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SM017

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← SM016 : They Might Not Be Giants!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM018 : A Seasoned Search! →
Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!
SM017.png
SM017   EP956
アローラ探偵ロトム！消えたクリスタルの謎！！
Alola Detective Rotom! The Mystery of the Missing Crystal!!
First broadcast
Japan March 9, 2017
United States July 1, 2017
English themes
Opening Under The Alolan Sun
Ending
Japanese themes
Opening アローラ!!
Ending ポーズ
Credits
Animation Team Kato
Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui
Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director 渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe
Animation directors 夏目久仁彦 Kunihiko Natsume
直井由紀 Yuki Naoi
Additional credits

Crystal-Clear Sleuthing! (Japanese: アローラ探偵ロトム！消えたクリスタルの謎！！ Alola Detective Rotom! The Mystery of the Missing Crystal!!) is the 17th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 956th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on March 9, 2017 and in the United States on July 1, 2017, as part of a three-hour special.

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Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
201

Blurb

Professor Kukui and Rotom Dex are big fans of the TV show Alolan Detective Laki, and Rotom even has a blond wig so it can pretend to be the star. When Ash’s Electrium Z goes missing, Rotom excitedly takes the case!

Through video replay, Rotom tracks the Z-Crystal’s last known whereabouts to the schoolyard, where Ash and Kiawe were training. Rotom suspects Kiawe ended up with the crystal, but Lillie has another explanation: the video shows Ash putting it in his pocket. Ash remembers that he put the crystal on his nightstand before going to bed—and Pikachu triumphantly finds the missing Electrium Z caught in Rotom’s wig!

Plot

One night, Professor Kukui, Rotom, and Ash, along with Pikachu, Rockruff, and Rowlet, are watching a TV program called "Alolan Detective Laki", of which Kukui and Rotom are huge fans. Laki identifies the person who forced Mr. Makani to hide his treasure, the Princess Tear, and disappear: the Doctor. When the Doctor demands to see proof, Laki explains that the Doctor prepared a Sableye doll to replace the other in secret and reveals the real Princess Tear, which was kept hidden. Laki returns the Princess Tear to Mrs. Makani, who expresses her gratitude but knows it will never bring her husband back.

Noticing that Ash has fallen asleep on the couch, Professor Kukui wakes him up and Ash goes to his bed. Rotom tries to tell him who the culprit was, but a tired Ash tells it to tell him tomorrow before pointing out that Rotom is still wearing the wig. Rotom takes the wig off, putting it on the desk and goes to reveal who the culprit was, only to find Ash is fast asleep. The next morning at school, Ash is panicking as he can't find his Electrium Z, as he searches desperately for it and explains to the others what is wrong. Ash worries that Tapu Koko is going to be so mad and Sophocles mentions that Kiawe will be as well. Ash imagines Kiawe finding out that he lost the Electrium Z and using Inferno Overdrive on him as punishment. Rotom, wearing its Laki wig promises to get Ash's Electrium Z back. Kiawe arrives at school, causing the others to panic. Kiawe wonders if he missed something, as Rotom and Pikachu leave.

Searching the school, Rotom and Pikachu go into the staff room and inform Professor Kukui of what has happened. Professor Kukui remembers that yesterday, he spotted Ash and Kiawe working on their Z-Moves, though Ash was practicing with Rowlet, meaning he must have been using his Normalium Z. Believing that Ash may have dropped it in the schoolyard, Rotom goes to search for it. Standing above the school by the bell, Rotom looks through binoculars over the schoolyard, but notices it is too big to find something so small. Rotom asks Komala, but Komala remains asleep. Using a magnifying glass, Rotom examines the ground around the schoolyard as Pikachu detects something in the ground and starts to dig, only for an Alolan Diglett to pop up out of the ground. In the principal's office, Samson Oak is looking at a picture of him on the board when Rotom enters, asking what those pictures are of. Samson Oak explains that a cameraman from Alola TV came by yesterday and took them with plans to use them for next year's Pokémon Pancake Race poster.

