The Dealer of Destruction! (Japanese:破壊の帝王グズマ！Emperor of Destruction Guzma!) is the 115th episode ofPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 1,054th episode of thePokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on March 31, 2019 and in the United States on August 3, 2019.
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Professor Kukui has announced the formation of the Alola Pokémon League, and the excitement is overwhelming! Ash and friends want to enter, but someone else is determined to keep the event from launching—Guzma, the mysterious and menacing leader of Team Skull. He confronts Professor Kukui, vowing to destroy the Pokémon League, and Ash takes the opportunity to challenge him to a battle. Guzma’s Golisopod holds its own against Pikachu, but when it suddenly returns to its Poké Ball, the match ends, and Guzma returns to Team Skull’s base. Just what is the relationship between Guzma and Professor Kukui, and will the Alola Pokémon League become a reality?
At Aether Paradise, a crowd and members of the press have gathered, withProfessor Burnet welcoming Ash and his classmates. The press conference begins, during which Professor Kukui announces the first-everAlolanPokémon League, in which the winner of thetournament will become Alola's first-everChampion. The press conference is broadcast live across theregion and observed by people all over Alola, includingGladion andTeam Rocket. The trio starts dreaming about the possibilities achievable through winning a championship, like giving the entire archipelago as a gift tothe Boss.
Back at Aether Paradise, Kukui presents the crowd withisland kahunasHala,Nanu,Olivia, andHapu, as well asLusamine of theAether Foundation, who have agreed to support his idea. The kahunas mention the custom of theisland challenge and how it once included a now-abandoned tradition in which those who cleared all four grand trials must climb to the summit ofMount Lanakila and battle each other there, before explaining that Professor Kukui decided to revive that tradition in a form that anyone can participate in. Lusamine reveals that the Aether Foundation is building thePokémon League stadium a short distance away from Aether Paradise.
After the press conference ends, both Ash andKiawe immediately decide to join the League. When Principal Oak asks the rest of Ash's classmates if they want to join too,Lana is quick to accept, and Sophocles also shows interest due to hisnewly evolvedVikavolt. Mallow also encouragesLillie to join, reminding her of the successfulDouble Battle she hada while back, though both girls are uncertain about participating.
AtPo Town onUla'ula Island,Team Skull Grunts are spending time at theShady House whenPlumeria enters and announces the return of their boss,Guzma, who steps in through the front door, much to the Grunts' excitement. While Guzma asks everyone how they are doing,Tupp,Rapp, andZipp rush in, informing Guzma about the announcement of the Pokémon League. They turn on aTV and go to a report about Kukui's League announcement. The same report is also being watched by Ash, Kukui, and Burnet at Kukui's house onMelemele Island. Ash asks Kukui if he thinks the Masked Royal is going to participate in the League, and Kukui hastily explains that because the Masked Royal is a mysterious character, he can't be sure. Regardless of that, Ash swears to start training for the League the next day. At the Shady House, Team Skull observes the interviews for each of the island kahunas regarding their thoughts about the Pokémon League. Plumeria asks Guzma what he wants to do, and he declares that he is going to destroy the Pokémon League. He then tells his minions that they are going to Melemele Island.
The next day, Ash and histeam begin running along the beach as part of their training. Meanwhile, inHau'oli City, Team Rocket notices a poster about the Pokémon League and decides to start training for it as well. Just then, Tupp, Rapp, and Zipp arrive, mocking the trio and performing their introduction rap. Not wanting to be outdone, Team Rocket performs a rap version of their ownmotto, leavingJames andMeowth momentarily exhausted. While both trios prepare to battle, Guzma steps in and says that he will deal with the Team Rocket trio himself, saying that it will be a good warm-up for Kukui. He tells them to come at him all at once, swearing to destroy them. Soon enough, Team Skull exits the scene, while a defeated Team Rocket lies on the ground in their wake.Bewear then emerges from a nearby concrete pipe, scoops up Team Rocket, and runs away.
