Recaps

Xia You and Chloe met Erika outside Celadon City and shared the meal she had prepared. After learning Erika had caught an Eevee inspired by his, they enjoyed her tea and homemade snacks before Chloe praised her domestic skills.

• Xia You and Chloe encountered Erika gathering wildflowers outside Celadon City.
• Xia You introduced Chloe to Erika, and their Pokémon, Yamper and Eevee, began playing together.
• Erika explained that she had caught her Eevee after seeing Xia You's and invited them to share her packed lunch.
• Xia You and Chloe sampled Erika's tea and homemade snacks and praised her cooking.
• Chloe told Erika that her future husband would be happy to marry someone so capable.

Xia You gave Erika a Leaf Stone for her Eevee before he and Chloe continued toward Viridian City. In Viridian Forest, they ran into Samurai, who challenged Xia You to battle, and Xia You sent out Charizard against Samurai’s Butterfree.

• Xia You gave Erika the Leaf Stone he had won in Stone Town, and Erika planned to let her Eevee gain experience before evolving it.
• Xia You and Chloe said goodbye to Erika and continued their journey toward Viridian City.
• Xia You used Gyarados to carry Chloe across a river to Viridian Forest, where Chloe grew frightened of the Bug-type Pokémon.
• Samurai recognized Xia You in the forest and challenged him to another battle, boasting that his Pokémon and skills had improved.
• Samurai sent out Butterfree, and Xia You answered by sending out Charizard.

Xia You was ambushed by Aya, who had tracked him down to demand the Gym battle he had promised her, and Samurai also insisted on battling him. Xia You challenged them both at once, and the chapter ended as Aya sent out Venomoth and Xia You chose Blastoise.

• Aya attacked Xia You with Shuriken, but he dodged and recognized her as Koga's younger sister.
• Aya accused Xia You of breaking his promise to battle her at the Fuchsia Gym, and he admitted that he had forgotten.
• Samurai demanded to battle Xia You first, and he and Aya argued over who would get the match.
• Xia You proposed that Aya and Samurai battle him together, and Aya accepted and sent out Venomoth.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise to face the two challengers.

Xia You defeated Aya and Samurai in a Double Battle after their poor coordination gave Charizard and Blastoise the advantage. A microphone-carrying Jigglypuff put everyone to sleep with its song, and Xia You woke the next morning with marker scribbles on his face.

• Xia You commanded Charizard and Blastoise against Aya's Venomoth and Samurai's Butterfree, while Aya and Samurai's overlapping moves and confusion left them struggling to cooperate.
• Charizard and Blastoise knocked out Butterfree and then Venomoth, winning Xia You the battle.
• Aya and Samurai sent out their next Pokémon, but a microphone-carrying Jigglypuff appeared before the battle resumed.
• Jigglypuff sang until everyone, including their Pokémon, fell asleep, then scribbled on their faces with a marker.
• Xia You woke early the next morning and saw that Jigglypuff had disappeared and everyone had marker lines on their faces.

Xia You and Chloe reached the Indigo Plateau and registered for the Indigo Conference, receiving a dormitory in the Athlete Village. The opening ceremony was set for the day after tomorrow, and the stadium awaited them nearby.

• Xia You woke Chloe and explained that Jigglypuff had drawn on their faces before he and Chloe left Aya and Samurai asleep.
• Aya woke, found doodles on herself and her Pokémon, and wrongly suspected Xia You had taken advantage of her while she slept.
• Xia You and Chloe traveled west through Viridian City and reached the crowded Indigo Plateau before noon.
• Xia You registered as a competitor by presenting his Pokédex and eight Badges, and the staff gave him the conference Rulebook.
• Xia You confirmed Chloe as his sole guest and received two keys to a two-story house in the Athlete Village.

Xia You and Chloe settled into their dormitory and met several familiar contestants while eating at the dining hall. The next day, Xia You watched the League torch relay and learned its flame came from Moltres, the last of the three legendary birds he had yet to catch.

