Recaps

Xinhai won the Rustboro Gym battle, secured Level Two investments from Rustboro Gym and the Joy family, and raised a Sandile from an egg. After preparing for a trip to Petalburg Woods, he and his Pokémon encountered a hostile Swellow.

• Combusken defeated Roxanne’s Geodude and Nosepass, earning Xinhai the Rock Badge and a Level Two investment offer from Rustboro Gym.
• Xinhai chose a Sandile Egg from the Gym’s Leyline Core Incubation Annex, and Roxanne supplied an incubator and resources for raising it.
• Joy Luo upgraded the Joy family’s investment in Xinhai to Level Two, granting him thirty million League Coins and access to the family’s Resource Network.
• With Chatot’s help, Combusken learned the basics of Mirror Move, and Sandile hatched from its egg several days later.
• Xinhai welcomed Sandile onto his team, caught him with a Great Ball, and gave him Black Glasses.
• Xinhai accepted missions to gather Golden Leaf Grass, Beautifly and Dustox scale powder, and Tiny Mushrooms before leaving Rustboro City for Petalburg Woods.
• In Petalburg Woods, Swellow attacked an injured Wurmple near Xinhai’s group, then charged Combusken, and Xinhai ordered Combusken to counter with a curtain of flames.

Xinhai gathered Beautifly and Dustox scales, survived the giant Seviper in Giant Tree Valley, and completed his mission before reaching Petalburg City. After meeting A-Cheng and visiting his village, he trained Combusken and helped Rattata improve, while Zigzagoon found a rare Miracle Seed.

• Xinhai returned the rescued Wurmple to its kind and traded food for Beautifly and Dustox scales before setting out for Giant Tree Valley.
• Xinhai rescued the injured Zigzagoon, found an Everstone and other valuables in its hidden stash, and brought it along as his group sought herbs in the valley.
• Xinhai and his Pokémon escaped the giant Seviper after harvesting herbs, then camped near the valley and treated Zigzagoon.
• Xinhai reached Petalburg City, captured Mightyena as it joined his family, and submitted his mission materials before reading Professor Birch’s paper on Abilities.
• Xinhai visited A-Cheng in Orange East Village, learned about the village’s shared Oran Berry orchard, and joined A-Cheng’s family for a meal.
• Xinhai trained Rattata with Eevee and Mightyena, then challenged Combusken to break a steel wire with repeated kicks.
• Combusken broke the wire and continued training its weaker leg, while Rattata learned Crunch and Zigzagoon found Xinhai a Miracle Seed.

Xinhai investigated the Black Wolf Gang’s extortion and secretly raided its stronghold, prompting the League to launch an assault that ended in a devastating battle with the Matsuba brothers. After returning to Orange East Village, Xinhai trained with A-Cheng and rescued a severely traumatized Feebas, leaving it in Nurse Joy’s care.

• Xinhai learned that the Black Wolf Gang had raised its protection fee in Orange East Village and discovered its ties to the Black Flame Team.
• Xinhai investigated the gang, then used a disguise and his Pokémon to infiltrate its stronghold, incapacitate its members, and take its resources and evidence.
• Night Owl and Officer Jenny responded to the raid, and the League launched an assault on the Black Market after Norman received the evidence.
• Norman and Kato Rin confronted the Black Flame Team’s leaders, Matsuba Taro and Matsuba Jiro, whose Pokémon were overwhelmed by the League’s Lava Storm.
• Matsuba Jiro died and Matsuba Taro succumbed to his wounds, while Xinhai escaped the Black Market and later returned to Orange East Village.
• Xinhai trained with A-Cheng, helped Combusken develop stronger will-powered kicks, and rescued a near-death Feebas from a creek.
• Xinhai brought Feebas to Nurse Joy, who found severe starvation, internal injuries, and psychological trauma, and arranged a week of treatment and monitoring.

Xinhai helped Feebas recover, earned the Balance Badge, and traveled to Dewford Town to train Combusken at its martial arts dojos. After testing his team against local fighters and arranging training at all seven dojos, he evolved Ralts into Kirlia and awakened her Psychic-type Hidden Power.

• Xinhai used Joy Luo’s specialized Indigo Pokéblocks and patient care to help Feebas gradually recover, then took her with him when he left Petalburg City.
• Xinhai defeated Kento’s Linoone, Vigoroth, and Zangoose at the Petalburg Gym, earning the Balance Badge with Ralts, Combusken, and Eevee.
• Xinhai traveled to Dewford Town, where Combusken began training through daily battles at the Kyokushin Karate Dojo and Flowing Water Dojo.
• Combusken defeated Gangdou’s Hariyama at the Goju-ryu Dojo, then fought Brawly’s Combusken to an exhausted draw and injured its leg.
• Xinhai completed training agreements with all seven Dewford Town dojos and planned to awaken Ralts’s Psychic potential alongside her evolution.
• Xinhai brought Ralts to a Psychic Training Room, where she used a Dawn Stone to evolve into Kirlia and demonstrated her newly awakened Psychic-type Hidden Power.