Chapter Summaries

Ash’s Pikachu defeated Regirock and then battled Brandon’s final Pokémon, Regice, as Ash reached match point. Ash and Pikachu unleashed the Steel-type Z-Move Corkscrew Crash, which broke through Regice’s Ice Beam and struck it.

• Pikachu used Quick Attack, Electroweb, and Iron Tail to defeat Regirock, giving Ash match point.
• Brandon sent out Regice, which attacked Pikachu with Ice Beam and Blizzard.
• Pikachu slid across the frozen field but struggled to get close to Regice.
• Ash replaced Pikashunium Z with Steelium Z and coordinated with Pikachu to use a new Z-Move.
• Pikachu’s Corkscrew Crash broke through Regice’s Ice Beam and hit Regice, whose indicator lights went dark.

Ash defeated Brandon and secured the final place in the Master League Top 16, then celebrated with Pikachu as the sixteen advancing competitors were announced. The chapter ended with Ash named last on the list and the crowd chanting for him.

• Ash's Pikachu defeated Regice, earning Ash the victory over Brandon and a place in the Top 16.
• Brandon congratulated Ash and said he planned to catch Regidrago before challenging him again next year.
• Steven, Lance, Blue, Red, Cynthia, and Li Wei watched Ash's win and praised his growth.
• Ji Qiu announced that Ash, Professor Kukui, and Li Wei had all advanced from Alola.
• Ji Qiu introduced the sixteen Top 16 competitors, naming Ash last as Manalo Stadium chanted his name.

Li Wei and Cynthia hosted a celebration banquet at their Seaside Villa for Professor Kukui, Ash, and Roland after they reached the Master League Top 16. The guests enjoyed a meal together before preparing to leave for Galar, where the opening ceremony would take place the next evening.

• Li Wei, Brock, and Mallow prepared Alolan and regional dishes while Cynthia, Roland, and the other guests gathered at the villa.
• Li Wei raised a toast to Professor Kukui, Ash, and Roland, and the guests congratulated them on reaching the Master League Top 16.
• The guests praised Mallow's Mirage Alolan Cream Stew and shared their favorite dishes at the banquet.
• Lillie and the others planned to travel to Galar together for the opening ceremony the next evening and the tournament starting the day after.

Li Wei and the other Masters arrived in Hammerlocke for the Fourth Master League, where sixteen competitors would battle for a place in the Top 8. At the opening ceremony, the competitors were introduced, and Li Wei made his entrance as one of last year’s Semi-Finalists.

• Red, Blue, Li Wei, and the Aether Foundation group arrived in the Galar Region, where Lusamine had arranged accommodations for Kiawe, Mallow, and the others.
• Li Wei and Cynthia chose to stay at Cynthia’s Hammerlocke city-center villa, while Roland headed to the Budew Hotel to use its battle facilities.
• Li Wei’s Lucario and Cynthia’s Lucario renewed their rivalry and looked forward to battling each other this year.
• The Master League opening ceremony began at Hammerlocke Stadium, and Ash, Iris, Roland, Diantha, Wallace, Raihan, Lorelei, Mustard, Lance, Leon, and the other competitors entered.
• Li Wei stepped into the spotlight with Lucario and Zeraora beside him as the ceremony introduced the previous tournament’s four Semi-Finalists.

The Master League Top 16 opening ceremony took place in Hammerlocke Stadium, and Bai'an announced the rules and first-round draw. The competitors prepared for their matchups, including Li Wei’s opening battle against Iris.

• Li Wei, Cynthia, Blue, and Red entered the stadium as the sixteen Master League competitors gathered for the opening ceremony.
• Bai'an announced that the tournament would use a points-based round robin, with three points needed to reach the Top 8 and an avoidance rule preventing repeat matchups before then.
• The draw paired Li Wei with Iris, Professor Kukui with Red, Blue with Diantha, Leon with Lorelei, Cynthia with Raihan, Steven with Roland, Lance with Mustard, and Wallace with Ash.
• Iris celebrated her matchup with Li Wei, who encouraged her to give the battle everything she had.
• Professor Kukui reacted with alarm at drawing Red, while Li Wei offered condolences and Kukui insisted he had not been eliminated yet.
• Diantha asked Blue to go easy on her, Lorelei considered her chances against Leon, and Steven told Roland she would meet his new partner.

