Chapter Summaries

Xia You discovered a Riolu sneaking around his campsite and chased it into the forest with Blaziken and Umbreon. After cornering it, he challenged Riolu to battle Froakie, with its freedom at stake, and the fight began.

• Blaziken and Umbreon caught Riolu searching through the campsite's garbage, and Xia You came out and recognized it.
• Riolu fled into the forest, but Blaziken and Umbreon chased it down and cornered it beneath a huge rock.
• Xia You tried to tempt Riolu with Pokémon food, then sent out Froakie when Riolu refused to approach.
• Xia You promised to let Riolu go if it beat Froakie, but said it would become his Pokémon if it lost.
• Riolu dodged Froakie's Water Gun and used Quick Attack, so Xia You ordered Froakie to counter with Quick Attack.

Xia You caught a stubborn Riolu, helped him and Froakie grow stronger, and returned with May to Jubilife City for an upcoming Pokémon Contest. After defeating more than twenty Trainers at a crowded park, Xia You was challenged by a girl with pale red hair.

• Xia You defeated Riolu with Froakie and caught him after Riolu broke out of the Poké Ball several times.
• Xia You returned to camp, where May met Riolu and watched him accept food and settle in as Xia You's Pokémon.
• Over two days near Sandgem Town, Riolu and Froakie trained and grew accustomed to being Xia You's Pokémon, while Snowman Snorlax easily defeated his opponents.
• Xia You and May traveled back to Jubilife City, where May registered for a Pokémon Contest scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
• Xia You battled and defeated more than twenty Trainers at a park, then a pale red-haired girl stopped him and demanded a battle.

Xia You was about to battle Ulala when Lisia intervened and challenged the Coordinator herself. Their battle began with Ulala sending out Gabite and Lisia revealing a Galarian Rapidash.

• Ulala challenged Xia You to a battle, but Lisia stepped in and insisted Ulala face her first.
• Lisia and Ulala argued over their abilities as Coordinators, while Xia You recognized Ulala as a rival who would later oppose Dawn.
• Xia You stepped aside as Lisia and Ulala prepared to battle, with spectators gathering nearby.
• Ulala sent out Gabite, and Lisia answered with her Galarian Rapidash, surprising the onlookers and Ulala.

Lisia defeated Ulala’s Gabite with her Galarian Rapidash, then challenged her to a Double Battle when Ulala claimed her Plusle and Minun were her specialty. Xia You offered Lisia his Froakie and Riolu for the match.

• Lisia introduced her Galarian Rapidash, and Ulala began a battle by ordering Gabite to use Dragon Rage against the Fairy-type Pokémon.
• Rapidash dispelled Gabite’s Sandstorm, overwhelmed it with Stomp, and finally defeated it with Confusion.
• Lisia mocked Ulala for challenging Xia You, while Xia You worried that Lisia’s praise and intervention would deepen Ulala’s resentment.
• Ulala claimed Plusle and Minun were her Double Battle specialty, then insisted Lisia use Pokémon of similar strength because her pair were weak.
• When Lisia struggled to choose a suitable Pokémon, Xia You offered her his Froakie and Riolu.

Xia You and Lisia teamed up to battle Ulala, with Lisia commanding Riolu while Xia You controlled Froakie. Froakie repeatedly disrupted Plusle and Minun’s combined attacks, and Ulala finally realized Xia You’s tactics were the key to the battle.

• Lisia accepted Xia You’s offer to lend her Riolu, and Xia You explained Riolu’s abilities before they faced Ulala and her Plusle and Minun.
• Lisia warned Ulala not to make excuses if she lost, and the four Pokémon began a Double Battle.
• Plusle and Minun opened with a combined Thunder Shock, but Xia You had Froakie use Water Gun to conduct the electricity back and then cut it off.
• Riolu rushed the pair while Froakie’s Water Gun struck Plusle, breaking their coordination and letting Riolu hit Minun.
• Froakie repeatedly used Water Gun to interrupt the pair’s combined attacks, and Ulala realized Xia You was directing the strategy that had turned the battle against her.

Xia You and Lisia used Froakie's Bubble to obscure the battlefield and help Riolu and Froakie defeat Ulala's Plusle and Minun. Afterward, Lisia joined Xia You for dinner, startling May and leaving her wondering why Lisia had returned to his side again.