• Xia You and Chloe chose rooms in their dormitory, then went to the dining hall for lunch.
• Xia You spotted Gary and the New Island contestants Qinglun, Haixiong, and Yusheng, whose memories of him had been erased.
• Xiaoming told Xia You he had earned eight Badges and warned him about tournament favorites, including Professor Oak's grandson, a Pokémon School student, and Duowu.
• Xia You watched Ash, Misty, and Brock join the torch relay, while James, Jessie, and Meowth tried to steal the torch before it reached Charles Goodshow.
• Xia You learned the torch flame came from Moltres and realized it was the last of the three legendary birds he had yet to catch.

Ash struggled to sleep before the Indigo Conference, so Xia You took him to inspect Indigo Stadium and helped him turn his nerves into excitement. The next morning, the opening ceremony began, and the Indigo Conference officially started.

• Xia You invited Ash, Chloe, and the others to a subdued meal, where he sensed Ash's worries about the tournament.
• Unable to sleep, Ash met Xia You and Gardevoir outside, and Xia You suggested they visit Indigo Stadium.
• At the stadium, Ash grew excited and resolved to battle his own way, while President Charles Goodshow praised the two for taking their preparation seriously.
• The next morning, Trainers entered Indigo Stadium as crowds and cameras watched, and the final torchbearer lit the Sacred Fire.
• President Charles Goodshow gave a brief speech, and the Indigo Conference officially began.

Xia You and Ash drew their first-round opponents and battlefields for the tournament. Xia You was assigned the Grass Field against Daiyu, while Ash drew a Water Field match, and the story left Xia You preparing for his upcoming battle with supporters arriving to cheer him on.

• Xia You, Ash, and their friends visited the draw hall, where Brock flirted with a staff member before she explained how the preliminary rounds worked.
• Ash drew the Water Field and was assigned to face a long-haired man in the third match at two o'clock.
• Xia You drew the Grass Field and learned he would face Daiyu in the second match at eleven that morning.
• Misty told Xia You that Daiyu had once owned Ash's Charizard, though she and the others knew little about his strength or Pokémon.
• Xia You spotted Jessie, James, and Meowth disguised as reporters, but they avoided him.
• Masha, Meisha, and the other bikers arrived to cheer Xia You on, and he promised to treat them to a meal after his match.

Xia You declined Viola’s interview until after he passed the preliminaries, then entered the Grass Field for his second match against Daiyu. His friends and Meisha’s group cheered him from the stands as the battle was about to begin.

• Meisha told Ash and the others that Xia You had become their big brother after impressing them with his strength, and she and Masha encouraged him before the tournament.
• Viola of Lumiose Press approached Xia You for an interview, but he declined until he had made it through the preliminaries.
• The second Grass Field preliminary match was announced, and Xia You and Daiyu entered the arena as their supporters cheered.
• Xia You acknowledged the cheering bikers and saw Chloe, Misty, Ash, and Brock watching nervously from the stands.

Xia You's Gardevoir overwhelmed Daiyu's Primeape and won the first round of their three-on-three preliminary battle. Daiyu sent out Marowak for the second round, while Xia You recalled Gardevoir and chose Venusaur.

• Xia You and Daiyu began the match by sending out Gardevoir and Primeape.
• Gardevoir used Psychic to pin Primeape down, then countered its Fling attack and dodged Seismic Toss with Teleport.
• When Daiyu tried to recall Primeape, Gardevoir lifted it out of the Poké Ball's recall beam and knocked it out.
• The crowd cheered as Xia You secured the first round without Gardevoir being seriously challenged.
• Daiyu sent out Marowak, and Xia You recalled Gardevoir and brought out Venusaur for the second round.

Xia You defeated Daiyu’s Flareon with Blastoise and advanced after winning their match 3-0. While celebrating with Ash and the others, they drove Daiyu and his friends out of an ice cream shop, then Xia You encouraged Ash before his next battle against the magician Duowu.

