Review of the Series: Pokémon XY Part 7: Ash-Greninja

Well, hello there! We're back again for another part of my review of the XY series, and probably the most important one at that! Well...one of the most important. After all, we're diving into what is probably one of the generally best-received arcs of the XY series and talking about it in an analytical fashion. Lots of connections to be made here.

Last time, we covered the opening of the XYZ series, from Team Flare's enigmatic and brutal introduction to the end of Serena's journey to partake in the Master Class. In particular, the spark was lit as Ash and Greninja began to synchronize with one another, all to set them up for this arc alone...well, and what lays beyond.

It is here that we will begin (a long and picture-filled) Part 7! Read on!

The Continuing Journey and Mysteries

The first filler revolves around Bonnie's good ol' proposal schtick backfiring.

So, with Serena deciding to continue her journey forward, they move towards Snowbelle for real now, no more major pit stops in the road ahead. So what do we get? Filler! Admittedly, enjoyable filler, but still. For XYZ 21, it's really something that revolves around Bonnie's gag coming back to bite her...hard. It's pretty funny, since we see that underneath all of Bonnie searching for a wife for Clemont, she's actually very afraid of losing her brother. Nothing much to be gained from it other than re-establishing the sibling bond, having Clemont's inventions bring him success and ironically bringing an end to the Bonnie gag (after this episode, she never does it), this episode really offers little beyond the odd comedy. Also, most blatant ripoff of the Apple company ever...

Yes, Serena dresses as Ash in an absolutely hilarious filler.

Said filler also goes a little more towards that PG-13 rating...if you're looking...

Next episode takes the humor, turns it up to eleven, adds in a ton of Amourshipping and makes it...almost dirty. While it starts off simple enough, Ash training with Pikachu and Greninja, it turns when Ash gets sick the next morning (from a guy who never gets sick). The funny part comes from Serena's imagination and the rather...suggestive position that Ash falls in. Though it soon comes down to Serena needed to take care of him...and dress up as him. She looks good, and she even channels Ash to battle an overly enthusiastic Pikachu trainer. Soon devolves into random TRio fare as the last episode did, with their best outfits ever, but the end result is something funny that not only throws in a ton of Serena's affections, but almost hints it for Ash, as well.

The real meat starts in the next episode, however.

Clemont makes the hypothesis that Ash and Greninja
trigger the transformation through their feelings.
Of course, he's right.

Serena also reminds Ash that Olympia mentioned love as a factor.
Unfortunately, it's easy to forget this fact for Ash.

For the first thing, we see that Alain is approaching a Pokémon Center where Ash and gang are. The events of this episode immediately start taking shape. There, Clemont is finally taking the time to theorize on Greninja's special form, particularly that it seems to happen when Ash and Greninja's feelings are synchronized, though Ash doesn't know how to make that happen. There's still a disconnect with Ash and Greninja, much like between Korrina and Lucario earlier. Even with Serena reminding Ash that they're tied through love, it doesn't do much, and they're unable to trigger the transformation against Clemont. My own guess is that neither considered him enough of an opponent to get fired up so they could sync.

They are unable to trigger the transformation against Clemont,
likely because neither feel the same towards an easy battle.

Ash doesn't put Pikachu in, a rather recurring thing over the next arc.

Noivern proves it is a force for Metang, but still falls due to baby status.

Alain notices this and approaches, wondering about the transformation, himself. But with Greninja having just battled, he goes in to rest while Ash takes on Alain with a different Pokémon, mainly Noivern. There are a few interesting things to note about this battle. The first is that Ash refuses to put Pikachu in; right now it's a small thing, but Pikachu's reaction seems to indicate he hasn't been putting Pikachu in for some time. He continues to do so for quite some time, which seems a pretty poor way to treat one's main partner. The second thing to note is Noivern vs. Metang, in that Noivern does have strength...and Alain knows it. In fact, one can assume that Alain instantly knows that if he fights Noivern in the future, he'll have a plan...or so I would gather, given later events. Regardless, poor Noivern takes the loss; well, he is still a baby practically, after all.

