Chapter Summaries

Yu Hai defeated his opponent and encouraged Xiao Shun, while MikanGym’s middle-aged heir decided to stay and manage the Gym rather than force Dunmei into a Marriage Alliance. Yu Hai checked Gyarados’s progress in the Competitor Village and planned to rest before watching more matches.

• At Kumquat Gym, Liuli and Hao Er’s grandfather regretted rejecting Yu Hai and discussed recruiting him, while weighing whether Xiao Shun might someday marry into the Gym’s direct line.
• While watching Yu Hai’s match at lunch, Dunmei’s Father decided to inherit MikanGym and spare Dunmei a Marriage Alliance, though Dunmei suspected her family was planning one and considered escaping.
• After his match, Yu Hai comforted Xiao Shun, reminded him to use his own judgment, and left him feeling proud despite losing.
• Yu Hai returned to the Competitor Village, washed his clothes, and checked Gyarados’s panel, finding that it had gained two levels but learned no new moves.
• Yu Hai released Butterfree to explore the room and planned to nap before dinner and the evening matches.

Yu Hai faced Xiao Ming in the third round of the Indigo League Group Stage, using Farfetch'd to defeat Quagsire and Staryu to trap Sandslash. The battle remained unresolved as Sandslash dug underground to escape Staryu’s Gravity and Ice Beam.

• Yu Hai and Xiao Ming discovered they had been matched against each other at the Rock Field, while Gary left to prepare for his own match.
• Xiao Ming sent out Forretress, but he recalled it when Yu Hai opened with Gyarados; Xiao Ming then chose Quagsire, and Yu Hai answered with Farfetch'd.
• Farfetch'd dodged Quagsire’s Yawn, struck it with Leaf Blade, and defeated it after interrupting its attempted Counter.
• Xiao Ming sent Forretress back out, prompting Yu Hai to bring back Gyarados; Xiao Ming switched to Sandslash, and Yu Hai chose Staryu.
• Staryu used Gravity to pin down Sandslash, then froze it with Ice Beam after flooding the ground beneath it.
• Xiao Ming ordered Sandslash to Dig, and Sandslash broke through the ice and burrowed into the rocky ground.

Yu Hai advanced after Xiao Ming surrendered, then watched Gary lose his Group Stage match to Jimu and reflected on his plans for the Sinnoh League. At the lakeside, Yu Hai let his Pokémon relax, while Farfetch'd tried and failed to get withdrawn Riolu's attention.

• Yu Hai used Staryu's Scald and Gravity to knock out Sandslash, and Xiao Ming conceded rather than send out Forretress.
• Yu Hai advanced from the Group Stage and planned to evolve Staryu and prepare his team for the Sinnoh League.
• Yu Hai watched Gary lose to Jimu, ending Gary's Indigo League run before the Knockout Stage.
• Yu Hai released his Pokémon by the lake, praised Farfetch'd and Staryu, and let them rest.
• Farfetch'd asked Yu Hai and the others about Riolu, then tried to engage Riolu, but Riolu remained unresponsive.

Yu Hai tried to comfort Riolu, then accepted Xiao Ming into Spider after Xiao Ming lost and agreed to meet him on Jinggan Island. Xiao Ming left shaken by Yu Hai’s killing intent, while Yu Hai prepared for his final Group Stage match the next day.

• Farfetch'd tried to reach Riolu, but Riolu remained withdrawn and stared at the lake.
• Xiao Ming visited Yu Hai with barbecue and Ice Beer, saying he had lost and would join Spider as they had agreed.
• Yu Hai explained Spider’s rules against trafficking and eating Wild Pokémon, and Xiao Ming agreed to meet him on Jinggan Island after traveling to the Orange Islands.
• After leaving Yu Hai’s room, Xiao Ming felt the force of Yu Hai’s killing intent and resolved to avoid dealing in protected Pokémon.
• Yu Hai went to bed and worried about his final Group Stage match the next day.

