Recaps

Jasmine sent out Lucario after Metagross fell, and Xia You answered with Charizard. Charizard burned Lucario with Flare Blitz and struck it with Air Slash, leaving it badly hurt and unable to dodge as the battle continued.

• Jasmine recalled Metagross and sent out Lucario as her next Pokémon.
• Xia You chose Charizard to face Lucario, and the battle resumed with Charizard’s Flamethrower colliding with Lucario’s Aura Sphere.
• Charizard used Wing Attack, but Lucario used Detect to dodge and grabbed Charizard’s wing to throw it aside.
• Charizard recovered in midair and hit Lucario with Flare Blitz, burning it and sending it crashing to the ground.
• Charizard followed with Air Slash, striking the burned Lucario before it could dodge.

Xia You defeated Jasmine at the Olivine Gym and earned the Mineral Badge. He and Erika then chose to travel by sea to Cianwood City, while Erika acted unusually shy around him.

• Jasmine ordered Lucario to use Close Combat, but Xia You had Charizard dodge its attacks.
• Lucario used Final Gambit, but Charizard flew out of reach and knocked it out with a stream of fire.
• The referee declared Xia You the winner, and Jasmine gave him the Mineral Badge.
• Xia You and Erika exchanged friendly remarks with Jasmine before leaving the Olivine Gym.
• After healing his Pokémon and eating lunch, Xia You let Erika choose their next route, and she picked the sea journey to Cianwood City.
• As they headed to Olivine Pier, Xia You noticed Erika lowered her gaze whenever their eyes met.

Xia You and Erika stopped at Kuga City in the Whirl Islands after learning about a Water-type Pokémon competition, and Xia You entered its preliminary rounds. With the city packed with visitors, they booked the last available hotel suite and had to share a room.

• Xia You and Erika boarded a ship bound for Cianwood City, and Xia You released his seasick Eevee on deck.
• A local old man told Xia You and Erika about the Whirl Islands, their caves and Lugia, and the Water-type Pokémon competition in Kuga City.
• Xia You decided to enter the competition for its prize money and training, while Erika chose not to enter because she had no Water-type Pokémon.
• Xia You and Erika disembarked at Kuga City, where Xia You registered for the competition and found the Pokémon Center and nearby inns fully booked.
• Xia You booked an expensive hotel suite, leaving him and Erika to share a room for the night.

Xia You and Erika scouted the Cup Tournament venue, reunited with Ash, Misty, and Brock, and spent the evening preparing for the preliminaries. The next morning, Xia You, Ash, and Misty entered the contestants’ areas and headed to their assigned arenas as the competition began.

• Xia You and Erika visited the venue and learned that the tournament’s preliminaries would narrow the entrants to sixty-four Main Tournament contestants.
• Xia You reunited with Ash, Misty, and Brock at the arena entrance, and Misty was relieved that she had been assigned to a different arena from Xia You.
• Ash vowed to beat Xia You and win the championship wherever they met in the tournament.
• Xia You treated the group to a seafood dinner, then returned to the hotel with Erika, where they took turns using the shared bathroom and went to sleep.
• The next morning, Erika and Brock watched from the stands while Xia You, Ash, and Misty stacked their hands together and headed to their respective arenas.

Xia You, Ash, and Misty easily won their preliminary battles at the Whirlpool stadium and advanced to the main tournament. After reuniting with Erika and Brock, Xia You celebrated by treating everyone to a barbecue feast.

• Xia You waited at F Stadium while Ash and Misty prepared for their matches at the other stadiums.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise, who quickly defeated the young boy's Poliwag with Tackle and Bite.
• Xia You won his second and third matches, securing his place in the main tournament.
• Ash and Misty returned after advancing successfully, and the three friends agreed that their matches had been easy.
• Xia You met up with Erika and Brock and treated everyone to a barbecue feast.

Xia You, Ash, Misty, and the other Whirl Cup contestants attended the grand opening ceremony, where High Priestess Maya welcomed them and illuminated the arena with the Soul of the Sea. As the tournament began, Xia You focused on winning the title, prize money, and Mystic Water.

