Recaps

May lost to Saori in the Kanto Grand Festival final but took second place, and her friends helped her regain confidence before the group set off for Fennel Valley. They reached Brandon’s Battle Pyramid, where an enthusiastic Nurse Joy greeted Xia You and Ash as a fan of their battles.

• Saori outmaneuvered May in the final, and May finished just short of winning despite a strong late rally with Blaziken and Munchlax.
• Xia You and the others congratulated May in the contestants’ passage, and Saori later praised her battle and said she planned to rest while continuing to train.
• Xia You, May, Ash, Brock, and Max left for Fennel Valley to challenge Brandon, while Ash struggled to manage his newly caught Aipom on the journey.
• The group arrived at the Battle Pyramid, where Scott and Nurse Joy welcomed them; Nurse Joy showed Xia You and Ash her collection of battle photos and asked for their autographs.

Xia You, Ash, May, Brock, Max, and Pikachu rested at Nurse Joy’s Pokémon Center before their battles with Brandon and turned the hot spring into a water-ball game. The chapter ended as Xia You began the first match, with his team facing Ash’s.

• Xia You, Ash, and May signed Nurse Joy’s album, while Max pulled Brock away after Brock startled Nurse Joy with his advances.
• Scott told them Brandon was returning from the forest and could battle Ash and Xia You at noon the next day.
• Nurse Joy invited the group to stay at her Pokémon Center and showed them its facilities and open-air hot spring.
• Xia You started throwing a water ball at Ash, and the group’s playful match grew to include Brock, Max, and May.
• The group split into two teams: Xia You, May, and Pikachu against Ash, Brock, and Max.
• Xia You won the first serve and announced that the hot spring water-ball tournament had begun.

Xia You, Ash, and their companions played a heated water-ball game at the hot spring, which ended with Ash’s team winning after Xia You and May fell into the water together. The next morning, they went to the Battle Pyramid, where Ash began his one-on-one Frontier Battle against Brandon, who sent out Registeel.

• Xia You’s team and Ash’s team battled over a water ball, trading points until the score reached seventeen-all.
• Ash caught Xia You’s final serve and returned it between Xia You and May, causing them to slip into each other’s arms and fall into the hot spring as Pikachu failed to save the ball.
• Ash’s team celebrated its victory, while May blushed and Xia You privately remarked on having caught her.
• Scott hurried to the Pokémon Center to tell Xia You and the others that Brandon had returned, then joined them for breakfast before they headed to the Battle Pyramid.
• Ash volunteered to challenge Brandon first, and Soutaro announced their one-on-one Frontier Battle.
• Brandon sent out Registeel, and May’s Pokédex identified it as a Steel-type Legendary Pokémon and one of the Legendary Giants.

Ash challenged Brandon’s Registeel with Torkoal, using careful preparation and clever tactics before losing when Registeel unleashed its full strength. Brandon encouraged Ash to improve by battling in sync with his Pokémon, and Xia You stepped forward for his own challenge.

• Ash sent Torkoal against Brandon’s Registeel, and Torkoal landed Flamethrower and Body Slam before Registeel countered with Zap Cannon.
• Ash had Torkoal use Iron Defense and Withdraw to endure Registeel’s Lock-On-guided Zap Cannon, though the attack paralyzed it.
• Torkoal passed its paralysis to Registeel when it was caught, then used the opening to strike Registeel with another Body Slam.
• Torkoal hit Registeel with Heat Wave, but Registeel began its counterattack with Sandstorm and defeated Torkoal inside the tornado.
• Brandon praised Ash and advised him that Trainer and Pokémon had to work together, then Xia You took the field and asked whether Registeel needed to recover.

Xia You and Brandon began a three-on-three battle across Fennel Valley, pitting Xia You’s Legendary Birds against Brandon’s Legendary Titans. After the Titans blocked the Birds’ opening attacks with Zap Cannon, the Birds struck through the smoke and hit them directly.

• Brandon refused to let Registeel recover, and the group moved to Red Mountain to hold the battle outdoors.
• Xia You proposed a three-on-three melee, and Brandon agreed to the rules and the use of all Fennel Valley as the arena.
• Brandon sent out Registeel, Regice, and Regirock, while Xia You revealed Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.
• At Soutaro’s signal, the Legendary Birds coordinated their opening attacks against the Titans.
• The Titans used Zap Cannon to counter the attacks, but the Birds fired again through the smoke and struck them.

