Securing the Future! (Japanese:未来へつなげ！かがやきさまの伝説！！Connect to the Future! The Legend of theRadiant One!!) is the 90th episode ofPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 1,029th episode of thePokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on September 13, 2018, in New Zealand on January 8, 2019, in Canada on January 19, 2019, and in the United States on February 9, 2019.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
The Ultra Guardians, along with Faba and Professor Kukui, are attempting to return The Blinding One to its original form! As Necrozma in its “UB Black” form, it’s holding Solgaleo captive and threatening Poipole’s home world.
Our heroes have been attempting to “feed” Necrozma with Z-Power to restore its light, but it’s not enough. That’s when the people of Alola band together to send their own power to Necrozma—and it works! The Blinding One is restored, and Solgaleo is released.
Poipole’s world is renewed, too, and Poipole decides to stay behind to protect it. As a goodbye present, it draws a loving portrait of Ash and Pikachu!
Back inAlola, the residents ofMelemele Island,Akala Island, andUla'ula Island get ready for theManalo Festival as an eclipse begins to form. OnTen Carat Hill, asGozu receives a call fromMatori ordering him to get back to the helicopter. At Gozu’s command, theTeam Rocket Grunts leave him behind to continue hisbattle againstProfessor Kukui andFaba. Gozu states that the eclipse will bring about the era of theMatori Matrix and hasMegaAggron use anotherHeavy Slam. Kukui asks Faba to keep a secret from Ash andhis classmates as he sends outIncineroar and has it useDarkest Lariat, blocking Mega Aggron's attack. Gozu tries to have Mega Aggron useFlash Cannon, but Kukui has Incineroar use its signature Z-Move,Malicious Moonsault to defeat Mega Aggron, reverting it back into a normal Aggron. Faba thinks about Kukui's words, and then, he sees the Masked Royal's image in Kukui, realizing that two are the same person. Excited by this revelation, Faba reveals that he's a big fan of the Masked Royal and opens up his lab coat to reveal a Masked Royal shirt. Kukui is surprised by this and invites Faba to do the finishing pose together. Gozu recalls Aggron and retreats back to the helicopter. The Matori Matrix attempts to enter theUltra Wormhole, but they are hindered once again whenTapu Koko usesDazzling Gleam to pierce through their helicopter. The helicopter once again sustains damage, prompting Matori to retreat.
Meanwhile, inPoipole's world, the Ultra Guardians recover as Dusk Mane Necrozma roars and charges toward the Ultra Guardians, butLunala tackles it out of the way. Ash,Kiawe,Sophocles, andGladion send outRowlet,Lycanroc,Torracat,Turtonator,Charjabug,Umbreon, andLycanroc to help out. Back in Alola, Tapu Koko begins sending energy into the Ultra Wormhole asLusamine andProfessor Burnet in the base wonder what it's doing, thenWicke reports that they have regained communications with the Ultra Guardians. Back in Poipole's world, the Ultra Guardians are contacted by theAether Foundation staff. The Ultra Guardians report that they're in Poipole's world and that they've discovered UB Black is the "Blinding One" who lost its light, confirming Burnet's discovery. The Ultra Guardians further report back with the "Blinding One's" true name and reveal that their attempt to restore Necrozma with their Z-Power had failed. Burnet figures that they need more power and reveals more about the mural; it wasn't justSolgaleo andLunala that shared their light with the "Blinding One", the people and Pokémon of Alola also shared their light with it. As Sophocles wonders how to do it, Burnet sees what Tapu Koko is doing and figures they have to do what it's doing. The Ultra Guardians and their Pokémon all make Tapu Koko's pose and Lusamine sends theisland kahunas a message to ask for their help.
Hala,Olivia, andNanu get the word and ask for help from the people gathered with them to send their power to the "Blinding One". TheGuardian deities,island kahunas, Lusamine, Wicke, and Burnet send their power through the Ultra Wormhole, making Dusk Mane Necrozma back away from Lunala. As the Ultra Guardians send their own power,Poipole gets its hive to join in sending power. Back in Alola, the people and Pokémon pitch in and more power goes through the Ultra Wormhole.Team Rocket sees this and as they watch, they feel theirballoon shaking and seeBewear grabbing onto it, which causes the balloon to crash. Bewear sends her power into the Ultra Wormhole as well, and at its request,Jessie andJames sends outMimikyu andMareanie to join them. As all of Alola's power makes it through the Ultra Wormhole, Lunala adds in some of its own. Necrozma receives the power and glows as it separates from Nebby, who collapses. Necrozma reassembles itself, but it is enraged and charges towards the Ultra Guardians, firing another Prismatic Laser.
