Recaps

Kaim worked to strengthen his mythology paper and decided to seek sources about the Giants at a temple in Kisaki City. Cynthia agreed to accompany him, and two weeks later they arrived in the frigid northern city.

• Cynthia corrected Kaim’s paper and encouraged him to keep working toward the peer-review deadline.
• At Veilstone Gym, Kaim discussed his paper and his admiration for Cynthia with a young Gym Trainer.
• Kaim told Cynthia that his paper lacked sources about the Giants and asked to visit Kisaki City’s temple dedicated to them.
• Cynthia adjusted her schedule to travel with Kaim, and two weeks later they reached Kisaki City.

Kaim and Cynthia investigated Kisaki Shrine and uncovered records and an Icicle Plate that deepened Kaim’s theory about Regigigas and Arceus. After finishing their research, they accepted Suzuna’s invitation to meet at the Kisaki Gym, where she brought them to her office.

• Suzuna welcomed Kaim and Cynthia to Kisaki City and arranged for them to enter Kisaki Shrine.
• Kaim and Cynthia explored the shrine, recognized its enormous statue as the sleeping Regigigas, and read an inscription linking his awakening to the three Regi Pokémon.
• Kaim and Cynthia examined hidden Community Center records and an Icicle Plate, which prompted Kaim to consider whether plates originated as beings connected to Regigigas before Arceus defeated them.
• Kaim and Cynthia finished their research and accepted Suzuna’s invitation to share a meal.
• Suzuna greeted Kaim and Cynthia at the Kisaki Gym and led them to her office.

Suzuna discussed her uncertain future with Cynthia, while Kaim considered what he might do after Sumo returned to the Veilstone Gym. Over dinner, Suzuna teased Kaim and Cynthia about their relationship and revealed that Kaim was gaining a reputation for coaching Gym challengers.

• Suzuna told Cynthia she felt unsure about her future career, and Cynthia encouraged her to think carefully before choosing a path.
• Suzuna said her younger sister Sumo would return from studying in Galar at the end of next month, ending Kaim’s temporary turn as Veilstone Gym Leader.
• Kaim said he would return to being a Gym instructor for now and might consider becoming a Gym Leader elsewhere after Sumo returned.
• Suzuna took Kaim and Cynthia to a seafood restaurant and suddenly asked how long they had been dating; Cynthia confirmed they had started after the previous summer’s Pokémon League.
• Suzuna told Kaim that challengers praised his precise coaching and that he was becoming well known as Veilstone Gym’s leader.
• Cynthia said Kaim was an achievement she was proud of, embarrassing him, and Suzuna teased him about his red ears before he challenged her to a future battle.

Cynthia and Kaim spent time with Suzuna in Kisaki City, where Cynthia learned more about Suzuna and found inspiration in their conversations. At the public bath, Cynthia asked Suzuna to teach her to make sweets so she could surprise Kaim with a homemade Valentine’s gift.

• Cynthia and Kaim talked with Suzuna before preparing to leave Kisaki City the next day.
• Suzuna invited Cynthia and Kaim to a public bathhouse, where Cynthia and Suzuna talked about Cynthia and Kaim living together and caring for each other.
• Cynthia and Suzuna enjoyed the indoor and outdoor baths and praised Kisaki City.
• Cynthia asked Suzuna to teach her how to make desserts so she could give Kaim a homemade Valentine’s gift.
• Suzuna enthusiastically agreed to help Cynthia, who reflected that she had never been in love or had a boyfriend before.

Cynthia and Kaim spent a quiet evening together after Cynthia talked with Suzuna, discussing their research and their feelings about Kaim. Cynthia hinted that he had become everyone’s big brother, leaving Kaim wondering what she meant.

• Suzuna encouraged Cynthia to focus on Kaim and helped her decide to practice making sweets.
• Cynthia returned to the hotel with drinks and pudding, then settled beside Kaim with their Pokémon.
• Cynthia and Kaim discussed his preliminary research paper and the difficulty of finding a mythological plate.
• Cynthia fed Kaim pudding and told him Suzuna thought of him as a caring big brother.
• Cynthia praised Kaim’s perseverance and joked that his hands had changed since childhood after seeing his old photos.
• Cynthia called Kaim everyone’s big brother, and he asked what she was trying to say.