On the fifty-fifth day of his journey, Yu Hai faced Jimu in his final Group Stage match on the Water Field, with a Knockout Stage berth at stake. Yu Hai defeated Jimu’s Magnezone with Rhydon and sent out Gyarados against Tentacruel, whose fate remained uncertain as the battle continued.

• Yu Hai learned that his Water Field opponent was Jimu, whose Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon seemed poorly suited to facing him on the water.
• Gary watched Yu Hai’s match because Jimu had defeated him the day before and ended his hopes of reaching the Knockout Stage.
• Jimu sent out Magnezone, but Rhydon caught its Gyro Ball and knocked it out with a close-range Fire Blast.
• Jimu sent out Tentacruel and ordered it to use Water Gun, so Yu Hai recalled Rhydon and sent out Gyarados.
• Yu Hai ordered Gyarados to use Thunder, and Jimu urgently told Tentacruel to jump onto a platform.

Yu Hai defeated Jimu and advanced to the Knockout Stage, while Xiao Ying faced Shinji in a Rock Field match. Xiao Ying’s refusal to switch Pokémon left him at a severe disadvantage, and the chapter ended with Breloom and Electabuzz both defeated and Onix still standing.

• Yu Hai used Gyarados to defeat Jimu’s Rhydon, accepted Jimu’s surrender, and advanced to the Knockout Stage.
• Ash and his companions discussed Yu Hai’s strength, while Gary watched the match and recognized the wide gap between them.
• Xiao Ying and Shinji began their Three-on-Three match, with Breloom facing Shinji’s Gyarados.
• Shinji used rain, Storm, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower to defeat Breloom after Xiao Ying kept it in battle despite its type disadvantage.
• Xiao Ying sent out Electabuzz, which defeated Gyarados with Thunder, but Shinji’s Onix then used Earthquake to knock Electabuzz out while Xiao Ying refused to switch.

Xiao Ying evolved Poliwhirl into Poliwrath during his Group Stage battle against Shinji, then used its explosive speed and power to defeat Onix and Torterra and secure a comeback victory. Yu Hai watched the match and began considering Poliwhirl’s evolution after the tournament.

• Shiba and Lance discussed Xiao Ying, Team Rocket executive Bisharp’s disappearance, and Xiao Ying’s difficult match against Shinji.
• Xiao Ying used a high-grade Water Stone to evolve Poliwhirl into Poliwrath, then sent it racing forward to knock Onix out with a Waterfall strike.
• Poliwrath countered Torterra’s Leaf Storm with Icy Wind and used rapid Ice Punch attacks to break through Protect, dodge Torterra’s movements, and knock it out.
• Xiao Ying won the match, while Lance and Shiba discussed Poliwrath’s unusual explosive technique.
• Yu Hai watched the battle and decided to prepare for his own Poliwhirl to evolve after the tournament.

Yu Hai drew Xiao Ying as his first Knockout Stage opponent, while Raisu’s Electivire swept Hai Xiong’s team in the opening match. The crushing defeat left Hai Xiong unconscious, and Yu Hai judged that Raisu had become a serious threat.

• Yu Hai caught the B-1 Magikarp and learned that he would face Xiao Ying in the Knockout Stage.
• Yu Hai greeted Ash’s group, Professor Oak, Delia, Gary, and Nanami before watching Raisu’s match against Hai Xiong.
• Raisu’s Electivire matched Nidoqueen’s Earthquake, then struck her with Ice Punch and froze her, forcing Hai Xiong to recall her.
• Raisu’s Electivire defeated Hai Xiong’s five Water-type Pokémon in succession and then beat Nidoqueen, completing a one-versus-six sweep.
• Hai Xiong collapsed after the loss and was carried away on a stretcher, while Yu Hai recognized Raisu’s strength and battle strategy.

Ash was delayed by Team Rocket but returned in time for his Knockout Stage match, where A Hong defeated him after Charizard refused to fight. Yu Hai then prepared to face Xiao Ying, who had become an Elite Four disciple, and the chapter ended as their match began.

