Recaps

Dawn challenged Xiaoyun to a serious battle, and they brought out Flygon and Drapion despite the tournament roster rules. Drapion poisoned Flygon with Venom Rain and pressed its advantage, while Dawn prepared a Dragon Rush as Xiaoyun countered with Acupressure Hand.

• Dawn sent out Flygon and challenged Xiaoyun to test her progress, and Xiaoyun answered by bringing out Drapion despite the roster rules.
• Alder approved the Pokémon choices, and Don George allowed the battle to continue.
• Flygon boosted itself with Dragon Dance, then traded attacks with Drapion, including Dragon Claw, Breaking Swipe, Dragon Pulse, and Boomburst.
• Xiaoyun unleashed Venom Rain, and several drops struck Flygon, beginning to weaken it with poison.
• Xiaoyun pressured Flygon with Pin Missile and Cross Poison as the poison took effect, forcing it to keep dodging.
• Dawn ordered Dragon Rush, and Xiaoyun responded by having Drapion strike its own arm with Acupressure Hand.

Xiaoyun defeated Dawn and received the Don George Battle Tournament trophy before beginning a special match against Champion Alder. Xiaoyun’s Volcarona gained the upper hand against Alder’s Bouffalant, but Alder answered Volcarona’s Air Slash with Cotton Guard.

• Drapion overcame Flygon’s attack with Toxic Trio and won the battle, after which Xiaoyun teased Dawn and accepted the tournament trophy and feather set.
• Alder challenged Xiaoyun to a match, and spectators debated their chances before Don George announced the one-on-one rules.
• Xiaoyun sent out Volcarona while Alder chose Bouffalant, surprising the crowd that had assumed Volcarona belonged to Alder.
• Alder ordered Bouffalant to use High Horsepower, but Volcarona dodged with Quiver Dance and then used Hurricane to push Bouffalant back.
• Bouffalant used Head Charge to send rocks flying, but Volcarona smashed them with Fiery Dance and interrupted Wild Charge with Bug Buzz.
• Xiaoyun sent Volcarona in with Air Slash, and Alder responded by ordering Bouffalant to use Cotton Guard.

Xiaoyun defeated Alder in a special match with Volcarona’s combined Blazing Flame Sky Soar, then the story recounted how a civil war in ancient Eindoak Town ended with Victini sealing the Sword of the Vale and falling into a deep sleep. The chapter left Victini’s fate tied to the town’s future and introduced the coming Victini and the White Hero story.

• Xiaoyun defeated Alder’s Bouffalant after Volcarona combined Fiery Dance and Flare Blitz into Blazing Flame Sky Soar.
• Alder congratulated Xiaoyun and tried to recruit him to Unova, but Xiaoyun declined.
• A thousand years earlier, the king’s two sons fought a civil war, with the second prince and Zekrom opposing the eldest prince and Reshiram.
• The old king and Victini used Victini’s power to move the Sword of the Vale and seal the unstable Dragon Force behind a barrier.
• The old king died, the princes departed, and Victini fell into a deep sleep inside the barrier as the People of the Vale scattered.

During Eindoak Town’s Harvest Festival, Xiaoyun and Dawn enjoyed the stalls before joining the one-on-one battle tournament. Xiaoyun defeated Yangtai with Zorua, while Dawn’s tournament match remained underway.

• Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Shaymin sampled festival food and browsed Pokémon merchandise and local clothing; Xiaoyun bought them traditional outfits and a Victini charm.
• Mayor Momont opened the Harvest Festival battle tournament, and Xiaoyun entered with Zorua while Dawn entered with Altaria.
• Yangtai challenged Xiaoyun in an alley with Druddigon, whose arrival drew a teasing remark from Rotom’s Pokédex description.
• Zorua transformed to resemble Altaria, dodged Druddigon’s attacks, and used Bitter Malice and Shadow Ball to defeat it.
• Xiaoyun echoed Yangtai’s earlier boast as he left, while Dawn encountered an opponent elsewhere.

