Recaps

After the Masters Eight, Xiaoyun struggled with the Sinnoh League’s demands while Dawn reunited with May and Zoey in Hoenn and planned to enter Pokémon Contests with them. The chapter left Xiaoyun buried in paperwork but looking forward to seeing Dawn after his work.

• Xiaoyun returned to Sinnoh and received a packed schedule of League duties, while Flint told him that Paul had gone to face Mr. Brandon, Lucian was vacationing in Hoenn, and Aaron was in Kalos for an exchange with Viola.
• Flint showed Xiaoyun his new office and told him they would have to handle the League’s work together; Xiaoyun resigned himself to the paperwork and wondered whether he could quit.
• Dawn met May and Zoey at Petalburg City Airport, and the three went to a dessert shop, where Dawn said Xiaoyun was exhausted by his Champion duties.
• May invited Dawn and Zoey to travel through Hoenn and collect Contest Ribbons, and they agreed to begin with the Petalburg City Contest the next day.
• Xiaoyun learned he had to give a speech at a Pokémon School in Jubilife City and saw Dawn’s photo of the three friends enjoying dessert; he replied that he would join them when he finished work.

Hanyu Qing'an eagerly left work to attend an event at Jubilife City's Trainer School, where his son Xiaoyun spoke to students about becoming a Trainer. The visit ended with Xiaoyun summoning Kyurem for the students, who cheered as the Legendary Pokémon showered them with ice crystals.

• Hanyu Qing'an learned that Xiaoyun was arriving in Jubilife City and hurriedly arranged to attend the Trainer School event.
• Principal Ito welcomed Xiaoyun, who toured the school and encouraged students to care for their Pokémon, respect opponents, and persevere through setbacks.
• Qing'an arrived at the event and watched proudly as officials praised him for raising the Champion.
• During a question-and-answer session, Xiaoyun answered students' questions about his Pokémon, Legendary Pokémon, and his relationship with Dawn.
• At the students' request, Xiaoyun summoned Kyurem, whose roar and display of glittering ice crystals thrilled the crowd.

A prank by Victini set off a chain of misdirected attacks at Nana's Pokémon Day Care, nearly leading Xiaoyun's and Dawn's Pokémon into a full-scale brawl. Piplup proposed a three-part contest to settle things, and the first water battle between Piplup and Greninja left Piplup losing target markers.

• Victini's tail-tugging prank made Pachirisu fire an electric bolt that hit Gyarados, whose retaliatory Flamethrower struck Floatzel instead.
• Floatzel retaliated against Gyarados, but its waterspout swept Altaria and Braviary into the lake, prompting all three to attack Floatzel together.
• More Pokémon gathered and took sides, while the culprits Victini and Pachirisu hid; Piplup proposed three battles across water, land, and air to resolve the dispute.
• Piplup volunteered for the water match against Xiaoyun's team, which chose Greninja, and both contestants entered the lake with target markers attached.
• Greninja used Double Team and precise underwater attacks to knock off several of Piplup's markers as the spectators watched.

Piplup's team won the first round, but Luxray's lightning-powered sprint gave Xiaoyun's team the second. The final aerial battle between Volcarona brothers Xiaojin and Xiaohong nearly turned dangerous before Xiaoyun stopped it and ordered both teams to run laps.

• Piplup tricked Greninja with Secret Sword and Drill Peck to win the first round.
• Pheromosa and Luxray raced up the mountain, and Luxray used lightning to boost its Wild Charge and claim the second round.
• Both teams sent out Volcarona brothers Xiaojin and Xiaohong for the final aerial battle, where Xiaojin gained the upper hand.
• Xiaoyun arrived with Suicune, whose Absolute Freezing Air stopped Xiaojin's fireball from hitting Xiaohong.
• Xiaoyun scolded the Pokémon for their dangerous fight and ordered both teams to run laps around the Pokémon Day Care.

After losing the Masters Eight finals, Leon adjusted to a quieter life as he spent a day strolling through Wyndon with Sonia. Their date helped him accept his defeat and let go of the pressure to remain an undefeated legend, and the chapter ended with them heading to lunch together.

