Recaps

Qiao Ran helped the Pokémon League convoy reach Hammerlocke, then was thrown into another world by Rose’s experiment and fought the impostors with his Pokémon. He returned to Galar, reunited with Marnie and his companions, and prepared to visit the Aether Foundation with Mei.

• Qiao Ran joined Bea’s supply mission, defeated Gigantamax Dragonite with Dianxi and Yveltal, and helped the convoy reach Hammerlocke.
• Qiao Ran visited Hammerlocke’s energy plant, where Rose’s experiment sent him into a strange world and showed him visions of Zacian’s ancient battle.
• Rose and Oleana revealed themselves as impostors seeking Qiao Ran’s sword and Legendary Pokémon, and Qiao Ran fought them with his Pokémon and Zacian.
• Qiao Ran forced Rose to stop Celesteela and reveal a way home, then escaped through the dimensional portal after striking Rose and Oleana with Yveltal’s attack.
• Qiao Ran returned to Galar and reunited with Marnie, then accepted Zacian’s pledge and reclaimed the sword she presented.
• Qiao Ran reappeared in Phoebe’s room, reunited with Lillie and Mei, and accidentally damaged Phoebe’s mansion while testing the sword.
• Mei asked Qiao Ran to take her to the Aether Foundation so she could become his Pokémon, while Qiao Ran narrowly escaped Yveltal’s demand for Tokiwa Power.

Qiao Ran entered a ruined Unova Singularity to uncover the source of the Genesect attacks and gained Reshiram's help. He returned to Hangcheng and largely ended the crisis, but the destruction in Unova left open the question of whether anyone had survived.

• Qiao Ran brought Mei and Lillie to Galar, where Gloria battled Zacian and Spikemuth's residents recognized Qiao Ran as a Hero.
• Qiao Ran and Lillie headed to Hangcheng, where Genesect attacked them and Qiao Ran joined Yi Ruoyun in defending the city.
• Qiao Ran entered a Portal as the Genesect disappeared, followed them into a ruined Unova Singularity, and found the former Pokémon League and Team Plasma castle overrun by them.
• Qiao Ran found a pearl in the castle's Throne Room, and it transformed into Reshiram, who explained that freeing Zekrom might help stop the crisis.
• Qiao Ran empowered Reshiram with his Tokiwa Power, and together they defeated Hoopa and drove off the surviving Genesect in the Singularity.
• Qiao Ran returned to Hangcheng with Reshiram and drew the Genesect to the ruined Gym, where Reshiram's Fusion Flare destroyed most of them.
• Qiao Ran collapsed after the battle and recovered at a Pokémon Center while Lillie stayed by his side and Yi Ruoyun guarded the city.
• Qiao Ran told Mei and Lillie that the Unova League headquarters lay in ruins and wondered whether humans had survived elsewhere in Unova.

After the Genesect crisis, Qiao Ran helped Mei and Lillie train, challenged the Hangcheng Gym, and brought them closer to their goals. On the way to Magic City, the group decided to enter a performance competition, but an unknown cloaked figure abducted Qiao Ran during the qualifiers.

• Mei and Lillie joined the Pokémon League’s fight against the remaining Genesect, then Lillie asked Qiao Ran to help train a Nihilego.
• Qiao Ran took Mei and Lillie to the Wild Area, visited the recovering Reshiram, and brought his human-form Pokémon to the victory banquet.
• Qiao Ran beat Eve’s Smoochum with Vulpix, then challenged Jiang Yuanhao’s Hangcheng Gym and won with Mimikyu, Type: Null, and Suicune as Type: Null evolved into Silvally.
• Mei recognized Qiao Yi as Nurse Joy, and Lillie received a Type: Null and Nebby from Lusamine before Mei chose to travel with Qiao Ran toward Galar.
• Mei drew with Gloria in Spikemuth, and Nebby later teleported Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei from their vehicle into a forest on the road to Magic City.
• Qiao Ran caught Latias and welcomed her to the group, while Yveltal transformed into a girl and demanded clothes before the group reached a town near Magic City.
• Mei persuaded Qiao Ran to consider entering an Exhibition Match, and he agreed to seek his Pokémon’s opinions before deciding to join the performance competition with Lillie and Mei.
• Qiao Ran registered for the competition as Sabrina drew attention, then Lusamine agreed to train Lillie and Mei before a cloaked figure teleported Qiao Ran to a dark warehouse.

Qiao Ran and his companions met Sabrina, whose arrival and warnings connected the crises across their worlds, while her battle with Qiao Ran drew widespread attention. After preparing for a Gym challenge and the Performance Competition, Qiao Ran faced Nian Hai in a public farewell match and sent Zacian into battle.

• Qiao Ran stopped Sabrina from abducting him, then learned she had come from another world and was wary of his relationship with Mei.
• Sabrina told Qiao Ran, Mei, and Lillie that Lance had asked her to predict the future of a mysterious object, and she concluded that the future had gone badly wrong.
• Qiao Ran gained Aura Power, accidentally used it with Tokiwa Power on Mei, and learned that he, Mei, and Lillie had advanced directly to the city finals after Sabrina withdrew.
• Qiao Ran visited Xia Fei’s family with Mei and Lillie, then later angered Sabrina by scanning her bathroom with Aura Power.
• Sabrina challenged Qiao Ran for the Golden Badge, but his Mega Dianxi defeated her Mega Alakazam, and recordings of the battle attracted widespread attention.
• Nian Hongyu invited Qiao Ran to meet her grandfather Nian Hai, and Sabrina urged Qiao Ran to embrace the attention while offering her support.
• Qiao Ran accepted Nian Hai’s public three-on-three Gym challenge, and Xia Fei learned that Nian Xiaoxiao and Nian Hongyu were his relatives.
• Nian Hai sent out Galarian Rapidash against Qiao Ran’s Zacian, who transformed into her King of Sword form and used Behemoth Blade to break through Rapidash’s trap of stored Psycho Cuts.