Cynthia told Kaim that she noticed his subtle smiles, kindness, competitiveness, and discomfort with being alone, and admitted she wanted to know him better than anyone. They reaffirmed their love, spent a happy evening playing with their Pokémon, and went to sleep after two hours of talking.

• Cynthia explained that she noticed sides of Kaim others missed, including his small smiles and tendency to feel lonely when alone.
• Cynthia admitted that she wanted everyone to know how wonderful Kaim was while also wanting to know him best, and Kaim embraced her and said meeting her was his greatest luck.
• Cynthia asked Kaim to stay by her side, and he promised that was what he wanted.
• Kaim and Cynthia joked and played with Kuroki, Glacia, Little Black, and Blaziken, and Cynthia pointed out that Kaim had smiled.
• After talking for about two hours, Kaim and Cynthia each went to sleep in their own futon.

Cynthia and Kaim shared a blanket and talked about his work teaching Gym challengers, his hopes for her, and the possibility of battling together. Kaim fell asleep beside Cynthia and Kuroki, and Cynthia drifted off contentedly.

• Cynthia used Kaim's arm as a pillow and asked about his work teaching Gym challengers.
• Kaim explained that he had started teaching after helping Cynthia learn to make curry, hoping to give others a chance to improve.
• Cynthia suggested Kaim might suit being a teacher, and they discussed passing on his teachings while she pursued her own goals.
• Cynthia told Kaim she had been practicing Double Battles and hoped to enter a tournament with him someday.
• Kaim fell asleep, and Cynthia stroked his hair before closing her eyes beside him and Kuroki.

Kaim accepted Kota’s invitation to go mining with him and his father, and Cynthia decided to join them after showing interest in Sinnoh’s underground resources. They met Kota and Toogan at the Oreburgh Mine, where Toogan greeted Cynthia with surprise at her interest in mining.

• Kota invited Kaim to mine with him and his father on the following Saturday, and Kaim accepted.
• Cynthia gave Kaim a book about cashier Pokémon to help with his thesis, then asked to join the mining trip.
• Kaim lent Cynthia his sturdy clothes, and she happily wore them despite their oversized fit.
• Kaim and Cynthia traveled to Oreburgh City and met Kota and Toogan at the Oreburgh Mine.
• Toogan greeted Cynthia and remarked that he had not expected her to be interested in mining.

Cynthia and Kaim explored the Grand Underground as Toogan and Kota taught them how to mine. Cynthia quickly excelled and found an unfamiliar Natural Stone, leaving her asking whether such stones could be mined there.

• Toogan gave Cynthia an exploration kit, and she and Kaim changed into mining clothes before descending into the Grand Underground.
• Kota and Heita demonstrated how to uncover spheres and stones safely, and Cynthia dug up a green sphere on her first attempt.
• Cynthia and Kaim began mining, and Cynthia found more spheres than Kaim and showed off her haul.
• Toogan spotted a Natural Stone among Cynthia's finds and explained what it was.
• Cynthia asked whether Natural Stones could be mined in the Grand Underground.

Shirona found aquamarine and planned to have it made into a birthday gift for Kaim, while Toogan praised Kaim’s persistence and potential. As the group left the cavern, Shirona heard a Pokémon cry that Kaim could not hear, and Heita said she probably had not imagined it.

• Shirona found aquamarine and asked Toogan to introduce her to a craftsman who could process it into a gift for Kaim.
• Toogan told Shirona that Kaim’s persistence and ability to keep learning could make him a great Trainer, like Reggie.
• Kota and Kaim compared their finds, including fossils and gemstones, and Kaim asked which month garnet was the birthstone for before noting that his birthday was in March.
• Kota, Kaim, and Heita joined Toogan and Shirona to return to the cavern entrance.
• Shirona heard a Pokémon cry in the tunnels, Kaim heard nothing, and Heita said the sound was probably real.

