Chapter Summaries

Gary’s Shiny Guzzlord defeated Alder’s Bouffalant in their three-on-three battle, and then faced Alder’s Accelgor. The fight against Accelgor continued as Alder looked for a way past Guzzlord’s defenses.

• Alder proposed a three-on-three battle, and Hilda took the role of referee.
• Alder sent out Bouffalant, while Gary chose his Shiny Guzzlord.
• Guzzlord endured Bouffalant’s Megahorn, restrained it with its tentacles, and knocked it out with Dragon Pulse.
• Gary explained that Guzzlord was an Ultra Beast from the Alola Region, and Alder sent out Accelgor as his second Pokémon.
• Guzzlord’s Shadow Ball missed Accelgor, and Accelgor’s Energy Ball caused little damage before it dodged Guzzlord’s Hammer Arm.
• Alder began devising a different move to overcome Guzzlord’s defenses.

Gary's Guzzlord defeated Alder's Accelgor, leaving Alder with one Pokémon. Alder sent out Volcarona, and Gary switched to Zeraora as their battle began.

• Alder ordered Accelgor to use Bug Buzz, but Gary countered with Guzzlord's Round and Flamethrower.
• Gary trapped Accelgor with Rock Tomb, then Guzzlord struck it with Blast Burn and won the battle.
• Alder praised Gary and sent out his final Pokémon, Volcarona, whose strength surprised Gary and Rosa.
• Gary recalled Guzzlord and sent out Zeraora to face Volcarona.
• Zeraora dodged Volcarona's Flamethrower and attacked with Thunderbolt, while Volcarona used Quiver Dance to boost its strength.
• Gary ordered Zeraora to use Electro Web, and Alder began calling Volcarona's next move.

Gary and Alder’s battle reached its conclusion after Zeraora defeated Volcarona in a final clash of Wild Charge and Flare Blitz. Both Pokémon were exhausted, and Gary praised Zeraora while Alder approached him after recalling Volcarona.

• Volcarona burned through Zeraora’s Electro Web, but Zeraora struck it with Thunder before it could dodge.
• Zeraora and Volcarona exchanged attacks as Rosa and Hilda watched, and Gary and Alder agreed to settle the battle with one move.
• Volcarona and Zeraora charged at each other with Flare Blitz and Wild Charge, creating a powerful collision that left them locked in a deadlock.
• Volcarona’s earlier injuries worsened, allowing Zeraora to overpower it and send it crashing into a tree.
• Hilda declared Volcarona unable to battle and Zeraora the winner, after which Gary praised his exhausted Pokémon and Alder approached him.

After defeating Alder, Gary declined his offer to become the Unova Champion so he could continue traveling freely. Gary, Rosa, and Hilda reached Driftveil Drawbridge and learned it would reopen the day after tomorrow.

• Alder praised Gary's strength and offered to hand him the Unova Champion position, but Gary refused.
• Gary explained to Rosa and Hilda that he wanted to keep traveling and avoid Champion duties.
• Gary, Rosa, and Hilda reached Driftveil Drawbridge and learned it connected Nimbasa City and Driftveil City and was also called Charizard Bridge.
• A worker told Gary and the girls that repairs were nearly finished and the bridge would reopen the day after tomorrow.
• Gary and the girls thanked the worker and left, planning to return when the bridge reopened.

Gary, Rosa, and Hilda crossed the reopened Driftveil Drawbridge, where Swanna and Ducklett attacked them. Rosa and Hilda defeated the Flying-type Pokémon with their Unfezant, and the group continued toward Driftveil City without further trouble.

• Rosa and Hilda reminisced about the bridge’s closure as Gary led them across toward Driftveil City.
• Gary sensed an incoming attack and pulled Rosa and Hilda out of the way of a Water Gun from Swanna and Ducklett.
• Rosa and Hilda sent out their Unfezant and defeated the attacking Pokémon with Air Cutter and Wing Attack.
• Hilda stopped Rosa from pursuing the fleeing Pokémon, and Gary urged the group to continue across the bridge.
• The group reached Driftveil City without another attack, and Rosa reflected that defeating the Pokémon had been the right choice.

Gary began his three-on-three Gym Battle against Driftveil Gym Leader Clay, opening with Lucario against Clay’s Krookodile. Lucario gained the upper hand, but Krookodile evaded a follow-up attack underground, and Clay began calling its next move.

• Gary, Rosa, and Hilda visited Driftveil Gym and learned that its battle arena was underground.
• Clay welcomed Gary and agreed to his Gym Challenge after greeting Rosa and Hilda.
• The referee announced a three-Pokémon battle in which Clay could not freely switch Pokémon.
• Clay sent out Krookodile, and Gary chose Lucario as his first Pokémon.
• Lucario used Bulk Up, dodged Krookodile’s Stone Edge with Extreme Speed, and struck it with Focus Punch.
• Lucario fired an Aura Sphere, but Krookodile evaded it with Dig, and Clay began giving it another command.

Gary’s Lucario defeated Clay’s Krookodile, and Naganadel defeated Seismitoad, leaving Clay’s Excadrill to face Gary’s Gabite. The chapter ended with Gabite’s Dragon Claw clashing head-on with Excadrill’s Drill Peck.

• Gary’s Lucario dodged Krookodile’s Dragon Claw and knocked it out with a barrage of attacks capped by Meteor Mash.
• Gary sent out Naganadel, which countered Seismitoad’s Mud Shot, poisoned it underground with Venoshock, and knocked it out with Draco Meteor.
• Clay sent out Excadrill as his final Pokémon, and Gary chose Gabite to face it.
• Excadrill charged with Drill Peck while Gabite met it with Dragon Claw, and the two attacks collided without either Pokémon yielding.

Gary defeated Gym Leader Clay in a hard-fought battle and earned the Quake Badge. After leaving the Driftveil Gym with Rosa and Hilda, he suggested they explore Driftveil City.

• Gabite overpowered Excadrill, endured its Rapid Spin, and held it in place so Dragon Pulse could land.
• Clay encouraged Excadrill to keep fighting, but it collapsed after Gabite struck it with Flamethrower, giving Gary the victory.
• Clay praised Gary, Rosa, and Hilda for their talent and urged them to preserve their passion and willpower.
• Clay awarded Gary the Quake Badge, and Gary thanked him before the group said goodbye.
• Gary suggested that he, Rosa, and Hilda explore Driftveil City, and Rosa excitedly began listing places to visit.

Giovanni sent Jessie, James, Meowth, and Dr. Zager to investigate the Forces of Nature on Milky Way Island, while Lance and Athena were tasked with holding Gary and his companions back. When Ash called for help from the island, Gary realized Team Rocket was targeting Tornadus and Thundurus, but refused to let them stop him.

• A Team Rocket member reported that the Forces of Nature had been sighted on Milky Way Island, and Giovanni ordered Jessie, James, Meowth, and Dr. Zager to investigate.
• Lance warned Giovanni that Gary Oak and his companions were near Driftveil City, so Giovanni assigned Lance and Athena to delay them.
• Ash arrived in Driftveil City, but the Gym refused his challenge because its Revival Herbs had run out, so he headed to Milky Way Island with Cilan and Iris to gather more.
• Gary sensed Lance and Athena approaching while he picnicked with Rosa and Hilda, and Team Rocket asked the trio to stay put.
• Ash called Gary to report that Tornadus and Thundurus were fighting on Milky Way Island and asked for help, but Gary told him they would have to handle it themselves.
• Gary recognized that Team Rocket wanted the Forces of Nature and refused Athena's demand to remain there, prompting her to prepare to use force.

Gary, Rosa, and Hilda fought Team Rocket after refusing Lance and Athena’s demand for a toast. Gary defeated Athena’s Arbok with Aggron, then cleared Vileplume’s foul stench with Sandstorm and prepared to counterattack.

