Chapter Summaries

Xia You and Erika traveled through Cherrygrove City and stayed with Professor Elm in New Bark Town, where they shared a room and became lovers. The next morning, they said goodbye to Professor Elm and his family and headed north toward Mt. Silver with their relationship changed.

• Erika caught another Grass-type Pokémon outside Cherrygrove City as she and Xia You continued toward New Bark Town.
• Xia You and Erika visited Professor Elm, presented gifts to his family, and stayed overnight at his home.
• Professor Elm's wife assigned Xia You and Erika the same room, where they shared a bed and became intimate.
• Professor Elm teased Xia You about keeping the household awake, embarrassing Erika at breakfast.
• Xia You and Erika thanked Professor Elm and his wife, then left New Bark Town and headed north.

Xia You and Erika traveled to Mt. Silver, where their relationship grew closer before they visited Ho-Oh Shrine. As they reached the shrine hall, a Machoke and a Machop blocked their path, and another Pokémon jumped between them.

• Xia You and Erika camped in the mountains, and Xia You spent the night with her while Scizor, Jolteon, and Gengar waited outside.
• The next morning, Xia You and Erika packed up and headed toward Silver Town, now more affectionate with each other.
• Xia You and Erika stopped at Ho-Oh Shrine, where Erika told him the legend of Ho-Oh restoring the land and creating the Sacred Fire.
• After climbing to the shrine hall, Xia You and Erika were confronted by a Machoke and a Machop, then a catlike Pokémon leaped between them.

Xia You and Erika encountered a wild Sneasel that had taken over the temple and recruited Machop and Machoke as its underlings. Xia You sent out four Pokémon to drive them away and train against type disadvantages, but Dragonite was already struggling against Sneasel.

• Sneasel attacked Xia You and demanded that he leave its turf, while Gengar translated its words.
• A temple staff member explained that Sneasel had defeated previous challengers and blocked access to the Sacred Fire before the Silver Conference.
• Xia You agreed to help and sent out Dragonite, Tyranitar, Scizor, and Eevee to face Sneasel, Machop, and Machoke.
• Xia You assigned Tyranitar and Scizor to fight Machop and Machoke, while Dragonite and Eevee took on Sneasel.
• Tyranitar and Scizor gained the upper hand, but Sneasel struck Dragonite with an Ice-type move and left it in poor shape.

Xia You drove Sneasel and its companions from the Ho-Oh Shrine, then tracked them into the forest to discuss sharing the territory. After Sneasel attacked and was defeated, Scizor carried it back to the shrine.

• Sneasel fled into the forest with Machoke and Machop after its fight with Xia You's Pokémon.
• Xia You warned the shrine staff member that Sneasel might return and explained that it had claimed the shrine because it had nowhere else to go.
• Erika suggested negotiating a peaceful arrangement, and Xia You followed Sneasel into the woods to talk with it.
• Sneasel attacked, so Xia You sent Dragonite and Eevee against Machoke and Machop, while Tyranitar and Scizor fought Sneasel.
• Dragonite and Eevee defeated Machoke and Machop, and Scizor pinned Sneasel against a tree.
• Sneasel refused to submit, so Xia You had Scizor carry it back toward the Ho-Oh Shrine.

Xia You and Erika returned Sneasel to the Ho-Oh Shrine, where it agreed to live peacefully near humans, then settled into the Silver Conference Athlete Village. As the competition approached, they spent their days training and living together before Ash, Misty, and Brock finally arrived.

• Xia You declined to catch Sneasel, then spotted Moltres flying over Mt. Silver with Erika.
• Xia You returned Sneasel to the shrine, and the staff member later told him it had agreed to stay near the shrine and coexist peacefully with humans.
• Xia You and Erika reached Silver Town, checked in at the Pokémon Center, and moved into their suite in the Athlete Village.
• Xia You trained his Pokémon while Erika prepared meals, and the two spent their free time shopping and strolling around town together.
• Ash, Misty, and Brock arrived the day before the Silver Conference, and Misty remarked on Erika's radiant appearance.