Cynthia and Kaim visited the Sunlit Cave, a Pokémon Hideaway beneath the mining area, and learned how miners and researchers protected its inhabitants. Their exploration ended when Tougan and Kota unearthed a thick purple slab from a strange, lifeless patch of rock.

• Yuta and Tougan explained that Pokémon lived in underground Hideaways, and agreed to guide Cynthia and Kaim through a nearby one.
• Kaim reflected on how his past defeats and training had helped him grow as a Trainer, then followed Shirona toward the Hideaway.
• Cynthia and Kaim entered the Sunlit Cave and saw its peaceful pond, grass, unusual sunlight-like glow, and Pokémon from different regions.
• Cynthia noticed a bare rock outcrop that the Pokémon avoided, so Tougan and Kota began excavating it.
• Tougan and Kota uncovered a thick purple slab with a faint trace of poison, which explained why no grass grew there.

Kaim and the others discovered a myth-era Poison Plate bearing an inscription about the power that defeated the giants, giving Kaim new material for his thesis. At dinner in Oreburgh City, Tugen proposed that Kaim become a Gym Leader, and Kaim accepted while asking to clarify a few things.

• Tugen handed Kaim a Poison Plate whose inscription linked the plates to the defeat of the giants, and Kaim realized it could support his thesis about myths and Regigigas.
• Cynthia teased Kaim about finding research material while they had come to relax, then followed him back with a rough aquamarine kept for his birthday.
• Cynthia, Kaim, Tugen, Oukan, and Hyouta celebrated their discovery over dinner in Oreburgh City and talked about cooking and hard work.
• Tugen asked what Kaim planned to do after Plum returned from studying abroad, then suggested Kaim become a Gym Leader because of his talent and experience.
• Kaim accepted Tugen's proposal but asked him a few questions before proceeding.

Kaim agreed to pursue becoming a Gym Leader after Toogan explained his reasons and Kota asked him to become a rival. Later, Kaim carried a sleepy Cynthia into the house after their trip to the garage.

• Toogan told Kaim he wanted him to become the Mei Kaim Gym Leader so he could pursue a place among the Elite Four or become a Frontier Brain.
• Kaim agreed to consider the position, and his family and friends teased him about becoming a Gym Leader.
• Kota told Kaim that having a friend and rival in the same role would motivate him to grow stronger, and Kaim agreed to become a Gym Leader.
• Cynthia asked Toogan about his deeper reason for recommending Kaim, and Toogan said Kaim could help Kota make a breakthrough.
• Kaim arrived home with Cynthia, who had fallen asleep in the car, and carried her inside while Blaziken and Lucario prepared the house.

Cynthia wanted to show Kaim her gratitude and become more equal with him, but she could not help with the chores. After they watched a movie together, Kaim shared his feelings and kissed her forehead, leaving Cynthia flustered.

• Cynthia decided to help Kaim with chores for Couples' Day, but he had finished them all before she could assist.
• Cynthia told Kaim she was grateful for his support, and he said that hearing it was enough for him.
• Kaim invited Cynthia to spend time with him after dinner, and they watched a movie with their Pokémon.
• Cynthia and Kaim talked about the movie and realized they had both been moved by the scene by the sea.
• Kaim kissed Cynthia on the forehead and hurried off to take a bath, while Cynthia blushed and buried her face in Togekiss.

On his last day as a Personal Trainer at Veilstone Gym, Kaim reunited with Sumo and accepted a late challenge from a Trainer who had collected every Gym Badge. Kaim won decisively, defeating all six of the challenger’s Pokémon without losing one.

