Chapter Summaries

Xia You and Sabrina encountered a new Trainer trying to catch a Sentret near New Bark Town, but it escaped by using them as cover. The girl blamed Xia You, then apologized and watched him leave without learning his name.

• Xia You and Sabrina traveled east from Cherrygrove City toward New Bark Town while Xia You wondered what Looker was doing there.
• Xia You spotted a girl with a baseball bat trying to catch a Sentret with her Chikorita.
• Sentret fled into the forest by using Xia You and Sabrina as cover, frustrating the girl.
• The girl angrily blamed Xia You, but his calm response made her blush and apologize.
• Xia You and Sabrina left, and the girl regretted not asking his name.

In New Bark Town, Xia You met Looker, who was secretly tracking Silver, Giovanni’s son, in hopes of finding Giovanni and Team Rocket. Xia You recognized Silver but kept his knowledge of Silver’s opposition to Team Rocket to himself, leaving the group to watch what Silver would do next.

• Sabrina questioned Xia You about his friendliness toward cute girls, and he nervously insisted he only saw them as friends or younger sisters.
• Xia You and Sabrina met Looker at a café in New Bark Town, where he explained that Team Rocket had made him recognizable and he was following someone.
• Looker pointed out a red-haired man dining across the street and identified him as Silver, Giovanni’s son.
• Looker said he hoped to find Giovanni’s hiding place through Silver, while Xia You privately recalled that Silver opposed Giovanni and Team Rocket.

Xia You, Sabrina, and Looker followed Silver to Professor Elm’s laboratory after Gengar secretly tailed him. They found Silver watching the building alone, and Looker wondered whether the Team Rocket operation involved anyone else.

• Xia You and Sabrina ate with Looker as he outlined the International Police’s planned operation against Team Rocket.
• When Silver left the restaurant, Xia You sent Gengar to follow him quietly and leave markers along the way.
• Xia You, Sabrina, and Looker followed Gengar’s markers to Professor Elm’s laboratory, which Looker identified as Team Rocket’s target.
• Gengar showed Xia You and Looker that Silver had entered the courtyard, while Sabrina stayed outside to provide support.
• Xia You guessed that Silver might be acting alone, and Looker worried that the International Police’s effort might have been wasted.

Silver broke into Professor Elm's laboratory and stole one Poké Ball, then headed toward Cherrygrove City. Xia You, Looker, and Sabrina confronted him in a forest and moved to arrest him, but Silver recognized Xia You and Sabrina and sent out three Pokémon to resist.

• Silver entered Professor Elm's laboratory and stole one of the Poké Balls from a machine.
• Xia You and Looker followed Silver from New Bark Town toward Cherrygrove City, then decided to arrest him rather than continue tracking him.
• Xia You blocked Silver beside a forest lake while Looker and Sabrina surrounded him and Looker announced his arrest.
• Silver challenged the group, but Sabrina used her psychic powers to take the stolen Poké Ball from him.
• Silver recognized Sabrina and Xia You, then sent out Sneasel, Zubat, and Gastly.

Looker, Xia You, and Sabrina cornered Silver and prepared to arrest him, but the fight was interrupted when the Legendary Pokémon Suicune appeared by the lake. Suicune watched them, apparently having come to stop the battle and protect the forest’s peace.

• Looker battled Silver while Xia You and Sabrina kept him from escaping, and Xia You’s Gardevoir struck Zubat with Confusion.
• Silver tried to break through Xia You’s defenses, then turned toward Sabrina, who used her psychic power to knock Silver and his Pokémon down.
• Looker moved to arrest Silver as his Pokémon tightened the encirclement.
• A dazzling light appeared over the lake, revealing Suicune, which Xia You identified with his Pokédex.
• Suicune looked toward the group, and they realized it had come to stop the fight.

Xia You, Sabrina, and Looker failed to catch Silver after Suicune’s mist let him escape, but recovered Professor Elm’s stolen Totodile. The next morning they returned the Poké Ball to Professor Elm, who blamed himself for not noticing the theft.

• Suicune covered the forest in mist, allowing Silver to escape, and disappeared before Xia You and the others could find him.
• Xia You explained that Suicune had been trying to stop the battle, then sent everyone to search for Silver and Suicune, but they found no trace of either.
• The group returned to New Bark Town and stayed at the Pokémon Center, where Xia You spent the night apart from Sabrina.
• The next morning, Xia You, Sabrina, and Looker visited Professor Elm and returned the Poké Ball containing Totodile.
• Professor Elm realized Totodile had been stolen and thanked them, while blaming himself for failing to notice the loss.

Xia You met Professor Elm, discussed his research and declined an offer to choose a Johto starter Pokémon. After Looker revealed Elm might own a Master Ball, he invited Xia You and his companion to join an attack on Team Rocket's Mahogany Town base in ten days.

• Professor Elm recognized Xia You for his paper with Professor Oak and Professor Ivy and invited him and Looker to tea.
• Professor Elm described his research on Pokémon Eggs and offered Xia You a Chikorita, Totodile, or Cyndaquil.
• Xia You politely declined the starter Pokémon because he already had Kanto's starter trio and did not want more Pokémon to care for.
• Looker told Xia You that Professor Elm might have a Master Ball and said that befriending him could be beneficial.
• Looker said Team Rocket had escaped after Silver encountered Suicune and invited Xia You and his companion to join an attack on the Mahogany Town base in ten days.

