Ch. 243Double Battle

Xia You challenged Luli, the Trovita Gym Leader, whose Gym used a Double Battle format where either side lost if one of its Pokémon was knocked out. The battle began with Luli sending out Alakazam and Marowak against Xia You’s Charizard and Scyther.

  • Luli introduced herself as the president of the hotel and the Trovita Gym Leader, and Xia You said he had come to challenge her.
  • Xia You showed Luli the three Badges he had earned and said the Trovita Gym was his final target before the Orange League’s Winner’s Cup.
  • Luli explained that both sides would use two Pokémon and lose if either Pokémon was knocked out.
  • Trainers staying at the hotel gathered in the stands to watch the formal Gym battle.
  • Luli sent out Alakazam and Marowak, while Xia You chose Charizard and Scyther.
  • The referee started the Trovita Gym challenge.

Ch. 244Battle Adjustments

Xia You’s Double Battle against Luli’s Alakazam and Marowak exposed Scyther’s reluctance to follow orders. After Charizard’s Dragon Rage hit both allied Pokémon and jolted Scyther back to its senses, Scyther charged at Alakazam with X-Scissor.

  • Luli sent Alakazam and Marowak against Xia You’s Charizard and Scyther, and the Pokémon traded attacks, injuring both sides.
  • Xia You tried to switch targets, but Scyther ignored him and continued fighting Marowak because it had not yet accepted his commands.
  • Xia You ordered Charizard to cover the field in Smokescreen, then fire Dragon Rage into it, striking Scyther and Marowak.
  • Scyther recovered its focus and obeyed Xia You’s order to attack Alakazam while Charizard blocked Marowak.
  • Alakazam used Confusion, but Scyther dodged with Quick Attack and struck with X-Scissor.

Ch. 245Luli's request

Xia You defeated Luli in a hard-fought Double Battle and received the Glass Badge. After learning he planned to travel to Johto, Luli asked him and Sabrina for a favor.

  • Scyther repeatedly attacked Alakazam, while Charizard kept Marowak from reaching its partner.
  • Xia You ordered Scyther to use Fury Cutter, and the attack knocked Alakazam out, giving Xia You the victory.
  • Luli congratulated Xia You and awarded him the Glass Badge.
  • Luli asked Xia You whether he planned to travel to other regions after challenging the Orange League, and he said he would go to Johto.
  • Luli asked Xia You and Sabrina for a favor, and they agreed to hear her out.

Ch. 246The final destination

After promising Luli to look for her missing son Koji, Xia You and Sabrina flew toward Citrus Island, the Orange League’s final destination. On the way, they reunited with Ash, Misty, and Tracey, then spotted a crude submarine emerging from the sea.

  • Luli asked Xia You to find her son Koji, who had been missing for nearly a year, and Xia You agreed to look for him and urge him to contact her.
  • Xia You and Sabrina left Trovita Island on Charizard and headed for Citrus Island to challenge Drake at the Kumquat Colosseum.
  • Sabrina spotted Ash, Misty, and Tracey traveling on Lapras, and Xia You joined them on the water.
  • Ash said he was headed to Trovita Island to challenge its Gym, and Xia You confirmed that he had already earned his fourth Badge.
  • Tracey collected a seawater sample, then Pikachu noticed a large shadow underwater as a crude submarine surfaced ahead of them.

Ch. 247The Magikarp Tide

Xia You and his companions encountered a mysterious old man and a vast school of Magikarp wearing colored rings. After Tracey identified Tangelo Island as their destination, the group followed the Magikarp there to investigate.

  • A mysterious old man warned Ash and the others to be careful, then checked his equipment and predicted that something was about to arrive.
  • Tens of thousands of Magikarp surged from the sea and swam in one direction, many wearing red, yellow, or blue rings around their tails.
  • The old man confirmed the Magikarp’s route, boarded his submarine, and followed them.
  • Tracey used a map to identify Tangelo Island as the Magikarp’s destination and explained that it was uninhabited.
  • Ash urged everyone to investigate, and Xia You, Ash, Misty, and Tracey set out for Tangelo Island on Lapras while Sabrina followed on Charizard.

Ch. 248Against the current

Xia You and the others followed the Magikarp upstream into Tangelo Island, where they encountered Lühé, a Pokémon Watcher carrying equipment to observe the fish. Lühé claimed the Magikarp were ordinary, leaving Tracey confused about why he had brought so much equipment.

