Recaps

Langley’s Beartic and Pawniard were both easily defeated by Xia You’s Dragonite, forcing her to recognize the gap in their strength. Determined to defend her title as a Dragon Buster, she sent out Vanilluxe for a third battle.

• Dragonite dodged Beartic’s punch, struck its head, and then knocked it down while paralysis left it unable to move.
• Langley demanded another battle, and Xia You agreed to face her next Pokémon.
• Langley sent out Pawniard, but Dragonite defeated it with ease.
• Langley accepted that Dragonite was overwhelmingly strong and sent out Vanilluxe, determined to give everything she had.

After losing to Xia You, Langley explained that she had been challenging Dragon-type Trainers to grow strong enough to defeat the Dragon Master who once beat her. Xia You and his friends encouraged her to work alongside her Pokémon, and Langley left determined to improve before challenging them again as they prepared to leave the wetlands.

• Langley revealed that a defeat in the Dragon Village had driven her to challenge Dragon-type Trainers and seek stronger Pokémon.
• Cheryl and Makomo asked Langley to consider why she wanted to grow stronger, and Makomo said she needed to battle together with her Pokémon rather than only give them orders.
• Dawn encouraged Langley and listed Xia You’s tournament victories and honors, leaving Langley stunned by his accomplishments.
• Langley thanked Xia You for his training advice, vowed to grow stronger with her Pokémon, and promised to challenge him again.
• Langley also promised to battle Dawn next time, then departed as Xia You and the others set off to leave the wetlands before dark.

Makomo failed to collect a sample from Xia You and Cheryl’s tent after oversleeping, then continued traveling with the group to Opelucid City. As they arrived in the city where past and future intertwined, Xia You found himself thinking of Cynthia.

• Makomo stayed awake listening to sounds from Xia You and Cheryl’s tent and planned to collect a sample in the morning.
• Makomo overslept, discovered Cheryl had already taken care of the trash, and returned to camp disappointed that her chance to collect a sample was gone.
• Makomo ate breakfast with the others while privately resolving to obtain Ho-Oh’s blessing and blaming Xia You for keeping her awake.
• Xia You, Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo crossed Tubeline Bridge and traveled west toward Opelucid City.
• Makomo described Opelucid City’s history and modern technology, while Xia You thought of Cynthia and realized she was growing more important to him.

Xia You and his companions explored Opelucid City and learned about its history and Dragon Village. At the Opelucid Gym, Xia You found that Drayden required advance appointments, so he scheduled a battle for nine the next morning.

• Xia You, Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo listened to traditional musicians and discussed the uncertain origin of Opelucid City's name.
• Xia You explained that Drayden was a powerful Dragon-type Gym Leader from the Dragon Village, prompting the group to connect the village with Langley.
• The group crossed Opelucid City and reached the Gym, where a staff member told them Drayden was also the city's mayor and required challengers to book ahead.
• Xia You made an appointment to challenge Drayden at nine the following morning.

After the group got caught in a sudden downpour, they returned to the Pokémon Center and spent the afternoon indoors. Makomo became preoccupied with Xia You and Cheryl next door, and the chapter ended as she formed a bold idea after seeing Xia You head to dinner.

• Makomo told the group that Drayden might soon close the Opelucid Gym before a new Gym Leader took over.
• A sudden downpour soaked Xia You, Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo as they hurried back to the Pokémon Center.
• Dawn and Makomo showered and settled into their room, while Dawn quickly fell asleep and Makomo tried unsuccessfully to focus on her research.
• Curious about Xia You and Cheryl, Makomo crept into the corridor and overheard Cheryl's faint, trembling voice from their room.
• As Cheryl called Makomo and Dawn to dinner, Makomo saw Xia You walk ahead and decided she might secretly do something.

Makomo secretly took a fresh sample from Xia You and Cheryl’s room and analyzed its unusual properties. She discovered that it carried life energy from Xia You, while Dawn noticed the sample’s strange smell but left before realizing what Makomo was studying.