Xia You and Sabrina left New Bark Town for Violet City, planning to challenge its Gym before heading to Blackthorn City to meet Looker. Along the way, they ran into the spirited Nana again, who caught a Pidgey and introduced herself.

• Xia You chose to travel to Violet City first, explaining that it would make a convenient base for future routes before they went to Blackthorn City.
• Xia You and Sabrina ate lunch, left New Bark Town, and headed west toward Cherrygrove City and Violet City.
• At the edge of a forest, Xia You and Sabrina watched Nana cheer on Chikorita in a battle against a wild Pidgey.
• Nana directed Chikorita to defeat Pidgey with Razor Leaf, then caught it with a Poké Ball.
• Nana celebrated with a song, noticed Xia You, and introduced herself as a new Pokémon Trainer from New Bark Town.

Nana recognized Xia You as the undefeated Indigo Conference champion and challenged him to her first Trainer battle. Xia You accepted and sent out Dratini against Nana’s Chikorita, and Dratini quickly overwhelmed it with Twister.

• Xia You introduced himself and Sabrina to Nana, who recognized him from the Indigo Conference final and asked him for a battle.
• Xia You agreed to Nana’s challenge and chose Dratini, while Nana sent out Chikorita for their one-on-one match.
• Sabrina acted as referee and began the battle.
• Nana ordered Chikorita to use Razor Leaf, but Xia You had Dratini fly up and dodge the attack.
• Xia You commanded Dratini to use Twister, which swept Chikorita into the air and knocked it heavily to the ground.

Xia You defeated Nana’s Chikorita with Dratini and encouraged her to keep training for the Silver Conference. After traveling through the Forest of Illusion and Donphan Valley, Xia You and Sabrina reached Violet City and found the Violet Gym.

• Xia You ordered Dratini to use Dragon Rage, defeating Nana’s Chikorita and winning their battle.
• Nana recovered from her disappointment, explained her dream of collecting Pokémon with yellow markings, and said she would enter the Silver Conference.
• Xia You and Sabrina traveled through the Forest of Illusion and Donphan Valley before arriving in Violet City the next day.
• Xia You learned that Falkner led the Flying-type Violet Gym and that challengers could earn the Zephyr Badge.
• Xia You and Sabrina followed the directions to the Violet Gym, a ten-story pale purple tower with its battlefield on the roof.

Xia You and Sabrina arrived at the Violet Gym, waited for Falkner to return, and then began preparing for Xia You’s three-Pokémon Gym battle. Falkner recognized Xia You as the Indigo Conference Champion, and the chapter ended as the referee and Falkner’s apprentices gathered for the match.

• A staff member told Xia You and Sabrina that Falkner had gone out, so they waited at the Gym.
• Xia You and Sabrina decided to leave, but Falkner returned and agreed to battle Xia You.
• Falkner led Xia You and Sabrina to the rooftop battlefield, with Hoothoot perched on his shoulder.
• Falkner recognized Xia You as the Indigo Conference Champion and explained that the battle would use three Pokémon each.
• A group of Falkner’s apprentices arrived, and one of them stepped forward to referee the battle.

Xia You easily defeated Falkner’s Hoothoot with Gardevoir and realized ordinary Gym battles no longer offered his experienced team enough challenge. He asked Falkner to use his ace, and the chapter ended as Xia You sent out Jolteon to face Staraptor.

• Falkner sent out Hoothoot, and Xia You chose Gardevoir to battle it.
• Gardevoir overwhelmed Hoothoot, and Xia You realized his champion-level team made ordinary Gym battles too easy to provide training.
• After Hoothoot fell, Xia You asked Falkner to send out his ace Pokémon for a more challenging battle.
• Falkner brought out Staraptor, and Xia You recalled Gardevoir before sending out Jolteon.

Xia You’s Jolteon defeated Falkner’s Staraptor in the second round of their Gym battle despite Staraptor’s type disadvantage and powerful final attack. Falkner recalled his ace and lamented that Staraptor had come close to forcing a double knockout.

• Falkner ordered Staraptor to attack with Wing Attack, but Jolteon struck it with Discharge before it landed the hit.
• Staraptor followed with Close Combat, and Jolteon met it with Double Kick before biting its wing with Thunder Fang.
• Falkner commanded Staraptor to use Endeavor, but Xia You whistled for Jolteon to release its bite and dodge.
• Falkner sent Staraptor into a final Brave Bird, which struck Jolteon but left Staraptor unconscious from recoil.
• The referee declared Jolteon the winner, and Falkner recalled Staraptor while regretting that it had not secured a double knockout.

Falkner sent out his rare Togetic to face Xia You, who chose Crystal Onix for its Rock-type advantage. Their battle began with Togetic dodging Crystal Onix’s surprise attack, leaving Falkner ready to counter.