• Leon reflected on his reduced schedule after his defeat, then joined Sonia for a day out in Wyndon.
• Leon and Sonia ate breakfast, where Leon admitted that losing to Xiaoyun had hurt but that he accepted the result.
• Leon and Sonia browsed the shopping district, bought a giant Snorlax plush, and picked out clothes.
• Sonia encouraged Leon to stop putting pressure on himself and accept that he could lose, rest, and live as an ordinary person.
• Leon met his young fan Xiaoxiang, encouraged him to pursue his own dream, and posed for a photo with him.
• Leon and Sonia left the park arm in arm to find lunch.

After the Masters Eight Tournament, Ash and Serena stayed at Professor Cerise's laboratory, where Goh challenged Ash to a six-on-six battle to prove he had grown stronger. Ash's Lucario defeated Goh's first two Pokémon and overwhelmed Swellow, leaving the battle still underway.

• Ash trained Lucario while Serena groomed Delphox, and Goh arrived to visit Professor Cerise.
• Goh said he planned to enter a championship and challenged Ash to a full six-on-six battle when Ash seemed unconvinced by his confidence.
• Serena refereed as Goh sent out Marowak, but Lucario defeated it with Force Palm after overpowering its attacks.
• Goh sent out Pinsir, and Lucario defeated it with a Close Combat barrage after dodging Guillotine.
• Goh's Swellow evaded Lucario's rapid-fire Aura Spheres, but Lucario caught it with Metal Claw and blasted it into a crater with Force Palm and Aura Sphere.

Ash defeated Goh’s remaining Pokémon in their battle, leaving Goh questioning his future as a Trainer. Team Rocket then tried to steal Pikachu, but Serena rescued him and sent the trio blasting off again.

• After Lucario beat Swellow, Ash recalled Lucario and sent out Pikachu, who stopped Golem’s Rollout and knocked it out with Iron Tail.
• Pikachu battled Goh’s Scizor and defeated it with Volt Tackle, then faced Cinderace as Goh pressed on with his final Pokémon.
• Pikachu overcame Cinderace’s Pyro Ball and Flare Blitz attacks with a full-power Thunderbolt, giving Ash a six-to-one victory over Goh.
• Goh stood stunned after the loss while Ash tried to comfort him, and Team Rocket descended in their hot-air balloon and captured Pikachu with a mechanical arm.
• Serena broke the arm with Delphox’s Flamethrower, freed Pikachu, and blasted Team Rocket away with Fire Blast.

After feeling inferior to Xiaoyun, Ash, and Paul, Barry traveled with Ayaka to the Kanto Battle Frontier to train. He defeated Noland’s Articuno with Regieleki and earned the Knowledge Symbol, then vowed to clear the remaining challenges.

• Barry decided to train at the Battle Frontier and set off with Ayaka for the Battle Factory.
• Barry challenged Noland to a one-on-one battle against his strongest Pokémon, and Noland sent out Articuno.
• Barry chose Regieleki, and the Pokémon traded powerful attacks as Noland used Articuno’s defenses and Lock-On to pressure them.
• Barry used Regieleki’s Extreme Speed to evade Sheer Cold and redirect the attack into Articuno, knocking it out.
• Noland awarded Barry the Knowledge Symbol, and Barry vowed to clear every Battle Frontier challenge.

May and Zoey advanced through their Hoenn Grand Festival quarterfinals, with Zoey dominating Harley’s team in a heated battle. Zoey had nearly defeated Ariados when Harley insulted her again.

• May defeated her opponent with Blaziken and Blastoise and advanced to the semifinals.
• Zoey faced Harley, who provoked her by calling her a tomboy and claiming he alone would beat May.
• Zoey used Glameow and Absol to overwhelm Harley’s Cacturne and Ariados with coordinated attacks.
• Zoey’s Glameow struck Cacturne with Thunder after trapping it in water, knocking it out.
• Absol pressed its Night Slash against Ariados, and Zoey ordered Snarl after Harley insulted her again.

Dawn defeated Drew in a high-powered Contest battle and advanced to the semifinals. She reunited with May and Zoey afterward while Xiaoyun watched proudly.

