Recaps

Xia You and Lisia used Froakie's Bubble to obscure the battlefield and help Riolu and Froakie defeat Ulala's Plusle and Minun. Afterward, Lisia joined Xia You for dinner, startling May and leaving her wondering why Lisia had returned to his side again.

• Xia You had Froakie fill the battlefield with bubbles, leading Ulala to order Plusle and Minun to destroy them with Thunder Shock.
• The bubbles burst into mist that dispersed the electric attack, letting Riolu approach unseen while Froakie vanished into the fog.
• Xia You and Lisia commanded Riolu and Froakie to use Quick Attack, forcing Plusle and Minun apart; Riolu and Froakie defeated them one at a time.
• Ulala recalled her unconscious Pokémon and left as the spectators applauded Xia You and Lisia's victory.
• Lisia praised Xia You and went with him to the Pokémon Center, where May was waiting for dinner and was shocked to see Lisia beside him again.
• Lisia told May she had come to Sinnoh on tour and had recognized Xia You from the descriptions of a powerful Trainer at the park.

Lisia left after sharing dinner with Xia You and May, and May resumed preparing for the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest the next day. Xia You’s search for stronger opponents led him back to the Pokémon Center, where Looker arrived and briefed him on Team Galactic, asking for his help as a Special Investigator.

• Lisia said goodbye to Xia You and May and left for her next performance, while May felt jealous of her closeness with Xia You.
• May trained for the upcoming Jubilife City Pokémon Contest as Xia You battled stronger opponents at a different park with Froakie and Riolu.
• After Froakie and Riolu were injured, Xia You took them to Nurse Joy and unexpectedly met Looker at the Pokémon Center.
• Looker explained that Anabel’s message had let him focus on investigating Team Galactic, then showed Xia You photographs of several senior officers and named their elusive leader as Cyrus.
• Xia You offered to help stop Team Galactic, and Looker welcomed his support as a Special Investigator before Xia You asked whether Sinnoh’s Elite Four had been consulted.

Xia You met with Looker, learned about the International Police’s plans to fight Team Galactic, and reunited with Ash, Brock, May, and Dawn in Jubilife City. The Jubilife City Contest began with Dawn, May, and Ash competing, and the first performer took the stage.

• Looker told Xia You that headquarters had also contacted two trusted Elite Four members and a powerful Pokémon Trainer, then shared the International Police’s preliminary plans for Sinnoh.
• Looker revealed his real name to Xia You before leaving the café without paying for their coffee.
• Xia You returned to the Pokémon Center, collected Froakie and Riolu, and joined May, Ash, Brock, and Dawn for lunch.
• Xia You learned that Dawn was a Coordinator and that she, May, and Ash had entered the Jubilife City Contest.
• Dawn lost an accessory for her contest dress but got it back from a girl with a Glameow.
• Host Yas introduced the judges and opened the Contest’s performance round, where a short-haired orange-haired girl performed first.

At the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest, Zoey, Jessie, Ash, and Dawn performed in the judging round before May took the stage as the contestant Xia You was most eager to watch. May’s arrival left Dawn and Zoey surprised when Ash revealed that she had recently reached the Kanto Grand Festival finals.

• Zoey performed with Misdreavus, using Double Team, Confuse Ray, and Shock Wave to create an eerie, sparkling display that earned strong applause and a high score.
• Jessie, disguised as Jessilina, performed with James’s Carnivine, which used Bullet Seed on candy before biting down over Jessie’s head as her planned finale.
• Ash sent out Aipom, whose Swift and Double Team created a starry display and earned a high score.
• Dawn performed with Piplup, combining Bubble Beam and Peck to burst bubbles, and Xia You judged her competent but still inexperienced.
• Hostess Yas announced May as the final contestant, and Xia You focused on her attempt to restart her Coordinator journey in Sinnoh.
• Ash told Dawn and Zoey that May had recently reached the Kanto Grand Festival finals, surprising both of them.

May dominated the Jubilife City Contest’s Performance Evaluation, while Dawn, Zoey, and Ash also advanced to the second round. Ash and Zoey began the first battle, and their evenly matched clash left Xia You uncertain whether Ash could win.

• May impressed the audience with Blaziken’s fiery performance and earned the highest score in the first round.
• May credited Xia You and his female friends for helping her improve, then advanced in first place alongside Zoey, Dawn, and Ash.
• The contestants drew their second-round matchups, pairing Ash with Zoey, Dawn with the second-place male contestant, and May with another female contestant.
• Ash sent out Aipom against Zoey’s Glameow, and their opening exchange ended with both Pokémon losing appeal points.
• Xia You told Brock that Ash and Zoey had even chances, while Brock remained confident in Ash.

