Recaps

Xia You met Raizō, Mikey, and Archie at their estate and accepted their challenge to battle with Jolteon. After Mikey’s Vaporeon entered the mixed-terrain battlefield, Jolteon knocked it into the pond, where it disappeared beneath the water.

• Xia You met Raizō, Mikey, and Archie, who invited him inside and offered him a battle.
• Xia You watched the brothers help Trainers evolve their Pokémon with Evolution stones and met their youngest brother, Taichi.
• Raizō refereed the one-on-one battle between Xia You’s Jolteon and Mikey’s Vaporeon on the mixed-terrain battlefield.
• Jolteon and Vaporeon exchanged Water Gun and Thunder Shock, then Jolteon outpaced Vaporeon with Quick Attack and knocked it into the pond.
• Vaporeon sank beneath the pond’s surface and vanished.

Xia You's Jolteon defeated Mizuki's Vaporeon by striking it with Discharge while it hid in the pool, then finished it with Thunder Fang. Jolteon began a second battle against Archie's Flareon, and the fight continued with the battlefield divided by flames.

• Xia You ordered Jolteon to use Discharge on the pool, forcing Vaporeon out, then finished it with Thunder Fang.
• Raizo declared Vaporeon unable to battle, and Mizuki admitted defeat before Archie challenged Xia You with Flareon.
• Archie's Flareon attacked with Fire Spin and Fire Fang, while Jolteon dodged and used Quick Attack and Discharge.
• Flareon used Flamethrower, setting the grass ablaze and splitting the battlefield between the fire and the pool.

Xia You defeated Archie’s Flareon with Jolteon, then received a choice of Evolution stones as a prize. He selected a Leaf Stone and an Everstone, joking that he could use the Everstone to stop an enemy’s Pokémon from evolving.

• Archie sent Flareon through the flames to confront Jolteon, which struck it with Discharge and Thunder Fang.
• Flareon trapped itself and Jolteon in Fire Spin, but Jolteon knocked it out with Double Kick.
• Raizo declared Jolteon the winner, and Xia You and the others put out the battlefield flames and treated the injured Pokémon.
• Raizo, Mikey, and Archie offered Xia You Evolution stones as a reward for winning.
• Xia You chose a Leaf Stone and an Everstone, then explained that the Everstone could prevent a Pokémon from evolving.

Xia You reached Saffron City and visited Sabrina at the Saffron Gym, where he gave her a bracelet and learned he would need Silph Co.’s researchers to install the Silph Scope. He left without the device, needing to visit Silph Co. to have it fitted and calibrated.

• After spending the night in Stone Town, Xia You said farewell to Raizō's family and traveled safely to Saffron City.
• At the Saffron Gym, Sabrina's father questioned Xia You about his connection to Sabrina and reluctantly left them alone at her request.
• Sabrina welcomed Xia You, and he told her he had come to see her and collect the Silph Scope.
• Xia You gave Sabrina an agate bracelet as a thank-you gift, and she happily accepted it.
• Sabrina explained that the Silph Scope required fitting and calibration, so Xia You would need to visit Silph Co. and ask its researchers to install it.

Xia You visited Silph Co. with Sabrina, where President Silph arranged upgraded equipment and a new mask for him. After discussing Xia You’s plans to challenge the Viridian Gym and travel beyond Kanto, they received his new gear, including a mask fitted with a Silph Scope.

• Xia You and Sabrina visited President Silph, who praised Xia You’s battle against the giant Tentacruel and criticized his crude mask and cloak.
• Silph ordered his staff to make Xia You a new mask and cloak and provide the company’s latest outdoor gear.
• Xia You told Sabrina that he planned to challenge Agatha at the Viridian Gym, enter the Pokémon League, and later leave Kanto to travel to other regions.
• A secretary brought Xia You a full set of protective outdoor clothing, which Xia You changed into.
• A researcher delivered a new Gengar-shaped mask made of lightweight alloy and fitted with a Silph Scope.

Xia You challenged Agatha at the Viridian Gym, where she chose to settle the match with a single Pokémon each. His Ivysaur gained an early advantage over her Misdreavus, but the battle was still underway when the chapter ended.