• Falkner sent out Togetic, and Xia You learned from his Pokédex that it was a rare Fairy- and Flying-type Pokémon.
• Xia You recalled Jolteon and chose Crystal Onix, whose Rock type gave it an advantage against Togetic.
• Falkner opened with Yawn, but Crystal Onix burrowed underground to avoid the attack.
• Falkner lowered Togetic toward the ground to draw Crystal Onix out of its hole.
• Crystal Onix lunged at Togetic, but Togetic dodged, and Falkner ordered it to use Magical Leaf.

Xia You used Crystal Onix’s rapid burrowing to frustrate Falkner and then turned the battle against Togetic with powerful attacks. Crystal Onix pinned Togetic and raised its Iron Tail to finish the fight.

• Falkner ordered Togetic to use Magical Leaf, but Crystal Onix burrowed underground before the attack could hit.
• Falkner sent Togetic lower to lure Crystal Onix out, and Crystal Onix struck Togetic to the ground before hitting it with Rock Tomb.
• Togetic burst free of the rocks and tried to counter with Magical Leaf, but Crystal Onix’s Stone Edge canceled the attack.
• Crystal Onix bound Togetic with its tail and threw it aside when Falkner called for Sweet Kiss.
• Xia You ordered Crystal Onix to finish Togetic with Iron Tail.

After defeating Falkner and earning the Zephyr Badge, Xia You evolved Crystal Onix into Crystal Steelix at the Violet City Pokémon Center. He kept the newly discovered Pokémon’s data private and celebrated its more powerful form with Gengar.

• Crystal Onix defeated Falkner’s Togetic, and Falkner accepted his loss and gave Xia You the Zephyr Badge.
• Xia You asked Falkner why he wanted to become a Bird Pokémon Master, and Falkner said he had long yearned for the sky and admired flying bird Pokémon.
• At the Pokémon Center, Xia You used the Onix Metal from the Sevii Islands to evolve Crystal Onix into Crystal Steelix.
• Xia You’s Pokédex identified Crystal Steelix, and he declined to upload its information to the database.
• Gengar praised Crystal Steelix, which nuzzled Xia You affectionately in its new form.

Xia You and Sabrina visited Bellsprout Tower, then left Violet City for Blackthorn City. On the road, they ran into Gary, who refused a battle and promised to face Xia You at the Silver Conference.

• Xia You and Sabrina explored Bellsprout Tower, learned about its swaying central pillar, and ate the temple's free vegetarian meal.
• After leaving Violet City, Xia You and Sabrina set out toward Blackthorn City, planning to meet Looker later in Mahogany Town.
• Gary's sports car passed Xia You and Sabrina, then reversed after Xia You recognized him.
• Xia You asked Gary about Ash, and Gary said they had parted ways at the lab the day before.
• Xia You challenged Gary to a battle, but Gary refused and vowed to defeat him at the Silver Conference before driving away.

Xia You and Sabrina crossed the Ice Path toward Blackthorn City and found a Pokémon Center inside the frozen cave. After arriving to rest for the night, they encountered another man and woman in the dining room.

• Xia You and Sabrina chose the Ice Path shortcut instead of taking the easier mountain route to Blackthorn City.
• Xia You and Sabrina changed into winter clothes, then entered the freezing cave with Charizard and Gengar for warmth and support.
• Xia You and Sabrina followed the main passage for more than two hours and found a Pokémon Center beneath a vast ice dome.
• Nurse Joy welcomed Xia You and Sabrina and led them to the dining room, where a man and a woman were eating dinner.

At the Ice Path Pokémon Center, Xia You and Sabrina met the Weekday Brothers, who challenged Xia You to a battle for their homemade badges. The first match began with Xia You sending out Venusaur against Xing Qishan’s Forretress, leaving Xia You at a type disadvantage.

• Nurse Joy checked whether Xia You and Sabrina had caught a chill and served them coffee.
• Xing Qi'er and Xing Qishan introduced themselves as the Weekday Brothers and challenged Xia You to a Pokémon battle for a badge.
• Xia You agreed to battle after dinner, and he and Sabrina settled into their rooms at the Pokémon Center.
• Xia You and the Weekday Brothers went to the Ice Field behind the center, where Xing Qishan insisted on battling first.
• Xia You sent out Venusaur, and Xing Qishan sent out Forretress, giving Xia You the type disadvantage.

Xia You defeated Xing Qishan and Xing Qi'er in consecutive battles and received their Disappointment Medal and Heartbeat Medal. After resting with Sabrina, he reached Blackthorn City, where Clair was the Gym Leader.

• Xia You's Venusaur defeated Xing Qishan's Forretress despite its type disadvantage.
• Xing Qi'er challenged Xia You with Lombre, but his Jolteon quickly defeated it.
• Xing Qishan and Xing Qi'er gave Xia You the Disappointment Medal and Heartbeat Medal, and Xing Qi'er invited him to challenge her siblings.
• Xia You and Sabrina rested overnight on the Ice Path, then traveled through the ice cave and arrived in Blackthorn City.
• The chapter introduced Clair as Blackthorn City's powerful Dragon-type Gym Leader and Lance's older cousin.