Dawn battled Carlita’s Shiny Hydreigon while Shaymin met Victini, and Victini’s Helping Hand helped Altaria defeat Hydreigon. Elsewhere, Xiaoyun faced Carlita’s brother Dread in a battle between Luxray and Reuniclus, which continued as Dawn, Carlita, Shaymin, and Victini cheered.

• Dawn’s Altaria clashed with Carlita’s Hydreigon, while Shaymin met Victini beneath a tree and shared its nuts.
• Hydreigon’s Hyper Beam knocked Altaria toward Shaymin, and Victini used Helping Hand as Altaria recovered and struck Hydreigon with Sky Attack, defeating it.
• Xiaoyun defeated Iris’s Excadrill with Gabite, then accepted a battle challenge from Dread and sent out Luxray against Reuniclus.
• Luxray countered Reuniclus’s Psychic and Psychic Screech before clashing with its Hammer Arm using Wild Charge.
• Ash and his companions arrived to watch, and Carlita revealed Dread was her brother before Dawn led cheers for Xiaoyun alongside Shaymin and Victini.

Xiaoyun defeated Dread in the Harvest Festival and rejected the request to use Victini's power to restore the Kingdom of the Vale. After discovering Victini could not leave the ancient barrier, the group went to the Sword of the Vale castle to investigate breaking it, where someone greeted them.

• Xiaoyun defeated Dread with Luxray's Thundering Might, and then he and Ash fought to conclude the Harvest Festival.
• Dread invited Xiaoyun and the others to his family orchard and asked to borrow Victini's power to restore the Kingdom of the Vale.
• Mayor Momont explained how Victini had helped the old king stabilize the Dragon Force, and Xiaoyun refused to let Victini be used again for the descendants' ambitions.
• Dread insisted he would keep pursuing the kingdom's restoration, while Xiaoyun and his companions left the orchard.
• Xiaoyun asked Victini to come with them, and Shaymin offered to protect it, but Victini hit the barrier that trapped it in Eindoak Town.
• Shaymin suggested gathering everyone to tear down the barrier, and the next day the group examined the altar at the Sword of the Vale castle before an unseen speaker greeted them.

Dread summoned Zekrom to help him pursue his ideals, then trapped Victini in the altar and used its power to release the Sword of the Vale. Xiaoyun brought in more Pokémon and coordinated a group assault that left Zekrom injured as Zeraora prepared a powerful finishing strike.

• Dread appeared with Sigilyph and Reuniclus, summoned Zekrom, and attacked Xiaoyun's group, while Darkrai and Pikachu countered Zekrom and Dawn's Altaria blocked the Psychic attack.
• Dread's Purrloin struck Victini and knocked it into the altar, whose pillars trapped Victini and began drawing out its power.
• Dread used Victini's power to awaken and free the Sword of the Vale, releasing dragon force from the ground as Carlita and Juanita worried about his plan.
• Xiaoyun sent out Sceptile, Metagross, and Zeraora, then used Bond Phenomenon on Sceptile and Mega Evolution on Metagross.
• Zekrom entered Overdrive Mode and charged at Darkrai and Pikachu, but their attacks held it in place while Mega Metagross and Bond Sceptile struck it.
• Xiaoyun ordered Zeraora to use Thunder Half-Moon Slash, and Zeraora raised a lightning guandao over the injured Zekrom.

Xiaoyun and his Pokémon defeated Zekrom, but the Sword of the Vale began to unleash destructive energy across the land. They freed Victini, who returned the Sword to the ground and stabilized the dragon veins, and Shaymin then summoned Giratina to help restore the ruined region.

• Xiaoyun and his Pokémon bound Zekrom after defeating it, while Dread's hopes shifted to Reshiram, which arrived carrying Ash back from a mysterious challenge.
• Dread realized the dragon veins were rebelling against the Sword of the Vale, unleashing destructive energy that began tearing apart the surrounding land.
• Juanita and Carlita tried to break Victini's seal with Hydreigon and Golurk, but their attacks failed, so Xiaoyun rallied everyone's Pokémon to strike the pillars together.
• The combined attacks shattered the seal, freeing Victini, which lowered the Sword of the Vale into the ground and calmed the rampaging energy.
• Shaymin used Seed Flare, shattered space, and summoned Giratina amid the ruined land.

