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Series guide · XY

Pokémon the Series: XY / XYZ

Concluded 2013 - 2016 144 episodes Ash Ketchum

Region. Kalos

The fandom's other strong consensus pick for series peak. XY benefits from the Kalos region's modernized art direction, a smaller and tighter companion roster (Serena, Clemont, Bonnie), and Ash's most coherent arc to date. Mega Evolution debuts as the gimmick; Bond Phenomenon (Ash-Greninja) closes the gap between trainer and partner in a way the show had only flirted with. The Lumiose Gym arc inverts the formula by making Clemont's gym the puzzle, not the destination. Serena's Pokémon Performer track replaces Contests as the parallel competitive structure. Climax: Team Flare's Zygarde plot, intercut with Ash's Kalos League finals against Alain. Ash loses but in a way the audience could finally accept; many consider it his best fight.

Story arcs · 4 major beats

How the series moves.

  1. XY001-XY049

    XY

    Ash arrives in Kalos with Pikachu; meets Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. Picks up Froakie. Lumiose Gym puzzle introduces Clemont. Sycamore's lab introduces Mega Evolution.

  2. XY050-XY093

    XY Kalos Quest

    Badge run continues. Korrina arc (Mega Lucario). Serena's Pokémon Performer track formalizes. Team Flare introduced.

  3. XY094-XY140

    XYZ

    Ash-Greninja's Bond Phenomenon stabilizes. Z2 / Squishy (Zygarde Core) bonded to Bonnie; the Zygarde plot escalates. Team Flare's endgame; Kalos League finals.

  4. XY141-XY144

    XYZ epilogue

    Post-league wind-down. Serena leaves for Hoenn Showcases; Ash returns to Pallet Town; the Amourshipping kiss happens in the airport.

Format introductions

What this era introduced.

  • Mega Evolution
  • Bond Phenomenon (Ash-Greninja)
  • Pokémon Performer Showcases (Coordinator successor)
  • Sky Battles (briefly)

Key episodes · the ones to watch

Episodes that mattered.

  1. XY038
    A Conspiracy to Conquer Kalos!

    Team Flare's reveal. Lysandre as one of the franchise's most coherent villains.
  2. XY068
    A Festival of Decisions!

    Ash-Greninja's full Bond Phenomenon transformation. The era's breakout moment.
  3. XY124
    Down to the Fiery Finish!

    Ash vs. Alain, Kalos League finals. Ash loses; many call it his best canonical battle.
  4. XY127
    A Towering Takeover!

    Lysandre's climax. Zygarde 100% Forme finale. Animation peak.
  5. XY141
    Till We Meet Again!

    Serena leaves; the Amourshipping kiss happens. Only canonical romantic gesture in the show's run.

Competitive climax

League result.

Runner-up at the Kalos League (Lumiose Conference). Lost to Alain (Mega Charizard X) in the finals. Widely called Ash's best canonical loss.

Cast rotation

Who travels, who rivals, who villains.

Ash KetchumPikachuSerenaClemontBonnieGreninjaAlainMairinSawyer (rival)Diantha (Champion)Professor SycamoreTeam FlareLysandre

Theme notes

Opening songs and scoring.

JP OP "V (Volt)" by Yusuke is a stylistic departure with a rock-band tone. The XYZ OP "Getta Ban Ban" pairs with the Bond Phenomenon transformation sequences.

Reception

How it lands now.

The fandom's other peak. Some prefer DP, some prefer XY; the disagreement is the joke. Animation quality, writing, and battles all spike. The Kalos League finals loss is still cited as the franchise's most painful and most earned result.

Episode database · 140 entries

Every episode in the series.

JP debut 2013-10-17, XY001 "Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!". Latest entry XY140 "Till We Compete Again!" (2016-10-27).

