#clembot

[macaronichewtoyz]

uhhhh she repo on my bot till i extraction point. or something

[omoksii]

I hhhhaaaaattttteteeeeee having underated charactereerrassss gggahhhhhhh

[touloserrrr]

[pigeon-wizard]

do you think Clembot can run doom?

[kalosian-woods]

Clemont is just really funny in general i think. he's just like that, realistically theres so much to unpack about him;

he made an entire invention where he spoke to the mayor and was spread out across the town of the uni he was in which he got in at the age of maybe like 8.

he's a gym leader. he lost his gym to his invention,

there was the slightest chance he could've been mind controlled.

his bag is a bag of holding

he can't run

his entire mental state is the way it is because of a single mistake that wasn't even his fault

There's so much to unpack about him and the creators were like; "yeah anyways!"

okay but seriously, i think we as a fandom neglect the fact that if it wasn't for Clemont's anxious(???) paranoid(???) quick thinking(???) overly prepared(???) he probably he would've gotten mind controlled. like what was up with that.

-⚡(you can call me clem anon! its also just really funny and the fact that i've so far only exclusively talked about him makes it even funnier. electric anon is okay too !)

Clemont is his own bag of holding lol, there really is SO MUCH with him and I'm shaking you on the shoulders rn clem nonnie. Please. How is it possible that there is so much to him as it is. I need to study him under a microscope.

With the first point, that always made me laugh in a way lol. Him at the age of possibly eight created a power source slash Electric Pokemon recharger for a whole town/city. The mayor has noticed his efforts. This is before he is a Gym Leader, and this is the place where he made the promise to Shinx (a promise that he broke, not by any fault of his own, but by the very thing that brought them together in the first place).

The way he actually just straight up lived in Prism Tower, or at least that's how it felt, along with Bonnie. Their father is in the same city with a house but they won't bother with that and he doesn't bother them until they are MIA for at the very least a few weeks if not months. His reasoning for being a Gym Leader is to wield Electric Types from every region and become an Electric-Type Trainer that the world has never seen. The fact that he can be this ambitious with battling gets me (and also his learning from school carrying over c':)

His bag is also a mechanical marvel (not Volcanion, sorry). His Aipom Arm has only malfunctioned once (1 time), and he's easily able to lift Bonnie into the air with it. Also we never see this beyond the first ep but it has an inflatable airbag??? That is actually safe and comfortable to land on even with the everything in his bag as it is.

Even after the whole series and after everything they've ever went through, he still cannot run. Only one time he has ever sprinted ahead (in this realm/dimension) and that was to get to a festival about Zapdos of all Pokemon (and maybe that inventing fair as well??). No one comments on it beyond that one moment. He's also tried to make shoes to help him go up hills quicker but he never tried that one again lol (he forgot he even had it until Serena mentions the monorail, in which also, wow. this gang i swear).

That's actually one of the saddest parts (and something I can totally relate with). The way that we see him so happy and open with Shinx beforehand, ready to learn and be hands on and playing outside even with all the work that he had. And then we hear about how he lost his Gym, how his Pokemon disregard his words and his invention doesn't see him as worthy or strong enough, and it really is him just living out a nightmare of his own making in a way. His fear from back then keeps haunting him with the mistakes that he makes now, and even after meeting with Luxio again you can see the way he just... accepts that he's no longer wanted or forgiven. He's fine with it. He rather everyone have a better life than he does. Just,, he needs a hug. Lots of them.

HELP PLS you've said exactly what I've been thinking off this whole time!! Geez, I thought I was alone in thinking that we brush off whatever happened to Clemont in 'The Needs of Many!' like I get that we lose Greninja, but hello? He got straight-up kidnapped right in front of our eyes! He was going to be made into a superhuman (which has some very very worrying connotations beyond what is already happening). He too was blasted by the Mega Evo Energy, and even if he did resist the mind control, there's got to be other effects as well. If his friends weren't OP and reckless as they were he would've actually been carted away to who knows where and it would've been a matter of time until his preventive measures were found out. And the way he already had a counter against it, against the beam specifically (and for it to be able to work without any issues) is also so sad and worrying in a way?? It's definitely paranoia to me, it was very specific (more than usual, anyways), small enough to hide and easy enough for him to grab. Poor boy :(( I need to just sit down and think every time I remember this is an ep that exists because they just went ham with it, didn't they??