• Zoey defeated Harley with Absol and advanced to the semifinals, while Harley backed down from her threat.
• Dawn and Drew sent out their Pokémon and traded coordinated attacks, with Drew’s poisoned-water strategy countered by Dawn’s Fire Spin and Hurricane.
• Drew’s Ice Beam-enhanced Petal Dance struck Gyarados, but Dawn boosted Volcarona with Quiver Dance and launched Burn Up.
• Dawn combined Burn Up, Solar Beam, and Gyarados’s Hydro Pump into an explosion that knocked out Roserade and Masquerain, earning her the win and a semifinal spot.
• Drew conceded to Dawn, and May and Zoey congratulated her as Xiaoyun watched proudly.

May defeated Zoey in the first semifinal of the Pokémon Contest, using coordinated attacks from Venusaur and Beautifly to overcome Gallade and Glameow. May advanced to the final, while Zoey insisted that May treat her to a meal after winning.

• The semifinal matchups paired May against Zoey and Dawn against Kenny, and Kenny denied being nervous about facing Dawn.
• May and Zoey began their semifinal with Venusaur and Beautifly facing Gallade and Glameow, and May paralyzed Gallade with Stun Spore.
• Zoey used Rain Dance to ease Gallade’s paralysis and empower Glameow’s Thunder, but May’s Light Screen and attacks kept the pressure on.
• Beautifly used Morning Sun to charge Solar Beam despite the rain and knocked Glameow out while Venusaur held Gallade back.
• May and Zoey launched their final attacks, and Beautifly’s Solar Beam knocked Gallade out, giving May the victory.
• Zoey congratulated May and declared that the winner had to pay for their meal, leaving May protesting the rule.

Dawn defeated Kenny in the Hoenn Grand Festival semifinal with Lopunny and Pheromosa, earning her place in the final against May. The chapter ended as May and Dawn sent out their Pokémon to begin the championship match.

• Kenny sent out Empoleon and Floatzel, while Dawn chose Lopunny and Pheromosa for their semifinal battle.
• Dawn’s Pokémon overwhelmed Kenny’s team with powerful kicks, Blizzard, and Bug Buzz, leaving Empoleon and Floatzel unable to battle.
• Vivian announced Dawn as the winner, and May and Dawn faced off in the Hoenn Grand Festival final the next day in Slateport City.
• Xiaoyun told Wallace that he trusted Dawn unconditionally as May and Dawn threw their Poké Balls to start the final.

Dawn defeated May in the Grand Festival final with Pheromosa and Piplup, winning the championship. After receiving the trophy, she challenged Wallace, leaving the arena awaiting his response.

• May opened the final with Blaziken and Beautifly, but Dawn countered their attacks with Pheromosa and Piplup.
• Dawn interrupted May's attempts to power up, and Pheromosa overpowered Blaziken while Piplup cut through Beautifly's Solar Beam with Secret Sword.
• Dawn and Piplup used the Z-Move Hydro Vortex-Secret Sword Slash, defeating both Blaziken and Beautifly and securing Dawn's victory.
• May congratulated Dawn, and Vivian presented Dawn with the Grand Festival trophy.
• Dawn addressed Wallace from the stage and challenged him to a battle.

Dawn challenged Wallace to a full-strength battle and tied with him after Diancie Mega Evolved and both Pokémon were knocked out. Meanwhile, Barry and Ayaka reached the Battle Pyramid, the final stop in the Battle Frontier, and prepared to challenge its Frontier Brain.

• Dawn sent out Diancie to face Wallace's Milotic, and the two battled evenly through a series of powerful attacks.
• Dawn Mega Evolved Diancie, whose Diamond Storm forced Wallace to unleash Milotic's full strength.
• Diancie and Milotic clashed with Holy Diamond and a combined Waterfall and Aqua Tail, leaving both unable to battle and the match a draw.
• Dawn thanked Wallace for the battle, while May, Zoey, Kenny, and Xiaoyun watched her from the stands.
• Barry and Ayaka arrived at the Battle Pyramid and discussed the difficulty of reaching its Frontier Brain, with Ayaka teasing Barry about his previous loss to Anabel.

