Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest (S18)


Season	Season 18 of the English dub · the second season of Pokémon the Series: XY, covering Japan’s Pocket Monsters XY from XY050 to XY093, with the postponed XY024
Series	XY series (ポケットモンスター XY Pocket Monsters XY, XY001–XY093 in Japan), dubbed as Pokémon the Series: XY
Region	Kalos — from the road to Coumarine City through Coumarine, back to Lumiose City, then on through Laverre City and Dendemille Town to Anistar City, with the Muraille Coast of the postponed XY024
Episodes	45, on TV and on video — XY050–XY093 and An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), postponed in Japan and held over from Season 17
First episode	Pathways to Performance Partnering! (XY050) · Japan 13 November 2014 · US 7 February 2015
Last episode	All Eyes on the Future! (XY093) · Japan 22 October 2015 · US 19 December 2015
Japanese opening themes	Mega Boruto (メガＶ（メガボルト） Mega V (Mega Volt)) – Yūsuke (XY050–XY054 and XY024) · Getta Banban (ゲッタバンバン Mad-Paced Getter) – Tomohisa Sako (XY055–XY093)
Japanese ending themes	Doridori (ドリドリ DreamDream) – Shōko Nakagawa (XY050–XY067 and XY024) · Gaogao Ōrusutā (ガオガオ・オールスター Roaring All-Stars) – Little Glee Monster (XY068–XY093)
English opening theme	Be a Hero – Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth (all 45 episodes; its instrumental is the English ending theme)
Travelling companions	Ash Ketchum & Pikachu, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie — Clemont flies ahead to Lumiose City after XY062 and rejoins the journey after their Gym battle (XY067)
Badges won	Plant Badge (Coumarine Gym, XY058), Voltage Badge (Lumiose Gym, XY067), Fairy Badge (Laverre Gym, XY074), Psychic Badge (Anistar Gym, XY093) — seven of the eight Kalos Badges by the end of the season
Other events	Serena’s Pokémon Showcases: Coumarine City (XY060), Dendemille Town (XY080, her first Princess Key) and Anistar City (XY091, her second) · the Pokémon Sky Relay (XY077), Ash’s team second
Related movies	Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (Japan 18 July 2015, between XY081 and XY082 · US TV 19 December 2015, the day of the finale) · Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (in Cartoon Network’s premiere marathon on 7 February 2015 · US DVD 17 February 2015)
Previous season	Season 17: Pokémon the Series: XY
Following season	Season 19: Pokémon the Series: XYZ

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest key art

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest is the eighteenth season of the English-language Pokémon anime and the second of the XY series, set in the Kalos region. It covers episodes XY050 to XY093 of Pocket Monsters XY, broadcast by TV Tokyo from 13 November 2014 to 22 October 2015, together with An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), the episode pulled from its April 2014 slot after the Sewol ferry disaster, which finally aired in Japan on 20 November 2014 and was held back from the dub’s Season 17 — 45 episodes in all, with nothing banned or skipped. Cartoon Network premiered the season on Saturday 7 February 2015 with Pathways to Performance Partnering! in its morning slot and a four-hour afternoon marathon that premiered Mega Evolution Special II, XY051 and XY024, and ran it on Saturday mornings until All Eyes on the Future! on 19 December 2015, the day the channel premiered Hoopa and the Clash of Ages.

With three Kalos Badges already won, Ash heads for Coumarine City, where the Grass-type Leader Ramos teaches him to look past the obvious before losing the Plant Badge to Frogadier, which had evolved from Froakie protecting the ninja Sanpei’s Greninja. Clemont flies home ahead of the group after his Luxio becomes Luxray, and back in Lumiose City Ash finally wins his friend’s Voltage Badge with Goodra’s Rain Dance and Bide, then takes Valerie’s Fairy Badge in Laverre City with Hawlucha’s new X-Scissor and Olympia’s Psychic Badge in an Anistar City Double Battle — seven Badges in all and, by Bulbapedia’s count, not one battle lost all season. Along the way he catches a frightened Goomy, which grows into Sliggoo and Goodra before he leaves it to protect its wetland home, hatches and catches Noibat, and sees Fletchinder become Talonflame in front of Moltres, while a rookie from Hoenn, Sawyer, makes Ash his model.

It is also Serena’s season. She tells her mother that she wants to be a Pokémon Performer and wins her blessing in a Skiddo race, loses her Showcase debut in Coumarine City when Fennekin trips over its ribbon, cuts her hair and changes outfit — keeping the blue ribbon Ash gave her under the Pledging Tree — and, after a day with the Kalos Queen Aria in disguise, wins Princess Keys in Dendemille Town and Anistar City with Braixen, Pancham and a newly caught Eevee. Jessie trades Pumpkaboo away and gets it back as Gourgeist, Pikachu stars in a film within the series, the Mega Evolution Specials follow Alain in parallel, and the season ends with Olympia foreseeing a crisis for Kalos and a special power for Frogadier, the lead-in to XYZ. Our complete episode guide below has a synopsis, both titles and the air dates for all 45 episodes, in the official order used on television and DVD.

45episodes — XY050 to XY093 plus XY024, the episode postponed in Japan and held over from Season 17
4Kalos Badges for Ash — Plant, Voltage, Fairy and Psychic, seven in all
0battles lost by Ash — by Bulbapedia’s count, the first season in which he goes unbeaten
4evolutions on Ash’s team: Froakie, Goomy twice and Fletchinder
16episodes from Goomy’s capture (XY055) to Goodra’s farewell (XY070)
2Princess Keys for Serena, in Dendemille Town and Anistar City

Ash and Pikachu continue their epic journey in the next exciting season of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest! While Ash continues his quest to win eight Gym badges so he can enter the Kalos League, he and his traveling companions will make new friends, forge new rivalries, and, of course, meet some brand-new Pokémon! Serena, with her partner Fennekin and new friend Pancham, will take on the Pokémon Showcase world; Clemont will continue to create inventions and hope some of them are a hit; and Bonnie, as ever, will try to find someone to take care of her big brother!

— Official description

Quick Answers

How many episodes are in Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest?

45. The season covers TV Tokyo’s XY050 to XY093, broadcast from 13 November 2014 to 22 October 2015 — XY077 and XY078 together as a one-hour special on 18 June 2015 — plus An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), postponed in Japan after the Sewol ferry disaster, aired there on 20 November 2014 and dubbed with this season. In the official order used by Cartoon Network, Bulbapedia, The Pokémon Company International’s production codes and both DVD releases, XY024 is episode 3, after XY051, and Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), held back in the US until 21 November 2015, is episode 41; English Wikipedia’s list, which older episode guides follow, numbers them 2 and 30 instead. The three Mega Evolution Specials that aired in the season’s slots are specials, not episodes, although Netflix in Asia lists them as episodes 46 to 48.

Which Badges does Ash win in XY Kalos Quest?

Four, taking him to seven of the eight Kalos Badges. In the Coumarine Gym, inside a giant tree, Frogadier wears its frubbles as a mask against Weepinbell’s Poison Powder and beats Ramos’s Gogoat with Aerial Ace, Double Team and Water Pulse for the Plant Badge (XY058). In Lumiose City Goodra’s Rain Dance washes away Luxray’s Electric Terrain and cures its paralysis through Hydration before Bide wins Clemont’s Voltage Badge (XY067). Hawlucha’s new X-Scissor shatters the Trick Room of Valerie’s Spritzee for the Fairy Badge (XY074), and in a Double Battle, with Pikachu timing the Future Sight attacks from the sidelines, Frogadier and Talonflame beat Olympia’s two Meowstic for the Psychic Badge (XY093). His next stop is the Snowbelle Gym.

What Pokémon does Ash catch in XY Kalos Quest?

Two, and he lets one go. A dehydrated Goomy that falls onto his head joins him after shielding him from Team Rocket (XY055); it evolves into Sliggoo when Ash takes a blow for it (XY061) and into Goodra while putting out a forest fire (XY065), wins the deciding round of the Lumiose Gym battle (XY067) and is released in its wetland home to protect it (XY070) — Ash’s first release since Larvitar, 605 episodes earlier. Hawlucha then finds an Egg that hatches into a Noibat, which takes Ash for its parent, enters an empty Poké Ball (XY076) and learns to fly in the Pokémon Sky Relay (XY077). Froakie becomes Frogadier (XY052) and Fletchinder becomes Talonflame (XY086), so Ash ends the season with Pikachu, Frogadier, Hawlucha, Talonflame and Noibat.

How does Serena do in the Pokémon Showcases?

She loses her debut and then wins twice. At Coumarine City (XY060) she is eliminated in the Pokémon Styling round when Fennekin trips over a ribbon she had overlooked, and Shauna wins the Princess Key; the next morning Serena cuts her hair to shoulder length and changes into a new outfit with the blue ribbon Ash gave her (XY059). After a day with “Ariana” — the Kalos Queen Aria in disguise — in which Fennekin evolves into Braixen (XY064), she wins the Poké Puff round and the Freestyle Performance at Dendemille Town for her first Princess Key, ahead of Miette and Jessie (XY080), and at Anistar City, with a dance learned from her new Eevee, beats Shauna and Jessie for her second (XY091). Performers need three Keys to enter the Master Class, so Serena and Shauna each need one more.

Why are XY024 and XY078 out of order?

An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), set in a sunken liner, was due on TV Tokyo on 24 April 2014 but was postponed after the Sewol ferry sank off South Korea; it aired in Japan on 20 November 2014, between XY050 and XY051, and in English on 7 February 2015 as the last premiere of Cartoon Network’s four-hour marathon, so it is the season’s third episode, with a narrator speaking in the past tense because the story takes place before Ash’s Cyllage Gym battle. Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), the second half of a one-hour special with XY077 in Japan on 18 June 2015, was held back in the US until 21 November 2015, after XY089, for reasons Bulbapedia does not give; the DVDs keep it there as episode 41, and in Canada it went out on 14 November alongside Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon and the eighteenth movie.

How does XY Kalos Quest end?

With a warning. In Anistar City the Gym Leader and seer Olympia foresees a crisis that will engulf Kalos, reveals that Froakie rejected every would-be Trainer until it found Ash, and sees Frogadier evolving and gaining even greater power with him (XY092). After the Psychic Badge battle she warns of a “green fire” that will involve everyone, even Team Rocket; Professor Sycamore gives Ash and Serena new Pokédexes, the group sets out for Snowbelle City, and Olympia, alone, has a vision of deep green eyes (XY093). In Mega Evolution Special IV a Zygarde Cell attaches itself to Chespie, and Japan’s Pocket Monsters XY&Z began on 29 October 2015 directly after the Gym battle — dubbed as Season 19, Pokémon the Series: XYZ.

Story Arcs

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest runs for 45 episodes and follows Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie from the road to Coumarine City to Anistar City, with one episode from the previous season along the way. Here is how the season breaks down, with stills from our episode guide below.

Rivals, ninjas & a postponed voyageXY050–XY054

Serena meets the Performer Nini, whose advice helps Pancham and Chespin learn to work together (XY050), and Ash’s Hawlucha stars as the hero of a staged battle show, rekindling the spirit of its injured villain, a Shiny “Dark Hawlucha” (XY051). The season then steps back in time for An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), the postponed episode in which the group help two archaeologists find a sunken liner and Froakie’s leaps across floating debris give Ash his plan for Grant’s Onix. Froakie evolves into Frogadier shielding Sanpei’s Greninja from a masked ninja who proves to be Sanpei’s master, Saizo (XY052); Serena tells her mother about her dream and beats her in a Skiddo race (XY053); and James’s Inkay rallies a colony of peaceful Malamar to stop the evil ones’ plan to remake the world (XY054).

XY050 Pathways to Performance Partnering!

Goomy & the Coumarine GymXY055–XY059

A dehydrated Goomy falls onto Ash’s head and joins him after enduring Team Rocket’s attacks for him (XY055), then overcomes its fear of Fairy types when Dedenne, with Bonnie giving her first battle commands, comes to its rescue (XY056). In Coumarine City an old rancher named Ramos calms a Vanillite family’s blizzard, tells Ash to take the side road sometimes and reveals that he is the Gym Leader (XY057); in his Gym inside a giant tree Frogadier looks past a storm of Razor Leaf to beat Gogoat for the Plant Badge (XY058). At the Pledging Tree festival Ash and Serena go shopping together, Grace sends a Showcase dress, and Ash gives Serena a blue ribbon (XY059).

A Showcase debut & a new lookXY060–XY064

Serena’s Showcase debut in Coumarine City ends in the first round when Fennekin trips on its ribbon; Shauna wins, and the next morning Serena cuts her hair and changes outfit, wearing Ash’s ribbon (XY060). Goomy evolves into Sliggoo to free a Spoink oasis from a Grumpig in league with Team Rocket (XY061), and at the Kalos Power Plant Clemont grounds a power surge through his own body, Luxio evolves into Luxray, and Clemont flies ahead to Lumiose City to prepare for his Gym battle with Ash (XY062). Jessie falls for a country doctor before choosing her partners (XY063), and Serena spends a day with “Ariana” — Aria in disguise — as Fennekin evolves into Braixen, while in Lumiose Clemont beats a rookie named Sawyer (XY064).