Li Wei defeated Iris six to zero in the Master League’s opening match at Hammerlocke Stadium. Iris left the Competitor Tunnel determined to grow stronger, and Li Wei encouraged her by telling her that the future was hers.

• Nessa predicted Li Wei would win as Li Wei and Iris prepared for the Master League’s opening match.
• Iris’s Salamence fell to Li Wei’s Alolan Ninetales, and Sirfetch'd defeated her Aggron.
• Li Wei’s Zeraora knocked out Iris’s Lapras, then Silver Metagross defeated her Hydreigon.
• Iris Dynamaxed Dragonite, but Li Wei Mega Evolved Diancie and defeated it after its Dynamax ended.
• Mega Diancie defeated Iris’s Haxorus, completing Li Wei’s six-to-zero victory.
• Iris told Li Wei she would keep working to get stronger, and Li Wei encouraged her by saying the future was hers.

Red defeated Professor Kukui 6-1, and Blue defeated Diantha by the same score as the tournament’s headline matches showcased their strength. Leon and Lorelei’s battle remained unresolved as their Gigantamax Pokémon clashed in a storm of ice and fire.

• Professor Kukui battled Red with Incineroar, then sent out his remaining Pokémon as Red defeated them one by one.
• Professor Kukui’s Kommo-o nearly turned the match around against Snorlax, but Red switched in Pikachu, which finished Kommo-o and secured Red’s 6-1 victory.
• Blue defeated Diantha 6-1 after Mega Blastoise knocked out her Mega Gardevoir with Rain Dance and Water Pulse.
• Leon and Lorelei battled as Lorelei set up Aurora Veil and Leon used Trick Room amid frequent switches.
• Lorelei Gigantamaxed Lapras and Leon Gigantamaxed Charizard, then their G-Max Resonance and G-Max Wildfire collided, filling the field with steam as the match’s outcome remained unknown.

Ash faced Wallace in the final match of the first round, sending out Melmetal against Wallace's Walrein. Melmetal broke through Walrein's Yawn and Blizzard, but Wallace prepared Sheer Cold as Melmetal closed in.

• Leon defeated Lorelei after their Gigantamax Pokémon knocked each other out, leaving Leon the match winner, 6-3.
• Cynthia defeated Raihan, Steven defeated Roland, and Mustard narrowly defeated Lance after their battle reached 5-5.
• Ash spoke with Lance before heading into his match against Wallace, while the other competitors discussed Ash's varied battle options and Wallace's Mega Evolution-capable Pokémon.
• Ash and Wallace began their match with Melmetal and Walrein, respectively.
• Ash had Melmetal use Double Iron Bash and Thunder Punch to burst Walrein's Yawn bubble before it could reach him.
• Wallace had Walrein use Blizzard to slow Melmetal, then prepared Sheer Cold as Melmetal pushed close.

Ash defeated Wallace’s Walrein with Melmetal, then sent Pidgeot against Ludicolo as Wallace used Rain Dance to boost its speed and Surf. Pidgeot charged into the towering wave with U-turn and vanished inside it, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Wallace’s Walrein attacked Melmetal with Sheer Cold, but Ash had Melmetal use Earthquake to raise rocks that blocked most of the beam.
• Melmetal struck Walrein with a super-effective Thunder Punch, and the referee declared Walrein unable to battle.
• Wallace sent out Ludicolo, and Ash chose Pidgeot for the next round.
• Wallace used Rain Dance to activate Ludicolo’s Swift Swim, then had it attack Pidgeot with a rain-boosted Surf.
• Ash ordered Pidgeot to use U-turn and charge into the wave, and Pidgeot disappeared inside the wall of water.

Ash used Pidgeot’s U-turn to bring Greninja into the rain, and the two fought Wallace’s Ludicolo in a close battle. Greninja transformed into Ash-Greninja and defeated Ludicolo with a surprise Aerial Ace, leaving Ash the victor.

• Ash used Pidgeot’s U-turn to strike Ludicolo and switch Greninja into the rainy battlefield.
• Greninja dodged Ludicolo’s attacks, used Ice Beam to freeze its Surf, and closed in on its opponent.
• Ash and Greninja’s bond activated, transforming Greninja into Ash-Greninja.
• Ash-Greninja and Ludicolo raised opposing Surf waves, then Greninja broke through the waves with Aerial Ace as Ludicolo struck it with Focus Blast.
• Ludicolo was knocked out, and the referee declared Greninja the winner.