Alain enjoys simply battling Ash, which is different than battling
just to become stronger; he hasn't realized it, though.

Soon after, though, Greninja is ready to go and Ash and Alain repeat their matchup from last time: Greninja vs. Mega Charizard X. There's a lot that goes down in this fight. For one, Greninja's stronger than before, managing to put up a very decent fight against Charizard, showing that, at the very least, Ash is able to stand up to an Elite Four caliber trainer better than before. For another, Alain gets more and more excited as the battle goes, finding joy in battling for the first time in a long time, which explains why Alain comes to enjoy these battling moments with Ash so much: it's a moment that can take him back to before he lost everything. He hasn't connected it to his pursuit of strength, yet, however, still trying to become the strongest for whatever reason still works.

Clemont believes his hypothesis is proven correct.

Ash has a large focus on winning and becoming stronger
which has grown since trying to unlock this power.

Ash faints from the strain of the form; this is
and event that sends him on a snowball's path.

So, as the battle goes on, Ash and Greninja finally sync up, wanting to grow "stronger and stronger", those words from Korrina coming back to bite them. It works for the moment, of course, as they fuse and begin battling on a whole other level from before. Though it's not complete yet; more on that bit later. As the fight goes on, though, Ash is unable to sustain the form, causing incredible strain on his body and causing him to faint. It's a real shocker of a moment!

Ash believes Greninja will leave him, putting the blame on himself
for being unable to achieve the form...

...this is only impacted by Clemont's thoughts that the
physical strain is too much for Ash.

Ash's reaction shows that his inability to master the form,
and blaming himself, will continue to weight heavily on his mind.

From that, Ash has a dream in which Greninja abandons him. Now, of course, the dream is ridiculous in that sense, but it's a manifestation of Ash's mindset: "it's my fault we can't master this". Ash, like he did back in XY 17, is putting the blame solely on himself. Between that disconnect with Greninja and finding strength to be the only reason he can't master this form, it sets Ash on this spiraling path that begins making him bitter and desperate. There's only small signs of it, of course, with the dream being the overt one, but Ash's reaction following it (see above) says it all.

Ash's shouldering of all the burden continues to make him think
that he needs to grow stronger physically, as if it's all about that.

The seed is planted for Alain to partake in the Kalos League
all to battle Ash and regain that lost feeling.

With that, however, Ash decides to strengthen his body (ignoring the fact that it certainly isn't about strength), and gets pumped up for the Kalos League. He even wonders if Alain will participate, to which his rival says he isn't...but it sparks the thought inside him, and as he sees that Mairin is starting to smile again, he chooses to have just a bit of fun, considering how much he enjoys battling Ash. Plus, he'll get Mega Evolution energy. But that is a story for a little later.

Phantump and sweets all but sums up this episode.

For now, we have yet one more filler (one of the few actually remaining, funnily enough). In this case, it's really just a light, basic story where a shiny Phantump gets separated from its friends, finding its way back to them with the gang's help and seeing the sights along the way. Naturally, TRio tries to intervene with some hilariously elaborate and bad costumes, but it ends in disaster when Phantump's friends show up to wreck them. Very basic filler, making it only interesting at the time of airing to see whether Ash would catch it. He didn't, so it sort of went in the "average" pile. Because it's just that: average, offering nothing to the plot or the characters that we didn't know, or showcasing them in a special way.

With that done, Ash and the others head back on the road to Snowbelle, as always (long trip, huh?).

Champions, Rivals and Gyms

Diantha is informed of the role that Ash and his friends will
play in the upcoming crisis.

