Recaps

Dawn overcame Nando’s Grass Whistle strategy and won the Hearthome Contest tournament, earning the Hearthome Ribbon. Fantina praised Dawn’s blend of battling and performance, and agreed to remain at her Gym the next day so Dawn’s companion could challenge her.

• Nando used Grass Whistle to lull Piplup toward sleep, but Dawn ordered Piplup to peck himself awake.
• Dawn sent Piplup into an Aqua Jet attack, then finished Sunflora with Peck, defeating Nando and winning the tournament.
• Fantina presented Dawn with the Hearthome Ribbon and praised her for combining strong battling with Contest performance.
• Dawn asked whether Fantina would be at the Gym the next day for her companion’s challenge, and Fantina agreed to stay.

After Dawn won her second Contest Ribbon at Hearthome, she and Xiaoyun called their mothers from the lobby. Their calls ended with Johanna teasing Dawn about her relationship with Xiaoyun and Lina playfully scolding her son for neglecting home before praising Dawn and sharing embarrassing stories about Johanna.

• Dawn called Johanna, who praised her Hearthome Contest performance while reminding her to keep practicing and stay modest.
• Johanna asked about Dawn and Xiaoyun's relationship, and Dawn insisted they were only good friends.
• Xiaoyun called Lina, who joked that he had gone missing because he had not contacted home in nearly a month.
• Lina scolded Xiaoyun for suggesting he would call again later, then asked to see Dawn and stopped him from interrupting Dawn's call with Johanna.
• Dawn greeted Lina, who praised her contest performance and recounted Johanna's embarrassing youthful mistakes.
• Xiaoyun walked Dawn to her room, and they wished each other good night.

Xiaoyun and Ash arrived at Hearthome Gym before it opened, then Xiaoyun began his three-on-three Gym battle against Fantina. Fantina’s Mismagius attacked Grotle with Will-O-Wisp, leaving the battle in progress.

• Xiaoyun, Ash, and their friends waited outside Hearthome Gym until Fantina opened it at nine.
• Brock described the demanding hours he had worked as Pewter Gym’s Leader before handing the position to Forrest.
• Xiaoyun challenged Fantina first, and the referee announced that each side could use three Pokémon.
• Fantina sent out Mismagius, while Xiaoyun chose Grotle and had it block Night Shade before using Amnesia to raise its Special Defense.
• Fantina ordered Mismagius to use Will-O-Wisp, sending eight blue flames at Grotle from different angles.

Xiaoyun used Grotle’s modified Counter Shield and careful commands to defeat Fantina’s Mismagius. As Fantina sent out Gengar, Xiaoyun switched Grotle for Buizel to face the faster opponent.

• Fantina had Mismagius attack Grotle with Will-O-Wisp, but Grotle scattered the flames with its modified Mega Drain Counter Shield.
• Xiaoyun had Grotle counter Mismagius’s Razor Leaf and Shadow Ball, then close its eyes to avoid Hypnosis.
• Xiaoyun guided Grotle to bind Mismagius with Mega Drain while it charged a Shadow Ball, then finished it with Energy Ball.
• Fantina recalled Mismagius and sent out Gengar as her second Pokémon.
• Xiaoyun recalled Grotle and sent out Buizel, and Fantina ordered Gengar to use Thunderbolt.

Xiaoyun’s Buizel defeated Fantina’s Gengar with a Water Gun Counter Shield and an icy Aqua Jet. Fantina sent out her last Pokémon, Dusknoir, which trapped Buizel with Mean Look and established Trick Room, leaving Xiaoyun facing a difficult battle.

• Fantina opened with Gengar’s Thunderbolt, but Buizel blocked it with Sonic Boom before Gengar struck Buizel from the shadows with Shadow Punch.
• Buizel stopped Gengar’s Will-O-Wisp with a Water Gun Counter Shield, then knocked Gengar aside with the swirling water.
• Xiaoyun had Buizel combine Ice Punch with Aqua Jet, overpowering Gengar’s Thunder Punch and knocking Gengar out.
• Fantina recalled Gengar and sent out her final Pokémon, Dusknoir.
• Dusknoir used Mean Look to prevent Buizel from being switched out, then surrounded the battlefield with Trick Room.

Xiaoyun turned the battle around by sending Grotle against Fantina’s Dusknoir, exploiting Trick Room to make Grotle the faster Pokémon. After Dusknoir used Pain Split and Shadow Punch to regain the advantage, Grotle bit through Shadow Punch and trapped Dusknoir with Mega Drain, leaving Xiaoyun poised to finish the battle.