May won the Jubilife City Contest after defeating Zoey in the final, while Ash and Dawn were eliminated. Zoey congratulated May but vowed to train harder and beat her next time.

• Ash lost to Zoey in the second round, while May and Dawn both won their matches and advanced.
• Zoey defeated Dawn with Glameow after Dawn used Buneary's Ice Beam to freeze the stage and briefly turn the battle around.
• May defeated her semifinal opponent with Squirtle, setting up a final against Zoey.
• May shifted the battle's rhythm and overwhelmed Zoey's Glameow, winning the Jubilife City Contest and its Ribbon Medal.
• Dawn praised May's strength, and Zoey congratulated May before promising to defeat her in a future Contest.

After May won the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest, Xia You and the others discussed Dawn’s sighting of a transparent Pokémon at Lake Verity, which Xia You identified as the Legendary Mesprit. The group split up the next morning, and Xia You gave May a Pokétch before they traveled together toward Eterna City and reached Floaroma Town.

• At dinner, Dawn told Ash, Brock, May, and Xia You that she had glimpsed a transparent Pokémon near Lake Verity, and Xia You said it was probably Mesprit, one of Sinnoh’s Lake Guardians.
• Dawn questioned how Xia You knew Mesprit lived at Lake Verity, and Xia You claimed Ho-Oh had told him, leaving Ash and Brock aware that he was joking.
• After staying overnight in Jubilife City, Ash headed east toward Oreburgh City while Xia You and May set off north toward Eterna City; May and Dawn exchanged contact details.
• Xia You gave May a pink Pokétch as a gift to celebrate her contest victory and thank her for traveling with him.
• Xia You and May battled Trainers along the way and reached Floaroma Town, where they learned a Pokémon Contest was still five or six days away and discovered the Poffin Cooking Classroom.

Xia You and May learned to make Poffins in Lei’s classroom, where Xia You succeeded and May’s batch turned out inedible. As they left, two members of the B Button League recruited May and explained that their club aimed to help Trainers succeed without evolving their Pokémon.

• Xia You and May took a Poffin-making lesson from Lei and prepared their own batches.
• Xia You’s Pokémon enjoyed his Poffins, while May’s Pokémon spat out hers; Munchlax ate the whole batch.
• Xia You and May decided that making Poffins was too impractical to add to their regular routine.
• Two women in orange-yellow uniforms introduced themselves as members of the B Button League and invited May to join.
• The younger woman explained that the league helped Trainers become League Champions or Top Coordinators without evolving their Pokémon, and May questioned the idea.

Xia You and May accepted a double battle against Hatsune and Oto’s supposedly strongest Magikarp and most beautiful Feebas, with the outcome tied to joining the B Button Alliance or winning the sisters’ money. The battle began at a river, where the two fish Pokémon stunned everyone with their speed and power by charging Froakie and Squirtle far upstream.

• Hatsune and Oto introduced themselves as the leaders of the B Button Alliance and tried to recruit Xia You, but he said he opposed deliberately preventing Pokémon from evolving.
• Oto claimed that her Magikarp was the strongest and Hatsune’s Feebas the most beautiful, prompting May and Xia You to ask to see them.
• Hatsune challenged Xia You to battle her Magikarp, and Oto said he would have to join the alliance if he lost while Hatsune offered her money if they lost.
• Xia You proposed a double battle with May against both sisters, and Hatsune agreed after learning that May was a Coordinator.
• The four Trainers sent out Magikarp, Feebas, Froakie, and Squirtle in the river, and the sisters’ Pokémon raced forward and slammed Froakie and Squirtle far upstream.

Xia You and May defeated Hatsune and Oto in a battle by the river, and May’s Squirtle evolved into Wartortle. After sharing their winnings, the two continued toward Eterna City and entered Eterna Forest at dusk, where May felt an eerie chill.

• Hatsune’s Feebas and Oto’s Magikarp attacked Froakie and Squirtle with speed, but Xia You and May calmly directed their Pokémon to counter.
• May’s Squirtle struck Feebas with Rapid Spin, while Xia You’s Froakie grabbed Magikarp’s tail and kicked it onto the riverbank.
• Hatsune’s Feebas used Ice Beam and Magikarp tried to return to the river, but Froakie’s Water Pulse and Squirtle’s Water Gun defeated their counterattack and drove them farther from the water.
• Hatsune and Oto conceded and gave Xia You the wager; Squirtle evolved into Wartortle, and Xia You split the winnings with May.
• Xia You and May left Floaroma Town and traveled north through the flower fields toward Eterna City.
• At dusk, Xia You and May entered Eterna Forest to find a campsite, and May shivered at a cold gust of wind.