• Gary refused Lance and Athena’s demand, and he, Rosa, and Hilda split up to fight Team Rocket.
• Rosa engaged the ordinary Team Rocket members while Hilda battled Lance, and Gary faced Athena.
• Gary sent out Aggron, which endured Arbok’s attacks and defeated it with Rock Slide, Iron Head, and Stone Edge.
• Athena sent out Vileplume, whose stench overwhelmed Gary and Aggron.
• Gary ordered Aggron to create a Sandstorm that blew away Vileplume’s stench, then prepared to attack.

Gary defeated Athena’s Vileplume, but Lance and Athena escaped after receiving orders to retreat. After Team Rocket’s members were arrested, Ash told Gary that the Forces of Nature crisis on Milky Way Island had already been resolved, allowing Gary and his friends to resume their picnic.

• Gary’s Aggron defeated Athena’s Vileplume with Flamethrower after resisting its attacks.
• Lance told Athena that Team Rocket’s boss had ordered them to retreat, and they escaped under cover of a Smoke Bomb.
• Gary, Hilda, and Rosa captured the remaining Team Rocket members and handed them over to Clay and Officer Jenny.
• Gary explained Team Rocket’s plan to Clay and Officer Jenny, who promised to report it to the Pokémon League.
• Ash called Gary and reported that the Forces of Nature matter on Milky Way Island had been resolved.
• Gary and his friends learned the crisis was over and continued their picnic.

Gary, Rosa, and Hilda reached Mistralton Gym, where Gary booked an afternoon challenge because the morning was full. They watched Skyla begin her unusual Gym battles and learned that she used Imagination Battles, leaving Rosa and Hilda puzzled by the rule.

• Gary, Rosa, and Hilda arrived at Mistralton Gym and learned that the morning's challenge slots were full.
• Gary booked an afternoon Gym Challenge and received a sequence number.
• Skyla returned by plane, and Gary, Rosa, and Hilda joined the crowd to watch her first battle.
• Skyla examined the challenger's Pokémon and declared the challenger victorious without battling, then handed over a Badge.
• A nearby man explained that Skyla's battles were called Imagination Battles, surprising Rosa and Hilda.

Gary challenged Skyla after learning she had replaced real Gym Battles with Imagination Battles so she could spend more time flying planes. Skyla declared Gary’s three Pokémon defeated without battling, so Gary challenged her to prove her judgment in a real match; the Gym Battle began with Skyla sending out her first Pokémon.

• Skyla’s Grandfather explained to Gary, Rosa, and Hilda that Skyla had invented Imagination Battles to free up time for flying planes.
• Skyla’s Grandfather asked Gary to change Skyla’s mind, and Gary agreed to challenge her that afternoon.
• Skyla examined Gary’s Lucario, Naganadel, and Gabite in her imagination and declared that they had lost.
• Gary rejected Skyla’s verdict, and the two agreed to settle their disagreement in a real battle.
• Skyla’s Grandfather refereed the three-on-three Gym Battle at Mistralton Gym’s open-air arena, and Skyla threw her first Poké Ball.

Gary and Lucario defeated Skyla’s Swoobat and gained the upper hand against her Unfezant. The battle continued with Unfezant down after Lucario’s barrage of punches.

• Gary sent out Lucario, which dodged Swoobat’s attacks and defeated it with Aura Sphere and Dragon Pulse.
• Skyla sent out Unfezant as her second Pokémon.
• Lucario dodged Unfezant’s Air Cutter and countered with Bone Rush, but Unfezant escaped using Agility.
• Unfezant pushed Lucario back with Razor Wind, then charged with Brave Bird.
• Lucario blocked Brave Bird with Protect and knocked Unfezant away with a barrage of Bullet Punches.

Gary defeated Skyla in their Gym battle, winning the Jet Badge and helping her recognize that real battles offered more than imagined ones. The chapter ended with Skyla grateful to Gary for rekindling her excitement for Pokémon battling.

• Gary's Lucario defeated Skyla's Unfezant with Flash Cannon.
• Skyla sent out Swanna for the final match, and Gary answered with Naganadel.
• Gary's Naganadel overcame Swanna's attacks and knocked it out with Draco Meteor.
• Skyla admitted that real battles had restored her excitement, and Gary accepted the Jet Badge from her.
• Skyla's Grandfather, Gary, Rosa, and Hilda shared a laugh as Skyla thanked Gary.

Gary, Rosa, and Hilda declined to join Mistralton City's Wishing Bell Festival, then Trip challenged Gary to a rematch. The next morning, Gary agreed to a six-on-six battle and opened with Naganadel.

• Rosa explained that she had once won the Wishing Bell Festival and wished for a Meloetta, but the wish had not come true.
• Gary, Rosa, and Hilda decided not to participate in the upcoming festival and continued sightseeing around Mistralton City.
• Trip stopped them and challenged Gary, who refused before agreeing to battle him the next morning so Trip would stop pestering them.
• Gary and Trip met at the Pokémon Center the next morning for a six-on-six battle, with Rosa as referee.
• Gary sent out Naganadel first, and Trip prepared to send out his opening Pokémon.

Gary’s Naganadel dominated Trip’s first three Pokémon in their battle, defeating Unfezant, Frillish, and Conkeldurr. Trip sent out Chandelure as his fourth Pokémon, but its Flamethrower was overwhelmed by Naganadel’s Dragon Pulse, leaving it in danger.

• Trip sent out his level 37 Unfezant, but Naganadel defeated it with Dragon Pulse.
• Trip’s level 36 Frillish tried Water Gun and Dark Pulse, but Naganadel’s Thunderbolt knocked it out.
• Trip sent out his level 35 Conkeldurr, whose Bulk Up, Rock Slide, and Hyper Beam failed to stop Naganadel’s Dragon Pulse.
• Trip sent out his level 38 Chandelure and ordered Flamethrower, but Naganadel’s Dragon Pulse overwhelmed the attack and continued toward Chandelure.

Gary's Naganadel defeated Trip's Chandelure and Servine, extending its winning streak and leaving Trip to concede before sending out his final Pokémon. Gary, Rosa, and Hilda then left the Pokémon Center to continue exploring Mistralton City.

• Trip's Chandelure dodged Naganadel's Dragon Pulse with Minimize, but Gary's Naganadel defeated it with Thunderbolt.
• Trip sent out Servine, which Naganadel wore down with Flamethrower and Air Cutter before catching its Leaf Blade and knocking it out with Poison Jab.
• After the spectators remarked on Gary's victory, Trip conceded and left the battlefield without using his final Pokémon.
• Rosa and Hilda commented on Trip's defeat, and Gary led them out of the Pokémon Center to continue sightseeing in Mistralton City.

Gary declined Don George’s East George Battle invitation and continued toward Icirrus City with Rosa and Hilda. They camped by a waterfall with Gym Leader Brycen and his Beartic, and Gary agreed to visit Brycen’s Gym for a challenge.

• Gary told Rosa he declined the East George Battle because it would not help train Naganadel and his other Pokémon.
• Gary, Rosa, and Hilda reached a mountain near Icirrus City at dusk and chose to camp beside a waterfall.
• The group encountered Brycen and his Beartic training by the waterfall, and Rosa and Hilda greeted the Gym Leader.
• Brycen recognized Gary as the Lily of the Valley Conference champion, and Gary praised Brycen’s past film career.
• Brycen invited the travelers to camp with him, and Gary prepared a lavish dinner in return.
• Brycen told Gary he would be waiting for him at Icirrus Gym, and Gary agreed to come challenge him.

Gary began his Icirrus Gym Challenge against Brycen and defeated Vanillish with Gabite. Brycen sent out Beartic next, and the two Pokémon faced off as the battle continued.

• Gary arrived at Icirrus Gym with Rosa and Hilda, then took his place against Brycen while they watched from the stands.
• Brycen opened the three-Pokémon battle with Vanillish, and Gary chose Gabite despite its Ice-type disadvantage.
• Gabite broke through Vanillish’s attacks, trapped it with Sand Tomb, and knocked it out with Flamethrower.
• Brycen sent out Beartic, and Gary kept Gabite in the battle as they began their standoff.