Ash, Xia You, and their friends arrived in Silver Town for the Silver Conference, where Ash registered and reunited with Gary, who vowed to defeat him and Xia You. As the tournament drew near, they explored the crowded town and met Pokémon League president Charles Goodshow handing balloons to young spectators.

• Ash registered for the Silver Conference before rejoining Xia You, Erika, Misty, and Brock.
• Ash and Xia You ran into Gary, who declared that he would beat Xia You and become the champion; Ash also vowed to defeat both rivals.
• Xia You noticed that Silver Town was filling with competitors and spectators, including Kenta and Marina.
• The group walked through the busy shopping street toward the Athlete Village while Ash and Misty admired the stalls and Brock watched the women.
• They met Charles Goodshow handing out balloons to children, and he recognized Ash and Xia You and wished them well in the tournament.

Xia You and the other contestants began the Silver Conference Selection Tournament, where his first opponent turned out to be Koji, a Trainer from the Orange Islands. After delivering a message from Koji’s mother, Xia You faced him in battle, with Dragonite matched against Koji’s unusually large Kingler.

• Xia You learned that contestants needed strong performances in three matches to advance from the Selection Tournament.
• Xia You and Ash drew their assignments, then Misty chose to accompany Xia You to Group A.
• Xia You’s first opponent, Koji, arrived with a Pikachu and reminded Xia You of Ash.
• Xia You and Misty told Koji that his mother missed him and hoped he would return home after the conference.
• Koji and Xia You began their match, sending out Kingler and Dragonite.

Xia You won his first qualifying match with Dragonite by paralyzing Koji’s Kingler and finishing it with a combo, then quickly won his second match with Tyranitar against an undertrained Houndoom. He left the battles needing two more wins to qualify for the Main Tournament.

• Xia You used Dragonite to defeat Koji’s Kingler after Thunder Punch paralyzed it and Aqua Tail and Hyper Beam finished the battle.
• Xia You congratulated Koji after the match, and Erika praised Koji’s strength while Misty congratulated Xia You on his first win.
• Xia You watched the third match in Group A and then returned to the battlefield for his second match.
• Xia You sent Tyranitar against an older office worker’s Houndoom and won easily as Tyranitar overwhelmed it.

Xia You and Ash won their remaining Group matches and advanced to the Preliminaries of the Silver Conference. In the League Hall, they saw which other Trainers had qualified, and Kenta and Marina approached Xia You.

• Xia You, Misty, and Erika watched Ash defeat Machoke with Phanpy after learning he had narrowly won his first match against Furret with Pikachu.
• Xia You and Ash ate lunch together, then Ash left for his next match while Xia You returned to the Group A field.
• Xia You sent out Scizor, who overcame Cyndaquil’s type advantage and won the battle.
• Xia You and Ash met in the League Hall after both had won their latest matches and found their photographs among the Trainers advancing to the Preliminaries.
• Xia You spotted Koji’s photograph and saw Gary resting alone before Kenta and Marina approached with a chubby boy.

Xia You and Ash reunited with fellow preliminaries qualifiers as Charles Goodshow explained the Silver Conference’s group elimination rules and opening schedule. After the competitors shared a meal, their photos went online and Xia You’s popularity surged to first place.

• Xia You introduced Ash, Misty, and Brock to Kenta, Marina, and Jackson, then Nana joined the group and said she had qualified for the preliminaries.
• Charles Goodshow announced that the forty-eight competitors would be split into sixteen groups of three, with only each group’s top scorer advancing to the final tournament.
• A staff member explained that the Silver Conference would open the next day with a Sacred Fire relay and public matches, which would be promoted across Johto.
• Xia You took the group to a nearby restaurant, where they ate together and became better acquainted while Misty blocked Nana’s attempts to talk with him.
• Photos of the forty-eight qualifiers appeared online, and Xia You’s popularity climbed to first place after people learned he had won the previous Indigo Conference.