• Xia You had Froakie fill the battlefield with bubbles, leading Ulala to order Plusle and Minun to destroy them with Thunder Shock.
• The bubbles burst into mist that dispersed the electric attack, letting Riolu approach unseen while Froakie vanished into the fog.
• Xia You and Lisia commanded Riolu and Froakie to use Quick Attack, forcing Plusle and Minun apart; Riolu and Froakie defeated them one at a time.
• Ulala recalled her unconscious Pokémon and left as the spectators applauded Xia You and Lisia's victory.
• Lisia praised Xia You and went with him to the Pokémon Center, where May was waiting for dinner and was shocked to see Lisia beside him again.
• Lisia told May she had come to Sinnoh on tour and had recognized Xia You from the descriptions of a powerful Trainer at the park.

Lisia left after sharing dinner with Xia You and May, and May resumed preparing for the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest the next day. Xia You’s search for stronger opponents led him back to the Pokémon Center, where Looker arrived and briefed him on Team Galactic, asking for his help as a Special Investigator.

• Lisia said goodbye to Xia You and May and left for her next performance, while May felt jealous of her closeness with Xia You.
• May trained for the upcoming Jubilife City Pokémon Contest as Xia You battled stronger opponents at a different park with Froakie and Riolu.
• After Froakie and Riolu were injured, Xia You took them to Nurse Joy and unexpectedly met Looker at the Pokémon Center.
• Looker explained that Anabel’s message had let him focus on investigating Team Galactic, then showed Xia You photographs of several senior officers and named their elusive leader as Cyrus.
• Xia You offered to help stop Team Galactic, and Looker welcomed his support as a Special Investigator before Xia You asked whether Sinnoh’s Elite Four had been consulted.

Xia You met with Looker, learned about the International Police’s plans to fight Team Galactic, and reunited with Ash, Brock, May, and Dawn in Jubilife City. The Jubilife City Contest began with Dawn, May, and Ash competing, and the first performer took the stage.

• Looker told Xia You that headquarters had also contacted two trusted Elite Four members and a powerful Pokémon Trainer, then shared the International Police’s preliminary plans for Sinnoh.
• Looker revealed his real name to Xia You before leaving the café without paying for their coffee.
• Xia You returned to the Pokémon Center, collected Froakie and Riolu, and joined May, Ash, Brock, and Dawn for lunch.
• Xia You learned that Dawn was a Coordinator and that she, May, and Ash had entered the Jubilife City Contest.
• Dawn lost an accessory for her contest dress but got it back from a girl with a Glameow.
• Host Yas introduced the judges and opened the Contest’s performance round, where a short-haired orange-haired girl performed first.

At the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest, Zoey, Jessie, Ash, and Dawn performed in the judging round before May took the stage as the contestant Xia You was most eager to watch. May’s arrival left Dawn and Zoey surprised when Ash revealed that she had recently reached the Kanto Grand Festival finals.

• Zoey performed with Misdreavus, using Double Team, Confuse Ray, and Shock Wave to create an eerie, sparkling display that earned strong applause and a high score.
• Jessie, disguised as Jessilina, performed with James’s Carnivine, which used Bullet Seed on candy before biting down over Jessie’s head as her planned finale.
• Ash sent out Aipom, whose Swift and Double Team created a starry display and earned a high score.
• Dawn performed with Piplup, combining Bubble Beam and Peck to burst bubbles, and Xia You judged her competent but still inexperienced.
• Hostess Yas announced May as the final contestant, and Xia You focused on her attempt to restart her Coordinator journey in Sinnoh.
• Ash told Dawn and Zoey that May had recently reached the Kanto Grand Festival finals, surprising both of them.

May dominated the Jubilife City Contest’s Performance Evaluation, while Dawn, Zoey, and Ash also advanced to the second round. Ash and Zoey began the first battle, and their evenly matched clash left Xia You uncertain whether Ash could win.

• May impressed the audience with Blaziken’s fiery performance and earned the highest score in the first round.
• May credited Xia You and his female friends for helping her improve, then advanced in first place alongside Zoey, Dawn, and Ash.
• The contestants drew their second-round matchups, pairing Ash with Zoey, Dawn with the second-place male contestant, and May with another female contestant.
• Ash sent out Aipom against Zoey’s Glameow, and their opening exchange ended with both Pokémon losing appeal points.
• Xia You told Brock that Ash and Zoey had even chances, while Brock remained confident in Ash.