• Xia You, Ash, Misty, and the other sixty-one contestants entered the aquatic arena by boat as spectators cheered.
• The announcer introduced Maya as the High Priestess who preserved the Whirl Islands’ traditions and explained that the Whirl Cup would select a Hero of the Sea.
• Maya declared the celebration open and raised her scepter, causing the Soul of the Sea to bathe the stadium in blue light.
• Ash wondered whether the contestants had been blessed, and Misty explained that only the eventual Hero of the Sea would receive the blessing.
• Misty predicted Xia You would win the tournament, while Xia You thought about claiming the prize money and Mystic Water.

Ash faced a young fisherman in his first elimination-round match and struggled against the boy’s powerful Kingdra. Totodile turned Kingdra’s Hydro Pump against it, winning the match and leaving Ash’s next tournament round ahead.

• Ash sent Totodile to battle the young boy’s Kingdra, which overwhelmed Totodile with Twister and Water Gun.
• Kingdra hid underwater in a cloud of ink, while Totodile waited on shore and danced to entertain the crowd.
• The boy ordered Kingdra to surface and use Hydro Pump, and Totodile leaped up and bit down on its snout.
• Totodile held Kingdra’s Hydro Pump inside its body until Ash ordered it to let go, sending Kingdra spinning through the air before it fainted.
• The referee declared Ash the winner, and Xia You and Misty applauded as the audience laughed at the unexpected victory.

Xia You defeated his opponent’s Corsola with Blastoise to advance to the Top 32 of the Whirl Islands Cup. He joined Ash in the lounge to watch Misty’s match, where she faced Hyde and opened with a Corsola of her own.

• The host announced that Xia You was the Indigo Conference champion and an Honorary Pokémon Trainer of the Orange Islands, surprising the audience and his nervous opponent.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise against the teenage boy’s Corsola in a large pool arena.
• Blastoise overwhelmed Corsola and knocked it unconscious, advancing Xia You to the Top 32.
• Xia You went to the lounge and watched Misty’s match with Ash while Misty battled Hyde.
• Misty sent out Corsola against Hyde’s Qwilfish and took the initiative, while Hyde dismissed her chances.

Misty defeated Hyde after Corsola trapped Qwilfish between its horns and struck it with Spike Cannon. Later, Misty, Ash, and Xia You all won their round-of-32 battles and advanced to the final sixteen.

• Hyde had Qwilfish use a charged Pin Missile, but Misty countered with Corsola’s Spike Cannon, and the attacks collided in a series of explosions.
• Hyde ordered Qwilfish to use Tackle while Corsola was down, but Qwilfish became wedged between Corsola’s horns and could not escape.
• Misty took advantage of Qwilfish’s helplessness and had Corsola use Spike Cannon, knocking Qwilfish into a stone pillar and defeating it.
• Misty returned to the lounge, and she, Ash, and Xia You met Erika and Brock before heading back to the battlefield for the round of 32.
• Ash and Misty defeated their opponents with their abilities, while Xia You used Blastoise to decisively defeat a female Trainer; all three advanced to the final sixteen.

Ash and Misty faced each other in the round of sixteen, where their battle reached a one-to-one tie before Psyduck unexpectedly entered the arena. Psyduck’s struggle to swim embarrassed Misty as the match continued.

• Xia You learned that Ash and Misty had been paired against each other in the round of sixteen, then watched their match from the lounge.
• Ash sent out Totodile and Misty sent out Poliwhirl, and Poliwhirl defeated Totodile after a fierce battle.
• Ash sent out Kingler, whose Crabhammer created four whirlpools and let him defeat Poliwhirl to tie the score.
• Misty tried to send out Corsola for the deciding battle, but Psyduck came out on his own and struggled in the water until he climbed onto a stone pillar.
• The broadcast showed Misty’s flushed, embarrassed face as the spectators watched Psyduck’s antics.

Misty defeated Ash when Psyduck’s headache unleashed a powerful Confusion attack that knocked Kingler out. Xia You then began his next tournament battle, where Blastoise faced an elderly trainer’s Tentacruel.

