The BEST episodes of Pokémon season 17
Every episode of Pokémon season 17, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Pokémon season 17!
A young boy named Ash Ketchum embarks on a journey to become a "Pokemon Master" with his first Pokemon, Pikachu. Joining him on his travels are Brock, a girl-obsessed Rock Pokemon Trainer, and Misty, a tomboyish Water Pokemon Trainer who may have a crush on him. Ash and Co. end up traveling through various regions, including Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto, and then enter the Pokemon League competitions there. Along the way, they run into many confrontations with Jessie, James, and Meowth, a trio of Pokemon thieves who are apart of an evil organization called "Team Rocket". But everytime Team Rocket try to do their evil deeds, they fail thanks to Ash and his Pokemon.
#1 - Coming Apart at the Dreams!
Season 17 - Episode 40 - Aired 9/1/2016
As Lysandre’s attempt to take over Lumiose City continues, our heroes are doing what they can to defeat him. Ash and his Pokémon have been captured, but when Alain realizes that his work with Lysandre has led to this disaster, he helps them all get free. Ash and Alain join forces to challenge Lysandre to a battle! Squishy, now revealed as the Legendary Pokémon Zygarde, is still trying to get through to Team Flare’s Zygarde—but Team Flare’s terrible machine soon brings Squishy under their control as well, as Bonnie watches in despair! The fate of the world hangs in the balance—who will be victorious?
#2 - Till We Compete Again!
Season 17 - Episode 47 - Aired 10/27/2016
At the Lumiose airport, Ash is heading home to Kanto, Serena is catching a flight to Hoenn, and Clemont and Bonnie have come to see them off. Dedenne doesn’t seem to understand what’s happening, and when Bonnie explains that it’s time to say goodbye to their friends, Dedenne throws a tantrum and runs off to hide! Bonnie soon coaxes it back with a moving speech about pursuing their dreams together, and then it’s time for Serena’s flight and an emotional farewell to Ash. Clemont has the perfect idea for passing the time until Ash has to leave—a battle between Pikachu and Bunnelby, just like on the day they met
#3 - The Legend of the Ninja Hero!
Season 17 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/3/2015
Our heroes are delighted to bump into Ash’s friend Sanpei and his Greninja, and join them as they return to their home in Ninja Village. It’s quite a reunion, with Sanpei’s brothers and the village chief waiting for his return. But Team Rocket is also nearby, as well as a group of Skarmory who look to cause their own problems!
#4 - Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted!
Season 17 - Episode 37 - Aired 8/11/2016
The long-anticipated Kalos League finals are getting under way, as Ash faces off against Alain in a full six-on-six battle! The two seem evenly matched, trading one knockout after another: Pikachu beats Tyranitar and then switches out for Noivern, who falls to Alain’s Weavile. Hawlucha defeats Weavile, then loses to Alain’s Bisharp. Next, Ash’s Talonflame and Alain’s Unfezant knock each other out after a spectacular aerial battle, and it’s tied at three and three! Pikachu returns to face the massive Metagross—and shows amazing determination as it hangs on for the win! Then, Alain calls on his partner Charizard, and both Pokémon are confident and excited for the battle ahead!
#5 - A Riveting Rivalry!
Season 17 - Episode 35 - Aired 7/28/2016
It’s Ash’s Pikachu versus Sawyer’s Aegislash in the semifinals of the Kalos League! Sawyer presents a strategic challenge when Aegislash leaves the battlefield covered with fallen trees, but Ash and Pikachu figure out how to use that to their advantage, and Aegislash is defeated. Then, something unusual happens: a double draw, as Ash’s Noivern and Sawyer’s Salamence knock each other out, and then it happens again with Ash’s Goodra and Sawyer’s Slurpuff! Sawyer’s Sceptile defeats Pikachu—and finally, Ash-Greninja and Mega Sceptile face off in an amazing battle of rivals. The battle is fast and fierce…until Ash-Greninja emerges victorious, and Ash moves on to face Alain in the finals!
#6 - Analysis Versus Passion!
