XY019

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.

←	XY018 : Awakening the Sleeping Giant!

XY series

XY020 : Breaking Titles at the Chateau!

→

A Conspiracy to Conquer!

XY019

EP818

マダムＸの陰謀！恐怖のカラマネロ！！
Madame X's Plot! The Scary Calamanero!!

First broadcast

Japan	March 13, 2014
United States	May 24, 2014

English themes

Opening	Pokémon Theme (Version XY)
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	Ｖ（ボルト）
Ending	Ｘ海峡Ｙ景色

Credits

No additional credits are available at this time.
Animation	Team Kato
Screenplay	藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita
Storyboard	尼野浩正 Hiromasa Amano
Assistant director	瀬谷新二 Shinji Seya
Animation directors	瀬谷新二 Shinji Seya
Animation directors	篠原隆 Takashi Shinohara

A Conspiracy to Conquer! (Japanese: マダムＸの陰謀！恐怖のカラマネロ！！ Madame X's Plot! The Scary Calamanero!!) is the 19th episode of the XY series, and the 818th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on March 13, 2014 and is scheduled to air in the United States on May 24, 2014.

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

Plot

In a dark cave, Team Rocket watches a video displaying Pikachu's moves, and grow ever more determined to capture it. They are interrupted by a high laugh, and turn around to be met by a hooded figure accompanied by a Malamar, who introduces herself as Madame X. Malamar shines a bright light over Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Ash and his friends continue to Cyllage City and notice a radio observatory. Just then, a scratched-up Meowth stumbles from the bushes and collapses in front of the children, who treat it. When Meowth comes to, he thanks them graciously and tells the group, who is skeptical of his intentions, that he came to warn them about danger. He begins to tells the story; beginning with Malamar's bright light over Team Rocket. Jessie and James shook it off and sent out Inkay and Pumpkaboo, and commanded them to use Psybeam and Shadow Ball respectively, however, they were stopped by Malamar's bright light, which turned their eyes blank and brainwashed them, including Jessie and James. Meowth realized that he could remain conscious only by enduring intense physical pain, and used Fury Swipes on himself, and escaped. Meowth warns the children that they must run because Madame X is also targeting Pikachu, but they remain skeptical. Just then, a brainwashed Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet appear behind Meowth, telling him to hurry up and capture Pikachu. The group runs away only to immediately turn into Madame X and Malamar. Malamar uses its bright light, and Meowth warns the children not to look into it. Ash tells Pikachu to use Electro Ball, and the group uses the opportunity to flee, but are stopped by Jessie and James, who look to make Pikachu part of Madame X's Pokémon corps. Pikachu is lifted into the air by Malamar's Psychic and he and his captor disappear into the distant sky.

To find them, Clemont brings out a Pikachu-chasing machine, that can sense Pikachu's Electric energy and track it down. The group follows after the machine, which brings them to the radio observatory, where it gets stuck in the fence and electrocutes the group. Bonnie notices Officer Jenny's motor bike parked outside the observatory,and assume that the observatory is Madame X's hideout, and Officer Jenny received a report and came to investigate. The group goes inside, and are watched by a security camera. Inside the observatory, Malamar brainwashes Pikachu. Team Rocket notify Madame X that Ash and his friends are on the property.

In the observatory halls, Ash's group splits up, Clemont with his sister and Serena with Ash. Clemont and Bonnie are met with Malamar, who brainwashes them. They find Ash and Serena, who realize that the siblings are being manipulated. Malamar appears behind them and shines the brainwashing light over them, and they are unable to run. being blocked by Bonnie and Clemont. Ash asks Meowth to use Fury Swipes on him, and both complies, using the attack on both himself and Ash. However, Serena, not wanting her face to be scratched up, is brainwashed. Meowth cuts down a hanging planet model from the ceiling, which stalls Malamar, allowing him and Ash to escape. The pair come to an observation chamber, where they are greeted by Madame X, who makes Pikachu use Thunderbolt on Ash, and attacks him again and again. Ash is determined to get through to his partner, but the situation grows more dire as the Pokémon corps are revealed, consisting of huge and intimidating Pokémon. Pikachu electrocutes Ash continuously, forcing Ash to his knees, where he, in the midst of the electricity, tries to communicate with Pikachu. As Ash tells him that he believes in him, Pikachu hesitates in his attack. Outside the observatory, Clemont's machine awakes and rushes off towards the observatory. It comes into the observation chamber and crashes, flaming, into Malamar, and Madame X screams and falls at its defeat. All of the brainwashed people and Pokemon return to normal, including Pikachu and the Pokemon corps. Madame X's cloak falls off, and reveals her to be Officer Jenny, who had been brainwashed to act like Madame X by Malamar, who appears behind her, again well. Meowth translates for Malamar, who hopes to restructure the world using its "system of great significance", and will need everyone to be under its control. Not waiting, James and Ash send Inkay and Pikachu to attack Malamar, but it escapes.

The group runs after it, catching it in a room full of strange vines and spikes, the system of great significance. Malamar decides to abandon the place, since it was originally owned by humans ,and makes it explode, forcing the humans to take shelter. The humans, their Pokémon, and the Pokémon corps escape outside as the observatory explodes behind them, and watch as Malamar flies off into the sky. The group watches it go, and wonder what its grand plan was.

Later, Team Rocket, embarrassed at the day's events relaxes on the forest rocks. It comes to Meowth's mind that Malamar is the evolved form of Inkay, and Inkay winks.

Major events

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

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

Pokémon

Pokémon Quiz: Malamar (Japan)

Trivia

File:Title Card XY Pikachu.png

The title card segment focuses on Pikachu for this episode

Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster: M17*/Pumpkaboo*
Ash and Serena narrate the preview for the next episode.
Music from Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice is used in this episode.
This episode aired on May 16, 2014 in Italy (on K2), eight days before the US airdate.

Errors

When Meowth fainted, Serena's legs are completely black just like her stockings, and the lines around her stockings disappear.
When Meowth is explaining to Ash and the others about what happened to his team, the yellow mark on Dedenne's stomach is missing.
When Meowth tells Ash and everyone to run away from Madame X and her Malamar, but Jessie and James blocked their way, Bonnie's blouse is colored black instead of brown.
When the Searching Pikachu robot is about to find Pikachu, Ash's hair is shown completely black instead of the usual dark cyan tone.
When the Searching Pikachu robot landed on the electrical wires, causing it to auto-explode, Bonnie appears with stockings just like Serena.
When Meowth tells Ash and Serena to not look at Malamar's spots, the toes on Meowth's right foot are briefly colored cream instead of brown.
When Ash and Meowth are running away from Malamar and Ash's friends who are being possessed by it, Meowth's tail is fully colored cream.
When Ash and Meowth met Madame X again, Madame X's face around her eyes is colored shadow color instead of black.
When Malamar opened the gate to release possessed Beedrill, Pangoro, Scolipede, Noivern, and Exploud to attack Ash and Meowth, the holes on Exploud's knees are colored purple instead of black.
When Malamar got hit by the Searching Pikachu robot, one of Malamar's spots disappears for a few frames.
When Bonnie and Dedenne point at Madame X who is about to reveal her true identity, the spots on Malamar's body are missing.
When Officer Jenny remembered what happened to her before Malamar popped up, Malamar's eyelids and the line around its body are colored white instead of light-purple.
When Meowth realized about Inkay's evolution line, Pumpkaboo's eyes are colored brown instead of orange.