Xia You and May met Cheryl while searching Eterna Forest for shelter, then discovered the Old Chateau. As May and Cheryl approached the mansion to ask for lodging, Gengar sensed powerful soul energy there.

• Xia You warned May that the forest’s moss-covered rocks could cause Eevee to evolve into Leafeon, so May recalled Eevee.
• Xia You and May followed a woman’s singing and found Cheryl walking with Chansey; Cheryl explained she had been singing to calm her nerves.
• May introduced herself and Xia You, then invited Cheryl to travel with them as they searched for somewhere to spend the night.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl came upon a brightly lit mansion in Eterna Forest, which Xia You recognized as the haunted Old Chateau.
• May and Cheryl headed toward the mansion to ask for lodging while Gengar emerged from Xia You’s shadow and sensed powerful soul energy inside.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl entered the Old Chateau, where a ghost disguised as a butler welcomed them and tried to lure them with an illusory feast. Gengar revealed the deception to Xia You, who stayed alert as the ghosts led the others toward their rooms.

• Xia You and Gengar sensed two powerful human souls haunting the mansion and decided to enter without exposing them.
• The ghost butler welcomed Xia You, May, and Cheryl, and Xia You noticed that the butler's leather-shod footsteps made no sound.
• The group passed a portrait whose subject's eyes glowed red and followed the butler to a dining room with a prepared feast.
• May and Cheryl ate food they believed was real, while Gengar touched Xia You's ankle and revealed the empty table and plates beneath the illusion.
• Xia You declined the imaginary meal, and the butler led the satisfied May and Cheryl away to their rooms.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl discovered that the mansion was haunted when a ghost girl appeared and attacked them in their guest room. Xia You and May fought back with their Pokémon as the ghost’s mist poured into the room.

• Xia You noticed the mansion’s oddities and warned May and Cheryl to stay alert, then the three tried to sleep in their guest room.
• A little girl’s laughter woke May and Cheryl, and purple mist seeped beneath the door before a ghost girl appeared.
• The ghost girl said Xia You smelled delicious and vowed to keep him forever, then attacked him with purple mist.
• Umbreon used Dark Pulse to scatter the ghost’s mist, but the ghost vanished and more mist entered through the damaged doorway and other openings.
• Froakie and May’s Wartortle joined the fight, while May warned Cheryl to stay clear of the mist.

Xia You’s Pokémon fought off the ghost girl until Gengar emerged and overpowered her. The ghost butler helped her escape, and Xia You revealed to May and Cheryl that the mansion’s pleasant appearance and food had been illusions.

• Wartortle and Froakie drew some of the ghost girl’s attacks while Umbreon defended Xia You, but the purple mist kept closing in around them.
• Gengar emerged from Xia You’s shadow, dispersed the tentacles, and stopped the ghost girl after she transformed and charged at him.
• Xia You told Gengar to capture the ghost girl, but the ghost butler broke Gengar’s barriers with purple mist and helped her escape.
• Xia You stopped Gengar from pursuing the ghosts immediately and told him to use measured methods as he searched the mansion.
• The mansion transformed into a ruined building, and Xia You explained to May and Cheryl that the clean rooms and food had been illusions created by the two ghosts.

Xia You searched the Old Chateau with May and Cheryl for clues about its ghosts and found a family photograph and a damaged note suggesting something had been taken away. The ghost girl attacked again, and Xia You tried to persuade her to talk as Gengar revealed the butler had held it back to help her escape.

• Xia You left Gardevoir to guard the room, then brought May and Cheryl with him to search the mansion despite their fear of being left behind.
• The group found a maid’s portrait whose eyes moved, and Xia You concluded that weak ghostly power was hidden in it.
• In the library, Xia You found a family photograph showing the ghost girl, the old butler, and the maid, while May discovered a badly damaged note mentioning something taken away.
• The ghost girl attacked Xia You again, but Gardevoir blocked her with a barrier as Gengar emerged and explained that the butler had delayed it to help her escape.
• Xia You stopped Gengar from approaching and offered to help the ghost girl if she would explain what had happened.