Barry and Ayaka arrived at the Battle Pyramid and watched Paul challenge Brandon, the Pyramid King. Paul’s Torterra defeated Brandon’s Regirock before falling to Regice, and Paul sent out Magmortar as the battle continued.

• Barry and Ayaka entered the Battle Pyramid and discovered Paul was already battling Brandon.
• Reggie introduced himself as Paul’s older brother and watched the battle with Barry and Ayaka.
• Paul’s Torterra used defensive and Grass- and Ground-type moves to defeat Brandon’s Regirock.
• Brandon sent out Regice, which froze and defeated the weakened Torterra with Ice Beam.
• Paul sent out Magmortar against Brandon’s Regice.

Paul defeated Brandon in a fierce battle against all three Legendary Titans, winning with Suicune after Magmortar and Regice knocked each other out. He left having finally overcome the challenge that had long stood before him, while Reggie realized how far his younger brother had surpassed him.

• Paul's Magmortar and Brandon's Regice battled with powerful fire, ice, and electric attacks until both Pokémon were knocked out.
• Brandon sent out Registeel, and Paul revealed his trained Suicune as his next Pokémon.
• Suicune used Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Extrasensory, and close-range attacks to wear down Registeel, while Registeel fought back with heavy steel moves.
• Paul ordered Suicune to meet Registeel's Steel Beam head-on with Sheer Cold, and Suicune survived the resulting explosion with an Extrasensory shield.
• The referee declared Paul the winner, and Brandon congratulated him as Reggie reflected on how much his younger brother had surpassed him.

Xiaoyun and Dawn celebrated their wedding in Twinleaf Town, surrounded by friends, family, and Pokémon. After exchanging vows and rings, they kissed beneath a spectacular display arranged by their Pokémon and legendary guests, then walked off together toward their future.

• Xiaoyun prepared for the ceremony with Barry, Ash, Paul, and Kenny, while Dawn got ready with May, Zoey, Serena, and Ayaka.
• Guests and Pokémon gathered in Twinleaf Town as Palmer hosted the wedding and warned Xiaoyun not to mistreat Dawn.
• Dawn walked down the aisle, and Xiaoyun told her he had been lucky to share every stage of his life with her before asking her to marry him.
• Dawn accepted, and Xiaoyun placed a ring on her finger as their song, “Fireworks,” played.
• Xiaoyun’s Pokémon and several legendary Pokémon created a vast sky display of meteors, fireworks, ice crystals, auroras, petals, and lights.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn exchanged their promises, kissed as the guests cheered, and left the platform hand in hand.

At Indigo Academy, Liko refused to hand over her pendant to Amethio and was rescued from his attack by Brendan and his powerful Sceptile. After Amethio and his companions retreated, Liko learned her rescuer’s name and was left wondering about the pendant and the danger surrounding it.

• Amethio cornered Liko at Indigo Academy and demanded the pendant, then ordered Ceruledge to attack when she tried to flee.
• Brendan arrived with Sceptile and effortlessly defeated Ceruledge, despite Amethio’s orders and type advantage.
• When Zir and Conia joined the fight, Friede arrived on Charizard, prompting Amethio and his companions to retreat.
• Brendan checked Sprigatito’s injuries and told Liko she could seek his help if trouble arose again.
• Liko learned Brendan’s name and watched him leave, touching her pendant and sensing she had become involved in something much larger.

Over the year after their wedding, Xiaoyun defended his Masters Eight title and Dawn gave birth to their son, Brendan. A month later, the family celebrated Brendan’s first month as Xiaoyun got caught making the baby help wash a bottle and Lina chased him around the kitchen.

• Xiaoyun returned to his Champion duties while Paul took on much of the Pokémon League’s administrative work, and Xiaoyun defended his Masters Eight title for Sinnoh.
• Dawn gave birth to a healthy boy, and Xiaoyun and the others gathered outside the delivery room to wait for news.
• Qing'an suggested the name Brendan, and Dawn and Xiaoyun agreed to name their son that.
• A month later, Xiaoyun held Brendan in the kitchen and guided the baby’s hand around inside a bottle as he claimed to be teaching him chores.
• Lina took Brendan from Xiaoyun and chased him around the kitchen, while Dawn and Shaymin sided against him.