SM139

Enter the Champion! (Japanese: 誕生！アローラの覇者！！ Birth! The Alola Champion!!) is the 139th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 1,078th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on September 15, 2019, and in the United States on January 18, 2020.
==Blurb==
As the Alola Pokémon League races toward the finish line, Gladion and Zoroark unleash the Z-Move Never-Ending Nightmare against Pikachu. But Pikachu stops in its tracks to meet the threat head-on with Breakneck Blitz: a strategy that’s pure Ash! The clash of Z-Moves leaves both Pokémon unable to battle, and Ash and Gladion both respond by sending out their Lycanroc for the final stretch of the match. The two Lycanroc battle to new levels of intensity, ending with a Counter-versus-Counter showdown—and a momentous, hard-earned win for Ash!
At long last, our hero is crowned the Champion of the first-ever Alola Pokémon League!
==Plot==
 and continue their Manalo Conference finals . uses , but counters with . Gladion follows up with , and Pikachu uses to block it. Zoroark then uses Shadow Claw, eventually striking its foe. Pikachu dusts himself off in time to leap upwards to evade another Night Daze, but Zoroark lashes him with Shadow Claw as he descends towards the field. Gladion sees an opening and activates his Z-Power Ring to have Zoroark unleash the . The Z-Move plunges the arena into darkness and a multitude of eerie hands emerge from the ground towards Pikachu. Ash tells Pikachu to try and outrun them with , but it becomes clear that there's too many hands to avoid. Realizing Pikachu can't escape Never-Ending Nightmare, Ash decides to counter with a Z-Move of his own. Using , Pikachu rushes through the wall of hands and strikes Zoroark. Gladion's Z-Move still connects, resulting in a large explosion that knocks both Pokémon out, leaving Ash and Gladion with one Pokémon each remaining. After recalling their Pokémon, they return to their places and glare at each other. Ash compliments Gladion for being in perfect sync with Zoroark, while Gladion admits only Ash would be able to break through his Z-Move like that. Just then, the two boys burst into laughter, taking the audience by surprise. Ash soon catches his breath and tells Gladion that this was their best battle yet, with Gladion agreeing.
With that, the two sides decide to settle an old score, both sending out their as their final Pokémon. Ash and Gladion both start off with , canceling each other's efforts out. Ash orders his to use , which Gladion's Lycanroc intercepts with before punching Ash's away. Gladion then goes for another Stone Edge, which Ash's Lycanroc evades by running alongside the attack, then goes to use . Ash orders his Lycanroc to stop as he sees it readying another Counter. Gladion switches tactics and orders a new Stone Edge, though Ash's Lycanroc dodges it. Ash orders his Lycanroc to charge ahead and continue attacking. It dodges an oncoming Stone Edge and prepares to lash its opponent with an Accelerock. Gladion orders another Stone Edge, though Ash's Lycanroc jumps on top of the boulders and manages to hit Gladion's. Gladion's Lycanroc grins as it uses Counter to deliver an uppercut to Ash's Lycanroc, who is unable to dodge because of its momentum.
As both Lycanroc take heavy blows but continue to fight on, Gladion orders his Lycanroc to boost its power with , then follow up with . Ash's Lycanroc uses Stone Edge, but Gladion's Lycanroc smashes right through it with its Outrage. As Gladion's Lycanroc confronts Ash's, it is suddenly overcome by the Outrage's after-effects of . Ash orders Lycanroc to use Bite, but Gladion's Lycanroc snaps out of its confusion after biting on its own paw, and it lands a hit with Counter. Gladion admits that he developed the confusion-snapping strategy to avoid calamity during a heated battle, much to Ash's astonishment.
Gladion calls for Stone Edge, while Ash has his Lycanroc chomp through the obstacles. Gladion's Lycanroc repeats its attack, prompting Ash's Lycanroc to use Accelerock to break through. It then charges at Gladion's Lycanroc, who immediately uses Counter. As it takes the blow, Ash has Lycanroc use its own Counter, which sends Gladion's Lycanroc to the stadium wall, defeating it in the process. Kukui declares Gladion's Lycanroc to be unable to battle and announces that the winner is Ash, making him the first official Alola League . Ash is left speechless by the result, though Gladion affirms that Ash has indeed won the tournament and shakes his hand to congratulate him. Gladion suggests they battle again sometime, and Ash agrees to it.
Meanwhile, an underground is surprised to see that Ash has won the League. Jessie then asks James if their mecha is finished; James puts on the final bolt and confirms it. The trio cheers as they prepare to plunder the League of every single Pokémon, etching their names into the history of Alola. Elsewhere, at Bewear's den, the robot is completely destroyed, while and are nowhere to be seen.