Goodra & the Voltage BadgeXY065–XY067

On the road back to Lumiose, Tierno reappears with a Wartortle and the Voltage Badge, and Sliggoo puts out a forest fire with Rain Dance, evolves into Goodra and wins the Double Battle that follows (XY065). On the eve of the Gym battle Clembot is arrested for crimes committed by Professor Belmondo’s Dark Clembot, which Clemont exposes (XY066). Then Ash finally challenges his friend: Pikachu beats Bunnelby, Hawlucha beats Heliolisk, and after Luxray’s Electric Terrain overwhelms both, Goodra’s Rain Dance, Hydration and Bide win the Voltage Badge; Clemont leaves the Gym to Clembot and rejoins the journey (XY067).

Mega Garchomp & Goodra’s homelandXY068–XY070

Team Rocket steal Professor Sycamore’s new Key Stone and Garchompite and try to force his Garchomp to Mega Evolve, but its bond with the Professor, who raised it from the rampaging Gible that Alain brought him, lets it Mega Evolve for him instead, and Sycamore works out that Blaziken Mask is Meyer (XY068). Goodra returns to its wetland home, defeats the Florges whose army drove it out and learns Ice Beam (XY069); when Florges learns that Team Rocket have duped her and are draining the spring that heals her sick Floette, the two fight side by side, and Ash leaves Goodra behind to protect its restored home (XY070).

Laverre City & SawyerXY071–XY075

Bonnie’s bad-luck fortune comes true when she is tied to Meowth in a forest of angry Pangoro (XY071), and the group spends a stormy night at the Scary House with Lon, whose old photo reveals that he is a ghost (XY072). In Laverre City Serena and Bonnie model in Valerie’s fashion show, Ash’s Double Battle with Sawyer is cut short, and Sawyer loses to Valerie’s Spritzee (XY073); Hawlucha’s new X-Scissor shatters Trick Room for the Fairy Badge (XY074); and after recovering his notebook from Team Rocket, Sawyer loses their full battle three to nothing as his Treecko evolves into Grovyle (XY075).

Noibat & Pikachu’s movieXY076–XY078

Hawlucha finds an Egg, Fletchinder’s Flame Body helps it hatch, and the newborn Noibat, which sees Ash as its parent, uses echolocation to help Hawlucha beat Team Rocket in a dark cave and joins him (XY076). It learns to fly on the last leg of the Pokémon Sky Relay and loses to Orson’s Starly at the line (XY077). In Japan the one-hour special went on with Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), in which Pikachu plays the hero of a Pikachu-loving director’s film, Super Pikachu; Cartoon Network held it back until after XY089, and it is the season’s 41st episode.

Dendemille & the road northXY079–XY085

Pikachu outwits Meowth in the Poké Ball Factory (XY079), and Serena wins her first Princess Key at the Dendemille Town Showcase after trimming the dress Jessie tore (XY080). A Rotom carries the group ten years back in time to save the Lost Hotel (XY081); Jessie trades her Pumpkaboo to Count Pumpka, sees it evolve into Gourgeist and trades it back (XY082); the group crosses snowy mountains on Mamoswine to cure an Abomasnow’s Snover (XY083); Chespin and Bunnelby run their first errand (XY084); and Braixen’s treasured branch snaps, leading her to Fire Blast and a new branch from Pancham (XY085).

Talonflame, Tyrantrum & EeveeXY086–XY089

On Mt. Molteau, helping Trevor photograph Moltres, Fletchinder evolves into Talonflame to protect Ash, who leaps into the crater after it (XY086). Bonnie raises a lost Tyrunt that evolves into Tyrantrum to save her and turns out to belong to the Pokémon Fossil Research Lab (XY087); lost underground, Clemont and Bonnie tell how he caught Bunnelby (XY088); and in a flower meadow Serena wins the trust of a shy, dancing Eevee and catches it (XY089).

Anistar City & Olympia’s prophecyXY090–XY093

Reunited with Shauna and Tierno, Serena enters Eevee in a Tag Battle to build its confidence, and its dancing inspires her new routine (XY090), which wins the Anistar Showcase and her second Princess Key after she nearly gives up her turn to find the frightened Eevee (XY091). The Gym Leader Olympia foresees a crisis for Kalos, reveals Froakie’s lonely past and sees Frogadier gaining a special power, while her Future Sight foils Team Rocket at the giant sundial (XY092). Frogadier and Talonflame win the Psychic Badge in a Double Battle, Sycamore hands out new Pokédexes, and Olympia warns of a green fire before a last vision of deep green eyes (XY093).

Episode Guide

All 45 episodes of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest are listed below in the official order used by Cartoon Network, Bulbapedia, The Pokémon Company International’s production codes and the DVDs. The # column is that season number, and the orange code is the Bulbapedia XY number used by most fan sites — note the two episodes out of sequence: An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), postponed in Japan in April 2014 and held over from Season 17, is episode 3, and Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), which aired in Japan in June 2015 but in the US only in November, is episode 41; older lists that follow English Wikipedia number them 2 and 30. Every episode has its own page with our full synopsis, both titles, air dates, major events, Pokémon debuts, trivia and dub changes — click the title or the screenshot. US dates are the Cartoon Network premieres on Saturday mornings, from 7 February to 19 December 2015; Japanese dates are TV Tokyo’s Thursday broadcasts, from 13 November 2014 to 22 October 2015, with XY024 on 20 November 2014 and XY077 and XY078 together on 18 June 2015.

Who’s That Pokémon? continues in the English dub, and each episode page gives its answer; only Lights! Camera! Pika! has none, the first episode without one since DP191. Japan kept its Pokémon Quiz, presented by a different guest each week and usually with a Team Rocket decoy card, so the two versions show different Pokémon in 23 episodes — from Snubbull against a Shiny “Dark Hawlucha” (XY051) to Sigilyph against a female Meowstic (XY093). Japan closed its first five episodes with Steven’s and Mairin’s Mega Evolution Pokédex shorts, the last of them presented by the narrator after XY054, and the rest with Professor Oak’s Pokémon Holo Caster, joined by Hoopa from XY066; first broadcasts often gave that slot to trailers for the eighteenth movie.

#	Episode	First aired	In short
1XY050	Pathways to Performance Partnering!踊れヤンチャム、魅せろフォッコ！明日へのステップ！！	Japan 13 Nov 2014 US 7 Feb 2015	Serena meets Nini, a fellow Pokémon Performer preparing for her Showcase debut, and her bickering Pancham and Clemont’s Chespin must… · Nini debuts Episode guide →
2XY051	When Light and Dark Collide!ルチャブルとダークルチャブル！	Japan 27 Nov 2014 US 7 Feb 2015	Ash’s Hawlucha steps in as the hero of a staged Super Pokémon Battle show, and its sincere fighting spirit reawakens the passion of the… · Hawlucha vs Dark Hawlucha Episode guide →
3XY024	An Undersea Place to Call Home!海底の城！クズモーとドラミドロ！！	Japan 20 Nov 2014 US 7 Feb 2015	Before Ash’s Cyllage Gym battle, the group joins two underwater archaeologists in a submarine search for a sunken liner and helps the Skrelp… · Postponed from Season 17 Episode guide →
4XY052	A Stealthy Challenge!忍法対決！ゲコガシラ対ガメノデス！！	Japan 11 Dec 2014 US 28 Feb 2015	Ash reunites with the ninja Sanpei, whose Frogadier has become a Greninja, and while protecting him from a masked rival ninja Ash’s Froakie… · Froakie evolves into Frogadier Episode guide →
5XY053	A Race for Home!セレナの本気！激走メェークルレース！！	Japan 18 Dec 2014 US 7 Mar 2015	At a ranch where Serena’s mother is coaching Rhyhorn racers, Serena finally tells Grace that she wants to be a Pokémon Performer and… · Serena wins Grace’s blessing Episode guide →
6XY054	Facing the Grand Design!カラマネロ対マーイーカ！絆は世界を救う！！	Japan 25 Dec 2014 US 14 Mar 2015	The evil Malamar return with a plan to remake the world’s environment, and James’s Inkay rallies a colony of peaceful wild Malamar to… · The Malamar return Episode guide →
7XY055	A Slippery Encounter!最弱のドラゴン！？ヌメラ登場！！	Japan 8 Jan 2015 US 21 Mar 2015	A dehydrated Goomy falls onto Ash’s head, and after it bravely shields him from Team Rocket and fights back with Bide, Ash catches it. · Ash catches Goomy Episode guide →
8XY056	One for the Goomy!デデンネがんばる！ヌメラのために！！	Japan 15 Jan 2015 US 28 Mar 2015	Separated from their friends during a Team Rocket attack, Bonnie and Dedenne protect Ash’s new Goomy, which overcomes its fear of Fairy types… · Goomy befriends Dedenne Episode guide →
9XY057	Thawing an Icy Panic!バニプッチ・パニック！ホワイトアウトはこおりごおり！！	Japan 22 Jan 2015 US 4 Apr 2015	In Coumarine City, Team Rocket kidnap a lost Vanillite, its family buries the city in a blizzard, and a Grass-type expert named Ramos helps calm them… · Ramos debuts Episode guide →
10XY058	The Green, Green Grass Types of Home!ヒヨクジム戦！ゲコガシラVSゴーゴート！！	Japan 29 Jan 2015 US 11 Apr 2015	Ash learns from Ramos to look past what is directly in front of him and wins the Plant Badge at the Coumarine Gym, his fourth, with Frogadier… · Plant Badge Episode guide →
11XY059	Under the Pledging Tree!サトシとセレナ初デート！？誓いの樹とプレゼント！！	Japan 5 Feb 2015 US 18 Apr 2015	During Coumarine City’s festival of gift-giving beneath the Pledging Tree, Ash and Serena go shopping together for presents for their… · Ash gives Serena a ribbon Episode guide →
12XY060	A Showcase Debut!目指せカロスクイーン！セレナ、デビューです！！	Japan 12 Feb 2015 US 25 Apr 2015	Serena makes her Pokémon Showcase debut in Coumarine City but is eliminated in the first round when Fennekin trips over its ribbon, and the… · Serena’s Showcase debut Episode guide →
13XY061	An Oasis of Hope!荒野の決闘！戦えヌメラ！！	Japan 19 Feb 2015 US 2 May 2015	Crossing the Lumiose Badlands, the group helps a colony of Spoink oppressed by a greedy Grumpig and its Team Rocket partners, and Ash’s Goomy… · Goomy evolves into Sliggoo Episode guide →
14XY062	The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!サイエンスの未来を守れ！電気の迷宮！！	Japan 26 Feb 2015 US 9 May 2015	Team Rocket seize the Kalos Power Plant and use it to control Electric-type Pokémon, and Clemont frees them by grounding a power surge through… · Luxio evolves into Luxray Episode guide →
15XY063	A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!迷い道は分かれ道！？ムサシとソーナンス！！	Japan 5 Mar 2015 US 16 May 2015	Separated from her teammates, Jessie falls for a kindly Pokémon doctor and considers quitting Team Rocket to stay with him, until her partners… · Jessie and Dr. White Episode guide →
16XY064	Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!フォッコVSマフォクシー！華麗なるパフォーマーバトル！！	Japan 12 Mar 2015 US 23 May 2015	After a quarrel with her Pokémon, Serena spends a day with a stranger called Ariana, who teaches her about smiling and teamwork in a Double… · Fennekin evolves into Braixen Episode guide →
17XY065	Good Friends, Great Training!カメール、ライチュウ登場！ヌメイルがんばる！！	Japan 26 Mar 2015 US 30 May 2015	On the way back to Lumiose City, Ash reunites with Tierno, and when Team Rocket’s machine sets a forest fire, Sliggoo puts it out with Rain… · Sliggoo evolves into Goodra Episode guide →
18XY066	Confronting the Darkness!ミアレシティ捜査線！シトロイド対ブラック・シトロイド！！	Japan 2 Apr 2015 US 6 Jun 2015	Just before Ash’s Lumiose Gym battle, Clembot is arrested for crimes committed by a lookalike, and Clemont exposes the robotics professor… · Dark Clembot Episode guide →
19XY067	The Moment of Lumiose Truth!ミアレジム戦！サトシVSシトロン！！	Japan 9 Apr 2015 US 13 Jun 2015	Ash finally battles Clemont at the Lumiose Gym and wins the Voltage Badge, his fifth, when Goodra’s Rain Dance and Bide overcome Luxray, after… · Voltage Badge Episode guide →
20XY068	Garchomp’s Mega Bond!狙われたメガシンカ！ガブリアスの絆！！	Japan 16 Apr 2015 US 20 Jun 2015	Team Rocket steal Professor Sycamore’s new Key Stone, Garchompite and Garchomp and try to force it to Mega Evolve, but Garchomp’s bond… · Mega Garchomp Episode guide →
21XY069	Defending the Homeland!湿地帯の戦い！ヌメルゴン対フラージェス！！	Japan 23 Apr 2015 US 27 Jun 2015	Ash’s Goodra returns to its wetland home and defeats the Florges whose army drove it out as a Goomy, only to be struck by mysterious attacks… · Goodra’s homeland, part 1 Episode guide →
22XY070	Beyond the Rainbow!決着！ヌメルゴン虹の彼方に！！	Japan 30 Apr 2015 US 4 Jul 2015	Goodra and Florges join forces to rescue their friends and the wetlands from Team Rocket’s water-draining scheme, and Ash leaves Goodra behind… · Goodra’s homeland, part 2 Episode guide →
23XY071	So You’re Having a Bad Day!運勢最悪？ユリーカ対ニャース！！	Japan 7 May 2015 US 11 Jul 2015	Bonnie’s bad-luck fortune comes true when she is tied to Meowth by a vine and the two must cooperate to escape a forest full of angry Pangoro. · Bonnie tied to Meowth Episode guide →
24XY072	Scary Hospitality!こわいイエのおもてなし！	Japan 14 May 2015 US 18 Jul 2015	Lost in a stormy forest, the group spends the night in a mansion with a kindly old man named Lon and his mischievous Ghost-type Pokémon, and… · The Scary House Episode guide →
25XY073	A Fashionable Battle!ファッションショーでバトルです！タツベイVSシュシュプ！！	Japan 21 May 2015 US 25 Jul 2015	In Laverre City the group meets Sawyer, a rookie Trainer who is inspired by Ash during an interrupted Double Battle, while Serena and Bonnie model in… · Valerie debuts Episode guide →
26XY074	Fairy-Type Trickery!クノエジム戦！美しきフェアリーの罠！！	Japan 28 May 2015 US 1 Aug 2015	Ash challenges Valerie at the Laverre Gym and, after Fletchinder beats Sylveon but falls to Spritzee’s Trick Room tactics, Hawlucha shatters… · Fairy Badge Episode guide →
27XY075	Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!ライバルバトル３本勝負！明日に向かって！！	Japan 4 Jun 2015 US 8 Aug 2015	Sawyer’s lost battle notebook falls into Team Rocket’s hands, and after recovering it he finally has his full battle with Ash, during… · Ash beats Sawyer Episode guide →
28XY076	A Not-So-Flying Start!風とタマゴとオンバット！	Japan 11 Jun 2015 US 22 Aug 2015	Hawlucha finds a Pokémon Egg that hatches into a timid Noibat, and after Hawlucha protects the newborn from Team Rocket and Noibat uses… · Ash catches Noibat Episode guide →
29XY077	A Relay in the Sky!挑戦ポケモンスカイリレー！飛べ、オンバット！！	Japan 18 Jun 2015 US 29 Aug 2015	Ash enters the Pokémon Sky Relay with Fletchinder, Hawlucha and Noibat, and despite Team Rocket’s cheating Noibat masters flight on the… · Pokémon Sky Relay Episode guide →
30XY079	A Frenzied Factory Fiasco!激闘モンスターボール工場！ピカチュウVSニャース！！	Japan 25 Jun 2015 US 5 Sep 2015	Disguised as workers at the Poké Ball Factory, Team Rocket lock the group in a booth and steal their Poké Balls, and Pikachu, free and… · Pikachu vs Meowth Episode guide →
31XY080	Performing with Fiery Charm!テールナーとヤンチャム！！魅せろ炎のパフォーマンス！！	Japan 2 Jul 2015 US 12 Sep 2015	Serena enters the Dendemille Town Rookie Showcase against Miette and Jessie, and with a fiery routine starring Braixen and Pancham she wins her first… · Serena’s first Princess Key Episode guide →
32XY081	Rotom’s Wish!時をかけるサトシ！ロトムの願い！！	Japan 9 Jul 2015 US 19 Sep 2015	At the run-down Lost Hotel, a Rotom carries the group ten years into the past so that they can reverse the bet that cost the hotel’s founder… · Rotom’s time travel Episode guide →
33XY082	A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell?パンプジンフェスティバル！さよならバケッチャ！？	Japan 23 Jul 2015 US 26 Sep 2015	At a town’s Gourgeist Festival, Jessie trades her Pumpkaboo to a count whose Prince Pumpkaboo has fallen for it, but when the trade makes it… · Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist Episode guide →
34XY083	Over the Mountain of Snow!雪山をこえて！マンムーとユキノオー！！	Japan 30 Jul 2015 US 3 Oct 2015	Crossing a snowy mountain range on rented Mamoswine, the group helps an Abomasnow save a sick Snover by gathering the ingredients for medicine and… · Abomasnow and Snover Episode guide →
35XY084	Adventures in Running Errands!ハリマロン！はじめてのおつかい！！	Japan 13 Aug 2015 US 10 Oct 2015	When a storm knocks out a Pokémon Center’s power, Clemont’s Chespin and Bunnelby are sent on their first errand to fetch a fuse,… · Chespin and Bunnelby’s errand Episode guide →
36XY085	Mending a Broken Spirit!折れた小枝、折れた心！テールナーの強き思い！！	Japan 20 Aug 2015 US 17 Oct 2015	When Braixen’s treasured branch snaps during Showcase practice, a tree surgeon’s test battle teaches her to let go of the past, and she… · Braixen learns Fire Blast Episode guide →
37XY086	A Legendary Photo Op!シャッターチャンスはファイヤー！伝説を撮れ！！	Japan 27 Aug 2015 US 24 Oct 2015	Ash helps his old Summer Camp friend Trevor search Mt. · Fletchinder evolves into Talonflame Episode guide →
38XY087	The Tiny Caretaker!ユリーカお世話です！甘えん坊のチゴラス！！	Japan 10 Sep 2015 US 31 Oct 2015	Bonnie rescues a Tyrunt that has escaped from Team Rocket and cares for it like a parent, and after it evolves into Tyrantrum to save her, she must… · Tyrunt evolves into Tyrantrum Episode guide →
39XY088	A Trip Down Memory Train!追憶のトレイン！シトロンとホルビー！！	Japan 17 Sep 2015 US 7 Nov 2015	Lost in an abandoned mine, Clemont and Bonnie tell how Clemont caught his first Pokémon, a Bunnelby that shared food with stray city… · How Clemont caught Bunnelby Episode guide →
40XY089	A Frolicking Find in the Flowers!イーブイはひとみしり！？お花畑でつかまえて！！	Japan 24 Sep 2015 US 14 Nov 2015	Serena discovers a shy, dancing Eevee in a flower meadow, slowly wins its trust, and after it protects her from Team Rocket with Protect, she catches… · Serena catches Eevee Episode guide →
41XY078	Lights! Camera! Pika!ピカチュウはスター！？映画デビュー！！	Japan 18 Jun 2015 US 21 Nov 2015	Ash’s Pikachu is cast as the hero of a film made by a Pikachu-loving director, and the episode shows both the making of the movie and the… · Pikachu’s movie Episode guide →
42XY090	Tag Team Battle Inspiration!タッグバトルは友情バトル！イーブイ初参戦！！	Japan 1 Oct 2015 US 28 Nov 2015	In Anistar City the group reunites with Shauna and Tierno, and a Tag Battle meant to build up Eevee’s confidence ends with Eevee’s… · Shauna and Tierno return Episode guide →
43XY091	A Performance Pop Quiz!ハッピーダンスはクイズのあとで！？トライポカロン・ヒャッコク大会！！	Japan 8 Oct 2015 US 5 Dec 2015	At the Anistar Showcase, Serena beats Shauna and Jessie to win her second Princess Key, after the frightened Eevee runs away and Serena nearly gives… · Serena’s second Princess Key Episode guide →
44XY092	Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!カロスの危機！巨大日時計の戦い！！	Japan 15 Oct 2015 US 12 Dec 2015	Anistar Gym Leader Olympia foresees a crisis that will engulf Kalos and reveals Frogadier’s lonely past, while Team Rocket’s attempt to… · Olympia’s prophecy Episode guide →
45XY093	All Eyes on the Future!ヒャッコクジムのダブルバトル！ゴジカの未来予知！！	Japan 22 Oct 2015 US 19 Dec 2015	Ash defeats Olympia’s pair of Meowstic in a Double Battle at the Anistar Gym to win the Psychic Badge, his seventh, and Olympia warns of a… · Psychic Badge Episode guide →

