Top 5 best episodes from Pokemon Sun and Moon, ranked

Pokemon Sun and Moon would be the last season of the main anime before receiving a mini-reboot in the form of the Journeys series. This season of the anime featured a much more cartoony artstyle, and a more casually-paced narrative to coincide with it.

With the first and longest-running series of the anime featuring Ash and friends coming to an end in favor of the new Horizons series, many fans feel a sense of nostalgia looking back to the earlier seasons.

Here are five of the best episodes from Pokemon Sun and Moon.

Note: This article is subjective and solely based on the author's opinion.

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Top 5 best episodes from Pokemon Sun and Moon

5) A Masked Warning

This episode features more background information on Silvally and Gladion in Pokemon Sun and Moon (Image via The Pokemon Company)

In the arc of the series where Ash was learning how to better handle his Lycanroc and its many outbursts, Ash had a chance encounter with Gladion after mentioning wanting to see him around Nebby. It is in this episode that it is revealed that Silvally is an artificial Pokemon made to take down Ultra Beasts, which Nebby is one of.

This episode leads to a battle between Ash and Gladion. Ash uses his Lycanroc, while Gladion uses Silvally. The battle ends with Lycanroc getting dirty, causing it to have a meltdown, eventually calming down. This was a great episode for Gladion's character development as he opens up and begins to trust Ash.

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4) 10,000 Reasons to Fight

This episode was a big moment for Ash and Pikachu's bond in Pokemon Sun and Moon (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This episode featured a lengthy fight between Pikachu and Lusamine under the control of Nihilego. While episodes about the bond between Ash and Pikachu are not uncommon in the anime, this moment marked a huge spike in power for the duo as it marked the occasion where they learned to use the Z-Move, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt.

The Ultra Beasts ended up being some of the biggest threats the cast would face as the entire Alola arc of the anime continued. With this being one of the first encounters with an Ultra Beast in a threatening manner, it was one of the most exciting moments during the earlier episodes.

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3) The Professor's New Adventure

Professor Kukui is a much-beloved character in Pokemon Sun and Moon, so many fans appreciated seeing an episode dedicated to him and his partner (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Professor Kukui is one of the most popular characters from Pokemon Sun and Moon. Serving as a mentor for the main cast, as well as having his iconic Masked Royal persona, many fans of the anime as well as the games have grown to appreciate his character.

This episode features the wedding between Professors Kukui and Burnet. While fans of the games know the two were already married, seeing the nice ceremony for the couple animated was a nice bit of fan service for those who wanted more character development for Professor Kukui. The episode ends with a heartfelt conversation between Gladion and Ash about their future goals.

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2) A Glaring Rivalry

This episode was the first in which Gladion made an appearance (Image via The Pokemon Company)

One of the earlier episodes of the season, it featured the first time Gladion would make an appearance in Pokemon Sun and Moon. After arriving on Melemele Island, word quickly spreads of a powerful trainer with a Lycanroc and an Umbreon. Of course, this prompts Ash to eagerly wish for a battle against this trainer.

Not only does this introduce one of the most beloved characters from the games into the anime, but it also shows the sibling relationship between Lillie and Gladion, which works to humanize the typically gruff and rude trainer a bit more.

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1) Thank you, Alola! The Journey Continues

This heartfelt conclusion to the Alola chapter showed the lifelong goals for each of the members of the main cast (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The final episode of the Alolan season of the anime left on a high note. After the threats to Alola have been taken care of, many of the characters continue on journeys of their own to fulfill their personal goals, whereas, with other seasons, we are left wondering what happens to many of Ash's traveling companions.

After hearing about each of his new friends' plans for their future, Ash reflects hard on his ambitions in life and decides it is time to get serious about his dream of being a Pokemon Master. He then heads to Pallet Town to prepare for his next journey.