[monorpale]

Straight up forgot that the Gym Leader in Lumiose is a robot sometimes. Lol.

[theyre-the-same-picture]

[aerolijah]

If Clemont were to make a robot version of Bonnie like Clembot….

Would it be called “Robonnie” or “Botnnie”……

[rhythmk1tchenn]

au where clemont fucking dies in the first episode and then bonnie takes clembot with them and then clemonts all like dam they miss me i wonder if i can posses shit but he's also rlly paranoid because he is scared of the paranormal so he uses his autism powers to think up a plan like o damn what if since clembot is like a copy of me i can just use that and so he goes through the journey as a robot and no one questions it

[destinywillowleaf]

this might already exist (and if it does please send it my way i want to read it) but XY AU where language barriers exist.

Ash is fluent in Japanese and has decent Galarian (Iris and Cilan helped fill in a lot of gaps from school).

Serena is Kalosian but went out of her way to learn Japanese after that summer camp.

Clemont is fluent in Kalosian, has passable Galarian, and knows enough Paldean and Japanese for challengers (but usually uses a translation tool anyway. which is currently stuck in the gym thanks to Clembot).

Bonnie only knows Kalosian and a couple random Galarian phrases.

i might make loose comic thoughts on it but like. ash shows up in kalos with 0 knowledge of the language aside from MAYBE a few basic things from Alexa like "hello" and "i want to battle". two people with wildly different accents trying to speak the same secondary language until serena shows up and can more effectively communicate some thoughts that get lost in translation. bonnie and ash half-miming to communicate early on but still getting equally excited about pokemon things. an extra layer of "ash does not know miette is flirting with him" cause she thinks he knows at least some kalosian. do you see my vision

(important anniversary addition: if you are possessed to make this for whatever reason please PLEASE tag me i want to see it)

[macaronichewtoyz]

Auto is a lot of things to me. I find that my machine feelings are hard to explain so having him to use as a vehicle for that is really nice.

Being a robot is a big comfort for me right now so I’ll probably continue finding excuses to draw them

[spectral-idiot]

Clemont's characther analysis (Pokeani centered)

Okay so... I’ve really been wanting to do an analysis of this little sour lemon for a while now, and since I got the green light in the XY community, I just couldn’t resist.

Warning!: This post is going to be long and it's translated from Spanish (I don't think my English is good enough for this kind of thing)

I find it very interesting how my hyperfixation with Lem has developed now, as I’ve grown older.

When I was a kid and watched the series (I still identified completely as female back then), my favorite character was Serena in every possible way. I was stunned by her performances and I wanted to be like her.

But when I went back to thinking about the series (and later rewatching it), I found one of the most human characters—at least in that season. Him.

So, as you guys would say, “Bear with me,” or as we’d say in latin-america, “Síganme los buenos,” and let’s begin this analysis.

“I’m not satisfied with who I am rigth now” — Clemont, episode 866/62

His background, story, and initial surroundings:

It’s most likely that he lived his whole life in Lumiose City—or at least that’s the most reasonable assumption, since we see one or two flashbacks of him as a kid living there (like in the Shinx episode, where he studies in a neighboring town he had to move to for a while).

And we can already see that from his immediate family environment, there’s a bit of pressure. A family that may well be the only support system he ever had, since, based on his slight social awkwardness, we can assume he didn’t have many friends.

He’s the city’s Gym Leader—a position he earned, according to the anime, because he’s a genius when it comes to Electric-types. More recognition—and yep, more pressure.

Even in the games, he’s known as “The inventor lighting up the world!”

