I Dream of Ninjini

I Dream of Ninjini is the second episode of Skylanders Academy Season 2.
==Synopsis==
Master Eon tells Stealth Elf to seek training from an elusive ninja genie giant named Ninjini, a once-great warrior who doubts her current abilities.
== Plot ==
During a live show of Monday Night Ninja Fights, Stealth Elf is challenged by a boastful ninja fighter named Berserker, claiming to be the best ninja warrior in Skylands. Angered by his taunting, Stealth Elf accepts his invitation for a battle. Knowing Berserker will be a formidable foe, Master Eon suggests that Stealth Elf seek training from a retired Skylander and her idol, Ninjini, a ninja genie giant who now resides in the Falling Forest.
Meanwhile, the rest of Team Spyro are waiting for Hugo's return, claiming to be in a bathroom break, at one area in the Falling Forest. Unbeknownst to them, Hugo has taken up himself to wander alone and acquires an unknown object. However, he encounters Berserker, who kidnaps Hugo to serve as his meal. After a long journey, Stealth Elf finally meets the legendary Ninjini. Elf requests Ninjini to train her for his upcoming fight. Though Ninjini agrees, she first has her try one of her lemon bars.
The Skylanders return to the Academy after concluding that Hugo has now gone missing. Master Eon urges them into finding him though without Elf's assistance. Hugo becomes confused as Berserker plans to have him fed and write greeting cards for his mother, due to being illiterate, before being eaten at dinner. Meanwhile, Stealth Elf finds that Ninjini has been stalling her awaited training. Ninjini admits she no longer has the confidence to teach her what she knows after remaining inactive at her retirement for so long. Stealth Elf tries to persuade her to try again by showing her poster of Ninjini's early years to remind her she is still the most powerful ninja she believed Ninjini to always be. Moved by her dedication, Ninjini finally proceeds to train her. Through intense training, Stealth Elf quickly improves her ninja capabilities.
The Doom Raiders are ordered by Golden Queen for a cleanup for their camp. In the process, they recover an old genie lamp and proceeds to use it. The lamp turns out to be the one Ninjini discarded after managing to break her ties to it. Ninjini gets dragged back to the bottle to now grant three wishes to the Doom Raiders. However, they only have two after Broccoli Guy wishes for a "best friend". The Doom Raiders vote to use the two wishes to destroy the Skylands and seek Kaossandra's castle.
But with Kaos in possession of the bottle, he hesitates about endangering his mother and Glumshanks, and wishes for Glumshanks to be summoned in the camp. Golden Queen now has to make a decision on what to spend their last wish on. While the Doom Raiders ponder, Stealth Elf tries to re-motivate Ninjini to free herself once again from the bottle, but by doing so, Ninjini gets sucked back in the bottle. Stealth Elf inadvertently reveals herself after worrying for her idol, the Doom Raiders prepare to attack her but Glumshanks uses it as an opportunity to waste the last wish of returning to his studies. Stealth Elf is surrounded by the Doom Raiders. Fortunately, Ninjini breaks free from her bottle and unleashes a powerful whirlwind that tosses the Doom Raiders far away.
An impatient Berserker decides to finally consume Hugo after taking too long writing his greeting cards. The Skylanders confront Berserker after Hugo managed to easily send them a greeting card containing their location. Berserker prepares to fight them but is confronted to fight Stealth Elf instead. With enhanced ninja abilities, Stealth Elf quickly subdues Berserker and proves superior. Afterwards, Stealth Elf revisits Ninjini to offer back her genie lamp. Ninjini entrusts Stealth Elf to possess it instead in order to prevent it from falling into foes and to use it to summon Ninjini if she needs her.
Hugo returns to the Library after being rescued from the Falling Forest. Hugo hands over the object he found in the forest earlier to Master Eon as was his secret order. Master Eon intends to keep it hidden from anyone, especially Spyro, as the object reveals to be a dragon fossil that resembles Spyro's tail.
==Featured characters==
*Spyro
*Stealth Elf
*Eruptor
*Jet-Vac
*Pop Fizz
*Master Eon
*Hugo
*Kaos
*Glumshanks
*Ninjini (first and only appearance)
*Golden Queen
*Wolfgang
*Chef Pepper Jack
*Chompy Mage
*Dreamcatcher
*Broccoli Guy
*Berserker
*Dale
==Gallery==
::I Dream of Ninjini/Gallery
==Errors and Mistakes==
*Despite the genie bottle being in Chompy Mage's posession for some time, it was seen in the Relics Room in Season 1, and despite the Doom Raiders' invasion they are never mentioned to have been able to steal anything after Kaossandra's retaliation.
==Trivia==
*The title of the episode is a pun on the live action show I Dream of Jeannie.
*One of Glumshanks' lectures is about the book Atlas Shrugged, and his admiration for it causes his fellow students to lose interest. The book, by Ayn Rand, is frequently criticized for its pretentiousness and pages spent on speeches to the point of losing track of the story.
**The episode had to go through rigorous legal clearance because of its cameo of “Atlas Shrugged”.Eric Rogers’ response
*Stealth Elf's favorite TV show is based on pro wrestling, including Berserker's characterization of a Heel - a wrestler that purposefully gains the audience's ire and usually plays the antagonist in the story.
*Ninjini mentions that she's stuck in a game called Cocoa Crash, unintentionally foreshadowing the appearance of Coco Bandicoot along with Crash's return in Season 3.
*Berserker and Hugo mention various major holidays in Skylands, including Sheep Day, Thankstaking, Swipe Right Day (possibly the Valentines' Day equivalent as it is named after dating app lingo), Portal Master's Day, Fall Hat Day and Skylanders Day.
==References==
Category:Skylanders Academy Season 2 episodes
Category:Article stubs