Characters & Travelling Companions

Ash wins the Plant (XY058), Voltage (XY067), Fairy (XY074) and Psychic (XY093) Badges, taking his Kalos total to seven, and by Bulbapedia’s count loses no battle all season, the first season of which that can be said. His Froakie evolves into Frogadier and learns Aerial Ace protecting the ninja Sanpei’s Greninja (XY052); he catches Goomy (XY055), which becomes Sliggoo (XY061) and Goodra (XY065) before he releases it in its homeland (XY070); he hatches and catches Noibat (XY076), which learns to fly in the Pokémon Sky Relay, where his team finishes second (XY077); and Fletchinder evolves into Talonflame and learns Brave Bird shielding him from Moltres (XY086). He beats Tierno in a Double Battle (XY065), Sawyer three to nothing (XY075) and Olympia’s apprentice Carrie (XY092), takes a Grumpig’s Iron Tail for Goomy (XY061), leaps into a volcano after Talonflame (XY086), gives Serena a blue ribbon (XY059) and learns from Olympia that Froakie chose him for his love of Pokémon (XY092). Pikachu plays the hero of Frank’s film Super Pikachu (XY078), beats Meowth single-handed in the Poké Ball Factory, where its Poké Ball is seen for the last time bar flashbacks (XY079), and times Olympia’s Future Sight from the sidelines (XY093). Ash is voiced by Sarah Natochenny in English and Rica Matsumoto in Japanese, and Ikue Ōtani remains Pikachu in both.

Serena gains a Performer rival in Nini (XY050), tells her mother, Grace, that she wants to be a Pokémon Performer and wins her blessing in a Skiddo race (XY053), and receives a Showcase dress from Grace and a blue ribbon from Ash at the Pledging Tree festival (XY059). Eliminated in the first round of her debut Showcase in Coumarine City, she cuts her hair to shoulder length and changes into a new outfit (XY060) — the first main companion to change outfit for good in the middle of a journey — although the English opening and title cards keep her old look all season. A day with “Ariana”, the Kalos Queen Aria in disguise, ends with Fennekin evolving into Braixen (XY064); she models for Valerie (XY073), wins her first Princess Key in Dendemille Town (XY080), sees Braixen learn Fire Blast after its branch breaks (XY085), catches a shy, dancing Eevee (XY089) and wins her second Key in Anistar City (XY091). She is voiced by Haven Paschall in English and Mayuki Makiguchi in Japanese.

Clemont sees his Luxio evolve into Luxray at the Kalos Power Plant — the only on-screen evolution of one of his Pokémon — and flies ahead to Lumiose City to train for his Gym battle with Ash (XY062), beating a rookie named Sawyer there (XY064), unmasking Professor Belmondo’s Dark Clembot (XY066) and losing the Voltage Badge to Ash before leaving the Gym to Clembot and rejoining the journey (XY067); a flashback shows how he caught Bunnelby, his first Pokémon that is not an Electric type (XY088). Bonnie gives Dedenne its first battle commands (XY056), spends a day tied to Meowth (XY071), raises a Tyrunt that evolves into Tyrantrum before she has to give it back (XY087) and keeps asking young women to take care of her brother (XY073). Clemont is voiced by Mike Liscio in English and Yūki Kaji in Japanese; Bonnie by Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld and, in Japanese, Mariya Ise until XY086, with Mika Kanai standing in from XY087 during Ise’s maternity leave.

Serena in the outfit she adopts after cutting her hair in A Showcase Debut! (XY060), with the blue ribbon Ash gave her

Team Rocket

Jessie, James and Meowth chase Pikachu across Kalos in their usual disguises — the choreographer La Grande Dame Brûlée (XY050), three Nurse Joys, with James cross-dressing for the first time since the Diamond and Pearl series (XY057), Poké Ball Factory workers (XY079) and a news crew at the Anistar sundial (XY093) — and with machines from a Meowth robot powered by stolen cold (XY057) to a mechanical Pelipper that gets them disqualified from the Pokémon Sky Relay (XY077). They are behind the Grumpig ruling a Spoink oasis (XY061), the hijacking of the Kalos Power Plant (XY062) and the draining of Goodra’s wetland spring (XY069–XY070), and do not appear at all in Serena’s day with Aria (XY064). Jessie enters three Showcases: with a Pumpkaboo dressed for “Beauty and the Beast” in Coumarine City (XY060), as “Jessilia” in Dendemille Town (XY080) and as “Jessaline” in Anistar City, where she finishes third (XY091).

Both of the trio’s Pokémon are put to the test. James offers to let Inkay stay with the peaceful Malamar who helped it beat the evil ones, but it chooses him (XY054); Jessie, who falls for the kindly Dr. White and nearly quits Team Rocket, leaves Wobbuffet with his Wobbuffet and Wynaut, only for it to come back and fight beside her (XY063); and she trades her rare female Super Size Pumpkaboo to Count Pumpka for a Mawile, sees it evolve into Gourgeist and trades it straight back (XY082) — the first Team Rocket evolution since DP080 and their first trade since EP261. Meowth spends a day tied to Bonnie (XY071) and lands Fury Swipes in a one-on-one fight with Pikachu (XY079), Jessie daydreams of marrying Steven Stone (XY075) and asks for more screen time (XY088), and James remembers the bottle-cap collection his mother threw away (XY085) and parodies the Holo Caster (XY092). Jessie is voiced by Michele Knotz, James and Meowth by James Carter Cathcart and Wobbuffet by Kayzie Rogers.

Gym Leaders, rivals, Performers & professors

Ramos, the elderly Coumarine Gym Leader, a Grass-type specialist who runs a ranch, helps calm a Vanillite family’s blizzard and tells Ash to take the side road sometimes (XY057), loses the Plant Badge (XY058) and opens the Pledging Tree festival (XY059). Valerie, the Laverre Gym Leader and a fashion designer who learned to speak to Pokémon because she always wanted to be one, puts Serena and Bonnie in her fashion show and beats Sawyer (XY073) before losing the Fairy Badge to Ash (XY074), assisted by her Furisode Girls Kali, Katherine, Blossom and Linnea. Olympia, the Anistar Gym Leader and a seer, with her apprentices Charlene and Carrie, foresees the crisis to come and Frogadier’s fate (XY092) and loses the Psychic Badge in a Double Battle (XY093). Clemont himself leads the Lumiose Gym, with Clembot refereeing his battle with Ash and then taking charge again (XY066–XY067).