May won the Jubilife City Contest after defeating Zoey in the final, while Ash and Dawn were eliminated. Zoey congratulated May but vowed to train harder and beat her next time.

• Ash lost to Zoey in the second round, while May and Dawn both won their matches and advanced.
• Zoey defeated Dawn with Glameow after Dawn used Buneary's Ice Beam to freeze the stage and briefly turn the battle around.
• May defeated her semifinal opponent with Squirtle, setting up a final against Zoey.
• May shifted the battle's rhythm and overwhelmed Zoey's Glameow, winning the Jubilife City Contest and its Ribbon Medal.
• Dawn praised May's strength, and Zoey congratulated May before promising to defeat her in a future Contest.

After May won the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest, Xia You and the others discussed Dawn’s sighting of a transparent Pokémon at Lake Verity, which Xia You identified as the Legendary Mesprit. The group split up the next morning, and Xia You gave May a Pokétch before they traveled together toward Eterna City and reached Floaroma Town.

• At dinner, Dawn told Ash, Brock, May, and Xia You that she had glimpsed a transparent Pokémon near Lake Verity, and Xia You said it was probably Mesprit, one of Sinnoh’s Lake Guardians.
• Dawn questioned how Xia You knew Mesprit lived at Lake Verity, and Xia You claimed Ho-Oh had told him, leaving Ash and Brock aware that he was joking.
• After staying overnight in Jubilife City, Ash headed east toward Oreburgh City while Xia You and May set off north toward Eterna City; May and Dawn exchanged contact details.
• Xia You gave May a pink Pokétch as a gift to celebrate her contest victory and thank her for traveling with him.
• Xia You and May battled Trainers along the way and reached Floaroma Town, where they learned a Pokémon Contest was still five or six days away and discovered the Poffin Cooking Classroom.

Xia You and May learned to make Poffins in Lei’s classroom, where Xia You succeeded and May’s batch turned out inedible. As they left, two members of the B Button League recruited May and explained that their club aimed to help Trainers succeed without evolving their Pokémon.

• Xia You and May took a Poffin-making lesson from Lei and prepared their own batches.
• Xia You’s Pokémon enjoyed his Poffins, while May’s Pokémon spat out hers; Munchlax ate the whole batch.
• Xia You and May decided that making Poffins was too impractical to add to their regular routine.
• Two women in orange-yellow uniforms introduced themselves as members of the B Button League and invited May to join.
• The younger woman explained that the league helped Trainers become League Champions or Top Coordinators without evolving their Pokémon, and May questioned the idea.

Xia You and May accepted a double battle against Hatsune and Oto’s supposedly strongest Magikarp and most beautiful Feebas, with the outcome tied to joining the B Button Alliance or winning the sisters’ money. The battle began at a river, where the two fish Pokémon stunned everyone with their speed and power by charging Froakie and Squirtle far upstream.

• Hatsune and Oto introduced themselves as the leaders of the B Button Alliance and tried to recruit Xia You, but he said he opposed deliberately preventing Pokémon from evolving.
• Oto claimed that her Magikarp was the strongest and Hatsune’s Feebas the most beautiful, prompting May and Xia You to ask to see them.
• Hatsune challenged Xia You to battle her Magikarp, and Oto said he would have to join the alliance if he lost while Hatsune offered her money if they lost.
• Xia You proposed a double battle with May against both sisters, and Hatsune agreed after learning that May was a Coordinator.
• The four Trainers sent out Magikarp, Feebas, Froakie, and Squirtle in the river, and the sisters’ Pokémon raced forward and slammed Froakie and Squirtle far upstream.

Xia You and May defeated Hatsune and Oto in a battle by the river, and May’s Squirtle evolved into Wartortle. After sharing their winnings, the two continued toward Eterna City and entered Eterna Forest at dusk, where May felt an eerie chill.

• Hatsune’s Feebas and Oto’s Magikarp attacked Froakie and Squirtle with speed, but Xia You and May calmly directed their Pokémon to counter.
• May’s Squirtle struck Feebas with Rapid Spin, while Xia You’s Froakie grabbed Magikarp’s tail and kicked it onto the riverbank.
• Hatsune’s Feebas used Ice Beam and Magikarp tried to return to the river, but Froakie’s Water Pulse and Squirtle’s Water Gun defeated their counterattack and drove them farther from the water.
• Hatsune and Oto conceded and gave Xia You the wager; Squirtle evolved into Wartortle, and Xia You split the winnings with May.
• Xia You and May left Floaroma Town and traveled north through the flower fields toward Eterna City.
• At dusk, Xia You and May entered Eterna Forest to find a campsite, and May shivered at a cold gust of wind.

