Recaps

Xiaoyun learned that Sceptile had caught a powerful Pokémon Virus and had to remain under Professor Oak’s care while adapting to its strength. He joined Reggie, Paul, Ash, and the others to meet Brandon, where Paul challenged the Pyramid King and began a battle against Regirock.

• Professor Oak explained that Sceptile’s Pokémon Virus was a rare, beneficial infection from Deoxys, but said Sceptile had to stay under observation while Dragonite helped it adapt.
• Xiaoyun reassured Dawn about Sceptile, then heard how Ash had been humiliated during a Pokémon knowledge session at school.
• Reggie and Paul met Xiaoyun’s group and revealed they were waiting for Brandon, whose Battle Pyramid flew overhead and landed nearby.
• Ash greeted Brandon, Reggie thanked him for helping him find direction, and Paul challenged him to a full Pokémon battle.
• Brandon accepted Paul’s challenge and sent out Regirock; Paul opened with Drapion and ordered it to use Toxic Spikes.

Paul battled Brandon’s Legendary Titans and lost several Pokémon to Registeel and Regice. After Brandon urged him to look at Torterra, Paul overcame his doubts and prepared to fight on.

• Paul used Drapion’s Toxic Spikes and a string of targeted attacks with Nidoking, but Regirock knocked Nidoking out with Hyper Beam.
• Paul sent out Rhydon against Brandon’s Registeel, which caught Horn Drill and defeated Rhydon with Superpower and Hammer Arm.
• Registeel broke through Magmar’s Fire Blast and defeated it, then Brandon switched to Regice against Paul’s Aggron.
• Regice cleared its poisoning with Safeguard, froze Aggron with Sheer Cold, and then froze Drapion with Ice Beam.
• Paul began doubting his training, but Brandon urged him to look at Torterra, whose resolve helped Paul regain his focus.

After losing to Brandon, Paul reflected on his battle and chose to postpone a match with Xiaoyun until the Pokémon League Conference. In Snowpoint City, Zoey urged Dawn to get closer to Xiaoyun, setting up a date that ended with Xiaoyun asking for a kiss by sharing ice cream mouth-to-mouth.

• Xiaoyun found Paul outside the Battle Pyramid, and Paul thanked him before deciding to save their battle for the Pokémon League Conference.
• Paul left with Reggie and dismissed the idea of battling Ash for now.
• Zoey questioned Dawn about her relationship with Xiaoyun and persuaded her to invite him out, with Shaymin helping behind the scenes.
• Dawn invited Xiaoyun to try Snowpoint City's famous snow mountain ice cream, and he went with her after she clung to his arm.
• Dawn shared her ice cream with Xiaoyun, but he teased that he wanted his portion delivered straight from her mouth.

Xiaoyun and Dawn shared a kiss in the snow, then Zoey arranged for them to share a room at the Pokémon Center. The chapter ended with Xiaoyun and Dawn alone together, both nervous about spending the night in the same room.

• Dawn surprised Xiaoyun by kissing him after taking a bite of ice cream, then hid in his arms when they parted.
• Xiaoyun asked Dawn to kiss him again, but she pushed him away before they playfully walked back together through the snow.
• Nurse Joy told Xiaoyun that his room was unusable and that the Pokémon Center had no spare rooms, while Dawn and Zoey helped steer him toward Dawn's room.
• Zoey revealed that she had already moved Xiaoyun's belongings into Dawn's room, and Xiaoyun was ushered inside.
• About an hour later, Xiaoyun saw Dawn in her pajamas, and both of them nervously wondered how they had ended up alone together.

Xiaoyun and Dawn shared a bed in Snowpoint City, where their awkward night turned into an unexpectedly intimate morning. After Dawn accidentally hurt Xiaoyun, he pulled her into his arms and told her they would stay like that.

