"You still do not understand do you, Ash? When the current world becomes the thing of past...You two will become the chosen ones who will guide all of humanity!"
— Lysandre, twisting Ash's usual chosen one status.
Japanese Title: The Shocking Zygarde VS Zygarde! The Collapsing World!!
Original Airdate: September 1, 2016
US Airdate: November 19, 2016
Meanwhile, Lysandre reveals to Alain that real purpose of the Mega Evolution energy he was collecting all this time was to control Zygarde. And then he proceeds to use that energy on the captive Ash and Greninja in order turn them into his puppet messiahs. Ash, however, disagrees with that sentiment...
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Lysandre's Mega Gyarados in the games and Pokémon Adventures is often depicted in its normal blue color scheme. The anime version on the other hand is given the Shiny red color scheme, likely to better fit with Team Flare's orange and red motif.
- Behemoth Battle: Zygarde vs Zygarde.
- Bowdlerise: Ash and his Pokémon's Crucified Hero Shot has been altered from the Japanese version, likely to avoid religious undertone. Additionally, Ash's painful scream from Lysandre's mind control device has also been removed, and is instead replaced with a monotonous brainwashing. Compare and contrast here
. - Brainwashed and Crazy: Squishy gets hit by the Mega Evolution energy device and subsequently falls under Team Flare's control. Lysandre tries to do the same with Ash and Greninja, only for them to resist the energy through Bond Phenomenon and break free out of their confinement.
- Bring It: Ash refusing to submit to Lysandre.Ash: I really care about this world! I care about the people and the Pokémon who call this world home and you won’t destroy it! No way! BATTLE ME, LYSANDRE!
- Dark Messiah: Lysandre intends to turn Ash and Greninja into this for the survivors of his genocide, fascinated by their potential and near limitless power at the League. Ash naturally has other ideas.
- Enemy Mine: Once again, Team Rocket joins forces with our heroes against the greatest threat they've ever faced.
- Fallen Hero: Lysandre reveals that he was originally a good-hearted philanthropist who helped many people in time of needs, but became disillusioned when the people started demanding more and more from him. Thus, he turned his organization into Team Flare and sought to cleanse the "selfish" world.
- Freudian Excuse: Lysandre's belief about the world being selfish and corrupt stems from his experience with people who became more demanding and ungrateful for his generous aid.
- Heel Realization: Alain was never truly a bad guy, but it's in this episode that he realizes, with some encouragement from Ash, that Lysandre is in the wrong and turns on him.
- Heroic BSoD: Alain breaks into despair once he learns that the Mega Evolution he has gathered through all of his battles has been used to fuel Team Flare's mind control device to control Zygarde. Alain also believes that his actions cost him his friendship with Mairin and Ash. However, through Ash's words of encouragement, Alain not only snaps out of his depression but also realizes that he is wrong, as he now sees the true meaning of friendship and that his two friends will always have his back. Alain also decides to set things right by turning against Team Flare and rescuing the rest of Ash's Pokémon.
- Heroic Spirit: Ash, who had help from Pikachu, fought back Team Flare's control through his strong fighting sprit, even Greninja used the same thing, then broke free from their restraints.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight:
- During its battle with its counterpart, Squishy tries to reach out to Z-2, but fails and ends up being controlled as well.
- Upon witnessing Lysandre attempting to control his Trainer and best friend, Pikachu is able to get through to Ash by calling out to him, which works, as Ash not only hears his voice but also is inspired to fight back, even getting Greninja to do the same thing.
- Irony: The status of the combatants in the Finals comes full circle here: The Runner-up has to break the Winner out of his Heroic BSoD.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Ash, having enough of Lysandre's words, activates the Bond Phenomenon with Greninja and breaks free to fight the Flare leader head on.
- My God, What Have I Done?:Alain: Mairin... Chespin... is this the reason I had all those battles? ALL OF THEM FOR THIS?!
- Synchronization: Bonnie can feel Squishy's pain, just like Ash and Greninja.
- Theme Music Power-Up: The theme for the XYZ season plays when Ash and Greninja activate their Bond Phenomenon.
- Underestimating Badassery: Lysandre not only underestimated Ash and Greninja bond for each other along with their friends but also their unbreakable fighting spirt.
- The Unfought: Averted for the second time. Previous villainous team leaders never fought Ash in a Pokémon battle before with the exception of Giovanni in Meoletta Arc (and even that was merely a brief skirmish instead of a proper battle). Here, Lysandre fights both Ash and Alain with his two iconic Pokémon, Pyroar and Mega Gyarados.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Lysandre believes the only way to fix the world is to reset it. And by resetting, he means destroy it with Zygarde.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: While fighting off the Mega Evolution energy, Ash tells Alain that it doesn't matter what problems his actions may have caused in the past and the friend he knows would not give up so easily. Taking this to heart, Alain is shocked that Ash still considers him a friend after everything he did, but understands the truth and decides to take a stand against Lysandre.Ash: Alain, I don’t know what happened to you but you gotta stop all of this now! I don’t care about what you’ve done, I-I believe in the Alain I know!
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once it becomes clear that Ash and Alain are too strong to be controlled, Lysandre decides to eliminate them.