It’s clear he doesn’t have much faith in himself, or at least he doesn’t seem very confident in that role.

He has a father who’s incredibly encouraging, someone who supports and believes in him—which, on the surface, sounds great.

But at the same time, we see that Clemont didn’t feel confident enough to tell him the Gym had been taken over or controlled by Clembot. There’s no solid reason for this, especially since his dad genuinely supports him—but if we dig a little deeper, we can see it was out of fear of disappointing him.

His father is always trying to help him improve as a Gym Leader, with a positive and well-intentioned approach.

But to Clemont, those intentions may come off as expectations.

And then there’s his sister—but not an older sister who could guide and support him, show him the way.

Instead, he has a younger sister. He’s the one who has to be that figure for Bonnie: a guide, a companion, a shoulder to cry on, and the brother who gives advice. Even if no one directly told him to, he wants to take on that responsibility.

Yep, you guessed it. More pressure.

I want to make it clear that none of these pressures and expectations come from a place of bad intent or malice. His family—and even, to a certain extent, the city—genuinely have a lot of faith in him. They believe in his abilities and see him as someone capable of great things.

But that doesn’t make the weight of it all any lighter. That faith ends up becoming some pretty big shoes to fill.

And it’s mostly him who feels that pressure and sees things this way. It’s not so much that others are pushing it on him—it’s that he puts those expectations on himself, just by realizing how much people believe in him.

His personality and role in the group

(Quick disclaimer: it’s been a while since I rewatched XY, so I might not be 100% accurate.)

We can't get much insight into his personality outside of the Kalos group, since there aren’t many glimpses into his more recent past. Most flashbacks go way too far back.

(Though it’s worth highlighting that in the Shinx episode, his natural inclination to help and his determination to use science for the greater good are already present—showing that these traits existed before his interest in battling.)

That being said, we can assume he used to be a bit more quiet and reserved than how he appears in the main anime—maybe even more nervous.

From the start, we can tell he’s a rather calm person, as expected. He’s knowledgeable in many areas related—obviously—to science and Pokémon. He often plays the role of the “informed” one in the group, recognizing moves, abilities, and strategies.

I’d also like to highlight his mannerisms, way of speaking, and even his language—at least in the original Japanese version (not sure how much of this was lost in translation). His speech is always very polite, though never to the point of sounding snobbish or unnecessarily formal. He’s still the softest and kindest in the group. For instance, he’s the one who most frequently says “please” when calling on his Pokémon or giving them commands (again, in the original version at least).

He seems like someone who’d rather focus on finding a solution than dwell on the problem—unless the issue is too big and he feels incapable of solving it. In that case, he tends to quietly give up instead of complaining, getting angry, or whining. Almost as if he expected to fail.

Like when he believed Luxio hadn't forgiven him or thought Chespin would be better off with another trainer - he didn't cry or cause drama; he just quietly prepared himself, almost like he thought he deserved it.

He also gets noticeably flustered when complimented (maybe a bit insecure).

It’s clear that he’s one of the calmest and most collected members of the quartet—alongside Serena. He’s never loud or disruptive, and often acts as the peacemaker when tensions rise.

Of course, he’s calm.

Unless we’re talking about science and inventions.

That’s when his passion overflows, and the calm demeanor starts to fade. His conviction about how “The future is now thanks to science!” takes over and he turns into a full-on fanboy. Anything science-related excites him—even just visiting a Poké Ball factory is enough to make him giddy.

He genuinely believes that science can create a better future and help people. (Please, hold onto that idea of helping.) He finds it deeply disturbing when robotics and technology are used for unethical purposes.

This less shy and withdrawn version of him shows us something important—he really is comfortable around Serena, Ash, and the group in general. At least during the Kalos journey, he seems more at ease than we imagine he was before the series began.

Another noteworthy trait—especially when you consider his upbringing—is how he’s always looking to help. That small need is always present. When one of his inventions has the chance to be useful, he presents it with a bit of pride, happy to have found a situation where his passion and talent can actually make a difference.