Xia You and May met Cheryl while searching Eterna Forest for shelter, then discovered the Old Chateau. As May and Cheryl approached the mansion to ask for lodging, Gengar sensed powerful soul energy there.

• Xia You warned May that the forest’s moss-covered rocks could cause Eevee to evolve into Leafeon, so May recalled Eevee.
• Xia You and May followed a woman’s singing and found Cheryl walking with Chansey; Cheryl explained she had been singing to calm her nerves.
• May introduced herself and Xia You, then invited Cheryl to travel with them as they searched for somewhere to spend the night.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl came upon a brightly lit mansion in Eterna Forest, which Xia You recognized as the haunted Old Chateau.
• May and Cheryl headed toward the mansion to ask for lodging while Gengar emerged from Xia You’s shadow and sensed powerful soul energy inside.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl entered the Old Chateau, where a ghost disguised as a butler welcomed them and tried to lure them with an illusory feast. Gengar revealed the deception to Xia You, who stayed alert as the ghosts led the others toward their rooms.

• Xia You and Gengar sensed two powerful human souls haunting the mansion and decided to enter without exposing them.
• The ghost butler welcomed Xia You, May, and Cheryl, and Xia You noticed that the butler's leather-shod footsteps made no sound.
• The group passed a portrait whose subject's eyes glowed red and followed the butler to a dining room with a prepared feast.
• May and Cheryl ate food they believed was real, while Gengar touched Xia You's ankle and revealed the empty table and plates beneath the illusion.
• Xia You declined the imaginary meal, and the butler led the satisfied May and Cheryl away to their rooms.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl discovered that the mansion was haunted when a ghost girl appeared and attacked them in their guest room. Xia You and May fought back with their Pokémon as the ghost’s mist poured into the room.

• Xia You noticed the mansion’s oddities and warned May and Cheryl to stay alert, then the three tried to sleep in their guest room.
• A little girl’s laughter woke May and Cheryl, and purple mist seeped beneath the door before a ghost girl appeared.
• The ghost girl said Xia You smelled delicious and vowed to keep him forever, then attacked him with purple mist.
• Umbreon used Dark Pulse to scatter the ghost’s mist, but the ghost vanished and more mist entered through the damaged doorway and other openings.
• Froakie and May’s Wartortle joined the fight, while May warned Cheryl to stay clear of the mist.

Xia You’s Pokémon fought off the ghost girl until Gengar emerged and overpowered her. The ghost butler helped her escape, and Xia You revealed to May and Cheryl that the mansion’s pleasant appearance and food had been illusions.

• Wartortle and Froakie drew some of the ghost girl’s attacks while Umbreon defended Xia You, but the purple mist kept closing in around them.
• Gengar emerged from Xia You’s shadow, dispersed the tentacles, and stopped the ghost girl after she transformed and charged at him.
• Xia You told Gengar to capture the ghost girl, but the ghost butler broke Gengar’s barriers with purple mist and helped her escape.
• Xia You stopped Gengar from pursuing the ghosts immediately and told him to use measured methods as he searched the mansion.
• The mansion transformed into a ruined building, and Xia You explained to May and Cheryl that the clean rooms and food had been illusions created by the two ghosts.

Xia You searched the Old Chateau with May and Cheryl for clues about its ghosts and found a family photograph and a damaged note suggesting something had been taken away. The ghost girl attacked again, and Xia You tried to persuade her to talk as Gengar revealed the butler had held it back to help her escape.

• Xia You left Gardevoir to guard the room, then brought May and Cheryl with him to search the mansion despite their fear of being left behind.
• The group found a maid’s portrait whose eyes moved, and Xia You concluded that weak ghostly power was hidden in it.
• In the library, Xia You found a family photograph showing the ghost girl, the old butler, and the maid, while May discovered a badly damaged note mentioning something taken away.
• The ghost girl attacked Xia You again, but Gardevoir blocked her with a barrier as Gengar emerged and explained that the butler had delayed it to help her escape.
• Xia You stopped Gengar from approaching and offered to help the ghost girl if she would explain what had happened.