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| Season | Pokémon the Series: XYZ (Season 19) · The Ninja Village & Ash-Greninja arc (XY099–XY100) |
| Episode | Season 19, episode 7 · English episode 895 · Japanese episode 900 · Bulbapedia code XY100 |
| English title | A Festival of Decisions! |
| Japanese title | 忍者村決戦！ゲコガシラ対キリキザン！！ Ninja-mura Kessen! Gekogashira Tai Kirikizan!! — “Decisive Battle in the Ninja Village! Gekogashira VS Kirikizan!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 10 December 2015 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 2 April 2016 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Shinzō Fujita |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | XY&Z – Satoshi (Rica Matsumoto) · Puni-chan no Uta (Puni-chan’s Song) – Eureka (Mariya Ise) |
| English opening | Stand Tall – Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Greninja (US) |
| Previous episode | The Legend of the Ninja Hero! (XY099) |
| Next episode | A Dancing Debut! (XY101) |
Plot episodeFrogadier evolves into GreninjaFirst Ash-Greninja
A Festival of Decisions! is the 7th episode of Pokémon the Series: XYZ, the nineteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 895th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 900, Bulbapedia code XY100). It first aired in Japan on 10 December 2015 and in the United States on 2 April 2016. It falls within the season’s The Ninja Village & Ash-Greninja stretch (EP99–EP100).
Synopsis
Ash’s Frogadier evolves into Greninja while protecting Pikachu and transforms for the first time into a mysterious new form, as the friends help the Ninja Village rescue its kidnapped chief from the renegade Kagetomo. Shinobu uses a ninja body-switch technique to free herself and Serena from Team Rocket’s capture device, and the Skarmory fleet chases the trio out of the village. Ash and Sanpei, meanwhile, are struggling against Heidayu’s Bisharp, which shrugs off Frogadier’s Bubble and Greninja’s Night Slash and hits back with Shadow Claw and Snarl. Saizo arrives with Barbaracle just in time, and Heidayu flees on a Skarmory, boasting that he has bought Kagetomo enough time. Saizo stops the boys from charging after him and explains that Kagetomo, a gifted ninja once expected to become chief, left the village when he was passed over for his hunger for power.
On Otori Mountain, Kagetomo tells his captive that he will not steal the chief’s emblem: Hanzo must hand it over at the next day’s festival and name him chief. When villagers locate the hideout, Ash, his friends, Sanpei’s brothers, Shinobu and a band of ninjas set off, but Heidayu’s forces intercept them. Nihei sends Saizo and Ippei ahead while the rest hold the line, and Kagetomo challenges Ippei to a battle for leadership of the village, his Weavile against Ippei’s Greninja. On the slopes below, Bisharp’s Snarl knocks out Pikachu, Frogadier and Sanpei’s Greninja, then lunges at the injured Pikachu with Shadow Claw. Frogadier throws itself in the way, shoves Bisharp back and evolves into Greninja. It unleashes Water Shuriken for the first time, then transforms into a strange new form and defeats Bisharp with a devastating Cut, reverting before Ash can understand what happened.
The friends defeat the remaining ninjas and reach the summit as Ippei’s Greninja breaks free of Weavile’s pressure: Giga Impact shatters its Double Team, but Greninja bursts from underground and wins with Water Shuriken. When Kagetomo blames Weavile, Hanzo tells him his Pokémon is actually stronger than Ippei’s; what he lacks is Ippei’s devotion to the dreams of people, Pokémon and the world. At the festival Hanzo retires and hands the emblem to Ippei as the new chief. Kagetomo admits his mistakes, asks Ippei to look after the village and sets off with Heidayu to travel the world and put his power to better use. The next morning Ash and his friends leave with the villagers’ good wishes. At the underground monument, Nihei describes the strange transformation of Ash’s Greninja to Hanzo, Ippei and Saizo, and Ippei concludes that the hero of legend has saved the village once again.
Major Events
- Frogadier evolves into Greninja. Frogadier evolves shielding Pikachu from Heidayu’s Bisharp, learns Water Shuriken and transforms for the first time into Ash-Greninja through the Bond Phenomenon
- Ippei’s Greninja beats Kagetomo’s Weavile and Ippei becomes chief
- The 100th episode of XY
- Mika Kanai’s last episode as Bonnie’s Japanese voice
- Sanpei’s last physical appearance
Captures and evolutions
Frogadier → Greninja#0658 · Ash · shielding Pikachu from Bisharp; learns Water Shuriken and first takes the Ash-Greninja form
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Shinzō Fujita.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.
Part of our Pokémon the Series: XYZ guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.