Recaps

Xiaoyun challenged Skyla’s imaginary-battle assumptions, prompting her grandfather Miles to begin real Gym battles. During Dawn’s match with Skyla, Rufflet evolved into a Hisuian Form Braviary, leaving Xiaoyun and Skyla stunned.

• Rotom judged that Xiaoyun would win, and Xiaoyun challenged Skyla for relying on her own imaginary battle scenario.
• Miles urged Skyla to let real battles establish her authority, and Skyla announced that Mistralton Gym’s live battles would begin.
• Dawn’s Whimsicott used Prankster-boosted Tailwind and Solar Beam to defeat Skyla’s Swoobat.
• Dawn’s Rufflet battled Skyla’s Unfezant, but Unfezant’s Brave Bird overpowered Rufflet’s Aerial Ace.
• As Rufflet fell, it evolved into a Hisuian Form Braviary, surprising Xiaoyun and Skyla.

Dawn defeated Skyla’s Swanna with Dewott’s Constant Flux combination, earned the Jet Badge, and ended Skyla’s imaginary battles. Xiaoyun then began his Gym match by having Servine overwhelm Swoobat with consecutive Leaf Storms.

• Dawn’s Hisuian Braviary defeated Skyla’s Unfezant with Hyper Voice and Sky Attack, and Dawn switched to Dewott for the final round.
• Dewott copied Swanna’s Hurricane, escaped the storm, and defeated it with Constant Flux, a combination of Razor Shell and Liquidation.
• Skyla apologized for her earlier behavior and gave Dawn the Jet Badge, then prepared to battle Xiaoyun.
• Xiaoyun sent out Servine, which used Leaf Storm twice and knocked out Skyla’s Swoobat despite its Psychic and Air Slash attacks.

Xiaoyun's Servine and Zorua battled Skyla's Unfezant, and Zorua evolved into Hisuian Zoroark after defeating Unfezant. Hisuian Zoroark gained the upper hand against Skyla's Swanna and unleashed a storm of blue flames at it.

• Skyla's Unfezant redirected Servine's boosted Leaf Storm with Hurricane, then defeated the exhausted Servine with Aerial Ace and Air Slash.
• Xiaoyun sent out Zorua, which used Illusion, Detect, Dark Pulse, and Shadow Sneak to defeat Unfezant despite Skyla's attempt to heal it with Roost.
• Skyla sent out Swanna, and Zorua evolved into Hisuian Zoroark before the next battle began.
• Hisuian Zoroark used Taunt and overpowered Swanna's Air Slash with Dark Pulse.
• Swanna attacked with Aerial Ace and Brave Bird, but Zoroark countered with Shadow Claw and Foul Play, then slammed Swanna into the ground.
• Zoroark sent a tornado of eerie blue flames toward the injured Swanna.

After defeating Skyla for the Jet Badge, Xiaoyun and Dawn accepted her invitation to fly in her plane, where Skyla's daring maneuvers made Xiaoyun airsick. Skyla later guided them to Celestial Tower, where the three rang its bell and Xiaoyun and Dawn silently wished to stay together forever.

• Xiaoyun defeated Skyla's Swanna and received the Jet Badge, while Skyla thanked him for teaching her about Gym battles.
• The next morning, Skyla invited Xiaoyun and Dawn to fly with her, and they boarded her plane at Mistralton City Airport.
• Skyla performed increasingly daring stunts, including shutting off the engine, while Dawn cheered and Xiaoyun became airsick.
• Xiaoyun threw out Shiny Metagross and climbed onto its back to vomit, and Skyla landed the plane before taking Xiaoyun and Dawn to Celestial Tower.
• Skyla explained the tower's traditions, and the three placed Litwick candles and rang the bell.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn made matching wishes to stay together forever, while Darkrai remembered Alicia.

