Recaps

Xia You and his companions escaped Gothitelle’s illusion on Skyarrow Bridge, then continued into Pinwheel Forest. There, Xia You accepted a Pokémon World Championships match against a nearby Trainer, and the chapter ended as their two-on-two battle was about to begin.

• Gengar explained that Gothitelle had trapped the group in an illusion, and Xia You asked Mewtwo to break it and teach Gothitelle a lesson.
• Mewtwo shattered the illusion, then stopped Gothitelle’s attack and flung it into the sea before Xia You’s group crossed the bridge.
• After leaving Skyarrow Bridge, Xia You told Cheryl and Dawn what he remembered about Gothitelle and led them into Pinwheel Forest.
• Rotom detected a nearby Pokémon World Championships opponent, and Xia You accepted the match after checking their rankings.
• A young Trainer named A Ren appeared, and a Rotom Drone approved their Normal Class two-on-two battle.

Xia You won his championship debut with Infernape, then encountered Team Plasma and its Seven Sage Asura on a forest shortcut. After Team Plasma withdrew, Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl crossed the forest and reached a Pokémon Center at dusk.

• Xia You defeated his opponent’s Krookodile and Samurott with Infernape, rising to 9,929th place in the rankings.
• Dawn celebrated Xia You’s victory as the group continued toward Nacrene City and found their shortcut blocked by masked Team Plasma members.
• Xia You recognized the group as Team Plasma, but Asura, one of the Seven Sages, stopped his subordinates and politely led them away.
• Asura warned his subordinates that Xia You could destroy their entire organization and told them never to provoke him.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl passed through the forest, admired a colossal tree, and emerged at dusk to find a Pokémon Center where they could spend the night.

Xia You and Dawn battled other Trainers before the group traveled to Nacrene City, where they toured the museum and discovered its Gym. Lenora recognized Xia You’s fame and agreed to battle him, leaving their Gym challenge about to begin.

• Xia You invited Trainers at the Pokémon Center to Double Battles, and he and Dawn won all three matches with ease.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl traveled to Nacrene City and explored its colorful streets and museum.
• The group found the museum’s Dragonite skeleton and then asked the person in charge how to challenge the Gym.
• The person in charge introduced them to his wife, Lenora, the Nacrene City Gym Leader.
• Lenora recognized Xia You as the Conference winner known for defeating Legendary Pokémon, and Xia You explained that he was collecting Badges for the Vertress Conference.
• Lenora agreed to battle Xia You under the unrestricted six-on-six rules he had used against Burgh.

Xia You battled Lenora in the Nacrene Gym’s underground Battle Field, where Jolteon overwhelmed her Watchog. Lenora sent out Sawsbuck as her second Pokémon, leaving the battle underway.

• Lenora revealed the hidden staircase to the Battle Field beneath the museum bookshelves and agreed to battle Xia You with her strongest lineup.
• Lenora sent out Watchog, and Xia You chose Jolteon for the opening match.
• Jolteon dodged Watchog’s attacks and countered with powerful electric moves despite Lenora’s attempts to defend and evade.
• Jolteon defeated Watchog with Thunder Fang, and Husband announced its loss.
• Lenora recalled Watchog and sent out her summer-form Sawsbuck.

Xia You defeated all six of Lenora’s Pokémon using only Jolteon and Blaziken, with each sweeping three opponents. Lenora accepted her loss and praised Xia You as the strongest Trainer she had ever seen.

• Jolteon defeated Lenora’s Sawsbuck and Lickilicky, giving Xia You a two-to-zero lead before he switched it out.
• Blaziken defeated Lenora’s Braviary after overcoming its advantage in the air with a Blaze Kick and a close-range assault.
• Blaziken quickly knocked out Lenora’s Kangaskhan, leaving her with only one Pokémon.
• Lenora sent out Cinccino, which matched Blaziken for a time before Blaziken struck it with a Jump Kick and followed up with Fighting-type moves to defeat it.
• Lenora recalled Cinccino, applauded Xia You, and accepted her defeat.