Back in Alola, the island kahunas use their Z-Moves to send Z-Power into the Ultra Wormhole. Back with Necrozma, it creeps up towards the Ultra Guardians, when it receives the Z-Power and turns its attention to Nebby and Lunala. Gladion boardsSilvally and has it fireAir Slash to distract Necrozma from Nebby and Lunala. Lunala calls out to Gladion and throws him aLunalium Z. Mallow and Ash run to Nebby's side and feed it aSitrus Berry, allowing it to recover. At Gladion's request, Ash equips hisZ-Power Ring with hisSolganium Z and asks Nebby to lend him its power again. As Necrozma approaches, Ash and Gladion stand side by side with Nebby and Lunala behind them and charge up their Z-Moves, hitting Necrozma with a combination ofSearing Sunraze Smash andMenacing Moonraze Maelstrom. Necrozma's body changes from black to shining gold as the parts split up and reassemble, held together by light in a draconic appearance; Necrozma is finally restored to itsoriginal form.
The Ultra Guardians all gaze in awe of Ultra Necrozma and report the mission's success to Lusamine, Burnet, and Wicke as the eclipse in Alola comes to an end. Ultra Necrozma then uses its power to restore the world, bringing light back into it and revitalizing the floral life. The Ultra Guardians marvel at the restored state of the world as Poipole dances happily. Then, a call from Burnet alerts the Ultra Guardians that the Ultra Wormhole is about to close. However, Poipole decides to remain behind, wanting to help protect its world. Ash shares a tearful goodbye with Poipole before leaving. Poipole holds back its tears and starts drawing an image on the sand, which is revealed to be an image of Ash andPikachu's faces with thunderbolt shapes next to them. Mallow states that Poipole is saying "Like, Like, Love" to them and Ash says it right back to Poipole as the Ultra Guardians wave goodbye before they go through the Ultra Wormhole and arrive back in Alola. Team Rocket see it as their chance to capture Nebby and Lunala, but Bewear carries them away before they can. Then, Ultra Necrozma appears as a golden light in Alola's sky for all to see before slowly dissipating.
Sometime later at thePokémon School, Kukui has his coat buttoned up and greets the class lazily with a depressing aura. The class is fearful that theUltra Aura drain might have happened again, but Kukui replies that it's just a cold, much to the class's shock. Ash decides to do the greeting again and the class, with everything they have, loudly shouts, "Alola!"
Necrozma reverts back to its normal form, thus separating from Nebby, after it gathers the light sent to it by the Ultra Guardians, their Pokémon, and all of the people and Pokémon ofAlola.
This was the last episode to air on a Thursday at 6:55 PM in Japan; starting with the following episode, new episodes aired on Sundays at 6:00 PM onTV Tokyo.
The Japanese title for this episode is a reference to the openingFuture Connection.
The three femaleTrainers with aSableye,Pikachu, andEevee, respectively, are based on the singers in the band that performs the opening Future Connection,ЯeaL.
TheWho's That Pokémon? solution segment uses an alternate music in this episode.
Unlike most episodes, the opening credits were not shown until when Future Connection was played during the flashbacks of Ash's time withPoipole near the end of the episode.
In addition, there was notitle card for this episode. Instead, the episode title was displayed on top of a scene of the episode itself.
This episode marks the first time that a character refers toMatori by name in the English dub.
The English dub of the episode was released on Amazon Video on January 30, 2019 and on the iTunes Store on February 3, 2019, ten and six days before it aired inthe United States, respectively.
Errors
The blurb for this episode on theBrazilianPokémon TV misspellsFaba's name as "Fabio" instead of "Fábio".
When Matori contactsGozu near the start of the episode, theMatori Matrix symbol on his hat is drawn with only one M.
Dub edits
In the English and international dubs, Ash additionally narrates the title of the episode instead of merely displaying it as text onscreen as in the Japanese version. In the New Zealand TVNZ andBrazilian Portuguese Cartoon Network broadcasts, the title is not displayed on-screen.
In the English and international dubs, instrumental music plays during the Poipole flashbacks instead ofFuture Connection. In addition, the credits that accompany them are completely removed, leaving only the ones that play during the normal 30-second ending theme animation at the end of the episode.
TheKorean dub plays the opening theme and animation at the start of the episode.
