Hopping Mall

"Hopping Mall" is the second segment of the ninth episode of the second season of Amphibia, and the fifty-sixth episode overall.

It premiered on September 12, 2020, alongside "Little Frogtown".

Synopsis
Hop Pop takes the kids to a Newtopian shopping mall to buy souvenirs, and Anne will do anything to get the perfect gift for her mom back home.

Plot
Anne and the Plantars are in the shopping district of Newtopia. Hop Pop tells the kids that instead of using King Andrias' card, they each only have 2 coppers each to buy souvenirs, much to their disappointment while he explains that souvenirs bought from your own money is more valued and personal. Hop Pop convinces Polly that she can just "haggle" (argue for a lower price) with the shop keepers but Polly takes it upon herself to abuse this power; getting more and more ridiculous items like a gold bucket and a snail chauffeur. Hop Pop himself grows attached to an expensive vibrator chair and remains seated in it for the majority of the episode. Anne tells Sprig that she wants to get a gift for her mother as a present for being away for so long, while Sprig already buys a staff that he wants to give to Ivy when they go back to Wartwood. As they search through the shops nothing seems fit for her mother, however Anne spots a sale for a butterfly teapot and immediately settles on wanting that item.

The shopkeeper informs Anne that in order to get it she needs to take part in the Smash n' Mash shopping cart competition. Anne meets a fellow challenger; a large tough newt in armor and scars named Priscilla the Killa and her small daughter Pearl. They claim that they will win the prize and have been the champions for the previous tournaments, causing Anne to angrily join in as well. As Anne searches for the best shopping cart to use, she notices Priscilla and Pearl arguing about doing the tournament this time, as Priscilla's tail hadn't healed after the last Smash n' Mash which Anne secretly decides to exploit later for her advantage. The competition starts and Anne and Sprig knock out several competitors with Anne pushing the trolley and Sprig fighting with his staff until the only players left are them and Priscilla and Pearl. Priscilla rushes onto them and knocks them towards the side, as the fight takes them outside the ring where they dash through the streets of Newtopia. However, they suddenly recognize they are heading straight for Polly in her bucket. Anne and Sprig evade by braking hard and skipping over Polly, while Priscilla is forced to use her damaged tail by wrapping it around a nearby lamppost and skidding to a halt. Anne asks her and Pearl if they are okay, to which they reply they are before Anne and Sprig tackle them, with Sprig breaking his staff in the process as the champion duo are finally defeated. Everyone cheers as the butterfly teapot is handed to Anne, and Sprig comments that if the staff broke so easily, then it wasn't special enough for Ivy anyway.

Priscilla approaches Anne and asks her to take good care of it, saying the person who made it was special. When Anne inquires more, Priscilla claims that this person was the type who cut the crusts of your bread, and supported your dreams no matter how crazy they were or if you could get hurt in them. Anne asks if the teapot was made by her mom to which Priscilla admits as true, saying how she had passed away and the teapot was her last piece of work. Feeling sorrowful for them, Anne decides to give the teapot to Priscilla, much to her surprise before they hug it out. Pearl thanks Anne for her generosity and gives Anne a small butterfly trinket for her to give to her mother instead, which Anne finds beautiful. Later in the middle of the night at the hotel, Sprig wakes up from a nightmare and sees Anne standing on the balcony before joining her. Sprig watches as Anne stares at the butterfly trinket and and asks about her mom. Anne says how her mother was extremely strict and they never saw eye to eye, but also kind and caring and would always sing bad love songs in the kitchen everyday much to Anne's annoyance. Despite this, Anne begins to tear up talking about how now, she would give anything just to hear her sing again. Sprig reveals that his and Polly's mother passed away when they were much younger and do not even remember her. As he wonders if he could miss someone despite not knowing them, Anne hugs Sprig as they begin to cry.

Cast

 * Brenda Song as Anne Boonchuy
 * Justin Felbinger as Sprig Plantar
 * Bill Farmer as Hop Pop Plantar
 * Amanda Leighton as Polly Plantar
 * Misty Lee as Priscilla
 * Romi Dames as Pearl
 * Dee Bradley Baker as MicroAngelo (credited as additional voices)

Additional voices

 * Zeno Robinson as Blue Salamander
 * Travis Willingham as Pottery Vendor, Scarred Muscular Salamander, & Scary Derby Racer,
 * Roger Craig Smith as Shopkeeper & Derby Announcer

Mention

 * Mrs. Boonchuy
 * Marcy Wu
 * Sasha Waybright
 * King Andrias
 * Ivy Sundew
 * Ms. Plantar

Trivia

 * The episode's title is a pun on the phrase, "shopping mall."
 * There is an ancient Newtopian rune when translated says "Rhopalocera", the scientific name for butterfly is located at the butterfly specimen wooden board held by Sprig while showing it to Anne
 * This episode includes the first mention of Sprig and Polly’s parents. In this case, their mother.
 * It is revealed that Sprig and Polly's mother passed away when they were very young and they don't even remember what she looked like, much less her voice.
 * Anne reveals a few things about her mother:
 * She likes butterflies, antiques, and tea.
 * She was a bad singer.
 * She and Anne didn't always see each other eye to eye.
 * This is the third episode with a different credit sequence. The others were after episode 14 ("Snow Day" / "Cracking Mrs. Croaker") and "Reunion".

Allusions

 * Smash Bros Ultimate references.png : The way Sprig pulls a perfect shield, takes a critical hit against the opponent, and launches them out of the stage is a clear reference to the Super Smash Bros. series, namely .
 * : Hop Topic is a parody of the iconic merch store, Hot Topic.
 * : Joe's is a reference to Moe's Tavern from the iconic animated series, The Simpsons.
 * : Frog Clarie's is a parody to the girls, tween and teens accessories store, Claire's.