• Makomo pretended to have a stomachache, then sneaked into Xia You and Cheryl’s room and collected a sample from their trash can.
• Makomo returned to dinner and joined Cheryl, Dawn, and Xia You as they discussed the next day’s Gym Challenge against Drayden.
• Back in her room, Makomo analyzed the sample and concluded that it carried life energy originating in Xia You’s body that could affect women through the sample.
• Dawn noticed the sample’s strange smell, so Makomo opened the window and claimed it was going bad and needed ventilation.
• Dawn left to exercise with Piplup, and Makomo resumed her research while wondering why the sample’s smell seemed to change.

Xia You arrived early at the Opelucid Gym with Cheryl and Dawn, then met Gym Leader Drayden and exchanged formal greetings before their battle. Drayden prepared to give the three-Pokémon match everything he had, and the referee called for him to send out his first Pokémon.

• Xia You left Makomo at the Pokémon Center while he went to the Opelucid Gym with Cheryl and Dawn.
• The group waited in the Gym's Rest Room until Drayden arrived at eight fifty.
• Xia You met Drayden on the battlefield, where they praised each other and assessed one another as opponents.
• Drayden said Xia You's record had stirred his competitive spirit and promised to give the battle everything he had.
• The referee announced the three-Pokémon rules and called on Drayden to send out his first Pokémon.

Xia You’s Dragonite defeated Drayden’s Haxorus, giving Xia You the first win in their Gym battle, before Drayden sent out Hydreigon to face the still-injured Dragonite. Meanwhile, Makomo confirmed that Xia You’s samples could alter a woman’s body but, lacking a test subject, began considering experimenting on herself.

• Drayden and Xia You sent out Haxorus and Dragonite, which battled evenly until Haxorus’s stamina faded and Dragonite landed a decisive blow.
• Haxorus briefly rallied under Drayden’s commands but exhausted itself and lost, putting Xia You ahead one to zero.
• Drayden praised Dragonite and recalled Haxorus before sending out his Hydreigon against Xia You’s injured Dragonite.
• Makomo finished analyzing Xia You’s samples and confirmed they could alter a woman’s body, though she lacked data on the effects.
• Makomo struggled to find samples and a test subject, then wondered whether she could experiment on herself.

Xia You’s Dragonite defeated Drayden’s Hydreigon, leaving the score at two to zero, before Xia You sent Lucario against Drayden’s final Pokémon, Flygon. As Flygon’s Sandstorm concealed it, Lucario used Aura to locate and pursue it with guided Aura Spheres.

• Dragonite used swift hit-and-run attacks to defeat Hydreigon, but was too exhausted to continue fighting.
• Drayden asked how Dragonite ranked among Xia You’s Pokémon, and Xia You said it was in the upper middle of his second string.
• Drayden sent out Flygon, and Xia You chose Lucario instead of Tyranitar so Flygon could use its Sandstorm.
• Flygon enveloped the battlefield in Sandstorm and attacked Lucario with Dragon Breath, but Lucario sensed it through Aura and countered with Aura Sphere.
• Lucario guided its Aura Spheres through the sandstorm; Flygon dodged them and destroyed two with Boomburst, but the remaining spheres kept pursuing it.

Xia You defeated Drayden’s Flygon to win the Opelucid Gym battle and receive the Legend Badge. He then traveled with Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo to Dragon Village, where they arrived at a square featuring statues of Reshiram and Zekrom.

• Lucario defeated Drayden’s Flygon, giving Xia You a three-to-zero victory in the Gym battle.
• Drayden praised Xia You, predicted he would become a Champion who influenced an era, and gave him the Legend Badge.
• Xia You and his companions chose to travel west toward Humilau City rather than cross the forest to Nimbasa City.
• The group left Opelucid City and reached Dragon Village before sunset.
• Xia You explained Dragon Village’s Dragon-type traditions as the group saw Pokémon being raised around the village.
• Dawn, Makomo, and Xia You examined statues of Reshiram and Zekrom in the village square.

Xia You and his companions stayed at the Dragon Village Inn, where Makomo secretly watched Xia You and Cheryl through a crack in their shared wall and stayed awake all night afterward. In the morning, the innkeeper sensed an ancient dragon aura around Xia You and asked whether he had dealt with Zekrom.