Sawyer, a rookie from Hoenn advised by Steven Stone who records every battle in a notebook, loses to Clemont (XY064), to Valerie (XY073) and to Ash, whose battling he studies, as his Treecko evolves into Grovyle (XY075) — the only on-screen evolution of a rival’s Pokémon in the XY series; he is the first major recurring human voiced in Japanese by Pikachu’s actress, Ikue Ōtani. Tierno, who already has the Voltage Badge, returns with a Wartortle (XY065) and later a Blastoise (XY090); Trevor, now holding the Bug Badge, hunts Moltres with his Charmeleon (XY086); Shauna wins the Coumarine Showcase (XY060) and finishes second at Anistar (XY091), her Bulbasaur now an Ivysaur; the Performer Nini, with Smoochum and Farfetch’d, debuts (XY050) and returns at Anistar (XY091); Miette, with Slurpuff and a new Meowstic, teases Serena about Ash at Dendemille (XY080); and the ninja Sanpei, his Frogadier now a Greninja, is tested by his masked master, Saizo (XY052).

Professor Sycamore gets a Key Stone and Garchompite, sees his Garchomp Mega Evolve and deduces that Meyer is Blaziken Mask, after which Meyer agrees to help him research Mega Blaziken (XY068); with his assistants Sophie and Cosette he studies the Anistar sundial and gives Ash and Serena new Pokédexes (XY092–XY093). Meyer also helps, as Blaziken Mask, in the Dark Clembot case investigated by Alexa (XY066) and watches Clemont’s Gym battle (XY067). The Kalos Queen Aria coaches Serena in disguise with her Delphox and Aromatisse (XY064); Grace races Serena on Skiddo (XY053) and sends her a dress (XY059); Officer Jenny tracks the Malamar (XY054) and arrests Clembot, then Belmondo (XY066); and Alain, the Mega Evolution Trainer of the specials, makes his main-series debut in a flashback, bringing Sycamore the rampaging Gible that became Garchomp (XY068). Showcases are hosted by Monsieur Pierre with his Klefki, and the retired Kalos Queen Palermo watches Serena’s debut (XY060).

Ramos, the Coumarine Gym Leader, whose Plant Badge Ash wins in The Green, Green Grass Types of Home! (XY058)

Valerie, the Laverre Gym Leader and fashion designer, who gives Ash the Fairy Badge in Fairy-Type Trickery! (XY074)

Voice cast

Character	English voice actor	Japanese voice actor
Ash Ketchum	Sarah Natochenny	Rica Matsumoto
Pikachu	Ikue Ōtani	Ikue Ōtani
Serena	Haven Paschall	Mayuki Makiguchi
Clemont	Mike Liscio	Yūki Kaji
Bonnie	Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld	Mariya Ise (to XY086), Mika Kanai (from XY087)
Jessie	Michele Knotz	Megumi Hayashibara
James	James Carter Cathcart	Shin-ichiro Miki
Meowth	James Carter Cathcart	Inuko Inuyama
Wobbuffet	Kayzie Rogers	Yūji Ueda
Professor Sycamore	Jake Paque	Hiroshi Tsuchida
Ramos	Anthony Salerno	Minoru Inaba
Valerie	Kate Bristol	Satsuki Yukino
Olympia	Catrin Lloyd Bollard	Masako Katsuki
Sawyer	Robby Duncan Sharpe	Ikue Ōtani
Nini	Jenny Emm	Motoko Kumai
Aria	Lindsay Sheppard	Marina Inoue
Grace	Erica Schroeder	Hitomi Nabatame
Shauna	Jo Armeniox	Yurie Kobori
Tierno	Todd Haberkorn	Anri Katsu
Trevor	Michael Lockwood Crouch	Minami Fujii
Miette	Maggie McDowell	Saori Hayashi
Sanpei	Chris Patton	Yūko Sanpei
Alain	Jonathan Silver	Kenshō Ono
Narrator	Rodger Parsons	Unshō Ishizuka

Pokémon: Captures, Changes, Encounters & Evolutions

In brief:

Ash starts the season with Pikachu, Froakie, Fletchinder and Hawlucha and ends it with five: Pikachu, Frogadier, Hawlucha, Talonflame and Noibat. Froakie evolves while taking a Poison Jab meant for Sanpei’s Greninja and learns Aerial Ace (XY052) — the first time a Water-type first partner has evolved under Ash, and his first Water-type evolution since EP075. Goomy, which the Pokédex calls the weakest Dragon type, is caught after it endures Dark Pulse and Psybeam for Ash and strikes back with Bide (XY055); it evolves into Sliggoo and learns Dragon Breath when Ash takes Grumpig’s Iron Tail for it (XY061), the first on-screen evolution of a main character’s Dragon type, and into Goodra, learning Dragon Pulse, while putting out a forest fire with Rain Dance (XY065).
Goodra’s Hydration and Bide win the Lumiose Gym battle (XY067) and it learns Ice Beam against Florges (XY069), but Ash releases it to protect its restored wetland home (XY070). Hawlucha reveals X-Scissor, its first new move since its capture and its first that is not a Fighting move, at the Laverre Gym (XY074); Fletchinder’s Flame Body helps an Egg hatch into Noibat, which Ash catches (XY076) — his first time with three Flying types — and which learns to fly in the Sky Relay (XY077); and Fletchinder evolves into Talonflame and learns Brave Bird shielding Ash from Moltres (XY086). Olympia’s vision of Frogadier gaining a special power, an Ash-Greninja silhouette, points to the next season (XY092).
Serena’s Fennekin evolves into Braixen in a Double Battle against Aria (XY064) — the first evolution in the series after which the Pokémon learned no new move — and learns Fire Blast after its branch breaks, accepting a new one from Pancham (XY085); Pancham shows Stone Edge, Dark Pulse and Arm Thrust in her routines, and she catches Eevee, which blocks a Seed Bomb with Protect and uses Swift (XY089). Clemont’s Luxio evolves into Luxray and learns Electric Terrain (XY062), Bunnelby masters Wild Charge (XY063), and after the Lumiose Gym battle he leaves Heliolisk and Magneton with Clembot (XY067); his Poké Ball bounces off the Tyrantrum Bonnie raised, which already belongs to the Pokémon Fossil Research Lab (XY087), and a flashback shows how he caught Bunnelby (XY088).
James’s Inkay refuses to be released (XY054), Jessie’s Wobbuffet comes back after she leaves it with Dr. White, whose female Wobbuffet is the first seen in the series (XY063), and Jessie’s Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist by trade (XY082) — the first main character’s Pokémon to evolve by trade and the first main character’s Ghost type seen evolving — revealing Seed Bomb in the next episode (XY083).
Among rivals and guests, Sawyer’s Treecko evolves into Grovyle (XY075), Bonnie’s Tyrunt into Tyrantrum (XY087) and, off screen, Tierno’s Squirtle into Wartortle (XY065) and Blastoise (XY090), Shauna’s Bulbasaur into Ivysaur (XY090), Trevor’s Charmander into Charmeleon (XY086), Aria’s Braixen into Delphox (XY064) and Sanpei’s Frogadier into Greninja (XY052). Professor Sycamore’s Garchomp Mega Evolves for the first time (XY068), and Weston’s Rotom changes into its Wash, Frost and Mow forms to beat a Krookodile (XY081).

New Pokémon captured or hatched

Goomy#0704 · Ash · after it endures Team Rocket’s attacks to shield him · XY055
Noibat#0714 · Ash · hatched from the Egg Hawlucha found, it enters an empty Poké Ball · XY076
Eevee#0133 · Serena · the shy, dancing Eevee of a flower meadow · XY089
Bunnelby#0659 · Clemont · in a flashback, his first Pokémon that is not an Electric type · XY088

Evolutions

Froakie → Frogadier#0657 · Ash · taking a Poison Jab meant for Sanpei’s Greninja; learns Aerial Ace · XY052
Frogadier → Greninja#0658 · Sanpei · off screen, revealed on his return · XY052
Goomy → Sliggoo#0705 · Ash · when Ash takes Grumpig’s Iron Tail for it; learns Dragon Breath · XY061
Luxio → Luxray#0405 · Clemont · at the Kalos Power Plant; learns Electric Terrain · XY062
Fennekin → Braixen#0654 · Serena · in a Double Battle with Aria, without learning a new move · XY064
Braixen → Delphox#0655 · Aria · off screen, revealed when she meets Serena in disguise · XY064
Sliggoo → Goodra#0706 · Ash · putting out a forest fire with Rain Dance; learns Dragon Pulse · XY065
Squirtle → Wartortle#0008 · Tierno · off screen, revealed on his return · XY065
Treecko → Grovyle#0253 · Sawyer · mid-battle against Ash’s Frogadier · XY075
Pumpkaboo → Gourgeist#0711 · Jessie · by trade to Count Pumpka, then traded back · XY082
Fletchinder → Talonflame#0663 · Ash · shielding him from Moltres; learns Brave Bird · XY086
Charmander → Charmeleon#0005 · Trevor · off screen, revealed on Mt. Molteau · XY086
Tyrunt → Tyrantrum#0697 · the Fossil Research Lab’s Tyrunt, raised by Bonnie, evolving to save her · XY087
Bulbasaur → Ivysaur#0002 · Shauna · off screen, revealed in Anistar City · XY090
Wartortle → Blastoise#0009 · Tierno · off screen, revealed in Anistar City · XY090

Releases, departures and returns

Ash releases Goodra on a hill above its wetland home after it and Florges have saved the spring from Team Rocket (XY070), telling it that it is now strong enough to protect its friends — his first release since Larvitar, 605 episodes earlier, and his first outside the original series; like Gliscor before it, Goodra had just learned a new move. Team Rocket twice try to part with a partner and fail: James offers Inkay the chance to stay with the peaceful Malamar, the first unsuccessful release by a main character since EP039 (XY054), and Jessie leaves Wobbuffet with Dr. White’s Pokémon, but it returns to fight beside her (XY063). Jessie also trades Pumpkaboo away to Count Pumpka for a Mawile and trades it back as Gourgeist (XY082), and Clemont leaves Heliolisk and Magneton at the Lumiose Gym with Clembot when he rejoins the journey (XY067).

Among the guests, the lost Vanillite returns to the mountains with its family (XY057), the remorseful Grumpig is welcomed back by the Spoink it bullied (XY061), Florges and Goodra’s old friends share the restored wetlands (XY070), the cured Snover runs back to Abomasnow (XY083), Bonnie’s Tyrantrum stays at the Pokémon Fossil Research Lab (XY087), and the evil Malamar escape with their devices, vowing to try again (XY054).

Teams at the end of the season (XY093)

Trainer	Pokémon	Changes this season
Ash	Pikachu, Frogadier, Hawlucha, Talonflame, Noibat (his other Pokémon are with Professor Oak)	Froakie evolved into Frogadier (XY052); caught Goomy (XY055), which evolved into Sliggoo (XY061) and Goodra (XY065) and was released (XY070); hatched and caught Noibat (XY076); Fletchinder evolved into Talonflame (XY086); Hawlucha revealed X-Scissor (XY074)
Serena	Braixen, Pancham, Eevee	Fennekin evolved into Braixen (XY064) and learned Fire Blast (XY085); caught Eevee (XY089)
Clemont	Bunnelby, Chespin, Luxray and Dedenne (looked after by Bonnie); Heliolisk and Magneton with Clembot at the Lumiose Gym	Luxio evolved into Luxray (XY062); Bunnelby mastered Wild Charge (XY063); left his Gym Pokémon with Clembot (XY067)
Jessie	Wobbuffet, Gourgeist	Left Wobbuffet with Dr. White, but it returned (XY063); Pumpkaboo evolved into Gourgeist after a trade and was traded back (XY082)
James	Inkay	Offered Inkay its freedom; it stayed (XY054)

Gym Leaders’, rivals’ and guests’ Pokémon this season

Trainer	Pokémon	Episodes
Ramos	Jumpluff, Weepinbell, Gogoat in the Gym; Sunflora and Victreebel among others at his ranch	XY057–XY059
Clemont (Lumiose Gym)	Bunnelby, Heliolisk, Luxray	XY067
Valerie	Sylveon, Spritzee, Mr. Mime, Mawile	XY073–XY074
Olympia	Meowstic (male and female)	XY092–XY093
Sawyer	Treecko (evolves into Grovyle), Bagon, Slurpuff	XY064, XY073–XY075
Tierno	Wartortle (later Blastoise), Raichu, Politoed, Ludicolo, Hitmontop	XY065, XY090–XY091
Shauna	Bulbasaur (later Ivysaur), Flabébé	XY060, XY090–XY091
Trevor	Charmeleon	XY086
Aria	Delphox, Aromatisse	XY064
Miette	Slurpuff, Meowstic	XY080
Nini	Smoochum, Farfetch’d	XY050, XY091
Professor Sycamore	Garchomp (Mega Garchomp)	XY068
Meyer / Blaziken Mask	Blaziken	XY066–XY068
Sanpei / Saizo	Greninja / Barbaracle	XY052
Carrie	Sigilyph, Sableye	XY092
Orson	Starly, Staravia, Staraptor	XY077

Pokémon making their anime debut this season

Few new species are left to debut by this point in the XY series, but the season still brings eight anime debuts — Skrelp and Dragalge in the postponed XY024, Ash’s Goomy, Sliggoo and Goodra, Aria’s Aromatisse, Florges and Tyrantrum — plus the TV-episode debuts of Barbaracle, Skiddo and Floette and the main-series debuts of Honedge, Litleo and Gourgeist. New forms appear too: Yellow and Blue Flower Flabébé (XY054), Mega Garchomp (XY068, first seen in Mega Evolution Special I), the Cosplay Pikachu of Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), a Small Size Pumpkaboo (XY082) and, in a flashback, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre (XY092). Outside the episodes, Mega Evolution Special II brought a parade of new Mega Evolutions, Mega Rayquaza among them, Special IV introduced Zygarde’s Cell and Core, and Hoopa reached the screen through Japan’s Holo Caster segments, its shorts and the eighteenth movie. Old faces return as well, Dratini after 628 episodes and Weezing after 597 among them.