Xia You defeated Lenora and earned the Basic Badge, then reflected on how his strength had changed. He and Cheryl helped Dawn prepare for her first Unova Pokémon Contest, where she won the Nacrene Contest and received her first Unova Ribbon Medal.

• Xia You defeated Lenora, accepted her Basic Badge, and left the Nacrene Museum with Cheryl and Dawn.
• Dawn reassured Xia You that his easy Gym victories showed how much he had grown, and Cheryl reminded them to prepare for Dawn's Contest.
• Xia You and Cheryl practiced Contest Battles with Dawn at the Pokémon Center before traveling to the Nacrene Contest Hall the next morning.
• Dawn performed a Water Flow Show with Piplup, earned fifth place in the Performance Evaluation, and advanced to the Battle Evaluation.
• Dawn won every Battle Evaluation round and claimed the Nacrene Contest, receiving her first Ribbon Medal in Unova.

After Dawn won her Ribbon Medal in Nacrene City, she traveled east with Xia You and Cheryl toward Striaton City. During their first night camping together, Dawn became flustered by sharing a tent with Xia You, and the chapter ended when a boy chased a small green Pokémon from the grass and asked Xia You to stop it.

• After Dawn won her Ribbon Medal, the group collected their luggage and set off east toward Striaton City.
• At their campsite, Mewtwo questioned Xia You about the meaning of traveling, while Cheryl cooked dinner and Xia You sparred with Dawn late into the night.
• Dawn misunderstood how May behaved around Xia You and changed into her pajamas in front of him, leaving her embarrassed when she woke the next morning.
• After breakfast, the group packed up and continued east, where a boy chased a short, green Pokémon from the grass and told Xia You to block it.

Xia You stopped a reckless Trainer from chasing Snivy, then used Umbreon to defeat the Pokémon and considered catching it. Snivy’s location, strength, and use of Attract made Xia You wonder whether it could be the Snivy Ash caught.

• Xia You recognized the fleeing Pokémon as Snivy, while a boy chased it with Tepig and ordered an Ember attack that Gengar dispersed.
• The boy threatened Dawn, so Xia You had Gengar use Confuse Ray on him and Tepig.
• Xia You decided to catch Snivy and sent out Umbreon, who blocked Snivy’s escape and defeated it despite its Vine Whip, Leaf Storm, and Attract.
• Xia You hesitated to catch the fallen Snivy after noticing its location, strength, gender, and skill with Attract, and wondered whether it was Ash’s Snivy.

Xia You captured Snivy after defeating it, then continued with Dawn and Cheryl to Kalendo Town, where he became interested in the local Pokémon Battle Club. The chapter ended as they reached the club’s battle fields and found a crowd watching a single match.

• Xia You caught Snivy, treated its injuries, and recalled it as the boy and Tepig recovered from Gengar’s confusion.
• The boy accused Xia You and his companions of attacking him, but Gengar defeated Tepig’s attacks and confused him again as the group left.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl reached Kalendo Town, replenished their supplies, and heard Trainers discuss a competitor who had beaten more than a dozen opponents at the Battle Club.
• Xia You and his companions visited the Battle Club, where Xia You checked the available Trainers before heading to the battle fields after hearing the crowd’s excited reactions.

Xia You recognized the undefeated Battle Club Trainer Virgil as the future Unova Champion and tried to attract his attention by starting a winning streak of his own. He began a match with a black Greninja against a Krookodile, while Virgil continued battling elsewhere.

• Virgil's Vaporeon defeated an Emboar, and spectators identified him as a member of a Pokémon rescue team.
• Xia You recognized Virgil as the future Vertress Conference winner and found thirteen Trainers queued ahead of him for a match.
• Cheryl suggested challenging Virgil the next morning, but Dawn proposed attracting him by winning battles at the club.
• Xia You challenged a Trainer at the Battle Club and released his black Greninja to draw the nearby spectators' attention.
• The referee started the match, and Greninja moved to meet the opposing Trainer's Krookodile without waiting for Xia You's command.