Xiaoyun and Dawn entered Ambiga Town’s Don George Club Battle, where Xiaoyun faced Edmund in the opening match. Xiaoyun’s Pawniard overwhelmed Edmund’s rain-boosted Seismitoad with Blade Storm, and the clash left the match unresolved.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn registered for the Don George Club Battle and encountered Trip with his evolved Conkeldurr.
• Don George opened the tournament, announced a year’s supply of stat-boosting drinks as the prize, and the draw matched Xiaoyun against Edmund and Dawn against Trip.
• Xiaoyun sent out Pawniard against Edmund’s Seismitoad and recognized that Swift Swim made it fast in the rain.
• Edmund’s Seismitoad chased Pawniard with Drain Punch, but Pawniard used Swords Dance to deflect the attacks.
• Pawniard combined Swords Dance and Night Slash into Blade Storm, which collided with Seismitoad’s Drain Punch in a powerful explosion.

Xiaoyun won the first match, Ash defeated Burgundy in the second, and Stephan battled Iris in the third. After Sawk caught and threw Excadrill, Stephan ordered Brick Break while Iris called for Dig.

• Xiaoyun's Pawniard broke through Seismitoad's defense with Blade Storm, winning the first match.
• Ash's Scrafty overwhelmed Burgundy's Dewott with Low Kick and High Jump Kick, winning their match.
• Georgia questioned whether Iris was a genuine heir of the Village of Dragons because she relied on Excadrill instead of Axew.
• Stephan used Sawk's Bulk Up to help it catch Excadrill's Metal Claw and throw Excadrill into the air.
• Stephan ordered Sawk to use Brick Break, and Iris told Excadrill to use Dig.

Iris's Excadrill lost to Stephan's Sawk, and Stephan celebrated so emotionally that staff had to separate him and Sawk. Cilan's Pansage briefly turned Bianca's advantage around against Emboar, but a misstep into its own Dig hole ruined Solar Beam and left Pansage unable to battle.

• Excadrill used Dig and Drill Run against Sawk, but Sawk blocked Drill Run and knocked Excadrill out with Close Combat.
• Stephan tearfully celebrated his victory over Iris with Sawk, delaying the tournament until staff separated them.
• Bianca sent out Emboar against Cilan's Pansage, whose Bullet Seed was overwhelmed by Flamethrower and whose Dig ambush was followed by Emboar's attacks.
• Cilan used Grass Knot to trip Emboar during Flare Blitz, then ordered Pansage to charge Solar Beam.
• Pansage fell into its own Dig hole as it prepared to fire Solar Beam, and Emboar's Flamethrower hit it, knocking it out.

Dawn defeated Trip in the final match of the first round by using Gengar against his Conkeldurr, and the second-round matchups were announced the next morning. Xiaoyun then faced Montgomery, who sent out Throh after taunting him about Pawniard.

• Bianca and Emboar defeated Cilan and Pansage, leaving Cilan stunned and Burgundy laughing at his loss.
• Dawn entered the final first-round match with Gengar, and the organizers allowed it because the rules only required Pokémon to know Fighting-type moves.
• Dawn's Gengar countered Conkeldurr's attacks and defeated it with Shadow Punch, giving Trip another first-round exit.
• Freddy O'Martian announced the second-round matches: Xiaoyun versus Montgomery, Ash versus Akkie, Stephan versus Bianca, and Dawn versus Georgia.
• Montgomery taunted Xiaoyun before sending out Throh, whose details Rotom displayed.

Xiaoyun defeated Montgomery’s Throh with Pawniard in the first quarterfinal, then watched Stephan’s Sawk overpower Bianca’s Emboar in a close-quarters semifinal qualifier. Sawk won, advancing Stephan while the tournament continued.

• Xiaoyun’s Pawniard struck Throh with Sucker Punch before the match officially began, then battled through Montgomery’s throws and attacks.
• Pawniard hit Throh in the crotch with Headbutt, then escaped Throh’s Seismic Toss and defeated it with Aerial Ace; the referee declared Pawniard the winner.
• Ash’s Scrafty defeated Akkie’s Mienfoo in the second quarterfinal, advancing to the semifinals.
• Stephan’s Sawk used Bulk Up and Close Combat to pressure Bianca’s Emboar, which answered with Flamethrower.
• Sawk blocked Emboar’s Hammer Arm, countered with Brick Break, and knocked Emboar out with a final strike to the neck.

