XY063: An Oasis of Hope!

is the 13th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY Kalos Quest.
==Synopsis==
Ash and Goomy are training in the Lumiose Badlands when an injured Spoink appears and leads Ash and the others to its oasis home. There, our heroes find a group of Spoink under the control of an unpleasant Grumpig, who’s using its psychic powers to control them and steal all their food!
When our heroes retreat to plan their strategy, they become trapped in a cage set by Team Rocket! It turns out Grumpig is in cahoots with the villains to seize the oasis and its impressive food supply from the resident Spoink. First, Goomy slips through the bars and challenges Grumpig. Then, when Ash frees himself and leaps into the battle, Goomy evolves into Sliggoo to protect him!
When Grumpig realizes Jessie, James, and Meowth were just using it for their own selfish ends, it angrily sends them blasting off, and then apologizes to the Spoink with a gift of food. All is forgiven, and our heroes are off once more to Lumiose City!
==Episode plot==
In an oasis in the Lumiose Badlands, a group of Spoink gather fruit and eat it while sharing it with two travelers and their Pokémon - Pansage and Bibarel - during their time of need. The travelers thank them and leave, while the Spoink gather more fruit. Out of nowhere they are attacked by a Grumpig. After defeating several Spoink, it sends one Spoink flying; It lands some distance away, injuring its face. It hops off, determined to return to save its home and friends.
Elsewhere, the gang has stopped to take a water break. Bonnie sees there is nothing but desert. Goomy coughs and while Bonnie thinks it has a cold, Clemont is convinced this means it will learn a new move soon. Ash is pleased and trains Goomy a bit against Pikachu. Goomy uses Rain Dance on Pikachu, who uses Quick Attack, hitting it. Ash reminds Goomy it can get tougher by taking hits like these. While they train, the Spoink from earlier observes and hops to them. Seeing it injured, Clemont applies first aid. When Spoink awakens, it tries to lead Ash away. Serena checks her map and explains there is an oasis nearby.
They come to the oasis and notice a lot of smaller lakes around them. Per Spoink's warning, the gang sneaks around and notices Grumpig, who has taken over the oasis and subjected the Spoink to its cruel, despotic whims. One Spoink accidentally trips over, causing fruit to be accidentally thrown onto Grumpig, who punishes them by attacking. Spoink points at its injured brow and the gang understands Grumpig is responsible for that too. Ash decides to stop it, while Goomy, remembering its traumatic experience from its home being invaded by Bug-types, is angered at this and is determined to liberate the Spoink from their oppressor. The gang accosts Grumpig and demand to know why is it doing this. In response, Grumpig uses its psychic powers to control the Spoink, who surround the gang and attack them using Psywave. Pikachu goes to use an Electric attack, but Ash deters him: Because the Spoink are only attacking them under Grumpig's influence, they have no control in what they are doing and thus Ash cannot morally bring himself to harm them. With no alternative, the gang flees the scene to the safety of a nearby cave.
It is here the gang is cornered: not only is the cave a dead end but it is also a trap. Grumpig laughs at them and Team Rocket appears. Jessie and James notice that Serena cut her hair and ask if someone broke her heart, to which Serena responds that it's none of their business. Team Rocket explains that while flying in the balloon, they saw the oasis with Spoink and fruit. They met Grumpig who was hungry at the time and aided it in taking over the oasis so it could feed itself. Now, Team Rocket and Grumpig are working together and have all the fruit at their disposal. As an added bonus, they had the good fortune of seeing the twerps coming, they built the cage so they could trap them. Team Rocket demands that Ash hand over Pikachu. When he refuses, they have Grumpig use Psywave on Spoink. Team Rocket gives Ash an ultimatum: If he does not relinquish Pikachu, they will continue brutalizing the Spoink; thus, any harm that befalls them will be on Ash's shoulders. They ask him again and he refuses, so Grumpig attacks the Spoink once more. Not wanting any more Spoink to be hurt, Ash gives in and agrees to give them Pikachu. As Pikachu heads toward Team Rocket's awaiting cage, Chespin comes out of its Poke Ball and proceeds to join him. When Clemont protests, Chespin winks at him and lets himself be captured.