• Ash ordered Kingler to attack Psyduck, and Kingler grabbed Psyduck by the head.
• Psyduck’s pain triggered a Confusion shock wave that knocked Kingler unconscious, giving Misty the win.
• Xia You prepared for his match and recalled how Chloe had reacted when he told her he might use his giant red Gyarados.
• Xia You noticed extra guards around Maya before facing an elderly trainer in the battle area.
• The elderly trainer sent out Tentacruel, which fought Blastoise evenly at first.
• Xia You directed Blastoise to seize an opening and defeat Tentacruel in one blow.

Xia You defeated the old man's Octillery with Blastoise, advancing to the quarterfinals as Ash recovered from his elimination. Before the quarterfinal pairings were checked, Gaomei introduced herself to Misty as her next opponent and expressed excitement about their battle.

• The old man sent out Octillery, but Blastoise pursued it underwater, cleared away its ink with a whirlpool, broke free of its tentacles, and defeated it with Rocket Headbutt.
• Xia You returned to the lounge, where Misty congratulated him and Ash accepted his elimination before joining the group.
• The tournament released the quarterfinal pairings while Xia You and Misty were having lunch.
• Gaomei approached Misty, introduced herself as Misty's next opponent, and praised her battling and Psyduck.
• Gaomei shook Misty's hand and said she looked forward to their match, then turned her intent gaze toward Xia You.

Xia You encouraged Misty before her quarterfinal against Gaomei, then reviewed the tournament bracket and described his powerful Red Gyarados to Erika. He woke from a short nap as the quarterfinals began, while Misty was still away preparing for her match.

• Gaomei told Xia You she hoped to battle him, and he accepted while urging her not to underestimate Misty.
• Misty saw that she was paired with Gaomei in the afternoon’s second match and went to the Practice Room with Ash and Brock to prepare.
• Xia You told Erika he planned to rely on Blastoise and explained how Shirano’s Project R had mutated his Gyarados into a huge, red Pokémon.
• Erika warned Xia You that Azhe was the tournament’s second favorite after him and that Gaomei ranked third.
• Xia You fell asleep in the lounge, and Erika covered him with his jacket and groomed their Pokémon while he rested.
• The competitors returned to the lounge as the quarterfinals began, but Misty had not come back from preparing.

Misty lost her quarterfinal match against Gaomei after her Poliwhirl and Corsola were defeated by Gaomei’s Gyarados and Chinchou. Xia You reassured Misty afterward and invited her to travel with him through the next region, leaving her overjoyed.

• Misty sent out Poliwhirl against Gaomei’s Gyarados, but Gyarados knocked Poliwhirl out with Hyper Beam in one hit.
• Misty’s Corsola exploited Gyarados’s recovery after Hyper Beam, defeating him with Spike Cannon and a collision.
• Gaomei sent out Chinchou, whose Volt Absorb nullified Corsola’s reflected Thunder, and then confused Corsola with Confuse Ray before knocking her out with Thunder Shock.
• The referee declared Gaomei the winner, eliminating Misty in the quarterfinals.
• Xia You met Misty in the competitors’ tunnel, reassured her, and invited her to travel with him through the next region.
• Misty accepted Xia You’s invitation and wiped away her tears.

Xia You defeated a middle-aged Kalos Pokémon Trainer’s Clawitzer and Binacle with his Blastoise, advancing while his opponent left humiliated. The match ended with Xia You walking away without acknowledging the defeated man.

• Xia You entered the arena to loud cheers and faced a well-dressed middle-aged Trainer who sent out a Kalos-native Clawitzer.
• Clawitzer attacked with Dragon Pulse and other moves, but Blastoise blocked its assaults and countered until its Crabhammer struck Blastoise’s Withdraw and left it vulnerable to Rocket Headbutt.
• The middle-aged Trainer sent out Binacle, and Xia You used his Pokédex to learn about the unfamiliar Pokémon before beginning an aggressive attack.
• Blastoise defeated Binacle with a rapid series of Water-type and close-range attacks, giving Xia You a decisive victory.
• The middle-aged Trainer prepared to speak magnanimously, but Xia You recalled Blastoise and walked away without looking back, leaving his opponent humiliated.

