Bulbapedia

SM057

← SM056 : Let Sleeping Pokémon Lie!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM058 : Fighting Back the Tears! →
The Dex Can't Help It!
SM057.png
SM057   EP996
ロトム、フォルムチェンジが止まらない！
Rotom, Can't Stop the Form Change!
First broadcast
Japan January 11, 2018
United States May 12, 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 藤咲淳一 Jun'ichi Fujisaku
Storyboard 金崎貴臣 Takaomi Kanasaki
Assistant director 小柴純弥 Junya Koshiba
Animation directors 難波功 Isao Nanba
宮田忠明 Tadaaki Miyata
No additional credits are available at this time.

The Dex Can't Help It! (Japanese: ロトム、フォルムチェンジが止まらない！ Rotom, Can't Stop the Form Change!) is the 57th episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, and the 996th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on January 11, 2018 and in the United States on May 12, 2018.

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

Rotom Dex is excited to house-sit while Ash and the professors go shopping. But chaos ensues when a washing machine is mistakenly delivered—and there’s a Wash Rotom inside! Somehow, the Wash Rotom ends up inside Ash’s Pokédex, and Rotom Dex takes its place in the washing machine. After a series of accidental form changes, and even some time spent inside a TV, Rotom Dex yearns to be back inside the comfort of the Pokédex. It finally succeeds, but not for long—after a big shock from Pikachu, Rotom Dex accidentally inhabits the entire Pokémon Center!

Plot

Ash, Professor Kukui, and Professor Burnet prepare to leave the house to go to the local shops, while Rotom Pokédex will stay behind to look after the currently sleeping Pokémon. Rotom waves the trio goodbye and uses the opportunity to snap images of the napping Pokémon. Rotom's photography session is interrupted by the doorbell, waking Litten in the process. Rotom answers the door, finding a deliveryman and his Machoke. He is a little shocked to see Rotom and asks if anyone is home, but Rotom explains the situation. Machoke brings in a bright orange washing machine, surprising Rotom, who signs off on the delivery and closes the door. Just then, Litten and Lycanroc get into a playful fight, taking Rotom's attention and sense of peace with it. Meanwhile, the washing machine turns out to be another Rotom. Litten's Ember hits Rowlet by mistake, and Rowlet attempts to target Litten in retaliation. Instead, it attacks Pikachu, who responds to the painful awakening by shocking everyone in the room. This sends the two Rotom flying about, before knocking themselves back into the washing machine and Pokédex cover.

Ash, Kukui, and Burnet return home to see the washing machine, just as the deliveryman returns to apologize for delivering the wrong item. The deliveryman packs the washing machine back in his van and drives off. Meanwhile, Ash and the two Professors reenter the house and find Rotom's Pokédex cover lying on the floor. Kukui takes it from Ash's hands and taps on the screen, which causes the system to reboot. Rotom emerges, but refers to itself as "Wash Rotom Pokedex". Ash notices that Rotom is acting strangely, though Kukui and Burnet think nothing of it and assume it is just a symptom of the reboot.

Meanwhile, the deliveryman has brought the other Rotom to the local Pokémon Center. Rotom is confused to find itself inside a washing machine, and wonders where its Pokédex Index is. Just then, Nurse Joy places dirty laundry inside to wash it, and pokes Rotom's eyes in the process. Wash Rotom begins to shake violently, before its door opens up and bubbles fill the Center's laundry room. Rotom is sent into a panic and escapes the washing machine through a power socket, leaving Nurse Joy confused as to why her new machine doesn't work.

Rotom travels through the power wires, though it is instantly uncomfortable and thus dragged by the electric current to Lana's house. There, Harper and Sarah are talking into a fan, while Lana is busy doing the dishes. Rotom takes control of the fan and notes that he is at Lana's house. Suddenly, Sarah and Harper begin to fight over the fan. In a bid to escape, Rotom starts flying around, though this only amuses the twins, who pursue it. Eventually, the chase ends when Rotom hits a wall and exits the appliance, before again attempting to find the Pokédex by traveling through the overhead power lines.

Rotom returns to Kukui's house but finds itself stuck in the television set. It calls out, only to receive no answer, After flicking through some channels, Rotom exits the TV through a power socket, fearing its Pokédex shell was thrown in the trash. Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu, along with Wash Rotom Pokédex, are in Hau'oli City when Wash Rotom takes a picture of a mysterious Pokémon. Rotom exits a street lamp and also sees it, though it is disappointed that it cannot take a picture before being reabsorbed back into the power grid.