Xiaoyun and Dawn left Eindoak Town with Victini after Giratina restored the damaged land, then reached Nimbasa City and entered the Battle Subway. Their Double Battle against Subway Bosses Emmet and Ingo began with Servine and Dewott facing Eelektross and Chandelure.

• Giratina restored Eindoak Town, and Victini joined Xiaoyun and Dawn after Xiaoyun caught it.
• Xiaoyun dismissed Zekrom and Reshiram, then warned Zekrom not to interfere in other people's affairs before continuing toward Nimbasa City with Dawn.
• N learned from Zekrom that Xiaoyun had defeated it and suspected Xiaoyun was the Trainer who had defeated Champion Alder.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn explored Nimbasa City, joined the Battle Subway stamp rally, and won first place with Victini's help.
• Emmet and Ingo challenged Xiaoyun and Dawn to a Double Battle, and Servine and Dewott blocked the opening attacks from Eelektross and Chandelure.
• Emmet and Ingo ordered Eelektross to use Discharge and Chandelure to use Fire Spin.

Xiaoyun and Dawn defeated Emmet and Ingo in a Double Battle, then enjoyed a musical performance before attending Elesa’s fashion show in Nimbasa City. The show introduced Nessa, a Gym Leader and supermodel from Galar, as its guest.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn used their Pokémon’s combined Pledge moves to overcome Emmet and Ingo’s attacks and defeat their team.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn watched a Pokémon musical performance, where Dawn found inspiration for new kinds of Contest performances.
• The crowd jostled Dawn after the show, and Xiaoyun pulled her close to protect her while Shaymin was squeezed between them.
• A few days later, Xiaoyun and Dawn arrived early at Nimbasa Gym for Elesa’s fashion show, where Elesa performed alongside Emolga and Zebstrika.
• Elesa’s host announced Nessa, the Hulbury Gym Leader and a top supermodel from Galar, as a guest at the show.

Nessa appeared at Elesa’s runway show, then watched as Dawn challenged Elesa at the Nimbasa Gym. Dawn’s Larvesta defeated Zebstrika but lost to Emolga, leaving Pachirisu to face Elesa’s second Pokémon.

• Nessa’s runway entrance and water-themed performance delighted the crowd, and she joined Elesa for a walk.
• Xiaoyun told Elesa that he and Dawn had booked a Gym Challenge, and Elesa led them to the runway battlefield.
• Elesa sent out Zebstrika, and Dawn’s Larvesta defeated it with a Flame Wheel and Flamethrower combination followed by Absorb.
• Elesa sent out Conductive Emolga, which used Attract to distract Larvesta before knocking it out with Electro Ball.
• Dawn sent out Pachirisu, and Elesa admired the Electric-type squirrel as the battle continued.

Dawn defeated Elesa in a Gym battle by using Cottonee’s cotton and poison to counter Tynamo’s speed, then received the Volt Badge. Nessa asked to battle Elesa, and Xiaoyun proposed a Double Battle with Nessa that began with Galvantula, Ampharos, Gabite, and Golisopod taking the field.

• Dawn’s Pachirisu overwhelmed Conductive Emolga at first, but Elesa switched in Tynamo, whose powerful Tackles forced Dawn to recall Pachirisu.
• Dawn sent out Cottonee, which endured Tynamo’s Tackle with Cotton Guard, spread Poison Powder, and used Cotton Spore to slow Tynamo through contact.
• Tynamo inhaled the poison after its speed fell, and the referee declared Dawn the winner because Elesa’s three Pokémon were unable to battle; Dawn accepted the Volt Badge.
• Nessa asked Elesa for a battle, and Xiaoyun suggested that he and Nessa challenge Elesa together in a Double Battle.
• Elesa sent out Galvantula and Ampharos, while Xiaoyun chose Gabite and Nessa sent out Golisopod.