• Xia You, Cheryl, Makomo, and Dawn checked into the Dragon Village Inn and ate the old woman's homemade stew.
• The old woman explained that her Dragon-type Pokémon kept her company, while Makomo repeatedly glanced at Xia You during dinner.
• After Dawn fell asleep, Makomo widened a crack in the wall and watched Xia You and Cheryl in the next room.
• Makomo spent the night unable to sleep, then tried to write research notes before Dawn woke and noticed her exhaustion.
• The old woman served breakfast, sensed an ancient dragon aura around Xia You, and asked whether he had dealt with Zekrom.

An elderly innkeeper recognized the aura of Zekrom around Xia You, then embarrassed him and his companions by hinting she had heard them during the night. After leaving Dragon Village, Xia You and the others reached Village Bridge, where he challenged a powerful Trainer with 948 consecutive wins; the chapter ended as Xia You sent out Infernape to face the man’s Darmanitan.

• The innkeeper told Xia You she recognized Zekrom’s aura because she had met and dealt with it when she was young.
• The innkeeper warned Xia You to keep the noise down at night, making Cheryl, Makomo, and Dawn blush before the group left Dragon Village.
• Makomo explained that Village Bridge was an old brick bridge with a village built along it, and the group learned that a Trainer there demanded battles from anyone crossing.
• Xia You watched the roadblock defeat challengers with his Darmanitan, extending his winning streak to 948 victories.
• Xia You stepped forward to challenge the roadblock and released Infernape to battle Darmanitan.

Xia You defeated the bridge challenger’s Darmanitan with Infernape, ending the man’s streak of more than nine hundred wins and allowing the group to cross Village Bridge. Later, after enjoying a night market and a performance by the Garden Opera Troupe, Xia You was recognized by an unfamiliar woman in the theater corridor.

• Xia You sent out Infernape, which overwhelmed the challenger’s Darmanitan and knocked it out even after it entered Zen Mode.
• The challenger accepted his defeat, let Xia You, Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo cross the bridge, and Xia You’s group continued west.
• The group reached a town, sampled food and games at its night market, and bought tickets to see the Garden Opera Troupe.
• Xia You and the others watched a successful stage play featuring a princess, a prince, and a rival princess, each accompanied by a Pokémon.
• Dawn bumped into a woman in the theater corridor, and the woman recognized Xia You, who asked whether she knew him.

Xia You met Chihaya, the manager of the Garden Opera Troupe, after watching its performance, and she invited him and his companions backstage. There, the lead performers Maya, Mizuki, and Shion recognized him as a celebrity and eagerly questioned him about his battles.

• Chihaya introduced herself to Xia You and asked how many Unova Badges he had collected; he said he already had eight but was still traveling to train his Pokémon.
• Chihaya invited Xia You and his companions backstage to meet the troupe's performers, and Dawn eagerly accepted the invitation.
• Chihaya led Xia You, Cheryl, Makomo, and Dawn through the crowded communal dressing room to the lead performers' room.
• Chihaya introduced Maya, Shion, and Mizuki to Xia You and his companions, and the three performers excitedly recognized him.
• Maya, Mizuki, and Shion praised Xia You and asked about his performance record and Mewtwo, while Chihaya sent them to change before continuing their conversation.

Xia You visited the Garden Opera Troupe, where Chihaya invited him to spar with Maya, Mizuki, and Shion. After Makomo explained that the troupe hoped to benefit from his fame, Xia You kept his promise and watched the actresses train their Pokémon the next morning.

• Maya asked Xia You whether he was dating Diantha, and he gave an ambiguous reply before Chihaya stopped her from asking more personal questions.
• Chihaya invited Xia You to spar with Maya, Mizuki, and Shion the next morning, and he agreed.
• On the way back to the Pokémon Center, Makomo suggested the troupe wanted publicity from their connection to Xia You, but he said he would honor his promise and saw no harm in helping them.
• Xia You and his companions arrived at the Garden Opera Troupe's estate the next morning, where Chihaya led them to the training rooms.
• Maya, Mizuki, and Shion demonstrated their coordinated training with Cinccino, Lilligant, and Roserade while Xia You watched.

Xia You redirected Maya, Mizuki, and Shion’s request for training feedback to Dawn, whose Grand Festival experience impressed them. He then agreed to battle all three at once, and Greninja began overwhelming their Pokémon with ease.