Dawn defeated Georgia in the last quarterfinal, and the semifinal draw paired her against Xiaoyun while Ash faced Stephan. The next day, Dawn and Xiaoyun began their match, with Gengar and Pawniard trading attacks.

• Dawn used Gengar to confuse Georgia's Bisharp and knock it out with Hex, winning the final quarterfinal.
• The semifinal draw paired Stephan against Ash and Xiaoyun against Dawn.
• Backstage, Georgia taunted Iris over her first-round loss, and Iris defended Axew as a Dragon-type Pokémon.
• At the stadium the next day, Don George joked about Xiaoyun's chances in a match against his girlfriend, while Dawn insisted she could win on her own.
• Dawn opened the battle by ordering Gengar to use Fire Punch against Xiaoyun's Pawniard, and Xiaoyun answered with Night Slash.
• Dawn had Gengar attack with both flaming fists, and Xiaoyun ordered Pawniard to use Night Slash with both hands.

Dawn and Xiaoyun battled in the semifinal, where Gengar unveiled a powerful combination attack and a new intangibility technique to defeat Pawniard. Dawn’s hard work moved Xiaoyun, and the chapter ended as Ash and Stephan began their semifinal match.

• Pawniard survived Gengar’s Special Beam Cannon with Substitute, then used Blade Storm, but Gengar phased through the attack and struck back with Shadow Ball to win.
• Xiaoyun asked Dawn how she had mastered Gengar’s intangibility technique, and Dawn remembered the grueling training she and Gengar had endured.
• Xiaoyun thanked Dawn for her hard work, and her quiet reaction showed how much his understanding meant to her.
• Don George praised Ash’s Scrafty and Stephan’s Sawk before Ash opened their semifinal battle by ordering Scrafty to use Low Kick.

Ash defeated Stephan in the Fighting-type tournament semifinal, but Dawn’s Gengar quickly beat Scrafty in the final and won the prize. A week later, Xiaoyun and Dawn reached Icirrus Mountain Peak, where Volcarona sensed its own kind and an aggressive Beartic confronted them; Xiaoyun sent Volcarona to fight it.

• Scrafty defeated Sawk with High Jump Kick, earning Ash a place in the final against Dawn.
• Dawn’s Gengar used Intangibility to evade Scrafty’s Crunch and defeated him with Shadow Ball, winning the tournament and a year’s supply of energy drinks.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn traveled to Icirrus Mountain, where Rotom warned them that poachers had been sighted nearby.
• Volcarona emerged and sensed one of its own kind deep in the mountain, prompting Xiaoyun and Dawn to follow it uphill.
• A Beartic attacked the travelers with Ice Punch and Icicle Crash, and Xiaoyun ordered Volcarona to answer with Heat Wave.

Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Brycen fought poacher Tianzang, rescued the wounded Volcarona, and later met Brycen at Icirrus Gym for a battle. The chapter ended as Brycen announced the Gym battle was about to begin.

• Brycen apologized after his Beartic mistook Xiaoyun and Dawn for poachers, then joined them in searching the mountain.
• Brycen attacked Tianzang after finding him tormenting the wounded Volcarona with two Jellicent, but Tianzang petrified Beartic with a device.
• Xiaoyun's Volcarona defeated both Jellicent with Blazing Flame Sky Soar, and Dawn's Piplup froze and shattered Tianzang's petrification device.
• Brycen had Beartic restored, beat Tianzang, and thanked Xiaoyun and Dawn for helping protect Icirrus Mountain's guardian.
• Brycen recognized Xiaoyun as the trainer who defeated Champion Alder and invited him and Dawn to relax before their Gym battle.
• The next morning, Xiaoyun and Dawn arrived at Icirrus Gym, where Brycen welcomed them and announced the battle could begin.

