Chapter Summaries

Xia You described his encounter with Zekrom to Professor Juniper and Makomo, helping Professor Juniper improve Pokédex research and prompting her to request information about other Legendary Pokémon. Professor Juniper suggested Makomo travel with Xia You’s group, and Makomo considered joining them after Xia You welcomed the idea.

• Xia You recounted his battle with Zekrom in detail, answered Professor Juniper’s questions, and showed her and Makomo photos from the encounter.
• Professor Juniper asked Xia You to collect photos and research data on Unova’s other Legendary Pokémon and any others he encountered, and Xia You agreed.
• Professor Juniper suggested that Makomo travel with Xia You so she could study ruins and rare Pokémon firsthand.
• Xia You welcomed Makomo’s company, but Makomo worried she might inconvenience the group and said she would ask Cheryl and Dawn what they thought.
• Professor Juniper felt happy that Makomo might travel and experience the world instead of spending her youth solely in a laboratory.

Xia You welcomed Makomo into the traveling group, and Ash learned that Xia You had already earned three badges. Elsewhere, Elesa told Skyla that she had challenged Cynthia after sensing the Champion’s hostility over Xia You, and Skyla was stunned to hear that Elesa had joked about stealing Cynthia’s man.

• Professor Oak safely drew Zekrom’s electricity from Pikachu, and Pikachu returned to its lively self.
• Xia You told Cheryl and Dawn that Makomo wanted to travel with them, and they welcomed her into the group.
• Dawn told Ash that Xia You had earned three badges, and Xia You showed Ash the badges.
• Ash ate quickly, eager to continue his journey and catch up with Xia You, but stayed overnight at Professor Juniper’s laboratory.
• Elesa told Skyla about her defeat to Cynthia and said she had challenged her after sensing Cynthia’s hostility.
• Elesa told Skyla that she had joked about stealing Cynthia’s man, leaving Skyla astonished.

Skyla learned that Cynthia, Caitlin, and possibly Elesa were interested in Xia You, making her eager to meet him. As Skyla and Elesa left the Mistralton Gym, they spotted Cynthia and Caitlin together on the street.

• Skyla questioned Elesa about the man Cynthia had fought over, and Elesa described Xia You as handsome, tall, gentle-voiced, and strong.
• Skyla teased Elesa for seeming interested in Xia You, but Elesa denied being in love while privately admitting he made a good impression on her.
• Elesa and Skyla left the Mistralton Gym to find food and noticed two disguised blonde women walking nearby.
• Elesa recognized the women as Cynthia and Caitlin and told Skyla that Caitlin liked Xia You too.
• Skyla was astonished that Cynthia, Caitlin, and Elesa all seemed drawn to Xia You and decided she wanted to meet him.

Elesa dragged Skyla after Cynthia and Caitlin, hoping to challenge Cynthia with Skyla’s help. After the women met, Skyla realized the tension between Elesa and Cynthia ran deeper than a simple rivalry.

• Elesa spotted Cynthia and Caitlin shopping and pulled Skyla along, saying they could take on Cynthia together.
• Skyla resisted, but Elesa persuaded her by pointing out the chance to test herself against the Sinnoh Champion.
• Caitlin sensed Elesa and Skyla approaching, and the four women stopped to greet one another.
• Elesa introduced Skyla to Caitlin, and the two exchanged friendly compliments.
• Caitlin introduced Skyla to Cynthia, whose cool greeting and charged silence with Elesa made Skyla suspect their relationship was complicated.

Elesa and Skyla challenged Cynthia to a two-on-one battle at Mistralton Gym, where their Emolga and Swanna faced Cynthia’s Garchomp and Togekiss. The battle began with the longtime friends coordinating well enough to hold their own and even push back against Cynthia’s Pokémon.

• Elesa told Cynthia she had brought Skyla to challenge her together, and Cynthia accepted.
• Skyla suggested they battle at Mistralton Gym, and the group traveled there as dusk fell.
• Elesa and Skyla agreed to send out one Pokémon each against two of Cynthia’s, while Caitlin declined to participate.
• Elesa sent out Emolga, Skyla sent out Swanna, and Cynthia chose Garchomp and Togekiss.
• Cynthia’s Pokémon attacked together, but Elesa and Skyla coordinated their Pokémon’s counterattack and fought evenly.

Xia You's group and Ash left Professor Juniper's laboratory and parted ways, with Ash setting off alone with Pikachu. Xia You chose to continue south by ship, and his group boarded the Ducklett for Castelia City, planning to travel onward to Aspertia City.

• Ash declined Xia You's offer to travel together and said he would catch up with him later.
• Xia You and his companions said goodbye to Professor Juniper, Professor Oak, and Delia before leaving the laboratory with Ash.
• Ash and Pikachu ran ahead, while Xia You's group chose to travel by sea rather than retrace their route through Accumula Town and Striaton City.
• Dawn picked Aspertia City as their next destination after checking for Pokémon Contests in the southern region.
• Xia You agreed on a route through Aspertia City and Floccesy Town, and his group boarded the Ducklett at Nuvema Town's docks for Castelia City.