Xia You drew attention at the Battle Club by defeating several Trainers with Greninja, then accepted Virgil’s challenge to a six-on-six battle. Virgil’s Jolteon lost quickly to Xia You’s Dragonite, leaving Xia You unimpressed with Virgil’s strength.

• Greninja defeated As’s Krookodile and Ambipom in quick succession, stunning the watching Trainers.
• Xia You accepted a battle invitation and used Greninja to defeat a Trainer’s Cacturne and Milotic.
• Virgil approached Xia You and challenged him, and they agreed to battle six-on-six.
• Virgil sent out Jolteon while Xia You chose Dragonite for the opening match.
• Dragonite defeated Jolteon with a Fire Punch, and Xia You judged Virgil to be no different from the other Trainers.

Virgil’s Jolteon and Glaceon were swiftly defeated by Xia You’s Dragonite, revealing the gap between the two Trainers. Xia You then switched to Lucario, which defeated Virgil’s Flareon, leaving Espeon to enter the battle.

• Virgil recalled his Jolteon after Dragonite suppressed it and sent out Glaceon to exploit its Ice-type advantage.
• Dragonite dodged Glaceon’s Ice Beam, broke through Blizzard with Extreme Speed, and defeated it with Dragon Tail and Fire Punch.
• Virgil recognized Xia You’s strength but remained eager to test himself, while Xia You recalled Dragonite and sent out Lucario.
• Virgil sent out Flareon, which used Lava Plume, but Lucario sensed it through Aura, dodged with Extreme Speed, and struck Flareon with Aura Sphere.
• Lucario rushed in and overwhelmed Flareon with a close-range barrage, prompting Virgil to send out Espeon.

Xia You defeated Virgil’s remaining Eevee evolutions and invited him to meet again at the Vertress Conference. Afterward, Xia You began earning Snivy’s trust and trained it on the journey toward Striaton City.

• Xia You kept Lucario in battle and defeated Virgil’s Espeon, Umbreon, and Vaporeon, winning the match.
• Virgil chased after Xia You, asked his name, and promised to challenge him again at the Vertress Conference.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl checked into a Pokémon Center, where Xia You tried to befriend the proud Snivy; Gengar stopped it from escaping, and Snivy eventually accepted a pastry.
• Xia You and his companions set out east toward Striaton City the next morning, and Snivy became slightly more willing to follow him after enjoying Cheryl’s food.
• Xia You challenged rookie Pokémon Trainers with Snivy, whose disregard for his commands made the battles difficult, though it improvised its way to victory.

Xia You realized that two Darumaka were stealing food to sustain a Darmanitan holding up the Clock Tower’s fallen bell, and went to the tower to help. He reached the top floor and found Darmanitan close to exhaustion, leaving the rescue still to come.

• Snivy increasingly trusted Xia You’s battle calls and defeated a Krokorok by following his warning about an ambush.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl arrived in a town dominated by an old Clock Tower and learned that two Darumaka had been stealing food.
• Nurse Joy explained that the two wild Darumaka and a Darmanitan had once lived peacefully with the townspeople, and that the Clock Tower had long been neglected.
• Xia You recalled the cause of the thefts and went alone to the Clock Tower after dark, where he found its entrance unlocked.
• At the top of the tower, Xia You found Darmanitan using Zen Mode and psychic power to hold a fallen bell aloft while the two Darumaka guarded it.
• Gengar sensed that Darmanitan’s psychic power was being drained beyond its limits and that it could collapse at any moment.

Xia You repaired the Clock Tower bell and helped Darmanitan and the Darumaka, then continued toward Striaton City with Dawn and Cheryl. At a ruined research institute, they met Makomo, who explained that an experiment had caused an explosion and left her Musharna missing; Dawn and the others agreed to help search for it.

• Xia You used Gardevoir's psychic power to reattach the Clock Tower bell, freeing Darmanitan from the weight above it.
• Darmanitan returned to its Normal Forme, and the Darumaka thanked Xia You as the restored bell rang through the town.
• Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl left town and found a damaged research institute in the forest near Striaton City.
• Munna led the group to Makomo, a scholar who explained that corrupted dream mist had caused an explosion and that Musharna had disappeared.
• Dawn offered to help Makomo search for Musharna, and Xia You and Cheryl joined her.
• Makomo introduced herself and revealed that she had already become a well-known professor several years earlier.

