Chapter Summaries

Xia You drew Giselle as his opponent in the Indigo Conference's third round, and the two met on the Rock Field. The battle began with Xia You sending out Blastoise against Giselle's Onix, leaving the match unresolved.

• Xia You and his group returned to the draw venue, where Ash drew Sho as his opponent on the Ice Field and Xia You drew Giselle on the Rock Field.
• Misty reminded Ash that Giselle was the girl he had once called cute, and Giselle soon approached the group with several Pokémon Research School students.
• Giselle said Chun had been eliminated in the first round, then learned that Xia You would be her next opponent and confidently predicted he would lose.
• Xia You stopped Misty from arguing with Giselle and said he would settle things by beating her in the match.
• At the Rock Field, Xia You sent out Blastoise while Giselle chose Onix, despite the type disadvantage.

Xia You defeated Giselle’s Onix by using Blastoise’s Withdraw and Rapid Spin to counter its underground attacks, then exploiting Onix’s weakness to Water Gun. Giselle recalled Onix and prepared to send out her second Pokémon, determined to win the next battle.

• Xia You ordered Blastoise onto a boulder while Giselle sent Onix underground and attacked with Stone Edge.
• Blastoise used Withdraw to withstand Stone Edge, and Xia You located Onix from the attack’s impact.
• Xia You had Blastoise use Rapid Spin to strike the ground, forcing a dizzy Onix to emerge.
• Blastoise’s Water Gun struck Onix for quadruple damage, and the soaked ground trapped Onix’s movements.
• Blastoise knocked Onix out with another Water Gun, and Giselle recalled him before preparing her second Pokémon.

Xia You faced Giselle’s Shiny Mr. Mime with Gardevoir, while their rare Pokémon and popularity drove the preliminary match’s ratings to record levels. Charles Goodshow and John recognized Xia You as a contestant to watch as the battle continued.

• Giselle sent out her Shiny Mr. Mime, surprising the crowd and drawing attention to the match.
• Chloe asked Brock about Mr. Mime and Shiny Pokémon, and Brock reassured her about Xia You’s chances.
• Xia You recalled Blastoise and sent out Gardevoir to face Mr. Mime in a Psychic-type showdown.
• Charles Goodshow visited the command center and learned from John that the Rock Field match’s ratings had passed twenty percent.
• Charles Goodshow recognized Xia You as an undefeated contestant and agreed the match’s rising popularity was good news for the Pokémon League.

Xia You defeated Giselle three to zero, prompting her to accept his advice and vow to challenge him again after traveling and growing stronger. At Indigo Stadium, broadcast director John arranged to give Xia You more prominent opponents, airtime, promotion, and camera coverage, with President Charles Goodshow allowing the behind-the-scenes adjustments.

• Giselle sent out Scyther after Gardevoir defeated her Mr. Mime, but Xia You switched to Jolteon, whose Electric-type attacks overcame Scyther’s strength and type advantage.
• The referee declared Xia You the winner, and the commentator praised his third consecutive decisive victory.
• Giselle teared up over her defeat, then thanked Xia You for advising her to leave school, travel, and battle stronger opponents; she vowed to return and take revenge.
• Xia You recalled Jolteon, waved to the crowd, and advanced to the Top 32.
• John ordered staff to prioritize Xia You’s matches, arrange popular opponents, and increase his prime-time broadcasts, promotion, and camera coverage.
• President Charles Goodshow watched as staff manipulated the arrangements and chose not to intervene.

After Ash won his match, Xia You was mobbed by reporters who wanted to interview him after his victory over Giselle made him a tournament sensation. He turned them away until Viola arrived for an appointment, leaving Chloe and Misty unimpressed by his flirtatious welcome.

• Ash lost his first bout to Sho, then used Kingler and Pikachu to defeat Sho and advance.
• Xia You and his friends returned from lunch to find reporters gathered outside his dorm, eager to interview him after his win over Giselle.
• Xia You declined the interviews, and Masha's Biker Gang drove the reporters away and guarded the building.
• After learning how much attention his match had attracted, Xia You decided to let Viola in when she arrived to keep an appointment.
• Xia You welcomed Viola with a compliment, while Chloe and Misty reacted with displeasure.

