Chapter Summaries

After a landslide trapped Xia You and his companions in a cave, they explored its glowing, branching passages and were suddenly surrounded by thousands of hostile Boldore. Xia You and the others fought back, but the Boldore’s overwhelming numbers kept advancing.

• Xia You reassured Dawn and the others after the landslide and learned that Ash had met two new companions, likely Iris and Cilan.
• Xia You decided to explore farther into the cave, and Makomo studied and collected samples from its glowing moss and crystal formations.
• Xia You and his companions lost track of the branching passages before a tremendous vibration and rustling revealed a vast swarm of Boldore.
• The Boldore attacked with Rock Blast, and Xia You pulled Makomo to safety as their cover was shattered.
• Xia You released Hisuian Zoroark, black Greninja, Infernape, Metagross, Milotic, and Blaziken, while Dawn and Cheryl sent out their Pokémon to fight the swarm.
• Xia You’s group knocked down several dozen Boldore, but more immediately filled the gaps in the advancing horde.

Xia You and the others escaped a torrent of Boldore by realizing the Pokémon were fleeing deeper into the cave, then continued exploring after the danger passed. During a rest, Piplup found a hidden Mega Stone for Steelix, which Xia You took for his Crystal Steelix.

• Xia You and Makomo realized the Boldore were moving en masse rather than targeting the group, so Mewtwo teleported everyone onto a raised platform as the torrent passed beneath them.
• The group escaped the Boldore by following a stone path, and Makomo admitted that she had enjoyed the excitement of exploring with them.
• As Cheryl and Dawn grew tired of the cave, Xia You asked Mewtwo to check whether the rain had stopped and had the group rest while they waited.
• Piplup found a cracked stone in the rubble, and Xia You broke it open to reveal a Mega Stone for Steelix.
• Xia You pocketed the Mega Stone for his Crystal Steelix, while Makomo wondered how it had ended up in the cave.

After escaping the mountain through an underground passage, Xia You and his companions reached Mistralton City and planned their next activities. Xia You went alone to challenge the Mistralton Gym and met its red-haired Gym Leader, Skyla.

• Xia You stored the Steelix Mega Stone, and Mewtwo found a passage that led toward an exit while the rain continued outside.
• Xia You and the others followed the passage, emerged after the rain stopped, and reached Mistralton City that night.
• The next morning, Xia You decided to challenge the Gym alone while Dawn trained with Cheryl and Makomo worked on her research.
• Xia You reached the Mistralton Gym, explored its aircraft and weapons displays, and met Skyla as she came down from the second floor.
• Xia You told Skyla he had come to challenge the Gym.

Xia You met Skyla at the Mistralton Gym, toured its aviation exhibits, and discovered that challengers needed tickets while Skyla went flying. When he finally got his turn, he learned that Skyla used Imagination Battles, deciding outcomes by mentally simulating battles without anyone fighting.

• Skyla welcomed Xia You and showed him the Mistralton Gym’s planes and aviation history.
• Skyla explained that Xia You had to join a numbered line to challenge her, then flew off and performed stunts for the gathered spectators.
• After returning, Skyla called the first fifteen challengers forward and announced that each would use three Pokémon.
• Skyla examined the first challenger’s Pokémon, imagined the battle, and declared that she had won without a fight.
• Xia You recognized the Imagination Battle format and judged that it offered little training, though the young challengers seemed to enjoy it.

Xia You challenged Skyla’s Imagination Battle format and demanded a proper three-on-three Gym battle, arguing that trainers deserved a real test. Skyla agreed to consider a real battle after a simulation, then declared that her imagined Swoobat and Unfezant defeated his Greninja.

• Xia You refused to participate in Skyla’s Imagination Battle and criticized the format in front of the challengers.
• Skyla defended the Gym’s simulation procedure, but Xia You argued that he had the right to request a real battle under the League’s basic rules.
• Skyla agreed to hold an actual battle after first assessing Xia You’s team in an imagination round.
• Xia You sent out his Shiny Greninja and said it was enough to face Skyla’s simulation.
• Skyla imagined Greninja defeating her Swoobat before Unfezant wore it down and defeated it, then announced that Xia You had lost.

