Recaps

Kaim and Cynthia prepared for her upcoming battle against Red, while Red looked forward to facing her. After assessing Red’s team and discussing their chances, Cynthia eagerly anticipated the challenge, then asked Kaim to massage her tired muscles.

• Cynthia and Kaim met Red, Green, and Leaf at the Stadium, where Cynthia and Red agreed to enjoy their battle the next day.
• Red reflected on his upcoming match with Cynthia, while Green and Leaf teased each other about their past battles.
• Kaim studied Red’s battle data and concluded that his strategies made winning extremely difficult, and Cynthia praised his growing skill as a Trainer.
• Cynthia and Kaim agreed that Red had an edge in levels and Mega Evolution, but Cynthia looked forward to how the battle would strengthen their Pokémon.
• Kaim dried Cynthia’s hair and began massaging her back, and Cynthia asked him to press harder for a more immediate effect.

Kaim gave Cynthia a massage and shared a cramped bed with her and Little Black before her final against Red. The next day, Cynthia admitted she was nervous but excited, and asked Kaim to put on the Divine Hairpin so she could feel they were fighting side by side.

• Kaim explained that massage and stretching supported gradual recovery, then gave Cynthia a treatment to help her sleep and improve circulation.
• Kaim agreed to share his single bed with Cynthia and Little Black, and the three fell asleep together before the final.
• The next day, Kaim told Cynthia about the packed Stadium and the widespread attention on her battle with Red.
• Cynthia confessed her nerves and excitement, and said she wanted to win so she could stand at the summit with Kaim.
• Cynthia asked Kaim to fasten the Divine Hairpin in her hair, then took his hand as they prepared to leave.

Cynthia and Red began their championship final, and their first Pokémon, Bullet Seed and Pikachu, fought at a blistering pace. Pikachu’s exceptional threat and precise techniques challenged Cynthia’s strategy, while the battle remained unresolved.

• Cynthia embraced Kaim before entering the stadium, and Red met her at the opposite gate as the championship final began.
• Cynthia sent out Bullet Seed, while Red released Pikachu, whose threat level was higher than Cynthia’s Garchomp’s.
• Pikachu and Bullet Seed traded rapid attacks, but Bullet Seed used dust and a feint to burn Pikachu with Obi.
• Red had Pikachu use Volt Tackle to pierce Bullet Seed’s attack, limiting recoil and damage before Pikachu landed a focused Thunderbolt that struck Bullet Seed directly.

Cynthia and Red continued their battle, trading Pokémon in a fierce match that ended in a draw between Espeon and Zweilous before Cynthia sent out Roserade against Red’s Snorlax. Roserade’s boosted attacks struggled against Snorlax’s defenses, and the chapter ended as Snorlax charged with Giga Impact and Roserade regained its footing to see something unbelievable.

• Pikachu defeated Cynthia’s Bullet Seed with Volt Tackle, and Cynthia sent out Zweilous against Red’s Pokémon.
• Red switched Pikachu for Espeon, which exploited Zweilous’s weaknesses, but Cynthia’s Mirror Coat and a final Scald left both Pokémon unable to battle.
• Cynthia sent out Roserade while Red chose Snorlax, whose boosted Special Defense blunted Roserade’s attacks.
• Roserade paralyzed Snorlax and triggered its Weakness Policy, increasing its Special Attack, while Snorlax’s stamina gradually recovered.
• Cynthia recognized Snorlax’s setup and ordered Roserade to dodge, but Snorlax’s Giga Impact grazed it and sent it rolling across the field.

Cynthia's Roserade and Lucario battled Red's Snorlax and Venusaur, with Snorlax defeating Roserade before falling to Lucario. Red then sent out Venusaur, which trapped Lucario with an emerging-root attack and followed up with Earth Power as Frenzy Plant threatened to finish the battle.

• Roserade used Dazzling Gleam and repeated attacks to wear down Snorlax, but Snorlax's Giga Impact knocked Roserade out.
• Cynthia sent out Lucario, which used Swords Dance and Struggle before taking Snorlax's final Earth Power assault and defeating him.
• Red sent out Venusaur and surprised Cynthia by opening with Frenzy Plant, while Lucario dodged the roots and countered with Meteor Mash.
• Venusaur used Giga Drain and Frenzy Plant to pressure Lucario, then caught Lucario's legs with a new underground-root attack and slammed him down.
• Venusaur hit Lucario with Earth Power and unleashed Frenzy Plant as Cynthia called out to Lucario.