But this goes so far that it once led him to be tricked by Team Rocket, who pretended to be someone else and convinced him that he could help by building a machine for them.

If you look closely, Clemont's very first appearance in the anime is him trying to save Ash! He doesn't know him at all he just sees someone falling from Prism Tower and immediately tries to help.

This shows that his need to help isn’t something trivial—it’s tied deeply to those expectations placed on him.

Even within the group, he plays the most “responsible” role—not just literally (he’s the one who apologizes on behalf of the group, the most grounded one), but also behaviorally. He acts in that “older brother” way: cooking, looking after others.

Beyond his natural role as a big brother, this also seems to stem from his ongoing desire to behave in an “ideal” way—as if he’s still trying to fill those shoes.

This gets to the point where in the games, he uses his defeat as an opportunity to advice Bonnie!

“Responsible.” “Kind.” “Calm.” “Useful.”

His Interests and His Inner Conflict:

He definitely has very defined interests.

His great passion for science/mechanics/robotics, his love for Pokémon (more specifically, Electric-types), and, a little more hidden, his enjoyment of battling.

Why bring these up? Because they tell us a lot about Clemont—not just about his personality, but also about expectations.

And about a small yet huge inner conflict between what he likes, what he knows he's good at, and something in which he feels he's not good enough. Because yes, they do clash with each other.

To begin with, his love for Pokémon is not something isolated—it intertwines deeply with both his passion for science and for battles.

He loves science as a way to create a better world for Pokémon. And he loves battles as a way to understand them.

There isn't much more to add about his passion for inventions that hasn’t already been said. It’s something that clearly interested him from a young age, something that fascinated him ever since. He loves understanding how things work, how to create, and most of all, how to provide or help through it. (Yes, I may be repeating myself, but it really is a strongly marked trait.)

And, moreover, it’s something he’s good at. It’s something that comes naturally to him, something he feels is truly his own, something he sees as his gift and what he can offer to the world. Naturally, it's a passion where he finds comfort in the feeling of being sufficient—something he, as we know, deeply needs.

He found a purpose through this.

But even though it’s not immediately noticeable, it’s not the only thing he likes.

Besides his general love for learning more about Pokémon, he truly enjoys battling.

We can notice that he’s the one who knows the most about it in the group—second only to Ash, of course—which comes naturally with his role as “the knowledgeable one” and as a Gym Leader.

Moreover, we can see how much he enjoyed battling Ash, both in their first encounter and in their official Gym battle.

No, he’s definitely not as vocal about it as Ash is, but he likes it. He enjoys preparing, training, crafting a good strategy.

He simply doesn’t openly say it, and he's not the type to actively seek out battles. (Important note: he usually only battles when it’s to protect his loved ones—especially against Team Rocket—without hesitation.)

So that leaves us with a question: why?

We know he enjoys battling, and sees it as a way to better understand Pokémon, so why does he keep it so hidden?

Wasn’t that the very reason he chose to become a Gym Leader? Because he wanted to understand Pokémon better through battles?

We could simply attribute this behavior to his more peaceful, reserved nature—and we wouldn't be wrong.

But we can also see that he doesn't believe he's particularly good at it. And that's probably why he doesn’t feel very confident about it—not just showing it, but even within himself.

Because being a Gym Leader is about that. In his own words, a Gym Leader must be a wall that pushes trainers to become stronger.

And he doesn’t believe he lives up to that.

During the journey with Ash, he sees—quite clearly—many other Gym Leaders. Leaders who, surely to him, perfectly fulfill their role (presenting a real challenge, helping Ash grow as a trainer), putting in front of him a living example of what he thinks he should be.

And not only that: he also gets to see, firsthand, the other side—the challenger’s side. He sees how Ash gets truly excited about battling for a badge, how he prepares, eager and happy for a good match.