Xia You rejected Skyla’s Imagination Battle and insisted his Greninja could defeat all three of her Pokémon, prompting Skyla to accept a real three-on-three Gym battle. The match began on the Gym’s official field with Greninja facing Skyla’s Swoobat.

• Xia You told Skyla that her imagined battle relied on flawed assumptions and declared his Greninja certain to win.
• Skyla accepted Xia You’s challenge and ordered staff to prepare the official battlefield and referee.
• Xia You followed Skyla to the indoor field and refused her offer to choose more Pokémon, sending out only Greninja.
• An elderly man took the referee’s position, and Skyla sent out Swoobat as her first Pokémon.
• The referee announced the rules and started the battle.

Skyla’s Swoobat was swiftly knocked out by Xia You’s Greninja, which used Double Team to close in and land a super-effective Night Slash. Skyla sent out Unfezant for the next battle, determined to defeat Greninja despite her shaken confidence.

• Skyla ordered Swoobat to gain altitude and use its speed to control the battle, but Greninja kept pace beneath it.
• Greninja leaped up and surrounded Swoobat with Double Team copies, leaving it unable to identify the real Pokémon.
• Skyla told Swoobat to clear the copies with Air Slash, but Greninja slipped behind it and struck with Night Slash.
• Greninja’s super-effective attack knocked Swoobat out in one hit, leaving Skyla astonished.
• Skyla recalled Swoobat, sent out Unfezant, and resolved to give the next battle everything she had.

Greninja overpowered Skyla’s Swoobat and faced her Unfezant in the second battle, where its precise dodges and surprise attacks kept Skyla under pressure. The chapter ended as Greninja detonated its Hydro Pump to reveal Water Shuriken hidden inside, catching Skyla off guard.

• Skyla sent out Unfezant after Greninja defeated her first Pokémon, and the referee started the second battle.
• Skyla ordered Unfezant to charge with an enhanced Brave Bird, but Greninja dodged it with a slight shift of its body.
• Greninja threw Water Shuriken at Unfezant, which swerved aside despite the recoil from Brave Bird.
• Greninja immediately fired Hydro Pump as Unfezant recovered and maneuvered to evade it.
• Greninja formed a hand seal, causing the Hydro Pump to explode and launch hidden Water Shuriken in several directions.

Xia You’s Greninja defeated Skyla’s Unfezant with its secret art, Three Shadows Instant Kill, and then swept aside her final Pokémon, Swanna. Skyla accepted that her Imagination Battle had failed and was left questioning how reliable its results were.

• Greninja used Water Shuriken to disrupt Unfezant’s flight, then finished it with Three Shadows Instant Kill, a combination of Double Team and water blades.
• Skyla’s Imagination Battle failed as Unfezant was knocked unconscious, leaving the spectators stunned by Greninja’s skill and power.
• Though she admitted her Imagination Battle had failed, Skyla refused to quit and sent out Swanna for the final battle.
• Greninja overwhelmed Swanna with a barrage of Water-type attacks, completing a three-Pokémon sweep for Xia You.
• Skyla realized that the results of Imagination Battle were not always completely accurate.

Xia You defeated Skyla in a Gym battle, prompting her to abandon Imagination Battle as a substitute for battling challengers. After accepting the Jet Badge and leaving the Gym, Xia You learned from Skyla’s grandfather why she had adopted the method and that the battle had renewed her resolve.

• Xia You recalled Greninja after Swanna was defeated, and the referee declared Xia You the winner of the Gym Challenge.
• Skyla accepted her defeat and admitted that her Imagination Battle had made her overlook the unique potential of Pokémon and the different styles of Trainers.
• Skyla promised to take every challenger seriously and gave Xia You the Jet Badge.
• Skyla watched Xia You leave, wanting to ask his name but feeling too embarrassed after losing.
• Skyla’s grandfather thanked Xia You and explained that Skyla had developed Imagination Battle to balance Gym duties with her love of flying, while his declining health had limited his ability to guide her.
• Xia You said he believed Skyla would return the Gym’s work to normal after the battle renewed her resolve.