After Ash and Misty were eliminated from the Whirl Islands Cup, Xia You advanced to the semifinals and prepared to face Azhe. Meanwhile, Jessie pushed Team Rocket to keep plotting to steal High Priestess Maya’s scepter, and Xia You’s semifinal began with Blastoise facing Azhe’s Quagsire.

• Ash and Misty accepted their losses and stayed with Erika and the others to watch Xia You compete for the Cup Tournament title.
• Xia You realized Team Rocket was missing, while Jessie, James, and Meowth hid in the arena and planned to steal the scepter despite tightened security.
• The semifinal pairings were announced: Gaomei would face a female Pokémon Trainer, and Xia You would face Azhe.
• Xia You and his companions studied Azhe’s battle videos, identifying his Pokémon’s strengths and weaknesses while Azhe and Gaomei lost sleep worrying about their matches.
• Xia You arrived at the arena and began his semifinal against Azhe, who sent out Quagsire to face Blastoise.

Xia You defeated Azhe’s Quagsire in the semifinals’ first battle, then faced Azhe’s Feraligatr with Blastoise. After enduring Feraligatr’s relentless assault, Blastoise exploited a cracked stone pillar to turn the battle around and knock Feraligatr unconscious.

• Xia You’s Blastoise outmatched Quagsire at close range and defeated it after their Aqua Tail clash.
• Xia You spotted Erika, Misty, Ash, and Brock cheering from the stands as Azhe prepared his second Pokémon.
• Azhe sent out Feraligatr, which attacked Blastoise relentlessly and forced it to focus on defense.
• Xia You noticed the stone pillar had cracked and ordered Blastoise to stomp, causing Feraligatr to fall into the water.
• Blastoise struck Feraligatr as it struggled to return to the pillar, then knocked it unconscious with a Tackle.

After Blastoise secured Xia You’s place in the finals, its injuries and exhaustion made Xia You prepare to use his Red Gyarados against Gaomei. The chapter ended with Xia You meeting Gaomei in the waiting room, uneasy about the coming match.

• Blastoise defeated Xia You’s opponents and advanced him to the finals, but its accumulated injuries left it too exhausted to battle again soon.
• At the Pokémon Center, Xia You and his companions watched Gaomei win her match decisively, confirming that she would face him in the final.
• Misty asked Xia You to avenge her loss to Gaomei, while Ash and Misty bickered over their earlier tournament battles.
• Nurse Joy returned Blastoise’s Poké Ball and advised Xia You to let it rest, so Xia You resigned himself to using Red Gyarados.
• Xia You met Gaomei in the waiting room before the final, and she cheerfully reminded him that they would settle their rivalry in the arena.

Xia You faced Gaomei in the Whirl Islands Cup finals, where their three-Pokémon battle began with Blastoise against Chinchou. As Chinchou used its Electric-type advantage, Blastoise lunged toward it through a dangerous field of electricity.

• Xia You asked Gaomei not to hold him responsible for anything unexpected during their battle, but she misunderstood his warning.
• High Priestess Maya blessed the finalists, and Xia You worried that using Suicune would make him famous across Johto.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise while Gaomei opened with Chinchou, her Electric-type Pokémon that had defeated Misty.
• Blastoise's water cannons overwhelmed Chinchou's water attack, so Gaomei ordered Chinchou to gather lightning.
• Blastoise dove into the water to evade Chinchou's bolt, which shattered its stone pillar, and then swam toward Chinchou to attack.
• Chinchou surrounded itself with electricity as Blastoise leaped from the water toward it, putting Blastoise at risk of a severe shock.

Xia You recalled his paralyzed Blastoise and sent out a massive Red Gyarados, stunning the crowd with its roar and appearance. Gaomei’s Chinchou trembled under its intimidating presence, leaving her struggling to make it respond.

• Blastoise struck Chinchou but took heavy damage from its electricity and was paralyzed, so Xia You recalled it before Chinchou could use Thunder Shock.
• Xia You sent out his Red Gyarados for its first public appearance, and its size and roar stunned the spectators and announcer.
• The announcer and crowd questioned why Xia You’s Gyarados was red and so enormous, while Xia You silently understood its unusual power.
• Gaomei felt overwhelmed by Red Gyarados, and her Chinchou trembled in fear despite her repeated commands.