Cynthia’s Lucario defeated Red’s Venusaur but fell to Red’s Blastoise, leaving Cynthia with two Pokémon against Red’s injured Blastoise, injured Pikachu, and possible Charizard. Determined to win and see what lay beyond the challenge, Cynthia sent out Milotic.

• Lucario dodged Venusaur’s Frenzy Plant, used Cynthia’s cue to evade a hidden Earth Power, and defeated Venusaur with Meteor Mash.
• Red sent out Blastoise, which used Rain Dance and Hydro Cannon before trapping Lucario and knocking him out with Aura Sphere.
• Cynthia thanked Lucario, considered the challenge ahead, and resolved to win the battle.
• Cynthia sent out Milotic.

Red's Blastoise defeated Cynthia's Milotic after a prolonged battle, but Milotic first wore Blastoise down enough to reveal its Mirror Coat. Cynthia then sent Milotic against Pikachu, where it fell after helping prepare the way for her remaining Pokémon.

• Red's Blastoise and Cynthia's Milotic traded attacks in the rain as both trainers tried to exploit their Pokémon's strengths.
• Red waited for Blastoise's Torrent to activate and struck Milotic with a powerful Hydro Cannon, but Milotic used Mirror Coat to defeat Blastoise.
• Cynthia chose to keep Milotic in against Pikachu, trusting its decision to stay and fight for her victory.
• Pikachu overcame Milotic's attacks and counterattacks, then defeated it with Volt Tackle.

Red and Cynthia sent out their final Pokémon and Mega Evolved Charizard into Mega Charizard X and Garchomp into Mega Garchomp. Their dragons traded powerful attacks, and the chapter ended with Garchomp grabbing Charizard during their close-range clash.

• Pikachu knocked Garchomp with a final Iron Tail before being declared unable to battle.
• Red sent out Charizard and revealed his Key Stone, while Cynthia Mega Evolved Garchomp.
• Red Mega Evolved Charizard into Mega Charizard X, and the two Pokémon began fighting with attacks including Flare Blitz and Blast Burn.
• Charizard and Garchomp clashed using Dragon-type power, with Charizard's Tough Claws giving him a slight advantage.
• Cynthia directed Garchomp to evade Charizard's attack, but Charizard redirected his strike and hit Garchomp with a fiery charge.
• Garchomp caught Charizard between his scythes as their close-range battle continued.

Cynthia and Red fought an exhausting battle that ended with Red’s Charizard defeating Garchomp, and the Champions acknowledged each other’s strength. After the ceremony, Cynthia told Kaim that she felt frustrated by the loss.

• Garchomp and Charizard traded powerful attacks until Red’s Charizard landed Blast Burn, leaving both Pokémon at their limits.
• Garchomp fainted while still standing in Mega Evolution, and the referee declared Red the winner.
• Cynthia thanked Garchomp, while Red and Cynthia praised each other and promised to battle again.
• After the award ceremony, Cynthia joined Kaim in the backyard and admitted that losing left her frustrated.

After Cynthia accepted her loss and shared a kiss with Kaim, they received a mysterious invitation to a gathering at the Stadium. The Champions and other powerful Trainers assembled there, where the hologram’s host welcomed them as the lights went out.

• Cynthia thanked Kaim, kissed him, and went with him to rest after the Championship final.
• Cynthia received an unsigned Holo Card inviting her to a festival hosted by someone claiming to be the strongest Pokémon Trainer, and Kaim sensed a presence resembling Mew’s.
• Cynthia and Kaim went to the Stadium the next evening and found Diantha, Iris, Steven, Mikuri, Lance, Red, Green, Gary, and others waiting there.
• Leon arrived with Sonia, and Daigo joined Kaim as the Stadium lights dimmed.
• The woman from the Holo Card appeared before the gathered Trainers and welcomed them.

Mewtwo revealed itself as the strongest Pokémon Trainer and challenged the Champions with powerful Pokémon it had created through cloning and genetic manipulation. After the cloned Pokémon overwhelmed Lance’s Sea Dragon, Green outsmarted a cloned Blastoise, and Mewtwo expanded the battlefield for the fight to continue.

