XY102

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XY series

XY103 : A Cellular Connection! →

Meeting at Terminus Cave!

XY102   EP901 ついの洞窟！動き出したZの謎！！ Terminus Cave! The Mystery of Z is Set in Motion!!

First broadcast Japan December 24, 2015 United States April 16, 2016

English themes Opening Stand Tall Ending

Japanese themes Opening XY&Z Ending プニちゃんのうた

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation directors 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane 中矢利子 Toshiko Nakaya 酒井裕未 Hiromi Sakai 松永香苗 Kanae Matsunaga No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

Meeting at Terminus Cave! (Japanese: ついの洞窟！動き出したZの謎！！ Terminus Cave! The Mystery of Z is Set in Motion!!) is the 102nd episode of the XY series, and the 901st episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on December 24, 2015 and in the United States on April 16, 2016.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

As our heroes enter Terminus Cave, Squishy takes off! Before the others can catch up, Squishy sends a message to a similar-looking Pokémon. This alerts Team Flare, and they scatter to catch Squishy (which they call Z1) and its friend, Z2!

As Team Flare closes in, Squishy summons many Cells and merges with them to become a fierce four-legged Pokémon. It hits Team Flare with a devastating attack—and when that’s not enough, Ash sends out his Greninja, and the two of them appear to battle as one being!

Team Flare finally retreats, but Squishy is missing. Our heroes set off to find it...as Team Flare watches their every move!

Plot

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Ash and his friends arrive outside Terminus Cave based on Sawyer's recommendation where Bonnie tells Squishy that they have arrived. Squishy pops up out of Bonnie's bag to look. As they head inside, Team Rocket are spying on them wondering why they are going inside but decide to go in to try and catch Pikachu as they head inside. Inside the cave, Serena says that she heard the mine was abandoned years ago but is now home to wild Pokémon which attracts a lot of trainers. Bonnie is excited to see a Ariados, Lairon and Shuckle as Ash notices that it is just like Sawyer said. Squishy jumps out of Bonnie's bag and goes down a passageway where Bonnie follows with Clemont followed by Ash, Serena and Pikachu. As Squishy hurries off, Bonnie calls at Squishy to wait and when Squishy does, Bonnie asks Squishy if it is looking for something as Serena calls out Braixen to light up the area using her flame which Braixen does. Clemont also decides to light things up and uses his Clemontic gear to increase the light level in the cave. As they crawl along a passageway, Squishy looks around nervously. Later they arrive in a cavern and after climbing down, Clemont asks if they could have taken an easier path. Continuing on their way, Serena notes that they have come far, Clemont becomes tired as Squishy heads to a gap in the floor before looking back at the group before going down the gap, Bonnie goes to follow but Clemont stops her saying it is dangerous as Bonnie tries to pull free. Looking down, Serena sees no way for them to get down there but Bonnie says they have to catch up as Ash brings out Noibat to use its ultrasonic wave to find an easier way of getting down as Clemont brings Luxray out to assist with its X-Ray vision. Noibat and Luxray find a passageway for them to take and they follow it. Once they leave, Team Rocket appear with Gourgeist providing some light as Meowth wonders how far they will go, Jessie and James follow them. Squishy arrives at a cavern with water and looks around worried, unaware of a tracking device attached to a stalactite. Outside the cave in a van, two Team Flare Grunts have picked up movement from the tracker and discover that Squishy has returned. They contact Xerosic and let him know about Squishy as inside, Squishy reaches the water's edge and dives in and regains energy as Luxray having found Squishy leads the others along a different path. Squishy starts to contact Z2 through telepathy to see how it is and Z2 replies back unaware that the Team Flare Grunts have detected their conversations. Having picked up Z2's location, Xerosic goes to find it along with Mable and Aliana as Aliana notes how foolish it was to give away its location. Squishy tells Z2 that it is fine but Z2 must flee from its current location at once as Ash and the others arrive. Bonnie is relieved to have found Squishy and goes over to Squishy only for Squishy to disappear.