So, as the gang continues on their journey together, Champion Diantha makes her latest appearance after 90 episodes of missing. In this case, she's visiting Olympia, hoping to get more information on the crisis that is about to come to Kalos. Of particular note is that she instantly realizes that involved with this is the legendary Pokémon Zygarde, the very incarnation of order. Learning that Ash will be heavily involved in the upcoming crisis, she determines to find him and figure out why. It's a setup that both tells us she'll be involved as the crisis reaches its boiling point and reminds us that Ash and Greninja will have their own role to play.

Ash takes the time to train his body alongside Greninja,
showing that he still believes strength and himself are the problem.

Speaking of those two, Ash is still running under the assumption that he needs to get stronger in order to trigger the form with Greninja. To that end, he does a repeat of what started in XY 17: training right alongside Greninja. On that point, he has the right idea of what's needed to solve the issue before him. He needs to do things together, but right now his mind is single-mindedly focused on getting stronger. His losses to Alain have triggered this need to grow stronger as the only means of solving it. In the middle of this, Diantha arrives, much to their surprise.

Diantha's report shows that Team Flare has been more than active
behind the scenes where we've not seen them.

Zygarde and its role is explained to the gang.

Here, we see Diantha finally introduce the concept of Zygarde to the group. Of course, the audience is already aware of this from Team Flare, but this is the first time for both the group and Team Rocket getting a name. Squishy's connection is yet to be revealed. Instead, we get more background for the Kalos Crisis: the ecosystem is being sent into chaos, causing Zygarde to act as it sees fit. In this case, it's clear that Lysandre is bent on it exterminating humanity with the wild plants. That island from XYZ 13 comes back in a big way, as many incidents like that have been popping up over Kalos. In order to ascertain just how Ash could be involved, Diantha requests a battle against Greninja.

Getting stronger isn't an issue, but it is when Ash starts
making the transformation all about that.

Diantha remarks upon Greninja's strength, and...

...he and Ash manage to prove they won't fall easily to a Champion!

They even force her to Mega Evolve!

The battle that follows is one of the most significant battles in the series. Like Alain vs. Siebold or Malva, this battle establishes where Ash is as a trainer. Yes, Diantha may not be taking the battle seriously, but nor were the Elite Four members in series like DP, where Ash struggled to land a single hit. Here, Ash not only lands a hit, but once the transformation is triggered, he just keeps going, putting Diantha on the ropes and forcing her to Mega Evolve, something we have seen no one able to do before in the series. It shows that Ash is on a level of at least not falling to the Champion like a crumbled cookie; it makes him comparable to Alain.

Ash's aggression and reliance on strength really ramps up in this battle; it's unlike him.
Because that's not the reason for the form, it leads to another fainting.

Before then, though, Ash and Greninja's desire to be better together,
in order to defeat Diantha, manifest in the transformation being complete a short time.

Yet, if you watch Ash as the battle progresses, there's something wrong with him. His insistence of getting stronger starts getting louder, more aggressive. Strategy, which landed him the first hit on Gardevoir, falls by the wayside to attacking aggressively. He yells that they need to get stronger over and over. Funny comparison to Alain, there. However, those feelings are clearly emulated by Greninja: the need to get stronger together, in order to defeat the foe before them. In that moment, it allows Greninja to fully transform, breaking the water veil creating a giant shuriken that slams into Mega Gardevoir. However, like with Alain, the strain is too much, his aggression proving too much for him and forcing a disconnect that makes him collapse.

Team Flare begins moving towards the final stage of their plan for Kalos.

Naturally, TRio takes advantage of this, but Diantha makes short work of them, sending them blasting off with little issue. She soon takes her leave, still interested by the form that Greninja has shown. Elsewhere, Lysandre announces that they are ready to move to the final phase of their plan, almost being time for Z-2 to be part of it.

Sawyer has obtained seven badges and surpassed Ash.
He doesn't show it much, but this freaks Ash out considerably.

However, Team Flare only takes a minor role in the following episode, which sees Ash reuniting with Sawyer once again. However, something's different this time: Sawyer already has eight badges! He's worked hard and surpassed Ash, a fact which is made a note of. It's also something that subtly disturbs Ash, but he's more happy for his friend than upset about it. So, naturally, to show how he's improved, Sawyer requests a battle. Ash, as always, is more than happy to accept, especially because he wants to show the new and improved form of Greninja off to his rival.