• Xia You reached Viridian City and went to the Viridian Gym, where Agatha recognized him as the masked League ally known as Player.
• Agatha proposed a one-round gym battle and sent out Misdreavus, while Xia You chose Ivysaur.
• Ivysaur and Misdreavus traded Razor Leaf and Shadow Ball, canceling each other's attacks.
• Misdreavus hit Ivysaur with Psybeam, but Ivysaur planted Leech Seed and struck with Vine Whip.
• Misdreavus broke free of Leech Seed by destroying Ivysaur's vines with Shadow Ball, leaving itself battered.

Xia You defeated Agatha’s Misdreavus after Ivysaur evolved into Venusaur, earning the Green Badge and escaping Perish Song by recalling Venusaur. Later, he met Ash, Misty, and Brock in Cerulean City and learned Ash had earned his seventh Badge.

• Agatha’s Misdreavus used Perish Song, marking both Pokémon and forcing Xia You to try to defeat it before the move took effect.
• Ivysaur evolved into Venusaur during the battle, then knocked Misdreavus out with Razor Leaf.
• Xia You recalled Venusaur to break the Perish Song connection, and the referee declared him the winner.
• Agatha awarded Xia You the Green Badge and invited him to challenge her again after the Pokémon League Conference.
• Xia You encountered Ash, Misty, and Brock in Cerulean City, where Ash showed off his seventh Badge from defeating Blaine.
• Xia You revealed that he had earned his eighth Badge and asked why the trio had returned to Cerulean City instead of challenging a Gym.

Misty returned to Cerulean Gym with Xia You, Ash, and Brock, where her sisters revealed they had cast her as the mermaid princess in their underwater ballet. Misty refused to perform, and the group sat down so her sisters could explain the situation.

• Misty told Xia You that her sisters had summoned her back to Cerulean Gym and that she wanted to help her listless Horsea recover in a larger pool.
• Xia You and the others noticed a poster advertising an underwater ballet featuring a mermaid who looked like Misty.
• Misty reunited with Sakura, Ayame, and Penny, who were relieved she had returned in time for something important.
• Misty's sisters announced that she would play the mermaid princess in their next underwater ballet, and Misty firmly refused.
• Sakura led everyone to the lounge, where she served tea and the sisters began explaining the situation.

Xia You explained that the Cerulean Gym’s declining audience stemmed from its repetitive performances and poorly targeted show, and Misty reluctantly agreed to star in the next day’s production. After learning that Xia You wrote the popular Maiden's Peak comic, Sakura and her sisters persuaded him to help rework their script.

• Xia You told Sakura and the others that their show lacked variety and relied too heavily on performances aimed at adult men.
• Sakura revealed that Misty was supposed to play a mermaid princess in a new show, but Misty protested that she had not agreed to perform.
• Sakura, Ayame, Ash, Brock, and Xia You persuaded Misty to take the role, and she reluctantly agreed.
• Misty recognized the script as a clichéd story and asked Xia You to help improve it.
• After Sakura and her sisters praised his Maiden's Peak comic and urged him to try, Xia You agreed to rework the script with modest expectations.

Xia You helped Sakura and the others revise their short play, sharing stories about his past work and his connection to Diantha. The group settled on new roles and a title, then prepared to begin rehearsals.

• Xia You reviewed Ayame’s script and suggested adding more twists and excitement despite the group’s limited cast.
• Xia You revealed that he had worked at a Film City and had met Diantha, who gave him Gardevoir when it was a Ralts and encouraged him to become a Trainer.
• Ash, Brock, and Xia You agreed to join the play, and everyone contributed ideas for battles, ballet, humor, and romantic scenes.
• The group assigned Xia You as the prince, Misty as the mermaid princess, Brock as a sailor, Ash as the princess’s maid, Penny as a pirate, Ayame as a witch, and Sakura as a merchant and narrator.
• Xia You renamed the play Cerulean Gym's underwater melodramatic romantic free-for-all of the year, and the group prepared to rehearse.

Xia You, Misty, Ash, Brock, and the Cerulean Gym staff finished rehearsing their performance and prepared to put it on for a growing audience. As they got ready backstage, Team Rocket planned to join the show so they could steal the Gym’s Water-type Pokémon.