Xia You and his companions searched Aspertia City for its newly established Gym and learned that it was housed inside a Pokémon school. They met Cheren, the young Gym Leader, as Xia You arrived to challenge him.

• Xia You and his companions arrived in Aspertia City and decided to visit its Gym before the Pokémon Contest.
• Xia You recalled that Cheren had recently become the Gym Leader and said he could train his newer teams there.
• Makomo asked locals for directions, and they guided the group to the Gym at a school.
• A teacher led Xia You and his companions through the school and explained that the Gym helped its students learn.
• The teacher introduced Xia You to Cheren, who was filling out a form in his office.

Xia You arrived at Cheren’s school in Unova to challenge him for a Gym Badge, and Cheren recognized him as the champion who had won conferences in four regions. Cheren arranged a three-on-three battle on the school grounds before a crowd of students, and he prepared to send out his first Pokémon.

• Cheren recognized Xia You and welcomed him to Unova before agreeing to his Gym challenge.
• On the way to the battle field, Xia You told Cheren that Mewtwo had been created by humans to be the strongest Pokémon.
• Cheren explained that the Gym facilities were unfinished and offered to battle Xia You in an open space behind the school.
• Students gathered to watch, and Xia You agreed to battle despite the crowd cheering for Cheren.
• Xia You chose a normal three-on-three match and reassured Cheren that he would use other arrangements than his championship team.
• Cheren took out his first Poké Ball and announced that he would send out his Pokémon first.

Xia You battled Cheren, who sent out Herdier against Xia You’s Snivy, while students initially dismissed the starter Pokémon as ordinary. Snivy’s precisely timed Vine Whip stopped Herdier’s charge, leaving the students surprised by Cheren’s early setback.

• Cheren sent out Herdier and felt uneasy about facing Xia You with his limited team.
• Xia You chose Snivy, prompting some students to dismiss it as an ordinary starter Pokémon.
• A stern male teacher silenced the students and told them to judge the battle by watching it.
• Cheren ordered Herdier to attack, and Xia You directed Snivy to use Vine Whip.
• Snivy swept its vines across Herdier’s forelegs and interrupted its charge, surprising the watching students.

Xia You’s Snivy defeated Cheren’s Herdier and then his Cinccino, impressing the students and changing their view of Snivy. The battle stood at two-zero as the students watched Snivy prepare to face whatever came next.

• Xia You directed Snivy through Herdier’s attacks and defeated it with Leaf Tornado.
• A stern teacher explained that real battles against experts could defy textbook tactics and type expectations.
• Cheren sent out Cinccino, and Xia You kept Snivy in the battle.
• Snivy used Attract to infatuate Cinccino, then defeated it with a combo to give Xia You a two-zero lead.

Xia You defeated Cheren’s final Pokémon and earned the admiration of the Aspertia Trainer School, but when Cheren asked him to speak to the students, Xia You redirected the request to Professor Makomo. The chapter ended with the teachers asking Makomo to give the school a lesson.

• Xia You sent Infernape against Cheren’s Watchog, and Infernape quickly defeated it.
• Cheren accepted his loss and praised the pressure Xia You’s Pokémon had put him under.
• Cheren asked Xia You to share his battle experience with the teachers and students, who eagerly supported the request.
• Xia You introduced Makomo as a Pokémon ecologist and dream system researcher, then suggested she speak in his place.
• A stern teacher apologized to Makomo and respectfully asked her to teach the students.

Makomo lectured at Cheren’s school in Xia You’s place, and Cheren gave Xia You a Basic Badge. The group stayed in Aspertia City so Dawn could enter a Pokémon Contest the next day, while Dawn and Xia You stayed behind together as Cheryl and Makomo went shopping.

• Makomo gave an impromptu lecture to the students and teachers while Xia You, Dawn, and Cheryl toured the school.
• Cheren thanked Xia You and Makomo, and gave Xia You his Basic Badge before they left the school.
• Dawn teased Xia You that he had earned his fourth Badge while Ash was likely still working toward his first.
• Xia You decided to stay in Aspertia City for the day so Dawn could compete in the Pokémon Contest the next day.
• Cheryl and Makomo went shopping, while Dawn stayed with Xia You under the excuse that he would help her train.

After Dawn won the Aspertia City Pokémon Contest, Xia You and his companions traveled toward Virbank City and came across Team Plasma attacking two Pokémon Trainers. Team Plasma recognized Xia You and backed down after recalling their leader’s order to avoid him.

• Dawn won the Pokémon Contest in Aspertia City, and the group set off toward Virbank City.
• Dawn and her companions heard fighting along the road and found Team Plasma members cornering two Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon.
• Team Plasma claimed they were rescuing Pokémon from Trainers, while Dawn and Makomo objected to their actions and reasoning.
• Xia You emerged, and the Team Plasma members recognized him and stepped back.
• The Team Plasma members remembered their leader’s order to abandon any operation and retreat if they encountered Xia You.

Xia You and his companions rescued two Pokémon Trainers from Team Plasma members. Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo defeated and captured the attackers, then Xia You advised the rescued Trainers to contact the police before leading his group onward.