Xia You and his companions discovered a hidden laboratory beneath the mansion and deduced that a later researcher had stolen its findings and caused the ghosts to appear. After sending the evidence to Looker, Xia You returned to the library, where the ghost girl remained restrained and Gengar released the ghost butler.

• Xia You had Gardevoir and Gengar restrain the attacking ghost girl while Gengar watched over her.
• Gengar led Xia You, May, and Cheryl to a secret passage beneath the master bedroom and into a hidden laboratory.
• Xia You inferred that a later researcher had occupied the laboratory, taken its research, and caused the mansion's ghosts to appear.
• Xia You showed Cheryl his International Police credentials and messaged Looker to arrange for the research materials to be delivered to Professor Cerise.
• Xia You returned to the library and found the ghost girl still restrained, then had Gengar release the ghost butler.

Xia You learned that Pluto had murdered Ghost Girl’s family and promised to help her get revenge. He also offered to have Gengar turn the family’s souls into ghosts so Ghost Girl would no longer need to drain Trainers’ vitality, while resolving to pursue Pluto when he could.

• Ghost Butler told Xia You that the scientist Pluto had stolen his master’s research, murdered the household, and turned him and Ghost Girl into ghosts.
• Ghost Butler explained that Ghost Girl had been draining Trainers’ vitality to strengthen herself and turn her murdered family into ghosts.
• Xia You recognized Pluto as a Team Galactic commander, and Ghost Girl asked him to help her get revenge.
• Xia You promised to pursue Pluto and offered Gengar’s help in turning the family’s souls into ghosts.
• Ghost Girl followed Gengar upstairs, while May and Cheryl stayed behind, and Xia You reflected that he would still choose to help them.

Xia You helped the Mansion’s ghosts reunite and warned them to keep their peaceful lives hidden from visitors, then the Ghost Girl revealed why she had targeted him and received a great surge of life energy from him. The next morning, Xia You, May, and Cheryl prepared to leave, surprised by the Ghost Girl’s remarkable transformation.

• Gengar explained that the Mansion’s master, mistress, and maid had become fragile ghosts who would need months to recover, and the Ghost Girl thanked Xia You for helping her family.
• Xia You told the Ghost Girl and Ghost Butler to hide their identities from Pokémon Trainers and promised to make Pluto pay.
• The Ghost Girl revealed that Xia You’s unusually powerful life force had drawn her to him, but her attempt to drain it failed when his power destroyed her purple mist.
• The Ghost Girl accepted Xia You’s promised payment and gained a tremendous amount of life energy from him.
• After a restless night, Xia You woke May and Cheryl, and Cheryl cooked a hearty soup that restored their energy.
• When Xia You, May, and Cheryl met the Ghost Girl in the hall, they were astonished by her newfound vitality and near-human appearance.

Xia You arranged for the Old Chateau’s research papers to be sent to scholars and its main structure repaired, then left the mansion with May and Cheryl. As the three reached the plains beyond Eterna Forest, May invited Cheryl to travel with them, and Cheryl happily accepted.

• Xia You got the Ghost Girl’s permission to take her father’s research documents and asked Looker to arrange repairs for the Old Chateau.
• Xia You placed his photograph beside the mansion family’s portrait and promised to have both pictures framed.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl left the Old Chateau and traveled through Eterna Forest toward Eterna City.
• After the three reached the open plains, May invited Cheryl to travel with them, and Cheryl agreed.

Xia You trained in Eterna City and then met Gym Leader Gardenia, who suspected he had been exposed to ghosts at the Old Chateau. After Xia You and his companions concealed what had happened there, Gardenia led him to the Eterna Gym’s Battle Field for their challenge.

• Xia You and his companions arrived in Eterna City, sent documents to Professor Cerise, and checked into the Pokémon Center.
• Cheryl took May shopping while Xia You trained his Pokémon and defeated a series of challengers until they all left.
• May gave Xia You socks as a return gift for the watch, and the three companions set out for the Eterna Gym the next morning.
• Gardenia sniffed Xia You and recognized a ghostly presence, then asked whether the group had stayed at the Old Chateau in Eterna Forest.
• Xia You denied that they had encountered ghosts, and May and Cheryl backed up his account despite Gardenia's confusion about their being unharmed.
• Gardenia set aside the mystery and led Xia You and the others to the Gym’s forest-like Battle Field.

Xia You began his Gym battle against Gardenia, whose Cherubi used the sunny weather to boost its speed and attacks. Froakie handled Cherubi’s offense with quick movement and clever tactics, leaving Gardenia impressed and reconsidering her initial confidence.