• Sakura directed the cast through hours of rehearsals, and everyone finally perfected their lines and movements.
• Misty visited Xia You’s room because she was too excited to sleep, and he reassured her until she calmed down.
• The next morning, spectators began arriving early, and Penny celebrated the unexpectedly large crowd.
• The cast dressed for their roles, and Pikachu laughed at Ash’s wig and makeup.
• Team Rocket watched from above the ceiling, and Meowth proposed joining the performance to steal the Pokémon onstage.

Jessie secretly altered Sakura’s narration script, turning the Cerulean Sensational Sisters’ aquatic ballet into a real Team Rocket attack. The performance ended in chaos as Team Rocket’s octopus robot sucked up Pokémon and captured Misty.

• Jessie sneaked into the broadcasting room and rewrote parts of Sakura’s narration script.
• Sakura handed out headsets, and the performance began with Misty and Xia You acting out the opening scenes.
• The story progressed smoothly until Sakura read the altered narration about evil enemies descending from the sky.
• Team Rocket arrived in an octopus robot, attacked the performers, and began sucking Pokémon into the machine.
• The robot captured Misty, and Xia You signaled Gyarados to destroy it.

Team Rocket abducted Misty and several Pokémon during the Gym performance, but Ash and Brock pursued them while Sakura and the others improvised the show. The performance ended with Xia You and Ayame kissing as the prince and witch, leaving Misty heartbroken despite the audience’s applause.

• Team Rocket escaped in the damaged Octopus Robot with Misty and several Pokémon, while Ash and Brock went after them.
• Sakura decided the show had to continue, and Ayame took Misty’s place as the leading lady.
• Sakura rewrote the plot on the fly as Xia You, Ayame, Penny, and the others improvised the rest of the performance.
• Brock reported that Misty and the Pokémon were rescued, but Sakura finished the show before they could return.
• Sakura told Xia You and Ayame to kiss, and they kissed as the curtain fell while Misty watched in tears.

After earning eight badges, Xia You returned to Vermilion City and trained for the Indigo League. A mysterious invitation from Mewtwo brought him to the brink of a new encounter when he agreed to attend a gathering on New Island.

• At the Cerulean Gym, Misty hid her heartbreak as Xia You and Ayame joked about their staged kiss.
• Xia You returned to Vermilion City, where Chloe visited and celebrated his eight badges and Gardevoir’s evolution.
• Xia You trained his Pokémon for the Indigo League, developing different routines for his main battlers, Charmeleon and Wartortle, and Dratini.
• A Dragonite delivered Xia You an invitation to a gathering for strong Trainers at Pokémon Castle on New Island.
• Recognizing the invitation as part of Mewtwo Strikes Back, Xia You marked “Yes” and decided to attend despite suspecting Mewtwo might know his secret.

Xia You went to Vermilion Harbor after receiving Mewtwo’s invitation and reunited with Ash, Misty, and Brock while a powerful storm forced everyone indoors. After their conversation about Ash earning his eighth Badge, they received New Island’s coordinates, but learned the ferries had stopped running.

• Xia You worried about confronting Mewtwo and kept the Master Ball as a last resort.
• Xia You reached Vermilion Harbor as Mewtwo’s storm battered the city and drove the Trainers into the terminal.
• Xia You met Ash, Misty, and Brock, and learned Ash had earned the Green Badge after losing to Agatha’s Gengar.
• Xia You’s device displayed New Island’s coordinates as Officer Jenny announced that the ferries had stopped running.

Bo Yi Jia refused to let ships leave Vermilion Harbor during a violent storm, but Xia You, Ash, Brock, and Misty set out for New Island aboard a small boat. A wave destroyed the boat and scattered them in the sea, and Xia You released Gyarados to carry everyone onward.

• Bo Yi Jia warned that New Island lay at the center of a dangerous storm and closed the harbor, while Officer Jenny revealed Nurse Joy had been missing for a week.
• Xia You and Ash decided to leave for New Island despite the danger, and they joined other travelers heading out from the harbor.
• Jessie and James, disguised as Viking crew members, offered Xia You, Ash, Brock, and Misty a ride in their wooden boat.
• A huge wave washed away Jessie and James's disguises, and a second wave broke the boat apart and swept everyone into the sea.
• Misty used Starmie to help Xia You reach the surface, while Squirtle helped Ash and Brock; Xia You then released Gyarados and told everyone to climb on.