Team Flare's experiments have gotten them prepared to execute their plan.

Bonnie already feels what Squishy is feeling, as established before,
and as will be important later.

Before that battle begins, the scene shifts to a forest, where something odd is going on. Officer Jenny is investigating, when suddenly plants attack! They barely make it out, and it's soon revealed that the plants were the result of Xerosic's experiments, having gotten output up and strain on the cells down. To this, Lysandre moves the plan into its practical stage. The crisis is coming very soon, waiting for something specific to officially make their move. Sensing that Squishy is upset about this (not knowing what "this" is), Bonnie sings her song to him. It shows off not only the song, but her empathic connection with the blob.

Noivern shows off its echolocation in battle against Sawyer's Doublade.

However, the focus of the episode is really on the battle, with Ash clearly determined to show off to Sawyer, focused on showing that even though Sawyer already has eight badges, he's not behind him. It's a similar mentality to Alain by this point, just for a different reason. So, first up comes the match of Noivern vs. Doublade, where Noivern shows his soundwave skills in excellent action, pulling out a win...before falling to a hax Clawitzer. Even after all this time, I still think that Clawitzer was bullshit, the way it took Hawlucha out in one move. Greninja does that same to the giant lobster, and here is where the true problem that has been slowly building begins to manifest inside of Ash.

Sawyer's immense hard work and analysis is what
has allowed him to become so strong; something Ash never expected.

Sawyer's newfound strength sets Ash into a freeze-up mode, wanting
to impress his rival. It affects his Pokémon on the battlefield.
In other words, his advice is turned against him.

Ash and Greninja fail to activate their forms due to
their different intentions in battle.

By this point of the battle, Sawyer has shown how far he's come: he's analyzed Ash and other trainers, putting together his team intelligently in order to counter them effectively. Ash didn't want to admit it before, but Sawyer had gotten strong. That surprise causes him to grow confused and muddled in the battle, to the point of wondering what he should do next. After all, if Sawyer is stronger than him, then what has all of this been for? It's something that greatly disturbs him and makes Ash adamant in defeating Sawyer to show that he hasn't been surpassed; he can still win just as he's been doing through most of Kalos. To that point, he tries to force the transformation with Greninja...but it fails. And why shouldn't it? Ash is focused on showing the form off, showing he's ahead of Sawyer, but Greninja is in the same place as always, focused on being stronger and defeating the enemy. They aren't working together, being as one, and it causes the form to fail.

Sawyer finally manages to defeat Ash in battle!
Though, while he doesn't say it or show it,
he seems to believe he never fought the true Ash.

Ash is heavily disturbed by his failures, but covers it up.
He's spiraling now that he's on a losing streak, but hiding it.

So...Sawyer wins. With an expert advantage, Sceptile defeats Greninja, giving Sawyer the win he's always wanted...and yet, it's not the same Ash as always. In some part, Sawyer knows this, too (given what he says much later during the League). Ash, of course, is disappointed in himself, taking the blame for having not activated the form. It was his fault for losing his head against Sawyer and thus causing the loss and lack of ability to activate the form. Pikachu notices this, as well, but Ash insists he's fine, yet it's obvious that he's not. Slowly, Ash has begun to be swallowed up in this need to win and grow stronger, that these losses are breaking him down and diverting him from his path. Heck, he even forgets the advice he gave to Sawyer, as he gets distracted in battle. Most of this is heavily influenced by the fact that Ash had had such a large win streak before, that now that he is incurring losses, it's making him desperate to climb back up.

Sawyer asks to watch the Gym Battle. Ash agrees.
This request is what sets everything in motion for Ash's fall.

Regardless, Ash tries to turn his mind towards the Snowbelle Gym, with Sawyer asking to come along. Desperate to prove himself to Sawyer after the loss, Ash agrees.