Team Rocket are still spying on them as they wonder what is going on. Outside Bryony arrives and meets up with Celosia and after complaining about Bryony being late, they head inside after Squishy. Back in the cavern, the group are calling out to Squishy with no result as Clemont and Ash check on Luxray and Noibat. Serena thinks that Squishy may not be here any more but Bonnie says Squishy is here and Ash agrees and walks further into the water and calls out to Squishy. Squishy watches from a stalactite as Ash and Bonnie are attacked by a Pin Missile as they are confronted by Team Flare and Drapion who orders them not to move. As Pikachu gets ready to battle, Drapion fires a Sludge Bomb which Celosia calls a warning with the next attack being a lost worse. Celosia and Bryony do a scout for Squishy and find it on the stalactite as Celosia fires a beam at Squishy who falls into the water having missed being hit. Celosia and Bryony continue to fire at Squishy as Team Rocket wonder what they are shooting at as Meowth guesses it is Squishy. Ash and the others can only watch on as a beam finally hits Squishy forcing it out of the water, having been subdued. As Bonnie goes to help Squishy, Ash pulls her out of the way of another Sludge Bomb. Clemont and Serena decide the time has come to battle as the Team Flare Grunts send out Houndour and Skorupi. Ash has Noibat use Supersonic on Drapion before using Tackle as Bryony orders an Iron Head from Bisharp which hits Noibat, sending it flying into a stalactite as Bryony orders Bisharp to use Metal Sound as Celosia orders a Grunt to catch Squishy which the Grunt goes to do but is stopped by a Seed Bomb as Team Rocket appear on the scene and recite their motto. Team Flare aren't fazed by this, much to Team Rocket's annoyance as James tells them to stop insulting their intelligence as Team Flare have no idea what they are on about as Ash brings out Greninja and orders Greninja to free Squishy from Team Rocket which Greninja does easily as Celosia orders a Cross Poison from Drapion which Greninja dodges as Bryony has Bisharp attack with Stone Edge which Greninja just manages to dodge as Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt as Serena calls for Braixen to use Flamethrower and Clemont calls for Luxray to use Swift as the Team Flare Grunts call their Pokémon to use Dark Pulse which blocks all the attacks, creating a lot of smoke as Greninja returns Squishy to Bonnie. Celosia tells them that Squishy is a lot more than it seems and that it belongs to Team Flare before Bryony tells her to stop as Team Rocket thank them for filling them in before ordering Drapion to use Sludge Bomb which creates a lot of smoke, allowing Bryony to approach Ash and friends and orders them to hand Squishy over which they refuse and get ready to attack as Bonnie says that she will protect Squishy from them.

Team Flare tells them this leaves them little choice but Squishy starts to glow, much to the surprise of everyone as Squishy starts to gather Zygarde Cell from the cave. Everyone watches as Squishy transforms into its 10% Forme which leads Clemont to guess that this is some sort of evolution as Celosia checks with Bryony who confirms that this is what she saw before as Squishy uses Land's Wrath to send Team Rocket and Team Flare flying as Bonnie peers through the rocks, trying to see Squishy. Ash is surprised at how much power that Squishy has as Bryony and Celosia recover from the attack as Bonnie calls out to Squishy, only for Squishy to leave but Celosia and Bryony send out Manectric and Liepard to chase after Squishy as Ash orders Greninja and Pikachu to stop them which they do, allowing Squishy to get away as Bryony orders Liepard to use Shadow Claw as Ash has Greninja counter with Cut as Celosia orders Manectric to use Thunderbolt which hits Greninja, sending it flying as Ash orders Pikachu to attack with Iron Tail which hits Manectric. Ash checks on Greninja as Celosia and Bryony start to approach as Bonnie, Clemont, Serena, Luxray and Braixen. Bryony isn't pleased with their interference and tells them to get out of the way as Greninja gets up, still able to battle as they start to power up, allowing Greninja to change into Ash-Greninja as Ash orders Greninja to use Water Shuriken which Celosia orders Manectric to counter with Shock Wave before going after Greninja and hitting it, which causes Ash some pain before ordering Greninja to use Cut, which sends Manectric flying as Bryony orders another Shadow Claw from Liepard which Ash counters by ordering Greninja to use Aerial Ace which sends Liepard flying as Greninja returns to normal, leaving Ash and Greninja exhausted as Celosia and Bryony know they can't keep this up and has Manectric use Flash which blinds everyone as Team Rocket decide to go back to the drawing board. Once Flash subsides, Ash and the others discover that Team Flare have left as outside, Squishy returns to its Core Forme before disappearing. Clemont, Bonnie and Serena check on Ash who is OK as Clemont notes that it was the same as what happened at Ninja Village as Ash mentions it was like he became Greninja as Bonnie becomes concerned about where Squishy is. Outside, Celosia and Bryony receive a report that Squishy hasn't been located as Celosia can't believe that it got away but Bryony is certain that it hasn't gone far before noticing Ash and his friends leaving Terminus Cave and note that they have a special relationship with Squishy and they should keep an eye of them which they agree before being confronted by Team Rocket who tells them that Ash and his friends are their concern and not to get in their way as the world belongs to Giovanni and Team Rocket before leaving which Celosia and Bryony find a joke.