Xia You’s Legendary Birds battled Brandon’s Legendary Titans, using their agility and coordination to counter Lock-On and overwhelm Regice. As Brandon recognized the Birds’ exceptional strength, Xia You showed unusual excitement at facing a Trainer with Legendary Pokémon, and the battle continued.

• The Legendary Birds independently seized an opening and attacked the Legendary Titans, who weathered the damage before Brandon ordered them to strike back.
• The Birds dodged the Titans’ attacks, and Brandon used Lock-On and Zap Cannon to try to restrict their movement.
• Xia You signaled the Birds to spiral upward, causing the three homing Zap Cannons to collide and explode.
• The Birds struck Regice with three simultaneous attacks, badly wounding it, then neutralized Registeel and Regirock’s counterattack before blasting all three Titans.
• Ash and the others noticed Xia You’s excitement, and Brock explained that Brandon’s Legendary Pokémon made him a rare, worthy opponent.

Xia You defeated Brandon’s Legendary Titans with Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, winning the final Battle Frontier challenge and receiving the Brave Badge. With every Badge collected, Scott invited Xia You to join the Battle Frontier as a Frontier Brain, and Xia You had not yet answered.

• Xia You directed the Legendary Birds through a fierce battle against Brandon’s Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, wearing them down without using the Three-Bird Combo.
• Moltres knocked out the already injured Regice, and Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos soon defeated Regirock and Registeel as well.
• Soutaro announced Xia You as the winner, and Brandon recalled his Regis before presenting Xia You with the Brave Badge.
• Scott told Xia You that collecting all seven Badges qualified him for the Battle Frontier Hall of Fame and invited him to become a Frontier Brain.

After earning the Battle Frontier's Frontier Certificate, Xia You left Kanto with May and set out for Kalos, while arranging for Shelly and Courtney's team to establish an outpost in Sinnoh. On the way to Viridian City, he camped for the night and unexpectedly met Bea, who was due to battle Bruno the next day.

• Xia You declined Scott's offer to stay at the Battle Frontier, and Ash promised to train before challenging Brandon again.
• Xia You explained that he would visit Kalos before traveling to Sinnoh, and May said she would go with him while Max had to return to Hoenn.
• Scott presented Xia You with his Frontier Certificate, and Xia You and May said goodbye before flying out of Fennel Valley on Charizard.
• Xia You told Shelly and Courtney to establish their outpost in Sinnoh, then camped with May on the way to Viridian City.
• Xia You encountered Bea by a river, learned she would meet Bruno there the next day, and invited her to join his campsite.

Xia You introduced May to Bea, the Galar Gym Leader who had come to challenge Bruno, and Bea stayed at their campsite. After May’s badly seasoned dinner and a night of worsening weather, Xia You went to check on Bea as a downpour approached.

• Xia You brought Bea back to camp and introduced her to May, explaining that she was the Stow-on-Side Gym Leader and his friend.
• Bea told Xia You she had returned to Galar to handle Gym business before coming back to Kanto to find Bruno, and they discussed battling someday in Galar.
• May served a poorly seasoned vegetable soup; Xia You struggled to eat it, while Bea finished her portion to avoid wasting food.
• Xia You cooked a replacement dinner, and May and Xia You’s Snorlax and Munchlax ate the leftovers.
• Strong mountain winds extinguished the campfire, and Bea declined Xia You’s offer to share the tent before he went inside to sleep.
• Thunder and dark clouds signaled heavy rain, so Xia You opened the tent and saw Bea sitting in her sleeping bag outside.

Bea entered Xia You’s tent during a storm, and the two woke up in an intimate position that left Bea flustered. The next day, Xia You and May accompanied Bea to challenge Bruno, and their six-on-six battle began with Machamp facing Onix.