• Dusknoir used Trick Room and defeated Xiaoyun’s Buizel with Thunder Punch.
• Xiaoyun sent out Grotle, whose slower Speed let it attack first under Trick Room and damage Dusknoir twice with Energy Ball.
• Fantina had Dusknoir use Pain Split to recover its strength by draining Grotle’s stamina, then attacked with Shadow Punch as Trick Room ended.
• Xiaoyun ordered Grotle to bite Dusknoir’s Shadow Punch, and Grotle dispelled the energy around the fist with its bite.
• Grotle bound Dusknoir with Mega Drain, and Xiaoyun ordered it to finish Dusknoir with High Horsepower.

Xiaoyun defeated Fantina and earned the Relic Badge, while Ash began his own Gym battle against her. Ash lost Ambipom to Drifloon, then defeated Drifloon with Armaldo before Fantina’s Haunter began weakening Armaldo with Curse and Will-O-Wisp.

• Xiaoyun defeated Fantina’s Dusknoir with Grotle’s High Horsepower, winning the Hearthome Gym battle.
• Fantina praised Xiaoyun’s battling and gave him the Relic Badge, and Ash immediately challenged her.
• Xiaoyun joined Dawn, Zoey, and Brock in the spectator seats, where Dawn playfully rated his performance ninety-nine points.
• Ash sent out Ambipom against Fantina’s Drifloon, but its Normal-type Double Hit failed and Drifloon defeated it with Psybeam and Dark Pulse.
• Ash sent out Armaldo, which defeated Drifloon with Rock Blast and X-Scissor.
• Fantina sent out Haunter, which used Curse and Will-O-Wisp to drain and hinder Armaldo.

Ash defeated Fantina in a Gym battle and received the Relic Badge. Fantina told Ash, Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Brock about Hearthome City’s upcoming Double Battle Tournament, and they decided to enter.

• Haunter knocked out Armaldo with damage from Curse and Will-O-Wisp, but Pikachu defeated Haunter with a High-Voltage Thunder Shock.
• Fantina sent out Spiritomb, and Pikachu battled it with speed, dodging, and repeated attacks before knocking it out with High-Voltage Thunder Shock.
• The referee declared Ash the winner, and Fantina gave him the Relic Badge.
• Xiaoyun told Fantina that he planned to challenge the Veilstone Gym next, and Fantina explained that its new Gym Leader was a girl she had not met.
• Fantina introduced Hearthome City’s annual Double Battle Tournament, and Xiaoyun, Dawn, and Brock agreed to enter.

Ash, Zoey, Brock, and Xiaoyun signed up for Hearthome City’s Double Battle tournament, where they ran into Barry and Paul. Barry revealed he had stayed in the city to train and earn Fantina’s Relic Badge, then grew angry when Kenny was mentioned.

• Ash, Zoey, and Brock decided to enter the tournament, and the group went to register alongside many other Trainers and Coordinators.
• Barry crashed into Ash, demanded a fine, and was recognized by Xiaoyun as his childhood friend.
• Xiaoyun asked why Barry was still in Hearthome City, and Barry claimed he had been training for the tournament while hiding that he had waited for Fantina and recently earned the Relic Badge.
• Paul arrived to register for the tournament, briefly answered Xiaoyun, and ignored Ash.
• Barry told Xiaoyun that he was angry with Kenny, prompting Xiaoyun to ask what Kenny had done.

Xiaoyun, Dawn, Barry, and Zoey attended the opening of Hearthome City's Double Battle Competition, where the lavish prizes drew the contestants' attention. The rules were announced, and the 256 contestants were divided into four sections, with the four section winners advancing to determine the champions.

• Barry told Xiaoyun and Dawn that Kenny had seen him but walked away without greeting him, and Xiaoyun suspected Kenny had meant to avoid him instead.
• Three days later, Xiaoyun, Dawn, Barry, and Zoey watched the competition open in Hearthome City's packed stadium, where Rhonda served as commentator.
• Rhonda revealed the prizes: deluxe collector's edition Pokémon Stickers, two Soothe Bells, and a high-quality Spell Tag donated by Fantina.
• Barry claimed he was not interested in the prizes, but Xiaoyun teased him about relying on his Pokémon's strength, and Barry reluctantly agreed to play along.
• Rhonda explained that the 256 contestants would form 128 teams across four sections, whose winners would advance to the semifinals and compete for the championship.