Xia You gave Viola an interview about his journey as a Trainer and his connection to Diantha, then posed for photographs with several Pokémon. At the final preliminary draw, Ash received a Grass Field match against Kuniko, while Xia You was paired with Gary on the Ice Field.

• Xia You told Viola he had become a Trainer partly because Diantha encouraged him, gave him his first Pokémon, and taught him how to care for Pokémon and battle.
• Viola photographed Xia You with Gardevoir, Haunter, and Jolteon for her report, which would be published in Kalos.
• Ash drew Kuniko of Maiden's Town as his opponent for the final preliminary match on the Grass Field, and Brock admired her photo.
• Xia You drew Gary as his opponent on the Ice Field, though John had already chosen the pairing.
• Gary arrived with his cheerleaders and told Xia You that their long-awaited battle would determine which of them was stronger.

Gary left after provoking Xia You, and Xia You’s group watched Ash face Kuniko in the tournament preliminaries. Ash defeated Kuniko’s Beedrill and Scyther with Bulbasaur, leaving the match to continue.

• Gary dismissed Xia You’s popularity and vowed to prove himself better, while Chloe formed a poor first impression of him.
• Xia You and his companions went to the Grass Field stands, where they met Professor Oak and Delia, and Oak recognized Xia You and remembered Chloe as a baby.
• Ash entered the field to face Kuniko, whose elaborate entrance and cheering supporters drew attention.
• Ash used Bulbasaur’s Leech Seed and Tackle to defeat Kuniko’s Beedrill despite its type advantage.
• Kuniko sent out Scyther, which used Double Team to pressure Bulbasaur, but Bulbasaur struck the duplicates with Vine Whip and defeated the real Scyther.

Ash faced Kuniko’s seemingly weak Bellsprout, which defeated Bulbasaur and Pikachu before Muk countered its fighting style and won the match. After Ash reunited with Delia and Professor Oak, Xia You left with Chloe ahead of his upcoming battle against Gary.

• Kuniko sent out Bellsprout, which used throws to defeat Ash’s Bulbasaur and then knocked out Pikachu.
• Ash sent out Muk, whose soft body absorbed Bellsprout’s punches and kicks before Body Slam won the final battle.
• Xia You recognized Kuniko’s training methods as useful study material and considered applying them to a Fighting-type Pokémon.
• Ash celebrated his victory and reunited with Delia and Professor Oak.
• Xia You declined to stay for lunch and left with Chloe because his match against Gary was coming up.

Xia You and Chloe browsed a gift shop while Chloe looked for presents and asked him for autographs for Sota. Looker called to report that Team Rocket’s executives had fled to Johto, and Xia You agreed to help pursue them there after the Indigo League and his trip to the Orange Islands.

• Chloe searched for gifts for her family and asked Xia You to sign more than a dozen autographs for Sota.
• Xia You and Chloe browsed plush toys in a gift shop as he kept a low profile among the crowds.
• Looker called Xia You to congratulate him on reaching the Indigo Conference Top 32 and report that the International Police had nearly cleared Team Rocket from Kanto.
• Looker told Xia You that Team Rocket’s executives had fled to Johto and asked if he would help deal with them there.
• Xia You agreed to help in Johto after the Indigo League and his trip to the Orange Islands.

Chloe reviewed Gary’s varied battle record with Xia You before his Ice Field match, but Xia You dismissed her uncertainty and prepared to face him. The battle began with Gary sending out Fearow and Xia You answering with Jolteon, leaving Gary shocked that his prediction had been anticipated.

• Chloe studied recordings of Gary’s previous matches and concluded that his varied Pokémon roster made his next choice hard to predict.
• Xia You told Chloe that Gary was a capable, calm battler who favored Ground-type and powerful Pokémon, then left for his match.
• The commentator introduced Xia You and Gary as they competed for a place in the tournament’s top sixteen.
• Gary sent out Fearow, expecting Xia You to choose a Water- or Fire-type Pokémon on the Ice Field.
• Xia You sent out Jolteon, and Gary realized that his Flying-type Fearow was vulnerable to Electric attacks.

Xia You used Jolteon to defeat Gary's Fearow with a super-effective Thunderbolt, then switched to Gyarados after Gary sent out Nidoking. The battle continued with Xia You holding a type advantage over Gary's next Pokémon.

• Xia You commanded Jolteon to attack Fearow with Thunder Shock, but Fearow dodged and countered with Aerial Ace.
• Fearow's Aerial Ace shattered the ice around Jolteon and struck it, but the attack dealt reduced damage because of the type matchup.
• Xia You ordered Jolteon to use Thunderbolt, hitting Fearow and forcing Gary to recall it.
• Gary sent out Nidoking, which was immune to Electric-type attacks, while Thunderbolt's heat and electricity had cracked the ice beneath Jolteon.
• Xia You recalled Jolteon and sent out Gyarados, giving him a Water-type advantage over Gary's Nidoking.

Xia You’s Gyarados defeated Gary’s Nidoking after the ice beneath them broke and both plunged into the water. The battle ended with Nidoking unconscious on shore and Gyarados declared the winner.

• Gary’s Nidoking and Xia You’s Gyarados clashed with Double Kick and Aqua Tail, and Gyarados’s Thrash battered Nidoking and shattered nearby ice.
• Gary ordered Nidoking to strike with Poison Jab, but the attack failed to poison Gyarados, who regained his senses and prepared another Aqua Tail.
• Nidoking slipped as Gyarados approached, and the weakened ice beneath them cracked, sending both Pokémon into the freezing pool.
• Gyarados fought underwater while Nidoking sank, then surfaced alone as Gary feared the worst.
• Xia You directed Gyarados to retrieve Nidoking, and the commentator announced Gyarados as the winner.

Gary chose Electabuzz as his final Pokémon, but Xia You’s Jolteon defeated it and Charizard then finished off Gary’s injured Fearow. Xia You won the Ice Field match, while Gary left the field in dejection.

• Gary regained his resolve after seeing his cheerleaders, Professor Oak, and Ash in the stands, then sent out Electabuzz.
• Xia You recalled Gyarados and chose Jolteon to face Electabuzz in an Electric-type battle.
• Gary realized Jolteon’s Volt Absorb neutralized Electabuzz’s Electric attacks, and Jolteon defeated it with Pin Missile.
• Gary sent Fearow back into battle, but Xia You’s Charizard defeated it with Flamethrower, giving Xia You the win.
• Gary silently recalled Fearow and left the field, dispirited.

After defeating Gary and advancing to the top 16, Xia You trained during the two-day break and met Ritchie, whom he predicted would be Ash's toughest opponent. The chapter ended as the contestants drew their groups and matchups for the main competition, with Xia You regarded as a favorite to win.

• Xia You left the arena after defeating Gary, and Professor Oak said the loss would help Gary become more humble.
• Xia You trained his Pokémon during the two-day break while Ash met Ritchie and befriended him after they drove off the Team Rocket Trio.
• Xia You told Chloe that Ritchie would be Ash's biggest opponent at the Indigo Conference.
• Xia You and the other fifteen contestants arrived at the drawing venue, where a staff member explained that Magikarp numbers would determine their groups and matchups.
• Xiaoming told Xia You that contestants considered him the biggest rival and a favorite to win after his recent victories.

Xia You struggled to catch a Magikarp until Haunter secretly forced one onto his hook, giving him a Group A match against Jimu. The draw left Ash facing Ritchie and potentially Xia You next, while Viola’s interview about Xia You was published in Kalos and delighted her.

• Xiaoming told Xia You he hoped they would meet in the finals, and Xia You urged him to avoid being eliminated first.
• Misty helped Xia You learn to fish, but the Magikarp avoided his bait, which Misty suspected was because they feared Gyarados’s scent.
• Ash caught a Magikarp and learned that he would face Ritchie, leaving both friends shocked by the draw.
• Haunter secretly forced a Magikarp onto Xia You’s hook, and the staff assigned him a Group A match against Jimu.
• Xia You saw that he and Ash were in the same group and that he could face Ash after Ash’s battle with Ritchie; Ash left troubled, and Misty and Brock followed him.
• Xia You returned to the dormitory with Chloe, where he received Viola’s message that her interview about him had been published in Kalos and had made her happy.