• Bea joined Xia You and May in the tent during the rain, then secretly watched Xia You before falling asleep beside him.
• In the morning, Bea woke curled in Xia You’s arms and pretended to be asleep as he quietly left the tent.
• After breakfast, Xia You and May followed Bea to meet Bruno, whom Xia You recognized as a member of the Elite Four.
• Bruno accepted Bea’s six-on-six challenge and asked Xia You to referee the battle.
• Bea sent out Machamp and Bruno sent out Onix to begin the match.

Bea battled Bruno in a Fighting-type match, and Xia You predicted that the veteran Elite Four member would prove stronger. Bea’s Pokémon traded victories with Bruno’s, but Bruno gained the advantage and left Bea facing a difficult comeback.

• Xia You told May that Bruno would probably win because Bea was not yet on the level of a veteran Elite Four member.
• Bea’s Machamp defeated Bruno’s enormous Onix after a fierce close-range fight, but Xia You judged Machamp too injured to battle again.
• Bea’s Grapploct quickly defeated Bruno’s Hitmonchan by blocking its punches and squeezing it unconscious with Bind.
• Bruno sent out his Machamp, which defeated three of Bea’s Pokémon in succession before becoming too exhausted to continue.
• Bea was left with her injured Machamp and two Pokémon yet to appear, while Bruno still had three unused Pokémon, putting him ahead in numbers and momentum.

Bea challenged Bruno but lost after his ace Steelix defeated her remaining Pokémon. Xia You encouraged her to keep traveling, and she agreed to journey to Sinnoh, where they hoped to meet again.

• Bea's Pangoro defeated Bruno's Hitmonlee, but Bruno sent out his ace Steelix, which defeated Pangoro, Hawlucha, and Machamp to win the battle.
• After the match, Xia You told Bruno that he owned another Steelix strong enough to rival Bruno's, prompting Bruno to challenge him to a battle.
• Xia You declined to battle immediately and left with May to find Bea sitting near a cliff.
• Xia You told Bea he was traveling to Sinnoh and encouraged her not to let the loss stop her from growing through new experiences.
• Bea agreed to travel to Sinnoh and continue challenging Fighting-type Trainers, and she looked forward to seeing Xia You again.

Xia You returned to Vaniville Town with May and surprised Serena at her family home. Serena was overjoyed to see him, while May suspected that Serena had feelings for Xia You too.

• Xia You and May arrived in Kalos and took a coach to Vaniville Town, where Xia You brought her to the house where he had once stayed.
• Saki welcomed Xia You and May into her home and told them Serena had gone out to buy groceries.
• Serena returned with groceries and froze when she saw Xia You sitting in the living room.
• Xia You told Serena he had come back because he missed everyone, and Serena struggled to hide her joy.
• May noticed the charged atmosphere between Xia You and Serena and suspected Serena liked him too.

Xia You returned to Saki and Serena’s home, where Serena’s feelings for him became increasingly apparent to May. Later, Xia You told May how his closeness to Serena had led her to fall in love with him, ending with his memory of Serena confessing beneath the moon.

• Xia You showed May the room he used to stay in, and May noticed how closely he and Serena seemed to mirror each other.
• Saki welcomed Xia You and May to dinner, where Xia You said he would stay only a few days before leaving for Sinnoh.
• Serena spoke about training with Rhyhorn, and Xia You teased her about her clumsiness and her special appeal to Rhyhorn.
• That night, May asked Xia You whether something had happened between him and Serena, and he explained that his attentive friendship had caused Serena to fall deeply for him.
• Xia You recalled that after he began distancing himself, Serena became unhappy and then confessed her love to him under the moon.

Xia You returned to Serena’s town and spent the morning walking around with Serena and May, sharing memories from his time there. At the river, he found a Shiny Froakie and began battling it with Umbreon to catch it.

• Xia You recalled how he had left Serena’s home after rejecting her confession and later began traveling with a Ralts gifted to him by Diantha.
• Xia You, Serena, and May ate breakfast at Serena’s house, then set out to explore the town together.
• Xia You showed May places tied to his memories with Serena, including the river where they had once rescued his clothes.
• May spotted an unusual Froakie in the river, and Xia You recognized it as a Shiny Froakie he wanted to catch.
• Xia You sent Umbreon to block Froakie’s escape, and Umbreon’s Dark Pulse blasted the Shiny Froakie onto the bank.
• Umbreon charged with Quick Attack, but Froakie leaped up and dodged.

