Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile! – Pokémon Season 18, Episode 16

Plot episodeFennekin evolves into BraixenSawyer debuts

Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile! is the 16th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest, the eighteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 859th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 864, Bulbapedia code XY064). It first aired in Japan on 12 March 2015 and in the United States on 23 May 2015. It falls within the season’s A Showcase debut & a new look stretch (EP60–EP64).

Pokémon TV left it out of its US rotation of 1 April 2016, adding it on 7 April.

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

Synopsis

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 Battle during which Fennekin evolves into Braixen, and only later does Serena realise that Ariana was Kalos Queen Aria. Watching Shauna’s Coumarine victory on television, Serena resolves to train harder, but a trick with a ring of Fennekin’s Flamethrower burns Pancham’s tail, and the two start fighting. When Fennekin’s angry Flamethrower hits Serena, she shouts at both of them and leaves to be alone, feeling like a failure as a Performer. Ash and Bonnie stay with the sulking Pokémon and coax them into eating. In Lumiose City, meanwhile, Clemont defeats a young challenger named Sawyer and advises him on the timing of his Treecko’s Mega Drain.

Gazing sadly into a shop window, Serena is approached by a friendly girl named Ariana, who chats about the hats on display and invites her to go shopping. Ariana saw the Coumarine Showcase on Pokévision and tells her that everyone makes mistakes and that smiling is what matters most in performing. They try on hats together, and Serena gradually relaxes in the company of her cheerful new friend. The two share a meal, and when Serena describes the quarrel, Ariana suggests that she simply apologise to her Pokémon, since Fennekin and Pancham clearly care about her. That evening Serena returns, apologises for shouting, and her Pokémon apologise to her and to each other, the misunderstanding over Pancham’s burned tail forgotten.

Ariana then challenges Serena to a Double Battle with her powerful Delphox and Aromatisse, whose polished teamwork overwhelms Fennekin and Pancham at first. Following Ariana’s advice about full cooperation, Serena starts combining Pancham’s Stone Edge with Fennekin’s Flamethrower. When Delphox’s Flamethrower hurts Fennekin, Serena remembers to keep smiling and reassures her partners, and Fennekin evolves into Braixen, though unusually it learns no new move in the process. Before the battle can finish, Ariana is called away and leaves with a smile. The next day Serena sees Kalos Queen Aria on television and recognises her as Ariana. She silently thanks Aria and resolves to train even harder towards her dream of becoming Kalos Queen. Team Rocket do not appear in this episode at all.

Major Events

• Fennekin evolves into Braixen. Serena spends a day with Ariana, the Kalos Queen Aria in disguise, and Fennekin evolves in their Double Battle without learning a new move
• Clemont beats the rookie Sawyer
• Team Rocket do not appear
• Debut of Sawyer
• Anime debut of Aromatisse

Pokémon making their anime debut

• Aromatisse#0683 · XY064

Captures and evolutions

• Fennekin → Braixen#0654 · Serena · in a Double Battle with Aria, without learning a new move
• Braixen → Delphox#0655 · Aria · off screen, revealed when she meets Serena in disguise

Trivia

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

Changes in the English Dub

• The title card is read by Serena and Ash
• Fletchinder’s Japanese voice is left in
• The closed captions call Sawyer “Scottie”
• DreamDream plays as Fennekin evolves, the first XY evolution without V (Volt); the dub uses an instrumental
• The music under the dub’s Who’s That Pokémon? cuts out halfway

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