• A woman teleported Kaim, Sonia, and the other Trainers to Mewtwo, which announced itself as the strongest Pokémon Trainer and said it had summoned them to prove its strength.
• Lance recognized Mewtwo from records about Team Rocket’s artificial Pokémon, and Mewtwo revealed six powerful Pokémon it had created.
• Diantha sensed that the Pokémon were abnormal, and Kaim and Sonia identified them as clones produced through cloning technology.
• Mewtwo’s cloned Dragonite overwhelmed Lance’s Sea Dragon with Hyper Beam until Steven protected them with Light Screen.
• Green’s Blastoise used a clever Hydro Cannon maneuver to launch and damage a cloned Blastoise, prompting Mewtwo to expand the battlefield.

Kaim left the battlefield with Sonia to gather information while the Champions fought Mewtwo’s cloned Pokémon. The Champions found the clones unnaturally powerful and resilient, and Iris sensed that the cloned Haxorus was obsessed with humans and Haxorus.

• Kaim told Cynthia he would make his move, then set off with Sonia to investigate while Cynthia kept his Ring Pendant.
• Mikuri questioned Mewtwo about his true goal, but Mewtwo said he would answer only if the Champions defeated his Pokémon.
• Red, Green, and Lance coordinated their Pokémon against cloned Pikachu, Blastoise, and Sea Dragon, discovering how durable the clones were.
• Steven and Mikuri covered one another against cloned Metagross and Milotic as Steven suspected Mewtwo’s real target was the Champions.
• Diantha and Iris teamed up against cloned Gardevoir and Haxorus, and Iris sensed the cloned Haxorus’s hatred and obsession with humans and Haxorus.
• Diantha, Iris, and their Pokémon continued their coordinated assault, with Haxorus landing an Iron Tail on the cloned Gardevoir after Moonblast and Shadow Ball canceled each other out.

The Champions defeated Mewtwo’s copied Pokémon, but Mewtwo revealed a plan to destroy humanity and overwhelmed them in battle. After Mewtwo evolved into Mega Mewtwo, the exhausted Champions faced an even stronger opponent, and the chapter ended with Metagross gravely injured.

• Leon and Cynthia defeated the copied Garchomp and Charizard, while the other Champions subdued the remaining copies.
• Mewtwo declared a plan to liberate Pokémon from humans and destroy the human world, then attacked the Champions.
• Mewtwo’s attacks overwhelmed Aegislash and forced Cynthia, Mikuri, Iris, Diantha, Gary, Lance, and Leon to defend one another.
• Diantha, Red, Green, Steven, and Cynthia Mega Evolved their Pokémon and coordinated an attack that broke Mewtwo’s barrier.
• Mewtwo revealed a Mega Evolution that required no Key Stone, repelled the Champions’ attacks, and left Metagross gravely injured.

Red and the Champions confronted Mewtwo, but its overwhelming attack incapacitated their Pokémon and its black Poké Ball began capturing them. Mew appeared and saved Green as Kaim and Sonia discovered a hidden laboratory and found an unconscious Nurse Joy.

• Red and the Champions joined forces to attack Mewtwo, but Mewtwo’s full-power strike knocked their Pokémon unconscious.
• Mewtwo used a black Poké Ball to capture the fallen Pokémon and declared its plan to rule the world by eliminating humans and weak Pokémon.
• Mewtwo struck Green aside, but Mew appeared and caught him in a red bubble.
• Kaim and Sonia explored the castle, followed Wooloo through a hidden door, and entered a laboratory filled with running machines.
• Kaim and Sonia found an unconscious Nurse Joy in the laboratory.

Kaim and Sonia discovered that Mewtwo’s facility was cloning the Champions’ Pokémon and worked to free the captured Pokémon before more copies were made. They collected the black Poké Balls, but the newly created clones began moving toward the exit on their own.

• Kaim found data and equipment for cloning the Champions’ ace Pokémon, while Lucario watched over the unconscious Nurse Joy.
• A tremor shook the facility, and Kaim discovered mysterious black Poké Balls inside the machine.
• Kaim failed to stop the cloning program because it required a password, then realized the silhouettes on the screen matched the Champions’ Pokémon.
• Sonia identified the black balls as devices using Snatch Machine technology and found a way to eject them.
• Kaim used Umbreon’s Confusion to gather the balls, but the newly created cloned Pokémon crawled from the pipe and headed for the exit.

Kaito accidentally formed the Kagura Troupe with former Team Rocket leader Giovanni and agreed to travel to Hoenn while Giovanni refrained from crime. Meanwhile, Kaim held off copied Pokémon so Sonia could rescue the others, and the chapter ended with an injured Kaim and Lucario reuniting with Cynthia.

• Kaito met Giovanni at an izakaya, jokingly named their proposed organization the Kagura Troupe, and discovered Giovanni intended to make it real.
• Kaito agreed to lead the Kagura Troupe after Giovanni promised to avoid criminal activity until they found Arceus, and they decided to leave for Hoenn.
• Kaim sent Sonia away with the black balls and Nurse Joy while he stayed behind with Blaziken to hold off the copied Pokémon.
• Mew repelled Mewtwo's Shadow Ball and joined Cynthia and the other Champions as Sonia arrived with the captured Pokémon.
• Sonia used Wooloo's Thunder Shock to disable the black balls and free the Pokémon, then told the Champions that Kaim was holding the copies back.
• Cynthia rushed to Kaim when he emerged through the shattered door, battered and supported by a badly injured Lucario.

Kaim and the Champions watched the original Pokémon fight their clones as Mew and Mewtwo battled over which was real. Cynthia stepped between Mew and Mewtwo to stop them, and Mew was badly injured protecting her, leaving Mewtwo questioning Cynthia’s motives.

• Kaim’s Pokémon were blasted away, and Mewtwo attacked Mew while she shielded the Champions from his strikes.
• Mewtwo Mega Evolved into Mega Mewtwo X and sent the cloned Pokémon to fight their original counterparts.
• Kaim called the battle futile, while Cynthia and the others struggled to understand why the originals and copies fought to prove which were real.
• Cynthia stepped between Mew and Mewtwo, and Mew took Mewtwo’s attack to protect her, suffering severe injuries.
• Mewtwo asked why Cynthia had interfered, and she said she did not want either of them to get hurt.

Cynthia helped Mewtwo question his beliefs about being a fake and decide to discover how he wanted to live. After Mewtwo and Mew left with the cloned Pokémon, Cynthia and Kaim rested at their hotel, where Cynthia reflected on the connections between lives.

• Cynthia told Mewtwo that he had no need for a reason to exist and that how he lived was his choice, then agreed to talk with him privately.
• Mewtwo teleported Cynthia to the Laboratory where he had been created, and she explained that originals and clones were each unique living beings.
• Cynthia encouraged Mewtwo to see the wider world and decide for himself how to live, and Mewtwo accepted that he was a life in his own right.
• Mewtwo returned with Cynthia to Kaim and thanked everyone before he and Mew flew away with the cloned Pokémon to find their own way to live.
• Cynthia and Kaim stayed an extra day to recover, and the Champions agreed with Lance to keep the Mewtwo incident off the record.
• Cynthia thanked Kaim for staying with her and repeated the saying that every life meets another life and creates something.

Cynthia and Kaim looked forward to spending Christmas Eve together, and Kaim invited her on a date. They went shopping in Mio City, where Cynthia asked him to help choose winter clothes, leaving Kaim struggling to decide what would suit her.

• Cynthia imagined a future with Kaim and hoped they might someday build a family together.
• Kaim asked Cynthia to keep their shared day off free so they could go out together, and she realized their date would fall on Christmas Eve.
• Cynthia and Kaim got ready for their date, with Cynthia dressing up and Kaim wearing clothes chosen by his sister Ishana.
• Kaim took Cynthia to a crowded shopping mall in Mio City, and they held hands as they headed to a home goods store to look for a sake cup.
• Cynthia stopped at a clothing store to shop for winter clothes and asked Kaim to help choose an outfit, but he struggled because he thought everything would suit her.

Kaim and Cynthia spent their first Christmas as a couple shopping together, with Cynthia choosing a new outfit and the two browsing a general goods store. They left the store still considering what glasses to buy.

