10 best episodes from Pokemon XY

The best episodes from Pokemon XY capture some of the best moments from Ash's journey in the Kalos region. Also known as Pokemon the Series: XY, this is a series in the long-running animated saga of Ash Ketchum and his beloved Pikachu exploring the world of Pokemon. Specifically, the two arrive in the Kalos region ready to challenge the Kalos Pokemon League on Ash's quest to become a Pokemon Master, and it remains a popular series to this day.

If watchers are new to Ash's adventures or have watched his journey from start to finish, there are several episodes in Pokemon XY that are worth seeing or revisiting. Every fan has their favorite episodes, and it doesn't hurt to examine some of the best episodes the XY series brought to the evolving quest of Ash, Pikachu, and all their friends.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Top 10 best episodes from Pokemon XY, ranked

Pokemon XY is still extremely popular, and has a lot of memorable episodes. Here are some of the best ones:

1) Lumiose City Pursuit!

Ash stages a daring Garchomp rescue in this Pokemon XY episode (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The second episode of Pokemon XY wasted no time getting to the action as Ash arrives in Lumiose City to heal the Froakie that saved Pikachu in the previous episode. Along the way, he learns about Mega Evolution from Professor Sycamore, but an attempt by Team Rocket to capture his Garchomp leads to it rampaging through Lumiose City with Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie in pursuit.

At the top of Prism Tower, Ash and his ally Pokemon managed to remove the collar Team Rocket placed on Garchomp, returning it to normal. Lumiose City watches the events unfold on TV throughout the city, praising the young trainer, and Ash's future companion Serena is also seen watching his heroic exploits, setting the stage for the Pokemon XY series.

2) The Synchronicity Test!

This Pokemon XY episode featured one of Ash and Alain's most intense battles (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ash and Alain's rivalry may be one of the most intense in the Pokemon series at large, and this Pokemon XY episode showed why as the former's Greninja faced off against the latter's Charizard. Thanks to the bond that Ash and his Greninja share, it transforms into the immensely powerful Ash-Greninja form that is unique to their pairing, though the power is too much to handle, ending the fight.

While this was just a glimpse of the intense battles Ash and Alain had at many points in Pokemon XY, it showed the former's blossoming mastery as a trainer when he was capable of instilling a unique transformation in his Greninja that surprised characters and fans alike.

3) The Moment of Lumiose Truth

Ash battles his figurative protege in this Pokemon XY episode (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Throughout the Pokemon XY series, Ash's mastery as a trainer rubbed off on his companion Clemont, making him a pseudo protege in deed if not in name. In this episode, they finally have their fated Lumiose Gym battle to show how much they've both grown, and it may be one of the finer battles in Ash's entire journey.

Things get even more intense when Clemont's Luxray takes down Ash's Hawlucha and Pikachu, but the latter's Goodra comes in clutch and manages to use its Bide move to turn the scales on Luxray and defeat it. The win secured the Voltage Badge and deepened the bond between Ash and his spirited understudy.

Also read: Best team composition for Pokemon X and Y

4) A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!

This Pokemon XY episode is for fans of Jessie of Team Rocket (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Every so often, fans love a good Team Rocket episode centered on Jessie, James, and/or Meowth, and this Pokemon XY episode is one of the better examples. During an attempt to steal Pikachu again, Jessie and Wobbufet are rescued by a doctor named Dr. White who Jessie finds herself falling for, to the point where she's considering staying with him instead of rejoining James and Meowth.

However, things change when Meowth and Team Rocket's Pokemon are swiped by a Pokemon bandit, and Jessie springs back into action to save her comrades. Still, this episode was a nice examination of her motivations and how she came very close to giving up her criminal career.

5) A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!

This Pokemon XY episode showed some hurdles in Ash and Greninja's bond (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ash had plenty of friends and rivals to go full-tilt against in Pokemon XY, and this episode showed that his bond with Greninja had room to grow while also showing the growth of his rival Sawyer. On the way to Snowbelle City, Ash wants to challenge Sawyer after the latter collects all of Kalos' gym badges, but he isn't able to tap into Greninja's special transformation like before.

While this does lead Ash's Greninja to lose to Sawyer's Sceptile, it does show the former that he still has a ways to go to master the Ash-Greninja form and couldn't get complacent ahead of the Kalos League competition.

6) A Riveting Rivalry!

Ash and Sawyer have an intense rematch in this Pokemon XY episode (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ahead of the semi-final match of the Kalos League, Ash and Sawyer got their high-intensity rematch in this Pokemon XY episode, demolishing each other until all that was left was Sawyer's Mega Sceptile against Ash's Greninja transformed into its Ash-Greninja form. The latter apologizes for fearing that Sawyer may have surpassed him, but he is focused now and ready to go all out.

Fortunately, despite the type mismatch, Ash-Greninja manages to overwhelm Mega Sceptile, signifying a landmark in his progress as a trainer and setting him up to battle Alain in the semi-finals.

7) Forming a More Perfect Union!

The battle for Kalos comes to a head in this Pokemon XY episode (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This Pokemon XY episode may be one of the most intense in the series, as Team Flare commands a massive rock filled with primal energy to create a fake Zygarde, hoping to scour the face of Kalos and rebuild it. Ash and his friends, as well as multiple Kalos gym leaders, team up to bring down the rock. They get timely help from Squishy and Z2, two cores of the legendary Pokemon Zygarde.

Thanks to Complete Zygarde's intervention, the battle to save Kalos is decisively won after episodes of struggle, and Team Flare and its leader Lysandre are sent packing. It's a movie-level conclusion that comes together nicely in this episode.

8) The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!

Serena makes an important choice in this Pokemon XY episode (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Serena remains one of Ash's most appreciated companions, and she remained by his side throughout the Pokemon XY series. However, her ongoing character arc in the series left her conflicted about whether or not she should become a Pokemon trainer or a Pokemon performer instead. She finally makes her decision in this pivotal episode, with the full approval of her friends.

With the support of Ash and her mother, Serena takes her next steps as a Pokemon performer and departs Kalos to practice her stage skills in Hoenn, marking a major turning point in her character before her return in Pokemon Journeys.

9) The Legend of X, Y, and Z!

This Pokemon XY series isn't centered on Ash but is intriguing all the same lore-wise (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This Pokemon XY episode was a special, but compelling one despite not focusing on Ash and his friends. It follows Professor Sycamore and the journalist Alexa, who find a statue of a woman named Alia who was turned to stone when the Pokemon Yveltal reverted into its cocoon state, sapping the life from the face of the Kalos region despite Alia's lover Jan attempting to defeat it.

Jan survived and sought out the Pokemon Xerneas to restore life to the land despite Alia remaining a statue. Zygarde eventually returned and restored the balance of life and death, and Jan returned to stay at Alia's side as the cycle continued anew. This is something of a downer of an episode, but it does offer interesting lore about the three major legendary Pokemon of Kalos.

10) Mega Evolution Specials I-IV

Mega Rayquaza emerges in the third Mega Evolution special (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Like the previous episode listed above, these were specials that shifted away from the main narrative to focus on the grandeur of Mega Evolution. The specials mostly focus on Alain and his Mega Charizard X as well as Mairin, who seeks to find a Mega Stone of her own, as they battle a sequence of trainer-owned and wild Mega Pokemon.

While the story does tie into parts of Ash's adventure in Kalos, the real draw was the presence of so many incredible Mega Pokemon on-screen battling it out, including Mega Rayquaza making multiple appearances. Even Alpha Kyogre and Primal Groudon popped up, which will delight fans of the Hoenn region or the Generation III Pokemon games.

For more content on Pokemon XY, check out the following: