SM052

← SM051 : Family Determination!

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

SM053 : Rescuing the Unwilling! →

Revealing the Stuff of Legend!

SM052   EP991 日輪の祭壇！ソルガレオ降臨！！ The Altar of the Sun! Solgaleo Descends!!

First broadcast Japan November 30, 2017 United States April 6, 2018* April 7, 2018*

English themes Opening Under The Alolan Moon Ending

Japanese themes Opening アローラ!! Ending ポーズ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 松井亜弥 Aya Matsui Storyboard 小平麻紀 Maki Kodaira Assistant director 小平麻紀 Maki Kodaira Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

Revealing the Stuff of Legend! (Japanese: 日輪の祭壇！ソルガレオ降臨！！ The Altar of the Sun! Solgaleo Descends!!) is the 52nd episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 991st episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on November 30, 2017 and in the United States on April 7, 2018.

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

Blurb

Our heroes are all gathered at the Altar of the Sunne, along with all four of Alola’s Island Guardians. Lillie and Gladion ask the Island Guardians for help to rescue their mother, Lusamine, who has been taken through an Ultra Wormhole by a mysterious Ultra Beast. After Tapu Koko and the others perform a ritual, little Nebby evolves into the mighty Solgaleo—one of the Legendary Pokémon of Alola!

At Solgaleo’s invitation, the Pokémon School students climb onto its back. With the help of a new Z-Move, Solgaleo opens an Ultra Wormhole and carries them through, off to rescue Lusamine from the Ultra Beast!

Plot

Lillie recaps the events of the last episode, in which she and Gladion made their way to Vast Poni Canyon in an effort to save their mother Lusamine. They successfully battled Kommo-o and reached the Altar of the Sunne. Her friends, including Ash and Professor Kukui, were in tow, much to Lillie's delight, concluding the flashback.

With everyone assembled, they notice Alola's four guardian deities hovering above them. Pikachu first approaches Tapu Koko, and Ash explains the situation to them. Lillie elaborates that Nebby's power to open an Ultra Wormhole would help save Lusamine, and Gladion asks if it was possible to meet Solgaleo at the Altar of the Sunne. Immediately, Tapu Koko flies over to the other guardian deities, and after a brief discussion, the quartet sends out a powerful cry and a multicolored sphere appears. Rotom explains that the island deities' Psychic, Electric, Misty, and Grassy Terrains have mixed. A beam of light descends and forms a viewing screen. Solgaleo, followed by Lunala, emerge from separate Ultra Wormholes and clash, just as in Ash's dream earlier. A Cosmog emerges from the cloud, which Mallow recognizes as Nebby.

Nebby instantly teleports the four island guardians to a location near the Pokémon School. It is revealed that Tapu Koko lured Ash and Pikachu to Nebby. The viewing screen suddenly fades. Professor Kukui tells Ash that he believes that the guardian deities, Lunala, and Solgaleo entrusted him with Nebby. Whilst Rowlet is fast asleep inside Ash's bag, something begins to glow; Rowlet hurriedly leaves Ash's bag, and Nebby floats out. Ash shows Tapu Koko the peculiar cocooned Pokémon, which soon continues its ascent into the sky. Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini begin to throw glitter and water vapor around Nebby. Gladion becomes infuriated by the delay, though Tapu Koko silences his concerns with an intense glare. Lillie reassures her older brother that the island guardians are capable and require everyone's patience. Kukui leaves the group after receiving a phone call, explaining that Professor Burnet was due to arrive. As he departs, he whispers to his Braviary still in its Poké Ball.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is climbing their way to the Altar of the Sunne after a tough match against several Jangmo-o. Upon making it there, James pulls out a book, and reveals the mysterious floating Pokémon are Alola's guardian deities, though his reference doesn't contain Cosmoem. Meowth overhears Ash and his friends' conversation, which reveals that Nebby has since evolved. The trio are still under the assumption that Nebby is a pre-evolved form of Koffing, and decide to catch it and the guardians.

Meanwhile, Burnet and her Munchlax are surrounded by a horde of Jangmo-o and Hakamo-o when Kukui arrives on the scene. He calls upon his Braviary and flies over to Burnet's side. The obstacle is cleared after one Brave Bird attack, much to Burnet's surprise. Elsewhere, Team Rocket is admiring their latest targets through a set of binoculars. Suddenly, Bewear arrives and carries Team Rocket away, jumping across to another cliff. Bewear holds the group tighter, causing them pain before releasing them. Team Rocket watch the unfolding scene in awe.

Now, the four island guardians are hovering above their respective pillars and humming in harmony. The ground begins to glow, and a light traces its way upwards and opens the Altar of the Sunne. The now opened portal beams a light directly onto Nebby, and in a light and fire spectacle, it emerges as a newly evolved Solgaleo. Rotom takes a flurry of images, and records that Cosmoem evolved into Solgaleo. Jessie notes that the evolution is cool, before she and Meowth chastise James for his wrongful claim that Nebby was an Alolan pre-evolved form of Koffing. As Ash and his friends are in awe of Solgaleo's presence, Lillie approaches Solgaleo before embracing it. Ash offers Solgaleo some candy, which it happily accepts and licks Ash with its giant yellow tongue as thanks.