Team Rocket locks the cage, puts the key on a rock and departs with Spoink to board the fruit on the balloon. As Grumpig takes a nap on a rock, Goomy and Dedenne pass through the bars to make a go for the key. Dedenne reaches for it, but Grumpig stops it and throws it away. Dedenne uses Nuzzle on Grumpig, who replies with Shadow Ball. As they battle, Clemont inspects the wall for a weak spot. He tells Ash that if they can weaken the rock around the bars they can escape by knocking the bars over. Ash calls out Frogadier and has it use Water Pulse on the weak spot. Over in the cage, Chespin uses its Vine Whip to pick the lock and free itself and Pikachu. Bonnie has Dedenne use Thundershock on Grumpig, who responds with Psywave and Hidden Power. This barrage of moves proves too much for Dedenne as it goes down, defeated. Goomy backs away timidly, recalling the trauma it endured from when its homeland was invaded and burned. In spite of this, it sets its face in a hard line, determined fight back. It gets Grumpig's attention and bites its ear. Grumpig shakes it off.
As Frogadier continues to break through the wall's weak spot, Grumpig unleashes a succession of moves on Goomy, who on Ash's command absorbs the energy from these attacks and redirects it back with Bide. Grumpig is hit, but the attack seems to have little effect as it repeats its attacks. Ash has Goomy use Bide again but it misses. As Bonnie encourages Goomy to fight, Frogadier finally breaks off a portion of the wall's weak spot. Ash tackles the bars to no avail as Grumpig prepares to use Iron Tail. Just as it is about to hit Goomy with the move, Ash finally knocks over the bars and rushes in to intercept the attack, taking it straight to the chest in Goomy's stead, to Serena's worry. Ash stands up and promises Goomy that he will protect it, telling Grumpig it will fight him now. This determined challenge is reflected in Goomy's eyes. Touched and moved by its Trainer once again protecting it from harm at his own expense, Goomy musters its resolve and begins to glow with a brilliant blue light. It grows in size, gaining arms and a curly tail while its feelers become longer. The light fades revealing Sliggoo, its evolution complete.
Bonnie retrieves Dedenne while Sliggoo dodges Grumpig's attack and sticks onto the ceiling. Sliggoo reveals the move it was trying to learn from before: Dragon Breath. Using this powerful new move it blasts Grumpig off, freeing the Spoink from its mesmeric control. Chespin successfully unlocks the cage. With everyone's Pokémon back where they should be, Ash leads the group to face Team Rocket.
Grumpig lands at the balloon and begs Team Rocket for their help. Team Rocket replies they have no more use for it as they were only using it, to its utmost dismay. The gang arrives and Team Rocket is surprised the twerps got out, with James noticing that Goomy evolved. Jessie sends out Pumpkaboo and James Inkay, who uses Psybeam while Pumpkaboo launches Dark Pulse. The attacks miss. Ash orders Sliggoo to use Dragon Breath, which collides with the attacks and has Pikachu finish it with Thunderbolt, blasting Team Rocket off again.
The Spoink rejoice, glad their ordeal is over and the fruit is salvaged before turning their leery eyes on Grumpig, who immediately seeks to atone for its misdeeds by returning the fruit. The gang bids them farewell and continues on their journey.
==Debuts==
===Pokémon===
Sliggoo (Ash's)
==Trivia==
*"Pokémon Quiz": Grumpig (JP)
*"Who's that Pokémon?": Spoink (US)
*This is the second time Team Rocket manipulates a Pokémon, who in turn manipulates other Pokémon to attack Ash; the first time was in Current Events when they manipulated an Electabuzz to attack him.
**Furthermore, Goomy is the second of Ash's Pokémon to evolve in order to save him after he protects it. In Current Events Ash took hits from Arbok and Victreebel to protect his Chikorita, who evolved into Bayleef.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes featuring a main character's Pokémon evolving
Category:Episodes featuring a main character's Pokémon learning a new move
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash