Recaps

Roy graduated from Bruno's dojo and left for Dragapult, while Marshadow prepared to carry Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire to Ecruteak City. The dojo apprentices celebrated Roy's departure until Bruno revealed he had brought in more Pokémon to chase them during training.

• Roy kept Marshadow's presence in his shadow secret from Gengar by giving it Pokéblocks and Shaderoot Carrots, and Marshadow prepared to travel to Alola at Ho-Oh's request.
• Roy hugged the dojo apprentices goodbye, encouraged Maylene to keep working hard, and left atop Dragapult.
• Maylene reflected on how much she still had to learn before she could inherit the Veilstone Gym, while Lucario tried to cheer her up.
• Bruno told the apprentices that Arbok had left with Roy, then revealed he had borrowed Arbok, Seviper, and Sandaconda for their morning training.
• Bruno released an enormous Onix, leaving the apprentices to curse Roy for having left them with new Pokémon to chase them.

Roy visited the Joy family, where Lucario eagerly ate his Pokéblocks and grew noticeably fatter. He waited for Joy Lando after Joy Lena passed her Advanced Breeder assessment, but Lando greeted him with irritated helplessness.

• Roy returned to the Joy family after becoming its youngest Top-level Breeder, though he remained frustrated that he could not make Master-level Pokéblocks.
• Lucario ate Roy’s Pokéblocks and honey-sweetened Moomoo Milk, continuing to rely on food instead of training and growing much fatter.
• Roy asked Lucario whether Joy Lando was home, then followed him into the estate after the entrance scanner failed to recognize Lucario’s face.
• Roy waited outside the assessment room while Joy Lena passed her Advanced Breeder assessment and walked past him without speaking.
• Joy Lando came out in a good mood about Lena’s achievement, but her expression fell when Roy asked what she would assess him on.

Joy Lando recalled how Roy's Pokéblocks had outmatched her own and graduated him as a Top-level Breeder, giving him a Joy family card before he left. After Roy departed, she negotiated with his overweight Lucario to get him to start exercising.

• A month after Roy made Pokéblocks for the Dragon Clan, the clan ordered a year's supply from Joy Lando and told her that Roy's earlier batch had been better than hers.
• Joy Lando realized Roy had surpassed her as a Breeder and noticed that her Lucario had grown fat and would only eat Roy's Pokéblocks.
• Joy Lando graduated Roy, gave him a card for treatment at Pokémon Centers, and told him to return to the Joy family for a Master-level Breeder assessment.
• Roy rode Dragapult away, while Lucario chased after him and then became listless at the Joy family.
• Joy Lando offered Lucario sweets twice a week if he would lose weight, and Lucario got up to follow her after she agreed to two treats.

Roy visited Saffron City's Ring Arena and learned that Lance and Lorelei were holding an exhibition match there. As the crowd watched the two Elite Four members take their positions, Roy prepared to see their battle.

• Roy mailed four batches of Ghost-type Pokéblocks to Iono, Erika, Phoebe, and Cynthia in different regions.
• Roy found the Ring Arena packed with spectators and entered through a back door with help from a staff member.
• Nurse Joy told Roy that Dragon-type Elite Four Lance and Ice-type Elite Four Lorelei were holding an exhibition match.
• Roy watched the broadcast show Lance wearing a Key Stone and a Dynamax Band, while Lorelei wore a Key Stone bracelet for Mega Evolution.
• Lance and Lorelei appeared on screen, and the spectators in the waiting room cheered for them.

Lance and Lorelei began an exhibition match at the Arena, where Lorelei's Abomasnow unleashed a powerful hailstorm. The organizers opened a vote on who would win, and Roy voted for Lorelei while the match drew a large livestream audience.

• Lance sent out his red Shiny Gyarados, and Lorelei chose Abomasnow for the exhibition match.
• Abomasnow covered the Arena in hail, but Gyarados barely seemed affected by it.
• The organizers opened a vote, and spectators favored Lorelei while competitors favored Lance.
• Roy voted for Lorelei because he supported the bigger one.
• The organizers started a livestream and online poll, drawing viewers who lamented that they could not see the Elite Four in person.

Lance and Lorelei Mega Evolved their Pokémon and fought to a draw in an exhibition battle at Saffron Battle Arena. After they recalled their Pokémon, the arena announced that two Advanced Division contestants would be drawn to face the Elite Four members in 1v1 exhibition battles.

• Lance Mega Evolved Gyarados, while Lorelei Mega Evolved Abomasnow and intensified the Hail over the arena.
• Mega Gyarados and Mega Abomasnow traded attacks, including Flamethrower, Blizzard, Iron Tail, and Wood Hammer.
• Mega Abomasnow used Ingrain to restore its stamina but became rooted in place as the battle continued.
• Lance and Lorelei recalled their Pokémon after their exhibition battle ended in a draw.
• Saffron Battle Arena announced that it would draw two Advanced Division contestants to battle Lance and Lorelei in 1v1 exhibitions.

Roy was selected to battle Elite Four Lance at the Saffron City Arena, and Lance proposed moving their match to the Dynamax Battle Field. Roy agreed, and the chapter ended as they headed to the field while Agatha watched the livestream with a bad feeling.

• Lance drew contestant number 99, revealing Roy as his opponent and prompting cheers from the Arena audience.
• Lorelei told Lance that Roy was Agatha's disciple, and Lance remembered Clair's battered training dummy labeled with Roy's name.
• Roy declared that he would clear the name of Ghost-type Trainers, then Lance requested a Dynamax battle at the nearby Dynamax Arena.
• Roy accepted Lance's proposal, and the organizers arranged for the audience to watch the match on the Arena's giant screens.
• Lance rode Charizard to the Dynamax Battle Field while Roy followed on Dragapult, and Agatha tuned in to the livestream, fearing Roy would cause trouble.

Lance and Roy began their Dynamax Arena battle as Lance transformed Gyarados into a towering Dynamax Pokémon. Roy sent out Ancient Gengar and secretly activated the Wishing Star concealed in his pocket watch, leaving the battle poised for his next move.

• Lance and Roy rode Charizard and Dragapult into the Dynamax Arena, where Lorelei watched from the stands to see a Dynamax Battle.
• Lance sent out his injured Gyarados and used his Dynamax Band to make it grow to roughly fifty meters long.
• Roy chose Ancient Gengar to face Gyarados, keeping Agatha's Gengar hidden because Lance might recognize it.
• Roy opened his custom pocket watch and channeled Ghost Power into its concealed Wishing Star, making its markings glow as its hands spun to twelve o'clock.

Roy revealed that he could Dynamax and sent out a Shiny Gigantamax Gengar to face Lance’s Dynamax Gyarados. The enormous Gengar stunned the Saffron City Arena audience and livestream viewers, including Trainers from Galar, who had never seen a Shiny Gigantamax Gengar.

• Lance noticed Roy’s enlarged Poké Ball and realized Roy could Dynamax a Pokémon too.
• Roy threw his Poké Ball, and Gigantamax Gengar emerged from a shadow in the arena floor.
• Gigantamax Gengar dwarfed Dynamax Gyarados, and its abyssal mouth swallowed a livestream Drone, cutting its feed to darkness.
• The arena audience and livestream viewers were shocked by the unfamiliar Pokémon and its ominous appearance.
• Galar Trainers identified Roy’s Pokémon as Gigantamax Gengar and learned it was Shiny.

Allister watched Roy’s Gigantamax Gengar and found a way to help promote Ghost-type Pokémon by opening a Gym in Stow-on-Side. Meanwhile, Roy and Lance began their Dynamax battle, which left Dynamax Gyarados protected by Max Guard as rain and Electric Terrain covered the arena.

• Allister watched Roy’s livestream, joined the Little Litwick Fan Group, and introduced its members to his Ghost-type Pokémon.
• After the group welcomed his Pokémon, Allister briefly removed his mask and told the members he wanted to promote Ghost-type Pokémon.
• May suggested that Allister open a Gym, and he decided to establish a Ghost-type Gym with a Dynamax Battle Field in Stow-on-Side.
• At the Dynamax Arena, Roy and Lance ordered Gigantamax Gengar and Dynamax Gyarados to use Max Lightning and Max Geyser.
• Gigantamax Gengar swallowed Max Geyser, then brought rain and Electric Terrain to the field with Max Lightning.
• Lance ordered Dynamax Gyarados to use Max Guard, blocking the lightning but preventing Gyarados from using the move again for a while.

Roy’s Gigantamax Gengar battled Lance’s injured Dynamax Gyarados, using Max Lightning and G-Max Terror before the two transformed Pokémon returned to normal. Gyarados ultimately defeated Ancient Gengar, leaving Lance relieved and impressed by Roy’s powerful moves.

• Roy ordered Gigantamax Gengar to strike Dynamax Gyarados with another Max Lightning, while Lance answered with Max Darkness.
• Roy had Gigantamax Gengar use G-Max Terror, sending ghostly figures from its maw to swarm and restrain Gyarados.
• As their transformations ended, Gengar recalled the figures, and both Pokémon returned to normal.
• Ancient Gengar attacked with Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, but Gyarados charged through the Shadow Ball and bit Gengar with Crunch.
• Ancient Gengar struck Gyarados with Thunder Punch, but Gyarados retaliated with Iron Tail and knocked Gengar out.
• Lance recalled his battered Gyarados and reflected that Roy’s Gengar had used moves with power rivaling those of a High-level Elite Four Pokémon.

After Roy lost to Lance and Lorelei defeated her opponent, the Elite Four members visited the Advanced Division waiting room. Lance greeted Roy and offered to help him become a Pokémon League inspector, but his interruption cost Roy the chance to speak with Lorelei before she left.

• The host ended Roy and Lance's battle, and Roy recalled Ancient Gengar while Lance worried about explaining his loss to his family.
• Lorelei defeated a Mid-tier Elite Four-level Blastoise with Cloyster, and her opponent celebrated being defeated by her.
• Lance and Lorelei visited the Advanced Division waiting room, where Lance greeted contestants while Roy returned after earning nearly seven million Popularity Points.
• Lance mistook Roy's outstretched hand for a greeting meant for him, shook it, praised Gigantamax Gengar, and offered to help Roy become a Pokémon League inspector.
• Roy learned that Lorelei had left the Arena after waiting for him, and Miss Joy said Lorelei had seemed to have something to tell him.

After his battle with Lance, Roy traveled to Lavender Town to meet Agatha and encountered a specter near Pokémon Tower. Agatha questioned his Ancient Gengar’s Gigantamax ability, and Roy blamed Professor Oak, whom Agatha accepted as the explanation.

• Lance received a new mission and flew toward Celadon City with Charizard.
• Roy left the Saffron City Arena after training and flew to Lavender Town with Dragapult.
• A specter attacked Roy near Pokémon Tower, and Lampent burned it to ash.
• Mismagius dragged Gengar from Roy’s shadow and beat him for failing to relieve her.
• Agatha considered the power of Ancient Gengar’s G-Max Terror and handed Roy a chance to explain its Gigantamax ability.
• Roy claimed Professor Oak had taught him, and Agatha accepted the explanation.

Roy left Lavender Town for Hoenn so Lampent could complete its final evolution at Mt. Pyre, planning to take Agatha’s Battle Frontier test afterward. After the ship to Hoenn had already departed, he stayed in Vermilion City and encountered Rumika arguing over a Pokémon Center room.

• Roy asked Agatha to let him return to Hoenn before attempting her Battle Frontier test, and Agatha agreed.
• Agatha kept Gengar, Mismagius, and Arbok in Lavender Town to guard the Spirit World entrance, while Roy gave her more than a hundred boxes of Ghost-type Pokéblocks.
• Roy left Lavender Town on Dragapult and reached Vermilion City too late to catch the ship to Hoenn.
• At the Vermilion City Pokémon Center, Roy saw Rumika and Butler Lu arguing with Nurse Joy about staying in a reserved room.

Roy used a pink card from Joy Lando to secure the Pokémon Center’s top-floor room, angering Rumika, who had been demanding it. He settled in and discovered its sweeping sunset view over Vermilion City harbor.

• Rumika insisted on taking the top-floor room, but Miss Joy refused, and her butler stopped her from threatening the front desk attendant.
• Roy presented his ID Card, dropped the pink card Joy Lando had given him, and handed it to Miss Joy when she asked to see it.
• Miss Joy recognized the card and had Chansey assign Roy the top-floor room, prompting Rumika to return and demand an explanation.
• Rumika confronted Roy, who introduced himself as Wallace, young chief of the Sootopolis People, before her butler coaxed her out of the Pokémon Center.
• Roy entered the room and admired the sunset and harbor view through its enormous window, while Snorunt enjoyed the scenery.