Skrelp#0690 · XY024 · anime debut, in the postponed episode
Dragalge#0691 · XY024 · anime debut; the pair welding the sunken liner with Acid
Barbaracle#0689 · XY052 · TV-episode debut; the masked ninja Saizo’s
Skiddo#0672 · XY053 · TV-episode debut, at Baa de Mer Ranch
Goomy#0704 · XY055 · anime debut; Ash’s
Sliggoo#0705 · XY061 · anime debut; Ash’s Goomy evolves
Aromatisse#0683 · XY064 · anime debut; Aria’s
Goodra#0706 · XY065 · anime debut; Ash’s Sliggoo evolves
Florges#0671 · XY069 · anime debut; the Blue Flower ruler of the wetlands
Floette#0670 · XY069 · TV-episode debut; Florges’s Blue Flower daughter
Honedge#0679 · XY080 · main-series debut; a Performer’s, at Dendemille
Litleo#0667 · XY080 · main-series debut; a Performer’s, at Dendemille
Gourgeist#0711 · XY082 · main-series debut; Jessie’s Pumpkaboo evolves
Tyrantrum#0697 · XY087 · anime debut; the Tyrunt Bonnie raises evolves

Key Events, Gym Battles & Tournaments

Events of note

Serena meets the Performer Nini, and Pancham and Chespin learn to work together (XY050 – Pathways to Performance Partnering!)
Ash’s Hawlucha stars against a Shiny “Dark Hawlucha” in a staged battle show (XY051 – When Light and Dark Collide!)
The postponed episode: Froakie’s leaps give Ash his plan for the Cyllage Gym (XY024 – An Undersea Place to Call Home!)
Froakie evolves into Frogadier and learns Aerial Ace (XY052 – A Stealthy Challenge!)
Serena wins her mother’s blessing to become a Pokémon Performer (XY053 – A Race for Home!)
James offers Inkay its freedom, but it stays with him (XY054 – Facing the Grand Design!)
Ash catches Goomy (XY055 – A Slippery Encounter!)
Goomy overcomes its fear of Fairy types and befriends Dedenne (XY056 – One for the Goomy!)
The group reach Coumarine City and meet Ramos (XY057 – Thawing an Icy Panic!)
Ash wins the Plant Badge, his fourth (XY058 – The Green, Green Grass Types of Home!)
Ash gives Serena a blue ribbon at the Pledging Tree festival (XY059 – Under the Pledging Tree!)
Serena loses her Showcase debut, then cuts her hair and changes outfit (XY060 – A Showcase Debut!)
Goomy evolves into Sliggoo (XY061 – An Oasis of Hope!)
Luxio evolves into Luxray, and Clemont flies ahead to Lumiose City (XY062 – The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!)
Jessie nearly quits Team Rocket; Wobbuffet stays with her (XY063 – A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!)
Fennekin evolves into Braixen; Serena meets Aria in disguise, and Sawyer debuts (XY064 – Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!)
Sliggoo evolves into Goodra (XY065 – Good Friends, Great Training!)
Clemont exposes Dark Clembot (XY066 – Confronting the Darkness!)
Ash wins the Voltage Badge, his fifth, and Clemont rejoins the journey (XY067 – The Moment of Lumiose Truth!)
Professor Sycamore’s Garchomp Mega Evolves; Sycamore learns that Blaziken Mask is Meyer (XY068 – Garchomp’s Mega Bond!)
Goodra returns to its homeland and learns Ice Beam (XY069 – Defending the Homeland!)
Ash releases Goodra (XY070 – Beyond the Rainbow!)
The group reach Laverre City and meet Valerie; Sawyer loses to her (XY073 – A Fashionable Battle!)
Ash wins the Fairy Badge, his sixth (XY074 – Fairy-Type Trickery!)
Ash beats Sawyer, whose Treecko evolves into Grovyle (XY075 – Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!)
Ash hatches and catches Noibat (XY076 – A Not-So-Flying Start!)
Ash’s team finish second in the Pokémon Sky Relay, and Noibat learns to fly (XY077 – A Relay in the Sky!)
The last appearance of Pikachu’s Poké Ball, bar flashbacks (XY079 – A Frenzied Factory Fiasco!)
Serena wins her first Princess Key (XY080 – Performing with Fiery Charm!)
Jessie’s Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist after a trade and is traded back (XY082 – A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell?)
Braixen learns Fire Blast and takes a new branch (XY085 – Mending a Broken Spirit!)
Fletchinder evolves into Talonflame (XY086 – A Legendary Photo Op!)
Bonnie’s Tyrunt evolves into Tyrantrum (XY087 – The Tiny Caretaker!)
Serena catches Eevee (XY089 – A Frolicking Find in the Flowers!)
Pikachu stars in Super Pikachu, aired in the US after XY089 (XY078 – Lights! Camera! Pika!)
Serena wins her second Princess Key (XY091 – A Performance Pop Quiz!)
Olympia foresees a crisis for Kalos and reveals Froakie’s past (XY092 – Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!)
Ash wins the Psychic Badge, his seventh; Olympia warns of a green fire (XY093 – All Eyes on the Future!)

Gym battles & the League

Hawlucha v Carl’s Shiny Hawlucha, Super Pokémon Battle show (Ash’s Hawlucha, the hero, wins) — XY051
Froakie, Pikachu and Sanpei’s Greninja v Saizo’s Barbaracle (Saizo withdraws after Froakie evolves) — XY052
Serena v Grace, Skiddo race (Serena wins) — XY053
Ash v Ramos, Coumarine Gym (Plant Badge) — XY058
Goomy v Grumpig (Goomy evolves into Sliggoo and wins) — XY061
Clemont v Sawyer, Lumiose Gym (Clemont wins); Serena v “Ariana”, Double Battle (interrupted) — XY064
Ash v Tierno, Double Battle: Pikachu and Goodra v Raichu and Wartortle (Ash wins) — XY065
Clembot v Dark Clembot (stopped by Team Rocket); Clemont’s Luxray v Belmondo’s Magnezone (Clemont wins) — XY066
Ash v Clemont, Lumiose Gym (Voltage Badge) — XY067
Goodra v Florges (Goodra wins) — XY069
Ash v Sawyer, Double Battle: Hawlucha and Frogadier v Treecko and Bagon (interrupted); Sawyer v Valerie, Bagon v Spritzee (Sawyer loses) — XY073
Ash v Valerie, Laverre Gym (Fairy Badge) — XY074
Ash v Sawyer, three-on-three (Ash wins three to nothing) — XY075
Pokémon Sky Relay: Fletchinder, Hawlucha and Noibat (Ash’s team second) — XY077
Pikachu v Meowth (Pikachu wins) — XY079
Weston’s Rotom v Mantle’s Krookodile (Rotom wins) — XY081
Serena’s Braixen v Woodward’s Gallade (Braixen wins) — XY085
Fletchinder v Trevor’s Charmeleon (Fletchinder wins) — XY086
Clemont’s Bunnelby v Diggersby, in a flashback (Bunnelby wins the rematch) — XY088
Tag Battle: Ash and Tierno v Serena and Shauna (called off) — XY090
Pikachu and Frogadier v Carrie’s Sigilyph and Sableye (Ash wins) — XY092
Ash v Olympia, Anistar Gym Double Battle (Psychic Badge) — XY093

Gym Badges won this season

Badge	Gym & Leader	Leader’s Pokémon	Ash’s Pokémon	Result	Episode
Plant Badge	Coumarine Gym · Ramos	Jumpluff, Weepinbell, Gogoat	Fletchinder, Hawlucha, Frogadier	Win — three-on-three in the Gym inside a giant tree, after Ramos made Ash weed his garden and showed him the sprouts he was trampling. Fletchinder keeps building Speed with Flame Charge until it breaks through Jumpluff’s Cotton Guard and its Chlorophyll-boosted speed under Sunny Day, but Weepinbell poisons it with Poison Powder and finishes it with Slam, then wears Hawlucha down with Razor Leaf, Slam and Grass Knot; Frogadier wears its frubbles as a mask, beats Weepinbell with Aerial Ace and, ignoring Gogoat’s storm of Razor Leaf as Ramos had taught, wins with Aerial Ace, Double Team and Water Pulse — Ash’s fourth Kalos Badge	XY058
Voltage Badge	Lumiose Gym · Clemont	Bunnelby, Heliolisk, Luxray	Pikachu, Goodra, Hawlucha	Win — three-on-three in Prism Tower, refereed by Clembot. Pikachu stops Bunnelby’s second Dig by driving Iron Tail into the ground and wins; Goodra is paralysed by Heliolisk’s Thunder Wave, so Hawlucha waits for the frills to open and knocks Heliolisk out with a point-blank High Jump Kick; Luxray’s Electric Terrain and Wild Charge then beat Hawlucha and Pikachu, until Goodra’s Rain Dance washes the terrain away and cures its paralysis through Hydration, and Bide defeats Luxray — Ash’s fifth Badge, and the only Kalos Gym battle without Fletchinder	XY067
Fairy Badge	Laverre Gym · Valerie	Sylveon, Spritzee	Fletchinder, Hawlucha	Win — two-on-two. Fletchinder escapes Sylveon’s feelers with Flame Charge and wins when Steel Wing meets Giga Impact, but Spritzee’s Trick Room turns every Flame Charge against it and Moonblast knocks it out; Hawlucha, weak to Fairy moves, rides the momentum of Gyro Ball off the Trick Room wall, cuts through Dazzling Gleam and shatters Trick Room with a newly learned X-Scissor and wins with High Jump Kick — Ash’s sixth Badge, and his first Gym battle since EP007 without a first partner Pokémon, Pikachu included	XY074
Psychic Badge	Anistar Gym · Olympia	Meowstic (male), Meowstic (female)	Frogadier, Talonflame	Win — a Double Battle. The male Meowstic’s Prankster lets its Helping Hand, Light Screen and Thunder Wave strike first in support of the female’s Future Sight, Dark Pulse and Keen Eye–guided Psyshock; with Pikachu timing the Future Sight attacks from the sidelines, Talonflame hides in Frogadier’s Double Team and the pair throw both Meowstic into Future Sight’s path, then Flame Charge knocks out the female and Frogadier’s Water Pulse absorbs the male’s Psyshock and sends it back — Ash’s seventh Badge, in the only XY episode with a Pokémon’s Hidden Ability	XY093

Pokémon Showcases

Pokémon Showcases are contests for Pokémon Performers: a Theme Performance chosen for each event, then a Freestyle Performance for the finalists, with the audience voting by Glow Caster and the winner receiving a Princess Key; three Keys admit a Performer to the Master Class, where the Kalos Queen is decided. Monsieur Pierre hosts with his Klefki. At Coumarine City (XY060) the Theme Performance is Pokémon Styling — ten minutes to dress a Pokémon, then a walk down the runway — and Serena, whose Fennekin trips on its long ribbon, and Jessie, whose Pumpkaboo is dressed for “Beauty and the Beast”, are both eliminated; Shauna wins her first Key with Bulbasaur and Flabébé, watched by the retired Kalos Queen Palermo.

At Dendemille Town (XY080) the Theme Performance is Poké Puff baking, judged by Gena, Santo and Delilah, with one Performer from each group advancing; Serena, Miette and Jessie, as “Jessilia”, reach the Freestyle, where Serena, whose dress Jessie has torn, trims the hem and wins with a fire-and-sparkle routine for Braixen and Pancham. At Anistar City (XY091) the Theme Performance is a quiz for which each Performer’s Pokémon races for the right to answer; Serena beats Nini to advance, nearly forfeits her turn searching for the frightened Eevee, and wins her second Key with the dance Eevee taught her team, Shauna finishing second and Jessie, as “Jessaline”, third.

The Pokémon Sky Relay

In the Pokémon Sky Relay (XY077) teams of three flying Pokémon each fly one stage of an obstacle course carrying a sash, while their Trainers follow in hot-air balloons. Ash enters Fletchinder, Hawlucha and Noibat; Team Rocket cheat with Jessie’s Pumpkaboo hidden in an Altaria’s wings and a mechanical Pelipper piloted by Meowth, which falls apart, and are disqualified. On the last leg Noibat, finally mastering flight, races Orson’s Starly neck and neck until Starly edges ahead at the line, giving Orson his second win in a row; Ash’s team finishes second, and the organiser, Ornithol, who had never caught three flying Pokémon, takes part for the first time.