• Dawn, Cheryl, and Makomo rushed to help the two Pokémon Trainers while Xia You watched without giving his Pokémon orders.
• Team Plasma members brought in more Pokémon, but Dawn's and Cheryl's Pokémon defeated them, and Makomo's Musharna beat one with Dawn's help.
• Dawn and Cheryl surrounded the Team Plasma members and tied them up before Dawn checked on the rescued Trainers.
• The two Trainers introduced themselves as Brendan and Brendan and explained that Team Plasma had attacked them for supposedly enslaving their Pokémon.
• Xia You told the Trainers to take the captives to the nearest city and call the police, then warned them to be careful and left with his companions.

Xia You and his companions stopped for lunch in Floccesy Town, where they met Unova Champion Alder. Alder praised Xia You’s record and Mewtwo after recognizing him from recordings of his battles.

• Xia You and his companions arrived in Floccesy Town and chose a crowded, old restaurant for lunch.
• Makomo and the others struggled to choose dishes from the unfamiliar menu until a nearby man recommended the fiery spicy eggplant baked beans and ranch chowder.
• Xia You recognized the man as Alder, and Makomo confirmed that he was the Unova Champion.
• Alder greeted Makomo and remarked on her traveling with Xia You, making her blush.
• Xia You ordered Alder’s recommended dishes, and Alder praised his victories in four regional Conferences and his Mewtwo.

Xia You and his companions met Alder at a restaurant in Floccesy Town, where they talked about Xia You’s rapid Gym challenge and Alder’s life after leaving League affairs. After Alder wished Xia You luck and departed, the group ate, explored town, and resumed their journey.

• Alder recognized Xia You and praised his performance in a match against six Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, while Xia You said he planned to visit Unova and other regions.
• Alder explained that Floccesy Town was his hometown and that he returned there when he grew tired of traveling.
• Xia You told Alder that he had earned four Badges in nearly half a month, and Alder marveled at his pace.
• Alder wished Xia You success at the Unova Pokémon League Conference, finished his wine, and left the restaurant.
• Xia You and his companions ate lunch, walked around town, rested on a park bench, and set off again before dark.

Xia You ran into Shelly and Courtney while traveling east and reunited with them privately at their hotel. After Makomo witnessed their intimacy and questioned whether they were merely his friends, Xia You asked Shelly and Courtney what they were doing in town.

• Xia You, Makomo, Dawn, and Cheryl passed a ranch where Mareep grazed under the care of a little girl and an Ampharos.
• At dusk, Xia You spotted Shelly and Courtney in a town and sent the others ahead to the Pokémon Center.
• Shelly and Courtney greeted Xia You affectionately, leaving Makomo puzzled by their closeness and Cheryl's calm reaction.
• Cheryl identified Shelly and Courtney as Xia You's friends but did not reveal their deeper relationship to Makomo.
• Xia You went to Shelly and Courtney's hotel room, reunited with them, and asked why they were in town.

Xia You reunited with Shelly and Courtney in Unova and learned they suspected a Team Plasma Secret Base was hidden in the nearby mountains. He decided to join their operation the next day, then returned to Cheryl and told her and the others they would stay in town for a few days.

• Shelly and Courtney told Xia You they had investigated reports of attacks and strange activity near a mountain observatory, suspecting a Team Plasma Secret Base nearby.
• Shelly explained that Looker had gone to gather people, and Xia You decided to join them the next day and surprise him.
• Xia You returned late to the Pokémon Center, where Cheryl had waited for him, and told her about the planned operation.
• At breakfast, Xia You told Dawn and Makomo they would remain in town while he went on an operation with Shelly and Courtney.
• Makomo wondered about Xia You's late night but decided not to ask him or Cheryl about it.

Xia You joined Looker, Shelly, Courtney, and a small International Police team preparing to raid a concealed Team Plasma research facility. After learning the base’s location and the operation plan, the group set out to launch the raid.

• Xia You introduced Makomo to Shelly and Courtney, whose wary looks made Makomo think Cheryl was friendlier.
• Xia You met Looker at a woodland command post, where Looker was surprised and pleased to have him join the operation.
• Looker showed Xia You a map marking the secret research facility that Shelly and Courtney had helped locate.
• Xia You learned that Looker planned to raid the facility with a small elite team and said he would continue his journey afterward.
• Looker’s agents split into operational squads and moved out toward the base.

Xia You and Looker led an International Police assault on a Team Plasma mountain facility, while Colress prepared to evacuate and triggered the facility’s emergency protocols. The chapter left the facility under lockdown and self-destruct countdown, with all test subjects released and Colress setting his contingency plan in motion.

• Xia You summoned Scizor, Tyranitar, and Metagross, then left command of the operation to Looker.
• Shelly and Courtney led the advance team in silently incapacitating all four guards and seizing the gate.
• Looker ordered the assault, and the International Police forces stormed the facility as alarms sounded.
• Colress identified Xia You on the control-room screens and ordered an evacuation and activation of the “Hive” protocol.
• A console activated the release of all test subjects, an area lockdown, a data upload, and a ten-minute self-destruct countdown.
• Colress left the control room, intent on carrying out a contingency plan he had prepared in anticipation of Xia You becoming an enemy.