Chapter Summaries

Xia You and the others defeated Team Rocket, freed Raikou, and captured the remaining members. Kenta, Eusine, and Kudō declined to pursue or catch Raikou, while Xia You and Erika set off after it, and Kenta promised to challenge Xia You at the Silver Conference.

• Gardevoir defeated Team Rocket's last Pokémon, and Kenta, Eusine, and Kudō tied up the captured members.
• Bashou warned Xia You that Team Rocket would not be brought down by capturing a few members, and Xia You said more captures would follow.
• Kenta refused to catch Raikou, saying it belonged in the wild, and Eusine and Kudō also declined to pursue it.
• Marina introduced Jackson, who asked to join Xia You in searching for Raikou, but Xia You left the Team Rocket prisoners with the others and departed.
• Kenta challenged Xia You to a rematch at the Silver Conference, and Xia You agreed.
• Xia You and Erika climbed onto Charizard and pursued Raikou.

Xia You and Erika found the injured Raikou and challenged it to a battle, with Crystal Steelix fighting it one-on-one. Raikou outmaneuvered Crystal Steelix and sent it plunging into the lake, while Xia You remained strangely unfazed.

• Scyther led Xia You and Erika to Raikou, which was licking its electrical burns beside a lake.
• Xia You challenged Raikou, but it tried to flee until Charizard and Gengar blocked its escape routes.
• Xia You sent out Crystal Steelix, whose immunity to Electric-type moves limited Raikou's options.
• Crystal Steelix used Rock Tomb to fill the lakeshore with rocks and restrict Raikou's movement.
• Raikou dodged Crystal Steelix's Tackle and lured it into charging headfirst into the lake.
• Raikou looked to Xia You for a reaction, but he watched it with an amused expression.

Xia You caught Raikou after Crystal Steelix defeated the exhausted Legendary Pokémon, then traveled with Erika to Olivine City to challenge Jasmine at the Olivine Gym. Jasmine welcomed him and said she had watched his matches.

• Crystal Steelix struck Raikou with Iron Tail, knocking it unconscious, and Xia You caught it in a Great Ball.
• Erika congratulated Xia You, who reflected on how catching Raikou showed his progress and noted that he had only one Pokémon slot left.
• Xia You and Erika arrived in Olivine City and walked past the harbor and Glitter Lighthouse on their way to the Gym.
• Xia You entered the Olivine Gym and waited with Erika until Jasmine arrived.
• Jasmine greeted Xia You, recognized him as the Indigo Conference champion, and said she had watched his matches.

Xia You and Erika met Jasmine at the Olivine Gym, where Jasmine recognized them and teased them about being a couple. Xia You then asked Jasmine to use her strongest Pokémon for their two-on-two battle, and the chapter left the first match beginning against her Metagross.

• Jasmine recognized Xia You from his tournament appearances, then remembered meeting Erika as a child and reconnected with her.
• Jasmine asked whether Xia You and Erika were a couple, leaving Erika flustered as she insisted they were only traveling companions.
• Xia You asked Jasmine to use her strongest Pokémon, and she agreed to bring out her top team.
• Xia You and Jasmine began their two-on-two elimination match, sending out their first Pokémon.
• Jasmine sent out Metagross, and Xia You scanned it with his Pokédex and assessed its strength and defenses.

Xia You sent out Blastoise to battle Jasmine’s Metagross, and the two Pokémon traded attacks in a closely matched fight. Blastoise launched a spinning counterattack that crashed down on Metagross, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Xia You chose Blastoise for his Gym battle against Jasmine’s Metagross, which dodged the first Hydro Pump with Agility before taking a direct hit from Blastoise’s redirected water stream.
• Metagross struck Blastoise with Confusion and Meteor Mash, but Blastoise used Iron Defense and countered with Aqua Tail.
• Jasmine ordered Metagross to use Psychic, and Blastoise blocked it with Protect.
• Erika watched Xia You command Blastoise and realized she might have developed feelings for him, then refocused on the battle.
• Blastoise avoided Metagross’s Zen Headbutt with Withdraw, followed with Rapid Spin, and crashed down onto Metagross in a powerful spinning attack.

