SM100

Battling the Beast Within! (Japanese: 風を断つ稲妻！その名はゼラオラ！！ The Lightning Bolt that Severs the Wind! Its Name is Zeraora!!) is the 100th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 1,039th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on December 9, 2018 and in the United States on March 30, 2019.
==Blurb==
While battling Tapu Koko, Ash and Pikachu suddenly find themselves in an unfamiliar place inhabited by a menacing Ultra Beast known as Guzzlord! Guzzlord’s power is fearsome, but a mysterious man named Dia—accompanied by the Mythical Pokémon Zeraora—comes to our heroes’ aid. Ash wants to help Dia reclaim his home from Guzzlord’s destructive wrath, but after Dia defeats Ash in a test battle, our hero relents. He and Pikachu must return to their own home, but how? Dia offers them shelter for the night, but on the way, they discover an abandoned Pokémon School! What could all of this mean?
==Plot==
 wakes up and finds , , and her outside, performing yoga on their surfboards. Burnet explains that it has been a while since the pair recharged. Kukui asks Ash to look at the beautiful scenery and consider the idea that it only exists because of a balance between people, nature, and Pokémon. Ash promptly joins Kukui and Burnet in their meditation session. As the group performs some deep breathing exercises, watches on from the shore.
Later, as Ash is running to the Pokémon School, he and suddenly encounter Tapu Koko. Ash asks if it would like to battle him in preparation for his upcoming Poni Island grand trial. Instead, the Pokémon remains silent and flies into the nearby forest. Following 's insistence, the group follows Tapu Koko to a clearing. Tapu Koko officiates the challenge and transforms the area with . Ash accepts the conditions and has Pikachu rush towards Tapu Koko with . However, Tapu Koko dodges the attack and retaliates with . Pikachu evades the move and uses . Tapu Koko counters the attack with its . As the two Electric attacks collide into a large mass of electricity, a in another dimension uses its own attack. The simultaneous attacks open up a rift, which transports Ash and Pikachu to an unknown place while Rotom and Ash's bag remain behind.
Ash and Pikachu wake up in a desert with scattered rubble throughout. Ash calls out to Rotom and Tapu Koko and gets no response. He pulls Pikachu's face only to receive a Thunderbolt, and Ash soon realizes that they are not in a dream. Pikachu and Ash soon decide to investigate the rumbling noises nearby and enter a dilapidated building. The pair narrowly avoid being hit by a large piece of debris and soon spot a mysterious large Pokémon, . Ash walks over, hoping to get a closer look. In the process, he accidentally kicks a rock which makes a sound that alerts Guzzlord to the pair's presence. Guzzlord smashes its tail, then turns around and lets out a frightening cry. Ash and Pikachu watch in shock as Guzzlord consumes a large piece of debris, but are soon forced to run as Guzzlord chases them. Ash and Pikachu make their way up onto another level and reach a dead end as Guzzlord smashes its way through to reach them. Ash has Pikachu unleash a Thunderbolt, but to his surprise Guzzlord simply eats the attack. With this mouthful, Guzzlord is able to use at the pair, before following up with , which they barely avoid. Ash tries to use his Z-Power Ring, but it doesn’t seem to work. Guzzlord continues to approach Ash and Pikachu, readying its claw hand to grab them.
Suddenly, a arrives on the scene and has use to smack Guzzlord's claw out of the way. Pikachu and Ash look up to see Zeraora as it returns to the ground. Zeraora follows up with , which temporarily paralyzes Guzzlord, thus allowing Ash, Pikachu, the Trainer, and Zeraora to flee. The Trainer leads everyone down a ventilation pipe, and demands that Ash and Pikachu keep quiet to remain undetected by Guzzlord. The group soon arrives at a safe area, with Zeraora giving the all-clear. Ash formally introduces himself, and his rescuer introduces himself as and his Pokémon as Zeraora. Ash turns his attention to Zeraora and adds that he was impressed by its move, Plasma Fists. Zeraora remains stoic and turns its back on Ash to avoid further questions. Instead, Ash notices Zeraora's tail and goes onto grab it, only to receive a warning Thunderbolt in return. Dia demands to know how Ash reached the restricted area. Ash replies that he was simply battling Tapu Koko when he and Pikachu found themselves faced with Guzzlord. Dia adds that Guzzlord is an Ultra Beast.