Ash wants to win so that he can impress Sawyer,
wanting to fight in the League and settle the score.

Ash practically throws his stuff at Serena, his aggression
and narrow focus showing itself in less than pleasant ways.

With the arrival in Snowbelle City, Ash is determined to win his final badge. It's all that's on his mind, especially as he promises Sawyer that he'll win because he won't leave their rivalry where it stands. Sawyer believes in him. Of course, the issue is running far deeper than that, with Ash more focused on Sawyer than he is on the actual battle before him, a battle which begins the second he steps into the Gym and meets Wulfric. Already, though, we can see how Ash is a little more aggressive, thrusting his jacket and backpack to Serena before asking her to take care of it, like he just assumes she will. It's something subtle, but shows that Ash is narrow-minded and focused on winning above all else, all to impress Sawyer again.

Ice Body proves to be a difficult strategy to beat, but not just
because of what it is, but rather because of Ash's state of mind, as seen above.

And so, the battle begins. No Vs. screen, either. It's a hint that this is not the true battle with Wulfric, and it seems like Wulfric even notices there's something off with his challenger. Not that it shows at first, considering Hawlucha absolutely bodies Abomasnow. The real challenge, however, comes with the arrival of Avalugg and its Ice Body. Being such a tank, it's not Hawlucha's ideal opponent when it comes to trading blows, and Hawlucha falls. Ash counters with Talonflame...but Talonflame isn't enough to dent Ice Body.

Ash is focused excessively on winning and impressing Sawyer,
not on actually working with his Pokémon.

The only bit of strategy Ash uses in this battle...

...otherwise, Ash continues playing aggressively, and basically,
which does not lend any good results.

Ash's ultimate focus on winning above all else (a stark similarity
to Alain) is what proves to be his downfall,
making his Pokémon distraught in the battle, underperforming
and is the reason Greninja only half-transforms.

However, the reason for this is far more than Talonflame being weak, because it's not. Instead, you see throughout the battle how Ash keeps looking at Sawyer, determined to impress him and show him that he's still ahead. It causes this distraught feeling inside him, making his Pokémon weaker, just as he'd told Sawyer way back in XY 75. He's no longer fighting as one with his Pokémon in that moment. Talonflame falls. In response, Ash sends Greninja out, determined to win. In fact, that's what he keeps saying over and over: "No matter what, I want to win". Battling together isn't what it is anymore. It's not about being one with his Pokémon. It's about strength and winning now, all to show that he hasn't gotten weaker. Greninja still transforms...but in his incomplete form...and it's not enough. He just keeps attacking with no semblance of strategy except for one small moment. It's a far cry from how Ash usually is in battle. Avalugg destroys Greninja.

Wulfric's words not only tell Ash that he can't be so focused on winning,
needing to be fluid with his team, but it also calls to mind
Ramos' words about believing in one's Pokémon.

It is this exact moment that breaks Ash. He lost in front of Sawyer, in front of his friends. His single minded pursuit of strength as the solution to his issues, hoping to regain the win streak he'd lost against Alain and Sawyer, has now broken him. Wulfric tells him he can't be given the badge, yet tells him that water is something flexible and adaptable instead of hard. It's a hint that Ash needs to adapt what he's been trying. It's not about the pursuit of strength he's been going after, but believing in his Pokémon, something which he was doubting, putting it all on himself, just like during the battle against Ramos. It's truly a callback to that gym battle (now you see how that matchup begins tying in, I hope).

Sawyer continues to believe that he will be able to battle the real Ash again.

Once more, Ash takes all of the blame for the loss onto himself,
as if cutting his Pokémon out of the equation.

