XY037

← XY036 : Battles in the Sky!

XY series

XY038 : Forging Forest Friendships! →

The Cave of Mirrors!

XY037   EP836 うつしみの洞窟！鏡の国のサトシとサトシ！？ Reflection Cave! Mirror World Satoshi and Satoshi!?

First broadcast Japan July 31, 2014 United States September 27, 2014

English themes Opening Pokémon Theme (Version XY) Ending

Japanese themes Opening メガＶ（メガボルト） Ending ピースマイル！

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay 藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita Storyboard 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Assistant director 浅田裕二 Yūji Asada Animation director 岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane No additional credits are available at this time.

Screenshots on Filb.de Preview thread on BMGf Closed Original review thread on BMGf Dub review thread on BMGf

The Cave of Mirrors! (Japanese: うつしみの洞窟！鏡の国のサトシとサトシ！？ Reflection Cave! Mirror World Satoshi and Satoshi!?) is the 37th episode of the XY series, and the 836th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on July 31, 2014 and in the United States on September 27, 2014.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

While our heroes are exploring Reflection Cave, named for its mirrorlike crystal walls, Ash's own reflection pulls Pikachu through one of the mirrors! Ash leaps after it and finds himself in another world, with a Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena very different from the ones he knows.

After our Ash helps Mirror Ash drive off Team Rocket and reclaim his own Pikachu, Mirror Clemont tells him of a frightening legend—people who pass through one of the mirrors in Reflection Cave must return to their own world before sunset or risk being stuck on the wrong side of the mirror forever! Ash hurries back to the mirror he first stepped through, where his friends are waiting on the other side, and all of them focus on reuniting with each other.

Thanks to the strong bonds of friendship, Ash and Pikachu are pulled back to their own world just in time!

Plot

As Ash and his friends make their way to Shalour City, Serena and Bonnie rush off to a cave, but when Clemont asks what is so special about the cave, Serena says that they will have to wait until they get inside to find out. Once everyone is inside the cave, they all see giant stones, and Serena tells them that the cave is called Reflection Cave, as Clemont, Bonnie and Serena admire the reflective, mirror-like rocks, Ash rushes off when he discovers there is more of the cave to explore. Not wanting to get left behind, everyone chases after Ash. While Ash wonders around the cave, he sees a bright light coming from behind him coming from one of the rocks, but just as he approaches the rock, the light disappears and he stares at it confused.

When Ash's friends catch up with him, they run down the cave, only to come to a dead end, so they suggest looking for another way, but Ash races off again to look, as everyone follows to try to catch him up. Separated from Ash again, Serena shouts for Ash, who has come to another dead-end, so he decides he should head back, but notices he is lost as well. As Ash approaches another mirror-like rock, this one starts to shine and open like the one from earlier, but this time Ash sees himself reach out and grab Pikachu, causing Ash to shout out, alerting his friends as they rush in his direction, but only see him as he disappears through the opening in the mirror before it closes.

The scene then cuts to show a light at the end of the cave, but as Ash exits the cave, he is in a forest that looks much different than ones he has seen before. Running down the path looking for Pikachu, Ash is stopped by Serena, who is different than the Serena he knows. Bonnie shows up, informing Clemont, who races past them, stops, before running back. As Ash explains what has happened to Pikachu, Serena doesn't believe him when he tells them that another him grabbed Pikachu from him, as Serena and Bonnie mock him. The three aren't convinced by Ash's story, but Serena does admit there is something different about him compared to the Ash she knows and Mirror Clemont tells them of a legend about Reflection Cave. As Ash tells the three of them that they are different to his friends back in his world, Serena gets annoyed telling him that she's the only Serena before she challenges him to a battle, telling him she'll believe him if he manages to beat her, to which he accepts. The battle begins as Mirror Serena sends out Fennekin as Ash chooses his Froakie, Fennekin starts off with Flamethrower which is countered by Froakie's Water Pulse, Serena tells Fennekin to use Scratch, but Froakie uses Double Team to avoid it, making Mirror Serena panic, as the battle finishes with Fennekin being knocked out by Bubble. Since Ash won the battle, Serena has no choice but to believe he is telling the truth just as Mirror Ash reveals himself with Ash's Pikachu. Clemont asks then what happened for Mirror Ash to get in this situation, to which he explains that after losing to Serena, he ran into Reflection Cave, but shortly loses sight of Pikachu, so when he saw Ash's Pikachu, he grabbed him thinking he was his. Ash then asks what Mirror Ash's Pikachu is like, to which he explains he is wild and aggressive as the scene cuts to Team Rocket trying to capture Mirror Ash's Pikachu.

