XY083: Performing With Fiery Charm!

is the 32nd episode of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest.
==Synopsis==
At a run-down hotel, a timid desk clerk named Weston shows our heroes to their room. Ash wants to check out the hotel’s public battlefield, where they discover Mantle, the owner, challenging other Trainers to battle...and taking their Pokémon when they lose!
Weston’s Rotom comes out of hiding to reveal that its Trainer was once the owner, but Mantle challenged him to a battle on the hotel’s opening day 10 years ago. When the inexperienced Rotom ran away, Mantle declared himself the winner—of the battle and the hotel! To make amends, Rotom sends our heroes back in time to that fateful battle! This time, Clemont and the others help Weston and Rotom defeat the crook.
When they return to the present, our heroes discover a big change: the hotel is sparkling and clean, Weston is the rightful owner, and Mantle and his goons are working as bellhops. And a framed photo from the hotel’s opening day proves that our heroes really were there!
==Episode plot==
The episode opens on a hill overlooking Dendemille Town as Serena watches the sunrise and thinks about her last Showcase. She turns to Braixen and Pancham behind her and encourages them to win this time. In the Pokémon Center, Serena is conversing with her mother, to whom she gives a sneak preview of the dress she'll be wearing for the Showcase, designed by Valerie herself. Grace approves of this, even if she considers it a bit flashy. She gives her daughter her full support, telling her she'll be watching and to go for broke.
At the Showcase hall, Serena and the others are looking for the registration desk when a voice Serena recognizes calls out to her. As Serena is approached by Miette, Bonnie greets Slurpuff and Miette's new Pokémon, Meowstic. Miette explains she is also entering the Showcase before noticing Serena cut her hair. She taunts Serena about this, asking if she cut her hair because Ash rejected her. Serena quickly changes the subject, firmly telling Miette the Showcase won't go the same as the Poké Puff Contest. Miette tells Serena that today she'll settle her score with her before moving in close to teasingly suggest she should make a move on Ash too, making Serena heavily blush. As Miette departs, Ash notes how motivated she is, to which Serena reflexively replies she won't lose either. Ash affirms "That's the spirit!" to which Bonnie notes how dense he is; when Clemont asks what she's talking about, she says the same thing about him too.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket watches the scene unfold. Jessie tells James to watch her and says she'll win this time, to which Meowth adds they've been doing special training for today. The Showcase begins: Serena is backstage with her Pokémon; Ash, Clemont and Bonnie are in the audience with theirs. As Monsieur Pierre appears onstage and begins explaining the rules, we see the Showcase is being watched by Grace, Rhyhorn, Tierno, Trevor, Shauna, Professor Sycamore and his aides, and even Aria herself.
Pierre reveals the theme for today's Theme Performance: Performers will have to bake tasty Poké Puffs for the judges' Pokémon. The judges are Gena and Jigglypuff, Santo and Mime Jr. and Delilah and Furfrou, who will select the winners from each group of three. Bonnie goes to ask Gena to be Clemont's wife, but Clemont manages to stop Bonnie before going to the stage. The first three Performers are brought onto the stage; standing among them is Miette. The first round kicks off: Miette makes use of Slurpuff's potent sense of smell to pick out the freshest milk while having Meowstic mix the ingredients into a bowl as she continues baking. After time is up, the judges' Pokémon taste their food. Chespin lets itself out from its Poké Ball, and along with Pikachu and Dedenne enjoys the savory smell of the Poké Puffs. The judges declare their winner. Knowing Miette's baking prowess, Serena is not surprised to see her rival move on to the next round.
Among the next three performers is "Jessibella". When her turn starts, she and Meowth reveal their strategy: Meowth had asked the judges' Pokémon which food they like the best beforehand so as to give Jessie an idea of what to bake for them: Furfrou likes food that smells good, Jigglypuff likes sweet food and Mime Jr. wants spicy food. Jessie puts up a decent effort, and despite her Poké Puff's unusual appearance, Jessie wins the round and advances. Watching Jessibelle as the winner, Serena is called to the stage. Serena, remembers how she put a lot of effort into her baking (even making Chespin, Pikachu and Dedenne unable to eat any more). She flashes back to a practice session in which her friends partook in eating her treats. Remembering how Ash enjoyed her Poké Puffs, Serena promises not to lose this round.