With the loss heavily weighing on Ash, he bids farewell to Sawyer, who plans to prepare for the League. Yet, even after all of that, Sawyer believes in Ash, and knows that he will find his way back to who he was: the amazing trainer he's always been. He's just gone off track is all. As night settles upon them, Ash visits Greninja, apologizing for screwing up. Like all the times before, Ash is putting all of the blame on himself. He is the trainer, so he is responsible for everything. It's about his strength earning the win or receiving the loss. But in reality, and what he will soon come to understand, is that it isn't about him, because he's not alone...and that is what has been keeping him from succeeding.

All of this leads to Ash being broken and alone.

Lost in his brokenness, Ash retreats into the forest, hoping to find answers to just what has been going wrong with him...

The Winding Woods...The Dawn of Evolution!

Greninja has also gone missing, blaming himself for the battle
as much as Ash is shouldering his own blame.

Serena dives into the forest to find Ash.

As the next episode picks up, Ash has been in the forest the entire night, causing the others to get worried about him and his current state of mind. More than that, Greninja has also gone missing. Both are blaming themselves for how the battles turned out. It hasn't just been Ash feeling that frustration all this time, and that is something to finally be tackled. Worried over Ash, though, Serena plunges into the forest and finds him sitting there, broken.

Serena's words in the long conversation above, including a near confession,
have the biggest impact when it comes to Ash, because she knows
what he's going through all too well.

Of course, as we know, Serena has been in the same place as Ash before: she lost her first Showcase and it nearly tore her apart because it was her own fault that it happened. She knows what Ash is going through and asks him to talk to her. So, Ash snaps, telling her it's none of her business and to leave him alone. Serena has none of that, pelting him with snowballs, almost confessing her feelings and outright telling him that he's not the Ash she knows. Now, before I go more into what follows, Serena is not telling Ash that she needs him to be this perfect vision she has of him. Mostly because she doesn't view him as perfect, but really because Ash is only becoming toxic to himself, sitting alone and brooding to himself while snapping at those he cares for. That isn't and has never been Ash.

Ash finally stops acting out and decides to move forward once again.

And it's those words above all else that reminds Ash of what he told to Serena: move forward and you'll end up with something. So, he does just that. He moves forward to get his answers instead of just moping around about his losses.

Pikachu is weakened thanks to Ash having been in such a broken state.
His Pokémon's emotions are heavily driven by his own.

Serena admits what she did wrong, while she and Clemont
both share feelings of admiration towards Ash.
He's the driving force that's taken and pushed them so far.

Not that Serena is happy with him, following their argument. She's outright furious...but she still loves him. So, when a snowstorm starts roiling, she goes back into the forest with Ash's Pokémon, Clemont and Bonnie to find him anyway. Also in the forest is TRio, determined to capture Pikachu. While everyone is moving around, Greninja looking for Ash, Ash taking shelter in a cave, and Serena and the others searching for a missing Ash, too, TRio offers concrete evidence on a point from last episode: Pokémon power is influenced by their trainer. As it stands, Pikachu is weakened by Ash's confusion and absence. So, they leave him, while Serena and the group take refuge in a cave. There, Serena admits how horrible she was to Ash but she just wanted to see him as normal because she admires him so, a sentiment that Clemont shares.

The reason Ash wanted to become a Pokémon Trainer is revealed,
and in his remembrance, the love needed to work the transformation is sparked.
This singular memory ends up being the key:
working together and loving Pokémon, while not losing sight of what's important.

Back with Ash, however, he continues to take shelter from the storm when he sees some Pokémon outside, inviting them in. Here, he flashes back to a moment from his younger years where a similar thing happened: the moment that made him realize his love for Pokémon, and his want to be together with them. While Squishy sneaks out to take Greninja to Ash, the latter hears the sound of some Spewpa outside on a branch. As Ash always does, he goes to rescue them, but the last one is sent plummeting below.

By coming together out of love, Ash and Greninja finally master the form.

Just as Korrina and Lucario had to learn, Ash comes to work together
and guides Greninja safely to the bottom.

