Malamar first appeared inA Conspiracy to Conquer!. Prior to the episode, Malamar set up its hideout at a radio observatory nearCamphrier Town. It alsohypnotized anOfficer Jenny who was investigating a nearby radio observatory, turning her into "Madame X". Together, they confrontedTeam Rocket and hypnotized them, butMeowthscratched his own face, which prevented him from getting hypnotized. He later informedAsh andhis friends. WithJessie,James, and their Pokémon in tow, Malamar located Ash's group by a tree. It kidnappedPikachu, hoping to use his power to lead its Pokémon army, the Pokémon Patrol, and aid it in its plans forworld domination.
By the time Ash, his friends, and Meowth arrived in the observation chamber of the radio observatory, Malamar took control ofClemont,Bonnie, andSerena. However, theAutomatic Pikachu Retrieving Device that Clemont built earlier entered the observatory and crashed into Malamar, breaking its control over everyone it had hypnotized. Malamar subsequently revealed via Meowth's translating that it had tricked them into believing that Madame X was controlling it, while it built a weapon to reconstruct the world. Malamar led the group to its "grand design" room, and destroyed it before fleeing.
Malamar with its two fellow Malamar
Malamar reappeared inFacing the Grand Design!, where it recruited two other Malamar in a plan to distort the world using energy crystals. Malamar and the other two hypnotized the topScientists ofKalos to build the energy crystals, and later transported them toGrace Tower. When Team Rocket went to the top of Grace Tower, the Malamar trio spotted them afterInkay became furious at the first Malamar for what it did to them earlier. Team Rocket encountered Ash's group and the Officer Jenny from the radio observatory, and they attempted to carry out a plan to disrupt Malamar's scheme.
Later, the three Malamar usedPsychic to immobilize all but Clemont, Meowth, James, and Inkay. The four worked together with a horde of other Inkay and Malamar to defeat the trio of rogue Malamar. The crystals were deactivated byOfficer Jenny's Manectric. Despite this, all of the crystals combined into one and the three Malamar went inside them and escaped. Before they left, they claimed they were heading into the future, but swore they would return to fight once more and that their plan would succeed someday.
Despite their threat, the Malamar have not been seen since.
Personality and characteristics
Unlike most Pokémon, Malamar is a cruel and evil Pokémon with a mysterious and dark past. Despite its surprisingly ambitious plans of world domination, it is aware of its limits and surrounds itself with others to avoid direct confrontation. Manipulation and deceit are key to Malamar's plans:Officer Jenny was used as a mouthpiece, whileJessie andJames provided Malamar with crucial insight.
It enjoys control, usingHypnosis to manipulate a person or Pokémon's mind andPsychic to physically move its pawns around. Despite its overwhelming powers and menacing persona,Trainers with a strong bond with their Pokémon, such asAsh andPikachu or James andInkay, are able to break free of Malamar's hypnotic control, or by inflicting pain on themselves as seen inMeowth's case.
Prior to the events of the episode, the evil Malamar recruited two others in a plan to distort the world. Despite initiating their plan, they were stopped byAsh,his friends,Team Rocket, andOfficer Jenny. However, before Officer Jenny had a chance to arrest them, the two Malamar along with the recurring one escaped inside the crystals.
During its scheme involving Madame X, Malamar took control of a gang of evolved wild Pokémon, includingBeedrill,Noivern,Scolipede,Exploud, andPangoro. Whenthe group arrived and Malamar possessed them except for Ash, it opened the doors to reveal them and ordered them to seize Ash andMeowth.