Show all 140 episodes
  1. XY001 Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! 2014-01-18
  2. XY002 Lumiose City Pursuit! 2014-01-25
  3. XY003 A Battle of Aerial Mobility! 2014-02-01
  4. XY004 A Shockingly Cheeky Friendship! 2014-02-08
  5. XY005 A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle! 2014-02-15
  6. XY006 Battling on Thin Ice! 2014-02-22
  7. XY007 Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race! 2014-03-01
  8. XY008 Grooming Furfrou! 2014-03-08
  9. XY009 Clemont's Got a Secret! 2014-03-15
  10. XY010 Mega-Mega Meowth Madness! 2014-03-22
  11. XY011 The Bamboozling Forest! 2014-03-29
  12. XY012 To Catch a Pokémon Smuggler! 2014-04-05
  13. XY013 Kindergarten Chaos! 2014-04-12
  14. XY014 Seeking Shelter From the Storm! 2014-04-19
  15. XY015 An Appetite for Battle! 2014-04-26
  16. XY016 A Jolting Switcheroo! 2014-05-03
  17. XY017 A Rush of Ninja Wisdom! 2014-05-10
  18. XY018 Awakening the Sleeping Giant! 2014-05-17
  19. XY019 A Conspiracy to Conquer! 2014-05-24
  20. XY020 Breaking Titles at the Chateau! 2014-06-07
  21. XY021 A PokéVision of Things to Come! 2014-06-14
  22. XY022 Going for the Gold! 2014-06-21
  23. XY023 Coming Back into the Cold! 2014-06-28
  24. XY024 Climbing the Walls! 2014-07-05
  25. XY025 A Battle by Any Other Name! 2014-07-12
  26. XY026 To Find a Fairy Flower! 2014-07-19
  27. XY027 The Bonds of Evolution! 2014-07-26
  28. XY028 Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike! 2014-08-02
  29. XY029 Mega Revelations! 2014-08-09
  30. XY030 The Cave of Trials! 2014-08-16
  31. XY031 The Aura Storm! 2014-08-23
  32. XY032 Calling from Beyond the Aura! 2014-08-30
  33. XY033 The Bonds of Mega Evolution! 2014-09-06
  34. XY034 The Forest Champion! 2014-09-13
  35. XY035 Battles in the Sky! 2014-09-20
  36. XY036 The Cave of Mirrors! 2014-09-27
  37. XY037 Forging Forest Friendships! 2014-10-04
  38. XY038 Summer of Discovery! 2014-10-11
  39. XY039 Day Three Block Busters! 2014-10-18
  40. XY040 Foggy Pokémon Orienteering! 2014-10-25
  41. XY041 Battling Into the Hall of Fame! 2014-11-01
  42. XY042 Origins of Mega Evolution! 2014-11-08
  43. XY043 Showdown at the Shalour Gym! 2014-11-15
  44. XY044 Splitting Heirs! 2014-11-22
  45. XY045 The Clumsy Crier Quiets the Chaos! 2014-11-29
  46. XY046 Dreaming a Performer's Dream! 2014-12-06
  47. XY047 A Campus Reunion! 2014-12-13
  48. XY048 Bonnie for the Defense! 2014-12-20
  49. XY049 Pathways to Performance Partnering! 2015-02-07
  50. XY050 An Undersea Place to Call Home! 2015-02-07
  51. XY051 When Light and Dark Collide! 2015-02-07
  52. XY052 A Stealthy Challenge! 2015-02-28
  53. XY053 A Race for Home! 2015-03-07
  54. XY054 Facing the Grand Design! 2015-03-14
  55. XY055 A Slippery Encounter! 2015-03-21
  56. XY056 One for the Goomy! 2015-03-28
  57. XY057 Thawing an Icy Panic! 2015-04-04
  58. XY058 The Green, Green Grass Types of Home! 2015-04-11
  59. XY059 Under the Pledging Tree! 2015-04-18
  60. XY060 A Showcase Debut! 2015-04-25
  61. XY061 An Oasis of Hope! 2015-05-02
  62. XY062 The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination! 2015-05-09
  63. XY063 A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways! 2015-05-16
  64. XY064 Battling with Elegance And a Big Smile! 2015-05-23
  65. XY065 Good Friends, Great Training! 2015-05-30
  66. XY066 Confronting the Darkness! 2015-06-06
  67. XY067 The Moment of Lumiose Truth! 2015-06-13
  68. XY068 Garchomp's Mega Bond! 2015-06-20
  69. XY069 Defending the Homeland! 2015-06-27
  70. XY070 Beyond the Rainbow! 2015-07-04
  71. XY071 So You're Having a Bad Day! 2015-07-11
  72. XY072 Scary Hospitality! 2015-07-18
  73. XY073 A Fashionable Battle! 2015-07-25