Xia You caught a shiny Froakie in Kalos, then left Serena behind and traveled with May to Sinnoh. After arriving in Jubilife City, he reorganized his Pokémon team for the new region.

• Xia You had Umbreon battle the shiny Froakie, then caught it after Umbreon knocked it unconscious.
• May and Serena celebrated Xia You's capture, and Serena later told May she felt unable to leave home because she feared disappointing Saki.
• After three days at Saki's home, Xia You left with May when Ash reported that he had defeated Brandon and was returning to Pallet Town.
• Xia You and May departed from Vaniville Town, flew from Lumiose City to Sinnoh, and arrived in Jubilife City.
• At the Pokémon Center, Xia You used the transfer machine to arrange his twelve-Pokémon team for his Sinnoh journey.

Xia You and May traveled from Jubilife City toward Sandgem Town while Xia You trained Froakie against wild Pokémon. Near Sandgem Town, Xia You recognized a promising rookie as one of Ash’s rivals and challenged him, beginning a battle between Froakie and Piplup.

• Xia You and May left Jubilife City after eating and buying supplies, heading for the forest near Sandgem Town.
• Xia You had Froakie defeat a Bidoof and a Starly, building Froakie’s confidence and strengthening their partnership.
• May watched a wild Shinx but declined to catch it because she already had enough Pokémon to raise.
• Xia You and May encountered rookie Trainers near Sandgem Town, where Xia You recognized a blond boy as one of Ash’s future rivals.
• Xia You challenged the boy, who released a Piplup to face Xia You’s Froakie.

Xia You’s Froakie easily defeated Barry’s Piplup, then Paul arrived and mocked Xia You for battling a rookie. Xia You accepted Paul’s challenge and sent out Charizard against Paul’s Elekid, whose confidence faltered under Charizard’s presence.

• May scanned Barry’s Piplup and learned about its proud, difficult nature before Barry introduced himself and challenged Xia You to a battle.
• Froakie outmaneuvered Piplup’s Water Gun and defeated it with close-range strikes, leaving Barry frustrated and unaware that Xia You was a tournament champion.
• Paul arrived with Elekid, recognized Xia You, and criticized him for battling weak Pokémon; May angrily defended Xia You while Barry realized he had battled a champion.
• Xia You challenged Paul to prove his strength, and Paul accepted while Barry warned him that Xia You was powerful.
• Paul sent out Elekid, but Xia You chose Charizard instead of Froakie, and Elekid recoiled under Charizard’s imposing presence.

Xia You’s Charizard easily defeated Paul’s Elekid and Murkrow, forcing Paul and Barry to retreat. After finishing Froakie’s initial training near Sandgem Town, Xia You and May prepared to leave and encountered a girl on a bicycle who reminded him of May’s old one.

• Xia You sent Charizard against Paul, and Charizard defeated Elekid in a single exchange.
• Paul released Murkrow, but Charizard quickly scorched and defeated it as well.
• Barry suggested retreating, and Paul recalled Murkrow and walked away with Barry following him.
• On the road to Sandgem Town, Paul told Barry to release weak Pokémon and pursue stronger ones, and Barry asked Paul to teach him how to raise Pokémon.
• After a day of training Froakie, Xia You and May prepared to leave Sandgem Town and met a girl on a bicycle on a muddy path.
• May asked Xia You why he was staring at the girl, and he said her bicycle reminded him of May’s old one.

Xia You and May continued toward Sandgem Town, where Xia You recognized Dawn and predicted Ash and Pikachu would wreck her bicycle. That evening, he directed Shelly and Courtney to investigate Team Galactic, then agreed to help Anabel and the International Police track the organization, with Looker set to contact him as his partner.

• May remembered that Ash still owed her for wrecking her bicycle, while Xia You recognized the passing cyclist as Dawn and predicted her bicycle would suffer the same fate.
• Xia You and May camped in a forest because they were still far from Sandgem Town after a day of battling.
• Xia You video-called Shelly and Courtney at their newly established base in Sunyshore City and told them to focus their intelligence gathering on Team Galactic.
• Anabel told Xia You that the International Police had made Team Galactic a priority target and asked him to monitor the organization and assist with operations.
• Xia You agreed to cooperate, and Anabel said Looker would contact him as his partner.