Season 17 - Episode 34 - Aired 7/21/2016
Alain and Remo are battling in the semifinals of the Kalos League, and it’s clear these two Trainers have a heated rivalry—but Remo’s Mega Garchomp is no match for Alain’s Mega Charizard, and Alain moves on to the final round! Next, Ash and Sawyer meet for the Full Battle they’ve been waiting for! Sawyer brings his cool-headed, analytical style, while Ash is all fired up as usual. The two Trainers seem pretty evenly matched—Sawyer’s Slaking beats Ash’s Hawlucha, Talonflame beats Slaking, Clawitzer beats Talonflame, and Pikachu defeats Clawitzer! Then, Sawyer calls forth Aegislash, and things are tense as the Royal Sword Pokémon chases Pikachu through the forest battlefield...
#7 - Seeing the Forest for the Trees!
Season 17 - Episode 28 - Aired 5/26/2016
Ash is alone in the forest after losing at the Snowbelle Gym. Serena tracks him down, but they end up in a shouting match, and she runs off after angrily telling Ash to start acting like himself again! Soon, a snowstorm sets in, and Ash takes shelter in a cave with some frightened Pokémon. He gets into trouble while trying to help a stranded Spewpa—but Greninja shows up just in time, and then shifts effortlessly into Ash-Greninja to rescue Spewpa! When our heroes reunite, Ash promises not to overdo it again—a promise Greninja soon has to enforce when Ash learns the Kalos League is coming to Lumiose City!
#8 - The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!
Season 17 - Episode 45 - Aired 10/13/2016
Lumiose City is nearly back to normal, and Serena has an idea for a celebration. With Professor Sycamore’s help, she and Shauna put on a special performance for everyone! They’re soon joined by their Master Class rival Jessilee, and the show is a huge success! Serena wants to keep pursuing her performance goals, but she’s not sure about her next step. With the support of Ash and her mom, she finally decides to turn down Palermo’s offer so she can keep improving on her own. But Palermo has a surprising response: she suggests that Serena travel to the Hoenn region to try her hand at Pokémon Contests!
#9 - A Towering Takeover!
Season 17 - Episode 39 - Aired 8/25/2016
The Kalos League award ceremony is interrupted as giant creeping vines engulf the stadium and threaten to take over Lumiose City! Lysandre broadcasts Team Flare’s manifesto: they want to create a new world order, where only the “chosen ones” will join them. Ash and Alain set off to rescue Mairin, but Ash is shocked to discover that Alain has been working with Lysandre, and Team Flare imprisons Ash atop Prism Tower. His friends try to help, but an angry Zygarde stands in their way—until it’s confronted by a second Zygarde, as Squishy transforms and reveals its true identity! A showdown is imminent, and it’s Zygarde vs. Zygarde!
#10 - Down to the Fiery Finish!
Season 17 - Episode 38 - Aired 8/18/2016
The Kalos League finals between Ash and Alain are in full swing, as Alain’s Charizard defeats an exhausted Pikachu. Next, Alain’s Bisharp defeats Goodra and falls to Greninja—and just as both Trainers have been hoping, it’s Ash-Greninja versus Mega Charizard X for the very last battle! The attacks and strategies are fast and fierce, but in the end, Mega Charizard X is triumphant, and Alain becomes the Champion! But while all eyes have been on the Kalos League, Lysandre and Team Flare have been putting their plan into motion—and panic fills Lumiose City as the captured Zygarde unleashes its terrifying powers on Prism Tower...
#11 - Dream a Little Dream from Me!
Season 17 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/26/2015
Our heroes camp out to watch a meteor shower, and then curl up in their sleeping bags. During the night, Pikachu and Team Rocket’s Meowth wake up thirsty and run into each other on their way to find water—and then start having some very strange adventures! Their Pokemon friends are all talking like people, while their human friends can only make Pokemon sounds. What’s more, all of the Pokemon seem to be able to evolve (or devolve) at will!