• Xiaoyun reassured Dawn that he only wanted to sleep beside her, and they watched Pokémon Ghost until he fell asleep.
• Dawn held Xiaoyun’s hand, kissed him while he slept, and fell asleep leaning against him.
• At dawn, Xiaoyun woke to find Dawn curled in his arms with his arm pinned beneath her.
• Dawn accidentally hurt Xiaoyun while shifting in her sleep, then apologized after waking.
• Xiaoyun pulled Dawn into his embrace and told her he was fine and that they could stay that way.

Ash woke Xiaoyun and Dawn and brought them to help Brandon investigate suspicious activity at Snowpoint Temple. After Hunter J sent her elite Steel-type troops to intercept Brandon’s airship, Xiaoyun stayed behind with Mega Aerodactyl to hold them off while Brandon and the others continued toward the temple.

• Ash woke Xiaoyun and Dawn and told them that suspicious people had invaded the temple.
• Sotaro showed Brandon and the others a photograph identifying Hunter J at the foot of Mt. Coronet.
• Brandon ordered Sotaro to prepare the airship, while Hunter J entered the temple and ordered her elite troops to block anyone from reaching it.
• Hunter J’s Skarmory and Metang attacked Brandon’s airship, but Xiaoyun’s group countered their first volley.
• Xiaoyun Mega Evolved Aerodactyl and held off the interception force while Brandon, Dawn, and the others escaped toward the temple.
• Hunter J ordered her elite troops to keep Xiaoyun occupied and prevent him from reaching the temple.

Xiaoyun battled a disciplined Steel-type force while Hunter J destroyed Snowpoint Temple’s three pillars and awakened Regigigas. Regigigas overpowered Hunter J and Brandon’s Legendary Titans, then attacked everyone until Pikachu and Gengar protected the group.

• Xiaoyun sent out his Pokémon to fight the pursuing Metang and Skarmory, while Mega Aerodactyl and Metagross attacked the Skarmory from the air.
• Hunter J destroyed two pillars at Snowpoint Temple and shattered the third while Brandon and the others tried to stop her, awakening Regigigas.
• Regigigas struck Hunter J and drove her to flee, then battled Brandon’s three Legendary Titans inside the temple.
• Regigigas’s Slow Start ended, and it defeated and confused the three Legendary Titans before firing Hyper Beams at everyone.
• Pikachu met the Hyper Beams with Thunderbolt, and Gengar protected Dawn from the explosion with Protect.

Xiaoyun's Monferno evolved into Infernape while defeating Hunter J's elite troops, and he rushed to the valley where Regigigas had turned against Hunter J's forces. Hunter J abandoned her commission and retreated, leaving Xiaoyun to face the enraged Regigigas and find a way to free the petrified Brandon and Legendary Titans.

• Regigigas led the three Titans toward Hunter J's forces while Xiaoyun and his Pokémon fought the elite troops elsewhere.
• Monferno refused to withdraw, activated Blaze, evolved into Infernape, and defeated the remaining Metang with Close Combat and Burn Up.
• Xiaoyun reached the valley and found Brandon and all three Titans petrified while Hunter J's forces attacked Regigigas.
• Regigigas regained some awareness, crushed Hunter J's petrification beam, and devastated her forces with Stomp and Earth Power.
• Hunter J learned that her client had canceled the commission, ordered a retreat, and left Xiaoyun with the enraged Regigigas and the petrified Brandon and Titans.
• Xiaoyun released Shaymin and asked Darkrai for help.

Xiaoyun and his allies calmed the enraged Regigigas, restored Brandon and the Legendary Titans, and helped Brandon take responsibility for guarding the temple. Xiaoyun then challenged Brandon to a three-on-three battle with the Legendary Titans for the Brave Symbol, and called Professor Rowan to ask about Sceptile.

• Darkrai attacked Regigigas while Suicune carried Shaymin close enough to use Aromatherapy and calm it.
• Regigigas recovered, apologized for the destruction, and used Hidden Power to free Brandon and the Legendary Titans from petrification.
• Brandon decided to remain at the temple and protect Regigigas, and the three Legendary Titans helped restore the pillars as Regigigas returned to the altar.
• Xiaoyun challenged Brandon to a three-on-three battle with the Legendary Titans, and Brandon accepted, offering the Brave Symbol if Xiaoyun won.
• That night, Xiaoyun called Professor Rowan to ask how Sceptile was doing.