• Xia You introduced Dawn as the Sinnoh Grand Festival runner-up, and she gave Maya, Mizuki, and Shion detailed advice on their Pokémon’s performance training.
• Dawn demonstrated a performance with Piplup and revealed that May had beaten her in the Grand Festival final and had traveled with Xia You.
• Xia You introduced Cheryl as a former Trainer and Makomo as a Pokémon Professor from Striaton City.
• Maya, Mizuki, and Shion asked Xia You for a battle, and he accepted their challenge with Greninja against Cinccino, Lilligant, and Roserade.
• Greninja dodged their coordinated attacks and countered with Water Gun, while Xia You’s simple commands steadily exposed the gap in strength.

Xia You sparred with Maya, Mizuki, and Shion, then joined them for photos and lunch before leaving town with Cheryl, Makomo, and Dawn. When the encounter became a trending story promoting the Garden Opera Troupe, Diantha saw the article and calmly decided to leave it alone.

• Xia You used Greninja to defeat Maya, Mizuki, and Shion’s Pokémon, then gave the three girls advice on improving their battle experience.
• Chihaya arranged group and individual photos with Xia You, and the group shared lunch at the Estate before Xia You and his companions continued west.
• Dawn and Makomo found a trending article about Xia You posing with the three actresses, and Xia You realized the Garden Opera Troupe had used his name to publicize their performances.
• Diantha’s assistant showed her the article at Pokéstar Studios, and Diantha recognized it as restrained publicity and told her assistant to leave it alone.

Xia You and his companions passed through Lacunosa Town, where Makomo explained the legends surrounding Kyurem and the Giant Chasm, then continued to the seaside resort of Humilau City. There, Xia You reunited with Shelly and Courtney aboard their disguised ship, while Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo prepared to enjoy the beach.

• Makomo told Dawn and Cheryl that Lacunosa Town's wall and nighttime customs came from legends of monsters emerging from the Giant Chasm, where Kyurem was said to live.
• The group viewed the icy Giant Chasm from a platform, saw Trainers heading toward it in search of Kyurem, and Xia You said he would not go looking for the Legendary Pokémon.
• The group left Lacunosa Town after lunch and traveled west to Humilau City, where Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo admired the seaside resort.
• At the Pokémon Center, Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo planned to relax at the beach while Xia You went to meet Shelly and Courtney.
• Xia You boarded the disguised ship in Humilau City's harbor, where Courtney embraced him and Shelly greeted him from the railing.

Xia You inspected Shelly and Courtney’s newly captured ship, agreed to name it Tide, and visited Linda, who had been held aboard after discovering the ship’s secret. He offered her a chance to work for him, but she mistook his offer for a demand that she become his woman.

• Shelly and Courtney showed Xia You the remodeled ship and explained that they had removed Team Plasma’s backdoors and mastered its systems and weapons.
• Xia You chose Shelly’s understated name, Tide, for the ship after Courtney proposed Blaze Queen.
• Shelly told Xia You that Linda had become more cooperative, and he decided to meet her and try to recruit her.
• Linda recognized Xia You from Driftveil City, learned his identity, and asked him to release her, but he refused to let her go.
• Xia You offered Linda work outside her holding room, and she asked whether he wanted her to become his woman like Shelly and Courtney.

Xia You persuaded Linda to work for him for two years and reunited with Gengar aboard the ship. He decided to take the ship to Kalos or Alola, while Shelly and Courtney prepared to part from him after the Unova Conference.

• Xia You offered Linda a choice between staying confined safely or working for him for two years, and Linda agreed to work as a researcher while rejecting any romantic involvement.
• Courtney took Linda to eat and arranged a better room, then insulted her appearance and strength, leaving Linda furious.
• Xia You found Gengar chasing Linda's Timburr and told him to stop; Gengar agreed to stay aboard the ship and protect it.
• Linda asked to contact a friend, but Xia You refused because it could expose the ship to Team Plasma or the International Police.
• Xia You chose Kalos or Alola as the ship's next destination, and told Shelly and Courtney he would travel to Kalos after the Unova Conference.
• Shelly and Courtney urged Xia You to spend the night with them before they parted, and he pulled them into his arms while Linda tried not to listen.