• Kaim cleaned the Veilstone Gym training grounds before his transfer to Qidai Gym, and Sumo thanked him for his help over the past two years.
• Sumo and Kaim recalled her close victory over him after returning from training in Galar, then said goodbye as friends and rivals.
• A boy arrived with every Gym Badge and asked to challenge Kaim, who admitted he could not remember telling the boy to return after collecting them all.
• Sumo refereed as Kaim sent out Blaziken against the boy’s Luxray in a six-on-six battle with switching allowed.
• Blaziken defeated four of the boy’s Pokémon, and Metagross defeated the other two, giving Kaim an overwhelming 6-0 victory.

After defeating a young Trainer, Kaim challenged his decision to quit and urged him to learn from the loss instead of blaming a lack of talent. The boy was left considering who he would become and what he could take from the battle.

• Kaim defeated the boy in a battle and criticized his training, commands, and readiness for Victory Road.
• The boy concluded that he lacked talent and judgment and announced that he was quitting as a Trainer.
• Kaim recognized his former self in the boy and stopped him from leaving.
• After the boy angrily insisted he could never match Kaim, Kaim struck him with a Potion and told him to examine the battle before judging his abilities.
• Kaim explained that talent had to be developed through effort and urged the boy to consider what he would learn from the loss and who he would be tomorrow.

Kaim encouraged Gōshi to persevere and watched him join the Tobari Gym, though Kaim was leaving for another Gym the next day. Two weeks earlier, Cynthia invited Kaim to an academic conference in Celestic Town so he could learn about the town where she grew up.

• Kaim told Gōshi to keep training if he wanted to grow stronger, and Gōshi vowed to surpass him and become a Gym Leader.
• Gōshi joined the Tobari Gym as a Trainer, while Kaim left without managing to tell him he was moving to another Gym.
• Kaim asked Sumo to tell Gōshi to listen to people, then flew away on Staraptor.
• Two weeks earlier, Cynthia told Kaim that their research paper had been selected for presentation at a conference in Kannagi Town.
• Cynthia invited Kaim to Celestic Town, where she grew up, so he could learn more about her roots; Kaim agreed to go.

Kaim and Cynthia prepared for the Champions Tournament and shared their fears and commitment to staying together before setting out for Cynthia’s hometown. The chapter left them nearing Kannagi Town, where Cynthia planned to take Kaim to stay with her parents.

• Cynthia told Kaim they could drive to Kannagi Town and stay at her parents’ house, then described the quiet rural town where her interest in archaeology began.
• Kaim reviewed battle data on Lance and the other Champions Tournament competitors while Cynthia looked forward to facing them, including Red.
• Cynthia and Kaim held each other and reassured one another that they wanted to build a life together and would not leave each other.
• Lucario and Blaziken found Cynthia and Kaim asleep in the living room, covered them with a blanket, and settled beside them.
• Cynthia drove Kaim toward Kannagi Town, and they saw the highway sign showing they were close.

Kaim met Cynthia’s family in Kannagi Town, where her grandmother Aina and sister Krona welcomed him and teased the couple about their relationship. Cynthia then took Kaim to the ruins that first sparked her interest in history, where he examined a mural of Dialga and noticed a carving.

• Cynthia introduced Kaim to her younger sister Krona at the family home in Kannagi Town.
• Kaim met Cynthia’s grandmother Aina, and Aina and Krona teased Cynthia about her first boyfriend and welcomed Kaim.
• Cynthia and Kaim walked through Celestic Town hand in hand and talked about how her family had accepted him.
• Cynthia brought Kaim to the ruins near the shrine and explained that their murals depicted Dialga and Palkia, whose powers had shaped the world.
• Kaim approached the Dialga mural and noticed something carved into it.

Kaim and Cynthia explored the ruins in Celestic Town and discussed competing interpretations of a mural depicting legendary Pokémon. Cynthia’s theory helped Kaim reflect on his continuing work as a scholar, and he left glad he had visited.

• Kaim and Cynthia read the ruins’ inscriptions about Dialga, Palkia, and the Pokémon associated with knowledge, willpower, and emotion.
• Cynthia showed Kaim the mural that had first inspired her childhood curiosity about how the world was formed.
• Kaim interpreted the mural’s three surrounding beings as Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, with Arceus at the center.
• Cynthia connected the mural to the myths and evidence surrounding Arceus, Giratina, and the Distortion World, sharing her theory with Kaim.
• Kaim thanked Cynthia for the new perspective and resolved to continue his research without becoming complacent.