Xiaoyun and Nessa teamed up to defeat Elesa in a Double Battle, earning Xiaoyun the Volt Badge. Elesa praised Nessa's strength, and Nessa gave Xiaoyun a Hulbury Gym Badge as a souvenir.

• Nessa opened the match with Golisopod's First Impression, and Elesa countered with Ampharos and Galvantula.
• Elesa set Electric Terrain and Sticky Web, but Xiaoyun warned Nessa, who ordered Golisopod to destroy much of the web with Pin Missile.
• Xiaoyun and Nessa split their matchups as Gabite and Golisopod powered up, while Elesa's Pokémon attacked with Bug Buzz and Thunder.
• Gabite's Dragon Rush countered Elesa's Thunder Dragon Cannon, giving Golisopod a chance to knock out Ampharos and then Galvantula.
• Elesa awarded Xiaoyun the Volt Badge, and Nessa gave him a Hulbury Gym Badge as a souvenir.

After lunch, Xiaoyun and Dawn came across a Pawniard challenging its group’s Bisharp for leadership. Sceptile intervened to protect the defeated Pawniard, and as he faced Bisharp, the injured challenger warned that Sceptile was not strong enough to win.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn found a Pawniard battling its way through the group before challenging Bisharp for leadership.
• The challenger defeated the Pawniard surrounding it, but Bisharp overwhelmed it and prepared to cripple its arm as punishment.
• Sceptile blocked Bisharp’s strike while Xiaoyun and Dawn brought the injured Pawniard to Shaymin for treatment.
• Sceptile challenged Bisharp and split its Snarl attack with Leaf Blade.
• After waking under Shaymin’s care, Pawniard saw Sceptile fighting Bisharp and urgently warned Xiaoyun that Sceptile could not beat the leader.

Xiaoyun and Sceptile defeated Bisharp, and Xiaoyun caught the Pawniard that pledged itself to Sceptile. In Driftveil City, Clay hired Xiaoyun to find Revival Herbs, and Xiaoyun began the search with Virgil.

• Shaymin treated Pawniard while Sceptile fought Bisharp, dodging its attacks before overpowering it with Curse Mark Mode and Light of the Corona.
• Bisharp recovered, acknowledged Sceptile’s strength, and led its Pawniard away; the defeated Pawniard pledged allegiance to Sceptile, and Xiaoyun caught it in a Great Ball.
• On Milosh Island, two unidentified people found the stone monument of Tornadus and identified an indentation as the Wedge of Wind before declaring that they would begin their operation.
• Xiaoyun and his companion visited Driftveil Gym, where Clay refused their challenge because the Gym had run out of Revival Herbs.
• Clay offered to accept Xiaoyun’s Gym challenge and provide a reward if he helped find Revival Herbs, and Xiaoyun agreed.
• The next day, Xiaoyun and his companion met Virgil, whom Clay had also hired to search for Revival Herbs.

Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Virgil traveled to Milosh Island to find Revival Herbs and learned from Lewis that the island’s abundance had faded. During Lewis’s offering to Landorus, the ritual summoned Tornadus instead, which attacked as Lewis and Gothita tried again.

• Xiaoyun, Dawn, Virgil, and their Pokémon reached Milosh Island, where Victini found a withered Revival Herb and they met Lewis with Lilligant and Gothita.
• Lewis explained that Revival Herbs had once grown abundantly on the island, but he believed Landorus’s fading power had caused them to become scarce.
• Lewis invited the group to attend his offering at Landorus’s stone monument the next morning, and they agreed.
• Gothita used psychic power to communicate with the offering smoke, and a powerful vortex appeared before Tornadus emerged.
• Lewis realized they had summoned Tornadus instead of Landorus and tried the ritual again with Gothita, but Tornadus attacked.