Xia You left Shelly and Courtney aboard the Tide and reunited with Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo before heading alone to challenge Humilau Gym. He met Gym Leader Cress, who recognized him as the strongest Pokémon Trainer and prepared to battle.

• Xia You said farewell to Shelly and Courtney as the Tide departed, leaving Gengar with them.
• Xia You returned to the Pokémon Center, where Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo agreed to spend another day enjoying Humilau City while he challenged the Gym alone.
• Xia You reached Humilau Gym and learned that Cress had gone surfing, but a staff member called him back.
• Cress arrived with his surfboard and apologized for the wait before greeting Xia You.
• Cress recognized Xia You from his Sinnoh tournament matches and said he expected a tough battle.

Xia You challenged Cress at the Humilau Gym, where their Water-type battle on the sea turned into a massive waterspout. Milotic used the swirling current like a surfer and plunged toward Jellicent, leaving the fight still underway.

• Cress led Xia You to the Humilau Gym’s sea battle field, where the referee announced a three-Pokémon battle with switching allowed only for the challenger.
• Cress sent out Jellicent, and Xia You chose Milotic, which dodged Jellicent’s Hydro Pump and struck it with a Hydro Pump of its own.
• Cress had Jellicent use Whirlpool to trap Milotic in the current, but Xia You ordered Milotic to combine it with Waterspout and create a huge spinning column of water.
• Milotic used Surf to ride up the waterspout, then struck Jellicent with Dragon Tail and sent it tumbling into the turbulent current.
• Cress failed to free Jellicent with Phantom Force, while Xia You explained that Milotic had learned to use waterspouts through practice like surfing; Milotic then swam into the waterspout toward Jellicent.

Xia You defeated Cress's Jellicent with Milotic by using the Waterspout and Whirlpool, then began battling Cress's Starmie. Milotic landed an Aqua Tail on Starmie, but Starmie recovered and the battle continued.

• Milotic defeated Jellicent inside the Waterspout, and Cress recalled his motionless Pokémon.
• Cress sent out Starmie, prompting Xia You to remember Misty and decide to keep Milotic in the battle.
• Cress ordered Starmie to use Rapid Spin and charge at Milotic.
• Milotic dodged Starmie's charge and struck it with Aqua Tail, sending it tumbling across the water.
• Starmie recovered from the hit, and Cress watched Milotic more seriously.

Xia You’s Milotic defeated Cress’s Starmie and Mantine, winning their Gym battle after overpowering Cress’s full team. Cress was left defeated as the referee declared Xia You the winner.

• Milotic countered Starmie’s psychic attacks with Water-type moves and wore it down until Surf knocked it out, giving Xia You a two-to-zero lead.
• Cress sent out Mantine as his final Pokémon, and it used its aerial mobility to pressure Milotic from above.
• Milotic blocked Mantine’s Air Slash with Water Pulse, then met its diving Take Down with Aqua Tail, sending both Pokémon back from the collision.
• Milotic used Hydro Pump to break through Mantine’s Air Slash and strike it out of the air, leaving it unable to battle.
• The referee declared Milotic the winner and named Xia You the winner of the Gym battle.

After earning the Wave Badge, Xia You reunited with Cheryl, Makomo, and Dawn on the beach and drove off men who had harassed them. The group rested and ate in Humilau City, then chose to travel south to Undella Town through the unfinished undersea tunnel.

• Dawn used Piplup's Brine to knock down men bothering Cheryl and Makomo, and Xia You arrived with Dragonite and forced them to apologize and leave.
• Dawn praised Xia You and said she protected Cheryl and Makomo when he was away; Xia You praised her in return and told Cheryl he had won the Gym battle and earned the Wave Badge.
• Makomo wondered whether Xia You had included her when he called Cheryl and Dawn his women, then blushed as she overthought his words.
• Xia You and the others sunbathed on the beach, then enjoyed dinner at a seafood restaurant before resting overnight in Humilau City.
• The next morning, the group chose the unfinished undersea tunnel to reach Undella Town, and Xia You had Gardevoir use psychic power to open its closed entrance.