  • Xia You and the others landed on Tangelo Island and followed the Magikarp upstream into the forest.
  • Lühé appeared carrying a large load of boxes and handed them to the group before leading them farther inland.
  • Misty asked Lühé who he was, and he introduced himself as a Pokémon Watcher named Lühé.
  • Lühé explained that the boxes contained equipment for observing the Magikarp, and Tracey decided to watch them too.
  • After a Magikarp splashed Tracey, Lühé said the fish were ordinary, prompting Tracey to ask why he had brought equipment to observe them.

Ch. 249Birth and Evolution Lake

Lühé led Xia You and the others toward Birth and Evolution Lake, explaining that Magikarp returned there each year to evolve after a perilous climb. After the group hurried on to witness the mass evolution, the Team Rocket Trio plotted to capture Magikarp and build a Gyarados army.

  • Xia You and the others watched Magikarp struggle to climb three waterfalls, with many falling back downstream.
  • Lühé told Tracey that the Magikarp returned to Birth and Evolution Lake each year, but only one in ten reached the summit and only one in ten of those evolved into Gyarados.
  • Ash and the others hurried toward the lake so they would not miss the mass evolution.
  • The Team Rocket Trio overheard Lühé's explanation and imagined using the lake to create a powerful Gyarados army.
  • Jessie proposed catching the Magikarp before they evolved so they would obey Team Rocket.

Ch. 250The Homeland of Magikarp

Xia You and the others reached Birth and Evolution Lake, where Lühé prepared equipment to study the Magikarp gathering there. As more Magikarp arrived without evolving, Lühé decided they would have to camp overnight.

  • Xia You and the others reached the summit of Tangelo Island and found Birth and Evolution Lake surrounded by an unusually quiet forest.
  • Lühé set up equipment to analyze the Magikarp, explaining that he had worked as a Pokémon Watcher for about fifty years and studied Magikarp for three.
  • Lühé explained that the collars marked when individual Magikarp had left the island and that the island-born Magikarp returned there every year.
  • More Magikarp gathered in the lake as the sun set, but none showed signs of evolving.
  • Lühé checked the time and said they would need to camp at the lake because fewer Magikarp had arrived than he expected.

Ch. 251Camping by the lake

Xia You and his companions camped beside the lake while Lühé waited for enough Magikarp to gather and evolve. As night fell, Lühé took watch, and Misty entered Xia You and Sabrina’s tent and asked to sleep there.

  • Ash, Misty, Tracey, Xia You, Sabrina, and Lühé prepared their campsite and shared curry rice and fruit salad for dinner.
  • Lühé recognized Tracey as a Pokémon Watcher, reviewed his notes, and exchanged knowledge with him while telling the group stories of his travels.
  • More than a hundred Magikarp joined the lake, but there still were not enough to trigger their evolution together.
  • Lühé insisted on keeping watch alone through the night because he did not trust anyone else to monitor the Magikarp.
  • Misty wondered whether Xia You and Sabrina were a couple, then entered their tent and asked to sleep there.
  • Xia You agreed to let Misty sleep in the tent, saying it had room for four people.

Ch. 252Late-night talk in the tent

Misty spent the evening talking with Xia You in the tent, then accidentally ended up under his covers while they slept. A loud mechanical roar woke the campers at three in the morning, and they found Lühé watching the lake through binoculars.

  • Misty sat beside Xia You and chatted with him late into the night while Sabrina pretended to sleep.
  • Xia You urged Misty to go to bed, and she eventually fell asleep beside him.
  • While keeping watch, Lühé heard a sudden sound from the lake and went to investigate.
  • A mechanical roar woke Xia You, who discovered Misty in his arms and hurried to get dressed.
  • Xia You, Misty, Sabrina, Ash, and Tracey left their tents and found Lühé observing the lake with binoculars.

Ch. 253Magikarp Submarine

Xia You and the others discovered that Team Rocket had been using a Magikarp Submarine to capture Magikarp from Birth and Evolution Lake for their Gyarados Army. After Lühé’s threat to call the police was mocked, Xia You said they would have to handle Team Rocket themselves.