In that moment, Greninja saves Ash and the two connect: they want to save it. More than that, they want to save it together. Their will to do so is born from love; love for other Pokémon, love for each other. Knowing that they want to do it with one another is what causes Greninja to transform. Like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, Greninja fully transforms into Ash-Greninja and allows Ash to guide him to the ground safely (just as Korrina had done for Lucario). The two having finally connected, they allow themselves to talk.

Ash acknowledges his fear and impatience, along with shouldering
the entire burden. Knowing this, Ash vows to work side by
side with his Pokémon, being together instead of foisting
victories and defeats on the trainer.
Also learns how to handle a win streak.

Here, Ash explains and understands what his issue was: he was so determined to not let Sawyer surpass him, to become stronger, that he forgot about what made him go on a journey in the first place. As Ramos said in XY 58, he had kept focusing on what was easiest  and right in front of him (getting stronger) that he missed the most important thing (love). Now, however, he realizes that he shouldn't be so impatient, because as long as he's working together with his Pokémon, it's all that matters. That's the real reason he wanted to become a trainer. He's not alone, because he has precious friends and Pokémon by his side, and he'll strive towards his dream together with them. It is this that allows Ash to start over, again, dropping the baggage he'd created in trying to force the transformation, trying desperately to win above all else, and he is able to achieve the Ash-Greninja form. Wins and losses don't matter as long as he's striving forward in step with his Pokémon. He's grown.

The Kalos League is announced.

Ash and Greninja reinstate their bond, by remembering
the day they first vowed to work together as trainer and Pokémon.

With the storm subsided, Ash witnesses the evolution of the Spewpa that morning, much as he and Greninja have evolved. It's a wonderful piece of symbolism to cap off their growth. With that, he returns to his friends, encountering TRio along the way. Now that Ash has found himself again, Pikachu is stronger than ever. He even apologizes to Serena. As they return to Snowbelle City, the announcement is made for the Kalos League to take place in Lumiose City. Pressure's on, now, but Ash is fine, knowing his Pokémon are more important than winning right away. As they make for the Gym, Greninja kneels and rolls his Pokeball to him, reminding him of when they first met. That bond reinstated, the two move towards their final challenge.

Squishy finally finds hope in humans and Pokémon working together...
while Z-2 has lost it completely.

As a whole, XYZ 28 is one of the best episodes in the entire anime. Not only do we see a bit of Ash's past from before his journey, but we see that impetus. We see him realize that he's not just a trainer giving commands, which he lost sight of in his zeal for winning (thus giving a necessary reason for his win streak); he's a partner with his Pokémon, and fights together with them. It's beautifully made, with the symbolism of the evolution and the storm matching perfectly. And more than that, it brings a great moment of realization for Squishy, who has fully accepted the hope in a world with humans and Pokémon together, even if Z-2 does not listen.

The Vs. screen returns for this battle, showing it as the true match.
Note that Pikachu is finally being used again.

Ash is seeing clearly again, making a promise to his friends
that he'll keep moving forward; he proves it correct.

The battle isn't finished, yet, though, as Ash returns to the Snowbelle Gym, ready for a rematch. This time there is a Vs. screen. This time, Ash does use Pikachu to start off the battle. He even uses a strategy of sliding and building body heat to take down Wulfric's Bergmite. It's not just the "beat it until it falls" strategy that his muddled mind used the last time. While Pikachu does fall to Avalugg, this time Talonflame gets the job done. All of Ash's Pokémon have powered up now that he's seeing clearly, just as he'd promised Serena. In the end, Talonflame falls to Abomasnow and Greninja steps in to finish the battle.

Ash continues saying he'll get stronger, but it's from a different place...

Because he believes in them and gets stronger together.

Clemont's words show that not only is Wulfric going all out,
but that Ash's previous loss was on him and his team's mental state.

Ash breaks Wulfric's ice, symbolizing that he's ready for the League,
having undergone his tremendous growth.

Serena welcomes Ash back, and he thanks her in turn.