Rivals & other battles

The rookie Sawyer runs through the second half of the season: he loses to Clemont at the Lumiose Gym (XY064), to Valerie’s Spritzee after his Double Battle with Ash is cut short (XY073), and then to Ash three to nothing — Pikachu against Bagon, Hawlucha against Slurpuff and Frogadier against the Treecko that evolves into Grovyle mid-battle (XY075). Tierno’s Raichu and Wartortle lose a Double Battle to Pikachu and the newly evolved Goodra (XY065), and his Tag Battle with Ash against Serena and Shauna is called off when Eevee’s dancing inspires Serena (XY090); Fletchinder beats Trevor’s Charmeleon before facing Moltres (XY086); and Pikachu and Frogadier beat Olympia’s hot-headed apprentice Carrie (XY092).

Away from the Gyms, Ash’s Hawlucha plays the hero against Carl’s Shiny “Dark Hawlucha” in a staged show that becomes a real battle (XY051); Clembot faces Belmondo’s Dark Clembot before Clemont’s Luxray beats Belmondo’s Magnezone (XY066); Goodra beats Florges and then joins her against Team Rocket (XY069–XY070); Pikachu beats Meowth one-on-one (XY079); Weston’s Rotom changes form to beat Mantle’s Krookodile (XY081); and Serena’s Braixen beats Woodward’s Gallade with her new Fire Blast (XY085). By Bulbapedia’s count Ash does not lose a single battle all season.

Movies & Specials Released During the Season

The eighteenth movie, Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (ポケモン・ザ・ムービーXY 光輪の超魔神フーパ, “The Archdjinni of the Rings: Hoopa”), opened in Japanese cinemas on Saturday 18 July 2015, between Rotom’s Wish! (XY081) and A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell? (XY082), and debuted in third place at the box office according to pocketmonsters.net. Written by Atsuhiro Tomioka — the first film since Celebi not written by Hideki Sonoda — it was shown with the short Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad, which ends with Gaogao All-Star, and its Japanese ending, “Tweedia” by Rei Yasuda, became “Every Side of Me” in English. In Japan the season trailed it for months: Arceus for advance-ticket buyers from 7 March, Legendary vouchers and a movie Hoopa, trailers and Hoopa promotions in the Holo Caster slot, a two-hour movie special on 16 July and, on the first broadcasts of XY082 to XY086, film clips in place of most of the opening. Its English-language premiere was in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on 5 November 2015; Canada’s Teletoon showed it on 14 November, CITV on 12 December, and Cartoon Network on Saturday 19 December 2015, the day of the season finale. It came out on DVD in Australia on 2 December 2015, in Japan on 16 December 2015 and in the US on 8 March 2016.

Hoopa and the Clash of AgesMovie 18 · Japan 18 July 2015 · US TV 19 December 2015 · US DVD 8 March 2016

Three Mega Evolution Specials ran alongside the season. Mega Evolution Special II (Act II), in which Alain and Mairin meet Steven Stone in Hoenn and Alain’s Mega Charizard X faces Steven’s Mega Metagross, aired in Japan on 6 November 2014, a week after XY049, and premiered on Cartoon Network at 2 p.m. on 7 February 2015, in the four-hour marathon that also reran Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction and Mega Evolution Special I; it was Steven’s first appearance in 11 years, voiced in English by Andrew Paull. Mega Evolution Special III, in which Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre clash off Rustboro City until Mega Rayquaza’s Dragon Ascent reverts them, aired in Japan on 19 March 2015, between XY064 and XY065, and in the US on 15 August, between XY075 and XY076. Mega Evolution Special IV, in which Alain beats ten Mega Evolution Trainers and the Elite Four member Malva while Mairin’s Chespie is infected by a Zygarde Cell, opened the one-hour XY&Z launch special on 29 October 2015 and reached Cartoon Network on 26 December.

Hoopa arrived in shorts first. Hoopa’s Surprise Ring Adventures, six shorts in which Hoopa plays tricks on Ash and Pikachu, ran weekly on TV Tokyo’s Oha Suta from 23 April to 28 May 2015 and went up on Pokémon.com on 11 December 2015. Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon, the film’s prologue about young Hoopa in Arche Valley, was released in Japan on 19 June 2015 with advance movie tickets and on DVD, and in North America on Pokémon.com on 3 December 2015, after Teletoon had shown it with the film on 14 November; Cartoon Network aired it before the movie on 19 December, and its dub drops a Manneken Pis gag. The seventeenth movie’s short, Pikachu, What’s This Key?, was released in English on 2 February 2015.

Side Stories, Specials & Crossovers

Side-story tie-ins

The Mega Evolution Specials and the Hoopa short. Four rows in older episode lists are not episodes: Mega Evolution Special II (Japan 6 November 2014, US 7 February 2015), III (19 March and 15 August 2015) and IV (29 October and 26 December 2015), which follow Alain’s hunt for Mega Evolution battles alongside the season, and Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon (Japan 19 June 2015, US 3 December 2015), the eighteenth movie’s prologue. All four are covered under Movies & Specials above; Netflix in Asia lists the three specials as the season’s episodes 46 to 48.
Japan’s end segments. The first five episodes ended with Mega Evolution Pokédex shorts tied to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire: Steven on Mega Latias and Mega Latios after XY050, Mairin and Alain on Mega Gallade after XY024, Mairin on Mega Sableye after XY051 and Mega Audino after XY053, and the narrator on Mega Rayquaza after XY054. Professor Oak’s Pokémon Holo Caster then took over, with Hoopa joining Oak and Rotom from XY066, though first broadcasts often gave the slot to trailers for the eighteenth movie, Hoopa’s promotions for the Legendary distributions or a Tretta coin quiz, and James parodies it within Cloudy Fate, Bright Future! (XY092). None of it was dubbed, but the Mega Evolution shorts were posted on the English Pokémon website from 30 January to 5 March 2015.
The Pokémon Quiz. Japan’s eyecatch quiz, with four cards — the answer, two look-alikes and a Team Rocket decoy — and a guest presenter each week, reached new firsts this season: a Shiny Pokémon and no decoy card (XY051), a talking Pokémon, Team Rocket’s Meowth (XY079), an answer shown only as “???” (XY087) and a Pokémon in costume, Serena’s Pancham in stage clothes (XY091). Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078) is the only XY episode without one.
Companion programming. TV Tokyo’s Sunday show Pokémon Get☆TV reran older episodes with new segments and closed 2014 with two year-end specials, A Full Showcase of Intense Battles! and A Complete Showcase of Legendary Pokémon!, and 2015 with an XY&Z preview; it also reran Mega Evolution Special III on 27 September 2015. On 16 July 2015 a two-hour movie special took the anime’s slot two days before the eighteenth film opened.

Characters from the games, manga and specials

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire came out on 21 November 2014 and sold 3.04 million copies on their launch weekend: XY050 was the last Japanese episode before them and XY051 the first after, Steven’s and Mairin’s end segments promoted their Mega Evolutions, Mega Evolution Special II’s Steven is referenced in the games’ Delta Episode, and the new Pokédexes Sycamore hands out in the finale are the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire model (XY093).
Game events that mirror the anime. Japan distributed “Serena’s Fokko”, a Fennekin, from 26 February 2015, advertised after XY061; 7-Eleven gave away Ash’s Pikachu and Serena’s Pancham in July 2015; the eighteenth movie brought Arceus, Legendary vouchers and Hoopa (in the US and Canada through Nintendo Zone from 31 October and 4 December 2015); a Shiny Rayquaza with Dragon Ascent followed the Mega Evolution Specials in August and September 2015; and the XY&Z launch brought Zygarde and alternate-coloured Xerneas and Yveltal. Pokkén Tournament and Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon were announced during the run.
Pop-culture nods. The S.S. Cussler of XY024 recalls the Titanic and Lindsey’s submarine the research vessel Alvin; James asks “Deal or no deal?” and “Final answer?” in the style of television game shows (XY061); Beyond the Rainbow! takes both its English and Japanese titles from The Wizard of Oz’s “Over the Rainbow” (XY070); the Japanese titles of Rotom’s Wish! and Adventures in Running Errands! echo The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (XY081) and the television show Hajimete no Otsukai, known in English as Old Enough! (XY084); Lights! Camera! Pika! opens on an MGM-style Pikachu logo and its dub signs off with “That’s all, folks!” (XY078); and the Ekans-and-Mamoswine gag of A Performance Pop Quiz! is a nod to The Little Prince (XY091); and Lon’s mansion in Scary Hospitality! is the Scary House of the games’ Route 14 (XY072).

Opening & Ending Themes

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest changed both Japanese themes. Yūsuke’s Mega V opened the first five episodes and the postponed XY024, and from A Slippery Encounter! (XY055), first broadcast on 8 January 2015, Tomohisa Sako’s Getta Banban took over, in three versions of its animation; Shōko Nakagawa’s DreamDream ended the episodes up to XY067, and Little Glee Monster’s Gaogao All-Star the rest. In English, Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth’s “Be a Hero”, written by the dub’s composer, Ed Goldfarb, opened all 45 episodes, cut from Mega V footage that was never updated, and its instrumental served as the ending theme. As usual, the Japanese themes were never dubbed.

Opening 17 (version 2) · Mega Boruto (メガＶ（メガボルト） Mega V (Mega Volt)) — **Opening 17 (version 2) · *Mega Boruto* (メガＶ（メガボルト） Mega V (Mega Volt))**Yūsuke · XY050–XY054 and XY024Lyrics by Yūsuke, music by Hirokazu Tanaka, arranged by Chokkaku. The remix of the first XY opening ends its run with the season’s first five episodes and XY024’s delayed broadcast, in the second variant of its version 2 animation (used since XY045), and it was also the Japanese ending of *Mega Evolution Special II* and *III*. The original *V (Volt)* returns as an insert song for Hawlucha’s battle with Dark Hawlucha (XY051) and for the evolutions of Froakie (XY052), Goomy (XY061) and Luxio (XY062), among others, and at the end of the Sky Relay (XY077); an instrumental “Mega Volt” plays as Sliggoo evolves (XY065), and *Mega V* itself returns in the finale (XY093). CD single *Mega V / Sunshine*, 18 June 2014.

Opening 18 · Getta Banban (ゲッタバンバン Mad-Paced Getter) — **Opening 18 · *Getta Banban* (ゲッタバンバン Mad-Paced Getter)**Tomohisa Sako · XY055–XY093Lyrics by Tomohisa Sako, music by Tomoyuki Ogawa, arranged by Saku. Sako announced it at his concert on 25 December 2014, for broadcasts from 8 January 2015; like *V (Volt)* it is not sung by Rica Matsumoto, who later covered it as Ash, with Pikachu, for the 20th-anniversary album *Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -20th Anniversary-*. Its animation has three variants — Goomy’s capture and evolutions (XY055–XY060), Serena’s new look with Sliggoo, Luxray and Braixen (XY061–XY070), and Noibat, Alain, Ramos, Valerie, Olympia and Sawyer with Treecko (XY071–XY093) — the last of them giving away Ash’s meeting with Alain, which only comes in XY106; TV Tokyo’s first broadcasts of XY082 to XY086 replaced most of it with clips from the eighteenth movie. It is the first Japanese opening whose animation was never reused in an English one. CD single 29 April 2015, in three editions, with Clemont’s image song *Kirakira* (Brilliantly), also by Sako; it peaked at No. 19 on Oricon and No. 39 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Ending · Doridori (ドリドリ DreamDream) — **Ending · *Doridori* (ドリドリ DreamDream)**Shōko Nakagawa · XY050–XY067 and XY024Lyrics by Shōko Nakagawa and Yūho Iwasato, music by Kentarō Suzuki, arranged by Katsuhiko Kurosu. Serena’s dream of performing, which began in XY047, runs on to XY067, and from XY060 its final shot shows her with short hair. It doubles as the insert song of Serena’s dances and Showcases — Fennekin’s evolution (XY064), the first XY evolution without *V (Volt)*, and her routines in XY080, XY090 and XY091 — XY060 being the only Showcase she performs in without it. CD single 18 February 2015, in three editions.

Ending · Gaogao Ōrusutā (ガオガオ・オールスター Roaring All-Stars) — **Ending · *Gaogao Ōrusutā* (ガオガオ・オールスター Roaring All-Stars)**Little Glee Monster · XY068–XY093Lyrics, music and arrangement by Manabu Marutani. Pikachu dances on stage and plays with Ash’s, Serena’s, Clemont’s and Team Rocket’s Pokémon — a line-up never valid in the series, since Fletchinder had evolved before Serena caught Eevee — and the ribbon later tied to Braixen’s new branch (XY085) first appears here. It also ends the short *Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad*. CD single *Gaogao All-Star / Jinsei wa Ichido Kiri*, 15 July 2015, in three editions; it peaked at No. 14 on Oricon.

English opening · Be a Hero — English opening · *Be a Hero*Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth · all 45 episodesLyrics and music by Ed Goldfarb, arranged by Ed Goldfarb and Akhil Gopal; the full version, “Be a Hero (A Hero’s Journey)”, quotes Goldfarb’s leitmotif for Ash. The animation was assembled from the version 2 *Mega V* footage and never updated, so it still shows Froakie and Serena’s first outfit long after Frogadier and her haircut. Its instrumental is the English ending theme, replaces several Japanese insert songs and also closes *Mega Evolution Special II*; the song was released on *Pokémon Movie Music Collection*.