• Ash chased Team Rocket to rescue Pikachu, and Yu Hai sent Pelipper to bring them back to the arena before Ash's match deadline.
• A Hong asked the referee to wait for Ash, who arrived with an exhausted Pikachu and other Pokémon just in time to battle.
• Ash lost to A Hong after Charizard ignored his commands, leaving Ash eliminated from the Indigo League's top sixteen.
• Yu Hai prepared for his Group B Knockout Stage match against Xiao Ying, and the two entered the field as the crowd watched.
• Yu Hai congratulated Xiao Ying on becoming an Elite Four disciple before their battle began.

Yu Hai and Xiao Ying opened their Knockout Stage match with Poliwhirl and Poliwrath, whose explosive Megaton Punch clash devastated the arena. Both Pokémon survived but were exhausted, and Yu Hai recalled Poliwhirl, leaving the match to continue with their remaining Pokémon.

• Yu Hai and Xiao Ying sent out Poliwhirl and Poliwrath, who greeted each other as former training partners.
• Both Trainers ordered their Pokémon to use Belly Drum and then Megaton Punch, and the attacks collided in a massive explosion that damaged the arena and its equipment.
• Poliwhirl and Poliwrath protected themselves from the blast but were left too exhausted to continue fighting effectively.
• Raisu recognized the explosive power he had been trying to reproduce with Electivire, while spectators and the announcer reacted to the destruction.
• Poliwhirl and Poliwrath exchanged respectful words, and Yu Hai recalled Poliwhirl so it could recover for the next battles.

Yu Hai and Xiao Ying continued their Knockout Stage battle, with Yu Hai using careful switches and Forretress’s defenses to eliminate Electabuzz. The chapter ended with Kingler facing Xiao Ying’s Breloom, as both Trainers prepared for a difficult matchup.

• Yu Hai recalled Poliwhirl and sent out Electabuzz against Xiao Ying’s Farfetch'd, which repeatedly landed critical Slash attacks before Static paralyzed it.
• Yu Hai had Farfetch'd use Rest and recalled it, while Xiao Ying also withdrew Electabuzz; Yu Hai then sent out Forretress.
• Forretress used Rollout to knock Electabuzz unconscious, making it the first Pokémon eliminated in the Knockout Stage.
• Xiao Ying sent out Infernape, but Forretress endured its Flamethrower and forced it to Dig; Yu Hai recalled Forretress and sent out Kingler.
• Xiao Ying recalled Infernape and sent out Breloom, leaving Kingler and Breloom battling as the repaired screen displayed both teams’ status.

Yu Hai’s Kingler defeated Xiao Ying’s Breloom, then fought Heracross to a dehydrating stalemate before Slowpoke entered the field. Slowpoke used Trick Room to defeat Infernape, leaving the match at intermission with Xiao Ying down three Pokémon.

• Kingler blocked Breloom’s attacks, froze it with Ice Beam, and knocked it unconscious with a claw strike.
• Xiao Ying sent out Heracross, which won a strength contest against Kingler before the two Pokémon battled until both collapsed, with Kingler fainting first from dehydration.
• Yu Hai sent out Slowpoke while Xiao Ying chose Infernape and kept his final Pokémon in reserve.
• Slowpoke established Trick Room and used Hydro Pump, Yawn, and Ice Beam to overwhelm Infernape, which was eliminated after being frozen and blasted into the water.
• The match entered a five-minute intermission with three of Xiao Ying’s Pokémon eliminated.

Yu Hai defeated Xiao Ying in a six-on-six Knockout Stage match, advancing after Slowpoke took down Heracross and Poliwrath. Celebrated as the tournament’s dark horse, Yu Hai avoided the reporters and watched from the Pokémon Center as Xiao Qian began the next Group B match.

• During halftime, Yu Hai and Xiao Ying assessed their remaining Pokémon, while Lance confirmed that the two trainers were non-biological brothers who shared a move.
• After the break, Xiao Ying sent out Pelipper, and Yu Hai switched Slowpoke for Farfetch’d; both Flying-types used Brave Bird and were eliminated together.
• Yu Hai sent Slowpoke against the exhausted Heracross, defeating it with Psybeam despite its Bug Buzz interrupting his next attack.
• Xiao Ying’s final Pokémon, Poliwrath, failed to hit Slowpoke after it used Trick Room, then fell to Psybeam and Confusion, giving Yu Hai the match.
• The crowd hailed Yu Hai as a dark horse, but he changed his appearance with Ditto and went to the Pokémon Center to avoid reporters.
• Xiao Qian’s Group B Knockout Stage match began against an unknown Trainer, whose next-round prospects were poor.

After Xiao Ying lost to Yu Hai, Shiba comforted him and learned how close the two were, while Lance and Lorelei agreed to support Shiba’s training plans and applications for Xiao Ying. Yu Hai recovered his Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, assessed their condition and growth, and prepared for the next round, where he expected to face Xiao Qian.

• Lorelei, Lance, and Shiba recognized Xiao Qian as Agatha’s granddaughter and reacted to her use of Perish Song against her opponent.
• Xiao Ying waited outside the Elite Four lounge, and Shiba told him that losing one match should not crush him before asking who Yu Hai was to him.
• Xiao Ying explained that he and Yu Hai had grown up together at an Orphanage and that he regarded Yu Hai as his real older brother; Shiba sent him to find Yu Hai and prepare for special training.
• Shiba learned that Xiao Ying was a martyr’s descendant, and Lance and Lorelei agreed to support Shiba’s plans to train him and obtain a Riolu Egg and Lucario Mega Stone.
• Yu Hai brought his injured Pokémon to the Pokémon Center, learned which ones could continue competing, and watched Xiao Qian use Perish Song to eliminate her opponent’s Pokémon.
• Yu Hai checked Poliwhirl’s, Kingler’s, and Slowpoke’s panels, reviewed their slow growth and battle needs, and considered their future moves and evolutions.

The Old Drunkard and the old director discussed how Xiao Ying’s discipleship under Shiba could make him a focal point of League influence in the Orange Islands. At Keiko’s massage parlor, the children watched Xiao Ying face Yu Hai, while a Water-type Club employee schemed to win Keiko’s affection after A Ren’s death.

• The Old Drunkard told the old director that the mayor and several clubs were courting him because Xiao Ying might represent the League on Hasa Island.
• The Old Drunkard warned that Xiao Ying could become a target of political maneuvering and marriage arrangements, though he wanted Xiao Ying to choose his own future.
• Keiko and the orphanage children watched Xiao Ying and Yu Hai’s match, and Xiao Nai accepted either boy’s victory while favoring Xiao Ying.
• A Water-type Club employee arrived with snacks for the children and recalled how he had engineered trouble at Keiko’s old parlor to bring her closer to him.
• The employee reflected that he had arranged Keiko’s move to a better storefront and positioned himself as her neighbor after A Ren’s death.

A suitor tried to get closer to Keiko by befriending the children at her shop, while the Whale Trio and MikanGym's leaders reacted to Yu Hai and Xiao Ying's rising status. Yu Hai's performance convinced Dunmei's Father to recruit him for MikanGym's Orange Islands tournament and consider him as a match for Dunmei, while Dunmei's cousin began plotting an elopement she did not intend.

• A young man planned to win Keiko over by using a stormy night to frighten her, but the children exposed their mutual embarrassment when they asked whether he liked her.
• Taro told Jiro and Erlang to approach Xiao Ying carefully, donate to Oddish Orphanage, and cultivate ties with its children.
• Dunmei's Father praised Yu Hai's battle strength and discussed giving him a Top-tier Water Stone and sending him to represent MikanGym at the Orange Islands tournament.
• Dunmei's Father considered pairing Yu Hai with Dunmei, while Grandpa Dunmei left him to handle the arrangement.
• Dunmei hinted that she wanted to escape on Eldest Cousin's Cargo Ship, but Eldest Cousin mistook the hints for a plan to elope and began preparing for their honeymoon.
• Ada continued enduring his father's punishing training for the tournament, unaware of the Gym's plans for Dunmei and Yu Hai.