Pikachu uses Iron Tail to send Meowth flying into James as Jessie catches the device and captures Pikachu in it. Ash tells Mirror Ash that he can't leave him knowing he's in trouble and offers to help him find his Pikachu while Mirror Serena wonders how they are going to find Pikachu, to which Mirror Clemont laughs to himself. Back with Clemont, Bonnie and Serena of the other world, they wonder how they are going to get Ash back, as Clemont reveals his new invention called the "Other Dimension Converter", which doesn't work and ends up blowing up, but back in the Mirror World, Mirror Clemont reveals he has a magic spell prepared for the situation and draws a lightning bolt shape on the ground as he proceeds to put his staff in the middle and says that whichever direction it falls in will be the direction they need to search for Pikachu in as Mirror Bonnie compliments her brother, real world Bonnie shouts at Clemont for his failed invention as a clearly upset Serena wonders if Ash has disappeared forever.

Back with Team Rocket, Mirror Ash's Pikachu continuously uses Thunderbolt on his cage as he tries to break free, just as James notices there are people approaching the area. Ash reveals that they have reached a dead end, to which Mirror Serena wonders where Pikachu could be as Team Rocket observe them and Pikachu as they plan to capture him as well. Mirror Ash then starts to get upset at the thought over never seeing Pikachu again, but Ash tells him not to cry and not give up if he wants to find Pikachu, but just then, Ash's Pikachu is captured as everyone looks in shock. Ash recognizes the group as Team Rocket, but the Mirror World Group don't know who they are, claiming that they are known as "The Heroes of Justice", which confuses Ash, as Mirror Ash notices that Team Rocket also have his Pikachu. Ash orders them to let the Pikachu go, but instead, Team Rocket send out Inkay and Pumpkaboo, Ash then tells Mirror Ash that they should battle too and both send out Hawlucha. The two Ash order their Hawlucha to use Karate Chop on Pumpkaboo and Inkay, but as Ash's Hawlucha charges in forcefully and hits Inkay, Mirror Ash's Hawlucha jogs slowly and worried, missing Pumpkaboo as it is tackled by it. James orders Inkay to fire Psybeam at Hawlucha, but Ash's Hawlucha steps in the way, taking the hit but becoming confused in the process, preparing to step on Mirror Ash's Hawlucha before it is returned to its Poké Ball by Ash as Pumpkaboo hits Mirror Ash's Hawlucha into Mirror Ash before being returned too. Mirror Ash then starts to cry, but Ash tells him nothing will be solved by him crying and that they haven't lost yet, so they shouldn't give up. Mirror Clemont then picks up the two cages containing the Pikachu, but is seen by Meowth, panicking, Clemont stands on Meowth and dodging Jessie and James's attempts to stop him as he throws the cages into the air, which Serena has her Fennekin use Hidden Power on them, breaking them and freeing the two Pikachu before they land in front of their trainers before both Ash and Mirror Ash order their Pikachu to blast Team Rocket off with Thunderbolt.

After receiving praise from the Mirror World group, Mirror Serena tells them it will be dark soon, which makes Mirror Clemont remember about the legend of Reflection Cave and that anyone stuck in the Mirror World after sunset will be stuck there forever. As Ash and the Mirror World group arrive back at Reflection Cave, Mirror Ash explains how he opened up the portal to the other world. Ash then starts wishing hard to travel with his friends again, Clemont, Bonnie and Serena do the same until a portal opens up on both sides, allowing them to see one another between the two worlds. As they all say how much they want Ash back, the portals float closer and closer, but soon start to move apart, resulting in Ash holding Pikachu and jumping across, reaching out to his friends as he starts to fall, but Serena grabs his hand and they all pull him up. Everyone says goodbye to each other as they promise to meet again, and once the two portals close, Ash states that the group from the Mirror World are going to continue their journey together and that they should do the same.

As they exit Reflection Cave, it is starting to get dark too. Serena asks Ash if they will always be together on their journey to, as Ash tells her that he wouldn't want it to be any other way as Bonnie and Clemont state that they are a team and always will be. They all leave to continue their journey to Shalour City. Following their strange experience in Reflection Cave, it's off to the Pokémon Center, as our heroes' journey continues.