  74. XY074 Fairy-Type Trickery! 2015-08-01
  75. XY075 Rivals: Today and Tomorrow! 2015-08-08
  76. XY076 A Not-So-Flying Start! 2015-08-22
  77. XY077 A Relay in the Sky! 2015-08-29
  78. XY078 Lights! Camera! Pika! 2015-11-21
  79. XY079 A Frenzied Factory Fiasco! 2015-09-05
  80. XY080 Performing with Fiery Charm! 2015-09-12
  81. XY081 Rotom's Wish! 2015-09-19
  82. XY082 A Festival Trade! A Festival Farewell? 2015-09-26
  83. XY083 Over the Mountain of Snow! 2015-10-03
  84. XY084 Adventures in Running Errands! 2015-10-10
  85. XY085 Mending a Broken Spirit! 2015-10-17
  86. XY086 A Legendary Photo Op! 2015-10-24
  87. XY087 The Tiny Caretaker! 2015-10-31
  88. XY088 A Trip Down Memory Train! 2015-11-07
  89. XY089 A Frolicking Find in the Flowers! 2015-11-14
  90. XY090 Tag Team Battle Inspiration! 2015-11-28
  91. XY091 A Performance Pop Quiz! 2015-12-05
  92. XY092 Cloudy Fate, Bright Future! 2015-12-12
  93. XY093 All Eyes on the Future! 2015-12-19
  94. XY094 From A to Z! 2016-02-20
  95. XY095 Love Strikes! Eevee, Yikes! 2016-02-27
  96. XY096 A Giga Battle With Mega Results! 2016-03-05
  97. XY097 A Fiery Rite of Passage! 2016-03-12
  98. XY098 Dream a Little Dream from Me! 2016-03-19
  99. XY099 The Legend of the Ninja Hero! 2016-03-26
  100. XY100 A Festival of Decisions! 2016-04-02
  101. XY101 A Dancing Debut! 2016-04-09
  102. XY102 Meeting at Terminus Cave! 2016-04-16
  103. XY103 A Cellular Connection! 2016-04-23
  104. XY104 A Windswept Encounter! 2016-04-30
  105. XY105 Party Dancecapades! 2016-05-07
  106. XY106 A Meeting of Two Journeys! 2016-05-14
  107. XY107 An Explosive Operation! 2016-05-21
  108. XY108 A Watershed Moment! 2016-05-28
  109. XY109 Master Class Choices! 2016-06-04
  110. XY110 An Electrifying Rage! 2016-06-11
  111. XY111 Unlocking Some Respect! 2016-06-18
  112. XY112 Master Class is in Session! 2016-06-25
  113. XY113 Performing a Pathway to the Future! 2016-07-02
  114. XY114 A Keeper for Keeps?! 2016-07-09
  115. XY115 Battling at Full Volume! 2016-07-16
  116. XY116 The Synchronicity Test! 2016-07-23
  117. XY117 Making Friends and Influencing Villains! 2016-07-30
  118. XY118 Championing a Research Battle! 2016-08-06
  119. XY119 A Full Strength Battle Surprise! 2016-08-13
  120. XY120 All Hail the Ice Battlefield! 2016-08-20
  121. XY121 Seeing the Forest For the Trees! 2016-08-27
  122. XY122 A Real Icebreaker! 2016-09-03
  123. XY123 A Diamond in the Rough! 2016-09-10
  124. XY124 A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness! 2016-09-17
  125. XY125 A League of His Own! 2016-09-24
  126. XY126 Valuable Experience for All! 2016-10-01
  127. XY127 Analysis Versus Passion! 2016-10-08
  128. XY128 A Riveting Rivalry! 2016-10-15
  129. XY129 Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare! 2016-10-22
  130. XY130 Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted! 2016-10-29
  131. XY131 Down to the Fiery Finish! 2016-11-05
  132. XY132 A Towering Takeover! 2016-11-12
  133. XY133 Coming Apart at the Dreams! 2016-11-19
  134. XY134 The Right Hero for the Right Job! 2016-12-03
  135. XY135 Rocking Kalos Defenses! 2016-12-10
  136. XY136 Forming a More Perfect Union! 2016-12-17
  137. XY137 Battling With a Clean Slate! 2016-12-24
  138. XY138 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life! 2017-01-07
  139. XY139 Facing the Needs of the Many! 2017-01-14
  140. XY140 Till We Compete Again! 2017-01-21

Editorial facts hand-verified May 2026 against Bulbapedia, Wikipedia, and Pokemon.com. Episode data from the Wikipedia MediaWiki parse. Pokémon, character names, and series titles © Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc., The Pokémon Company, OLM Inc. This is an unofficial fan reference.