This, added to the involuntary pressure he felt back in Lumiose City, ended up making him even more insecure in that area.

So the question now is: how does he deal with these insecurities? How does he handle not feeling good enough at something he should excel at?

He doesn't. He escapes.

Well, better said, he used to escape.

He takes refuge in what he is truly good at: inventing (let's ignore the fact that they sometimes explode).

To avoid facing the feeling of failure or inadequacy, he focuses on what he knows he can do well, where he feels useful and safe.

This gets to the point where that’s practically why he created Clembot. I'm not arguing that he did it out of laziness to improve, but I do want to highlight that it was, at least in part, to have more time to focus on mechanics rather than confronting his deeper issues.

Yes, because instead of facing his insecurities head-on, he seeks to feel useful and capable through other means.

I’m not saying he doesn’t genuinely love science and mechanics.

But his focus on them may also be tied to avoiding that internal conversation.

You could even argue that one of the reasons he agreed to join this journey was to get out of Lumiose for a while.

I'm not saying it was his only reason—but it definitely was one of them.

Let’s remember that before this, Clemont spent his days wandering around Prism Tower, trying to find a way to regain control of it.

In other words, constantly surrounded by a reminder of his failures.

He always seems to avoid these problems.

Maybe because he doesn’t believe he can solve them.

Maybe because he simply doesn’t have the courage yet to face them.

His Growth:

It could be summarized in one sentence:

"Grant me the strength to change the things I can change within myself, and the love to accept the things I cannot."

Although his development is more a matter of one episode rather than a gradual thing across the series, we can still highlight how he grows.

We know he started out as a calm and slightly insecure boy, who seemed to prefer escaping from problems and feared failure.

To understand this, we should ask ourselves: What does he need? What kind of push does he require to start moving forward?

We know he doesn’t need someone to believe in him—or at least, that’s not the most important thing—because that would likely just put more pressure on his shoulders.

But he doesn’t need that pressure to disappear entirely either. While he does need to stop feeling like he’s not enough, it would also be a mistake for him to think he has nothing to improve, because that would mean denying reality.

He needs to look inward with sincerity, seeing both his virtues and his flaws, and accepting himself.

To stop running away from reality and to work on it. To stop seeking refuge only in what he’s already good at and focus on improving in what he wants to be better at.

He needs a fuller self-concept. More positive, of course, but above all, more complete—one where he’s not blind to his flaws (like fleeing from his insecurities).

And he starts doing that, little by little.

-Victory Over Clembot

In this episode, he starts to take a step forward.

It’s an episode where he returns to Lumiose City and admits the whole truth to the others.

He tells them the story of Clembot, and with their help, he ends up defeating his own creation.

He must face his responsibilities, the weight that comes with them. Now Ash and Serena know who he really is. He has to look reality in the face and accept it.

He had decided to keep it hidden, but was forced to show it. He’s still not completely ready or comfortable, but it’s a big step.

Moreover, he accepts it: by agreeing to battle Ash himself, he’s accepting that responsibility and the role on his shoulders.

And that's why the victory over Clembot is symbolically important too. The takeover of the Gym was one of his mistakes, and now, he is capable of confronting it.

He is able to face one of his failures and fix it, to make amends.

Beyond accepting it, he sees that he is capable. Capable of fixing a mistake.

Maybe this time, because he didn’t try to fix it alone, he succeeded.

Other positive experiences that helped him gain more confidence included episodes like the one with Shinx.

He saw that the Pokémon he thought would never forgive him for not keeping his promise actually forgave him.

Which was something important.

But that bond goes even deeper in the episode where his whole development truly takes shape.

Earlier, we could already see how surrounding himself with a more positive environment was good for him, making him calmer.

But more importantly, what helped him the most was his bond with Ash. He sees in Ash someone fearless, someone he’s willing to become better for.

Because Ash gives him an example. An example is crucial—it allows you to look inside yourself.

Something he really needed.

But soon, that would reach another level.