This episode ends while Team Rocket are seen in the woods of the Mirror World after they were sent flying from earlier. They look up at a rock and see the Mirror Team Rocket, who are the real Heroes of Justice, leaving the real Team Rocket shocked at what they had just seen.

Major events

For a list of all major events in Pokémon the Series, please see the timeline page.

Characters

Humans

Pokémon Quiz

• Ash
• Serena
• Clemont
• Bonnie
• Jessie
• James
• Mirror Ash
• Mirror Serena
• Mirror Clemont
• Mirror Bonnie
• Mirror Jessie
• Mirror James

Pokémon

Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon?: Wobbuffet (US and international)
Pokémon Quiz: Wobbuffet (Japan)

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Dedenne (Clemont's)
• Froakie (Ash's)
• Hawlucha (Ash's)
• Pumpkaboo (Jessie's; Super Size)
• Inkay (James's)
• Pikachu (Mirror Ash's)
• Meowth (Mirror Team Rocket's)
• Wobbuffet (Mirror Jessie's)
• Dedenne (Mirror Clemont's)
• Froakie (Mirror Ash's; flashback)
• Hawlucha (Mirror Ash's)
• Fennekin (Mirror Serena's)
• Pidgey (×2)

Trivia

File:Title Card XY Ash.png

The title card segment focuses on Ash for this episode

• Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster: Noivern
  • For the TV Tokyo airing, instead of the Professor Oak's Pokémon Holo Caster segment, a quiz of the released Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction was shown with the exclusive Nintendo 3DS viewers can win.
• The regular opening sequence is replaced with clips from Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction. Although this is a standard practice with some Japanese shows when a tie-in movie is released, this marks the first time it has occurred in the Pokémon anime.
• Clemont, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie narrate the preview for the next episode.
  • This preview is a parody of radio dramas. Unlike most previews narrated by several characters, Clemont is the only one actually reciting a synopsis, while Ash, Bonnie and Serena provide reactions according to his narration. Also, just like in Seeking Shelter From the Storm!, no background music plays during the preview.
• It is never revealed how Team Rocket ended up in the Mirror World, or how they later escaped as Mirror Clemont stated that people from another world cannot return to their own world after sunset.
  • However, Mirror Clemont notably claims it to be "according to the legend", which may lack truth within.
• The symbol Mirror Clemont drew to find both Pikachu's resembles the Screw Attack symbol from Metroid.
• Ash's Hawlucha's Karate Chop was animated differently in this episode, making it look more similar to Wing Attack, and resumed its usual appearance in subsequent episodes. The reason for this is unknown.
• The Mirror Serena's Fennekin in the Mirror World knows the move Scratch, a move that the real Serena's Fennekin has never used until the next episode.

Errors

• After Team Rocket captures Mirror Ash's Pikachu, Wobbuffet is heard before the sound of its Poké Ball opening.
• When Ash jumps into his dimension, Mirror Ash's Pikachu disappears, but when regular Ash gets to his dimension, Mirror Pikachu reappears on Mirror Ash's shoulder.
  • Also, at the same time his Pikachu disappears, Serena is to the right of Mirror Ash, but a few seconds later, Serena is to the left of him.
• In one shot, the front of Ash's hat is colored white instead of red.

• 

  Mirror Pikachu, missing

• 

  Mirror Pikachu, reappearing

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	鏡穴！鏡之國的小智和小智！？
	Mandarin	現世的洞窟！鏡之國的小智和小智！？
Danish		Spejlgrotten!
Dutch		De grot met de spiegels!
Finnish		Peililuola!
European French		La grotte miroitante !
German		Die Höhle der Spiegel!
Greek		Η Σπηλιά με τους Καθρέφτες!
Hebrew		!מערת המראות
Italian		La grotta degli specchi!
Korean		비춤의 동굴! 거울 세계의 지우와 지우!!
Norwegian		Speilgrotten!
Polish		Jaskinia luster!
Brazilian Portuguese		A Caverna dos Espelhos!
Russian		Пещера зеркал!
European Spanish		¡La Cueva de los Reflejos!
Swedish		Spegel-grottan!
Thai		ถ้ำแห่งการสะท้อน! ซาโตชิในโลกแห่งกระจกกับซาโตชิ!?
Turkish		Ayna Mağarası!
Vietnamese		Trân chiến trên không! Ruchaburu đấu với Faiaro!!

← XY036 : Battles in the Sky!

XY series

XY038 : Forging Forest Friendships! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.