After Cynthia confronted Xia You over a tabloid story about him and Diantha, he sent Caitlin to meet Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo, then led Cynthia toward a hotel, leaving his intentions unclear.

• Xia You found Cynthia and Caitlin blocking his path in Mistralton City, and they said they had come specifically to find him.
• Cynthia confronted Xia You about the report claiming he was romantically involved with Diantha, but he dismissed it as gossip and refused to explain himself.
• Cynthia questioned Xia You about what his relationship with her was, and he challenged her to explain why she had any right to question him.
• Xia You sent Caitlin to the Pokémon Center to tell Cheryl, Dawn, and Makomo he would return later.
• Xia You led Cynthia toward a hotel and told her to follow if she wanted to know the truth, and she reluctantly went with him.

Xia You took Cynthia to a hotel suite and answered her questions by forcefully seducing and sleeping with her. The chapter ended with him declaring that Cynthia now belonged to him, while she rested quietly beside him.

• Xia You rented a hotel suite and led Cynthia inside, where she challenged him to explain his relationship with Diantha.
• Xia You pinned Cynthia against a wall and kissed her, and she gradually stopped resisting and responded to him.
• Xia You carried Cynthia to the bedroom and ignored her warning about the consequences of continuing.
• Xia You and Cynthia had sex, after which Cynthia curled up in the blanket beside him.
• Xia You concluded that Cynthia had become his woman, like Sabrina and Erika.

After Xia You and Cynthia reconciled through intimacy, Cynthia accepted their relationship but wanted to keep it secret, especially from Caitlin. The chapter ended with Cynthia dressed and preparing to leave, physically marked by what had happened.

• Xia You teased Cynthia about whether his explanation had eased her anger, and she admitted she was tired and still hurt.
• Xia You held Cynthia and gently touched her while she urged him to leave because Caitlin, Cheryl, and the others were waiting.
• Cynthia worried Caitlin would discover that she had secretly become Xia You's woman and decided the relationship must remain hidden.
• Cynthia struggled to get out of bed and dress, then washed and tended to the marks Xia You had left on her.
• Cynthia finished dressing and looked almost as she had before, though her appearance showed that she had become a woman who had known a man.

After sleeping with Xia You, Cynthia struggled to hide her embarrassment and avoid suspicion from Caitlin and Cheryl. She left the hotel alone, mortified after overhearing staff gossip about what had happened in room 9106, and ended up ordering bitter black coffee at a café.

• Cynthia checked her appearance and asked Xia You to leave first so she could calm down before facing Caitlin and Cheryl.
• Xia You left after warning Cynthia not to take too long, since Cheryl had messaged to ask when they were coming back.
• Cynthia overheard the receptionist and another employee gossiping about the couple in room 9106 as she tried to leave the hotel.
• The receptionist recognized Cynthia and asked her to return the room card so the hotel could check her out and refund her deposit.
• Cynthia panicked when staff were sent to retrieve the room card from the untidy room, then left the hotel feeling overwhelmed.
• Cynthia entered a café and ordered the bitterest black coffee.

Cynthia arrived at the Pokémon Center in Mistralton City after becoming Xia You’s lover, then tried to conceal what had happened from the others. As Dawn shifted the conversation to a rumor about Xia You and Diantha, Caitlin seemed to suspect that Cynthia was hiding something.

• Cynthia hesitated outside the Pokémon Center before entering and joining Xia You’s group.
• Dawn and Makomo remarked that Cynthia looked more radiant, while Cheryl noticed love bites on her neck.
• Cynthia explained her changed appearance by saying she had slept well and claimed a call from her grandmother had delayed her return.
• When Dawn asked why she and Caitlin had come to Mistralton City, Cynthia said they were passing through and had happened to see Xia You.
• Dawn moved on to other topics and eventually brought up the rumor about Xia You and Diantha.