Xiaoyun faced Brandon in a three-on-three battle against the Legendary Titans, using Spiritomb to wear down Registeel and weaken Regice before sending out Suicune. The chapter ended as Suicune’s Psychic Raging Wave crashed against Regice’s Protect.

• Paul stayed to watch Xiaoyun’s battle against Brandon, while Reggie, Ash, Dawn, Candice, and Nurse Joy also attended.
• Xiaoyun sent out Spiritomb against Brandon’s Registeel, but Hypnosis missed and Spiritomb took a heavy blow while burning Registeel with Will-O-Wisp.
• Spiritomb used Pain Split and Mean Look to trap and weaken Registeel, then defeated it with a series of Ghost-type moves.
• Brandon sent out Regice, and Spiritomb used Memento before Ice Beam knocked it out, sharply lowering Regice’s Attack and Special Attack.
• Xiaoyun sent out Suicune, which combined Surf and Extrasensory into Psychic Raging Wave; Regice raised Protect as the attack struck.

Xiaoyun defeated Brandon in the Battle Pyramid match after Suicune took down Regice and Mega Sceptile overcame Regirock with a powerful combination move. Brandon awarded Xiaoyun the Brave Badge, and Xiaoyun left open the possibility of battling him again.

• Suicune reflected Regice's Lock-On Zap Cannon with Mirror Coat, knocking Regice out of the battle.
• Brandon sent out Regirock, and Xiaoyun recalled Suicune and called out Sceptile, then Mega Evolved it.
• Mega Sceptile activated Curse Mark Mode and used Leaf Storm to suppress Regirock's controlled Sandstorm.
• Xiaoyun ordered Sceptile to combine Leaf Blade and Solar Blade into a giant energy sword, which cut through Regirock's Hyper Beam and knocked Regirock out.
• Sotaro declared Xiaoyun the winner after all three of Brandon's Pokémon were defeated.
• Brandon gave Xiaoyun the Brave Badge, and Xiaoyun thanked him and accepted it.

At Lake Acuity, Xiaoyun and Dawn encountered a hungry Gible and the Lake Guardian Uxie, who revealed that the guardians needed a human representative to help them through Sinnoh’s crisis. Uxie gave Xiaoyun a Psychic Seed and left him standing still as it began nourishing his mind, while Gible explored the Pokémon gathered for lunch.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn rested and ate beside Lake Acuity while their Pokémon trained and sparred.
• Sceptile caught a hungry Gible that had been watching Xiaoyun cook, and Xiaoyun invited it to eat.
• Uxie appeared and fed Gible, then Rotom identified it as the Knowledge Pokémon and one of the Lake Guardians.
• Xiaoyun asked Uxie why it had come, and Uxie said the three guardians needed him to serve as their human representative during Sinnoh’s crisis.
• Uxie stopped explaining when it realized the future had changed, then sent Xiaoyun a Psychic Seed that left him standing motionless as it took effect.
• Uxie teleported away, Dawn and the Pokémon continued lunch, and Gible began curiously exploring the group.

Gible grew attached to Aerodactyl and asked it to be its boss, hoping for protection after a lonely, difficult life in the wild. Xiaoyun encouraged Gible to rely on its own strength, and Gible chose to join him so it could grow stronger.

• Gible bit nearly all the Pokémon before admiring Aerodactyl and calling it boss, prompting the others to prepare to punish Aerodactyl for its little bro’s mischief.
• Xiaoyun learned from Dawn what had happened and calmed the Pokémon with specially made Pokéblocks before asking Gible why it wanted Aerodactyl as its boss.
• Gible explained that it had been abandoned, bullied over food, and captured by humans, and that it wanted a flying dragon to protect it.
• Xiaoyun told Gible that a boss could not protect it forever and encouraged it to grow strong enough to control its own destiny.
• Xiaoyun offered Gible training, a Poké Ball, and a Dragon-type Plate fragment, and Gible chose the fragment before entering the Poké Ball and being caught.