Samson Oak mentions that the cameraman thought it was so funny that he shot a video by himself. Rotom learns that the cameraman recorded many events around the school and was impressed to see Ash and Kiawe practicing. This gives Rotom an idea and leaves with Pikachu to go to the TV station. Back in class, Professor Kukui informs the class that their next lesson will be dealing with Pokémon moves and to meet up in the schoolyard. They all head out but as Ash goes outside, Kiawe asks where Pikachu is. Ash makes up an excuse about Pikachu, leaving Kiawe disappointed as he was hoping to practice being hit by Gigavolt Havoc. Ash says that he wanted to train with Rockruff today. Kiawe becomes suspicious and wonders what is going on with them. Rotom and Pikachu arrive at the TV station where a security guard stands outside. Rotom manages to go inside, but the security guard stops Pikachu from going in, finding him cute.

Inside, Rotom notices that Pikachu isn't with it. Rotom speaks to a cleaning lady who points towards a nearby cameraman who had shot the footage. Rotom goes over to the cameraman and asks to see the video he recorded. The cameraman explains the footage hasn't been edited, but is in a hurry to get to his next assignment. Rotom promises to be quick as it only needs to interface with his camera for a small period of time. The cameraman allows it to as long as its quick. Rotom applies its hand to the camera and employs the Pokédex function for the first time and downloads a copy of the video. Back at school, Ash has Rockruff sniff his Z-Ring to try and get the scent of his Electrium Z. Kiawe notices Ash, and asks what Ash is doing as it doesn't look like he is training with Rockruff, Ash hurriedly comes up with an excuse, which Kiawe doesn't believe. Lillie quickly comes up with an excuse, but Kiawe isn't convinced.

Rotom and Pikachu arrive back, Ash quickly asks them if they found out anything about his lost Electrium Z. Kiawe becomes furious and starts chasing Ash around the schoolyard. Rotom stops them and asks Pikachu to gather everyone in the classroom. In the classroom, Rotom announces it has solved the mystery. Impatient, Ash asks Rotom to stop keeping them in the dark. Rotom says it can't show him where the Electrium is, as it is still in the culprit's possession. Professor Kukui thinks Rotom is taking things a bit too far, but Rotom reveals the culprit to be Kiawe. Rotom plays the video footage to show Kiawe and Ash shaking hands, explaining that this was the very moment that Ash gave Kiawe the Electrium Z, which Kiawe says that it makes no sense. Lillie asks Rotom to play back the footage to where before they began training. Watching the footage, Ash is seen putting something into his pocket. Ash remembers that he put his Electrium Z in his pocket after training and switched it with his Normalium Z.

Ash explains he had forgotten and now remembers taking it out just as he was going to bed and placed it on the drawers. As Rotom collapses out of exasperation, Pikachu pulls out the missing Electrium Z from the wig. Everyone is shocked, but Ash is pleased to have it back. Rotom realizes that when it put its wig on the desk, the Electrium Z got caught in the wig, which now makes Kiawe furious at Rotom, causing him to chase after Rotom. Sophocles notes that Rotom is on borrowed time. Later at Professor Kukui's house, Rotom is showing Kiawe, Ash and Professor Kukui video footage of Kiawe using a Z-Move, having edited it just for him. Rotom says that if they ever want to record them training, Rotom is capable of doing it.

Major events

  • Rotom updates itself with a video camera function.
For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Humans

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Smeargle (US and international), Komala (Japan)

Trivia

Errors

  • Rotom says the chance of finding the Electrium Z in the schoolyard is 0.000002%, but its display reads 0.0000002%, a discrepancy of one order of magnitude.
  • When Rotom asks Komala where the Electrium Z is, it's first seen with its mouth open, but in the very next shot, its mouth is closed.
  • When Ash notices Kiawe's rageful presence behind him, Pikachu is on his shoulder (who also reacts with fear), but in the very next shot with Ash slowly turning around, Pikachu suddenly vanishes.

Dub edits

  • On CITV's airing of the episode, during the part where Kiawe discovers Ash lost his Electrium Z, the scene where Kiawe lunges forward when he yells at Ash is cut, going from him looming over Ash to his face filling the screen. The scene with Ash dashing away when he admits to it is also slowed down.

In other languages



← SM016 : They Might Not Be Giants!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM018 : A Seasoned Search! →
Project Anime logo.png This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.
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