In a flashback, Dia explains that Guzzlord appeared one day and began to eat everything in sight, reducing the once thriving city to the Ultra Ruin of today. An Ultra Beast fighting squad called the Ultra Rangers attempted to fight Guzzlord, but their efforts proved useless. Afterwards, the Ultra Rangers and the land's citizens abandoned the area, while only Dia and Zeraora remained. Dia explains that he remained because he still remembers when the area was thriving with people and Pokémon. Ash offers to assist, but Dia says that Ash will just hold him back. Ash explains that he is part of the Ultra Guardians, but Dia says he hasn't heard of them before and dismisses the organization as a child's game. Infuriated by Dia's criticisms, Ash demands a battle to prove himself and Dia despondently agrees to the match.
Dia requests that Ash make the first move. Ash obliges and has Pikachu perform Quick Attack. Zeraora replies with its own Quick Attack. As the two attacks clash, a bolt of lightning rises into the sky and neither side seems injured. Pikachu tries an , but the attack is overwhelmed by Zeraora's Close Combat. Ash calls for an , and it ensnares Zeraora. As Pikachu is about to unleash a Thunderbolt, Zeraora es its way out of the web and follows up with Plasma Fists. Despite Ash's warning, Pikachu is unable to leap out of harm's way and is defeated.
Pikachu has since recovered, but Dia demands that Ash return home. Ash concedes and asks how he is supposed to get home. Dia replies that he'll organize the Ultra Rangers to pick Ash up the next day. Ash is surprised and then learns that Dia is a former member of the group. Dia invites Ash over to his base, noting that Guzzlord makes camping outside too dangerous. As the group make their way to the base, Ash and Pikachu's stomachs begin to grumble from hunger. To keep them quiet, Dia throws Ash some emergency rations to feed Pikachu. Soon, the group arrives at Dia's base, but Ash is perplexed by the ruined building's remarkable resemblance to the Pokémon School.
==Major events==
* and have another rematch with , but the is interrupted when Ash and Pikachu are transported to the Ultra Ruin.
* Ash encounters a .
* Ash meets a named and his partner, .
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* 
====Pokémon debuts====
* 
=====TV episode debuts=====
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* 
* Ultra Rangers (flashback)
* Security Guard (flashback)
* Citizens (flashback)
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* ()
* ('s)
* ('s)
* (Ultra Rangers'; flashback)
* (Ultra Rangers'; Alolan form; flashback)
* (Ultra Rangers'; flashback)
* (Ultra Rangers'; flashback)
* (Ultra Rangers'; flashback)
* (Trainer's; flashback)
* (Trainer's; flashback)
* (Trainer's; flashback)
* (Trainer's; flashback)
* (Trainer's; flashback)
* ()
* (; )
* (; debut)
* (×2)
* 
* (×3)
* 
* (; ×5)
* (×2)
* (×2)
* (Alolan form; ×3)
* (multiple; flashback)
==Trivia==
* Poké Problem: A rare Pokémon appears in today's episode. What is it?
** Host: 
** Choices: , , , 
** Answer: Zeraora
* During the title card sequence, a more serious theme, based on There's Trouble!, is used instead of the normal title card jingle.
* This episode marks the first time Ash's Pikachu has lost an official Trainer battle in Pokémon the Series: Sun and Moon.
* At the beginning of the episode, wears a T-shirt bearing a picture of the Surfing Pikachu.
* During 's flashbacks, a greatly resembling Ash, with many elements also taken from , is shown.
* This episode marks the first time is used in the , despite the move having existed since Generation IV.
* Ash, , and narrate the preview for the next episode.
* The English dub title is a reference to the 1982 horror film loosely based on , .
** A similar English dub title was used previously with Battling the Enemy Within!.
* Ash and Dia read the Who's That Pokémon? segment in the English dub.
File:SM100 Surfing Pikachu reference.png|Ash's Surfing Pikachu T-shirt
File:Ultra Ruin past Litten.png|The Red/Ash lookalike
===Errors===
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
100
Category:Episodes written by Shōji Yonemura
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Kaori Higuchi
Category:Episodes directed by Junya Koshiba
Category:Episodes animated by Noriko Itō
Category:Episodes animated by Taki Yatagi
Category:Episodes by multiple animation directors
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which a Mythical Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which an Ultra Beast appears
Category:Episodes in which an alternately colored Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Pikachu
de:Die Bestie im Inneren!
es:EP1043
fr:SL100
it:SL100
ja:SM編第100話
zh:宝可梦 太阳＆月亮 第100集