Chapter Summaries

Xia You reassured Maria that Pokémon Hunter J was unlikely to return for her Gardevoir, while Gardenia ventured to the Old Chateau to investigate reports that its ghosts had vanished. The chapter ended as the mansion doors opened by themselves just as Gardenia reached for them.

• Maria told Xia You and his companions how J had attacked her and abducted Gardevoir before Ash and the others rescued it.
• Xia You reasoned that J probably would not return because the failed capture had cost her time and resources, and Maria felt reassured.
• Gardenia heard from a challenger that the Old Chateau had seemed empty, so she set out at night to investigate it herself.
• Gardenia overcame her fear and entered the Old Chateau yard with Leafeon and Roserade, but the mansion doors creaked open before she touched them.

Gardenia explored the abandoned Mansion, where the Ghost Girl used eerie disturbances and purple mist tentacles to frighten her away. After seeing the ghost and fleeing deeper into the building, Gardenia escaped the pursuit into a Library, while her Pokémon were left behind.

• Gardenia entered the Mansion and searched its rooms while trying to convince herself that its strange noises were harmless.
• The Ghost Girl and Ghost Butler noticed Gardenia exploring and decided to scare her away to keep the Mansion’s secrets hidden.
• The Ghost Girl caused the chandelier and piano to behave unnaturally, but Gardenia’s Leafeon and Roserade disrupted the disturbances.
• Gardenia saw the Ghost Girl, watched her Pokémon get knocked aside, and ran from the ghost as purple tentacles chased her through the Mansion.
• The tentacles separated Gardenia from her Pokémon, then vanished when she burst through a large door into a Library.

Gardenia was attacked by Ghost Girl in the Old Chateau Library and noticed the ghost's attachment to a photograph of Xia You. After waking outside the estate, she learned Xia You had bought the property and sent workers to restore it, leaving her suspecting he was connected to Ghost Girl.

• Gardenia found herself separated from Leafeon and Roserade, released Tangrowth and Sunflora, and discovered photographs of Ghost Girl and Xia You in the Library.
• Ghost Girl returned, overpowered Gardenia's Pokémon, and paused when Gardenia held up Xia You's photograph and claimed they were friends.
• Ghost Girl took the photograph from Gardenia, then struck her with a tentacle, after which Gardenia lost consciousness.
• Gardenia woke outside the Old Chateau with her Pokémon and belongings unharmed, but she could not remember how she had gotten there.
• A construction crew arrived to restore the estate, and a worker told Gardenia that Xia You had bought it and sent them.

Xia You and his companions left Maria’s house and encountered a clever wild Chimchar in the mountains near Oreburgh City. After Froakie defeated it, Chimchar got back up and immediately fled, leaving Xia You’s attempt to catch it unresolved.

• Xia You, May, and Cheryl thanked Maria and set off into the mountains near Oreburgh City.
• The group spotted a wild Chimchar, and Xia You decided he wanted to catch it despite already having Fire-type Pokémon.
• Xia You sent Froakie after Chimchar, which lured Froakie into an ambush among the rocks.
• Froakie dodged Chimchar’s surprise attack and defeated it with Bubble after a short fight.
• Chimchar shakily got back to its feet, then ran away before Xia You could catch it.

Xia You caught Chimchar in a cave, then found and helped the lost young Trainer Marley escape. Marley offered to travel with Xia You and his companions, but he refused because he did not want to look after a child.

• Chimchar tried to flee into a cave, but Xia You and Froakie pursued it until it collapsed from exhaustion.
• After hearing a girl's calls for help, Xia You caught Chimchar with a Poké Ball before leading May and Cheryl deeper into the cave.
• The group found Marley, who had gotten lost while searching for rare Pokémon, and learned she could not use Abra's Teleport to escape because she did not know their location.
• Xia You led Marley and the others safely back to the cave entrance.
• Marley offered to travel with Xia You and his companions, but Xia You refused, saying he did not want to look after a little kid.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl brought Marley to Oreburgh City, unaware that she had originally been heading there before changing course for Eterna City. Marley cheerfully parted ways with them, and Xia You went to challenge the Oreburgh Gym, where he learned that Roark was working at the Oreburgh Mine.

• Xia You agreed to take Marley to Oreburgh City, though he did not want her to join the group permanently.
• Marley revealed that she had left Oreburgh City two days earlier for Eterna City and had entered the cave where she met them.
• Marley led Xia You, May, and Cheryl to the Oreburgh Gym, then cheerfully said goodbye and headed into the city.
• Xia You entered the Gym to challenge Roark and learned from the attendant that Roark had gone to the Oreburgh Mine until the next morning.
• The attendant explained that Roark also worked as a miner and mine safety supervisor, and told Xia You where to find him.

May entered the Oreburgh Pokémon Contest while Xia You and Cheryl visited the Oreburgh Mine Museum, where they took a photo together. At the contest, May advanced with a strong performance but faced Nando as a likely rival for the title.

• May learned registration for the Oreburgh Pokémon Contest was open, signed up, and went to practice while Xia You and Cheryl visited the museum.
• Xia You and Cheryl toured the Oreburgh Mine Museum and accepted a couple’s offer to take their photo together.
• Bea messaged Xia You that she was training in Galar and asked him to contact her if he met a powerful Fighting-type Trainer.
• Xia You and Cheryl watched May perform at the contest, where she earned the highest score and advanced to the second round.
• Nando performed with Budew and earned a score nearly equal to May’s; the pairings placed them in opposite halves of the bracket, and Xia You encouraged Cheryl to trust May.

May defeated Nando in the Oreburgh Contest final and won a Ribbon Medal, while Xia You and his companions visited the Oreburgh Mine after missing Roark at the Gym. Professor Cerise later confirmed that the Old Chateau research materials had reached him, and the chapter ended with Xia You, May, and Cheryl arriving at the Gym early and finding Roark.

• May and Nando sent out Wartortle and Kricketune for the Oreburgh Contest final, and May won by depleting Nando’s Appeal Points with time remaining.
• Yas announced May as the winner, and Contesta presented her with the Oreburgh Contest Ribbon Medal.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl went to the Oreburgh Gym, learned Roark had returned to the Oreburgh Mine, and toured the mine instead.
• Professor Cerise told Xia You that the Old Chateau research materials had arrived and that he had passed them to Professor Magnolia.
• Xia You told Professor Cerise how he had obtained the materials, then joked that Gengar would face any karmic consequences for turning souls into ghosts.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl returned to the Oreburgh Gym early the next morning and found Roark there.

Xia You challenged Roark at the Oreburgh Gym and used the battle to give Riolu its first Gym match. Riolu gained the upper hand against Geodude, and the chapter ended with it charging into Geodude’s Seismic Toss head-on.

• Roark apologized to Xia You for missing his previous visits, then led him, Cheryl, and May to the Gym battlefield with Yansheng.
• Yansheng announced a three-Pokémon Gym match, and Roark opened with Geodude while Xia You sent out Riolu.
• Riolu evaded Geodude’s Rollout by climbing the rocks, then struck it with Vacuum Wave.
• Riolu dodged Geodude’s Hidden Power with Quick Attack and landed a super-effective Rock Smash, leaving Geodude badly battered.
• Xia You stopped directing the battle so Riolu could make its own decisions, and Riolu charged straight at Geodude as it used Seismic Toss.

Xia You let Riolu battle Roark’s Onix without commands, intending to test its ability to adapt. Cornered by Onix, Riolu used Aura to sense Xia You’s trust and encouragement, then turned the fight around and defeated Onix, leaving Roark puzzled by its sudden improvement.

• Riolu defeated Geodude with Force Palm, and Roark sent out Onix as his next Pokémon.
• Roark used Onix’s Stone Edge, jaws, and tail to keep Riolu at a distance and put it under pressure while Xia You remained silent.
• Trapped by Onix’s attacks, Riolu calmed itself and spread its Aura across the field, sensing the emotions of the people and Pokémon around it.
• Riolu sensed Xia You’s trust and encouragement, then used Quick Attack to leap over Onix and land on its back.
• Riolu struck Onix with its Fighting-type moves until Onix was defeated, and Roark asked Xia You why Riolu’s battle judgment had suddenly improved.

Xia You defeated Roark in the Oreburgh Gym battle after Riolu and Froakie won without receiving commands; Froakie learned Substitute during the fight and evolved into Frogadier. After accepting the Coal Badge, Xia You left Oreburgh with May and Cheryl, who revealed that Alamos Town and its Space-Time Tower were nearby.