The round starts: Serena has Pancham grab the ingredients she needs as Braixen checks the oven. Serena's team easily puts together a lovely-looking Puff. As the judges' Pokémon taste each Poké Puff, Serena worries about not making it to the next round. Pancham and Braixen grab her hand to give her their support. After tasting the Poké Puffs, the judges have reached a tough decision. Serena gets the win, advancing to the Free Performance round. She happily embraces her Pokémon, having already gone farther than in her last Showcase. The gang is just as amazed, as are those watching her on: Grace is proud of Serena, having expected nothing less from her daughter. From where she is backstage, even Miette admits she is impressed.
The first one up in the Free Performance round is Jessie, who enters with Meowth and Wobbuffet all dressed up. Jessie starts off bouncing Meowth off onto Wobbuffet, who uses Counter to bounce him further into the air. Jessie throws a basket full of berries up to Meowth who slices through them with Fury Swipes. The berry pieces fall onstage and pile into an elaborate heart-shaped hedge. Jessie and her Pokémon announce their finish and leave the stage. Miette is the second Performer onstage. As Serena walks to the platform, Jessie shoves her out of the way, making her trip and fall. As Jessie haughtily fake-apologizes for not seeing her, Braixen and Pancham get confrontational before Serena tells them it's alright. She politely apologizes to Jessie before noticing the skirt of her dress is torn. Miette has Meowstic levitate Slurpuff in midair with Psychic before having Slurpuff release Cotton Spore in a stream of glitter that trails behind it as it floats through space.
Serena is frozen, wondering what to do as she remembers what happened to Fennekin in their first Showcase. Despite this setback, Serena musters her determination and reminds her Pokémon that Ash would not give up until the end, so therefore neither will she, no matter what. As Miette finishes her performance, Serena gets to work mending the skirt. The process is a lengthy one, spanning the last two performances before Serena's. As the audience prepares for her, Serena finishes modifying the skirt, arriving to the platform just in time. She appears onstage and Ash, Clemont and Bonnie notice her outfit is different from before.
thumb|Serena, Braixen and Pancham performing.
Serena and her Pokémon begin their routine: Serena tosses Pancham into the air where he spreads Dark Pulse as a form of glitter as Serena and Braixen perform a traditional dance in synchronous motion. Braixen follows up by running in a circle around the stage emitting one column of fire after another. Serena then has Pancham use Stone Edge to create a series of stone pillars around the stage which Braixen breaks into glittery bits using her wand before emitting a burst of fire that Pancham meets with Dark Pulse, creating a fusion of the two moves briefly resembling an atom before bursting into an umbrella of flames emitting orange glitter onto the audience. Serena, Braixen and Pancham finish their performance, to a roar of applause. Even Miette admits it was a wonderful performance.
All five performers gather for the voting. The audience releases the lights from their glow sticks in the color of the Performer of their choice. As the votes tally, Serena remembers everything she'd been through in order to get to this point, particularly racing her own mom to get to pursue her goal and cutting her hair after experiencing what it was like to be a Challenger after losing her first Showcase. Her eyes still closed, Serena begs the powers that be to not let her progress be in vain. She hears the audience murmur in awe, and when she opens her eyes she sees lights are still flocking to her key pin. As she has the most votes, Pierre declares her the winner. As Serena's Pokémon hug her, Jessie is angered that she lost, while Miette is okay with Serena winning. As proof of her victory, Pierre hands her the Princess Key. From where she is, Shauna reaffirms her resolve to not fall behind either.
Later, Serena explains what happened to her dress to her friends. She regrets having to cut it and says she'll apologize to Valerie, but that thought goes out the window when Ash says it looked good on her, to which she blushes intensely. Again. Miette comes up from behind Serena and grabs her, repeating Ash's words in her best imitation of his voice to tease her. She shakes Serena's hand, reaffirming their rivalry. Before leaving, she pulls Serena in close, saying she hasn't given up on that "other" competition, Ash, they have either. She bids Ash goodbye and we're treated to Serena's horrified reaction when he replies by telling her to do her best. As everyone waves goodbye to Miette, Serena happily looks upon her first key, having taken her first step towards becoming Kalos Queen.
==Debuts==
===Characters===
*Santo
*Delilah
===Pokémon===
*Miette's Meowstic
*Litleo
==Trivia==
*"Pokémon Quiz:" Braixen (JP)
*"Who's that Pokémon?:" Plusle and Minun (US)
*This episode aired in Canada earlier than the US.
===Mistakes===
*In one scene when Meowstic was standing among the crowd of people, his tuft was coloured as same as its body.
*During the voting, Miette's right wrist orange ring is missing.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes in which Serena gets a Princess Key
Category:Episodes featuring Pokémon Showcases
Category:Episodes focusing on Serena