Xia You helped Makomo search the ruined institute for Musharna, which had vanished in an explosion years earlier. Mewtwo found Musharna trapped in another space and brought it back, reuniting it with Makomo.

• Makomo explained that she believed Musharna had survived the explosion and been carried into another space.
• Xia You questioned Makomo’s search methods and released Mewtwo to scan the ruins for abnormalities.
• Mewtwo found and tore open a spatial rift, releasing a dangerous cloud of dream energy.
• Makomo identified the dream energy as Musharna’s power, and Mewtwo dispersed enough of the mist for them to approach the rift.
• They saw Musharna asleep in the other half of the ruined institute, and Mewtwo used Confusion to bring it through before the rift closed.
• Musharna awoke, recognized Makomo, and Makomo embraced her long-lost partner in tears.

Xia You rescued Musharna from the subspace where it had been trapped since the research institute explosion, reuniting it with Makomo. He and his companions arrived in Striaton City with Makomo, where Musharna received a clean bill of health and they met Makomo’s younger sister, Songlu.

• Musharna reunited with Makomo, who thanked Xia You for rescuing it from the subspace created during the explosion.
• Makomo offered to guide and host Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl in Striaton City, and they accepted.
• On the way to the city, Xia You claimed he was the strongest Trainer in the world, while Dawn discussed dreams and Pokémon with Makomo.
• At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy examined Musharna and found it healthy aside from weakness and lingering mental fatigue.
• Makomo brought Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl to her apartment, where they met her younger sister Songlu, who eagerly asked to watch their Gym challenge and Pokémon Contest.

Xia You and his companions shared dinner with researchers Makomo and Songlu, then learned that Elesa was holding a fashion show in Striaton City and agreed to attend after Dawn’s Contest. The next morning, they took the sisters to the Striaton Gym, where Xia You explained its three Gym Leaders and restaurant, and they entered to find it filled mostly with young women.

• Makomo cooked dinner for Xia You, Dawn, Cheryl, and Songlu, who eagerly asked about their travels, battles, and Contests.
• Dawn spotted Elesa’s poster at the Pokémon Center and persuaded Xia You to stay in Striaton City for Elesa’s fashion show after the Contest.
• Makomo and Songlu arrived early the next morning, excited to watch a Gym battle, and joined Xia You and his companions for breakfast.
• Xia You explained that Striaton Gym was run by Cilan, Burg, and Cress and also operated as a restaurant, while Songlu described the role of Pokémon Connoisseurs.
• Xia You led the group into the Striaton Gym, where they discovered a warm, elegant restaurant crowded mostly with young women.

Xia You challenged the Striaton Gym and insisted on battling all three Gym Leaders, Cilan, Burg, and Cress, in a six-on-six match. The brothers accepted and sent out their usual Pokémon before Xia You could ask them to use their strongest.

• Xia You entered the Striaton Restaurant and Gym and asked Burg for a Gym battle.
• Burg introduced Cilan and Cress, and Xia You requested a six-on-six battle against all three brothers.
• The brothers accepted, made a theatrical entrance, and opened the wall to reveal the Battle Field as their fans cheered.
• Xia You entered the Battle Field while the restaurant's fans changed into cheerleading outfits and gathered in the stands.
• Cilan, Burg, and Cress released Pansage, Simisear, and Panpour as their opening Pokémon.

Xia You’s newly caught Snivy defeated Cress’s Panpour in the first Striaton Gym battle, then used Attract to bring down Burg’s Simisear as well. The chapter ended with Snivy having beaten two of the three brothers’ Pokémon, while the challenge continued.

• Xia You sent out Snivy to face Cress’s Panpour in the first Gym match.
• Snivy dodged Panpour’s Scald and Water Gun attacks, then defeated it with Vine Whip and Magical Leaf.
• Burg replaced Cress and sent out Simisear, while Xia You kept Snivy in the battle despite its type disadvantage.
• Xia You had Snivy dodge Simisear’s attacks, use Attract, and follow with a short combo that defeated it.