After traveling back to Twinleaf Town with Ash’s group, Xiaoyun reunited with his family and Pokémon as the town prepared for the Twinleaf Festival. He secretly planned something for the festival and kept Dawn from coming over to his house that evening.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn returned to Twinleaf Town with Ash, Brock, and Zoey just in time for the Twinleaf Festival.
• Xiaoyun brought Ash and Brock home, reunited with Skitty, and learned that his mother Lina was at the family Pokémon Day Care.
• At the Day Care, Brock made an awkward confession to Youzi before Croagunk dragged him away, and Xiaoyun reunited with Lina.
• Xiaoyun visited the backyard and reunited with his Pokémon, then divided them into two teams with Sceptile and Floatzel as captains and Gible as reserve.
• Lina wanted to invite Dawn over for dinner, but Xiaoyun stopped her and kept his plans secret.

Xiaoyun recruited his friends and father to help stage a carefully planned confession for Dawn, then spent the next day enjoying festival preparations with her and the group. Their outing ended with Palmer joining them and Ash learning he could challenge the Tower Tycoon at the Twinleaf Festival tournament.

• Xiaoyun revealed his plan to confess to Dawn and assigned his friends and father tasks, including practicing a song, securing a venue, and keeping him updated on Dawn.
• Barry restrained Kenny while Xiaoyun explained that he and Dawn had been together for months; Kenny left after giving Xiaoyun an angry, tearful blessing.
• The next day, Xiaoyun and his friends joined Dawn for a stroll through the lively festival preparations and ate takoyaki together.
• Palmer arrived, and Barry introduced him as the powerful Tower Tycoon who ran Sinnoh's Battle Tower.
• Ash asked Palmer for a Pokémon battle, and Xiaoyun explained that Palmer would be the final opponent in the Twinleaf Festival battle event.

At the Twinleaf Festival, Xiaoyun and Dawn joined forces against Johanna in a Double Battle, while Shaymin’s attempt to turn Johanna against Xiaoyun backfired. Their coordinated attacks and Floatzel’s rain-boosted speed left Johanna with only Umbreon still standing as the battle continued.

• Palmer left after eating the last of Barry’s takoyaki, and Barry complained before sharing Brock’s leftover grilled green beans with Ash.
• Noah reminded Dawn that Johanna was waiting to battle her, so Dawn and the others hurried to Twinleaf Plaza.
• Shaymin tried to make Johanna punish Xiaoyun for keeping Dawn late, but Johanna warmly welcomed Xiaoyun and forgave Dawn because of his connection to the family.
• Johanna began a Double Battle with Glameow and Umbreon against Xiaoyun’s Floatzel and Dawn’s Piplup, and the pair used Rain Dance and Whirlpool to create an Ice Whirlpool.
• Johanna’s Pokémon dodged the Ice Whirlpool and attacked with Swift and Attract, but Floatzel blocked Attract with Counter Shield.
• Dawn and Xiaoyun countered with Ice Beam and Ice Punch, knocking out Glameow; Johanna recognized Floatzel’s Swift Swim, and the pair launched an Aqua Jet attack at Umbreon.

Xiaoyun won the Twinleaf Challenge battles against Kenny and Ash, then faced a surprise two-on-one match against Palmer and his father, Qing'an. He sent out Aerodactyl and Metagross as the battle began.

• After Xiaoyun and Dawn defeated Johanna in a Double Battle, Lina led Johanna away, while Qing'an and Palmer discussed Xiaoyun's talent.
• Zoey kept Dawn busy during the next two days, and Johanna and Lina opened the Twinleaf Challenge on the festival's final day.
• Xiaoyun defeated Kenny's Empoleon with Luxio's Rising Voltage, while Ash's Gliscor defeated Barry's Roserade.
• Xiaoyun beat Ash's Grotle with Skorupi, then Palmer arrived and announced that Qing'an would join him in a two-on-one battle.
• Palmer sent out Rhyperior and Qing'an sent out Luxray, so Xiaoyun answered with Aerodactyl and Metagross while Gible watched.