#12 - Love Strikes! Eevee, Yikes
Season 17 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/5/2015
On the way to Snowbelle City, Ash and the others call Professor Sycamore to learn more about Bonnie’s new friend Squishy! Team Rocket gets excited upon hearing that it might be a new kind of Pokémon, and starts hatching a plan... Later, when Serena and Eevee are rehearsing, a wild Quilladin charges out of the forest and presents Eevee with a Vine Whip in a heart shape, and then a bouquet of flowers. Pancham and Chespin step up to protect their friend, and Quilladin challenges them to battle in an attempt to show off for Eevee!
#13 - A Giga Battle with Mega Results
Season 17 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/12/2015
Our heroes are traveling through the woods when they hear a cry for help! They find a woman whose leg is stuck in a rocky crevice, and manage to free her. She shows them the Mega Stone she was searching for, reveals herself as Nurse Joy, and takes them to meet Professor Sycamore at the Pokemon Center—where she and her assistant Audino get into a heated argument!
#14 - Facing the Needs of the Many!
Season 17 - Episode 46 - Aired 10/20/2016
After returning Goodra to its home, our heroes are suddenly confronted by a giant creeping vine—just like the ones Team Flare unleashed on Lumiose City! The scientist Xerosic is trying to continue Lysandre’s work, and he even turns a mind-control beam on Clemont! But Clemont is too clever for that—a secret invention rescues him, and Xerosic is arrested. When another vine attacks our heroes, Squishy and Zygarde come to the rescue…with a difficult request. Ash’s Greninja is able to sense the energy feeding the vines, and Squishy needs its help to stop them. With Ash’s encouragement, Greninja agrees, and joins Squishy to help protect the Kalos region!
#15 - Party Dancecapades!
Season 17 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/28/2016
Serena gets an invitation to a dance party hosted by Pierre, the emcee of the Pokemon Showcase! Everyone is there, including Jessie and James (of course), and even Kalos Queen Aria. Dancing isn’t the only thing on the schedule—there’s also an entertaining Tag Battle! The party gets even more remarkable when Eevee joins the battle...
#16 - Making Friends and Influencing Villains!
Season 17 - Episode 24 - Aired 4/28/2016
Team Rocket finds some delicious macarons in the forest and happily digs in, only to be attacked by a group of Phantump who think the treats are theirs—but one little Phantump with unusual coloring accidentally gets blasted off along with them! When the frightened Phantump lands among our heroes, they introduce it to some new friends and promise to take it back home, but Team Rocket has other ideas… In disguise, the villains lure Phantump away with the promise of more new friends—but its real friends soon come to the rescue, as the group of Phantump from the forest shows up to send Team Rocket blasting off again!
#17 - Valuable Experience For All!
Season 17 - Episode 33 - Aired 7/7/2016
At the Kalos League, Ash defeats Astrid and her Mega Absol to move into the semifinals, securing a spot alongside Alain. There’s just one spot left—and Tierno and Sawyer are battling for it. Tierno and his Pokémon are looking great as they leap into their battle dance, but the analytical Sawyer has been watching them and knows what to expect. He also has a secret weapon of his own—and when his Sceptile Mega Evolves, it’s all over! Sawyer and Ash are paired for the semifinals in a six-on-six Full Battle. Ash has just five Pokémon traveling with him...until Keanan arrives, bringing Goodra to complete the team!
#18 - An Electrifying Rage!
Season 17 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/3/2016
For once, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie are having trouble keeping up with Clemont as he rushes toward a festival to honor the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos—who arrives in a raging lightning storm! Our heroes seek shelter in a cave, where they meet an injured paramedic who asks them to deliver some medicine. When Ash finds Team Rocket hiding in another part of the cave, it becomes clear why Zapdos is so angry! He sends Talonflame and Hawlucha out to distract Zapdos so he can get away, and when Zapdos knocks Hawlucha down, Noibat evolves into Noivern to rescue its friend! The medicine is delivered, and the festival is on!
#19 - From A to Z!
Season 17 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/29/2015
On the way to Snowbelle City, Bonnie discovers a small green Pokémon hiding in her bag. The Pokédex can’t identify it, so she decides to name it Squishy. Soon after, our heroes encounter their friend Sawyer and his Grovyle. The reunion is quickly disrupted by a group of people wearing red clothes and unusual eyewear, who are determined to get their hands on Bonnie’s new friend! These new villains are Team Flare, and they’ve identified Squishy as one of the Cores they need for their mysterious Operation Z. Ash and Sawyer team up to drive them away, but they regroup to make new plans, and Team Rocket is keeping a close eye on them... Sawyer suggests that the group make a stop at Terminus Cave on their way to Snowbelle City, and Squishy emphatically approves of this plan—so our heroes’ next destination is set!