Dawn explained that the rumor linking Xia You and Diantha came from Diantha asking him to help fend off her suitors, easing Cynthia’s concerns. After spending the night in Mistralton City, Xia You took Meloetta out to continue training and helping her adjust to the team.

• Dawn told Cynthia and Caitlin how Diantha had asked Xia You to pose as her partner to discourage her suitors.
• Cynthia and the others discussed the risks Diantha had taken and how much she seemed to trust Xia You.
• Xia You said the rumor would fade after they left Unova, though Cynthia doubted it would disappear so easily.
• Cynthia and Caitlin stayed in Mistralton City while Dawn prepared for her Pokémon Contest.
• Xia You slipped away from Cheryl that night, and Cynthia appeared exhausted at breakfast the next morning.
• Xia You released Meloetta behind the Pokémon Center and continued helping her adjust to life with his team.

Xia You reassured Snivy that it did not have to evolve, then told Cynthia and Caitlin that Meloetta had joined his team. Caitlin suggested giving Snivy an Everstone, leaving the evolution discussion with a practical solution.

• Xia You spoke privately with Snivy about evolution, and Snivy admitted it did not want to evolve.
• Xia You accepted Snivy’s choice and told it that it could remain as it was.
• Cynthia and Caitlin approached and saw Meloetta among Xia You’s Pokémon.
• Xia You said he had caught Meloetta in the wild a few days earlier, surprising Cynthia and Caitlin.
• Caitlin suggested giving Snivy an Everstone so it would not evolve accidentally.

Xia You obtained an Everstone through Caitlin and tested whether his Crystal Steelix could Mega Evolve with a Steelix Mega Stone. As the Mega Evolution began, Caitlin grew suspicious that Cynthia knew more about Xia You than she let on.

• Caitlin called the Mistralton City branch and arranged for an Everstone to be delivered to her at the Pokémon Center.
• Xia You brought out the Steelix Mega Stone and discussed with Cynthia whether it would work on his Crystal Steelix.
• Xia You had Crystal Steelix swallow the Mega Stone, then prepared to test it with his meteorite Key Stone.
• Caitlin questioned why Xia You's Key Stone looked different, and Cynthia explained its possible power-enhancing effect.
• Cynthia noticed Caitlin becoming suspicious of her familiarity with Xia You and redirected her attention as Xia You began Crystal Steelix's Mega Evolution.

Xia You’s Crystal Steelix Mega Evolved into a massive, dazzling Pokémon, and he tested its strength before recalling it to avoid attracting more attention. He and Caitlin returned to the Pokémon Center to wait for her Everstone.

• Xia You’s Mega Key Stone resonated with Crystal Steelix as it absorbed the Evolution Stone and Mega Evolved into a towering crystal Pokémon.
• Cynthia and Caitlin admired Mega Crystal Steelix, while Xia You asked how it felt and learned it was excited by its new strength.
• At Xia You’s command, Mega Crystal Steelix flew into several large trees and snapped them with a light collision.
• Cynthia warned Xia You that the trees belonged to the Pokémon Center and that the commotion would draw attention.
• Xia You canceled Mega Evolution and recalled Crystal Steelix and Meloetta before a boy and a girl arrived; Cynthia told them the damage had come from a battle.
• Xia You recalled his remaining Pokémon and led Caitlin back to the Pokémon Center to wait for her Everstone.

Cynthia and Xia You secretly spent the morning together, but Skyla saw them leaving a hotel arm in arm. Skyla recognized Xia You as the Trainer who had defeated her and decided to gather evidence before telling Elesa.

• Cynthia worried she might be pregnant after she and Xia You had sex without protection, but Xia You brushed off her concerns and urged her to get ready for Dawn’s competition.
• Cynthia and Xia You left the hotel without alerting Caitlin and headed toward the Pokémon Center for breakfast.
• Cynthia and Xia You ran into Skyla, and the three exchanged awkward greetings before going their separate ways.
• Skyla realized the man with Cynthia was the Trainer who had defeated her and concluded that he was Xia You and was involved with Cynthia.
• Skyla considered telling Elesa what she had seen but decided to wait and gather photos and evidence first.