Xia You prepared for the tournament’s main battles while the Pokémon League debated whether to promote him heavily without interfering with match fairness. After handling promotional filming and reporters, he agreed to meet Viola for an exclusive interview.

• Xia You told Erika he intended to win the championship and would give his all against any opponent.
• John argued for making Xia You the tournament’s focus, while Charles Goodshow insisted the League keep the match schedule fair and give competitors equal attention.
• The League compromised by allowing extra promotional resources for Xia You but forbidding interference with matchups.
• League staff gave Xia You more prominent filming and publicity than other competitors, and he answered reporters’ questions before leaving with staff’s help.
• Viola called Xia You to request another exclusive interview, and he agreed to meet her at a nearby café.

Xia You completed a relaxed exclusive interview with Viola before returning to Silver Stadium for the Silver Conference opening ceremony. Ash was missing from the preparation room, and Misty only knew he had left with two staff members.

• Viola welcomed Xia You to a café she had booked for their interview, and her colleagues set up the recording equipment.
• Xia You told Viola he hoped to match his Indigo Conference result and answered her questions in a relaxed manner.
• Xia You posed for photos with Dragonite, Scizor, and Tyranitar before saying goodbye to Viola.
• Xia You arrived at Silver Stadium, where Misty and the others had been waiting for him.
• Misty told Xia You that Ash had left with two staff members, and Xia You joined the contestants preparing to enter the stadium.

The Silver Conference opening ceremony began as Xia You entered Silver Stadium to cheers and discovered Meisha, Masha, and their biker friends supporting him with a banner. The Sacred Fire torchbearer then emerged as Ash, leaving Xia You to suspect Team Rocket had caused trouble.

• Sabrina watched the opening ceremony, grew irritated, and left to face a challenger at her Gym.
• Friends and acquaintances of Xia You watched the ceremony as he joined the contestants' procession into Silver Stadium.
• Xia You spotted Meisha, Masha, and other bikers holding a banner declaring him number one, and the cameras broadcast their support.
• After the contestants took their places, Ash entered the stadium carrying the Sacred Fire with Pikachu beside him.
• Xia You guessed that Team Rocket had intervened to make Ash the torchbearer.

Ash carried Ho-Oh’s sacred flame to the cauldron, officially opening the Silver Conference, and Xia You celebrated with Ash, Erika, and the Biker Gang. After a late-night feast, the contestants returned to their dorms ahead of the competition, which began the next day.

• Ash replaced the injured torchbearer and carried Ho-Oh’s sacred flame to the stadium cauldron, igniting it and opening the Silver Conference.
• President Charles Goodshow welcomed the contestants and urged them to fight fairly and give their best.
• Xia You met up with Ash, Erika, and the Biker Gang, whose members had ridden from Vermilion City to support him.
• Xia You took the group to a restaurant, where Ash explained that Team Rocket had led to him becoming the substitute torchbearer.
• Xia You and Erika returned to their dorm after dinner, and Xia You eventually fell asleep after spending the night with her.

Xia You and Ash checked their preliminary groups and learned the tournament’s round-robin rules before heading to their separate venues. Xia You’s first match began with a draw to determine who would send out a Pokémon first, and he opened with Venusaur.

• Ash found that he was in Group H with Jackson and a little girl, while Xia You was placed in Group C with two unfamiliar contestants.
• Brock explained that each group would hold a three-person round robin, with the contestant earning the most points advancing to the finals tournament.
• Xia You went to Venue A with Erika, while Misty and Brock accompanied Ash to Venue H.
• At Venue A, the roulette selected Xia You to send out his Pokémon first.
• Xia You sent out Venusaur, who had not battled for him since being left at Cerise Park.