Ash, Lillie, and Gladion ask Solgaleo if it can take them through the Ultra Wormhole. A Z-Crystal appears, landing in Ash's hand. The peculiarly-shaped Z-Crystal does not fit into Ash's Z-Ring, with Tapu Koko removing it from his wrist. It closes its shell with the Z-Ring inside and performs a ritual chant and dance before passing it on to Tapu Lele, followed by Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini, all of them upgrading Ash's Z-Ring into a Z-Power Ring. Ash thanks the island guardians for the upgrade, which can now fit the Solganium Z. Gladion immediately requests Solgaleo to take him through the Ultra Wormhole to rescue his mother. It appears a little startled by the forward request, before it lays flat to allow everyone to climb aboard. Kiawe commands the group to return their Pokémon to their Poké Balls before they depart.

With everyone on board, Solgaleo stands up. Tapu Koko floats over and shows Ash the Z-Move pose in several stages. A sun symbol emerges on Solgaleo's forehead, and with a roar, it becomes a bright light and performs Searing Sunraze Smash, creating an Ultra Wormhole opening for the group to float through. Team Rocket is astounded and believes rare treasures and Pokemon may be behind the portal. Out of curiosity, Jessie asks Bewear if it could jump through the portal, but it holds the trio tighter to inflict pain. Kukui and Burnet arrive at the Altar in time to see the opening closing and the guardian deities departing. Solgaleo runs through the Ultra Wormhole, while everyone holds on tightly.

Major events

Ash holding the Solganium Z

• Professor Kukui is revealed to own a Braviary.
• Nebby evolves into Solgaleo and learns Sunsteel Strike.
• Ash obtains a Solganium Z from Nebby.
• The guardian deities upgrade Ash's Z-Ring into a Z-Power Ring.
• Ash and Nebby perform Searing Sunraze Smash for the first time.
• Ash, his classmates, and Gladion enter an Ultra Wormhole with Solgaleo in search of Lusamine.

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Lana
• Kiawe
• Lillie
• Sophocles
• Mallow
• Jessie
• James
• Professor Kukui
• Gladion
• Professor Burnet

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Tapu Koko (US and international), Cosmoem (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Rotom (Rotom Pokédex)
• Rowlet (Ash's)
• Cosmoem (Ash's; Nebby; unofficial; evolves)
• Solgaleo (Ash's; Nebby; unofficial; newly evolved)
• Popplio (Lana's)
• Turtonator (Kiawe's; fantasy)
• Vulpix (Lillie's; Alolan form; Snowy)
• Togedemaru (Sophocles's)
• Steenee (Mallow's)
• Braviary (Professor Kukui's)
• Munchlax (Professor Burnet's)
• Tapu Koko (anime)
• Bewear (anime)
• Tapu Lele (anime)
• Cosmog (Nebby; flashback)
• Tapu Bulu (anime)
• Tapu Fini (anime)
• Jangmo-o (×4)
• Hakamo-o (×4)
• Solgaleo (flashback)
• Lunala (flashback)

Trivia

• Poké Problem: Protokoffing evolves in today's episode! What does it become?
  • Host: Meowth
  • Choices: Weezing, Solgaleo, Lunala, Koffing
  • Answer: Solgaleo
• During the title card sequence, a more serious theme, based on There's Trouble!, is used instead of the normal title card jingle.
• The scene where Lillie pets the newly evolved Nebby resembles a picture shown during the credits of Pokémon Sun.
• Ash, Sophocles, Mallow, Lana, and Kiawe narrate the preview for the next episode.
• The English dub was released on Prime Video on April 6, 2018, one day before the episode aired in the United States.
• Ash and his classmates read the Who's That Pokémon? segment in the English dub.
• The Japanese text depicting Searing Sunraze Smash looks very similar to the text used when using said move in the games.

Dub edits

• The Japanese text depicting Searing Sunraze Smash's names is edited out in the English dub.
• Wobbuffet's soul poking out of his mouth is removed in the English dub.

• 

  Scene from the original version

• 

  Scene edited in the English dub

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		日輪祭壇！索爾迦雷歐降臨！！
Czech		Odhalení podstaty legendy!
Danish		Legendariske afsløringer!
Dutch		Legendarische onthullingen!
Finnish		Legendan aineksia paljastamassa!
European French		La révélation d'une légende !
German		Die Enthüllung einer Legende!
Hebrew		!גילוי אגדי
Italian		La leggenda diventa realtà!
Korean		일륜의 제단! 솔가레오 강림!!
Norwegian		Legendariske avsløringer!
Polish		Odkrycie sedna legendy!
Portuguese	Brazil	Revelando a lenda!
	Portugal	A lenda em ação!
Russian		Открытие легенды!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Revelación legendaria!
	Spain	¡La revelación de una leyenda!
Swedish		En Legendarisk Upptäckt
Thai		แท่นบูชาสุริยัน! โซลกาเลโอจุติ!!
Turkish		Efsanenin Özünü Ortaya Çıkarmak!

← SM051 : Family Determination!

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

SM053 : Rescuing the Unwilling! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.