Dawn battled Brycen at the Icirrus Gym, defeating Cryogonal with Larvesta before Beartic took Larvesta out. Lopunny then overwhelmed Beartic with its speed and fighting moves, leaving Brycen’s second Pokémon down and the battle nearing its end.

• Brycen sent out Cryogonal against Dawn’s Larvesta, and Larvesta broke free from Freeze-Dry before overpowering Cryogonal with a Flamethrower launched during Flame Wheel.
• Brycen sent out Beartic, which defeated Larvesta with Brine and Aerial Ace after blocking its attacks with Icicle Crash.
• Dawn sent out Lopunny, which struck Beartic with Double Kick and Jump Kick before Beartic used Icicle Crash to block its close-range attacks.
• Lopunny dodged Beartic’s redirected icicles by leaping between ice pillars, then evaded Aerial Ace and hit Beartic with a powerful High Jump Kick.
• Beartic crashed into an ice pillar and fell to the ground, apparently unable to continue battling.

Dawn received the Freeze Badge, and Xiaoyun battled Brycen at the Icirrus Gym. Serperior evolved while repeatedly using Leaf Storm, defeated Darmanitan, and won Xiaoyun the Badge; the story left the group departing for the upcoming Kyurem movie arc.

• Brycen awarded Dawn the Freeze Badge, then invited Lopunny to become an action star, but Lopunny chose to stay with Dawn.
• Xiaoyun sent out his Shiny Larvesta, Xiaojin, which defeated Brycen's Vanilluxe with powerful Fire-type attacks.
• Xiaoyun switched to Servine, which used repeated Leaf Storms against Brycen's Galarian Darmanitan and revealed its Contrary Ability.
• Servine evolved into Serperior during the clash and unleashed an intensified Leaf Storm that defeated Darmanitan and tore up the ice battlefield.
• Brycen gave Xiaoyun the Freeze Badge and escorted him and Dawn out of the Gym.

Keldeo challenged Kyurem to prove itself worthy of becoming a Sword of Justice, but Kyurem broke its horn and froze Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion when they intervened. Keldeo fled and crashed onto Xiaoyun and Dawn’s train, where Shaymin treated it; Kyurem then arrived, leaving Xiaoyun’s Pokémon ready to face the ice dragon.

• Keldeo entered Kyurem’s Gate of Ice and challenged the dragon, but Kyurem easily overpowered it and broke its horn.
• Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion tried to intervene, so Kyurem transformed into White Kyurem and froze all three with Ice Burn.
• Keldeo fled from Kyurem and crashed onto the train carrying Xiaoyun and Dawn, where Shaymin healed it.
• Keldeo warned Xiaoyun and Dawn that Kyurem was coming, and Shaymin repeatedly slapped it to keep it still.
• Kyurem appeared in the sky with hundreds of Cryogonal as Darkrai and Sceptile prepared to defend Xiaoyun and Dawn.

Xiaoyun negotiated three days for Keldeo to recover, then trained it harshly while pursuing a way to strengthen his Power of Overcoming with Kyurem’s help. Keldeo returned to the Giant Chasm, where Kyurem began the Trial of the Brave again.

• Kyurem attacked Xiaoyun’s group, but Darkrai and Sceptile countered; Kyurem agreed to wait three days for Keldeo to challenge it again, partly because Victini was present.
• Xiaoyun decided to visit Kyurem to investigate whether the DNA Splicers could strengthen his Power of Overcoming and allow more Pokémon to develop Bond Phenomenon.
• Xiaoyun put Keldeo through intense training with Sceptile, Infernape, Suicune, and Zeraora, pushing it to continue by reminding it of its masters and its goal of joining the Swords of Justice.
• Two and a half days later, Keldeo led Xiaoyun and Dawn into the Giant Chasm, where they saw the frozen Three Swordsmen and met Kyurem.
• Kyurem ordered Keldeo through the ice gate, and the Trial of the Brave began again.