At night, the awards ceremony takes place, with disappointed that Kukui isn't there to see Ash's big moment. The Masked Royal steps onto the stage, gives Ash his trophy, and congratulates him on becoming Champion. Ash thanks him and adds that he is excited for tomorrow's exhibition match. Just then, Wicke detects an Ultra Wormhole signal directly over Manalo Stadium. The wormhole appears and expands, before an emerges from it. The creature crashes into the stadium field below and reveals itself to be a , much to Ash's alarm.
==Major events==
* is revealed to have obtained a Ghostium Z.
* and Gladion's battle ends in Ash's victory, making him the winner of the Manalo Conference and the first of Alola.
* A appears from an Ultra Wormhole, interrupting the awards ceremony.
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* 
* 
* 
* Samson Oak
* 
* 
* 
* Hala
* Olivia
* Nanu
* Hapu
* Wicke
* 
* Ilima
* Acerola
* Hau
* Mina
* Caster
* Crowd
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international), () (Japan)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (; flashback)
* (; )
* ()
* ()
* ('s; Sandy)
* (; Ride Pokémon)
* ()
* (; Alolan form)
* ('s; Alolan form; Snowy)
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ('s; Mimey)
* (; flashback)
* (; )
* (; flashback)
* ()
* (; ; flashback)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (Trainer's)
* (anime)
* ()
==Trivia==
* Poké Problem: The last standing in today's battle is...?
** Host 
** Choices: Gladion's Lycanroc, , Ash's Lycanroc, 
** Answer: Ash's Lycanroc
* The English dub was released on the iTunes Store in on January 12, 2020, six days before the episode aired in .
* The opening animation is updated to include Ash's Melmetal.
* Type: Wild is used as an insert song when and reminisce about the history of the rivalry between their respective .
** This marks the first time Type: Wild has been used as an insert song since Battling a Thaw in Relations!, 424 episodes prior.
* This episode marks Ash's first victory against Gladion.
* This episode marks the first time that Ash has won a Pokémon League Conference, as well as the first time he has won a game-original .
* This episode has a number of similarities to Down to the Fiery Finish!, the previous time Ash reached the finals of a League Conference:
** Ash's final Pokémon has a unique form.
** The setting takes place in a newly constructed stadium.
** His opponent is a recurring rival whom Ash had yet to defeat once.
** The awards ceremony is interrupted by a major Pokémon attack.
* This episode features the following flashbacks of Ash's Lycanroc and Gladion's Lycanroc:
** Ash's battling Gladion's Lycanroc in A Glaring Rivalry!.
** Ash's Rockruff evolving into Dusk Form Lycanroc in Rising From The Ruins!.
** Ash's Lycanroc battling Gladion's Lycanroc in Showdown on Poni Island!.
* This episode first aired just under a week shy of the twentieth anniversary of Ash's first Pokémon League victory.
** Also, Ash's League victories both take place in a setting that consists of a tropical archipelago featuring regional forms of Pokémon and is overseen by a team of four primary Trainers that must be battled in the lead-up to the main competition. However, unlike the Orange Crew, the island kahunas are not necessarily required to be battled in order to qualify for entry.
* During the Japanese Who's That Pokémon? segment, a more serious theme, based on There's Trouble!, is used instead of the normal title card jingle.
* , Jessie, James, and all narrate the preview for the next episode.
* This episode's English dub title is a reference to the 1973 martial arts action film . This was also used for the title of a previous episode. Coincidentally, both episodes feature Ash winning a Pokémon League.
* Exactly a year after this episode aired, a celebration known as "" began to annually celebrate the anniversary of Ash's first League Conference victory.
* This episode marks the final physical appearance of Ilima, Acerola, and Mina.
===Errors===
* In the dub, (Dança das Espadas) is incorrectly referred to as Dança de Espadas.
===Dub edits===
* The Japanese texts depicting and 's names are edited out in the dub.
==In other languages==
139
Category:Pokémon League episodes
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Gladion
Category:Milestone episodes
Category:Episodes written by Jun'ichi Fujisaku
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Kazuaki Mōri
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Kazuaki Mōri
Category:Episodes directed by Kazuaki Mōri
Category:Episodes animated by Rei Yamazaki
Category:Episodes in which a Mythical Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which an Ultra Beast appears
de:Ein neuer Champ!
es:EP1082
fr:SL139
it:SL139
ja:SM編第139話
zh:宝可梦 太阳＆月亮 第139集