Ash and his friends are calling for Squishy but can't find it as Ash notes that if Squishy got away from Team Flare, it is probably hiding somewhere as Clemont wonders if Squishy is remaining hidden so it doesn't cause them any more trouble but Bonnie says that Squishy protected them and that it is their friend so must be waiting somewhere for them and vows to find Squishy, unaware that nearby, an invisible Squishy is watching them. At their base, Lysandre and Xerosic watch the footage showing Squishy having merged with its cells which makes it better able to move as Xerosic notes it will require much more study and they have yet to see the true power for Squishy as Lysandre inquires over Z2 but they are in the process of finding it but it will only be a matter of time.

Major events

• Ash and his friends arrive at Terminus Cave and encounter Team Flare again.
• Ash's Noibat is revealed to know Tackle.
• Ash and his friends see Squishy change form for the first time.
• Squishy gets separated from Ash and his friends.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Jessie
• James
• Lysandre
• Xerosic
• Celosia
• Bryony
• Mable
• Aliana
• Team Flare Grunts

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Drapion (US and international)
Pokémon Quiz: Drapion (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Greninja (Ash's; Ash-Greninja)
• Noibat (Ash's)
• Braixen (Serena's)
• Luxray (Clemont's)
• Gourgeist (Jessie's; Super Size)
• Drapion (Celosia's)
• Manectric (Celosia's)
• Bisharp (Bryony's)
• Liepard (Bryony's)
• Houndour (Team Flare Grunts'; ×4)
• Skorupi (Team Flare Grunts'; ×2)
• Zygarde (Zygarde Core and 10% Forme; Squishy)
• Zygarde (Zygarde Core; Z2)
• Zygarde (Zygarde Cell; multiple)
• Ariados
• Lairon
• Shuckle

Trivia

File:Title Card XY Ash V2.png

The title card segment focuses on Ash for this episode

• Poké TV: "Poké Love TV" focusing on Luxray and its X-ray vision.
  • The Poké TV segment was skipped for original airings.
• Bonnie and Clemont narrate the preview for the next episode.
• This is the first time since its debut that Noibat has used a new move.
• When Team Rocket recited their motto, the usual background animation was not seen.
  • Also, Team Rocket uses a variation of their motto in this episode.
• This is one of the few episodes in which Team Rocket refers Giovanni by his proper name and not as "the Boss".

Errors

• When the Team Flare Grunt contacts Xerosic, the Team Flare logo on the back of Xerosic's coat briefly disappears.
• In the dub, when Gourgeist peeked down into the passage that Ash and everyone else went through, Gourgeist's mouth moves but no sound comes out. The closed captions, however, do include the cry.
• Celosia's Manectric used Scratch, a move that it cannot legally learn. This was changed in the dub to where Celosia merely commanded it to "Go after it" instead.
• After Greninja reverts to its normal form, its chest is the same from Ash-Greninja form.
• In the Danish dub, "Terminus-grotten" is misspelled as "Teminus-grotten" in the title card.

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	終結洞窟！Z的謎團傾巢而出！！
	Mandarin	終結洞窟！Z的謎團傾巢而出！！
Danish		Møde ved Terminus-grotten!
Dutch		Ontmoeting bij de Terminus-grot!
Finnish		Tapaaminen Terminus-luolassa!
European French		Rencontre dans la grotte Coda !
German		Konfrontation in der Omega-Höhle!
Italian		Incontro alla Grotta Climax!
Korean		끝의 동굴! 서서히 들어나는 Z의 비밀!!
Norwegian		Møte ved Terminusgrotten!
Polish		Spotkanie w Jaskini Terminus!
Portuguese	Brazil	Encontro na Caverna Terminus!
	Portugal	Encontro na Gruta Terminus!
Russian		Встреча в Пещере Терминус!
Spanish	Latin America	¡Un encuentro en la Cueva Terminus!
	Spain	¡Encuentro en la Cueva Desenlace!
Swedish		Mötet vid Terminus-grottan!
Thai		ถ้ำแห่งการสิ้นสุด! ปริศนาแห่ง Z เริ่มเคลื่อนไหว!!
Turkish		Terminus Mağarasında Buluşma!

← XY101 : A Dancing Debut!

XY series

XY103 : A Cellular Connection! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.