  • Lühé and the others saw the lake churn before a giant Magikarp Submarine surfaced.
  • Xia You recognized the red R on the submarine, and Ash identified Team Rocket.
  • Jessie and James revealed that they were capturing Magikarp to build a Gyarados Army.
  • Lühé demanded that Team Rocket release the Magikarp and threatened to call the police.
  • Team Rocket mocked Lühé, and Xia You told him they would have to rely on themselves.

Ch. 254Team Rocket came prepared

Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Xia You attacked Team Rocket’s Magikarp Submarine to rescue the captured Magikarp, but Team Rocket transformed it into a powerful Mechanical Gyarados. Lühé identified a likely weak spot in its lower-belly armor, giving the group a way to try to free the Magikarp.

  • Lühé pleaded with Xia You and the others to save the Magikarp, and Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Xia You sent out Pikachu, Starmie, Marill, and Charizard to attack Team Rocket’s submarine.
  • Pikachu, Starmie, and Marill struck the submarine while dodging its mechanical arms, but their attacks could not break its steel hull.
  • Meowth activated Team Rocket’s secret weapon, transforming the submarine into a Mechanical Gyarados that attacked with electric currents and mechanical arms.
  • The Mechanical Gyarados’s electric attacks hit Starmie, and its defenses easily resisted Charizard’s Flamethrower and Pikachu’s Thunder Shock.
  • Lühé pointed out that the Mechanical Gyarados’s bulging lower belly likely held the captured Magikarp and had thinner armor, identifying it as a potential weak spot.

Ch. 255A swarm of Gyarados

Xia You, Ash, and the others destroyed Team Rocket’s mechanical Gyarados, accidentally setting off the Magikarp’s mass evolution at Birth and Evolution Lake. The newly evolved Gyarados turned furious and attacked, leaving everyone to defend Lühé and his equipment from their Hyper Beams.

  • Xia You, Ash, and the others combined their Pokémon’s attacks to destroy the mechanical Gyarados, sending the Team Rocket Trio flying away.
  • The Magikarp containers exploded, scattering the Magikarp into the lake, where more than a dozen began evolving at once.
  • Xia You and the others saw that the newly evolved Gyarados were enraged, and Xia You led Misty and Sabrina away as the Gyarados charged Hyper Beam.
  • Tracey tried to pull Lühé away from his equipment, but Lühé broke free and tried to shield it himself.
  • Xia You called Ash back, and the group’s Pokémon combined their attacks to intercept the Gyarados’s Hyper Beams before they reached the campsite.

Ch. 256Stopping the Uproar

Xia You and the others survived the Gyarados’s devastating attack, but the rampaging Pokémon forced them to defend Lühé and the camp in a chaotic battle. As the fight continued without a clear advantage, Haunter emerged from Xia You’s shadow to protect him.

  • A massive shock wave blasted a crater into the lakeshore, but Sabrina’s barrier protected Xia You, Misty, Ash, Tracey, and the camp from serious harm.
  • Xia You saw that Lühé stayed behind to check his equipment, so he and the others formed a line to protect him and their belongings from the approaching Gyarados.
  • Ash tried to calm the Gyarados, but they ignored him, and Xia You sent the group’s Pokémon to stop them.
  • The Pokémon fought the Gyarados in a chaotic battle, while Misty recalled Psyduck after it wandered into danger.
  • Ash’s Charizard attacked wildly after being hit by Hydro Pump, and Haunter left Xia You’s shadow to guard him as the battle continued.

Ch. 257Terrifying Growth

Xia You sent out his Gyarados to break the stalemate against the rampaging wild Gyarados on Tangelo Island. As his Gyarados overwhelmed them, Lühé demanded that Xia You recall it, but Xia You chose to let the battle continue.

  • Lühé returned to Xia You and said the wild Gyarados had been provoked, while Xia You insisted they had to be defeated to stop their rampage.
  • Xia You sent out his Gyarados and ordered it to knock sense into the wild Gyarados.
  • Xia You's Gyarados roared, then swiftly battered one wild Gyarados after another, forcing the other Pokémon to stop fighting and back away.
  • Ash praised Xia You's Gyarados, and Misty noted that it had helped Xia You win the Indigo Conference championship.
  • Lühé urged Xia You to recall his brutal Gyarados, but Xia You kept it on the battlefield to see how far it could grow.