Jasmine sent out Lucario after Metagross fell, and Xia You answered with Charizard. Charizard burned Lucario with Flare Blitz and struck it with Air Slash, leaving it badly hurt and unable to dodge as the battle continued.

• Jasmine recalled Metagross and sent out Lucario as her next Pokémon.
• Xia You chose Charizard to face Lucario, and the battle resumed with Charizard’s Flamethrower colliding with Lucario’s Aura Sphere.
• Charizard used Wing Attack, but Lucario used Detect to dodge and grabbed Charizard’s wing to throw it aside.
• Charizard recovered in midair and hit Lucario with Flare Blitz, burning it and sending it crashing to the ground.
• Charizard followed with Air Slash, striking the burned Lucario before it could dodge.

Xia You defeated Jasmine at the Olivine Gym and earned the Mineral Badge. He and Erika then chose to travel by sea to Cianwood City, while Erika acted unusually shy around him.

• Jasmine ordered Lucario to use Close Combat, but Xia You had Charizard dodge its attacks.
• Lucario used Final Gambit, but Charizard flew out of reach and knocked it out with a stream of fire.
• The referee declared Xia You the winner, and Jasmine gave him the Mineral Badge.
• Xia You and Erika exchanged friendly remarks with Jasmine before leaving the Olivine Gym.
• After healing his Pokémon and eating lunch, Xia You let Erika choose their next route, and she picked the sea journey to Cianwood City.
• As they headed to Olivine Pier, Xia You noticed Erika lowered her gaze whenever their eyes met.

Xia You and Erika stopped at Kuga City in the Whirl Islands after learning about a Water-type Pokémon competition, and Xia You entered its preliminary rounds. With the city packed with visitors, they booked the last available hotel suite and had to share a room.

• Xia You and Erika boarded a ship bound for Cianwood City, and Xia You released his seasick Eevee on deck.
• A local old man told Xia You and Erika about the Whirl Islands, their caves and Lugia, and the Water-type Pokémon competition in Kuga City.
• Xia You decided to enter the competition for its prize money and training, while Erika chose not to enter because she had no Water-type Pokémon.
• Xia You and Erika disembarked at Kuga City, where Xia You registered for the competition and found the Pokémon Center and nearby inns fully booked.
• Xia You booked an expensive hotel suite, leaving him and Erika to share a room for the night.

Xia You and Erika scouted the Cup Tournament venue, reunited with Ash, Misty, and Brock, and spent the evening preparing for the preliminaries. The next morning, Xia You, Ash, and Misty entered the contestants’ areas and headed to their assigned arenas as the competition began.

• Xia You and Erika visited the venue and learned that the tournament’s preliminaries would narrow the entrants to sixty-four Main Tournament contestants.
• Xia You reunited with Ash, Misty, and Brock at the arena entrance, and Misty was relieved that she had been assigned to a different arena from Xia You.
• Ash vowed to beat Xia You and win the championship wherever they met in the tournament.
• Xia You treated the group to a seafood dinner, then returned to the hotel with Erika, where they took turns using the shared bathroom and went to sleep.
• The next morning, Erika and Brock watched from the stands while Xia You, Ash, and Misty stacked their hands together and headed to their respective arenas.

Xia You, Ash, and Misty easily won their preliminary battles at the Whirlpool stadium and advanced to the main tournament. After reuniting with Erika and Brock, Xia You celebrated by treating everyone to a barbecue feast.

• Xia You waited at F Stadium while Ash and Misty prepared for their matches at the other stadiums.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise, who quickly defeated the young boy's Poliwag with Tackle and Bite.
• Xia You won his second and third matches, securing his place in the main tournament.
• Ash and Misty returned after advancing successfully, and the three friends agreed that their matches had been easy.
• Xia You met up with Erika and Brock and treated everyone to a barbecue feast.

Xia You, Ash, Misty, and the other Whirl Cup contestants attended the grand opening ceremony, where High Priestess Maya welcomed them and illuminated the arena with the Soul of the Sea. As the tournament began, Xia You focused on winning the title, prize money, and Mystic Water.