Xiaoyun’s Aerodactyl and Shiny Metagross defeated Palmer’s Rhyperior and Qing'an’s Luxray in a Double Battle. Xiaoyun received a Magnet and a trophy from Palmer after the match.

• Qing'an opened with Electric Terrain and Luxray’s Rising Voltage while Palmer sent Rhyperior after Metagross with Megahorn.
• Xiaoyun’s Aerodactyl clashed with Rhyperior, while Metagross and Luxray traded attacks; Metagross later pulled Aerodactyl clear of Rhyperior’s Rock Wrecker with Psychic.
• Xiaoyun repeatedly focused both Pokémon’s attacks on Rhyperior, overcoming Luxray’s attempts to support it and eventually knocking Rhyperior out.
• Aerodactyl and Metagross wore Luxray down until it could no longer battle, and Brock declared Xiaoyun the winner.
• Palmer presented Xiaoyun with a Magnet and a trophy after the battle.

Xiaoyun and his friends surprised Dawn with a song and a fireworks display, celebrating their relationship beneath the festival sky. Dawn and Xiaoyun kissed in front of their friends and family, while Kenny watched in heartbreak.

• Dawn dressed in a custom hanfu and hurried with Zoey to the festival square, where she found it dark and Xiaoyun missing.
• Xiaoyun, Ash, Barry, and Brock appeared onstage and performed a song for Dawn as the festival fireworks began.
• As Xiaoyun sang, Dawn remembered the small ways he had supported her and realized how deeply she loved him.
• Xiaoyun and the others used Pokémon moves to create another dazzling display in the sky, then Xiaoyun embraced Dawn beneath the fireworks.
• Dawn teased Xiaoyun about his singing, but he kissed her in front of the crowd, leaving Kenny devastated.

During training, Gible unexpectedly learned to launch Draco Meteor after Aerodactyl demonstrated Dragon Pulse, but his meteors kept veering toward Piplup. Xiaoyun began teaching Gible to control the move as Dawn and Shaymin found Piplup blackened by another direct hit.

• Xiaoyun had Mismagius train Sceptile with illusions while Infernape and Lucario sparred and Aerodactyl practiced Steel Wing with Gible watching.
• Aerodactyl demonstrated Dragon Pulse, and Gible used the Dragon Plate to produce a Draco Meteor that fell toward Dawn and Piplup.
• Piplup tried to stop the incoming energy with Hydro Pump, but the meteor dodged the water and exploded on his head.
• Xiaoyun explained that Draco Meteor should burst into multiple meteors and showed Gible a video of Giratina using the move.
• Gible launched another Draco Meteor horizontally, but it curved through the sky and struck Piplup again after Shaymin healed him.

Team Galactic captured Azelf at Lake Valor, prompting Xiaoyun to sense the Lake Guardians’ capture and rush toward the lake. Gary confronted Saturn and Hunter J, but their combined attacks overwhelmed his Pokémon until Xiaoyun arrived on Suicune.

• Saturn led Team Galactic’s attack on Lake Valor, and Hunter J petrified Azelf after it escaped the bomb and fought back.
• Xiaoyun felt Azelf’s capture and sensed that Mesprit and Uxie had also been seized, so he changed course and rode Suicune toward Lake Valor.
• Gary attacked Team Galactic to defend Azelf and confronted Saturn, while Hunter J joined the battle against him.
• Hunter J injured Blastoise and Electivire with Salamence and Scolipede, leaving Gary outnumbered as Saturn pressed the attack.
• Xiaoyun arrived and ordered Suicune to fire Ice Beam at Saturn’s attack.

Xiaoyun and Suicune fought Hunter J while Darkrai rescued Azelf and destroyed her battleship; meanwhile, Sceptile defeated Saturn and Team Galactic at Lake Valor. With Saturn captured, Xiaoyun questioned him about Team Galactic’s Creation Plan, and Saturn began revealing its details.