Ash arrived late to his match against Ritchie after Team Rocket delayed him, and the battle began with his exhausted Pidgeotto unable to compete. Ritchie's Butterfree put Ash's Squirtle to sleep, leaving Ash at a disadvantage as the first battle continued.

• Ash failed to appear for his scheduled match, and the organizers searched for him while his friends worried.
• Ritchie asked the referee to delay the match, and the referee granted an extra ten minutes.
• Ash arrived by hot-air balloon with Pikachu, but his Pidgeotto was exhausted from pulling it.
• Ash and Ritchie sent out Squirtle and Butterfree, and their opening exchanges produced no clear advantage.
• Ritchie's Butterfree used Sleep Powder, and Squirtle fell asleep.

Ash lost to Ritchie after Squirtle, Pikachu, and Charizard were defeated, leaving the crowd disappointed. Xia You then began his delayed match against Jimu and took control with Venusaur, whose Solar Beam exhausted Persian.

• Squirtle failed to wake, and the referee awarded Ritchie the first bout.
• Pikachu defeated Butterfree with Quick Attack and Thunderbolt, but Charmander knocked the exhausted Pikachu out of bounds.
• Ash sent out Charizard, who defeated Charmander with a fire attack but refused to battle Ritchie's Pikachu, giving Ritchie the win.
• Ash apologized to his companions, accepted their encouragement, and told Xia You that the rest was up to him.
• Xia You faced Jimu with Venusaur against Persian, using Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Sleep Powder, Growth, and Solar Beam to drain Persian's stamina.

Xia You defeated Yoshiki in the top-sixteen match, using type advantages and Blastoise’s Withdraw to overcome Golem’s Seismic Toss. Yoshiki surrendered, and Xia You advanced to the top eight as Ash watched with envy.

• Xia You sent Jolteon against Yoshiki’s Dodrio and defeated it with Thunderbolt after wearing it down with Electric-type attacks.
• Yoshiki sent out Golem, and Xia You switched to Blastoise, whose Water-type moves exploited Golem’s quadruple weakness.
• Golem grabbed Blastoise and used Seismic Toss, but Blastoise used Withdraw to withstand the impact.
• Yoshiki surrendered after realizing Golem could not defeat Blastoise and Xia You’s remaining Pokémon.
• Xia You advanced to the top eight, while Ash watched him leave the field and envied his success.

Xia You swept Ritchie six to zero in the quarterfinals, setting a new Indigo Conference record by reaching the semifinals undefeated. He then defeated Lily to become the first finalist and learned that Yusheng, whom he had met on New Island, would face him for the championship.

• Xia You defeated Ritchie six to zero in the quarterfinals, while Ash watched from the stands.
• The announcer announced that Xia You had reached the semifinals with a perfect record, setting a new Indigo Conference record.
• Ash, Misty, and Brock moved into Xia You's Detached Villa after the tournament reclaimed Ash's lodging.
• Xia You defeated Lily six to zero in the semifinals, using Haunter to beat her Rhydon and Venomoth and advance to the final.
• Yusheng defeated his semifinal opponent after Xiaoming failed to reach the semifinals, setting up a final between Yusheng and Xia You.

With the Indigo League final approaching, Xia You trained with his friends and faced a press interview before welcoming several visitors who came to cheer him on. The evening ended with a barbecue, where Brock asked Xia You for advice about girls.

• Xia You trained his Pokémon at a rented battlefield with Misty, Brock, and Ash helping him.
• After Masha arranged a press gathering, Xia You answered reporters' questions about Yusheng, his chances, and his personal life.
• Professor Cerise, Yoshino, Sota, Chrysa, and Ren arrived at Indigo Plateau to support Xia You, surprising him and Chloe.
• Sabrina arrived unexpectedly, and Xia You introduced her to the others before they settled into the crowded dormitory.
• Xia You, Misty, and Brock hosted a barbecue for the visitors, and Brock privately asked Xia You how to impress girls.
• Xia You advised Brock to be handsome, while Ash reacted with disgust and wondered why anyone cared about girls over Pokémon.