Keldeo awakened its Resolute Form, defeated Black Kyurem’s trial by proving its courage, and earned a place among the Swords of Justice. Xiaoyun then sought Kyurem’s DNA Wedge, but Kyurem demanded he prove his bond with his Pokémon in battle, and their fight began with Kyurem overpowering Suicune’s Ice Beam.

• Victini accidentally melted the ice trapping the Three Swordsmen while Xiaoyun and Dawn watched Keldeo’s trial.
• Keldeo broke through the ice in its Resolute Form and struck Black Kyurem with its true Secret Sword, but collapsed after the clash.
• Kyurem declared Keldeo a true member of the Swords of Justice, and Victini and Shaymin caught and treated the fainted Keldeo.
• Xiaoyun connected with Kyurem through the Power of Overcoming and asked to borrow its DNA Wedge; Kyurem challenged him to prove his bond with his Pokémon.
• Xiaoyun summoned his Pokémon and activated Bond Phenomenon for Sceptile and Infernape before ordering Suicune and Darkrai to attack.
• Kyurem countered Suicune’s Ice Beam with a much stronger Ice Beam as the battle began.

Xiaoyun’s Pokémon battled Kyurem through its Black and White forms, but Kyurem’s transformations and powerful attacks turned the fight against them. With Zeraora badly injured and the team struggling to break the stalemate, Infernape stepped forward to face Kyurem.

• Darkrai, Sceptile, Infernape, Zeraora, and Suicune attacked Kyurem, but Kyurem transformed into Black Kyurem and overwhelmed Sceptile and Infernape with Fusion Bolt.
• Suicune froze Black Kyurem with Absolute Freezing Air, but Black Kyurem broke free and countered with Freeze Shock, blasting Darkrai away and badly freezing Zeraora.
• Sceptile and Infernape struck Black Kyurem from both sides while Zeraora restrained it, but Kyurem abandoned its Black Form and transformed into White Kyurem.
• White Kyurem drove Xiaoyun’s injured team back with Fusion Flare, then targeted Suicune as it tried to turn the battle around.
• Xiaoyun asked Darkrai to hold the line, but Infernape stepped forward instead and prepared to fight Kyurem.

Xiaoyun and his Pokémon defeated White Kyurem, and Xiaoyun caught it before borrowing the DNA Wedge. When the Wedge’s power nearly tore him apart, Arceus intervened, leaving Xiaoyun’s Power of Overcoming stronger while Kyurem complained that he had used up nearly half its energy.

• Infernape held off White Kyurem’s Ice Burn while Darkrai, Suicune, and Sceptile struck together, defeating Kyurem and exhausting the other Pokémon.
• Xiaoyun caught the unconscious Kyurem in a Luxury Ball, and Kyurem briefly experienced the comforts of its Poké Ball before returning to the cave.
• Xiaoyun asked Kyurem for the DNA Wedge, and Kyurem gave it to him because they had made a bet.
• The DNA Wedge’s power clashed with Xiaoyun’s Power of Overcoming, but Arceus sent power from the Life Orb fragment to stabilize them.
• Xiaoyun regained consciousness with a stronger, more complex Power of Overcoming, while Kyurem said the process had consumed nearly half its energy.

Xiaoyun discovered that his evolved Power of Overcoming could fuse Pokémon types and even combine Sceptile and Darkrai into a powerful new form. After the fusion overwhelmed Kyurem in a test battle, Xiaoyun and both Pokémon collapsed, and the group prepared to part ways with Keldeo and the Three Swordsmen.

• Kyurem explained that Xiaoyun’s enhanced ability could fuse types, and Xiaoyun combined Infernape’s Fire energy with Sceptile and then Water energy with Infernape to create powerful hybrid attacks.
• Xiaoyun used Genetic alteration-Fusion Evolution to fuse Sceptile and Darkrai into a new First-Level God Pokémon, then challenged Kyurem to test its strength.
• The fused Pokémon formed a Nightmare Domain, dodged Kyurem’s Blizzard, and sliced apart its Draco Meteor with Thorn Shadow Blade Dance.
• Xiaoyun lost consciousness, breaking the fusion and causing Sceptile and Darkrai to collapse; after Shaymin treated him, he woke and learned Kyurem had chosen to travel with him within Unova.
• Kyurem returned to its Poké Ball, while Keldeo thanked Xiaoyun and Dawn, gave Xiaoyun its broken horn, and completed the Three Swordsmen’s oath to enter Resolute Form.