The Japanese background music borrows from the films and shorts: Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade (XY055, the final battle of XY081, XY084), Genesect and the Legend Awakened (XY070, XY093) and Kyurem VS. the Sword of Justice (XY085), with the Secret Super Training theme in XY066 and the Eevee & Friends theme on Clemont’s music box in XY059; Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078) is the first episode to use music from the seventeenth movie and Pikachu, What’s This Key?. When Serena cries after her first Showcase (XY060) a slow remix of the games’ Snowbelle City and AZ themes plays, replaced in English by the dub’s own Showcase theme, first heard in XY021. The insert songs went too: the dub plays an instrumental of “Be a Hero” in place of V (Volt) (XY062, XY077), Getta Banban (XY075), Kirakira (XY086), DreamDream (XY091) and Mega V (XY093), uses other instrumentals in XY064, XY078 and XY084, and adds a “Be a Hero” insert to the battle of XY083. Sako’s Kirakira (Brilliantly), Clemont’s image song, is heard in XY084, XY086 and XY088.

Be a Hero — Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth’s English opening, used for all 45 episodes, starts 30 seconds into this compilation of Kalos-era themes, the video Bulbapedia’s page for the song links to. Video: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel.

TV Broadcasts & Original Airing Dates

Japan. TV Tokyo broadcast the season on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. Mega Evolution Special II took the slot on 6 November 2014, a week after XY049, and Pathways to Performance Partnering! (XY050) followed on 13 November, the last episode before Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire came out on 21 November. The postponed An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024) went out on 20 November, between XY050 and XY051, and from A Slippery Encounter! (XY055) on 8 January 2015 the episodes opened with Getta Banban. There was no new episode on 4 December 2014, 1 January, 6 August or 3 September 2015; Mega Evolution Special III filled the slot on 19 March, XY077 and XY078 aired together as a one-hour special on 18 June, and on 16 July a two-hour movie special ran two days before Hoopa and the Clash of Ages opened, after which the first broadcasts of XY082 to XY086 replaced most of the opening with film clips. All Eyes on the Future! (XY093) on 22 October 2015 was the last episode of Pocket Monsters XY; a week later Mega Evolution Special IV and the first episode of XY&Z aired as a one-hour special. No ratings for these episodes have been found.

The postponed episode. An Undersea Place to Call Home!, in which the group explore a sunken liner off the Muraille Coast, was due on 24 April 2014 but was pulled after the ferry Sewol sank off South Korea that month — Japanese Wikipedia says it was probably postponed out of consideration for the disaster, and English Wikipedia that it was delayed because it includes a sunken ship. It aired unedited on 20 November 2014 as Japan’s 50th XY broadcast, with the then-current Mega V and DreamDream and a Mega Gallade short after it, so Fletchinder is still a Fletchling and Ash is still on his way to Grant; South Korea may have shown it first, in August 2014. Japanese Wikipedia calls it a side story. In English it premiered on 7 February 2015, after XY051, and is the season’s third episode.

The US run. Cartoon Network premiered the season on Saturday 7 February 2015, showing XY050 in its regular 8:00 a.m. ET slot and then, from noon to 4 p.m., a four-hour marathon announced the week before: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Mega Evolution Special I, the premiere of Mega Evolution Special II, XY050 again and the premieres of XY051 and, at 3:30 p.m., XY024. XY051 was repeated in the morning slot on 14 February, and new episodes resumed with A Stealthy Challenge! (XY052) on 28 February, airing every Saturday morning in order apart from two breaks: Mega Evolution Special III took the slot on 15 August, between XY075 and XY076, and Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078), the second half of Japan’s one-hour June special, was held back until 21 November, between XY089 and XY090, so that XY079 followed XY077 on 5 September. All Eyes on the Future! (XY093) closed the season on 19 December 2015, the day Cartoon Network premiered Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, and Mega Evolution Special IV followed on 26 December. No episode was banned or skipped, and no US viewing figures have been found.

Ahead of Cartoon Network. iTunes sold the season in volumes in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia — Volume 2 began with A Showcase Debut! (XY060) in April 2015 — and the episodes of Volume 3 (XY076–XY082) went up on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video six days before each Cartoon Network premiere, from 16 August to 20 September 2015. Canada’s Teletoon, which began the season in April 2015, ran a week ahead of the US from A Not-So-Flying Start! (XY076) on 15 August, because it showed that episode in the slot Cartoon Network gave to Mega Evolution Special III (which Teletoon held over to 26 December) — the first XY episode seen in Canada before the US. Teletoon paired Lights! Camera! Pika! with Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon and the eighteenth movie on 14 November and showed the finale on 12 December. pocketmonsters.net’s US listings for 29 August to 14 November match these Canadian dates; the dates on this page follow Bulbapedia’s Cartoon Network schedule.

Elsewhere. In the UK, CITV began the season on Easter Monday, 6 April 2015, with episodes on ITV Hub for 30 days after each broadcast, and premiered the eighteenth movie on 12 December 2015; BBC iPlayer added the season and the film on 1 November 2023. Australia saw the season on Toasted TV on Eleven, and the eighteenth movie had its English-language world premiere in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on 5 November 2015. Portugal reportedly skipped XY050, airing it later in reruns; Brazil showed XY052 after XY053, a continuity error since Frogadier appears in XY053, and held XY073 back until its first rerun; and international dubs that followed the US order also aired XY024 out of sequence. Pokémon TV’s US rotation of 1 April 2016 left out XY064 for a week, and its German version skipped XY081 in April 2016. It was the last season shown on traditional television in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

The numbering. The season’s 45 episodes are numbered 1 to 45 on Cartoon Network, on the DVDs and on Bulbapedia, with XY024 third and XY078 41st; The Pokémon Company International’s dub production codes, indexed by Dogasu’s Backpack, run from 1801 (XY050) to 1844 (XY093), with XY024 as 1803, while XY078, listed there as a special, has none. English Wikipedia, whose list older guides follow, numbers XY024 2nd and keeps XY078 at 30, with English overall numbers 844–888 — the count this site uses, here in the official order. Japan has no 18th season: XY050 was its 49th XY broadcast and XY024 its 50th, and from XY051 the broadcast numbers match the codes, so Japanese sources date the theme changes by the same numbers.

Dub Edits

Changes in the English version

Nothing banned — two episodes moved. All 45 episodes were dubbed by The Pokémon Company International at DuArt, with Rodger Parsons narrating and Ed Goldfarb’s music, and shown on Cartoon Network with nothing cut from the run. Two aired out of their production order. An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), held back from Season 17, was dubbed with a narrator speaking entirely in the past tense to signal that it belonged earlier in the story — a device the Finnish and Polish dubs did not keep — and Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078) was moved to 21 November 2015 for reasons Bulbapedia does not record. Dogasu’s Backpack has no comparison pages for the season beyond a timeline page for XY024, so the changes below come from the “Dub edits”, “Errors” and “Trivia” sections of Bulbapedia’s episode pages. The dub changed director mid-season: Tom Wayland’s last episode is XY066 and Theresa Buchheister’s first is XY067.

Who’s That Pokémon? and the Pokémon Quiz. The dub kept its own quiz while Japan ran the Pokémon Quiz, and the two show different Pokémon in 23 episodes: Snubbull against a Shiny “Dark Hawlucha” (XY051), Bidoof against Malamar (XY054), Lotad against Dedenne (XY056), Jumpluff against Gogoat (XY058), Spoink against Grumpig (XY061), Luxray against Magnemite (XY062), Treecko against Aromatisse (XY064), Magneton against Heliolisk (XY066), Goodra against Luxray (XY067), Wooper against Florges (XY069), Florges against Goodra (XY070), Mr. Mime against Spritzee (XY074), Grovyle against Treecko (XY075), Altaria against Noibat (XY076), Noctowl against Starly (XY077), Staraptor against Team Rocket’s Meowth (XY079), Plusle and Minun against Braixen (XY080), Jigglypuff against Chespin (XY084), Charmeleon against Moltres (XY086), Trubbish against Diggersby (XY088), Ivysaur against Blastoise (XY090), Gloom against Serena’s costumed Pancham (XY091) and Sigilyph against a female Meowstic (XY093). The dub’s Florges in XY070 is the wrong colour, a Red Flower; its Mr. Mime (XY074) is the first XY answer that does not appear in the episode; Plusle and Minun (XY080), the first answer with two Pokémon, do not say their names because they keep their Japanese voices; and the music under XY064’s segment cuts out halfway. Lights! Camera! Pika! has neither segment.

Music. As in Season 17, Ed Goldfarb’s score replaced much of the Japanese music, and the insert songs went too: an instrumental of “Be a Hero” stands in for V (Volt) as Luxio evolves (XY062) and at the end of the Sky Relay (XY077), for Getta Banban after the Sawyer battle (XY075), for Kirakira as Fletchinder evolves (XY086), for DreamDream in Serena’s Anistar routine (XY091) and for Mega V in the finale (XY093), and XY083 gains a “Be a Hero” insert during its battle. The slow remix of the games’ Snowbelle City and AZ themes that plays as Serena cries after her first Showcase (XY060) gives way to the dub’s own Showcase theme.

Title cards. Japan’s title card focuses on a different character each week, often read by that character, and from An Oasis of Hope! (XY061) shows Serena’s new look, while the English card and opening keep her old design for the rest of the season. The dub usually substitutes an Ash card read by Ash, but it kept Serena as the reader in XY050 — the first time in an XY dub — and XY053, Serena and Ash in XY064 and Serena reading over an Ash card in XY080; it put Bonnie on the card of One for the Goomy! (XY056), whose Japanese card is the only one to focus on Dedenne; and A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell? (XY082) is read by Ash, his friends and Jessie, its card ending in “!” instead of “?”. Lights! Camera! Pika! keeps the stylised cards of its four segments, Ash reading the first and Frank the others. The UK, Italian, German, Russian, Polish and Latin American versions often swap in Ash cards of their own.

Dialogue, names and slips. The dub’s Pokédex calls Greninja the evolved form of Frogadier rather than Froakie’s final form (XY052), omits that Sliggoo evolves from Goomy (XY061), adds Floette’s category, the Single Bloom Pokémon (XY070), and lists Haunter’s and Gengar’s evolutions (XY072); Skiddo’s name was re-recorded as “ski-DOO” (XY053); Meowth gains an off-screen Giovanni impression (XY055); fruit becomes “Berries” (XY071, XY076); the closing narration of Scary Hospitality!, Lon’s in Japanese, goes to the narrator in a darker tone (XY072); James’s Quick Balls become Dusk Balls (XY079); voices are added to a silent scene (XY084); and James’s Holo Caster parody becomes “Professor James’s Mysteries of Kalos” (XY092). Fukuji, Marsh, Gojika, Shōta, Nene, Elle and Alan become Ramos, Valerie, Olympia, Sawyer, Nini, Aria and Alain; Hiyoku, Kunoe and Hyakkoku become Coumarine, Laverre and Anistar; Black Citroid becomes Dark Clembot; and Japan’s TriPokalon is the Pokémon Showcase. Slips include Japanese voices left in for Serena (XY057, XY058), Fletchinder (XY064), Goomy (XY069) and Florges (XY070), a Pokédex calling Goomy “Gooey” (XY055), “Who are you three?” said to four people (XY062), “Luminose” (XY066), closed captions naming Sawyer “Scottie” (XY064) and BBC iPlayer listing XY062 as “An Oasis of Hope – Part 2”; listings also called episodes “Showcase, Debut!” (XY060), “The Frocking Find in the Flowers!” (XY089) and “Tag Team Inspiration!” (XY090). Kate Bristol, the voice of Valerie, replaced Jennifer Forziati-DaCosta as Nurse Joy from XY082.

Episode titles explained

Several of this season’s English titles play on familiar phrases and songs:

One for the Goomy! — the rhyme “one for the money, two for the show”
The Green, Green Grass Types of Home! — the song “Green, Green Grass of Home”, for Ramos’s Grass-type Gym
The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination! — Clemont’s catchphrase, “The future is now, thanks to science!”
Beyond the Rainbow! — “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz (1939), which the Japanese title also echoes
So You’re Having a Bad Day! — possibly Daniel Powter’s song “Bad Day”
Lights! Camera! Pika! — the film-set call “Lights, camera, action!”, for Pikachu’s starring role
A Trip Down Memory Train! — “a trip down memory lane”, for Clemont’s flashback to a subway train
A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways! — “a fork in the road”, for Jessie’s choice between Dr. White and Team Rocket
The Moment of Lumiose Truth! — “the moment of truth”, for Ash’s long-awaited battle with Clemont
A Not-So-Flying Start! — “off to a flying start”, for a newborn Noibat that cannot fly yet

DVD & Blu-ray / Streaming

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest came out in North America from VIZ Media, distributed by Warner Home Video, as two three-disc sets in 2016 and a six-disc Complete Season in 2024; Australia and New Zealand got two Collections from Beyond Home Entertainment, the first while the US run was still on, and a six-disc DigiPack, without English captions. All of them hold the 45 episodes in the official order, with XY024 on the first disc and XY078 after XY089, and none includes the Mega Evolution Specials. No UK DVD release of the season has been found.