• After Marowak was knocked out, Daiyu sent out his Flareon as his final Pokémon, and Xia You answered with Blastoise.
• Blastoise defeated Flareon with Water-type moves, giving Xia You a 3-0 victory and advancing him to the next round.
• Xia You celebrated at an ice cream shop with Chloe, Ash, his companions, and the Biker Gang.
• Daiyu confronted Masha after overhearing him call Daiyu a pushover, but backed down when the Biker Gang members stood up together.
• Xia You encouraged Ash to win his upcoming match, and Chloe warned him that his opponent, Duowu, was a magician who had appeared on the news.

Ash defeated Duowu in the Water Field with Krabby, which evolved into Kingler and won all three bouts, advancing Ash alongside Xia You to the next round. After the match, Xia You and his friends met Ash’s group for dinner and skipped the remaining battles.

• Gary defeated his opponent three to zero and told reporters he expected to win.
• Xia You checked messages from Sabrina, Erika, Mr. Silph, Looker, and other friends before Ash’s match.
• Ash sent out Krabby against Duowu’s Exeggutor, defeated it, and watched Krabby evolve into Kingler.
• Ash’s Kingler defeated Duowu’s Seadra and Golbat, winning the match without being switched out.
• Xia You, Chloe, and the Biker Gang celebrated as Ash advanced to the next round alongside Xia You.
• Xia You and his friends met Ash, Misty, and Brock for dinner, then left without watching more matches.

Xia You and Ash drew their second-round opponents at the Indigo Conference, then went to prepare for their simultaneous matches. Xia You headed to the Water Field to face Saizo, while advising Ash to address Charizard’s disobedience before the tournament ended.

• Ash drew an opponent at the Rock Field and felt relieved that he would not face Xia You or Gary yet.
• Xia You drew Saizo as his opponent at the Water Field, and Brock explained how Team Rocket had stolen Saizo’s Badges before Ash defeated him.
• Xia You and Ash wished each other luck, and Xia You warned Ash that Charizard’s disobedience could end his League journey.
• Chloe reviewed Saizo’s previous-round battles and told Xia You that he had used Pidgeot, Nidoking, and Marowak.
• Xia You answered the call to the Water Field, ready to face Saizo, and sent Chloe to join Meisha and the others in the stands.

Xia You’s Gyarados overwhelmed Saizo’s Poliwhirl in the Water Field qualifiers, defeating it with a Twister and Aqua Tail. Saizo sent out his second Pokémon, determined to keep battling despite the apparent gap in strength.

• Xia You and Saizo sent out Gyarados and Poliwhirl for the second round of the Indigo Conference’s Water Field qualifiers.
• Saizo ordered Poliwhirl to use Hypnosis, but Xia You had Gyarados dive underwater to avoid the attack.
• Gyarados burst from the water, seized Poliwhirl in its jaws, and forced it to escape with Water Gun.
• Xia You commanded Gyarados to trap Poliwhirl in a Twister and strike it with Aqua Tail, sending it out of bounds unconscious.
• Saizo recalled Poliwhirl and sent out his second Pokémon, refusing to give up.

Xia You defeated Saizo to advance in the tournament, then discussed Ash’s close victory and the tournament prize money with his friends. As the second round continued, Xia You and Chloe enjoyed the festivities near Indigo Stadium, where growing recognition brought him a steady stream of fans.

• Xia You used Charizard to defeat Saizo’s Parasect, then sent out Haunter, which wore down and defeated Saizo’s Marowak without being touched.
• The referee declared Xia You the winner, and the announcer praised his dominant three-to-zero victory as the performance of a championship dark horse.
• Xia You, Chloe, Meisha, and Masha watched Ash narrowly defeat his opponent with Squirtle, and Xia You noted that Ash had kept Charizard and Pikachu out of battle.
• Xia You noticed the Biker Gang members’ money worries and suggested they return to work or school, but Meisha and Masha said they came to the tournament every year and had brought camping gear.
• Masha told Xia You that the championship prize exceeded three million and third place paid around eight hundred thousand, prompting Xia You to consider what the money would mean for him.
• After the second-round matches, Xia You and Chloe explored the tournament festivities, and Xia You bought Chloe a plush toy while fans recognized him and asked for autographs and photos.

Xia You drew Giselle as his opponent in the Indigo Conference's third round, and the two met on the Rock Field. The battle began with Xia You sending out Blastoise against Giselle's Onix, leaving the match unresolved.