Contestants were randomly paired for the Hearthome Double Battle Competition, and Xiaoyun was matched with Dawn. After the other teams formed, the competition began, leaving Xiaoyun and Dawn ready to battle with Swablu and Mismagius.

• Rhonda announced that contestants had been randomly assigned partners, and they searched the field using their number cards.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn discovered they had consecutive numbers, A52 and A51, and happily became partners.
• Zoey found that Conway was her partner, while Brock was paired with Holly and Barry with Kenny.
• Ash was paired with Paul; Ash eagerly discussed teamwork, but Paul told him to stop and said they would battle separately.
• The Hearthome Double Battle Competition began with elimination matches by section, and Xiaoyun and Dawn sent out Swablu and Mismagius when their pair was called.

Xiaoyun and Dawn faced two mocking opponents in a Double Battle, but Mismagius’s Hypnosis made them believe they were confronting Rayquaza and left their Pokémon too frightened to fight. After Xiaoyun and Dawn knocked out Machamp and Exploud, they won the match, though Dawn felt she had barely participated.

• The two opponents mocked Xiaoyun and Dawn’s unprepared Swablu and Mismagius, then sent out Machamp and Exploud.
• Xiaoyun stopped Dawn from acting and told Mismagius to use Hypnosis.
• Mismagius made the opponents and their Pokémon see a towering Shiny Rayquaza, frightening them into collapsing and abandoning their attacks.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn ordered Mismagius to use Psychic and Swablu to use Dragon Breath, knocking out Machamp and Exploud.
• The referee declared Xiaoyun and Dawn the winners, and Dawn complained that the battle had ended before she could participate much.

Xiaoyun and Dawn won their second tournament battle after Conway deduced that Mismagius’s Hypnosis had made their first opponents too frightened to fight back. Their coordinated victories carried them to the final match before the top four, where they faced Brock and Holly.

• Conway explained that Mismagius had used Hypnosis to make Xiaoyun and Dawn’s first opponents see something terrifying, and Zoey agreed with his analysis.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn defeated Fenglin and Fanfan after Grotle endured Houndoom’s attacks and used Rock Climb to weaken Graveler’s Rollout, allowing Piplup to finish it with Aqua Jet.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn continued winning with strong teamwork, winning back the crowd’s support as the tournament progressed.
• On the third day, Xiaoyun reached his final match before the top four and faced Brock and Holly.

Xiaoyun and Dawn battled Brock and Holly, working together to knock out Holly’s Wingull and leave Brock alone with Sudowoodo. Brock refused to give up and ordered Sudowoodo to use its strongest Double-Edge against Buizel.

• Brock and Holly sent out Sudowoodo and Wingull, while Xiaoyun and Dawn sent out Buizel and Buneary.
• Xiaoyun targeted Wingull with Buizel’s Aqua Jet, but Brock used Sudowoodo’s Stone Edge to protect it; Buneary’s Ice Beam froze half of Sudowoodo.
• Brock ordered Sudowoodo to attack Buneary as Holly sent Wingull after Buizel, but Buizel’s Counter Shield stopped Wingull’s Aerial Ace.
• Dawn had Buneary dodge Sudowoodo with Bounce and knock Wingull out with Jump Kick, eliminating Holly from the battle.
• Brock praised Xiaoyun and Dawn’s teamwork, then ordered Sudowoodo to use its strongest Double-Edge on Buizel.

Xiaoyun and Dawn defeated Brock’s team when Buizel’s new Vortex Water Jet overwhelmed Sudowoodo. The four semifinal teams were announced and the draw set Xiaoyun and Dawn against Zoey and Conway, while Barry and Kenny would face Ash and Paul; the first match began as both teams sent out their Pokémon.

• Xiaoyun ordered Buizel to combine Water Pulse and Aqua Jet into Vortex Water Jet, which pushed back Brock’s Sudowoodo.
• Buizel blasted Sudowoodo out of the battlefield, and the referee declared Xiaoyun and Dawn the winners.
• Brock congratulated Xiaoyun and Dawn, while Xiaoyun remarked that Brock’s Steelix might have changed the outcome.
• Rhonda announced the four advancing teams: Xiaoyun and Dawn, Zoey and Conway, Barry and Kenny, and Ash and Paul.
• The draw paired Xiaoyun and Dawn against Zoey and Conway, and Barry and Kenny against Ash and Paul.
• Zoey and Conway faced Xiaoyun and Dawn, and the opening Pokémon sent out were Glameow and Slowking.

