XY019: A Conspiracy to Conquer!

- (マダムＸの陰謀！恐怖のカラマネロ！！) is the 19th episode of Pokémon the Series: XY.

Episode Plot
This episode starts when Team Rocket is looking at all of Ash's Pikachu's moves: Thunderbolt, Electro Ball, Iron Tail and Quick Attack. But then Madame X and Malamar reveal themselves: they were listening the whole time. Madame X says that Pikachu sounds like an interesting and strong Pokemon. Jessie says to Madame X that to listen to someone else's talk is rude. Madame X does not seem to care and orders her Malamar to make Team Rocket her servants. Malamer's body markings begin to glow.

The scene cuts to Ash, Serena, Bonnie and Clemont walking to the next city for Ash's next Gym badge. They notice a radio facility to the side and Clemont explains what it does. They see a rustle in the grass and Team Rocket's Meowth comes out with a scratched face. Everyone including Pikachu looks at Meowth suspiciously look at Meowth who says he came to warn them about danger coming towards them. He recaps to them how Madame X and Malamar placed Jessie, James and their Pokemon under their control and how he managed to resist by using Fury Swipes on himself. Having no alternative, Meowth was forced to flee. No one believes him until Jessie and James come toward them with blank expressions, telling Meowth to get Pikachu now. The gang suspects Meowth of having been after Pikachu all along, but Meowth directs them to Jessie and James' blank facial expressions, revealing they're being manipulated by Madame X and Malamar.

Madame X and Malamar appear in front of them. Madame X takes note of Ash's Pikachu, recognizing it as the one Team Rocket sought. She tells Ash to pass her Pikachu but he refuses. Malamar uses Psychic to abscond with Pikachu, Jessie and James to parts unknown.

As usual, Ash is determined to reclaim Pikachu. Eager to help, Clemont unveils a machine designed to track Pikachu's electrical energy which leads them to the radio facility before getting caught in an electrical fence and blowing up. Ash and the others see Officer Jenny's motorbike parked near the side of the facility, yet there's no sign of Jenny.

They enter the facility and decide to split up with Clemont and Bonnie going in one direction and Ash, Serena and Meowth going in another. Within moments of splitting up, the blonde siblings plus Dedenne fall under Malamar's control.

Ash, Serena and Meowth enter a room where Clemont and Bonnie emerge from behind an obstruction telling them they should all search together. Meowth realizes that they're being manipulated and tells the other two so. Malamar appears behind them. Its markings glow and Ash hurriedly tells Meowth to use its Fury Swipes on him. Meowth complies and scratches Ash's face along with its own to prevent the two from falling under Malamar's control. Meowth goes to scratch Serena's face but she pulls back, saying she doesn't want to get her face scratched up. This ends up turning on her as she looks into the light and gets hypnotized as well. Ash and Meowth attempt to run, but the brainwashed remnants of Team Rocket bar their way. Ash notices a planet tied above Malamar and orders Meowth to cut the string holding it up. Meowth does so and the planet falls on Malamar, enabling Ash and Meowth to escape.

The two enter a room where a light shines on a pile of computers and gadgetry, upon which Madame X - holding Pikachu - is using as a throne. All those Malamar has brainwashed enter telling Ash to give up. Naturally he doesn't. Madame X reveals a small army of brainwashed Pokemon the she plans to take over the world with. She commands Pikachu - also under Malamar's control - to attack Ash which he does using Thunderbolt, Iron Tail and Electro Ball. Ash tries to get through to Pikachu through their bond, but to no avail. Madame X laughs at Ash, mocking his bond with Pikachu, and the three of Ash's friends state the world now belongs to Madame X. Still not giving up, Ash continues trying to get through to Pikachu; its continued use of Electric attacks alerts Clemont's robotic Pikachu from earlier outside. The robot makes its way inside and rams into Malamar at high speed, breaking its control over everyone and setting them free. This includes Madame X, who's revealed to be none other than Officer Jenny; she'd received a call about some strange goings-on at the facility and came to investigate before falling under Malamar's control. Through Meowth's translations, Malamar reveals "our grand plan" and leads everyone to a room which it promptly destroys, forcing everyone to flee as it makes its getaway.

As Ash, his friends and Officer Jenny flee with Malamar's former army of Pokemon, they take cover as the facility explodes behind them. Ash notes Malamar is a terrifying Pokemon before the end-of-episode narration occurs.

Elsewhere, Team Rocket is recuperating from the ordeal. Jessie notes how aggravating it was to be under someone else's control and Meowth notes that Malamar is the evolved form of Inkay. The rest of the team react nervously towards James' Inkay, who is oblivious as to why.

Debuts
Malamar
 * Pokémon

Trivia

 * Officer Jenny was controlled by Malamar, similar to when Mewtwo controlled the mind of a Nurse Joy in Mewtwo Strikes Back.
 * This is the first time one of Clemont's devices isn't destroyed upon its failure and actually ends up helping.
 * This is the fourth time Pikachu ends up being controlled by an evil entity. The first time was in the Orange Islands by Team Rocket's Drowzee; the second time was in Johto under Jessie wearing an ancient mask; and the third time was in Unova when Colress controlled him with his machine. This episode also marks the second time Pikachu is controlled by someone other than Team Rocket. Out of all these instances, this is the third time Ash frees Pikachu through their bond; in Johto, Pikachu was freed from Jessie's control by the mask and staff being taken away from her.
 * Similarly, this is the first time Ash's friends fall under an evil entity's control. In previous instances, this only happened to their Pokemon.