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| Season | Pokémon the Series: XYZ (Season 19) · Mastering the bond & the Iceberg Badge arc (XY114–XY122) |
| Episode | Season 19, episode 23 · English episode 911 · Japanese episode 916 · Bulbapedia code XY116 |
| English title | The Synchronicity Test! |
| Japanese title | サトシとアラン！ゲッコウガＶＳメガリザードンふたたび！！ Satoshi to Aran! Gekkouga Tai Mega Rizādon Futatabi!! — “Satoshi and Alan! Gekkouga VS Mega Lizardon Once Again!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 21 April 2016 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 23 July 2016 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| 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? | Metang (US) |
| Previous episode | Battling at Full Volume! (XY115) |
| Next episode | Making Friends and Influencing Villains! (XY117) |
Plot episodeBattle Pulse metersAsh vs Alain again
The Synchronicity Test! is the 23rd episode of Pokémon the Series: XYZ, the nineteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 911th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 916, Bulbapedia code XY116). It first aired in Japan on 21 April 2016 and in the United States on 23 July 2016. It falls within the season’s Mastering the bond & the Iceberg Badge stretch (EP114–EP122).
On sale on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video from 22 July 2016, a day before the US premiere.
Synopsis
Clemont studies the strange transformation of Ash’s Greninja with special monitoring devices, and in a rematch with Alain the two synchronise completely, until the strain causes Ash to collapse and the battle is abandoned. At a Pokémon Center, Clemont uses a “Clembot Mini” to replay footage of Greninja’s transformations and outlines his hypotheses: the change only happens in battle, it makes Greninja resemble Ash, and it is probably psychological. Serena recalls Olympia’s prophecy that Greninja needs Ash’s love to reach new heights, and Clemont recalls Sawyer’s remark that Trainers and Pokémon with deep bonds tend to look alike. He gives Ash and Greninja Battle Pulse meters to record their brain waves and heart rates. In a test battle against Luxray, Greninja’s Aerial Ace lands and the readings show the two in perfect sync, but nothing changes, and Ash admits that neither he nor Greninja knows how to start the transformation.
Alain arrives at the Pokémon Center, and Ash challenges him at once. While Greninja is being healed, Alain reveals that he has other Pokémon besides Charizard and sends out Metang against Noivern. Noivern’s Acrobatics, Boomburst and Supersonic trade blows with Metal Claw, Psyshock and Meteor Mash, but Metang wins the final clash and Ash’s Noivern is knocked out; Alain admits that with a little more time they would have lost. In the rematch, Greninja’s Water Shuriken meets Charizard’s Dragon Claw, and Alain Mega Evolves his partner. Point-blank Flamethrower and Thunder Punch knock Greninja down, but as it rises at Ash’s call, Clemont sees the pulse waves change and predicts the synchronisation: Greninja transforms, confirming that Ash’s and Greninja’s emotions must align for it to happen.
The battle rages on with Cut, Flamethrower, Aerial Ace and Dragon Claw, and Greninja’s Cut strikes Charizard hard, but Ash suddenly feels the pain of every blow, the waves fall out of sync, and he collapses as Greninja reverts and falls beside him. The battle is stopped. Ash dreams that Greninja walks away while he cannot move, and wakes to find his partner beside him. Clemont explains that the synchronisation placed a heavy load on Ash’s body, and Alain, impressed, tells him to rest. Ash vows to perfect the transformation, beat Alain, win the Kalos League and become a Pokémon Master, and Alain says entering the League sounds fun. That night a Team Flare Grunt plays Alain a message from Mairin saying that Chespie has shown tiny signs of movement, and Alain tells Charizard they must grow stronger to protect those they care about. In the morning Ash races towards Snowbelle City.
Major Events
- The synchronisation test. Clemont’s Battle Pulse meters record Ash and Greninja
- Alain’s Metang beats Noivern, and Ash-Greninja’s rematch with Mega Charizard X is abandoned when Ash collapses
- Chespie shows signs of movement
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- Clemont’s Electric Terrain command is dropped
- XY&Z insert, replaced in the dub by Stand Tall
- Music from Kyurem VS. the Sword of Justice
Part of our Pokémon the Series: XYZ guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.