• Xia You and his group returned to the draw venue, where Ash drew Sho as his opponent on the Ice Field and Xia You drew Giselle on the Rock Field.
• Misty reminded Ash that Giselle was the girl he had once called cute, and Giselle soon approached the group with several Pokémon Research School students.
• Giselle said Chun had been eliminated in the first round, then learned that Xia You would be her next opponent and confidently predicted he would lose.
• Xia You stopped Misty from arguing with Giselle and said he would settle things by beating her in the match.
• At the Rock Field, Xia You sent out Blastoise while Giselle chose Onix, despite the type disadvantage.

Xia You defeated Giselle’s Onix by using Blastoise’s Withdraw and Rapid Spin to counter its underground attacks, then exploiting Onix’s weakness to Water Gun. Giselle recalled Onix and prepared to send out her second Pokémon, determined to win the next battle.

• Xia You ordered Blastoise onto a boulder while Giselle sent Onix underground and attacked with Stone Edge.
• Blastoise used Withdraw to withstand Stone Edge, and Xia You located Onix from the attack’s impact.
• Xia You had Blastoise use Rapid Spin to strike the ground, forcing a dizzy Onix to emerge.
• Blastoise’s Water Gun struck Onix for quadruple damage, and the soaked ground trapped Onix’s movements.
• Blastoise knocked Onix out with another Water Gun, and Giselle recalled him before preparing her second Pokémon.

Xia You faced Giselle’s Shiny Mr. Mime with Gardevoir, while their rare Pokémon and popularity drove the preliminary match’s ratings to record levels. Charles Goodshow and John recognized Xia You as a contestant to watch as the battle continued.

• Giselle sent out her Shiny Mr. Mime, surprising the crowd and drawing attention to the match.
• Chloe asked Brock about Mr. Mime and Shiny Pokémon, and Brock reassured her about Xia You’s chances.
• Xia You recalled Blastoise and sent out Gardevoir to face Mr. Mime in a Psychic-type showdown.
• Charles Goodshow visited the command center and learned from John that the Rock Field match’s ratings had passed twenty percent.
• Charles Goodshow recognized Xia You as an undefeated contestant and agreed the match’s rising popularity was good news for the Pokémon League.

Xia You defeated Giselle three to zero, prompting her to accept his advice and vow to challenge him again after traveling and growing stronger. At Indigo Stadium, broadcast director John arranged to give Xia You more prominent opponents, airtime, promotion, and camera coverage, with President Charles Goodshow allowing the behind-the-scenes adjustments.

• Giselle sent out Scyther after Gardevoir defeated her Mr. Mime, but Xia You switched to Jolteon, whose Electric-type attacks overcame Scyther’s strength and type advantage.
• The referee declared Xia You the winner, and the commentator praised his third consecutive decisive victory.
• Giselle teared up over her defeat, then thanked Xia You for advising her to leave school, travel, and battle stronger opponents; she vowed to return and take revenge.
• Xia You recalled Jolteon, waved to the crowd, and advanced to the Top 32.
• John ordered staff to prioritize Xia You’s matches, arrange popular opponents, and increase his prime-time broadcasts, promotion, and camera coverage.
• President Charles Goodshow watched as staff manipulated the arrangements and chose not to intervene.

After Ash won his match, Xia You was mobbed by reporters who wanted to interview him after his victory over Giselle made him a tournament sensation. He turned them away until Viola arrived for an appointment, leaving Chloe and Misty unimpressed by his flirtatious welcome.

• Ash lost his first bout to Sho, then used Kingler and Pikachu to defeat Sho and advance.
• Xia You and his friends returned from lunch to find reporters gathered outside his dorm, eager to interview him after his win over Giselle.
• Xia You declined the interviews, and Masha's Biker Gang drove the reporters away and guarded the building.
• After learning how much attention his match had attracted, Xia You decided to let Viola in when she arrived to keep an appointment.
• Xia You welcomed Viola with a compliment, while Chloe and Misty reacted with displeasure.

