XY028

This article is about an episode of the Pokémon animated series that has not been dubbed into English. As such, its coverage may contain romanized Japanese names, rather than dub names.

← XY027 : To Find a Fairy Flower!

XY series

XY029 : Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike! →

The Bonds of Evolution

XY028   EP827 チャンピオン・カルネ登場！霧の中のメガサーナイト！！ Champion Carnet Appears! Mega Sirknight in the Mist!!

First broadcast Japan May 22, 2014 United States July 26, 2014

English themes Opening Ending

Japanese themes Opening Ｖ（ボルト） Ending Ｘ海峡Ｙ景色

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 米村正二 Shōji Yonemura Storyboard 山口頼房 Yorifusa Yamaguchi Assistant director 吉村文宏 Fumihiro Yoshimura Animation directors 篠原隆 Takashi Shinohara 山田桃子 Momoko Yamada No additional credits are available at this time.

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

The Bonds of Evolution (Japanese: チャンピオン・カルネ登場！霧の中のメガサーナイト！！ Champion Carnet Appears! Mega Sirknight in the Mist!!) is the 28th episode of the XY series, and the 827th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on May 22, 2014, is scheduled to air in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2014 and is scheduled to air in the United States on July 26, 2014.

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

Plot

This episode begins with Ash and his friends, who have found a poster advertising a battle featuring the Pokémon Champion of the Kalos region, Diantha. The friends tell Ash, who has never heard of Diantha before, that Diantha is not only the strongest Pokémon trainer in Kalos, but is also a famous actress. Ash decides to request a battle with Diantha, and the friends run off to meet her.

Behind the scenes at the stadium, Diantha's manager tells a large crowd that Diantha is not accepting meetings or interviews. Just as Ash and his friends are about to leave, Professor Sycamore appears and motions to them to follow him into a room. The professor has come to examine the Mega Evolution that Diantha's Gardevoir possesses. The friends are excited to also hear that Diantha is in the room next door. Ash head towards the door, wanting to request a battle immediately, but before he can open it Diantha emerges, much to the awe of Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. Professor Sycamore asks Diantha if she has thought about his request to leave her Key Stone temporarily in his possession, to which she respectfully declines, saying that the Key Stone is the very bond between her and Gardevoir. Professor Sycamore persists, however, and Diantha begins to offer a compromise for the next time she visits Lumiose City. Diantha's manager Minami, however, appears and abruptly tells Sycamore that Diantha's schedule is full. Diantha tells the group to feel free to watch the battle.

At the battlefield, the two opponents take to the field to a cheering crowd, Diantha and a previous year's champion from Vinegar Town, Morgan. In the stands, Ash asks Professor Sycamore about the Key Stone. Professor Sycamore tells him the Key Stone is the stone Trainers hold, and the Mega Stone is the stone that Pokémon hold, both crucial to Mega Evolution. Diantha releases Gardevoir,who wears a Mega Stone. Proffesor Sycamore tells the travelers that a close bond between the Trainer and Pokemon is also crucial to Mega Evolution. Above, Team Rocket watches and decides to get Gardevoir for themselves, hoping to please Giovanni. On the field, Morgan releases Absol, and the battle begins. Morgan and Absol begin with Bite, but Gardevoir is too quick. Absol then uses Quick Attack, but again Gardevoir evades the attack, able to understand Diantha's commands merely through eye contact. Morgan's Absol uses Psycho Cut, but Gardevoir repels it with Shadow Ball, which rebounds to hit Absol. Absol uses Perish Song, but Gardevoir uses Moonblast to knock Absol out, winning the match.

Inside the stadium, a crowd again forms, hoping to see Diantha. An officer tells the crowd that Diantha has already left for a movie shooting. Serena suggests that the group go try Vinegar Town's famous gâteau au chocolat, Professor Sycamore opting to join them after he takes care of his data. However, when the travelers reach the restaurant, they are greeted by a long line. However, Bonnie and Serena are determined to get through the line, and manage to procure one slice. Faced with the predicament of sharing one slice with four people, Clemont pulls out a machine that can cut the piece into exactly equal pieces. Before he can cut into the dessert, the group notices a disappointed woman who was unable to procure a slice, and offer to share with her. The lady reveals she is indeed Diantha, and the group share the dessert, after which Bonnie asks for Diantha to marry her brother. Ash determinedly asks Diantha to have a battle with him, and after his persistence, she accepts. Professor Sycamore appears, wanting to also watch the battle.