Ash’s Greninja defeated Wallace’s Ludicolo, but Wallace’s Starmie used Thunder in the final moments of the rain to knock Greninja out. With Ash still leading 2-1, he prepared his next Pokémon while saving Pikachu for Wallace’s Milotic.

• Greninja defeated Ludicolo, and Wallace praised Ash’s tactical victory before sending out Starmie.
• Wallace used Starmie’s spinning movement and Signal Beam to keep Greninja at a distance while the rain began to fade.
• Ash had Greninja raise Surf, and Wallace timed Starmie’s Thunder to strike through the water just before the rain ended.
• Greninja lost his bond form and was ruled unable to battle, narrowing Ash’s lead to 2-1.
• Ash held Pikachu back to save its strength for Milotic and sent out another Pokémon against Starmie.

Ash's Sceptile defeated Wallace's Starmie in a risky close-range comeback at Hammerlocke Stadium. Sceptile was badly injured, leaving Ash with a 3-1 lead but one Pokémon effectively out of the battle.

• Ash recalled Greninja and sent out Sceptile to face Wallace's Starmie.
• Starmie trapped Sceptile with Psychic and struck it with super-effective Signal Beam, but Sceptile endured the damage and used Swords Dance.
• Ash spotted that Starmie had to stop moving to fire Signal Beam and ordered Sceptile to charge at the right moment.
• Sceptile dodged the beam at close range and struck Starmie repeatedly with a boosted Dual-Blade Style Leaf Blade.
• The referee declared Starmie unable to battle, and Ash recalled the badly injured Sceptile as the score became 3-1.

Ash’s Snorlax endured Sharpedo’s rapid attacks before breaking through its Hydro Pump with Heavy Slam and following up with Thunder Punch. Snorlax’s sliding technique put Sharpedo in danger, but the battle’s outcome was not shown.

• Wallace recalled Starmie and praised Ash for identifying the weakness in Starmie’s Waltz.
• Wallace sent out Sharpedo while Ash chose Snorlax, which appeared hungry.
• Sharpedo used its speed and Speed Boost to land repeated attacks, while Snorlax endured the damage and recovered with Rest.
• Wallace ordered Sharpedo to use Hydro Pump, and Ash sent Snorlax charging through it with Heavy Slam to crash into Sharpedo.
• Ash ordered Thunder Punch, and Snorlax slid across the wet field to pursue Sharpedo and land two hits despite its attempt to dodge with Aqua Jet.

Ash’s Snorlax defeated Sharpedo with a surprising belly slide and Thunder Punches, extending Ash’s lead over Wallace. Wallace brought Milotic back to summon rain, then sent out Swampert and Mega Evolved it, leaving Pidgeot facing the newly empowered Water-type.

• Snorlax slid across the wet field and knocked out Sharpedo with two Thunder Punches, giving Ash a 4-1 lead.
• Wallace praised Ash’s unpredictable battling, while Ash recalled the exhausted Snorlax and called out Pidgeot.
• Wallace sent out Milotic, and Milotic used Rain Dance to cover the stadium in heavy rain.
• Ash ordered Pidgeot to use Hurricane, but Wallace recalled Milotic and sent out Swampert.
• Wallace Mega Evolved Swampert, whose Swift Swim ability activated in the rain.

Wallace's rain-boosted Mega Swampert defeated Pidgeot and threatened to sweep Ash's team, but Ash sent out his injured Melmetal and used its spinning liquid-metal body to counter Swampert. Melmetal's improvised barrage began landing icy, heavy blows, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Wallace used Rain Dance and Mega Evolved Swampert, which defeated Pidgeot with Ice Beam and Focus Blast.
• The score narrowed to 4-2 as Ash's allies considered how rain-soaked ground might let Pikachu damage Swampert with Electric-type moves.
• Ash sent out his injured Melmetal and ordered it to spin, creating a metal tornado that deflected Swampert's Ice Beam.
• Ash commanded Melmetal to attack with Double Iron Bash and Ice Punch, overwhelming Swampert's defenses and slowing it with icy blows.