Gaomei's Gyarados faced Xia You's Red Gyarados after Chinchou was too frightened to battle. Red Gyarados brutally overpowered its opponent, then obeyed Xia You's command to stop, while Maya watched them thoughtfully.

• Gaomei recalled her unresponsive Chinchou and sent out her own Gyarados to face Red Gyarados.
• Gaomei's Gyarados recoiled at Red Gyarados's presence but recovered enough to follow her order to dive underwater.
• Xia You sent Red Gyarados underwater, where it rammed Gaomei's Gyarados through stone pillars and pinned it against the arena wall.
• Red Gyarados bit off its opponent's scales and tore into its neck, drawing blood and alarming the audience and High Priestess Maya.
• Xia You snapped his fingers, and Red Gyarados released Gaomei's Gyarados and returned obediently to his side.
• Maya watched Xia You and Red Gyarados thoughtfully as the match ended.

Gaomei sent Poliwrath against Xia You’s Red Gyarados, hoping to stall until Chinchou recovered, but her attacks and Hypnosis had no effect. The spectators debated why Red Gyarados resisted Hypnosis, and Erika suggested it was simply an unusual Pokémon.

• The referee declared Gaomei’s battered Gyarados unable to battle, and Gaomei chose not to send Chinchou back out.
• Gaomei sent Poliwrath into battle while Xia You kept Red Gyarados on the field.
• Poliwrath used Water Gun from a stone pillar, but Red Gyarados ignored the attack and shattered the pillar.
• Poliwrath leaped to another pillar and used Hypnosis, but Red Gyarados remained unaffected.
• Ash asked why Hypnosis failed, and Brock speculated that Gyarados’s anger counteracted it.
• Erika noted that Hypnosis could affect ordinary Gyarados and suggested Xia You’s Red Gyarados was unusually different.

Gaomei’s exhausted Poliwrath was cornered by Xia You’s Red Gyarados, which destroyed the arena’s stone pillars one by one. Poliwrath’s final Double-Edge ended with Red Gyarados biting and spitting it out unconscious, leaving the spectators shaken.

• Gaomei kept Poliwrath attacking with Water Gun, but Red Gyarados ignored the damage and demolished the pillars Poliwrath used to escape.
• Red Gyarados destroyed every pillar on Poliwrath’s side, leaving the exhausted Pokémon trapped on the last one.
• Gaomei refused to surrender and ordered Poliwrath to use Double-Edge against Red Gyarados.
• Red Gyarados caught Poliwrath in its mouth, making the spectators fear it had eaten the Pokémon.
• Red Gyarados spat Poliwrath out whole but bloodied and unconscious, and the crowd calmed down.

Gaomei sent Chinchou against Xia You’s Red Gyarados, hoping Electric-type moves could overcome its size and strength. Chinchou’s Electro Ball struck the Red Gyarados, leaving the result of the attack unresolved.

• After Poliwrath was defeated, Gaomei sent Chinchou out for her final battle and urged it not to meet the Red Gyarados’s gaze.
• Chinchou used piles of rubble to evade the Red Gyarados and landed a weak electric attack that made it pause.
• Misty watched anxiously, torn between cheering for Xia You and worrying about Chinchou.
• Chinchou gathered its strength and hurled an Electro Ball at the pursuing Red Gyarados, striking it with a brilliant flash.

Xia You used Red Gyarados’s Twister to trap Gaomei’s Chinchou in a massive whirlpool, then defeated it with a bite despite its final Discharge. The Whirl Islands Cup ended with Xia You crowned champion.

• Gaomei saw Electro Ball damage Red Gyarados and believed Chinchou could exploit its Electric-type weakness.
• Red Gyarados obeyed Xia You and created a huge whirlpool with Twister, pulling Chinchou toward it.
• Gaomei ordered Chinchou to use Discharge, but Red Gyarados bit down and swallowed it.
• Chinchou stopped struggling, and Xia You had Red Gyarados spit it back into the water.
• The host announced Xia You as the Whirl Islands Cup champion.