Xia You’s Snivy defeated Burg’s Simisear, then fought Cilan’s Pansage to a double knockout, while Xia You’s Tyranitar swept the brothers’ remaining Pokémon. Cilan awarded Xia You the Trio Badge after the brothers recognized how decisively they had lost.

• Snivy defeated Burg’s Simisear, giving Xia You two wins in a row against the brothers.
• Cilan sent out Pansage, and Snivy battled it despite its fatigue from the previous matches.
• With Xia You’s guidance, Snivy turned the fight around, but it and Pansage knocked each other out.
• Cilan, Burg, and Cress sent out Maractus, Darmanitan, and Slowking, and Tyranitar defeated all three.
• Cilan presented Xia You with the Trio Badge after the brothers accepted their defeat.

After earning his badge, Xia You left the Gym with his companions, and Makomo and Songlu discussed what they thought of the battle. At the Pokémon Center, Dawn practiced her Contest performance, introducing Makomo to the art of Pokémon Contests.

• Xia You collected his badge and left the Gym, while Cilan, Burg, and Cress watched him go and reflected on their defeat.
• Dawn asked Makomo and Songlu what they thought of the battle, and both praised Xia You and his Pokémon for their strength.
• Songlu teased Makomo about admiring Xia You, but Xia You changed the subject and invited Makomo to watch Dawn practice.
• Songlu stayed behind to work, while Makomo went with Xia You and the others to the Pokémon Center.
• Dawn practiced a performance with Piplup's bubbles and Pachirisu's Electro Balls, and Makomo admired the display as Xia You explained the appeal of Pokémon Contests.

Dawn revealed Xia You’s achievements to Makomo while she practiced, leaving Makomo awed by his record as a four-time Pokémon League Champion. At Caitlin’s Estate, Caitlin confronted Cynthia about her repeated warnings concerning Xia You, suspecting that jealousy lay behind them.

• Makomo praised Dawn’s battle skills, and Cheryl explained that Dawn had placed runner-up in the Sinnoh Grand Festival.
• Dawn told Makomo that Xia You had won the Pokémon League Conferences in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, astonishing her.
• Xia You redirected Dawn to her practice, advising her to smooth her combinations and improve Pachirisu’s Electro Ball precision.
• Caitlin suspected Cynthia had come to keep her away from Xia You and wondered whether her friend was acting out of jealousy.
• Caitlin asked Cynthia why she seemed so concerned about Xia You, and Cynthia denied it while claiming she was protecting a dear friend.

Caitlin persuaded Cynthia to go with her to Striaton City, while Xia You and his companions attended the Striaton Pokémon Contest to cheer for Dawn. As the contest began, Makomo reflected on whether she would have chosen a different life if she could start over.

• Caitlin used Elesa's fashion show in Striaton City to persuade Cynthia to leave the house with her.
• The next morning, Xia You, Cheryl, Makomo, and Songlu accompanied Dawn to the Striaton Contest Hall.
• Dawn entered through the Contestant Entrance to prepare, and her friends wished her luck.
• Makomo told Xia You that traveling and watching competitions had introduced her to a new world, and she wondered whether she should have chosen a different path.
• The host announced that the Striaton Pokémon Contest had officially begun.

Dawn won her second Unova Ribbon Medal at the Pokémon Contest, inspiring Makomo to wonder what she was missing by staying at the research institute. As the group headed out to celebrate, Dawn thought she saw someone who looked like Cynthia.

• Makomo watched Dawn advance to the Battle Evaluation after her performance with Piplup and Pachirisu earned her third place.
• Dawn defeated her Throh-using opponent and swept through the remaining battles to win the Contest and her second Unova Ribbon Medal.
• Makomo reflected that research could not provide the experience of battle and began wanting to travel herself.
• The group decided to celebrate Dawn's victory at a local restaurant.
• Dawn glimpsed a blonde woman at an intersection and told Cheryl she thought the woman looked like Miss Cynthia.