-Voltage Badge

This character arc is the most important one. And it begins a few days before the battle between Clemont and Ash. It’s after this arc that Clemont truly begins to move forward.

It all starts when the group realizes they’re finally close to Lumiose City.

And with Clemont... hesitating.

It was time to fulfill the promise he made. The time for their battle was drawing near.

Would he be able to meet the expectations?

He had learned a lot from Ash, and he wanted to give something back. But would he be able to?

He doesn’t think so—and all the insecurities he tried to bury resurface.

But once again, it’s seeing Ash’s determination that pushes him to act.

The group gets cornered by Team Rocket again, who this time have taken control of Ash’s Pikachu and Clemont’s own Luxio.

A lightning-strength Thunder Fang attack is coming straight at Ash, and yet his only thought is to reunite with his Pokémon—even if it means putting himself in mortal danger.

And seeing that, Clemont decides something.

Ash was always like this. Some might call him stubborn or reckless. But to Clemont, he is determined.

If he lost five leagues, he’d challenge a sixth.

If the first hit didn’t work, he’d keep trying until it did.

If he wanted to rescue someone, he would—even if it meant putting his life at risk (jumping from Prism Tower to save a Garchomp, or crossing a cliff to rescue Bonnie, for example).

And that's when, surprising everyone, Clemont's usual calm is replaced by determination.

He gets hit by a Thunder Fang, but he doesn't care.

There’s a greater good—something he wants to protect: his friends and his Pokémon.

It’s in his nature to defend, but this time, he crossed one of his own internal barriers.

That’s why the group’s victory was possible. But there's more.

His mindset had changed drastically.

When the incident needs to be reported in Lumiose City, Clemont makes a decision.

He decides to face his insecurities head-on.

He hesitates for a moment, but he asks if he can accompany them back to the city.

He’s going to leave the group for a while.

No more running away. Now there is reflection.

He knows he's not satisfied with something, and instead of hiding behind something else, he decides to change it.

He even tells his friends—and his sister—"I’m not satisfied with who I am right now."

But there’s no sadness in his voice, no discomfort, no anguish you would expect from a confession like that.

Because there’s determination.

He’s not saying it out of insecurity or pressure.

No—he says it with resolve.

The resolve that he’s going to get better.

That’s why he takes some time off and starts looking inward.

He works hard. Really hard.

He has decided.

And later, during the battle, he says it himself:

He couldn’t be happier to be a Gym Leader at that moment.

Because when the time comes to face Ash, we see a Clemont we hadn't seen until then.

A changed Clemont.

Not only happy, but excited.

Someone who enjoys the battle wholeheartedly, win or lose.

Someone who looks much stronger, who shows that his hard work paid off—managing to corner Ash for most of the battle.

But above all, someone who is much more confident.

Someone who faced his weaknesses and, no matter the result, will leave the match happy.

Because he grew.

Because he faced his own flaws.

Someone who is more at peace with himself.

Conclusion:

This analysis was really just an excuse to rewatch the Luxray episode and Clemont’s battle against Ash!! Haha. The end.

Okay, not really.

I wrote all of this simply because I find it incredible.

Because I really like the character and I wanted to share why.

Because without giving him an epic story about becoming the best or saving the world, he has one of the most interesting arcs in the anime.

Because it only takes looking a little deeper and asking yourself some questions to find one of the most human characters.

You don’t need epic stories like N’s or Gladion’s to make a character interesting or to connect with them.

Humanity is enough.

It’s enough to see how a boy, whose pride was his inventions, ends up giving us one of the most spectacular battles in XY.

Because the story behind it is about someone normal, someone ordinary,

Giving it everything he’s got.

Because it’s a story about acceptance, about growth,

And about the power of human connection.

How the people you surround yourself with can transform who you are today.

Because I—and I believe many others—can empathize with a character like this. Because he’s coherent, real, carrying a backpack full of burdens that could happen to anyone.

And because he can inspire.

As a writer, I can only take my hat off to the work that was done here.

