A Stealthy Challenge! – Pokémon Season 18, Episode 4

Plot episodeFroakie evolves into FrogadierSanpei returns

A Stealthy Challenge! is the 4th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest, the eighteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 847th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 852, Bulbapedia code XY052). It first aired in Japan on 11 December 2014 and in the United States on 28 February 2015. It falls within the season’s Rivals, ninjas & a postponed voyage stretch (EP50–EP54).

The first new episode after the premiere marathon: Cartoon Network showed no new episode on 14 or 21 February 2015. Brazil aired it after XY053, although Frogadier appears in that episode.

Synopsis · Major Events · Trivia · Dub Changes · All episodes

Synopsis

Ash reunites with the ninja Sanpei, whose Frogadier has become a Greninja, and while protecting him from a masked rival ninja Ash’s Froakie evolves into Frogadier. On the road to Coumarine City, Clemont and Bonnie spot someone floating down the river; Ash dives in and pulls out Sanpei, and Clemont cures the poisoned Greninja. Sanpei explains that his master, Saizo, entrusted him with a secret scroll to deliver to a safe house before sunset, but a masked ninja and his Barbaracle ambushed him, poisoning Greninja with Poison Jab and knocking them both into the river with Razor Shell. The masked ninja appears again: Froakie blocks Razor Shell with Cut, but Pikachu’s Thunderbolt has no effect on Barbaracle, and Sanpei uses a leaf-shroud technique to help everyone slip away while Team Rocket watch, planning to grab Pikachu.

Clemont’s “Robo Step by Step” decoys lure the hidden Team Rocket into reciting their motto at a walking machine, which explodes when Jessie kicks it. To beat the deadline the group takes a dangerous mountain path; a rotten bridge breaks, but Froakie’s frubbles catch Clemont and Greninja’s tongue catches Serena. In a tunnel Greninja’s Smokescreen drives off a flock of Golbat, yet when the smoke clears Ash and Sanpei are alone, and the masked ninja is waiting. Sanpei tells Ash to go and find the others, but Ash refuses to leave his friend and insists on fighting beside him. Froakie and Greninja surround Barbaracle with Double Team, but Water Pulse and Water Shuriken hit only duplicates and Razor Shell blocks Electro Ball.

Team Rocket then reveal themselves and throw nets, only for Barbaracle to slice through them, since Sanpei and Ash are the real targets; Water Pulse and Water Shuriken blast the trio away. Barbaracle’s Mud-Slap knocks back Froakie, Pikachu and Greninja, and as it aims a finishing Poison Jab at Greninja, Froakie leaps in to take the blow and evolves into Frogadier. The new Frogadier counters Razor Shell with Cut and lands Aerial Ace, and the masked ninja withdraws, saying the others are waiting at the safe house. There Serena, Clemont and Bonnie are safe, and the masked ninja unmasks as Saizo himself, who took them aside to test Sanpei alone. He praises his pupil’s performance, and Sanpei delivers the scroll in time. Serena notices the evolution, Bonnie asks Frogadier to devolve and evolve again for her, and Ash challenges Sanpei to a battle.

Major Events

• Froakie evolves into Frogadier. Sanpei returns with a Greninja to deliver his master’s scroll
• Froakie evolves taking Barbaracle’s Poison Jab and learns Aerial Ace
• The masked ninja is Sanpei’s master, Saizo
• The first Water-type first partner to evolve under Ash
• Debut of Saizo
• TV-episode debut of Barbaracle

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Barbaracle#0689 · XY052

Captures and evolutions

• Froakie → Frogadier#0657 · Ash · taking a Poison Jab meant for Sanpei’s Greninja; learns Aerial Ace
• Frogadier → Greninja#0658 · Sanpei · off screen, revealed on his return

Trivia

• The screenplay is by Shinzō Fujita.
• This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.

Changes in the English Dub

• The Pokédex calls Greninja the evolved form of Frogadier, where the Japanese one calls it Froakie’s final form
• V (Volt) plays as an insert song as Froakie evolves

Part of our Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.