Cynthia and Kaim left the ruins after growing closer, then returned to Mio City and spent the evening with Krona and Aina. Kaim went to help prepare dinner while Cynthia followed, and Aina remarked that he was a good match for her.

• Cynthia teased Kaim about his seriousness, then thanked him for bringing her to the ruins as they left hand in hand.
• Cynthia and Kaim walked through Kannagi Town together, unaware that residents thought she had brought her son-in-law home.
• Back in Mio City, Kaim offered to help Krona prepare dinner, and Cynthia joked with them about her improving cooking skills.
• Cynthia hugged Kaim and admitted she would feel jealous if he became too friendly with Krona.
• Cynthia followed Kaim toward the kitchen and told Aina that she had been barred from helping; Aina praised Kaim and said he was a good match for Cynthia.

Cynthia’s family teased her about marrying Kaim, and dinner strengthened their admiration for his cooking and helpfulness. Later, Krona joined Cynthia for a bath and asked what she loved about Kaim, leaving Cynthia about to explain.

• Aina and Cynthia watched Kaim and Krona cook together while Kuroko settled on Cynthia’s lap.
• Aina teased Cynthia about making Kaim her son-in-law, flustering Cynthia and embarrassing Kaim.
• Cynthia’s grandfather returned, and the family praised Kaim’s cooking over dinner and again called him a desirable son-in-law.
• Krona joined Cynthia in the bath with Leafeon and explained she wanted time to talk with her sister.
• Krona asked Cynthia what she liked about Kaim, and Cynthia began to answer while stroking Leafeon.

Cynthia told Krona that she loved Kaim because he believed in her, while Aina tested whether Kaim could accept Cynthia’s unknown parentage and stand by her. Kaim promised to stay with Cynthia, and the chapter ended with Cynthia asking what he thought about her family and hometown.

• Cynthia explained to Krona that Kaim’s unwavering trust in her was what she loved about him.
• Aina invited Kaim to play shogi and asked whether he could build a happy life with Cynthia despite her not knowing her parents.
• Kaim said he wanted to stay beside Cynthia through any difficulties because he loved her for who she was.
• Aina asked Kaim to take good care of Cynthia and joked about meeting their great-grandchild; Kaim left flustered.
• Cynthia asked Kaim what he thought about her family and hometown as they lay awake together.

Kaim and Cynthia shared what they loved about each other before attending a research conference in Celestic Town, where Cynthia’s mentor Professor Rowan revealed that he was reviewing Kaim’s paper. Kaim was left eager to hear Rowan’s assessment of his work.

• Cynthia told Kaim she loved how he trusted her, and Kaim said he loved how she believed in and supported him.
• Cynthia joined Kaim under the covers with Little Black, and the three of them fell asleep together.
• At the conference, Kaim reflected on how much he still had to learn after hearing the researchers’ presentations.
• Professor Rowan, Cynthia’s mentor, met Kaim and praised him after learning he was Cynthia’s assistant.
• Rowan revealed that he was one of the reviewers of Kaim’s unpublished paper.

Professor Rowan praised Kaim’s thesis and gave Cynthia and Kaim Key Stones and Mega Stones, allowing them to prepare for Mega Evolution. The gifts strengthened Cynthia’s resolve to win the upcoming Champion Tournament with Kaim’s support.

• Rowan praised Kaim’s thesis on the Regigigas myth and offered to discuss his research further.
• Rowan gave Cynthia two Key Stones and Mega Stones for Garchomp and Lucario, which he had found in Kalos.
• Rowan entrusted one Key Stone to Kaim, while Kaim declined the Lucario Mega Stone so Cynthia could use it.
• Cynthia said she would aim to become Champion and told Kaim his support was essential.
• Cynthia and Kaim watched the stones glitter in the sunlight as her resolve to win the Champion Tournament grew firmer.