Xia You won his first Preliminary match with a decisive three-to-zero victory over Kimura. He and Erika then watched Ash recover from a desperate position to win his own battle against Xiao Meng.

• Kimura chose Ledian against Xia You's Venusaur, but Xia You went on to defeat Kimura's Ledian, Magmar, and Jumpluff with Venusaur, Scizor, and Tyranitar.
• Xia You left the arena with three points and met Erika outside the venue before they returned to the dormitory lobby to watch Ash's match.
• Ash fell behind one to two after losing Phanpy and Totodile to Xiao Meng's team.
• Ash sent out Squirtle instead of Pikachu, and Squirtle defeated Electabuzz and Cyndaquil to secure Ash's victory.

After the first day of the Silver Conference Preliminaries, Xia You learned how Ash had befriended Xiao Meng and watched their friends’ results unfold. On the second day, Ahui eliminated Kimura, and the remaining contestants prepared for the decisive matches tomorrow.

• Xia You learned that Ash had rescued Xiao Meng’s Vulpix from Team Rocket, winning her admiration even after he defeated her in battle.
• Ash and Xia You discussed their victories, while Gary, Kenta, and Marina returned from their matches looking successful; Nana and Koji awaited their scheduled battles.
• On the second day, Ahui defeated Kimura’s Magmar with her Feraligatr, eliminating Kimura and tying her score with Xia You’s at three points.
• Xia You learned that Xiao Meng had defeated Jackson, while Koji lost and Nana won her match.
• The second day’s battles ended, leaving Xia You and Ahui to face off tomorrow for a place in the top sixteen.

Xia You advanced to the top sixteen, then learned that the draw had paired him against Nana and put him in the same half as Ash, Gary, Kenta, and Marina. The chapter ended with Xia You and Erika retreating to their room, where he abandoned their plan to review Nana’s footage and kissed Erika instead.

• Xia You defeated Ahui three to zero with Blastoise, Dragonite, and Tyranitar, advancing to the top sixteen.
• Kenta, Marina, Gary, Koji, and Nana won their matches, while Ash drew with Jackson but advanced on points; Jackson left Silver Town after his elimination.
• The top-sixteen draw paired Ash against Gary and Kenta against Marina, while Xia You drew Nana and landed in their half of the bracket.
• Xia You noticed his friends’ disappointment and returned to his room with Erika, intending to review footage of Nana.
• Xia You embraced and kissed Erika instead of watching the footage.

Xia You prepared for his round-of-16 match against Nana and encouraged her to face the battle at her best. After watching Dushe defeat Koji, Xia You headed to the battlefield to face Nana.

• Xia You met a nervous Nana outside the competitors' entrance and urged her to be herself and give the match her all.
• Nana regained her confidence, promised to fight at her best, and ran off to prepare.
• Xia You reviewed Nana's previous battles in the competitors' lounge while Erika watched with him.
• Xia You and Erika watched Dushe dominate Koji, whose Pikachu fell to Dushe's Rapidash and whose tournament ended.
• Xia You left the lounge and headed to the battlefield for his match against Nana.

Xia You and Nana began their battle, and Jolteon quickly gained the advantage over Nana’s Meganium. Nana tried to use Poison Powder to keep Jolteon at bay, but Xia You exploited the powder’s explosive reaction with Thunder Shock, leaving Meganium defeated as Nana sent out Pidgey.

• Xia You won the draw and sent out Jolteon, while Nana chose her trusted partner Meganium.
• Jolteon’s speed let it dodge Meganium’s attacks and land Electric-type moves, gradually putting Meganium on the defensive.
• Nana spread Poison Powder across the battlefield to keep Jolteon away and give Meganium time to recover.
• Xia You ordered Jolteon to use Thunder Shock, which ignited the Poison Powder and badly injured Meganium.
• Jolteon finished Meganium with Tackle, and Nana recalled it before sending out Pidgey.