Xiaoyun and his companions fought Tornadus and then faced the newly arrived Thundurus, while Lewis kept trying to summon Landorus. The chapter ended as Xiaoyun sent out Zeraora to meet Thundurus’s powerful Thunder.

• Tornadus attacked the group with Hurricane and Air Slash, but Victini and Espeon stopped its moves.
• Victini, Espeon, and Gengar teamed up to blast Tornadus into a cliff, leaving Lewis shocked by how quickly they nearly defeated a Legendary Pokémon.
• Thundurus appeared instead of Landorus, and Lewis decided to keep summoning while Gothita worried about what might arrive next.
• In a scene on Akala Island, Olivia pushed Barry to keep training for her trial and earn a Z-Crystal.
• Thundurus attacked Victini with Discharge and then Thunder, but Xiaoyun pulled Victini back and sent out Zeraora as the lightning struck.

Xiaoyun’s Pokémon defeated Tornadus and Thundurus, and Landorus arrived expecting to fight before granting the requested rain. It saw its two brothers beaten and embedded in the mountainside, leaving it stunned.

• Zeraora absorbed Thundurus’s lightning attacks, while Bond Sceptile fought Tornadus and knocked it unconscious with Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki.
• Thundurus tried to flee after seeing Tornadus lose, but Zeraora intercepted it with Thunder, Crescent Slash and defeated it.
• Jessie, James, and Meowth watched from hiding and discussed their plan to target the Forces of Nature for Giovanni.
• Landorus descended and asked what aid the humans sought, while Lewis respectfully requested nourishing rain.
• Landorus realized that Tornadus and Thundurus had already been defeated and stared in shock at their bodies embedded in the mountainside.

The Forces of Nature restored Milosh Island’s Revival Herbs, and Xiaoyun’s group used the herbs to secure a battle with Clay. Later, Team Rocket ambushed the Forces of Nature at sea, where Giovanni’s Beedrill overpowered Landorus and left it wounded.

• Landorus made Revival Herbs grow, and Tornadus and Thundurus destroyed them before rain helped the herbs grow back in greater numbers.
• Xiaoyun’s group showed Clay their fresh, high-quality Revival Herbs, and Clay agreed to battle them the next morning.
• Team Rocket trapped the Forces of Nature in energy cages, but Landorus shattered its cage and fought back.
• Meowth used red electricity to disable Tornadus and Thundurus, while Wobbuffet reflected Landorus’s Focus Blast and Landorus defeated Woobat and Yamask with a Sandstorm.
• Giovanni’s Beedrill attacked Landorus, broke through its Hammer Arm defense with Twineedle, and wounded its arms.

Virgil challenged Clay at Driftveil Gym, where Vaporeon defeated Crustle through a clever Substitute strategy before Seismitoad forced Vaporeon to withdraw. Leafeon gained the advantage against Seismitoad, but Clay countered its approach with Drain Punch, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Beedrill fought Landorus aboard the warship, and the battle ended with Landorus returned to its cage as the ship departed.
• Clay sent out Crustle against Virgil's Vaporeon, and Vaporeon used Substitute and Hydro Pump to defeat Crustle after it had used Shell Smash.
• Clay sent out Seismitoad, whose Water Absorb Ability let it absorb Vaporeon's Hydro Pump and land a Drain Punch, prompting Virgil to recall Vaporeon.
• Virgil sent out Leafeon, which overwhelmed Seismitoad with Leaf Storm until Clay restored Seismitoad's injuries with Water Pulse and Water Absorb.
• Leafeon charged across scattered leaves with Leaf Blade, and Clay ordered Seismitoad to meet it with Drain Punch.

Virgil defeated Clay and earned the Quake Badge, then Xiaoyun faced the Gym Leader in a hard-fought battle. Pawniard used Sceptile’s Blade Storm to defeat Stunfisk, and Gabite went on to defeat Clay’s powerful Excadrill.