Ch. 258Gyarados in all its commanding glory

Xia You let Gyarados fight the remaining wild Gyarados on its own, and it defeated all ten despite suffering severe wounds. Gyarados stood victorious as the sun rose over Tangelo Island, leaving the onlookers stunned and Misty asking what they should do next.

  • Lühé tried to stop Xia You from sending Gyarados into battle, but a woman and Haunter intimidated him into staying back.
  • The ten remaining wild Gyarados surrounded Xia You's Gyarados after Ash's and Misty's Pokémon withdrew.
  • Xia You let Gyarados fight without commands as it battled the wild Gyarados and defeated them one by one, despite bleeding and losing scales.
  • Gyarados defeated the last wild Gyarados and stood roaring among its unconscious opponents as the sunrise illuminated it.
  • Lühé marveled at Gyarados's strength, and Misty asked Xia You what they should do next.

Ch. 259The first Mega Evolution stone

Lühé and Tracey treated the injured Gyarados while Xia You and the others recovered their scattered belongings and prepared breakfast. After the wild Gyarados left and the Magikarp ceremony ended, Lühé gave Xia You a Gyarados Mega Stone, believing Xia You and his Gyarados could use it to its full potential.

  • Lühé gathered medicine and, with Tracey's help, treated the injured Gyarados while Xia You and the others searched for their scattered luggage.
  • Tracey prepared a lavish breakfast with help from Ash and Misty after Lühé finished treating the injured Pokémon.
  • The wild Gyarados left the lake with the unevolved Magikarp, bringing the annual evolution ceremony to an end.
  • As Xia You and the others prepared to leave, Lühé gave Xia You a Gyarados Mega Stone and said he believed Xia You and his Gyarados could make the best use of it.

Ch. 260The Winner's Cup

Xia You parted from Lühé, Ash, Misty, and Tracey after receiving a Gyarados Mega Evolution stone and encouraged Ash to keep growing until he could challenge him. He flew to Citrus Island, rested with Sabrina, and applied at Orange League Headquarters for a Winner’s Cup challenge.

  • Xia You accepted the Gyarados Mega Evolution stone from Lühé, who then returned to his tent.
  • Xia You, Sabrina, and Tracey left Lühé and the Gyarados behind and returned to the shore, where they prepared to part from Ash and Misty.
  • Ash interrupted Misty as she tried to speak to Xia You, and Misty hit him for it.
  • Xia You told Ash that he believed Ash might one day defeat him, and Ash promised to work harder.
  • Xia You and Sabrina flew by Charizard to Citrus Island, rested at a hot-spring guesthouse, and visited Orange League Headquarters the next day to arrange a Winner’s Cup challenge.

Ch. 261The Vice President of the Orange League

Xia You registered to challenge the Orange League’s Winner’s Cup, and Vice President Carl arranged a tour of the venue before the match. The challenge was set for ten the next morning, where Xia You would face an undefeated Top Pokémon Trainer known for his powerful Dragonite.

  • Xia You presented his four Shell Badges, and Carl verified them before recognizing him as the Indigo Conference winner.
  • Carl introduced himself as the Vice President of the Orange League and welcomed Xia You as a major challenger.
  • Carl told Xia You and Sabrina that Dragonite was revered as the island’s guardian and that the Orange League’s Top Pokémon Trainer had never lost the Winner’s Cup.
  • Carl completed Xia You’s registration and scheduled his match for ten the next morning.
  • Carl offered to show Xia You and Sabrina around the venue, explaining that challengers rarely came and the reception could be left unattended.

Ch. 262Kumquat Colosseum and the Winner's Palace

Xia You toured the Kumquat Colosseum and Winner's Palace with Carl and learned the rules for the next day's Orange League Winner's Cup battle. Seeing the champions commemorated in the hall strengthened his resolve to win and leave a trace of himself in this world, and he wondered why so few past winners were memorialized.

  • Carl led Xia You and Sabrina up to the Kumquat Colosseum and showed Xia You its battlefield and facilities.
  • Xia You asked Carl about the Winner's Cup rules, and she explained it was a six-on-six match with the battlefield changing after either side lost three Pokémon.
  • Carl brought Xia You to the Winner's Palace and showed him the champions' photographs, Pokémon handprints, and statues.
  • Xia You imagined leaving his own name and Pokémon's handprints there, which made him more determined to win.
  • Xia You asked Carl why the hall had so few memorials despite the Orange League having run for decades.
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