PJ044: Sword and Shield: From Here to Eternatus!

is the 44th episode of , and of .
==Synopsis==
As Goh and Sonia unravel the mysteries of Galar’s hero legend, Leon suspects Chairman Rose is up to no good. Rose provided support for Leon as an up-and-coming Trainer, but when Leon and Ash confront him about the rampaging Pokémon, they learn that his mentorship of Leon was all part of his plan to restore the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus—otherwise known as the Darkest Day! Rose wants to use Eternatus’s limitless energy for Galar, no matter what gets destroyed in the process. As Leon prepares to catch and seal away Eternatus, Ash battles Rose; elsewhere, Goh is challenged by Rose’s secretary Oleana. Battling on different fronts, will our heroes prevail?
==Episode plot==
Sonia and Goh are battling at the Stow-on-Side mural and notice the statue depicting two knights and two Pokémon, them being Zacian and Zamazenta. One of Oleana's subordinates orders Gigantamax Garbodor to use Max Steelspike, knocking Goh's Dynamaxed Raboot down. Raboot returns with Max Knuckle, toppling Garbodor. Garbodor prepares G-Max Malodor, but Raboot uses Max Flare before Garbodor can attack, ending the battle. Oleana's subordinate returns Garbodor and runs off while Sonia compliments Goh on him winning his first Dynamax battle. Raboot returns to normal size as Sonia and Goh look on at the mysterious statue.
Ash is at Rose Tower, hopping onto his Dragonite to go find Goh in Stow-on-Side. He remembers Rose stating he would do what he could to keep the city a thousand years from now, which only confuses him. Sonia and Goh are still observing the statue while Goh notes he spotted a Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald that looked like one of the Pokémon the statue was of. He also adds that he attempted to catch the mysterious Pokémon, but his Poké Ball simply flew through it and he was encircled by the fog. The two climb the fallen rocks once hiding the statue, finding a plaque with the names Zacian and Zamazenta, the two Pokémon the statue depicts. The two begin to piece together the story of The Darkest Day, realizing that the heroes and their Pokémon overcame the event several thousand years ago and "The Darkest Day" was actually a Pokémon that Zacian, Zamazenta, and their Trainers fought. They suddenly hear more subordinates arriving, but Goh simply grabs Sonia's hand and charges straight through them, leaving the group scattered on the ground. The two quickly hop into Sonia's car and decide to head to the Slumbering Weald to ask Zacian and Zamazenta for help in stopping the Dynamaxing Pokémon. On the way the weald, Goh calls Ash on his Rotom Phone to notify him about their location change and updates him on the story behind The Darkest Day and the mysterious Pokémon they met before.
Leon walks into Hammerlocke Stadium to see the Energy Plant and walks in on panic and the reactor sparking with energy. A pillar of light bursts out from the reactor getting Ash's attention. He consults his Rotom Phone to learn that it is coming from Hammerlocke and tells Goh that he will have to contact him later. The workers around the reactor go to inform Rose, but Eternatus begins to break through its containment. Team Rocket is watching Eternatus break out, thinking they will be able to catch it and give it to Giovanni, but they are suddenly blasted off when Eternatus breaks free and sends a large gust of wind their way. The subordinates attempt to call Rose to get his approval to do something about the Pokémon, but Leon frustratedly sends out Charizard to battle Eternatus. Instead of battling, Eternatus flees by flying through a hole it made in the building's ceiling. Team Rocket spot Eternatus flying out and find a chance to capture it with Meowth launching a giant net its way. However, Eternatus easily breaks through the net and spews a beam of energy towards Meowth. Meowth is unharmed by the beam, but begins to Gigantamax, towering over his teammates. The rest of Team Rocket is first excited by Meowth's new power but are instantly afraid when Meowth begins attacking them instead of Eternatus. Ash arrives on the scene riding on Dragonite, seeing Meowth attacking Team Rocket as they order him to help with the rampaging Pokémon.
Sonia and Goh are in the Slumbering Weald, looking for Zacian and Zamazenta. Sonia looks at her Rotom Phone to see the commotion happening at Hammerlocke with a news helicopter broadcasting the incident live before Eternatus shoots a beam of energy, cutting out the broadcast. Goh begins calling for the Legendary Pokémon and they appear from the thick fog. Before Goh can reason with them, they quickly turn into the fog and disappear. They follow the two Pokémon before encountering an altar in the weald in which the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield lay. Sonia notes that the two artifacts are possibly the ones from the legend of the previous Darkest Day, so Goh puts the two in his bag and the group heads for Hammerlocke.
At Hammerlocke Stadium, Ash finds Eternatus on a rampage, blasting energy at his Dragonite and causing it to fall to the ground. Ash returns Dragonite to its Poké Ball while Leon and his Charizard quickly arrive. Chairman Rose appears and reveals to Leon and Ash that Eternatus was the Pokémon responsible for The Darkest Day and that he even named it for its powerful status. Eternatus attempts to fly free, though it is blocked by a safety barrier around the stadium they are in. He also says that he recruited strong Trainers such as Leon to catch and control Eternatus, offering Leon to catch Eternatus. Rose goes on about how Eternatus will supply the Galar region with infinite energy and that it would provide the region with resources beyond the time Galar were to run out of them. Rose explains that his father once worked in the coal mines of Galar and passed away during a work accident, but thanks to Eternatus, nobody would have to suffer like he did and resources would be provided without harm. Leon agrees to catch Eternatus, which pleases Rose at first, though Leon restates that he will only catch it in order to calm it down as it has become too much of a threat. Before Leon can catch Eternatus, it uses Dynamax Cannon to break the barrier around the stadium and flies to the top of the tower, surrounded by Galar particles.
Rose becomes disappointed with Leon, sending out his Copperajah to battle. Ash sends forward Pikachu and orders it to use Iron Tail while telling Leon to focus on catching Eternatus. Rose also sends out his Ferrothorn to which Ash responds by sending out Riolu to makes the battle a Double Battle. Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet are quickly shown still being chased by Meowth. Sonia arrives in Hammerlocke, crashing into a gate with her car as Goh calls for Raboot and the two take off. Subordinates appear before the car as Sonia faces them in order to battle. She is intimidated by the -type Pokémon, but Raihan suddenly arrives and sends out his Duraludon to help.
Goh arrives in Hammerlocke Stadium and is confronted by Oleana. She states he needs to stop Rose from his actions, though this angers Oleana and she sends out her Milotic, stating that she must protect Rose as he has worked too hard to simply let it fail. Goh seems unintimidated by her and sends forward Raboot to battle, leaving both Ash and Goh to battle the Pokémon of the Macro Cosmos.
==Debuts==
===Pokémon===
*Gigantamax Meowth (Team Rocket's)
*Copperajah (Chairman Rose's)
*Cufant (Chairman Rose's; flashback)
===Move===
*Dynamax Cannon
===Item===
*Rusted Sword
*Rusted Shield
==Trivia==
*The scene of Sonia crashing into the barrier outside Hammerlocke Stadium is changed between the trailer and the episode. In the trailer, there are Macro Cosmos employees behind the barrier who moved out the way before she crashes, but in the episode they are absent.
==Gallery==
==Notes==
Category:Episodes featuring Legendary Pokémon
Category:Episodes featuring Champions
Category:Episodes featuring a main character's Pokémon learning a new move
Category:Episodes featuring Dynamax Pokémon