 |
|
| Season | Pokémon the Series: XYZ (Season 19) · The Lumiose Conference arc (XY123–XY131) |
| Episode | Season 19, episode 36 · English episode 924 · Japanese episode 929 · Bulbapedia code XY129 |
| English title | Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare! |
| Japanese title | 激闘カロスリーグ！集え、すべての熱き想いよ！！ Gekitō Karosu Rīgu! Tsudoe, Subete no Atsuki Omoi yo!! — “Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 4 August 2016 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 22 October 2016 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | XY&Z – Satoshi (Rica Matsumoto) · Pikachū no Uta (Pikachu’s Song) – Pikachu (Ikue Ōtani) |
| English opening | Stand Tall – Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Sceptile (US) |
| Previous episode | A Riveting Rivalry! (XY128) |
| Next episode | Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted! (XY130) |
Plot episodeAsh meets LysandreBond Phenomenon explained
Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare! is the 36th episode of Pokémon the Series: XYZ, the nineteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 924th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 929, Bulbapedia code XY129). It first aired in Japan on 4 August 2016 and in the United States on 22 October 2016. It falls within the season’s The Lumiose Conference stretch (EP123–EP131).
Synopsis
On the eve of the Kalos League final, the friends meet Alain’s friend Mairin and learn about the Bond Phenomenon from Professor Sycamore, while Team Flare secretly seize Prism Tower and Lysandre introduces himself to Ash. At the Pokémon Center, Meyer and Clembot arrive with Lumiose Galettes, and when Chespin and Pancham fight over the last one, a Murkrow snatches it and Chespin wanders off after it. Lost and crying, Chespin meets Mairin, who has just bought a Jirachi charm in the hope that it grants wishes, and she tells it about her own Chespin, Chespie. Tierno, Trevor and Shauna recognise Chespin and lead them back to the group. Watching Chespin with its friends saddens Mairin, who explains that Chespie is ill and being treated at Lysandre Labs. Professor Sycamore arrives and guesses that she has come to cheer for Alain, and Ash learns the two are friends.
Malva congratulates Alain on reaching the final and asks what he will do once Chespie recovers, since the Mega Evolution energy gathering is nearly complete, but he dismisses her. In the computer room, Sawyer breaks down over his semifinal loss until Sceptile comforts him and he resolves to keep training. Touring the stadium, Lysandre learns from Xerosic that Team Flare have taken control of central Lumiose, since the Gym is closed during the League, and that Mairin has met the Trainer of the Greninja. Sycamore shows the group an old manuscript describing the Bond Phenomenon, which occurs when the trust between a Trainer and a Pokémon deepens and its latent abilities emerge, and he says Greninja chose Ash because it believed he would bring out its true power.
That night, Xerosic and his Grunts begin their operation at Prism Tower, with Z2 watching, while Serena and Bonnie walk Mairin through the streets and Bonnie asks her to bring Chespie to play once it recovers. Lysandre interrupts Ash and Alain’s preparations to greet Sycamore. Alain tells his old mentor that he is working with Lysandre to stop people from misusing Mega Evolution energy and cannot return to the lab until he regains what he lost and grows stronger, and Sycamore supports him. Lysandre tells Ash that the Bond Phenomenon suggests the possibility of a new world and asks to study it after the final, and Ash agrees. Gazing at Prism Tower, Lysandre assures Mairin that Chespie will be well by tomorrow thanks to Alain’s energy, and she weeps with relief. The next day, Ash and Alain walk into the stadium for the final.
Major Events
- The eve of the final. The group meets Mairin
- Professor Sycamore explains the Bond Phenomenon
- Ash meets Lysandre
- Team Flare secretly occupy Prism Tower
- Japanese ending Pikachu’s Song
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- Japanese ending Pikachu’s Song, sung by Ikue Ōtani, to XY131
Part of our Pokémon the Series: XYZ guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.