Xia You gave Viola an interview about his journey as a Trainer and his connection to Diantha, then posed for photographs with several Pokémon. At the final preliminary draw, Ash received a Grass Field match against Kuniko, while Xia You was paired with Gary on the Ice Field.

• Xia You told Viola he had become a Trainer partly because Diantha encouraged him, gave him his first Pokémon, and taught him how to care for Pokémon and battle.
• Viola photographed Xia You with Gardevoir, Haunter, and Jolteon for her report, which would be published in Kalos.
• Ash drew Kuniko of Maiden's Town as his opponent for the final preliminary match on the Grass Field, and Brock admired her photo.
• Xia You drew Gary as his opponent on the Ice Field, though John had already chosen the pairing.
• Gary arrived with his cheerleaders and told Xia You that their long-awaited battle would determine which of them was stronger.

Gary left after provoking Xia You, and Xia You’s group watched Ash face Kuniko in the tournament preliminaries. Ash defeated Kuniko’s Beedrill and Scyther with Bulbasaur, leaving the match to continue.

• Gary dismissed Xia You’s popularity and vowed to prove himself better, while Chloe formed a poor first impression of him.
• Xia You and his companions went to the Grass Field stands, where they met Professor Oak and Delia, and Oak recognized Xia You and remembered Chloe as a baby.
• Ash entered the field to face Kuniko, whose elaborate entrance and cheering supporters drew attention.
• Ash used Bulbasaur’s Leech Seed and Tackle to defeat Kuniko’s Beedrill despite its type advantage.
• Kuniko sent out Scyther, which used Double Team to pressure Bulbasaur, but Bulbasaur struck the duplicates with Vine Whip and defeated the real Scyther.

Ash faced Kuniko’s seemingly weak Bellsprout, which defeated Bulbasaur and Pikachu before Muk countered its fighting style and won the match. After Ash reunited with Delia and Professor Oak, Xia You left with Chloe ahead of his upcoming battle against Gary.

• Kuniko sent out Bellsprout, which used throws to defeat Ash’s Bulbasaur and then knocked out Pikachu.
• Ash sent out Muk, whose soft body absorbed Bellsprout’s punches and kicks before Body Slam won the final battle.
• Xia You recognized Kuniko’s training methods as useful study material and considered applying them to a Fighting-type Pokémon.
• Ash celebrated his victory and reunited with Delia and Professor Oak.
• Xia You declined to stay for lunch and left with Chloe because his match against Gary was coming up.

Xia You and Chloe browsed a gift shop while Chloe looked for presents and asked him for autographs for Sota. Looker called to report that Team Rocket’s executives had fled to Johto, and Xia You agreed to help pursue them there after the Indigo League and his trip to the Orange Islands.

• Chloe searched for gifts for her family and asked Xia You to sign more than a dozen autographs for Sota.
• Xia You and Chloe browsed plush toys in a gift shop as he kept a low profile among the crowds.
• Looker called Xia You to congratulate him on reaching the Indigo Conference Top 32 and report that the International Police had nearly cleared Team Rocket from Kanto.
• Looker told Xia You that Team Rocket’s executives had fled to Johto and asked if he would help deal with them there.
• Xia You agreed to help in Johto after the Indigo League and his trip to the Orange Islands.

Chloe reviewed Gary’s varied battle record with Xia You before his Ice Field match, but Xia You dismissed her uncertainty and prepared to face him. The battle began with Gary sending out Fearow and Xia You answering with Jolteon, leaving Gary shocked that his prediction had been anticipated.

• Chloe studied recordings of Gary’s previous matches and concluded that his varied Pokémon roster made his next choice hard to predict.
• Xia You told Chloe that Gary was a capable, calm battler who favored Ground-type and powerful Pokémon, then left for his match.
• The commentator introduced Xia You and Gary as they competed for a place in the tournament’s top sixteen.
• Gary sent out Fearow, expecting Xia You to choose a Water- or Fire-type Pokémon on the Ice Field.
• Xia You sent out Jolteon, and Gary realized that his Flying-type Fearow was vulnerable to Electric attacks.