• Leafeon bound Seismitoad with Vine Whip and knocked it out with Leaf Blade, earning Virgil the Quake Badge from Clay.
• Xiaoyun sent out Pawniard against Clay’s Stunfisk, and Pawniard broke through Muddy Water with Blade Storm to win.
• Clay sent out an unusually powerful Excadrill, and Xiaoyun recalled Pawniard and chose Gabite.
• Gabite boosted itself with Dragon Dance and used Earthquake to force Excadrill out of its Dig tunnel.
• Gabite and Excadrill clashed with Dragon Claw and Crush Claw, then Gabite’s Dragon Rush defeated Excadrill.

Dawn faced Driftveil City Gym Leader Clay in a two-on-two battle and defeated both of his Pokémon with Mamoswine. The chapter ended with Dawn winning the Gym battle and celebrating with Mamoswine.

• Clay sent out Krokorok, and Dawn chose Mamoswine to battle it.
• Mamoswine overpowered Krokorok with Earthquake and Ice Fang, knocking it out.
• Clay sent out Krookodile, which battled Mamoswine with Dragon Claw, Crunch, Earth Power, and Outrage.
• Dawn and Mamoswine combined Ice Fang and Ice Beam into Frost Fang Ice Break and charged at Krookodile.
• Mamoswine broke through Krookodile's defense and struck it with the ice spike, knocking it out and winning Dawn the battle.
• Dawn ran to Mamoswine and hugged it in celebration.

Dawn received the Quake Badge, and Xiaoyun discovered that Clay’s fossil was a rare Tyrunt fossil. Later, Xiaoyun and Dawn helped Bianca find her missing Minccino and confronted Cassidy and Butch, who had captured a group of Minccino and Cinccino.

• Clay gave Dawn the Quake Badge and awarded Xiaoyun a fossil that Rotom identified as a Tyrunt from Kalos.
• Xiaoyun refused to return the fossil when Clay regretted giving it away, then fled with Dawn.
• Bianca collided with Shaymin while searching for her missing Minccino, and Xiaoyun sent Luxray to track it by scent.
• Luxray led the group to a cage holding dozens of Minccino and several Cinccino, including Bianca’s Minccino.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn recognized Cassidy and Butch, who reluctantly handed Bianca her Minccino after she tripped and exposed them.
• Xiaoyun refused to leave with Bianca’s Minccino and demanded that Cassidy and Butch release the rest of their captives.

Xiaoyun and Bianca defeated Team Rocket’s electricity-proof Whirlipede machine and freed the captured Minccino. Xiaoyun sent the rescued group to his mother Lina as a gift, but they immediately devoured much of the food at her Day Care Cottage.

• Butch and Cassidy deployed their Whirlipede machine, which absorbed Luxray’s Thunderbolts and attacked Bianca’s Emboar.
• Bianca’s Emboar battled Whirlipede, and Xiaoyun’s Luxray broke the machine’s spikes before it could strike Emboar.
• Xiaoyun combined Luxray’s Iron Tail with Zeraora’s Thunder to overload Whirlipede, blowing up the machine and sending Butch and Cassidy flying.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn agreed to catch the rescued Minccino and send them to Lina, and the group caught them all.
• Lina received more than a dozen Poké Balls from Xiaoyun, released the Minccino, and watched them eat much of the Day Care Cottage’s food.

Xiaoyun and Dawn reached Mistralton City and discovered that Gym Leader Skyla decided Gym battles through mental simulations rather than actual matches. After Skyla ruled that both had lost, Rotom challenged her judgment and argued that both challengers would win.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn arrived in Mistralton City and watched a red propeller plane perform aerial maneuvers.
• At the Mistralton Gym, Skyla ran Air Battles by simulating matchups, awarding some challengers Badges and turning others away without battles.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn objected to the format but agreed to take part, sending out their Pokémon for Skyla to assess.
• Skyla declared that Dawn and Xiaoyun had both lost, citing type disadvantages among their Pokémon.
• Rotom disputed Skyla’s results, explaining how Dawn’s Pokémon could defeat Skyla’s team and then arguing that Xiaoyun’s Pokémon could win as well.