SM015: Difference between revisions

Rocking Clawmark Hill!

SM015   EP954 爪あとの丘、イワンコとルガルガン！！ The Clawed Hill, Iwanko and Lugarugan!!

First broadcast Japan February 23, 2017 United States June 24, 2017

English themes Opening Under The Alolan Sun Ending

Japanese themes Opening アローラ!! Ending ポーズ

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation directors 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane 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

Rocking Clawmark Hill! (Japanese: 爪あとの丘、イワンコとルガルガン！！ The Clawed Hill, Iwanko and Lugarugan!!) is the 15th episode of the Sun & Moon series, and the 954th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on February 23, 2017 and in the United States on June 24, 2017.

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

Blurb

Ash and Professor Kukui find the wild Rockruff who lives with them limping home, covered in scratches and burns, completely exhausted. The next night, they follow it to Clawmark Hill, where two Lycanroc keep watch over the wild Pokémon who come together to battle and train. Rockruff battles a fearsome Magmar but is defeated, and Ash offers to help it learn a new move, Rock Throw.

After some serious training with Ash and Pikachu, Rockruff returns to challenge Magmar to a rematch—and this time, it wins! After seeing how well Ash and Rockruff work together, Professor Kukui encourages him to catch it—and both Pikachu and Rockruff enthusiastically agree!

Plot

This plot summary is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this plot summary to add missing sections and complete it.

One night, Ash, Pikachu, Rotom and Professor Kukui return home but Ash notices that Rockruff is missing. As Ash puts his backpack away, Pikachu is checking through the door when Rockruff enters. Rockruff appears to be injured and Ash goes to it. Rotom explains that Rockruff is showing signs of being scraped, cut, scratched and burned. As Professor Kukui heals Rockruff with a potion, Ash wonders if Rockruff had gotten into a fight. Professor Kukui replies Rockruff was supposed to be watching the house. The next morning at the Pokémon School, Ash explains the strange happening to his classmates. Lillie suggests it would be better to put Rockruff in a Poké Ball, but Ash explains that Rockruff doesn't belong to Professor Kukui, which is a surprising fact for the classmates. Ash explains that Professor Kukui gave Rockruff some food and it came with him as Mallow suggests Rockruff is a freeloader. Lana thought Rockruff was one of Professor Kukui's Pokémon as Kiawe noticed it gets along well with the Professor. Rotom notes that Rockruff are known to get along well with humans in general. Lana now suggests Rockruff may have gotten hurt doing some special training. On the other hand, Sophocles suggests Rockruff could be close to evolving. Rotom provides information on Rockruff's evolved form Lycanroc and its Midday and Midnight Form and informs Ash when Rockruff is close to evolving, it can become more aggressive and independent.

That night, a Shellder washes up on the beach before returning to the water as Ash returns home. Rockruff greets Ash happily. Professor Kukui arrived home before Ash, having been worried about Rockruff and shows Ash the TV where footage from CCTV cameras are visible. Professor Kukui explains he set the cameras up around the room but he is worried about Rockruff looking outside the window before going out the door before returning home hours later injured. Ash wonders what Rockruff was doing outside as outside, and three Magikarp wash up on the beach before returning to the ocean. Ash and Professor Kukui head out leaving Rockruff to guard the house but don't go far and hide behind a bush. Professor Kukui brings up the footage on his phone which shows Rockruff attacking the stuffed toy that he left Rockruff. Professor Kukui is puzzled as this hasn't happened before, and, at that moment, Rockruff leaves the house and they follow it through the forest. Professor Kukui stops Ash, knowing where Rockruff is heading for. Up ahead, two Lycanroc, one a Midday Form and the other a Midnight Form call out. Many Pokémon respond to the call by coming up, including Rockruff. Ash and Professor Kukui watch from a distance as Ash notices both of the Lycanroc. Rotom finds this an interesting place. Professor Kukui explains that this is Clawmark Hill. All the Pokémon gathered watch as the two Lycanroc face off against each other. The Midday Lycanroc uses Rock Throw on the Midnight Lycanroc before using Accelerock. All the other Pokémon cheer as Midday Lycanroc uses Bite and the Midnight Lycanroc uses Counter as Professor Kukui explains that the Midnight Lycanroc prefer to take its opponents attacks before attacking back. Rotom goes forward and starts to documenting the scene by taking pictures. All the Pokémon start to test their strength with each other.