In a field, Ash begins to battle Diantha's Gardevoir with Pikachu. Ash begins with Pikachu's Iron Tail, followed up by Quick Attack, which Diantha's Gardevoir nimbly avoids. Ash next commands Pikachu to use Electro Ball and Thunderbolt, which Gardevoir also dodges. Gardevoir uses Shadow Ball, which sends Pikachu flying and Ash running to catch him. Seeing Ash's devotion to his Pokémon, Diantha recognizes his passion. Just then, Team Rocket releases a net, which captures Gardevoir in a transparent box. Diantha orders Gardevoir to use Shadow Ball on the box, but to no avail. Jessie throws a smoke bomb and Team Rocket's balloon soars off. Diantha, who knows where Gardevoir has gone, leads the way.

Diantha recalls an experience in which she was lost in the fog while shooting in the Guipna highlands, and her Key Stone led her to Gardevoir. Ash says he think their hearts are calling out to each other. The group reaches Gardevoir, and Diantha tells the others to stay back while she confronts Team Rocket. Diantha mega-evolves Gardevoir into Mega Gardevoir, and this time, the force of Mega Gardevoir's Shadow Ball blasts the box. Diantha tells Mega Gardevoir to use Moon Blast, which sends Team Rocket blasting off again.

The group congratulates Diantha as Mega Gardevoir returns back to normal. A helicopter with Minami arrives to pick up Diantha. Diantha thanks Ash and all the children, but has to go to her next shooting.Just before she leaves,Ash tells Diantha that he is challenging the Kalos League, and asks her to battle him when the time comes. Diantha tells him she'll look forward to it, and the friends and Professor Sycamore wave as the helicopter rides off into the sunset, having all learned more about the secrets of Mega Evoluton.

Major events

• Ash and his friends encounter Professor Sycamore again.
• Ash and his friends meet Diantha, the Kalos League Champion.
• Ash and his friends learn about Mega Stones and Key Stones, as well as witness a Mega Evolution for the first time.
• Ash has a battle with Diantha, but it gets interrupted by Team Rocket.

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

Debuts

• Diantha

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Jessie
• James
• Professor Sycamore
• Diantha
• Minami
• Morgan
• Crowd

Pokémon

Pokémon Quiz: Gardevoir (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Gardevoir (Diantha's; Mega Gardevoir)
• Absol (Morgan's)
• Watchog
• Skitty
• Meowstic (male)
• Oddish
• Swirlix
• Gulpin
• Hoppip
• Spritzee
• Audino
• Marill
• Furret
• Furfrou (picture)
• Seaking (picture)
• Wailord (picture)
• Goldeen (multiple; picture)
• Sharpedo (×3; picture)

Trivia

File:Title Card XY Ash.png

The title card segment focuses on Ash for this episode

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster: Spewpa
• This episode was originally scheduled to air on May 29, 2014 as part of a one-hour special alongside Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!, but it was pushed up one week after the postponement of An Undersea Place to Call Home!, and aired separately.
• The next episode preview is narrated by James, Jessie, Meowth and Ash.
  • For the TV Tokyo airing, instead of the normal preview, a special preview of Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!, XY030, Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, XY031 and XY032 was shown.
• This is the first time a male Meowstic appeared in the anime.
• Several running gags from the XY series are played differently for the first time in this episode.
  • Clemont does not use his Aipom arm to grab Bonnie after she asks Diantha if she could marry him.
  • Clemont's invention works correctly without exploding.
  • Ash does not get excited after seeing said invention.
  • As Jessie's Wobbuffet is absent in this episode, it does not appear in the motto sequence.

Errors

Spewpa's back head, triangle and two dots errors

• When the exhibition match is about to begin, Diantha is on the left side of the screen instead of the right.
• In the Pokémon Quiz segment, the description of Gardevoir's type stands to be pure Psychic-type Pokémon (Generation III-V), rather than being dual type Psychic/Fairy Pokémon (Generation VI-onwards).
• When Clemont is using his invention to cut the cake into six pieces, Diantha's shadow skin color seems to be more dark brown instead being colored dark beige.
• When Gardevoir was about to Mega Evolve, its legs were colored green instead of white.
• In the Pokémon Holo Caster segment, when Professor Oak in a Fletchinder costume is about to scare a Spewpa, the light gray color on its back head along with the khaki-colored triangle are completely colored dark-gray, and the two dots on its face are colored black.

In other languages

Language		Title
Thai		แชมเปี้ยน คาร์เนท์ ปรากฏตัว! เมก้าซาไนท์ในสายหมอก!!

← XY027 : To Find a Fairy Flower!

XY series

XY029 : Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike! →

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