At the Pokémon School, Kukui is in the middle of explaining the Pokémon League to his class when Team Skull starts calling to him from the schoolyard, telling him to come talk to them. He goes down and tells them to save their talk for later, but his attitude changes when he recognizes Guzma. Ash and his classmates follow Kukui to the schoolyard, and Plumeria tells them they can witness the match between Kukui and Guzma. Guzma emphasizes that he is not going to battle Kukui, but rather destroy him. He goes on to call the island challenge and island kahunas outdated customs and adds that a Pokémon League is just as unnecessary, as he already considers himself the strongest Trainer around. Kukui asks why he won't just join the League to prove his strength, but Guzma shoots down the idea. He swears to destroy the League if Kukui doesn't back down. Kukui refuses, noting that Guzma hasn't changed at all. Ash then steps in and asks Guzma to have a battle with him. Guzma notices Ash'sZ-Power Ring, and Ash tells him that he has cleared all four grand trials. Ash instantly reminds Guzma of Kukui, so he accepts his challenge. Kukui tries to talk to Ash, but he asks Kukui to leave this to him, which he agrees to, saying that he will act as thereferee. Guzma swears to destroy Ash, but Kukui tells Guzma not to underestimate him.
As the two prepare to battle, Ash chooses Pikachu, while Guzma sends outGolisopod.Rotom scans Golisopod and gives Ash itsPokédex entry, noting that Pikachu has thetype advantage over hisBug/Water-type opponent. However, once Kukui starts the battle, Guzma immediately calls for aFirst Impression, dealing the first blow to Pikachu. Ash has Pikachu useIron Tail, but the attack is ineffective against Golisopod's diamond-hard armor. Guzma orders aPin Missile barrage, which Pikachu counters withElectroweb before usingThunderbolt. However, Golisopod deflects the normallysupereffectivemove, much to Ash and Rotom's surprise. Ash decides to put the results of histraining to use and performs Corkscrew Crash with Pikachu. However, Golisopod blocks and deflects the Z-Move with its armor-plated hands, surprising everyone. Guzma then orders Golisopod to useLiquidation, striking Pikachu while he is still reorienting himself. Ash has Pikachu useQuick Attack, but Golisopod retaliates with aPoison Jab,poisoning Pikachu in the process. Pikachu attacks with Iron Tail, but gets stopped in his tracks by a volley of Pin Missiles from Golisopod. Despite the poison and the numerous hits, Pikachu is still able to stand up. Ash orders a Quick Attack, and this time, Pikachu dodges the incoming Poison Jab and strikes Golisopod's unarmored underside, causing the tall Bug type to flinch.
Although Pikachu is getting weaker as the battle wages on, he still refuses to stay down, much to Guzma's irritation. Pikachu and Golisopod stare at each other for a moment, until Golisopod suddenly turns and uses itsEmergency ExitAbility to return to itsPoké Ball, surprising Ash and Pikachu. Guzma says that Golisopod deemed Ash so weak that it lost all interest, irritating Ash. Kukui asks if Guzma is throwing the match, and he responds that he has no interest in continuing a battle with an obvious outcome. Ash protests that he can't say that for sure unless he finishes the battle, but Guzma dismisses him. Ash's attention then turns to Pikachu, who collapses from the effects of the poison. Kiawe tosses Ash aPecha Berry, which he gives to Pikachu to heal his poison. Plumeria tells Ash that he should join Team Skull, but he rejects the suggestion without a second of hesitation. Guzma declares that he will destroy the Pokémon League while all of Alola is watching, but Kukui then steps in and asks Guzma if he's going to just run away again, just like he did with the island challenge. Guzma and Kukui glare at each other for a while, until Guzma says that he almost let himself be thrown off again and that Ash made him change his mind about destroying Kukui. He and the rest of Team Skull then turn around and walk away.
Later, back at the Shady House, Tupp asks Plumeria where Guzma is, and she replies that he's upstairs in his room making plans for the destruction of the upcoming Pokemon League. Upstairs, Guzma recalls Kukui's words about running away, and punches the wall in front of him in frustration.
The English dub was released onPrime Video on July 24, 2019, onGoogle Play on July 25, 2019, and on theiTunes Store on July 26, 2019, ten, nine, and eight days before the episode aired inthe United States, respectively.
Wobbuffet's cries from theDare da? segment merge into its cry in the episode proper, right whenTeam Rocket is defeated by Guzma.
For an unknown reason, Wobbuffet has a white outline around his body during the segment.
There is no dialogue during the first part of the Dare da? segment, aside fromPikachu.
Team Rocket performs theiroriginal motto against Team Skull after the latter's rap.
This is the first time the Team Rocket trio has fought directly against the leader of anothervillainous team.
While it is watchingProfessor Kukui's speech at his house,Lycanroc's ear is colored white like its mane.
In theGerman dub, the episode title was translated incorrectly from the English one. The word "dealer" has literally been translated as "Händler", which has the wrong meaning, as it means salesman in German. As such, the episode's German dub title translates to "The salesman of destruction!".
Dub edits
The Japanese text depicting Corkscrew Crash's name is edited out in thedub.
