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| Season | Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon (Season 20) · Classmates & the first trials arc (SM005–SM010) |
| Episode | Season 20, episode 7 · English episode 942 · Japanese episode 947 · Bulbapedia code SM007 |
| English title | That’s Why the Litten is a Scamp! |
| Japanese title | 市場の風来坊ニャビー！ Ichiba no Fūraibō Nyabī! — “The Vagabond in the Market, Nyabby!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 15 December 2016 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 17 May 2017 · Disney XD |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Alola!! – Satoshi (Rica Matsumoto) with Pikachu (Ikue Ōtani) · Pōzu (Pose) – Taiiku Okazaki |
| English opening | Under the Alolan Sun – Jannel Candrice and The Sad Truth (featuring Ben Dixon and the Vestigial Horns) |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Persian (Alola Form) (US) |
| Previous episode | A Shocking Grocery Run! (SM006) |
| Next episode | Lillie’s Egg-xhilarating Challenge! (SM008) |
Plot episodeLitten and Stoutland
That’s Why the Litten is a Scamp! is the 7th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, the twentieth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 942nd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 947, Bulbapedia code SM007). It first aired in Japan on 15 December 2016 and in the United States on 17 May 2017. It falls within the season’s Classmates & the first trials stretch (EP5–EP10).
Premiered at 12:00 a.m. on 17 May 2017, during Disney XD’s week of daily premieres (SM003–SM010, 13–20 May 2017), with a repeat at 4:00 p.m.; the UK had shown it on 20 April and Canada on 29 April.
Synopsis
Ash tries to befriend a stray Litten that steals food around town, and discovers that it is caring for an elderly Stoutland in an abandoned house. On the way to school Ash meets the Litten again; when he offers it half of his croquette sandwich, it takes the whole thing. Ash grabs its tail and gets Fury Swipes, and Pikachu’s Thunderbolt hits Ash by accident. Litten escapes into a garden, where an Alolan Persian bullies it and takes the dropped sandwich; when Litten answers with Ember, the Persian throws the sandwich into the flames and Litten has to flee. At school Mallow and Lana think the Litten is cute, Sophocles says it dislikes people, and Kiawe reports that it steals Berries in the market. Ash announces that he will catch it. Later, in the market, Litten snatches the last piece of fruit from Team Rocket’s snack and drives off Meowth’s Fury Swipes with Ember.
Ash and Professor Kukui chase the Litten until Anela, a kindly stallholder, calms Ash and gives Litten a Berry, though she does not know where it lives. Litten carries the Berry to an abandoned house, where it shares it with an old Stoutland that is teaching it how to attack. That night Litten dreams of a dark path and three shadowy figures, of flying on Stoutland’s back, and of falling into a pit, and wakes up worried. The next day the Persian corners Litten on a cliff. Ash confronts it, Rotom identifies it as an Alolan Persian, and Pikachu’s Thunderbolt drives it off. The injured Litten bites Ash and uses Ember when he tries to carry it, until he realises it is guarding its Berry, and he takes it to the Pokémon Center. Fitted with a protective collar, Litten refuses to wear it and escapes with the Berry.
Ash chases it past Kiawe and Charizard until the collar stops Litten squeezing through a fence, and he takes it home for the night and removes the collar at dinner, wishing it would trust him. Late at night Litten slips out with its Berry, and Ash follows it to the old house, where he finds Stoutland asleep, apologises and promises to leave Litten alone. Suddenly the Persian attacks, and when it goes for Stoutland, Ash shields the old Pokémon and is scratched. Stoutland urges Litten on, and Litten gathers fire along its back and fires a far bigger Ember, driving the Persian away. Ash says goodbye and promises to come back with food, but the next day the house is empty. In the market, Anela reassures him and sets down a piece of fruit; Litten appears, takes it, and runs off, having found a new home.
Major Events
- Litten and Stoutland. Ash meets the stray Litten and the elderly Stoutland it feeds
- Litten’s Ember drives off an Alolan Persian
- Ash decides not to catch Litten
- Music from Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade in Litten’s dream
- Anime debut of Alolan Persian
Trivia
- The English title plays on the song “The Lady Is a Tramp”, for the stray Litten.
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Alola storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- Music from Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade plays during Litten’s dream
- The dub plays an instrumental of Under the Alolan Sun in the final market scene
Part of our Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.