Xia You, Ash, Brock, and Misty crossed the storm surrounding New Island and met Nurse Joy and three other invited Trainers in a strange castle. The gathering ended with Mewtwo appearing as the supposed strongest Pokémon Trainer, leaving Haixiong to challenge the claim.

• Gyarados carried Xia You and his companions through the storm into its calm eye, where they found New Island and its castle.
• Nurse Joy checked the group’s invitations and led them into the castle, where Brock recognized her as the missing Nurse Joy from Vermilion City.
• Xia You and his companions met the three Trainers already waiting: Qinglun, Haixiong, and Yusheng.
• Nurse Joy announced the strongest Pokémon Trainer, and Mewtwo descended into the hall.
• Haixiong stood up and angrily questioned how a Pokémon could command other Pokémon.

Mewtwo revealed its plan to reject both humans and human-raised Pokémon, demonstrating its overwhelming psychic power before challenging the Trainers to battle with its cloned Pokémon. As everyone headed to the battlefield, Xia You slipped back into the corridor with Gardevoir, and Haunter asked why they were sneaking away.

• Mewtwo used its psychic powers to throw Haixiong into the pool, then blocked and reflected Gyarados's Hyper Beam, sending Gyarados into the water.
• Mewtwo revealed that it had brought Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center and manipulated her memories while she helped with its experiments.
• Mewtwo declared humans and Pokémon raised alongside humans unfit to rule, then struck Pikachu and hurled away Yusheng's Rhyhorn.
• Ash challenged Mewtwo, which revealed cloned Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur and opened the hall onto a battlefield for a battle between the Trainers.
• Yusheng sent out Venusaur, Qinglun sent out Blastoise, and Ash released Charizard as Xia You quietly doubled back into the corridor with Gardevoir.
• Haunter emerged from Xia You's shadow and asked why they were sneaking away instead of watching the battle.

Xia You discovered that Mewtwo had rebuilt its base over the laboratory where it was created, and ordered Haunter and Gardevoir to destroy the facility. After they wrecked its equipment, Mewtwo’s black Poké Balls returned with captured Pokémon, and Ash rushed into the room after one of them.

• Xia You found the Team Rocket Trio in the laboratory and watched a recording revealing that Mewtwo had rebuilt the site where it was created.
• Xia You ordered Haunter and Gardevoir to destroy the laboratory equipment to prevent more Pokémon clones from being made.
• James told Xia You that a pink Pokémon resembling Mew had left with the cloned Pokémon, then the Team Rocket Trio departed.
• Haunter and Gardevoir wrecked the laboratory, and hundreds of black Poké Balls flew upstairs before returning with Pokémon captured from Ash, Brock, Misty, and others.
• Xia You had Haunter and Gardevoir destroy the black Poké Balls, freeing the captured Pokémon, as Ash entered the room chasing one of them.

Xia You and Ash reunited with the captured Pokémon and confronted Mewtwo, whose battle with the newly arrived Mew escalated into a fierce clash. Mewtwo and Mew exchanged powerful attacks, leaving the island’s spectators watching as their fight continued.

• Xia You used Gardevoir to free Pikachu from the strange Poké Ball and told Ash he had rescued the other captured Pokémon as well.
• Xia You and Ash returned to the hall with the Pokémon, surprising Mewtwo and rejoining Misty, Brock, and the others.
• Ash charged Mewtwo, but Mewtwo flung him away with psychic power until Mew appeared and stopped his fall.
• Xia You’s Pokédex identified Mew as a Mythical Pokémon whose genes held information on all Pokémon.
• Mewtwo attacked Mew, who dodged its shots and then reflected a huge energy attack back at it.
• Mewtwo crashed into the ground but flew back out unharmed, surrounded by blue energy.

Mewtwo and Mew’s battle ended after Ash was petrified while trying to stop their attacks, then revived by the Pokémon’s tears and a mysterious light. Mewtwo reconsidered its conflict with Mew, erased the others’ memories, and asked Xia You how he had foreseen events.