• Yōko announced the Gym battle rules as May and Cheryl watched from the stands, and Cheryl decided she would challenge Gardenia after Xia You.
• Gardenia sent out Cherubi, and Xia You chose Froakie despite its Water-type disadvantage; Gardenia offered to let him attack first.
• Froakie tested Cherubi with a foam attack, and Xia You inferred that sunlight was boosting its speed through Chlorophyll.
• Cherubi fired a nearly instant Solar Beam, but Froakie jumped clear and then struck Cherubi with Quick Attack.
• Gardenia ordered Magical Leaf, but Froakie hid in Smokescreen and used Water Pulse to knock the leaves down, surprising Gardenia.

Xia You defeated Gardenia’s Cherubi with Froakie, prompting her to bring out Roserade and battle more seriously. Snowman Snorlax countered Roserade’s attacks by freezing the battlefield and changing the weather, leaving Gardenia’s Weather Ball as an Ice-type attack just as Snorlax charged in.

• Froakie defeated Gardenia’s Cherubi after Xia You exploited an opening, and Gardenia praised his skill while recognizing the gap between them.
• Gardenia sent out Roserade, and Xia You recalled Froakie and brought out Snowman Snorlax, surprising Gardenia, Yōko, and Cheryl.
• Gardenia used Grass Knot to try to restrain Snowman Snorlax, but Snorlax’s Sheer Cold froze and shattered the vines and nearby plants.
• Roserade attacked with a sunny-weather Weather Ball, and Snowman Snorlax met it with Ice Beam before charging toward Roserade.
• Snowman Snorlax unleashed Blizzard as Roserade prepared another Weather Ball, changing it into an Ice-type attack, and Gardenia shouted for Roserade to throw it.

Xia You’s Snowman Snorlax defeated Gardenia’s Roserade by revealing its surprising speed, giving him a second win in their Gym battle. After Gardenia learned that Xia You was a tournament Champion, she sent out Leafeon for the next match, and Xia You chose Umbreon to face it.

• Snowman Snorlax used Icy Wind to restrict Roserade’s movement, then revealed its hidden speed and knocked Roserade unconscious; Yōko declared Snorlax the winner.
• Gardenia conceded that Xia You and his Pokémon had outmatched her, then asked who he was.
• Xia You admitted he had won several tournament championships, and May told Cheryl he had won titles across three regions and conquered Kanto’s Battle Frontier.
• Gardenia learned that Froakie and Snowman Snorlax were new Pokémon participating in their first Gym battles, then resolved to show Xia You her true strength.
• Gardenia sent out Leafeon, and Xia You chose Umbreon for the next battle.

Xia You’s Umbreon battled Gardenia’s Leafeon at the Eterna Gym, first matching it without commands and then pressing it with coordinated attacks. Gardenia and Leafeon awakened a burst of strength under pressure, but Xia You lured Leafeon onto the ice and exploited its loss of control, ending with Umbreon’s Quick Attack charging at it.

• Gardenia ordered Leafeon to attack with Razor Leaf, and Umbreon shattered the leaves with Dark Pulse before the two Pokémon clashed at close range.
• Xia You let Umbreon fight without commands until he judged Leafeon’s strength, then directed Umbreon to launch a more aggressive assault.
• Gardenia and Leafeon broke through the pressure and entered a heightened state, allowing Leafeon to evade Umbreon and grow faster and stronger.
• Xia You led the battle onto the icy ground, where Leafeon lost its footing after struggling to turn.
• Umbreon seized the opening and charged into Leafeon with Quick Attack.

Xia You defeated Gardenia, earned the Forest Badge, and went to Festival Plaza, where he spotted Cynthia. On his way to the Pokémon Center, he recognized the Team Galactic Eterna Building as a secret base and wondered whether Looker already knew about it.

• Xia You's Umbreon defeated Gardenia's Leafeon, and referee Yōko declared Xia You the winner of the Gym Challenge.
• Xia You explained Gardenia's brief Burst Mode awakening, and Gardenia accepted her loss and gave him the Forest Badge.
• Cheryl asked Gardenia for a Gym battle, and Gardenia agreed to face her after resting and having her Pokémon treated.
• Xia You visited Festival Plaza, saw the statue of Dialga and Palkia, and recognized Cynthia without approaching her.
• Xia You noticed the Team Galactic Eterna Building and realized it was a secret base, then wondered whether Looker already knew about it.