A Mission of Ultra Urgency! – Pokémon Season 21, Episode 18

Plot episodeFirst Ultra Guardians missionAsh catches Buzzwole

A Mission of Ultra Urgency! is the 18th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures, the twenty-first season of the Pokémon anime, and the 996th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1001, Bulbapedia code SM061). It first aired in Japan on 8 February 2018 and in the United States on 16 July 2018. It falls within the season’s The Ultra Guardians & new rivals stretch (EP61–EP69).

Premiered on Monday 16 July 2018, in Disney XD’s summer line-up of seven Monday-evening premieres (2 July – 13 August 2018).

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

On the Ultra Guardians’ first mission, the class suits up in a secret base beneath the Pokémon School and flies out on Ride Pokémon to catch a muscle-flexing Buzzwole, which Ash captures in a Beast Ball and sends home. It begins when an Ultra Wormhole opens during Laki’s filming in Melemele Meadow and a strange creature flies away. At school, Komala rings the bell frantically, and Principal Oak announces that Lusamine has warned of another Ultra Beast. Professor Kukui raises the blackboard to reveal a control panel, a hidden elevator suits the students in armoured outfits, and their Pokémon receive badges. In the base below, Lusamine’s Clefable greets them, and Lusamine, Professor Burnet and Wicke show footage of the creature, which Wicke names Buzzwole, overpowering Fighting-type Pokémon. Lusamine explains that Ultra Beasts are now treated as Pokémon and orders the team to catch it.

Clefable hands Ash a box of Beast Balls and Lillie a first-aid kit, and after practising their team call, the Guardians choose their Ride Pokémon: Garchomp for Ash, Metang for Sophocles, Flygon for Mallow, Dragonair for Lana, Altaria for Lillie and, to Kiawe’s delight, his own Charizard. The river by the school opens and the team launches into the sky. Meanwhile, Buzzwole flexes beside a lake and wrestles Bewear to a standstill before Bewear grabs Team Rocket and runs off, and a Poipole floating through the forest watches the Guardians fly overhead. Lusamine directs the team to Mahalo Trail, where Buzzwole has just drained a Snorlax’s energy. Ash runs ahead while the others revive the Snorlax with a Full Restore and Berries.

Ash finds Buzzwole still flexing. Pikachu’s Quick Attack misses, and Buzzwole punches Pikachu high into the air, right past Poipole; Pikachu’s powerful Thunderbolt fascinates the Ultra Beast, which spins happily, before Buzzwole flings Pikachu into a tree. Kiawe arrives, and when Buzzwole sizes him up and flexes, Kiawe flexes back—and Ash and Pikachu join in, to their friends’ confusion. While Buzzwole is distracted, Rotom tells Ash to throw a Beast Ball, and after a few rattles the capture is complete. Poipole then flies up to Pikachu, knocks it over and darts away. At Melemele Meadow, Burnet reopens the Ultra Wormhole, Ash releases Buzzwole, and Lusamine tells it that it can go home. The Guardians flex in farewell as Buzzwole leaves, and Lusamine declares the first mission a success.

Major Events

• The first mission. The Ultra Guardians’ first mission, with a base under the school, suits and Ride Pokémon
• Ash catches Buzzwole in a Beast Ball and sends it home
• Poipole follows Pikachu
• The first episode with the Japanese opening Future Connection and ending Twerp, Twerpette
• The first Max Potion and Full Restore
• Ash’s first catch in a special Poké Ball since Totodile
• A Thunderbirds homage
• The first Flygon since M13
• Anime debut of Buzzwole and the Beast Ball

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Buzzwole#0794 · SM061

Captures and evolutions

• Buzzwole#0794 · Ash · in a Beast Ball on the first Ultra Guardians mission, then sent home

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Aya Matsui.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Alola storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• Debut of the Japanese opening Future Connection and ending Twerp, Twerpette
• An instrumental of Under the Alolan Moon as an insert in the dub

Part of our Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon – Ultra Adventures guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.