Simple, but no less powerful because of it.

Because something simple and well done can be truly wonderful.

So, to finish this:

"The future is now, thanks to science!"

Or as it's said in the version I watched as a kid:

"El futuro es ahora gracias a la ciencia!"

[drinkabletoxicdishsoap]

said this in a reblog but ever since then, it’s been in my mind

i do desperately want Clemont to come back.. i made a whole post about it!! but i think he should play a role in redeveloping lumiose city.

HES AN INVENTOR AND GREAT WITH ELECTRIC TYPE POKEMON AND LOVES SCIENCE !! I DONT KNOW ANYONE ELSE THATS LITERALLY PERFECT FOR THE JOB LIKE CMON!!

I also would love a Bonnie appearance as well :3 i think she could also be a rival?? In XY we had multiple rivals (Shauna, Trevor, Calem, and Tierano) so maybe they could do that too with Bonnie! She picks the pokemon that you and your rival didn’t pick!!

We all know it’s her dream of becoming a pokemon trainer as said in the anime!! And considering that this game takes place in the future, i think it makes perfect sense :D she could also introduce us to the city itself since she’s lived there for so so long. (I also like to think that us and our rival will be discovering the city together so)

okay those are all of my thoughts ty for tuning in !!

[w3ndytheraccoon]

The Kalos gang were MENACES.

Ash had his usual chosen one fuckery wreacking havoc on the local pokemons, Clemont was causing explosions left and right and the whole thing with Clembot literally shooting people out of the gym and shocking them, Bonnie was harassing random ass girls and terrorising local Pokemon and Serena-

Actually, I can’t think of anything Serena did off the top of my head.

[astrobuggy]

@pineconedrop

Here are your cupcakes as given by NB! Lunar tho :] (w/ ur tsams oc)

I was gonna do a "Kiss the Chef" apron for NB! Lunar to wear or, in this case baker 😃

OR

"I am not a male wife" print, but nah. He's just gonna wear a cute pink apron with ruffles (poofy shit)

I thought of Clembot in a cute apron while doing this 🧍‍♂️ Yes. That was the reference for Lunars outfit in this 😮‍💨

[blueikeproductions]

Pokémon SV AZ Royale!

After the Blueberry League, which saw Ash and Nemona tie in the finals (though footage shows Pawmot fainted first) , Ash, Iono and Alfie decided to go on a vacation for spring break, staring with a return to Kitakami (the rise of Pecharunt and the final boss of the main SVAsh storyline).

Having done all the Paldea story beats, Ash isn’t sure what he wants to do next; Clavell offered Ash an opportunity to stay at the Academy if he wanted to, and while Ash was interested, he needed to think about it.

A surprise call from Clement and Bonnie inspired Ash to visit Kalos again, with Iono wanting to see Lumiose City, and Alfie wanting to visit family there, his teenage cousin Lydia specifically.

The trio packed up for Kalos with Team Rocket not far behind, but Ash wasn’t able to find Clement and Bonnie when he spoke to Clembot and Meyer who were also concerned and unable to find where they went.

Alfie meanwhile reunited with his doting cousin Lydia and her Pokémon Obstagoon. Lydia and Iono became fast friends, where Lydia would let slip why Alfie was actually in Paldea: his parents had fallen on hard times and were going to flat out abandon him to make ends meet. Lydia found out, and told them off, with her and her parents convincing them to send him to Paldea instead until Alfie’s parents got their act together or other arrangements could be made. It seems other arrangements were made, with Lydia wanting to pick up Alfie and bring him to his new home. Lydia sees Alfie has made a new life with his new friends, Ash & Iono, who are the big brother and big sister he never had, with Lydia unsure about taking Alfie away from this. Iono doesn’t want to separate from Ash and Alfie, they all have too much fun together, but she knows they’ve reached a crossroads now and they’ll likely have to go their separate paths soon, and she’s at least comforted knowing Alfie has a place to go back to with an awesome cousin that loves him.