• Mewtwo summoned more Clone Pokémon, and Ash’s group and Xia You’s Pokémon fought them throughout the castle.
• Mewtwo and Mew fired powerful Energy Balls at each other, but Ash ran between them and was struck, turning into a stone statue.
• Pikachu’s desperate electric shocks failed to revive Ash, but the Pokémon’s tears gathered and entered his body as a beam of light descended, restoring him.
• Xia You saw Ho-Oh flying away and believed it had helped bring Ash back to life.
• Xia You urged Mewtwo to accept that originals and clones alike deserved to live freely, and Mewtwo agreed to end the conflict.
• Mewtwo and Mew erased everyone else’s memories, but the blue particles avoided Xia You, and Mewtwo asked why he had foreseen so many events.

Xia You agreed to answer Mewtwo’s questions after helping it see the good in people, and Mewtwo brought him and the others back to Vermilion Harbor as their memories of New Island were erased. Xia You left with Mewtwo’s friendship, while Mew disappeared before he could catch it.

• Mewtwo asked Xia You who he was and how he knew so much about the future, and Xia You offered to answer after sending Ash and the others back to the mainland.
• Ash, Misty, and Brock woke in Vermilion Harbor with their memories of New Island gone, and Xia You told them they had come there to shelter from the storm.
• Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy announced that sailings were suspended and offered travelers food and accommodation, while the missing-person notice for Nurse Joy had disappeared.
• Ash spotted a Pokémon flying into the clouds, and Xia You recognized it as Mewtwo, which had erased the island’s traces and returned him to the harbor.
• Xia You told Mewtwo that he came from another world, earning its acceptance and an offer of future help, but Mew flew away before he could catch it.

After lunch, Xia You brought Ash and his friends to the Cerise Laboratory battlefield and agreed to a one-on-one battle between Ash's Pikachu and his Gardevoir. Chloe came out to meet them, and she and Misty sensed that they both had feelings for Xia You, setting their gazes against each other as the battle was about to begin.

• Xia You treated Ash, Brock, and Misty to lunch, where Ash challenged him to a battle and Xia You accepted.
• Xia You led the group to the unused battlefield behind Cerise Laboratory and paired Ash's Pikachu against his Gardevoir.
• Chloe came over from the laboratory, and Xia You introduced her to Ash, Brock, and Misty.
• Misty and Chloe recognized each other's feelings for Xia You and exchanged a competitive stare while Xia You focused on the approaching battle.

Xia You defeated Ash’s Pikachu with Gardevoir, then spent the days before the Indigo Conference training and preparing. With the tournament only days away, he ended his seclusion and went to say goodbye to Professor Cerise and the others.

• Gardevoir defeated Pikachu in a close battle, and Ash accepted the loss while Xia You praised Pikachu.
• Xia You and Ash agreed to keep training for the Indigo Conference before Ash and his companions left for Pallet Town.
• Xia You and Chloe visited an Ice Cream Shop with Ash and the others, then said goodbye as the group departed.
• Xia You sorted and wrote about the travel photos he had collected before devoting himself to training at Cerise Park.
• After days of training and preparation, Xia You cleaned up, packed his bags, and went to formally say goodbye to Professor Cerise and the others.

Xia You said farewell to Professor Cerise and the others before leaving for the Indigo Conference with Chloe and Yamper. They traveled from Vermilion City to Saffron City, then continued west toward Celadon City, enjoying their first journey together.

• Xia You gave Professor Cerise, Chrysa, and Ren gifts and promised to report extraordinary Pokémon incidents during his travels.
• Professor Cerise revealed that Chloe would accompany Xia You to watch the Indigo Conference, and Chloe confirmed that her mother had arranged leave from school.
• Chrysa and Ren wished Xia You luck, while Professor Cerise reminded Chloe to take care of herself before their departure.
• Professor Cerise suggested that Chloe bring Yamper along, and Chloe agreed to take Yamper on the journey.
• Xia You and Chloe left Cerise Laboratory, traveled north from Vermilion City to Saffron City, and set out west for Celadon City the next day.