• Xiaoyun arrived with Suicune, froze Toxicroak, and joined Gary in confronting Saturn and Hunter J.
• Sceptile activated Curse Mark Mode and overwhelmed Saturn’s Rhyperior, Gallade, and Bronzong while Xiaoyun and Suicune battled Hunter J’s Pokémon.
• Hunter J escaped toward her battleship with Azelf, but Darkrai rescued Azelf and attacked her, causing the battleship to crash into Lake Valor.
• Sceptile defeated Saturn and Team Galactic as Gary watched, and Saturn admitted defeat when Sceptile held a Leaf Blade to his neck.
• Officer Jenny arrived, and Xiaoyun asked Saturn about the Creation Plan; threatened by Sceptile, Saturn began explaining Team Galactic’s plans.

Xiaoyun learned that Team Galactic planned to use the Lake Guardians to create a new world, then went to Spear Pillar to confront Cyrus while Cynthia gathered the Elite Four. He pretended to accept Cyrus’s offer to join Team Galactic as he and Azelf prepared to reveal their real plan.

• Saturn told Xiaoyun and Officer Jenny that Team Galactic had captured Uxie and Mesprit and still wanted Azelf, while Hunter J survived the battle and gave up resisting.
• Pluto called Xiaoyun and ordered him to bring Azelf alone to Mt. Coronet, so Xiaoyun informed Cynthia about Cyrus’s plan to summon the dragons of time and space.
• Cynthia arranged for Xiaoyun to go ahead while she called Lucian, Flint, Aaron, and Grandma Bertha to join her in taking on Team Galactic.
• Xiaoyun flew Aerodactyl to the Spear Pillar Door, where Jupiter, Mars, and Pluto waited with Cyrus, who ordered his subordinates to stand down and offered Xiaoyun a place in Team Galactic.
• Xiaoyun pretended to accept Cyrus’s offer, while secretly planning with Azelf to have Darkrai hide in Azelf’s shadow and reveal their true intentions later.

At Spear Pillar, Xiaoyun rescued the Lake Guardians, but Cyrus used the Blood-Red Chains to seize control of Dialga and Palkia and began opening a spatial wormhole. Cynthia joined Xiaoyun, and their Pokémon attacked the dragons until Darkrai trapped them in Dark Void.

• Cyrus placed the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb on the altar, and Xiaoyun revealed Azelf as the Lake Guardians were brought into position.
• As Dialga and Palkia emerged through the gateway, Xiaoyun ordered Darkrai to sever the Lake Guardians' energy threads and free them.
• Cyrus ordered Pluto to activate the Blood-Red Chains, which bound Dialga and Palkia and dragged them out of the gateway.
• Cynthia arrived at Spear Pillar and confronted Cyrus as he used the dragons' power to form a spatial wormhole.
• Cynthia Mega Evolved Garchomp and attacked Dialga while Xiaoyun sent Darkrai against Palkia.
• Dialga and Palkia counterattacked, but Darkrai absorbed their remaining attack and used Dark Void to trap them again.

Cyrus’s attempt to create a new world collapsed when Giratina defeated Dialga and Palkia and dragged them into the Distortion World, leaving Cyrus to vanish into the unstable void and Team Galactic to fall. Afterward, Cynthia warned Xiaoyun that Hunter J had escaped prison, where a mysterious man arrived on Hydreigon to retrieve her.

• Xiaoyun, Cynthia, Lucian, and the Elite Four fought Team Galactic while Cyrus forced Dialga and Palkia to unleash their power.
• The Lake Guardians used Future Sight to block the dragons’ attacks, but Giratina appeared and pulled Dialga and Palkia into the Distortion World.
• Cyrus walked into the collapsing gateway to his new world, and Team Galactic’s members surrendered or were captured when police arrived.
• Cynthia told Xiaoyun that Hunter J had escaped from prison, and the chapter shifted to Hunter J in her cell on the night of the incident.
• A man riding Hydreigon broke into the prison, and Hunter J calmly greeted him.