Yu Hai reunited with Xiao Ying, then spent the afternoon with Blaine, Ame, and Ai while planning how Scyther could defeat Xiao Qian’s Gengar and its Perish Song. Ash found Yu Hai and invited him to dinner, where their group gathered as Xiao Ying and Xiao Qian attended a separate gathering with the Elite Four.

• Xiao Ying felt ashamed after losing, but Yu Hai comforted him and encouraged him to get his Pokémon treated.
• Yu Hai reunited with Ai and met Ame, then joined them and Blaine at a café while Ai stayed close to him.
• Yu Hai considered how Scyther could fight Gengar without hearing Perish Song and planned training with Ditto and soundproof earplugs.
• Ash found Yu Hai and invited him to dinner with Delia, so Blaine, Ame, and Ai joined the gathering at Competitor Village.
• Yu Hai and the others ate with Ash’s group while Xiao Ying and Xiao Qian attended a separate Elite Four gathering at a nearby hotel.

At the lakeside campsite, Ash asked Yu Hai how to tame Charizard, and Yu Hai proposed beating Charizard into submission before Ash won its trust by caring for it. As Yu Hai began the plan, he also revealed to Brock that he had saved Nurse Joy from Bisharp and explained why he wanted Nurse Joy to dislike him.

• Professor Oak recognized Blaine, and the two old professors left together after exchanging teasing insults; Blaine left Arcanine to guard the sleeping Ai.
• Ash asked Yu Hai for help taming Charizard, and Yu Hai advised using force followed by sincere care to win Charizard's trust.
• Ash agreed to the plan, and Yu Hai sent Poliwhirl to fight Charizard while Ash watched.
• Yu Hai and Brock slipped away from dinner with food and Ice Beer after Delia caught them drinking, and Yu Hai admitted he wanted Nurse Joy to dislike him.
• Brock guessed that Yu Hai had rescued Nurse Joy from Bisharp, and Yu Hai confirmed it.

Yu Hai helped Ash care for Charizard after Poliwhirl defeated it, then learned that saving Nurse Joy had earned him a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon. He chose Dratini, while Nurse Joy’s family decided to keep his rescue secret and end any connection between him and Nurse Joy.

• Poliwhirl dragged the frozen Charizard to camp, and Ash warmed it while Brock and Yu Hai drank nearby.
• The campers discussed Poliwhirl’s strength, while Nurse Joy remained angry with Yu Hai for spraying her with beer.
• Professor Oak and Blaine confirmed that Yu Hai had saved Yuko, and Blaine asked what Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon he wanted as compensation.
• Yu Hai chose Dratini, then returned to camp and said it was better for everyone if he and Inspector remained strangers.
• Nurse Joy’s grandmother promised Yu Hai would receive a Dratini the next day, and Professor Oak told Nanami not to mention Yu Hai to Nurse Joy again.

Yu Hai received a Dratini from Blaine before his quarterfinal against Xiao Qian, but the frightened, malnourished Pokémon proved difficult to handle. After spending the morning trying to coax and feed Dratini, Yu Hai headed to the battlefield as his match was announced.

• Blaine visited Yu Hai in the contestants' lounge, gave him a Poké Ball containing Dratini, and said their business with the old woman was over.
• Yu Hai checked Dratini's status and found it timid, malnourished, and reluctant to trust him or eat.
• Dratini repeatedly hid and fainted from fright, while Eevee chased it around the lounge and Yu Hai tried to feed it.
• After lunch and a water ballet performance, Yu Hai took Eevee to the contestants' tunnel for his quarterfinal against Xiao Qian.
• The host announced Xiao Qian and Yu Hai, and the crowd cheered more loudly for Xiao Qian.