Roy went to challenge Vermilion Gym but learned that challenging Lt. Surge directly required an Elite Four-level Trainer Qualification Certificate. After Ancient Gengar revealed its power, Lt. Surge accepted Roy’s challenge despite the late hour.

• Roy left the Pokémon Center and found Vermilion Gym after Joy directed him there.
• The Gym apprentices told Roy he needed an appointment to challenge the Gym and a qualification certificate to challenge Lt. Surge directly.
• Roy admitted he did not have the certificate, and an apprentice said he would need to return after obtaining one.
• Lt. Surge arrived and asked Roy to release his Pokémon so he could judge Roy’s strength.
• Ancient Gengar emerged from Roy’s shadow and displayed Elite Four-level power, prompting Lt. Surge to accept the challenge.

Roy challenged Lt. Surge for the Orange Badge at the Vermilion City Gym, choosing the highest difficulty, where only a victory counted. Dragapult gained momentum against Raichu, and the chapter ended with Dragapult emerging from the shadows after completing Dragon Dance.

• Lt. Surge brought Roy into the Vermilion City Gym, where he placed the Orange Badge on a table and explained the challenge.
• The referee announced that Roy had chosen the Gym's highest difficulty and that he had to win the one-on-one battle to earn the Badge.
• Roy sent out Dragapult, and Lt. Surge recognized that it had reached Mid-tier Elite Four level.
• Dragapult interrupted Raichu's Nasty Plot with Shadow Ball while its Dreepy distracted Raichu.
• Raichu's Thunderbolt struck a Substitute as Dragapult used Phantom Force to slip into the shadows and finish Dragon Dance.
• Dragapult reappeared with its speed and attack power increased, and its aura surged.

Roy’s boosted Dragapult outmaneuvered Lt. Surge’s Raichu, wearing it down with evasive attacks and a coordinated Dragon Darts strike. Dragapult’s Dragon Ascent sent Raichu crashing across the Gym Arena, but Raichu got back up, leaving Lt. Surge preparing to use a powerful move.

• Lt. Surge had Raichu set up Electric Terrain to sense Dragapult, while Roy kept Dragapult at range and used Phantom Force to evade attacks.
• Roy had Dragapult use Dragon Darts; the two Dreepy pierced Raichu’s Protect barrier in sequence and struck it.
• Raichu used Agility, and Roy had Dragapult match it, preserving Dragapult’s speed advantage.
• Roy commanded Dragapult to use Dragon God Dive, which was actually Dragon Ascent, and it overwhelmed Raichu’s Iron Tail and hurled it across the Arena.
• Raichu struggled back to its feet, and Lt. Surge decided he had to use a powerful move.

Roy defeated Lt. Surge’s Raichu with Dragapult and earned the Orange Badge. After Roy asked about Team Rocket, Lt. Surge denied knowing anything, but his reaction convinced Roy that he worked for Giovanni.

• Lt. Surge’s Raichu trapped Dragapult in Thunder Prison and paralyzed him, then unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt barrage.
• Dragapult’s paralysis wore off, and he dodged most of Raichu’s attacks before being hit by one bolt.
• After Raichu exhausted himself, Dragapult used Phantom Force to knock him out and win the battle for Roy.
• Lt. Surge gave Roy the Orange Badge and learned that Dragapult was a Ghost- and Dragon-type Pokémon.
• Roy asked Lt. Surge about Team Rocket, and Lt. Surge denied their presence in Vermilion City, confirming Roy’s suspicion that he was one of Giovanni’s men.

Lt. Surge photographed Roy and sent the images to Giovanni, who recognized Roy and learned that he had defeated Raichu to earn Vermilion Gym’s highest-difficulty Badge. Giovanni then learned that a Pokémon League prosecutor had returned with a group to inspect the Celadon Game Corner and might have discovered Team Rocket’s underground headquarters, so he went to confront him.

• Ancient Gengar spotted Lt. Surge secretly photographing Roy and told Roy about it.
• Lt. Surge sent Roy’s photo and ID Card to Giovanni, who recognized him and recalled their past encounters.
• Giovanni learned that Roy had defeated Lt. Surge’s Raichu and obtained the highest-difficulty Gym Badge, and wondered why Roy had never visited him.
• Matori told Giovanni that a Pokémon League prosecutor had arrived with other prosecutors to inspect the Celadon Game Corner and might know about the underground headquarters.
• Giovanni put on the Key Stone bracelet Roy had given him, sent Lt. Surge another message, and left with Persian to confront the prosecutor.