A Hariyama and Machoke compete with each other while a Golduck with a Pangoro, a Boldore and Vullaby, a Primeape and Sableye, and a Fearow and Braviary battle each other. Ash watches everything, wondering where Rockruff is before spotting Rockruff and is starting to understand the situation. Professor Kukui stops him from going to Rockruff since they need to know about Rockruff's motivation, suggesting they should watch a bit longer. A Magmar is seen using Flamethrower on a Spinda, Primeape and an Alolan Raticate before being challenged by Rockruff. Rockruff goes to attack Magmar but is hit by Fire Punch. Ash watches in horror but, Professor Kukui tells him to endure it. Magmar and Rockruff continue their fight. Rockruff takes damage and prepares to launch an attack but is hit by Flamethrower before it can execute a move. Professor Kukui notices the difference in power is clear. Rockruff Bites onto Magmar's tail but is thrown off and hit with Flamethrower which knocks Rockruff out. Magmar celebrates its victory before being challenged by a Pangoro, Ash and Professor Kukui realize they aren't fighting with each other, but are training and this is a place they shouldn't interfere. Rotom realizes Rockruff comes here to practice its moves. Later, Rockruff is heading home when it comes across Ash and Professor Kukui and greets them happily.

Major events

• Rockruff is revealed to not be Professor Kukui's Pokémon, but a wild Pokémon that he takes care of.
• Rockruff is revealed to know Tackle and Bite and learns Rock Throw.
• Ash catches Rockruff.

For a list of all major events in the anime, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

• Lycanroc (Midday and Midnight Form)

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

• Ash
• Lana
• Kiawe
• Lillie
• Sophocles
• Mallow
• Professor Kukui

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Lycanroc (Midday Form)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Rotom (Rotom Pokédex)
• Rowlet (Ash's)
• Rockruff (Ash's; new)
• Popplio (Lana's)
• Turtonator (Kiawe's)
• Togedemaru (Sophocles's)
• Bounsweet (Mallow's)
• Komala (Samson Oak's)
• Shellder
• Magikarp (×3)
• Lycanroc (×2; Midday and Midnight Form; debut)
• Sudowoodo (×2)
• Boldore (×2)
• Mankey (×2)
• Primeape (×2)
• Hariyama (×2)
• Machoke (×2)
• Golduck (×2)
• Raticate (Alola Form; ×2)
• Fearow (×2)
• Braviary (×2)
• Machop (×2)
• Sableye (×2)
• Spinda
• Pangoro (×2)
• Magmar (×2)
• Vullaby (×2)

Trivia

• Pokémon QR Code: Rockruff
• Poké Problem: Which new Pokémon will Ash catch in today's episode?
  • Host: Professor Kukui
  • Choices: Pikipek, Litten, Grubbin, Rockruff
  • Answer: Rockruff
• Jessie, James, Meowth, and Ash's Pikachu narrate the preview for the next episode.
• Alola!! is used as an insert song during this episode.
• When the English dub was released on the iTunes Store on June 25, 2017, the episode was erroneously mislabeled using the title and description of the following episode, They Might Not Be Giants!.
• Ash, Professor Kukui and Rotom do the Who's That Pokémon? in the dub.

Errors

• After Midnight Lycanroc uses Counter on Midday Lycanroc, in the next shot, Midnight Lycanroc's front rocky mane was painted red instead of brown.

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		爪印之丘，岩狗狗與鬃岩狼人！！
German		Aufruhr am Klauenhügel!
Italian		Volontà di pietra!
Latin American Spanish		¡Rockeando en la Colina Clawmark!
Thai		เนินเขาแห่งกรงเล็บ อิวังโคกับลูกาลูกัน!!

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