• Xia You, Ash, Misty, and the other sixty-one contestants entered the aquatic arena by boat as spectators cheered.
• The announcer introduced Maya as the High Priestess who preserved the Whirl Islands’ traditions and explained that the Whirl Cup would select a Hero of the Sea.
• Maya declared the celebration open and raised her scepter, causing the Soul of the Sea to bathe the stadium in blue light.
• Ash wondered whether the contestants had been blessed, and Misty explained that only the eventual Hero of the Sea would receive the blessing.
• Misty predicted Xia You would win the tournament, while Xia You thought about claiming the prize money and Mystic Water.

Ash faced a young fisherman in his first elimination-round match and struggled against the boy’s powerful Kingdra. Totodile turned Kingdra’s Hydro Pump against it, winning the match and leaving Ash’s next tournament round ahead.

• Ash sent Totodile to battle the young boy’s Kingdra, which overwhelmed Totodile with Twister and Water Gun.
• Kingdra hid underwater in a cloud of ink, while Totodile waited on shore and danced to entertain the crowd.
• The boy ordered Kingdra to surface and use Hydro Pump, and Totodile leaped up and bit down on its snout.
• Totodile held Kingdra’s Hydro Pump inside its body until Ash ordered it to let go, sending Kingdra spinning through the air before it fainted.
• The referee declared Ash the winner, and Xia You and Misty applauded as the audience laughed at the unexpected victory.

Xia You defeated his opponent’s Corsola with Blastoise to advance to the Top 32 of the Whirl Islands Cup. He joined Ash in the lounge to watch Misty’s match, where she faced Hyde and opened with a Corsola of her own.

• The host announced that Xia You was the Indigo Conference champion and an Honorary Pokémon Trainer of the Orange Islands, surprising the audience and his nervous opponent.
• Xia You sent out Blastoise against the teenage boy’s Corsola in a large pool arena.
• Blastoise overwhelmed Corsola and knocked it unconscious, advancing Xia You to the Top 32.
• Xia You went to the lounge and watched Misty’s match with Ash while Misty battled Hyde.
• Misty sent out Corsola against Hyde’s Qwilfish and took the initiative, while Hyde dismissed her chances.

Misty defeated Hyde after Corsola trapped Qwilfish between its horns and struck it with Spike Cannon. Later, Misty, Ash, and Xia You all won their round-of-32 battles and advanced to the final sixteen.

• Hyde had Qwilfish use a charged Pin Missile, but Misty countered with Corsola’s Spike Cannon, and the attacks collided in a series of explosions.
• Hyde ordered Qwilfish to use Tackle while Corsola was down, but Qwilfish became wedged between Corsola’s horns and could not escape.
• Misty took advantage of Qwilfish’s helplessness and had Corsola use Spike Cannon, knocking Qwilfish into a stone pillar and defeating it.
• Misty returned to the lounge, and she, Ash, and Xia You met Erika and Brock before heading back to the battlefield for the round of 32.
• Ash and Misty defeated their opponents with their abilities, while Xia You used Blastoise to decisively defeat a female Trainer; all three advanced to the final sixteen.

Ash and Misty faced each other in the round of sixteen, where their battle reached a one-to-one tie before Psyduck unexpectedly entered the arena. Psyduck’s struggle to swim embarrassed Misty as the match continued.

• Xia You learned that Ash and Misty had been paired against each other in the round of sixteen, then watched their match from the lounge.
• Ash sent out Totodile and Misty sent out Poliwhirl, and Poliwhirl defeated Totodile after a fierce battle.
• Ash sent out Kingler, whose Crabhammer created four whirlpools and let him defeat Poliwhirl to tie the score.
• Misty tried to send out Corsola for the deciding battle, but Psyduck came out on his own and struggled in the water until he climbed onto a stone pillar.
• The broadcast showed Misty’s flushed, embarrassed face as the spectators watched Psyduck’s antics.

Misty defeated Ash when Psyduck’s headache unleashed a powerful Confusion attack that knocked Kingler out. Xia You then began his next tournament battle, where Blastoise faced an elderly trainer’s Tentacruel.