This time, the transformation is yet again perfect, and while Ash says they're getting much, much stronger once again, it comes from a different place. They're already together, synchronized, so they're getting stronger as one, and not just Ash taking it on himself. More than that, as he tells Wulfric, he fights together with his Pokémon, and that's just what he does, as Wulfric bears his full might in Mega Abomasnow, the one thing he was building to this time in order to test Ash. As Clemont puts it, Wulfric is playing for keeps; Ash's loss last time was because of his own mental state, because Wulfric is powered up here. In the end, Ash believes in his Pokémon. He doesn't doubt it like he did against Ramos, but believes it 100%, and with that, breaks Wulfric's ice, earning his final Gym Badge, and thanking Serena, who is glad that the one she admires is back.

Winning the badge was a team effort, and now they're all ready to rumble.

As a Gym Battle, I'd probably tie it with Clemont's. The strategies were solid enough and the action was intense. It doesn't beat Olympia's, but it stands for so much more as a battle, being the first time to use Ash-Greninja effectively and outright showcasing Ash's growth. What it does get points for, however, is being a bookend to Ash's Gym quest. Like Viola, it took place on an ice field, Ash lost the Gym once, Serena was the one to break him out of his funk, and in the end the battle took place with the Kalos Three: Pikachu, Talonflame and Greninja. It's a whole team effort, too, as always, with each member making it easier for the next. That callback alone is pretty awesome.

With all eight badges obtained, Ash and his team turn their sights towards the Kalos League, where Sawyer is waiting for them, but we have some stops to make first.

Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel

See the review here.

Setting the Final Stage

Goodra meeting with the team pretty much says he'll be joining it for the League.

With the badge won in Snowbelle and the Kalos League on the horizon, Ash and the others make their way back to the wetlands, where Goodra has been living in peace with all of the other Pokémon, including Florges. Right away, the fact that an episode is dedicated to a simple reunion with Goodra, combined with the fact that it had learned Ice Beam the episode before his previous departure should clue the viewer in that Goodra is, in fact, Ash's sixth intended Pokémon. While, of course, I would have preferred that they confirmed this in this episode rather than later, it's still obvious, especially when Ash insists that he'll win the Kalos League to Goodra. Well, that and Goodra meeting the rest of the team, as though the gang was all being put together.

Otherwise, this Carbink serves as the impetus for the excuse plot.

Instead, we get to focus on a mischievous Carbink that wreaks havoc around the wetlands. Naturally, it turns into your regular old TRio plot and those three get foiled. Overall, a light and somewhat disappointing episode after the amazing ones that we had just previously gotten. Even Dedenne's friendship with Goodra is all but glossed over in favor of this excuse plot.

Alain continues to collect Mega Evolution energy,
showing his secondary reason for taking part in the League.

Alain plans to fight Ash again at his best.

However, the end of the episode does give something to the episode as a whole that finally puts the pieces in play for the Kalos League and what lies beyond: Alain has defeated Korrina, earning his own eighth badge in the process. Not only does it show how blisteringly strong Alain is, but that he does plan to enter the League, all to fight Ash, who he knows will rise to the top for them to clash once more. Also, note that he continues to gather Mega Evolution energy; he has a secondary goal for the League...even if he doesn't know the end result of that yet...

Yes, Serena, you sum up my thoughts on this episode exactly.

Following this is...well, one of the worst episodes of XY, if not the worst. For one thing, the animation is horrible, but for another, nothing of note happens. At best, it gives Clemont and James a chance to shine while serving as a true breather before the rollercoaster that the remainder of the series is about to take us on. Though it's overly pointless with how it does it, with a lot of events that fold into a standard "steal Pokémon" plot from TRio as they go through an ingenuity festival. Sure, there's some fun and funny moments, but it's so useless that it hurts. The plot is so basic that all I have to do is say "TRio plot" and you'd get it.

Either way, with that, the final stage is set for the Kalos League and beyond, which we will be diving into all too soon.

On that note, I'll see you all for the final part of this review series: And to Our Own Way.

Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity