Chapter Summaries

Yu Hai defeated Bugsy’s Onix with Gyarados and received the Gray Badge, then set out from Pewter City toward the lighthouse to investigate Giant Dragonite. He chose the road through Viridian City and camped beside a stream after completing about half the journey.

• Yu Hai’s Gyarados overcame Onix by exploiting the damage caused by sudden changes between Ice Fang and Flamethrower, and Bugsy awarded him the Gray Badge.
• Yu Hai left Pewter Gym without revealing that he knew Bugsy’s son Brock, then decided to visit the lighthouse before the Indigo League opening ceremony.
• Yu Hai planned to travel by ship to White Cape and chose the main road through Viridian City rather than risk crossing Viridian Forest.
• Yu Hai rode Bull Bull along the road, battled young Trainers, and gave rural children Energy Cubes while teaching them about raising Bug-type Pokémon.
• Yu Hai and his Pokémon camped beside a stream, ate dinner, bathed, and settled in for the night with Spinarak keeping watch.

Yu Hai found Nurse Joy wounded and unconscious in Viridian Forest while she was being hunted for her Latias, and he reluctantly rescued her from Team Rocket pursuers. He hid Nurse Joy and her injured Pokémon in a cave, treated them, and prepared to continue toward Pallet Town after dark.

• Spinarak warned Yu Hai that a human was approaching, and Darkrai knocked the Black-Clad Man unconscious before Yu Hai discovered the person was Nurse Joy carrying Latias.
• Yu Hai hesitated to get involved but took Nurse Joy and her Pokémon away on Pelipper, covering their trail with rain and other precautions.
• Bisharp arrived with Team Rocket members and Tyranitar, weakened the rain with Hyper Beam, and ordered his subordinates to search for Yu Hai and Nurse Joy.
• Yu Hai studied a map and chose to travel toward the coast before continuing to Pallet Town, avoiding Viridian City and Sakaki.
• At dawn, Yu Hai hid Nurse Joy and her Pokémon in a cave, treated their injuries, and learned from Chansey that his care was adequate.
• Yu Hai concealed the cave, set Spinarak and Golbat to watch for intruders, and rested while planning to travel again at night.

Yu Hai rescued Nurse Joy, whose real name was Yuko, after Spirit Hunter Bisharp targeted her and her Latias, and learned that Bisharp was Team Rocket’s top executive. Yu Hai took Yuko toward Professor Oak’s Laboratory, but after Bisharp’s group headed to the coast to intercept them, Yu Hai changed course and pushed Pelipper toward Pallet Town.

• Nurse Joy woke in the cave, saw that Yu Hai had treated her and her Pokémon, and reluctantly told him that Bisharp had attacked her after she witnessed him capturing Celebi.
• Yu Hai told Yuko that Bisharp was Team Rocket’s highest-ranking executive and warned her that he could match Elite Four Lance; Yuko thanked Yu Hai and agreed to travel with him to seek Professor Oak’s protection.
• Yu Hai and Yuko left the cave on Pelipper, while Bisharp’s group found their shelter and headed to the coast to intercept them.
• Darkrai returned to Yu Hai with news that Bisharp had anticipated their route, so Yu Hai changed course and ordered Pelipper to fly toward Pallet Town.

Yu Hai and Nurse Joy reached Pallet Town, but Bisharp pursued them by helicopter and attacked Ash’s home. Dragonite stopped Tyranitar from killing Ash, Delia, and Nurse Joy, while Yu Hai escaped into the night as Professor Oak and the others arrived.

• Yu Hai explained that Bisharp had tracked their route, and Bisharp found their campfires and deduced they were heading for Pallet Town.
• Yu Hai carried Nurse Joy into Pallet Town on foot, but Bisharp arrived by helicopter and pursued them to Ash’s house.
• Yu Hai’s Gyarados shot down the helicopter with Hyper Beam, and the explosion damaged Ash’s home.
• Bisharp ordered Tyranitar to attack, so Yu Hai fled on Scyther while Delia, Ash, and Nurse Joy ran toward Professor Oak’s Laboratory.
• Tyranitar fired Hyper Beam at the fleeing group, but Dragonite blocked it with Protect as Professor Oak, Gary, Nanami, Xiao Xia, and Brock arrived.

Nurse Joy reached Pallet Town with Celebi after Yu Hai helped her escape Bisharp, but Bisharp’s attack destroyed Ash’s home and left Yu Hai fleeing alone. Professor Oak identified Yu Hai and treated Latias while the League issued a kill order against Bisharp, who disguised himself at Viridian Gym; Yu Hai reached Porta Vista and collapsed after escaping.

• Nurse Joy told Professor Oak that Bisharp had pursued her for rescuing Celebi, and she revealed that a Trainer named A Hai had brought her to Pallet Town with Pelipper.
• Celebi appeared and reunited with Nurse Joy, while Ash and Gary exchanged looks that suggested they knew A Hai’s identity.
• Nurse Joy asked Professor Oak to treat Latias and search for Yu Hai, so he sent Dragonite out while Brock helped him care for the Legendary Pokémon through the night.
• Professor Oak used Delia’s description and Gym records to identify A Hai as Yu Hai, a young Trainer from the Orange Islands with a notably large Gyarados.
• Bisharp found his burned subordinates, learned that the League had issued a kill order, and sent his team fleeing before disguising himself as Viridian Gym staff.
• Yu Hai reunited with Pelipper at the shore, traveled to Porta Vista, and rented a private room at the Pokémon Center to rest.

After recovering from days of fleeing, Yu Hai relaxed with his Pokémon on the beach in Fuchsia City and reunited with Xiao Shun. Darkrai sensed an unusual energy fluctuation in the mountains, forcing Yu Hai to leave before the two could talk further.

• Yu Hai rested in Fuchsia City, then spent the day at the beach while his Pokémon swam, trained, and defeated Trainers who challenged them.
• Xiao Shun found Yu Hai at the beach and told him about training at Kumquat Gym, earning a Grovyle, and pursuing his goal of becoming a ranger.
• Yu Hai and Xiao Shun confirmed they would compete in the Indigo League and promised to give each other their best effort.
• Darkrai warned Yu Hai of an unusual energy fluctuation in the mountains, so Yu Hai recalled his Pokémon and left the beach.
• Yu Hai asked Xiao Shun not to tell Hao Er that they had met, and Xiao Shun agreed.

Yu Hai waited outside Mount Miaza as the ruins’ sealed Pokémon caused chaos, then recovered Gengar and several rare Ghost-type items from Darkrai. Darkrai returned to the ruins to pursue an opportunity to become Elite-class, while Yu Hai left for Viridian City and prepared to continue toward the Indigo League.

• Yu Hai watched the gigantic Gengar, Alakazam, and Jigglypuff emerge and battle, while Jigglypuff’s song put Ash, Team Rocket, and the archaeologists to sleep.
• After the battle, Darkrai emerged from the ruins with sleeping Gengar and a black stone fragment, then told Yu Hai it had to return to pursue an Elite-class advancement opportunity.
• Yu Hai recalled Gengar and left the ruins, where he spotted Xiao Ying arriving with Shiba, whom he recognized as a Fighting-type Elite Four member.
• Yu Hai traveled to Viridian City, registered at the Pokémon Center, and inspected the items Darkrai had brought from the ruins.
• Yu Hai identified a high-purity Dark Stone, Spirit Cloth, a Charm Talisman, and several more Dark Stones and Ghost Gems among the recovered items.

Yu Hai discovered that Gengar had swallowed a fragment of Arceus's Ghost Slate and was rapidly growing stronger. He examined an inactive Clay Doll embryo but decided to wait until Gengar woke before choosing how to activate it, then went to sleep before traveling to Indigo Plateau.

• Yu Hai saw that Gengar had eaten a Ghost Slate Fragment and found that its level had risen to 56.11% and was still increasing.
• Yu Hai stored the remaining Ghost Slate Fragment in an energy-isolating box, intending to reserve it for Gengar.
• Unable to sleep, Yu Hai inspected the jade-green stone and identified it as an inactive Clay Doll embryo whose activation required Ghost-type energy.
• Yu Hai decided to wait until Gengar woke and confirmed the Slate Fragment's effects before deciding whether to use it on Clay Doll.
• Yu Hai put away the Clay Doll embryo, went to bed with Eevee, and prepared to travel to Indigo Plateau the next day.

On his fiftieth day in Kanto, Yu Hai traveled toward Indigo Plateau and studied the Indigo League rules, planning how to preserve his main team through the Group Stage. He reached the foot of the mountain at night and camped there before beginning the climb the next day.

• Yu Hai set out in the rain on Bull Bull, intending to arrange his League Pokémon and equipment after reaching the Competitor Village.
• After the rain stopped, Yu Hai read the Trainer Handbook and learned the League’s match rules, stages, and entry requirements.
• Yu Hai planned to rely on Butterfree, Farfetch'd, Staryu, Slowpoke, and Bull Bull during the Group Stage to protect his eight main Pokémon for the Knockout Stage.
• Yu Hai reviewed the Champion, runner-up, and third-place prizes, including Kanto Starters and Evolution Stones.
• Yu Hai saw other Trainers heading toward Indigo Plateau and reached the mountain’s base by nightfall, where he decided to camp.

Yu Hai equipped his main Pokémon with held items and planned their battle strategies and training before the tournament. He left Hana Hana’s weight reduction and Accelgor’s move training as ongoing tasks.

• Yu Hai assigned Mystic Waters to Poliwhirl, Kingler, Pelipper, and Gyarados, then gave Hana Hana a Hard Stone and Scyther Silver Powder.
• Yu Hai planned to give Forretress a Light Stone and considered its possible battle strategies, including rolling attacks, Counter, and entry hazards.
• Yu Hai prepared status-curing Berries for Accelgor and decided it should focus on learning Rain Dance before the tournament.
• Yu Hai weighed Hana Hana and found that, despite eating six Light Stones, it still weighed ninety kilograms.

Yu Hai arrived at Indigo Stadium for the Indigo League and met Xiao Ming, who shared information about the tournament’s leading competitors. He learned that Raisu’s newly evolved Garchomp had been driven to seek revenge after Yu Hai’s earlier victory over it.

• Yu Hai flew Pelipper to Indigo Stadium, registered for the Indigo League, and checked into Competitor Village.
• Yu Hai ran into Xiao Ming, agreed to help teach his Forretress Defense Curl, and asked for information about the competitors.
• Xiao Ming described veteran contenders Hai Xiong and Yu Sheng, along with Raisu, a former top-three finisher whose Garchomp had recently evolved.
• Xiao Ming explained that Raisu’s Garchomp evolved after a crushing defeat in Saffron City, and Yu Hai realized he had caused it.
• Xiao Ming pointed out newcomer Ji Mu and identified Ash, A Hong, Gary, and Yuri as promising competitors.

Yu Hai trained with Xiao Ming and prepared tactics for the Indigo League, while Ash and other contestants watched him with concern. On the eve of the opening ceremony, Yu Hai encouraged a restless Ash to understand his Pokémon’s feelings, leaving Ash pondering the advice before he finally fell asleep.

• Yu Hai and Xiao Ming discussed the tournament’s promising Trainers, and Xiao Ming called Yu Hai a dark horse after recalling the strength of his Pokémon.
• Ash, Gary, and Raisu watched Yu Hai leave the cafeteria, each thinking about facing him in the Indigo League.
• Yu Hai trained Accelgor and Forretress with Xiao Ming’s help, then spent the afternoon planning battle tactics while Xiao Ming went to watch the sacred flame relay.
• Yu Hai returned Graveler to Xiao Ming, prepared for the opening ceremony, and noticed Ash walking alone by the lake at night.
• Yu Hai told Ash not to take winning and losing too seriously and to understand his Pokémon’s feelings before returning to his room.
• Ash repeated Yu Hai’s advice to Brock, then fell asleep before Brock could ask more.

Yu Hai attended the Indigo League opening ceremony, drew his first Group Stage opponent, and learned that the opponent was the Trainer who had abandoned Eevee. He entered his first match determined to let Eevee face its former Trainer, but the battle began with Yu Hai sending out Forretress against Kameda’s Water Eevee.

• Yu Hai watched the Indigo League opening ceremony from the stands, then thanked Brock for helping Ash prepare the night before.
• Yu Hai drew the Grass Field as his venue and the fifth match as his slot, then discovered Eevee’s opponent was the Trainer who had abandoned it.
• Meowth translated Eevee’s plea to battle the former Trainer, and Yu Hai promised to let Eevee fight him.
• Xiao Ming told Yu Hai that Kameda was a Stone Town Trainer whose strongest Pokémon included Water Eevee, Fire Eevee, and Jolteon.
• Yu Hai watched Xiao Ming easily win his third match, then headed to the Grass Field for his own battle.
• Kameda sent out Water Eevee, while Yu Hai sent out Forretress as the fifth Grass Field match began.

Yu Hai used Forretress and layers of entry hazards to wear down Kameda’s team, then sent out the Eevee Kameda had abandoned. The match ended with Kameda exposed and humiliated before the crowd, while Eevee stood beside Yu Hai.

• Kameda switched from Water Eevee to Fire Eevee, but Yu Hai’s Forretress survived Flamethrower while laying Toxic Spikes across the battlefield.
• Kameda sent out Starmie to clear the Toxic Spikes, but Forretress kept replacing them until Starmie was poisoned and exhausted.
• Kameda used Water Eevee’s Rain Dance to counter the poison, but Yu Hai had Forretress lay Spikes and force Water Eevee into danger.
• Kameda recalled Water Eevee for a fourth time and received a red card warning, then sent Starmie back into the hazards as Forretress attacked it.
• Yu Hai recalled Forretress and sent out Eevee, which knocked Starmie away and attacked Kameda with Sand Attack, earning Yu Hai a red card warning.
• Kameda recognized Eevee as the Pokémon he had abandoned in Stone Town, and the crowd condemned him after the host revealed his past.

Yu Hai’s Eevee defeated all three of Kameda’s Pokémon, sending Yu Hai through to the next Group Stage round and leaving other contestants studying his fireproof Forretress strategy. Meanwhile, Ame agreed to let Ai attend Yu Hai’s next match, and Blaine arranged their trip to Indigo Plateau.

• Eevee defeated Kameda’s poisoned Water Eevee and Fire Eevee after Forretress had helped take down Starmie, winning Yu Hai the match and advancing him to the next Group Stage round.
• Spectators and rival contestants discussed Yu Hai’s Spikes strategy and fireproof Forretress, while Xiao Ying, Ash, Brock, Xiao Xia, Xiao Ming, and Xiao Qian watched or reacted to the broadcast.
• At Blaine’s home, Ai cheered for Yu Hai, and Ame agreed to take her to watch his match in person after realizing her protectiveness was making Ai feel constrained.
• Blaine reassured Ame that Ai could become a Trainer safely, then arranged to travel with Ame and Ai to Indigo Plateau the next day.
• Blaine appointed Xiao Feng Acting Gym Leader while he was away and prepared for the trip to Viridian City and Indigo Plateau.

Yu Hai’s first Indigo League victory delighted Ada, while Grandpa Dunmei discussed bringing Yu Hai into the family as a son-in-law and keeping the Mikan Gym in the family. Unaware of the plans being made for him, Yu Hai rested his Pokémon, trained Forretress and Accelgor, and hoped little Eevee would eventually evolve into Umbreon.

• Ada watched Yu Hai win his Group Stage match and excitedly told Grandpa Dunmei, who predicted Yu Hai could reach the Knockout Stage or contend for the Champion title.
• Grandpa Dunmei told his son that Yu Hai had caught Darkrai and was an orphan, making him a suitable son-in-law for Dunmei; his son agreed to meet Yu Hai before judging him.
• Grandpa Dunmei lamented that Dunmei and Ada might not inherit the family’s Gym, while his son continued to resist taking it over and said he would stay to assess Yu Hai.
• Yu Hai checked little Eevee’s panel, noted its improved level and battle readiness, and planned to continue training it while waiting for it to evolve.
• Yu Hai spent the afternoon resting with most of his Pokémon while Forretress and Accelgor practiced; Forretress learned Defense Curl, and Yu Hai returned Graveler to Xiao Ming.
• Yu Hai returned to his room with little Eevee and thought that spending more time under the moon might help it evolve into Umbreon.

Yu Hai drew the Ice Field for his second Group Stage match and learned that Xiao Shun would be his opponent. Meanwhile, Ash defeated Hao Er in a battle between trainers who looked nearly identical, and Yu Hai prepared for his own match against Xiao Shun.

• Yu Hai drew Ice Field as the venue for his eighth match and discovered that his opponent was Xiao Shun.
• Hao Er and Ash were revealed as opponents who looked almost identical, prompting their families and the audience to react with surprise.
• Ash defeated Hao Er after Grimer and Pidgeotto weakened his team and Pikachu brought down Gyarados.
• Hao Er's mother decided he would return home after the tournament for stricter Pokémon training.
• Yu Hai finished watching Ash's victory and prepared to face Xiao Shun at Ice Field.

Yu Hai sent out his Veteran-class Butterfree against Xiao Shun at the Ice Field Group Stage match and used her to defeat Lotad and Pidgeotto in quick succession. Xiao Shun brought out his ace Gyarados as his last Pokémon, leaving the battle's outcome undecided.

• Yu Hai had Butterfree transferred from Mikan Gym after learning that Xiao Shun's team consisted mostly of Grass-types, then discovered she had reached Veteran Class and learned several powerful moves.
• Yu Hai entered the Ice Field with Butterfree and faced Xiao Shun, who opened with Lotad while Yu Hai chose Butterfree.
• Butterfree's Storm overwhelmed Lotad before it could use Sleep Talk, and Lotad fainted.
• Xiao Shun sent out Pidgeotto, but Butterfree used Storm and Electric Web to stop him and knock him out.
• Xiao Shun reflected that his Pokémon needed to evolve and decided to seek Evolution Stones from Luo Yan rather than ask Yu Hai for more help.
• Xiao Shun sent out his final Pokémon, Gyarados, to try to turn the match around.

Yu Hai defeated Xiao Shun’s rampaging Gyarados after the Pokémon’s Dragon Scale sent it into a frenzy, winning their Group Stage match. The host and spectators hailed Yu Hai as a championship dark horse as he left the arena, while he reflected on the League’s sensitivity around class and the roots of Team Rocket’s appeal.

• Yu Hai recalled Butterfree and sent out his own Gyarados to face Xiao Shun’s Gyarados.
• Xiao Shun and Yu Hai’s Gyarados clashed with Hyper Beams, and the explosion destroyed the Ice Field and knocked the referee unconscious.
• Xiao Shun used Dragon Scale to break his Gyarados’s rigid state, but it went berserk and attacked Yu Hai’s Gyarados.
• Yu Hai’s Gyarados countered the rampaging Pokémon with Hydro Pump and Iron Tail, knocking it unconscious and resolving the crisis.
• The host declared Yu Hai the winner, and spectators began treating him as a championship dark horse.
• Yu Hai left amid the cheers and reflected on why the host called him an ordinary trainer rather than a commoner, and how inequality gave Team Rocket recruits.

Shiba explained that the League intended to use Xiao Ying as a candidate for power in the Orange Islands, while Xiao Ying prepared to face Yu Hai in the Indigo League. Yu Hai’s strength unsettled Ash, Gary, Shinji, and Raisu, and Professor Oak’s family discussed meeting him after Ash reached the Knockout Stage.

• Shiba warned Xiao Ying that Yu Hai would be a formidable opponent, and Xiao Ying said he would evolve Poliwhirl if they met in the competition.
• Shiba considered the League’s plans to establish a Champion and Elite Four system in the Orange Islands, with Xiao Ying among its candidates and Yu Hai only an alternate nominee.
• Hao Er, Ash, Brock, Xiao Xia, Gary, Shinji, and Raisu watched Yu Hai’s match and felt pressure from Gyarados’s strength.
• Professor Oak asked Delia whether Yu Hai was the Trainer who had helped them, and he proposed inviting Yu Hai to a meal after Ash reached the Knockout Stage.
• Nanami wondered whether Yu Hai had saved Nurse Joy as her laptop chimed with a message from Nurse Joy.