#20 - Battling With a Clean Slate!
Season 17 - Episode 44 - Aired 10/6/2016
The Lumiose Gym has been through a lot, but everyone is working together to get it up and running again. Clembot is back, too, although Clemont hasn’t been able to restore its memories. When someone arrives to challenge the Gym, Clembot experiences its first Pokémon battle all over again—and it loves every minute! It asks Clemont to teach it all about Pokémon, and he’s pleased to start rebuilding their friendship. The rest of our heroes are making plans, too. Ash wants to go home for a fresh start. Alain returns to work for Professor Sycamore. And Serena remembers Palermo’s offer to take her on as a student...
#21 - A Dancing Debut!
Season 17 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/17/2015
Serena, her friend Nini, and Jessilee are competing in the Couriway Pokémon Showcase! The first round is a Poké Puff Performance, and it’s more than just a bake-off—the performers have to put on a show while creating their treats. Then, it’s on to the Freestyle Performance and Eevee’s Showcase debut!
#22 - An Explosive Operation
Season 17 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/11/2016
In search of Team Flare and Squishy, Team Rocket meets a similar-looking Pokemon, known as Z2...and Team Flare is right behind it! The two teams battle back and forth, and Z2 changes hands several times—until it merges with many Cells to become a menacing serpentine Pokemon who shakes the land with its attack! Z2 is winning, but Lysandre has called for backup! With the help of Alain and his Mega Charizard, Team Flare battles Z2 to a standstill and locks it in a cage, where Lysandre finally reveals its name—Zygarde! Meanwhile, at our heroes’ campsite, Bonnie cuddles a sad and worried Squishy, trying to figure out what’s wrong...
#23 - A Real Icebreaker!
Season 17 - Episode 29 - Aired 6/2/2016
After a breakthrough, Ash is back at the Snowbelle City Gym for a rematch with Wulfric—and this time, things are quite different! Wulfric challenges Ash to show him a fiery battle, and Ash certainly delivers, as his Pikachu and Talonflame take down the Gym Leader’s Bergmite and Avalugg before the exciting final face-off. It’s Greninja versus Abomasnow…and then it’s Ash-Greninja versus Mega Abomasnow, as Wulfric reveals an unexpected Key Stone! Even in the face of such a challenge, Ash-Greninja rises to the occasion, and Ash wins his final Gym badge and qualifies for the Kalos League!
#24 - A Windswept Encounter!
Season 17 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/21/2016
In a beautiful meadow, Ash’s Noibat accidentally runs into a Breloom, who attacks with its poisonous spores! Clemont doesn’t have any medicine, but a passing Floette sees Noibat in distress and uses Aromatherapy to cure it. A sudden gust sends Floette flying, and Noibat takes off to rescue its new friend! The two are playing together when Breloom barges in with a bouquet for Floette, and then gets angry when Floette isn’t interested. Noibat steps up to protect Floette from the unwanted attention—and then from Team Rocket! Soon, many more Floette drift by on the wind, and Noibat has to say goodbye as its friend continues its own journey.
#25 - All Hail the Ice Battlefield!
Season 17 - Episode 27 - Aired 5/19/2016
Our heroes and Sawyer arrive in Snowbelle City, and Ash is fired up to win his final badge at the freezing Gym! First up is Wulfric’s Abomasnow, whose Ability causes hail to fall on the already-icy battlefield! After Hawlucha fights through it to claim the first victory, Wulfric sends out Avalugg—who slowly recovers from damage when it’s hailing. It’s an icy combo that proves to be very effective, as Avalugg knocks out Hawlucha and Talonflame, and even defeats Greninja after it syncs up with Ash to become “Ash-Greninja” (as Bonnie calls it). Ash is devastated, and while his Pokémon heal up, he goes off on his own to recover…