Xiaoyun reunited with Fennel in Luoxiang City and helped her test a Dream Energy method for reviving fossils, which successfully brought his Tyrunt back to life. After Tyrunt attacked Fennel’s equipment and fought Gabite, Xiaoyun assigned Gabite to raise the unruly newcomer.

• Xiaoyun reported Slaughter Shadow Sceptile’s Fusion Evolution to Professor Rowan, who confirmed that the fused Pokémon had reached First-Level God strength.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn met Fennel at a café, where she revealed that she was using Dream Energy to revive fossils.
• Fennel used Musharna’s Dream Energy to revive Xiaoyun’s Tyrunt fossil in her lab.
• Tyrunt tried to bite Fennel’s screen, and Gabite intervened before battling the newly revived Pokémon outside the lab.
• Xiaoyun recalled Tyrunt after Gabite defeated it and told Gabite it would look after Tyrunt, while withholding its extra meal as punishment.

Xiaoyun and Dawn arrived in Virbank City and learned that Gym Leader Roxie had been overwhelming challengers with her Poison-type team. Dawn challenged Roxie, lost Larvesta to Koffing, then defeated Koffing with Togekiss before Roxie sent out Scolipede.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn reached Virbank City and heard trainers describe how Roxie had beaten several challengers that day.
• At Virbank Gym, Roxie explained the six-versus-three challenge rules, and Dawn sent out Larvesta to face Koffing.
• Roxie’s Koffing overwhelmed Larvesta with Poison Gas and Will-O-Wisp, knocking it out in an explosion.
• Dawn sent out Togekiss, which used Air Slash to make Koffing flinch and then defeated it with Aura Sphere.
• Roxie sent out her second Pokémon, Scolipede, as the battle continued.

Dawn’s Togekiss defeated Roxie’s Scolipede but fell to Garbodor, so Dawn sent out Piplup. Piplup countered Garbodor’s attacks and ended the chapter by striking it down with Secret Sword.

• Togekiss cured its poisoning with Psycho Shift and defeated Scolipede with Sky Attack, knocking both Pokémon out.
• Roxie sent out Garbodor, which poisoned Togekiss and defeated it with Venoshock; Shaymin then healed Togekiss’s poison and injuries.
• Dawn sent out Piplup, which froze Garbodor’s Sludge Bomb with Blizzard and avoided its Body Slam with Ice Spinner.
• Piplup used Triple Axel and Whirlpool to withstand Garbodor’s attacks, then Dawn ordered it to propel the waterspout forward with Blizzard.
• After Garbodor broke the waterspout with Cross Poison, Piplup used Secret Sword to strike it down, and the referee declared Garbodor unable to battle.

Dawn won her eighth Badge by defeating Roxie, then Xiaoyun began his three-on-three Gym battle against her. After Zoroark and Amoonguss knocked each other out, Pawniard evolved into Bisharp and defeated Roserade, leaving Roxie to send out her final Pokémon.

• Dawn defeated Roxie head-on, received the Toxic Badge, and celebrated earning her eighth Badge.
• Xiaoyun’s Zoroark was put to sleep by Amoonguss, but Sleep Talk let it strike back before both Pokémon fell to a close-range clash.
• Roxie sent out Roserade against Xiaoyun’s Pawniard and pressed it with a series of Grass-type attacks.
• Xiaoyun used the Power of Overcoming to strengthen Pawniard, which evolved into Bisharp and knocked out Roserade.
• Roxie sent out her final Pokémon, a dark purple, yellow-striped Pokémon.