowth and Wobbuffet look on in concern.

Inside the Pokémon School, Ash and his classmates are getting ready for their play. Ash is unable to find his script, so Rotom just gives him its own copy. Professor Kukui announces to his class that they will be putting on a play. Everyone begins to practice their lines in costume, but they soon become nervous after Rotom informs them that their families are waiting in the crowd. Ash and Mallow take a sneak look just as Ash's mother and Mimey arrive. Samson Oak and his wacky Pokémon impersonations take center stage as he welcomes the student's families and close friends to the school. The curtains open and the spotlight shifts as the play begins.

Mallow narrates the scenes as the play's protagonist and hero, Lillier— played by Lillie— arrives before the King and the Queen, played by Sophocles and Tsareena respectively. The King and the Queen grant Lillier the Cane of Alola to gather the power of the Legendary Pokémon. In the next scene, Lillier meets Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Fini, played by Ash, Mallow, and Lana respectively. Ash silently asks about the next part, but Lillie states that they cannot proceed until all four guardian deities are present. Backstage, Sophocles changes into his Tapu Bulu costume and joins the other Guardian deities, and Lillier asks for the quartet to bestow power on her. Delia calls out to her son, causing Ash to become nervous and temporarily forget his lines, but Mallow reminds him, and the Guardian deities call for the Pokémon of Alola, who all start dancing.

The play continues on with a dance scene between the King and the Queen, then Lillier travels far and wide, through the cold mountainside, against a strong gale of wind, and even fights a monster along the way, eventually, she meets the Legendary Solgaleo, played by Kiawe, atop a mountain.

Jessie makes a grand entrance and flies onto the stage disguised as Lunala with James, Meowth and Wobbuffet holding the supporting rope. The crowd is in awe, but the students are left shocked by the unexpected appearance and Rotom declares the end of Act One before closing the stage curtains. Kiawe demand answers, to which Jessie claims herself to be a great actress and insists the play continues with her re-written lines that gives Jessie all the scene time. The kids are against it, but Rotom solves the problem by deciding to come up with a new script and begins scanning its database for ideas. The students soon spot the rest of Team Rocket trying to sneak away and rope them into joining the school's play.

Act two opens with a baseball scene. Soon enough, the play descends into a mismatch of themes and multiple acts starring Ultra Beasts, Police Officers, shadows, and Alolan Detective Laki, but the crowd loves it.

Eventually the play reaches its final scene where Lillier seeks the power of the moon from Lunala. Jessie spins around while rose petals are blown around her to create a mystical and enchanting performance. Meowth suddenly loses grip of the rope holding Jessie, but thankfully Bewear appears and stops her from falling. After Jessie bestows the moon's power onto Lillier and declares that she must now return to the moon, Bewear tugs on the rope and sends her flying out of the school's concert hall. Bewear then scoops up James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet in her arms before jumping out of the building. She soon reaches Jessie mid-air before leaping into the distance. Despite Jessie's sudden exit, the play goes on and Lillier declares that Alola has been saved and peace has been restored. As the applause and cheers grow louder, the students and their Pokémon assemble onstage and thank the audience.

Major events

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?: Tsareena (Japan)

Trivia

Poké Problem: Who wrote the play's script in today's episode?
- Host: Sophocles
- Choices: Samson Oak, Rotom Pokédex, Lillie, Hobbes
- Answer: Rotom Pokédex
This episode ended with the first segment from Eevee, Where Are You Going?, marking the debut of a recurring Eevee.
Jessie recites the motto alone in this episode.
Ash, Acerola, Kiawe, Sophocles, Mallow, Lillie, and Lana narrate the preview for the next episode.
Kenyu Horiuchi takes over the role of Samson Oak from the late Unshō Ishizuka as of this episode.
Ash and his classmates do not wear their default outfits for the majority of this episode.
This is the final episode to credit Unshō Ishizuka in a role, this role being Sophocles's Charjabug.

References

Near the beginning of the episode, Jessie is seen dressed as as Chigusa Tsukikage from Glass Mask.
Jessie's fake persona (Japanese ムサバーバラ Musabarbara) is a reference to her Japanese voice actress, Megumi Hayashibara. It may also be a reference to Hayashibara's role as the Batgirl (whose real name is Barbara Gordon) in the Japanese dub of Batman: The Animated Series.
Jessie's outfit choices when she introduces her fake persona are references to some of her Japanese voice actress's roles throughout her career.
- Himiko Shinobibe from Mashin Hero Wataru.
- The female version of Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½.
- Atsuko "Nuku Nuku" Natsume from All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku.
- Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Hello Kitty from Hello Kitty and Friends.
- Lime from Saber Marionette J.
- Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop.
- Ai Haibara from Detective Conan.
- Minky Momo from Magical Princess Minky Momo.
- Dr. Atsuko "Paprika" Chiba from Paprika.
- Lina Inverse from Slayers.
Lillie and Mallow's embrace during the play is a reference to the series Revolutionary Girl Utena.
The clash between Team Rocket's mecha and Sophocles's Charjabug in a mechanized suit is a reference to Tetsujin 28-go.
During the Poké Problem extra scene, Rotom shows a picture that is a reference to a poster for the first Star Wars film.