Alfie isn’t aware of any of this, as he’s with Ash at a souvenir shop while Lydia and Iono talk. Alfie gets a Lumiose Tower key chain that doubles as a Key Stone container. Ash gets new clothes with a Zygarde theme and a new Key Stone container shaped like a bracelet.

Team Rocket had checked into a Rocket Base that was since established after defeating Team Flare, some Flare grunts having now become Rocket grunts to Jessie and James’ amusement. James’ amusement is short lived as walking by a cafe, he’s suddenly attacked by a familiar face: his old Victreebel!

Translated via Meowth, Victreebel’s life hasn’t gone smoothly after being traded, a bad break up with his girlfriend and their Bellsprout saplings being a particular low point, so he went on a journey to reunite with James. Apparently it’s been doing this around Sinnoh, having just missed Team Rocket in each region. It was about ready to give up, nursing its pride with some tea until it happened to see the trio walk by just now.

James and his Paldea Pokémon are happy, but Jessie and Meowth are greatly concerned considering Victreebel shows affection by EATING James.

Ash overtime starts to find out other Kalosian Gym Leaders, Serena and Alain have also gone missing, besides Clement, and wonders what’s going on, but his attention is diverted to a flyer for a new competition: The ZA Royale, a nightly Pokémon tournament where the grand prize is a special wish to be granted.

Ash, ever Battle hungry, decides to enter, as does Iono and Alfie, thinking it could be their grand finale together, though Lydia expresses concern as it seems rather shady, isn’t sanctioned by the Pokémon League committee and only happens at night. It might be seen as a bad look for a Champion to enter it. Ash seems to fold a bit, realizing that and admitting he isn’t sure what he’d wish for anyway, until Greninja and Zygarde Dog appear. Zygarde explains a new problem has arisen, something that will affect everyone if it’s activated and it’s tied to the ZA Royale and the disappearances. Zygarde is also aware of the problem Rakuium holds, having been in touch with a Shiny cousin that was looking into it before it lost contact. Apparently Rakuium deposits have started to appear outside of the lost civilization of Rakua, and it’s disrupting the environment, causing some Pokémon to go rogue and Mega Evolve without a human partner.

While this new Rakuium issue, post the rediscovery of Rakua, is primarily up to Liko, Indigo, Cobalt, Meowthuzela, Mx. Mewtwo, Gary, Goh, Agate, Tracey, the Project Mew kids, and now Yvette, Indigo’s girlfriend, a member of Kalos’ House of Y and another hero of Kalos, the Rakuium deposits and Rakuium Capsules have snuck their way into Kalos, so Ash, Iono, Alfie and Lydia will have to mop up on their end as well periodically.

Only the power of Bonds and Mega Evolution can stop it, as Kalos needs the power of its remaining heroes once more. Zygarde needs to run though, as its second Core companion was captured once more by the secret villains orchestrating events. It fears the worst, if the new villains are wanting to use Zygarde’s power once more.

Kalos’ remaining heroes technically includes Team Rocket, as they assisted with the fake Zygarde Lysander, Yvette’s uncle, created some time ago. The eavesdropping trio along with Lorzenzo, Giovanni’s nephew, caught bits and pieces of the Twerps’ conversation, but fixated on the wish part. They decide to enter the tournament also, so that they win and use the wish to create a Team Rocket dominated Pokémon World for Giovanni.

Thus sets up the status quo, not before Team Rocket is sent Blasting Off Again by a rogue Mega Pokémon, that Ash-Greninja takes down with the help of Pikachu, Obstagoon, Slowbro, Quaxly, and Sandy Shocks.

It’s implied and retconned the original fake Zygarde was actually made out of a rare rarified version of Rakuium. No one knew it was Rakuium until Friede’s research was published after his disappearance with his team now led by a repenting Agate who wants to fix the problem her ancestors accidentally started by harnessing Rakuium in Capsules, Paradox mechanical Pokémon and their city’s power core.