Ash used Pikachu to exploit rainwater and puddles to defeat Wallace’s Mega Swampert, despite its speed and Ground-type resistance to Electric attacks. Wallace’s final Pokémon was left to face Ash as the battle continued.

• Wallace exploited Melmetal’s injured shoulder and uneven spin with Earth Power, then defeated it with Focus Blast.
• Ash sent Pikachu onto the field against Mega Swampert, which retained its Swift Swim speed advantage in the rain.
• Ash directed Pikachu through deep puddles to obscure Swampert’s vision and lure it into freezing the water.
• Pikachu spread Electroweb across the wet ground, then used Thunderbolt to conduct electricity through Swampert’s rain-soaked body.
• Pikachu struck the stunned Swampert with Iron Tail, knocking it out and ending its Mega Evolution.

Ash defeated Wallace to win his first-round Master League match, then the round-two draw paired the 1-0 and 0-1 competitors. The chapter ended with the challengers preparing for their next battles, including Cynthia’s younger sister Roland facing Raihan.

• Ash used Pikachu’s 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt to defeat Wallace’s Milotic and enter the 1-0 group.
• The draw paired Li Wei with Leon, Red with Steven, Blue with Cynthia, and Ash with Mustard in the 1-0 group.
• Li Wei felt more confident about facing Leon, while Leon welcomed their rematch.
• The 0-1 group draw paired Iris with Lance, Professor Kukui with Diantha, Lorelei with Wallace, and Raihan with Roland.
• Cynthia encouraged Roland to do her best against Raihan and warned her about his Gigantamax Duraludon.

Li Wei encouraged Roland to prepare for her crucial match while the group gathered for dinner to celebrate Ash’s victory. Ash’s friends cheered him on before his next battle against Master Mustard, and Gladion’s family hoped he would eventually compete in the Master League.

• Mallow told Li Wei she would skip cooking practice because Lusamine had invited everyone to dinner, and Li Wei encouraged Roland to study Raihan for their match.
• Professor Oak said he wanted to discuss Dynamax research with Professor Magnolia, while Blue stayed focused on the Master League.
• At dinner, Mallow and the others laughed at Ash’s belly-slide tactic against Wallace, then discussed Ash’s upcoming match against Master Mustard.
• Lillie, Mallow, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Lana toasted Ash and offered to help him study Mustard after dinner.
• Professor Mohn said Gladion had set out to gain experience with his Zoroark, and Ash and Kiawe promised to compete in the Master League and settle who was stronger.

Lance defeated Iris in their Dragon-type battle at Hammerlocke Stadium, leaving her 0-2 and one loss away from elimination. In the Competitor Tunnel, he encouraged her to keep fighting, while Professor Kukui and Diantha headed toward their next battles.

• Lance opened with Gyarados against Iris's Hydreigon, and Gyarados defeated it to win the first point.
• Druddigon and Aerodactyl knocked each other out, then Iris's Salamence defeated Gyarados before Lance's Dragonite defeated Salamence.
• Iris's Dragonite faced Lance's Mega Dragonite, which endured her Dragon-type Z-Move and won the showdown.
• Mega Dragonite took Lapras down with Thunder Punch, and Salamence defeated Iris's Aggron with Fire Blast.
• Iris's Haxorus defeated one of Lance's Pokémon, but Lance's Hydreigon finished off the exhausted Haxorus and secured his victory.
• Lance comforted Iris in the Competitor Tunnel and urged her not to lose heart as Professor Kukui and Diantha continued toward their command platforms.

Professor Kukui and Champion Diantha fought a close battle in Hammerlocke Stadium, where Diantha’s Mega Gardevoir defeated Kukui’s exhausted Incineroar. The match left the contest tied 1-1, and Kukui promised to win his next match.

• Winona noted that Incineroar had defeated Diantha’s Goodra with Malicious Moonsault, while Diantha still had Gardevoir’s Mega Evolution.
• Diantha Mega Evolved Gardevoir and sent it against Kukui’s worn-out Incineroar.
• Mega Gardevoir overwhelmed Incineroar’s Darkest Lariat with Moonblast, then knocked it out with Dazzling Gleam.
• The referee declared Diantha the winner, tying the contest at 1-1.
• Kukui thanked Incineroar, shook hands with Diantha, and promised Burnet that he would win his next match.