Xia You discovered a Riolu sneaking around his campsite and chased it into the forest with Blaziken and Umbreon. After cornering it, he challenged Riolu to battle Froakie, with its freedom at stake, and the fight began.

• Blaziken and Umbreon caught Riolu searching through the campsite's garbage, and Xia You came out and recognized it.
• Riolu fled into the forest, but Blaziken and Umbreon chased it down and cornered it beneath a huge rock.
• Xia You tried to tempt Riolu with Pokémon food, then sent out Froakie when Riolu refused to approach.
• Xia You promised to let Riolu go if it beat Froakie, but said it would become his Pokémon if it lost.
• Riolu dodged Froakie's Water Gun and used Quick Attack, so Xia You ordered Froakie to counter with Quick Attack.

Xia You caught a stubborn Riolu, helped him and Froakie grow stronger, and returned with May to Jubilife City for an upcoming Pokémon Contest. After defeating more than twenty Trainers at a crowded park, Xia You was challenged by a girl with pale red hair.

• Xia You defeated Riolu with Froakie and caught him after Riolu broke out of the Poké Ball several times.
• Xia You returned to camp, where May met Riolu and watched him accept food and settle in as Xia You's Pokémon.
• Over two days near Sandgem Town, Riolu and Froakie trained and grew accustomed to being Xia You's Pokémon, while Snowman Snorlax easily defeated his opponents.
• Xia You and May traveled back to Jubilife City, where May registered for a Pokémon Contest scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
• Xia You battled and defeated more than twenty Trainers at a park, then a pale red-haired girl stopped him and demanded a battle.

Xia You was about to battle Ulala when Lisia intervened and challenged the Coordinator herself. Their battle began with Ulala sending out Gabite and Lisia revealing a Galarian Rapidash.

• Ulala challenged Xia You to a battle, but Lisia stepped in and insisted Ulala face her first.
• Lisia and Ulala argued over their abilities as Coordinators, while Xia You recognized Ulala as a rival who would later oppose Dawn.
• Xia You stepped aside as Lisia and Ulala prepared to battle, with spectators gathering nearby.
• Ulala sent out Gabite, and Lisia answered with her Galarian Rapidash, surprising the onlookers and Ulala.

Lisia defeated Ulala’s Gabite with her Galarian Rapidash, then challenged her to a Double Battle when Ulala claimed her Plusle and Minun were her specialty. Xia You offered Lisia his Froakie and Riolu for the match.

• Lisia introduced her Galarian Rapidash, and Ulala began a battle by ordering Gabite to use Dragon Rage against the Fairy-type Pokémon.
• Rapidash dispelled Gabite’s Sandstorm, overwhelmed it with Stomp, and finally defeated it with Confusion.
• Lisia mocked Ulala for challenging Xia You, while Xia You worried that Lisia’s praise and intervention would deepen Ulala’s resentment.
• Ulala claimed Plusle and Minun were her Double Battle specialty, then insisted Lisia use Pokémon of similar strength because her pair were weak.
• When Lisia struggled to choose a suitable Pokémon, Xia You offered her his Froakie and Riolu.

Xia You and Lisia teamed up to battle Ulala, with Lisia commanding Riolu while Xia You controlled Froakie. Froakie repeatedly disrupted Plusle and Minun’s combined attacks, and Ulala finally realized Xia You’s tactics were the key to the battle.

• Lisia accepted Xia You’s offer to lend her Riolu, and Xia You explained Riolu’s abilities before they faced Ulala and her Plusle and Minun.
• Lisia warned Ulala not to make excuses if she lost, and the four Pokémon began a Double Battle.
• Plusle and Minun opened with a combined Thunder Shock, but Xia You had Froakie use Water Gun to conduct the electricity back and then cut it off.
• Riolu rushed the pair while Froakie’s Water Gun struck Plusle, breaking their coordination and letting Riolu hit Minun.
• Froakie repeatedly used Water Gun to interrupt the pair’s combined attacks, and Ulala realized Xia You was directing the strategy that had turned the battle against her.