• Riolu defeated Roark’s Onix, and Xia You let the exhausted Riolu rest before sending out Froakie against Rampardos.
• Froakie dodged Rampardos’s attacks, then used Substitute to survive Head Smash and countered with Water Pulse, knocking Rampardos out.
• Yansheng declared Xia You the winner, and Froakie evolved into a Shiny Frogadier as Xia You celebrated.
• Roark awarded Xia You the Coal Badge and asked why he had not given his Pokémon commands; Xia You said he wanted them to learn through battle.
• Xia You, May, and Cheryl left Oreburgh and traveled toward Mt. Coronet on their way to Hearthome City.
• Cheryl recognized their location and told Xia You and May that Alamos Town, home of the Space-Time Tower, was nearby.

Xia You, May, and Cheryl encountered Ash’s group and accepted Iris’s balloon ride to Alamos Town, where they learned about a Pokémon Contest and saw the Space-Time Tower. A sudden gust shook the balloon, and everyone recovered, though Cheryl accidentally grabbed Xia You in an awkward place while trying to steady herself.

• Xia You and his companions met Ash, Brock, and Dawn after they landed from a hot-air balloon, and Cheryl evaded Brock’s advances.
• Ash explained that he and his friends had gotten lost after reading their map backward, while Dawn noticed May’s new pink Pokétch.
• Iris offered Xia You’s group a ride to Alamos Town, and they boarded her balloon with Ash’s group.
• Iris told them that Alamos Town would host a Pokémon Contest, prompting May and Dawn to grow quiet as they considered competing against each other.
• Iris played a grass whistle for the group and described Alamos Town and the Space-Time Tower as the balloon approached.
• A strong gust shook the balloon, and Cheryl grabbed Xia You while trying to get back to her feet; after the wind passed, Iris asked whether everyone was all right.

Iris guided Xia You and the others around Alamos Town, where Ash, Dawn, and May fought a trio of Trainers before the street battles ended in draws. At the Pokémon Garden, a Gallade summoned Iris away, and the group followed to see what had happened.

• After a strange shaking in Iris's hot-air balloon, she apologized and offered to show Xia You's group around Alamos Town.
• Iris led the group through town, and Xia You persuaded her to accept their offer of lunch as thanks.
• Ash, Dawn, and May battled three visiting Trainers with Pikachu, Piplup, and Wartortle, but the battles stopped when a tour group passed and ended as draws.
• Iris guided the group to the Pokémon Garden and explained that Godi had designed it to represent harmony between humans, nature, and Pokémon.
• A Gallade hurried up to Iris and beckoned her to follow, so Xia You and the others went after them.

Xia You and his companions found evidence of strange space-time distortions in a dried-up pool, where Albert blamed the damage on the Mythical Pokémon Darkrai. After Albert accidentally attacked Tonio and Iris declared her love for him, another powerful fluctuation swept through the area, and Xia You summoned Gengar to investigate.

• Gallade led Iris, Xia You, and the others to a dried pool with stone pillars warped by a strange force, and Albert claimed Darkrai had caused the damage.
• Albert explained that Darkrai was a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon said to live in the garden and give people nightmares.
• Albert ordered Lickilicky to fire Hyper Beam at a rustling bush, accidentally blasting Tonio, who emerged with his laptop and began examining the damaged pillars.
• Iris rejected Albert's claim that she was his future wife, then embraced Tonio and declared that she loved him, leaving Brock to collapse from heartbreak.
• A powerful, invisible fluctuation swept through the area, and Xia You summoned Gengar from his shadow as Tonio and the others searched for its source.

Xia You and the others encountered Darkrai, whose attack struck Ash with Dark Void and left him unconscious. They brought Ash to the Pokémon Center, where he rested while May and Dawn registered for the local Pokémon Contest.

• Gengar flew off after understanding Xia You’s unspoken instruction, while Albert suspected Xia You was hiding something.
• Darkrai appeared in the garden and warned everyone to stay away before Albert ordered Lickilicky to attack it with Hyper Beam.
• Darkrai dodged the attack and countered with Dark Void; Lickilicky evaded the move, but it hit Ash and put him into a deep sleep.
• Darkrai fled, and another shadow pursued it as Xia You explained that Ash had been struck by Darkrai’s signature move and would wake after resting or receiving strong stimulation.
• Brock carried Ash to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy examined him and May and Dawn registered for the Pokémon Contest before leaving to talk privately.

After Ash recovered from Darkrai’s attack, Xia You learned that Gengar had tracked Darkrai to a garden tree but chose not to pursue it, focusing instead on two Pokémon he expected to appear. The next morning, Iris resumed their tour of Alamos Town, where the group encountered a seller claiming to offer Cresselia’s Lunar Wings.