North America (Region 1)

Release	Date	Contents
Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest – Set 1 (VIZ Media, 3 discs, UPC 782009244189)	12 July 2016	22 episodes: XY050, XY051, XY024 and XY052–XY056; XY057–XY064; XY065–XY070 — 528 minutes; first announced for 7 June 2016
Set 2 (3 discs)	13 December 2016	23 episodes: XY071–XY077 and XY079; XY080–XY087; XY088, XY089, XY078 and XY090–XY093
Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest – The Complete Season (6 DVDs)	24 September 2024	All 45 episodes in 16:9, with English SDH subtitles
Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (DVD)	17 February 2015	The seventeenth movie, ten days after Cartoon Network reran it in the season’s premiere marathon
Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (DVD)	8 March 2016	The eighteenth movie, premiered on Cartoon Network on the day of the season finale

Australia & New Zealand (Region 4)

Release	Date	Notes
Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest – Collection 1 (3 discs, BHE6410)	4 November 2015 (New Zealand 18 November 2015)	22 episodes: XY050, XY051, XY024 and XY052–XY055; XY056–XY062; XY063–XY070 — released during the US run; a pre-release cover had a blue background without Fletchinder
Collection 2 (3 discs, BHE6411)	2 March 2016 (New Zealand 23 March 2016)	23 episodes: XY071–XY077; XY079–XY086; XY087–XY089, XY078 and XY090–XY093
Pokémon Season 18 DigiPack (6 discs, BHE7204)	1 June 2016 (New Zealand 15 June 2016)	Discs 18.1–18.6 themed on Inkay, Luxio, Bunnelby, Noibat, Pancham and Tyrunt; promoted as the “Complete Collection”
Hoopa and the Clash of Ages	2 December 2015	The eighteenth movie on DVD, four weeks after its cinema release
Multi-season sets	—	The season is also in the Seasons 1–19 Deluxe, 1–20 Ultra and 1–21 Mega box sets

Japan

In Japan the episodes went out on DVD volumes of Pocket Monsters XY, rented through GEO according to Japanese Wikipedia, which places XY024 on volume 18: Vol. 12 on 26 November 2014, 13 on 21 January 2015, 14–15 on 25 February, 16 on 25 March, 17–18 on 22 April, 19 on 20 May, 20–21 on 24 June, 22 on 22 July, 23–24 on 26 August, 25 on 30 September, 26–27 on 21 October and 28 on 25 November 2015; the other volumes’ contents have not been confirmed. XY024’s Qwilfish colouring error is fixed on the DVD and on Pokémon Get☆TV. Hoopa — The Mischief Pokémon came out on DVD on 19 June 2015, with advance tickets for the eighteenth movie, and the film itself in three editions on 16 December 2015.

Streaming

iTunes sold the season by the episode and as a Series Pass from spring 2015, in volumes, with some episodes on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video before their Cartoon Network premieres; Canada’s shomi service added the anime on 28 July 2015. Pokémon TV carried the season until Seasons 17 to 19 were rotated out. Netflix added Pokémon XY: Kalos Quest as the second season of XY, with the eighteenth movie, in its June 2016 wave, and brought it back with XYZ in June 2025. In the UK, episodes were on ITV Hub for 30 days after each CITV broadcast, and BBC iPlayer has carried the season and the film since 1 November 2023. Check your local service, as availability changes often.

Covers

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest Set 1 (Region 1, 2016)

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest Set 2 (Region 1, 2016)

Where to Watch & Buy

Availability changes constantly, so treat this as a snapshot (October 2026) and check your local service. Links will be added here once we have settled on referral partners.

NetflixAdded Pokémon XY: Kalos Quest with the eighteenth movie in June 2016 and brought it back, with XYZ, in June 2025; availability varies by region.
BBC iPlayer (UK)Has carried the season and Hoopa and the Clash of Ages since 1 November 2023.
DVD – North AmericaPokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest – The Complete Season (VIZ Media, 6 discs, 2024) has all 45 episodes in one case.
DVD – Australia & New ZealandThe Season 18 DigiPack (Beyond Home Entertainment, 2016) and several multi-season box sets.
Digital purchaseThe season has been sold on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video since 2015, by the episode or as a Series Pass; check current availability in your region.

Trading Cards Released During the Season

Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest aired in the US as the trading card game moved from Primal Reversion to BREAK Evolution, and four expansions came out during the Cartoon Network run:

Primal Clash — 4 February 2015 — three days before the US premiere, with 164 cards from Japan’s Gaia Volcano and Tidal Storm: Primal Kyogre-EX and Primal Groudon-EX, Kyogre-EX and Groudon-EX, Treecko, Grovyle and Sceptile, and the Lotad line
Roaring Skies — 6 May 2015 — between An Oasis of Hope! (XY061) and The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination! (XY062), with 110 cards from Emerald Break: Rayquaza-EX and M Rayquaza-EX, Fletchling, Fletchinder and Talonflame, Hawlucha, Klefki, Bagon, Shaymin-EX and Trainer cards for Steven, Wally and Winona
Ancient Origins — 12 August 2015 — between Rivals: Today and Tomorrow! (XY075) and A Not-So-Flying Start! (XY076), from Bandit Ring: Hoopa-EX, Goomy, Sliggoo and Goodra, Eevee, Inkay and Malamar, Rotom, Wooper and Quagsire, Giratina-EX, secret-rare Primal Kyogre-EX and Primal Groudon-EX and Trainer cards for Lysandre and Steven
BREAKthrough — 4 November 2015 — between The Tiny Caretaker! (XY087) and A Trip Down Memory Train! (XY088), with 164 cards from Blue Shock and Red Flash: Chespin, Braixen, Froakie and Frogadier, Dedenne, Pancham, Hawlucha, Inkay, Noibat, Noivern and Noivern BREAK, Mewtwo-EX and Trainer cards including Brigette and Giovanni’s Scheme

In Japan the cards had come out months earlier: Primal Clash is the English version of Gaia Volcano and Tidal Storm (13 December 2014), Roaring Skies of Emerald Break (14 March 2015), Ancient Origins of Bandit Ring (20 June 2015) and BREAKthrough of Blue Shock and Red Flash (26 September 2015), and the next Japanese set, Rage of the Broken Heavens, was announced on 7 September 2015.

Our TCG section has a full card list, print variations and the most valuable cards for every one of them.

Cards with a link to the season

Three cards from those sets follow the season’s big moments:

Firsts & Lasts

First season in which Ash loses no battle, by Bulbapedia’s count.
First main companion to change outfit for good in mid-journey: Serena, after her Showcase debut (XY060).
First Water-type first partner Pokémon to evolve under Ash: Froakie into Frogadier (XY052).
First on-screen evolution of a main character’s Dragon type: Goomy into Sliggoo (XY061).
First evolution after which the Pokémon learned no new move, and the first XY evolution without V (Volt): Fennekin into Braixen (XY064).
First release by Ash outside the original series, and his first since Larvitar: Goodra (XY070).
First main character’s Pokémon to evolve by trade: Jessie’s Pumpkaboo into Gourgeist (XY082).
First Gym battle since EP007 in which Ash uses no first partner Pokémon: the Laverre Gym (XY074).
First episode with a Hidden Ability other than Zen Mode: the Prankster of Olympia’s Meowstic (XY093).
First two-Pokémon Who’s That Pokémon?, Plusle and Minun (XY080), and the first XY answer not seen in its episode, Mr. Mime (XY074).
First episode without Who’s That Pokémon? since DP191 and the only XY episode without a Pokémon Quiz: Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078).
First XY episode shown in Canada before the US: A Not-So-Flying Start! (XY076).
First major recurring human voiced by Ikue Ōtani: Sawyer (XY064).
Last appearance of Pikachu’s Poké Ball, flashbacks aside (XY079), and the last episode of the Japanese XY series, All Eyes on the Future! (XY093).

Trivia & Facts

Two episodes out of place. The season’s third episode, An Undersea Place to Call Home! (XY024), was made 26 production slots earlier, pulled in Japan after the April 2014 Sewol disaster and aired there seven months later, and its dub narrator speaks in the past tense; Lights! Camera! Pika! (XY078) waited from June to 21 November 2015 for its US premiere.
A four-hour premiere. Cartoon Network opened the season with XY050 at 8 a.m. on 7 February 2015 and a noon-to-4 p.m. marathon that premiered Mega Evolution Special II, XY051 and XY024.
Unbeaten. Bulbapedia calls Kalos Quest the first season in which Ash loses no battles; he wins four Badges — Plant, Voltage, Fairy and Psychic — and ends it with seven.
Goomy’s whole life in 16 episodes. Caught in XY055, Sliggoo in XY061, Goodra in XY065, the winner of the Lumiose Gym battle in XY067 and released in XY070 — Ash’s first release since Larvitar, 605 episodes earlier, and his first outside the original series.

Goodra goes back to its wetland home in Beyond the Rainbow! (XY070) — the end of a sixteen-episode arc from Goomy’s capture in XY055, and Ash’s first release since Larvitar, 605 episodes earlier. Screenshot: Pokémon anime, XY070 “Beyond the Rainbow!” · via Bulbapedia
Four evolutions and an Egg. Froakie becomes Frogadier (XY052), Ash’s first Water-type evolution since EP075, Goomy evolves twice and Fletchinder becomes Talonflame (XY086), and Noibat hatches from an Egg that Hawlucha found (XY076).
Serena’s new look. After her first Showcase she cuts her hair and changes outfit for good (XY060), the first main companion to do so in mid-journey — but the English opening and title cards never catch up with her new design.

Serena’s first Pokémon Showcase in A Showcase Debut! (XY060) ends in defeat — and with the haircut and new outfit she keeps for the rest of the series, the first main companion to change her look mid-journey. Screenshot: Pokémon anime, XY060 “A Showcase Debut!” · via Bulbapedia
An opening the dub never used. Getta Banban is the first Japanese opening whose animation was not reused in any English opening, and its third variant shows Ash meeting Alain, which only happens in XY106.
Pikachu’s voice as a rival. Sawyer is the first major recurring human character voiced by Ikue Ōtani, Pikachu’s actress.
Bonnie’s stand-in. Mariya Ise went on maternity leave after XY086, and Mika Kanai voiced Bonnie for 14 episodes, XY087 to XY100.
An episode that breaks the format. Lights! Camera! Pika! has no Who’s That Pokémon? (the first since DP191) and no Pokémon Quiz (the only XY episode without one), no eyecatches in Japanese, a cold open, four segment titles and an MGM-style Pikachu logo.
A Hidden Ability. The Prankster of Olympia’s male Meowstic makes XY093 the first episode with a Pokémon’s Hidden Ability other than Zen Mode, and the only one in the XY series.
Foreshadowing XYZ. Olympia’s visions of Frogadier’s special power, an Ash-Greninja silhouette, of a “green fire” and of deep green eyes (XY092–XY093), and Mega Evolution Special IV’s Zygarde Cell, lead straight into XY094, which picks up directly after the Gym battle.
Ghosts and time travel. The photo that reveals Lon to be a ghost in Scary Hospitality! (XY072) is more than two hundred years old, and Rotom’s Wish! (XY081), in which a Rotom sends the group ten years into the past, features only five species, the fewest of any XY episode.
Goodbye to a Poké Ball. A Frenzied Factory Fiasco! (XY079) is the last time Pikachu’s Poké Ball appears, flashbacks aside; Pikachu even traps Meowth in a Luxury Ball, and Great and Ultra Balls make their anime debut.
Jessie’s lucky trade. Her Pumpkaboo evolves into Gourgeist when traded to Count Pumpka and is traded straight back (XY082) — the first main character’s Pokémon to evolve by trade, and Team Rocket’s first trade in 620 episodes.
Ahead of Cartoon Network. iTunes and Amazon Prime Video released the Volume 3 episodes six days early, and from XY076 Canada’s Teletoon ran a week ahead of the US.
Quiz firsts in Japan. The Pokémon Quiz had its first Shiny answer (XY051), talking Pokémon (XY079), unrevealed answer (XY087) and Pokémon in costume (XY091).
A movie in the middle. Hoopa and the Clash of Ages opened in Japan between XY081 and XY082 — whose first broadcasts, with XY083 to XY086, swapped most of the opening for its clips — and premiered on US television on 19 December 2015, the day of the finale.
The end of an era on television. Kalos Quest was the last season shown on traditional television in Brazil, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Games and cards. The trading card expansions released during the US run were Primal Clash, Roaring Skies, Ancient Origins and BREAKthrough, with cards for Goomy, Sliggoo and Goodra, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Noibat and Noivern, Eevee, Hoopa-EX and Mega Rayquaza-EX — see our TCG section.

Reception

Ratings and sales. No viewing figures for the season have been found, in Japan or the US. Hoopa and the Clash of Ages opened in third place at the Japanese box office in July 2015, according to pocketmonsters.net; Tomohisa Sako’s Getta Banban single reached No. 19 on Oricon and No. 39 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and Little Glee Monster’s Gaogao All-Star / Jinsei wa Ichido Kiri No. 14 on Oricon; and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, released between XY050 and XY051 in Japan, sold 3.04 million copies on their launch weekend.

Fan scores. MyAnimeList has no separate entry for the season: its Pokémon XY entry, covering all 93 Japanese XY episodes, stood at 7.49 from about 123,000 users in October 2026. IMDb’s episode ratings could not be checked for this page.

Commentary. Anime News Network’s Shelf Life column covered Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest – Set 1 on 11 July 2016, but its text could not be read for this page, and no other reviews of the episodes or the DVDs have been found. Dogasu’s Backpack, the usual source of dub commentary, has no comparison pages for the season beyond its XY024 timeline, and the season won no known awards.

Continue the journey with Season 19: Pokémon the Series: XYZ, go back to Season 17: Pokémon the Series: XY, or browse every season of the Pokémon anime.