Lance led League Prosecutors to search the Celadon Game Corner, but Giovanni confronted him with Mega Beedrill until the Pokémon League ordered Lance to withdraw. Giovanni then decided to leak information about Team Rocket’s Johto bases to keep Lance occupied while he waited to take control of the weakened branch.

• Lance arrived at the Celadon Game Corner with prosecutors and demanded to search for Team Rocket members, while Lambda tried to block him.
• Giovanni emerged and challenged Lance to provide evidence, warning him against accusing a Gym Leader without proof.
• Lance and Giovanni prepared to fight with Mega Charizard Y and Mega Beedrill, but the Pokémon League repeatedly ordered Lance to withdraw.
• After Lance left, Giovanni praised Lambda and decided to draw the prosecutors into Team Rocket’s infighting in Johto.
• Giovanni ordered Matori to leak the Johto base locations and research reports to Lance, then returned underground with Persian.

Lt. Surge received Giovanni’s order to leave Roy alone, while Roy returned to the Pokémon Center after defeating Surge and receiving a marked Vermilion Badge. Joy and Chansey continued to wonder whether Roy was an inspector from their family.

• Giovanni ordered Lt. Surge not to investigate or touch Roy and to cancel Team Rocket operations in Vermilion City for a week.
• Roy returned to the Pokémon Center and passed Surge’s apprentice, who respectfully addressed him as an Elite Four member.
• Roy realized Joy and Chansey had mistaken him for a family inspector, and he played along instead of correcting them.
• Joy and Chansey examined Roy’s unusually bright, heavy Orange Badge with an S engraved on it before returning it to him.
• Joy healed Dragapult and gave Roy its Poké Ball, then wondered with Chansey why the family had not warned her about an inspector’s visit.

Roy left Vermilion City for Hoenn aboard the S.S. Anne, where he met Researcher Sakuragi, who was traveling to Johto for the final step toward earning his Professor title. The two continued discussing Pokémon research while they waited for the ship to arrive.

• Roy woke up at the Pokémon Center, recalled his Pokémon, and thanked Joy for the comfortable stay.
• Roy bought a ticket for the S.S. Anne and waited at Vermilion City's harbor, where he spotted Mina painting.
• Professor Sakuragi said goodbye to Yoshino, Clair, and Sota at the harbor before recognizing Roy.
• Professor Sakuragi explained that Professor Oak had mentioned Roy's contribution of artifacts in a journal, which was how he knew Roy's name.
• Roy learned that Professor Sakuragi was traveling to Johto aboard the same ship, and the two talked about Pokémon knowledge and research.

Roy boarded the S.S. Anne with Professor Sakuragi and discovered that the ship’s crew and anglers knew him from his battle broadcast and fishing legend. Captain Witte asked Roy to investigate unexplained jolts and nightly screams and clangs aboard the ship.

• Roy agreed to let Professor Sakuragi study Ancient Gengar and called him out for examination.
• Roy boarded the S.S. Anne after a crewman recognized him from his battle against Lance, and Professor Sakuragi was shown to the room next door.
• Roy found his portrait in the fishing area and learned that anglers had been catching no fish for days; his own bait was stolen, and Annihilape caught a poisoned fish.
• A pair of beady eyes watched Roy from the water but stayed away from the ship, remembering two powerful Pokémon beneath it.
• Captain Witte told Roy that the S.S. Anne had been jolting to a halt and filling with shrill screams and clanging sounds at night, despite the crew finding nothing suspicious.

Roy investigated the paranormal incidents aboard the S.S. Anne and lured the culprit onto the deck with Ghost-type Pokéblocks. The mysterious presence turned out to be a starving Dhelmise, which began absorbing the Pokéblocks’ energy.

• Roy searched the ship and its hull but found no Ghost-type energy, so he concluded the presence was beneath the sea.
• That night, Roy set Ghost-type Pokéblocks on the darkened deck to attract whatever was causing the incidents.
• A Wailord surfaced nearby and seemed to warn Roy before a massive anchor struck the deck.
• Roy stopped Captain Witte from treating the anchor as a pirate attack and had the remaining lights turned onto the deck.
• The anchor hauled up Dhelmise, whose seaweed absorbed the Pokéblocks and began recovering as it fed.