• Ash ordered Kingler to attack Psyduck, and Kingler grabbed Psyduck by the head.
• Psyduck’s pain triggered a Confusion shock wave that knocked Kingler unconscious, giving Misty the win.
• Xia You prepared for his match and recalled how Chloe had reacted when he told her he might use his giant red Gyarados.
• Xia You noticed extra guards around Maya before facing an elderly trainer in the battle area.
• The elderly trainer sent out Tentacruel, which fought Blastoise evenly at first.
• Xia You directed Blastoise to seize an opening and defeat Tentacruel in one blow.

Xia You defeated the old man's Octillery with Blastoise, advancing to the quarterfinals as Ash recovered from his elimination. Before the quarterfinal pairings were checked, Gaomei introduced herself to Misty as her next opponent and expressed excitement about their battle.

• The old man sent out Octillery, but Blastoise pursued it underwater, cleared away its ink with a whirlpool, broke free of its tentacles, and defeated it with Rocket Headbutt.
• Xia You returned to the lounge, where Misty congratulated him and Ash accepted his elimination before joining the group.
• The tournament released the quarterfinal pairings while Xia You and Misty were having lunch.
• Gaomei approached Misty, introduced herself as Misty's next opponent, and praised her battling and Psyduck.
• Gaomei shook Misty's hand and said she looked forward to their match, then turned her intent gaze toward Xia You.

Xia You encouraged Misty before her quarterfinal against Gaomei, then reviewed the tournament bracket and described his powerful Red Gyarados to Erika. He woke from a short nap as the quarterfinals began, while Misty was still away preparing for her match.

• Gaomei told Xia You she hoped to battle him, and he accepted while urging her not to underestimate Misty.
• Misty saw that she was paired with Gaomei in the afternoon’s second match and went to the Practice Room with Ash and Brock to prepare.
• Xia You told Erika he planned to rely on Blastoise and explained how Shirano’s Project R had mutated his Gyarados into a huge, red Pokémon.
• Erika warned Xia You that Azhe was the tournament’s second favorite after him and that Gaomei ranked third.
• Xia You fell asleep in the lounge, and Erika covered him with his jacket and groomed their Pokémon while he rested.
• The competitors returned to the lounge as the quarterfinals began, but Misty had not come back from preparing.

Misty lost her quarterfinal match against Gaomei after her Poliwhirl and Corsola were defeated by Gaomei’s Gyarados and Chinchou. Xia You reassured Misty afterward and invited her to travel with him through the next region, leaving her overjoyed.

• Misty sent out Poliwhirl against Gaomei’s Gyarados, but Gyarados knocked Poliwhirl out with Hyper Beam in one hit.
• Misty’s Corsola exploited Gyarados’s recovery after Hyper Beam, defeating him with Spike Cannon and a collision.
• Gaomei sent out Chinchou, whose Volt Absorb nullified Corsola’s reflected Thunder, and then confused Corsola with Confuse Ray before knocking her out with Thunder Shock.
• The referee declared Gaomei the winner, eliminating Misty in the quarterfinals.
• Xia You met Misty in the competitors’ tunnel, reassured her, and invited her to travel with him through the next region.
• Misty accepted Xia You’s invitation and wiped away her tears.

Xia You defeated a middle-aged Kalos Pokémon Trainer’s Clawitzer and Binacle with his Blastoise, advancing while his opponent left humiliated. The match ended with Xia You walking away without acknowledging the defeated man.

• Xia You entered the arena to loud cheers and faced a well-dressed middle-aged Trainer who sent out a Kalos-native Clawitzer.
• Clawitzer attacked with Dragon Pulse and other moves, but Blastoise blocked its assaults and countered until its Crabhammer struck Blastoise’s Withdraw and left it vulnerable to Rocket Headbutt.
• The middle-aged Trainer sent out Binacle, and Xia You used his Pokédex to learn about the unfamiliar Pokémon before beginning an aggressive attack.
• Blastoise defeated Binacle with a rapid series of Water-type and close-range attacks, giving Xia You a decisive victory.
• The middle-aged Trainer prepared to speak magnanimously, but Xia You recalled Blastoise and walked away without looking back, leaving his opponent humiliated.