• Ash woke after spending two hours unconscious and described escaping a phantom Darkrai in a mirrored dream world.
• The group ate with Iris, thanked her for guiding them, and watched fireworks before returning to the Pokémon Center.
• Xia You warned the group to avoid Dark Void and explained that outside help might wake anyone trapped in Darkrai’s dream world.
• Gengar returned and reported finding Darkrai’s hiding place beneath a tree with a swing; Xia You said he would not try to catch it and revealed that Deoxys and Black Rayquaza were waiting for two other Pokémon.
• Iris met the group the next morning to continue their tour, and they stopped at a stall selling supposed Lunar Wings that Xia You recognized as fake feathers.

Xia You and the others toured the Space-Time Tower in Alamos Town, where they learned that an old photograph of Iris’s grandmother Alicia matched the girl depicted in a relief. The melody written on the back was identified as Oración, a piece said to soothe intense anger, leaving the group with a possible clue to the coming crisis.

• Xia You bought gifts for his friends and mailed them with Iris before the group visited the Space-Time Tower.
• Iris showed the group the lavish Contest Hall, where Dawn and May would compete the next morning, while Xia You worried that Dialga and Palkia would soon turn the town into a battlefield.
• The group viewed a relief of a girl playing a grass whistle, then went to Tonio’s underground laboratory and found him asleep after studying Godey’s diary.
• Tonio gave Iris an old photograph of Alicia and Godey, and Xia You pointed out that Alicia looked like the girl in the relief.
• Xia You asked about the melody on the back of the photograph, and Tonio and Cheryl identified it as Oración, a piece believed to calm intense anger.

Xia You persuaded Iris and Tonio to help him find the Oración music disc, which he intended to keep as a safeguard against the crisis in Alamos Town. After the group found it and began climbing the Space-Time Tower, Ash ran ahead, unaware that a hot-air balloon could carry the others up the rest of the way.

• Xia You claimed that Oración could help calm Darkrai, and Iris and Tonio agreed to search for the music disc.
• Xia You said Cresselia had sent him to help Darkrai, and Iris and Tonio seriously considered his explanation.
• The group found the disc with the matching musical-note symbol, and Xia You took it from Iris.
• Iris led everyone toward the Space-Time Tower's playback room, explaining that they had to climb to the top.
• Ash raced up the spiral stairs while the others struggled to keep pace.
• Iris revealed a hot-air balloon on a landing, and Dawn joked that they would reach the top before Ash.

Xia You prepared the Space-Time Tower for the coming disturbance and waited as a strange light appeared over Alamos Town. Darkrai then clashed with Ash and the others while the town’s sky darkened and white mist began to surround it.

• Xia You learned from Iris how to operate the tower’s music machine and how Electric-type Pokémon could power it during an outage.
• After Ash and the others returned to town, Xia You split from them and arranged for Raikou, Zapdos, Moltres, Articuno, and Celebi to be transferred to him.
• Xia You returned to the tower’s playback room, watched Ash and his companions battle the trainers with Sinnoh Starters, and waited for the disturbance to begin.
• A brilliant light erupted above the Space-Time Tower and briefly engulfed all of Alamos Town.
• Darkrai appeared and used Dark Void on people and Pokémon as Ash and the others confronted him, while Albert arrived and attacked Darkrai with Lickilicky.
• The sky darkened and white mist began enveloping Alamos Town, prompting Gengar to warn Xia You that the town might be swallowed up.

Xia You disguised himself and warned May to stay with the others as the town’s search party attacked Darkrai, who then exposed Palkia’s hiding place. Palkia appeared and transformed the town into a lightless world as it began fighting Darkrai, while Xia You waited for Dialga before joining the battle.

• Xia You put on his Gengar Mask and black cloak, then called May and told her to keep herself and Cheryl with Dawn, Brock, and the others without telling Ash.
• Albert’s search party, including the disguised Team Rocket Trio, surrounded Darkrai, but Darkrai quickly knocked out their Pokémon and escaped.
• Darkrai struck an invisible barrier near the Space-Time Tower, fell to the ground, and revealed the hidden Palkia.
• Darkrai attacked Palkia with Dark Void, enraging it and drawing the attention of everyone in Alamos Town.
• Xia You prepared Deoxys’s and Black Rayquaza’s Poké Balls but waited for Dialga, while Palkia’s roar dispelled the fog and plunged the town into darkness as it and Darkrai began fighting.