• Kaim suggested a soft-colored outfit from a mannequin, and Cynthia tried it on, liked it, and bought it.
• Kaim carried Cynthia’s shopping bag and held her hand as they walked to a crowded general goods store.
• Cynthia found a Staraptor cushion, and Kaim bought two for himself and one for Staraptor while Cynthia bought one too.
• Cynthia put back a folder after Kaim suggested they get a cheaper one at the 100-Yen Shop later.
• Kaim considered buying an insulated lunch box so he could bring warm food to the Mio City Gym, but put it back.
• Kaim and Cynthia reached the glassware section and discussed buying a beer mug they could use for everyday drinks.

Kaim and Cynthia shopped together, choosing Pokémon-themed glasses and browsing rare Poké Balls. Little Black picked out a Moon Ball, and Kaim prepared to buy it for him.

• Cynthia chose a Roselia glass, and Kaim picked a Zweilous glass while they discussed their shopping habits and plans for Kaim to teach her how to clean.
• After visiting several shops and having lunch, Kaim and Cynthia noticed a crowd at a Poké Ball shop holding a Heavy Ball sale and went inside.
• Kaim considered replacing older Poké Balls for his Pokémon, while Cynthia admired balls whose colors suited Milotic and Metagross.
• Little Black came out of his ball and indicated that he wanted the pale blue and black Moon Ball.

Kaim and Cynthia spent their Christmas date shopping for Poké Balls, then went to a seaside restaurant in Mio City for dinner. The evening ended with Cynthia thanking Kaim for his thoughtful plans as they waited for their meal.

• Kaim let Little Black choose a Moon Ball, then helped Blaziken, Lucario, and Staraptor pick new Poké Balls and bought balls for Zweilous and Metagross.
• Kaim and Cynthia returned to their car with their shopping and talked about Cynthia's improving cooking and her hope of someday making him a delicious meal.
• Kaim revealed he had reserved a private room at Blue Crystal, and Cynthia thanked him for arranging a quiet dinner for their Christmas date.
• At the restaurant, Kaim and Cynthia admired the moonlit sea, chose a set meal together, and Cynthia told him she had enjoyed the date plans.

Kaim and Cynthia celebrated Christmas with a special date, exchanged thoughtful scarves, and shared their hopes of staying together through the future. The evening ended with Cynthia putting Kaim’s new scarf on him.

• Kaim told Cynthia he had planned the date to show how precious she was to him, and they toasted to their relationship over dinner.
• After they finished their meal, Kaim gave Cynthia a black scarf with gold and silver lines, and she agreed to let him treat her for the day.
• Kaim and Cynthia walked along the shore in Mio City and talked about their years together and their confidence in facing the future side by side.
• Cynthia gave Kaim a black scarf patterned with a golden moon and reached out to put it on him.

Kaim and Cynthia spent a cozy morning together before beginning a New Year's Eve deep cleaning with their Pokémon. Cynthia tried cleaning the study under Kaim's guidance, and he resolved to support her efforts to learn.

• Kaim and Cynthia shared breakfast with their Pokémon, and Cynthia asked about his plans for New Year's Eve.
• Kaim explained that they would thoroughly clean the house and said he would supervise Cynthia because her cleaning could make more work.
• Kaim assigned cleaning tasks to the Pokémon, then took Cynthia and Little Black to clean the study.
• Kaim taught Cynthia to dust from top to bottom and back to front, and she followed his instructions.
• Kaim encouraged Cynthia to put things away and keep practicing, deciding to support her desire to learn.

Cynthia reflected on Cyrus’s rejection of his heart and hoped she might someday understand him, while she and Kaim shared a quiet lunch with their Pokémon. Afterward, Cynthia told Kaim that Caitlin had called to arrange a meeting when she returned to headquarters at the beginning of the year.

• Cynthia told Kaim she regretted simply rejecting Cyrus and wanted to understand why he had denied his heart, though she believed he was still doing so in the Distortion World.
• Cynthia and Kaim prepared and ate rice ball sandwiches, and Kaim fed the Pokémon according to their tastes.
• Cynthia asked Kaim to teach her how to make the sandwiches, and he agreed to supervise her in the kitchen.
• Kaim wondered whether N was still traveling through the Isshu Region and complained that N had not contacted him about Sea Dragon.
• Blaziken and Lucario drew Kaim into sparring with Cynthia’s Lucario while Cynthia watched and reflected on the year.
• After Kaim bathed, Cynthia told him that Caitlin had called and wanted to meet when she returned to headquarters at the beginning of the year.