XY061

An Oasis of Hope! (Japanese: 荒野の決闘！戦えヌメラ！！！ Decisive Battle in the Badlands! Fight, !!) is the 61st episode of the, and the 860th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on February 19, 2015 and in the United States on May 2, 2015.

Blurb
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!

Plot
While traveling to Lumiose City so can have his Gym battle with, the group has to make their way through the Lumiose Badlands. Noticing that appears to be coughing,  asks if it is all right, but Clemont assuages her fears and says that he believes Goomy is trying to learn a new move. The others are all impressed with Goomy, wondering what kind of a move it is, and Ash decides to do some training with Goomy. However, Goomy's practice battle with is interrupted by an injured  begging for help. After Clemont treats its injuries, the Spoink leads Ash and to an oasis so they can find out what had happened to it.

When they arrive at the oasis, the group sees a lying down by the side of the oasis, forcing other Spoink to bring it food. When one of the Spoink trips and causes the food to fall, Grumpig is enraged and throws a at the group of Spoink. The Spoink traveling with Ash and his friends tells them that Grumpig caused its injury, too. Seeing the way Grumpig is abusing the Spoink, Ash decides that they are going to stop Grumpig. Goomy, also, remembers the way it was abused by a group of Bug-type Pokémon and is angry at Grumpig's actions. However, when Ash confronts Grumpig, the latter responds by hypnotizing all the Spoink and ordering them to attack Ash and his friends. Ash tells Pikachu to not strike back because the Spoink's actions are not their fault. The group flees into a cave, but are trapped there when iron bars fall down behind them to form a cage.

As Ash and the others try to figure out what is going on, appears alongside Grumpig and explain their plan. They had found the oasis and also saw a hungry Grumpig. They convinced the Grumpig to help them by dominating the Spoink so that it would get all the food it wanted and Team Rocket would get their share as well. Team Rocket tells Ash to hand over Pikachu, to which Ash refuses; however, Grumpig begins attacking the hypnotized Spoink instead. Team Rocket threatens more of the same unless Ash gives them Pikachu. Left with no other choice, Ash agrees and Pikachu is put into a cage. To everyone's surprise, comes out of its Poké Ball and willingly goes into the cage with Pikachu. Leaving Grumpig to watch their captives, Team Rocket returns to their balloon to load all of the food onto it. Unbeknownst to Grumpig, Team Rocket has no intention of sharing their spoils with it.

Meanwhile, Grumpig has fallen asleep. Since Goomy and Dedenne can slip out of the cell without a key, they escape and try to take the key from Grumpig. However, Grumpig catches Dedenne and defeats it in a battle while Chespin uses to try and pick the lock on its own cage. During all this, uses its own attacks to try and break free some of the more brittle rocks so that they can break down the door to their prison. Seeing Dedenne's defeat, Goomy recalls its own terrifying past and decides to stand up against Grumpig. However, Grumpig is much stronger, and Goomy takes a lot of punishment from it despite putting up a valiant fight. Just before Grumpig hits Goomy with an Iron Tail, Ash manages to break down the bars confining him and takes the attack for Goomy, causing his Pokémon to become even more determined and evolve into a, learning in the process and defeating Grumpig. Its control over the Spoink is relinquished, Chespin manages to free itself and Pikachu, Grumpig learns that Team Rocket was only using it, and Team Rocket is sent blasting off.

With Team Rocket gone, the Spoink reclaim their stolen food. With all of the Spoink united against it, Grumpig begins to show remorse, and the Spoink that befriended Ash and his friends offers Grumpig some of the fruit, allowing Grumpig to continue living together with the Spoink as a friend instead of their enemy.

Major events

 * 's evolves into  and learns.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Trainers
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Trainers
 * Trainers

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?: (US and international) Pokémon Quiz:  (Japan)
 * (evolves)
 * (newly evolved; debut)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (×2; flashback)
 * (×2; flashback)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (Trainer's)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (multiple; flashback)
 * (×2; flashback)
 * (×2; flashback)
 * (×2; flashback)

Trivia

 * Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster:
 * Instead of Pokémon Holo Caster, the trailer for the upcoming movie,, shiny and Serena's Fennekin event giveaways were shown.
 * and narrate the preview for the next episode.
 * The opening animation is updated to include 's new design, Ash's Sliggoo, Clemont's Luxray, and Serena's Braixen (the last three were updated already despite the evolutions happened a bit later).
 * The title card is also updated to include Serena's new design.
 * V (Volt) plays during 's evolution.
 * Before Grumpig attacks the Spoink a second time, Meowth says, "Now, deal or no deal?", to which Ash replies "no deal". James then says, "Final answer? Shadow Ball." These are likely references to the s ' and '.
 * This is the first time is knocked out.

Errors

 * 's height is dramatically increased in this episode. Whereas the Pokédex measures it at 0.9m (2'11"), it is depicted nearly twice as tall as (1.3m, 4'3") and about as tall as Jessie and James.
 * Chespin and Frogadier are absent when Ash and co. confront despite never leaving the scene or returning to their Poké Balls.
 * When apologizing at the end of the episode, Grumpig's left arm is half-purple instead of completely black.

Dub edits

 * The English dub's title card and opening cinematic still show 's old design, despite her new look in A Showcase Debut!. This change is consistent in future episodes.
 * Unlike the original, Ash's Pokédex does not state that Sliggoo is the evolved form of Goomy in the dub.

In other languages
Eine Oase der Hoffnung! EP865 XY061 XY061 XY編第61話 精灵宝可梦 XY 第61集