Rotom finds itself now attached to a lawnmower driven by one of Lillie's housemaids while she sips tea and is reading outside. When it spots Lillie, it rampages towards her, though she and Snowy flee in fear. Lillie's butler Hobbes calls on his Oricorio to perform Revelation Dance to end the pursuit. The Electric attack works, as Rotom exits the lawnmower and enters back into the power system.

Next, Rotom possesses an oven in Aina's Kitchen. It soon realizes where it is upon seeing Mallow accepting Moomoo Milk from Kiawe. Kiawe says it is strange that the restaurant ran out of milk, though Mallow explains they had many orders. She rewards Kiawe with a hot pudding, only to find Rotom's door open automatically. Mallow and Steenee inspect the puddings, only to find that they are still watery and close the door. However, its springs open again, so she closes it again. Rotom moves around to get their attention, though the act only scares Mallow and Steenee out of the kitchen. Kiawe calls out his Marowak to solve the issue, and it strikes Heat Rotom with its bone. Rotom exits the oven and into Sophocles's fridge. Hoping to get Sophocles and Togedemaru's attention, it freezes them solid with its Blizzard. Rotom escapes, just as Sophocles's mother discovers her son.

Rotom concedes that it must return to the washing machine. Ash also attends the Pokémon Center to notify Nurse Joy about his Rotom's bizarre nature. Nurse Joy is instantly reminded of her washing machine, which she points to, and the Wash Rotom Pokédex says it is nostalgic. Suddenly, Rotom enters the Center and returns to the washing machine. After the Pokédex details Rotom and its forme changes, Nurse Joy believes her washing machine may have been affected. In its excitement to see Ash again, Wash Rotom sprays a Hydro Pump. Pikachu counters with Electro Ball, though Rotom fills the room with soap suds out of fear, which Ash interprets as an attack. Ash has Pikachu use its Thunderbolt, and it shocks everyone in the process. Once again, the Rotom exit their devices, knock into each other, and reenter their original devices.

Nurse Joy starts mopping the Center clean again, while Ash knocks on his Pokédex, causing Rotom to reboot its system. Rotom is turned on and expresses delight to be back, just as the Wash Rotom starts to rattle again. Rotom explains to Ash that the two switched bodies, and he accepts the strange turn of events. Ash explains that the other Rotom had taken a picture of a rare Pokémon, though it was deleted. Fearing it may be missing out on valuable data, Rotom flies out in search of the rare Pokémon. Ash goes to pursue it, but he slips and crushes Pikachu, who shocks everyone once again. Ash finds the Pokédex shell lying on the floor again, and fears the two Rotom have switched bodies. Unbeknownst to him, Rotom instead bonded with the Pokémon Center.

Major events

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

TV episode debuts

Characters

Humans

Dare da?

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Rotom (US and international), Rotom (Wash Rotom) (Japan)

Trivia

Errors

  • When Rotom takes a picture of Lycanroc and when the other Rotom hovers over to Ash's Pokémon, the fur on Lycanroc's right cheek is colored white instead of orange.
  • When the Wash Rotom wakes up, its eyes are dark-blue like a normal Rotom instead of light-blue.
  • When Ash shows Kukui the Pokédex as he explains that something is wrong with it, Burnet's eyebrows are colored white like her hair instead of brown.
  • When Hobbes asks if Lillie is alright, the inside of Snowy's ears is colored white like its body instead of blue.
  • When Rotom tries to convince Mallow and Steenee that it's inside of the microwave, its mouth disappears briefly.
  • When Mallow runs over to Kiawe to tell him that the microwave is moving, the pink bow on her apron is colored gray like her overalls, and shortly after, her apron disappears.
  • When Kiawe sends out his Marowak, the white ring around the button on the Poké Ball is colored black.
  • In the closeup of Rotom's Pokédex entry, the stripe between the eyes of the Pokédex is colored red instead of black.
  • Rotom's miscolored eyes

    Rotom's miscolored eyes

  • Rotom's missing mouth

    Rotom's missing mouth

  • Marowak's Poké Ball error

    Marowak's Poké Ball error

Dub edits

In other languages



← SM056 : Let Sleeping Pokémon Lie!
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
SM058 : Fighting Back the Tears! →
Project Anime logo.png This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.
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