Xiaoyun and Dawn faced Zoey and Conway in a double battle, but both sides initially waited for the other to attack. After the referee warned them, the fight began, and it ended with Slowking immobilizing Ursaring just as it prepared to fire Hyper Beam.

• Zoey sent out Glameow and Conway sent out Slowking, while Xiaoyun and Dawn chose Ursaring and Pachirisu.
• After both teams stalled for five minutes, the referee warned them to start battling or face penalties.
• Xiaoyun ordered Ursaring to use Brick Break on Glameow, while Dawn sent Pachirisu’s Discharge toward Slowking.
• Conway used Slowking’s Psychic to redirect Discharge into Ursaring, and Zoey followed with Glameow’s Fury Swipes.
• Ursaring endured the attacks and nearly struck Glameow with Brick Break, but Conway pulled it clear with Confusion.
• Zoey and Conway switched to ranged attacks, then Slowking used Psychic to hold Ursaring still and stop its Hyper Beam.

Xiaoyun and Dawn used Pachirisu’s Follow Me and Volt Absorb to disrupt Conway and Zoey’s tactics, while Ursaring’s Guts and Belly Drum turned it into a berserk powerhouse. Ursaring broke through Slowking’s Protect and knocked out both opponents, giving Xiaoyun and Dawn the victory.

• Dawn redirected Glameow’s Thunderbolt into Pachirisu with Follow Me, letting Volt Absorb restore Pachirisu’s stamina.
• Pachirisu paralyzed Ursaring with Thunder Wave, activating Ursaring’s Guts and increasing its attack power.
• Xiaoyun had Ursaring use Belly Drum, further boosting its strength as it charged at Slowking and Glameow.
• Pachirisu interrupted Slowking’s attempt to use Teleport and redirected Glameow’s Thunderbolt away from Ursaring.
• Slowking’s Protect briefly blocked Ursaring’s Lariat, but Ursaring shattered the barrier and knocked out Slowking and Glameow.
• The referee declared Xiaoyun and Dawn the winners.

Xiaoyun and Dawn defeated Conway in a hard-hitting battle, and the semifinals moved into their second half. Ash and Paul's match against Kenny and Barry began with their opponents combining two Hydro Pumps against Pikachu and Chimchar.

• The referee declared Xiaoyun and Dawn the winners after Ursaring overwhelmed Conway's team, drawing cheers from the crowd.
• Meowth and James sold snacks in the stands while Jessie warned them that they needed to catch Pikachu to earn promotions.
• Xiaoyun praised Dawn's support, and they shared a high five as they left the battlefield.
• The host announced that Kenny and Barry would face Ash and Paul in the second half of the semifinals.
• Ash sent out Pikachu, Paul sent out Chimchar, and Kenny and Barry chose Prinplup and Empoleon.
• Kenny and Barry combined their Pokémon's Hydro Pumps, while Pikachu dodged and Chimchar began using Dig.

Kenny and Barry coordinated their attacks to put Ash and Paul under pressure, but Chimchar rescued Pikachu and the Double Battle split into two fights. As Chimchar repeatedly fell under Empoleon’s attacks, Paul demanded that he keep fighting, leaving Ash to challenge Paul’s treatment of him.

• Pika dodged Hydro Pump while Chimchar used Dig, and Xiaoyun praised their coordination.
• Kenny and Barry focused their attacks on Pikachu, but Chimchar burst from underground and knocked Prinplup away before he could strike Pikachu.
• Paul and Kenny argued over the two-on-one attack, then Paul sent Chimchar against Empoleon while Ash and Kenny’s Pokémon fought separately.
• Empoleon’s Hydro Pump overwhelmed Chimchar’s Flamethrower, leaving Chimchar badly injured and struggling to stand.
• Paul ordered Chimchar to get up and keep using Flamethrower, and Ash protested that Chimchar had reached his limit.
• Paul asked Chimchar whether he was still unwilling to use the power inside him.

Chimchar failed to unleash its Blaze power and collapsed, while Ash’s Pikachu defeated Kenny’s Prinplup and Barry’s Empoleon with overwhelming attacks. Paul and Ash won the match, leaving Paul’s disappointment with Chimchar unmistakable.

• Paul watched Chimchar try to unleash its power, but its injuries overwhelmed it and the referee declared it unable to battle.
• Ash sent Pikachu against Barry and Kenny’s Pokémon, and Pikachu bypassed Empoleon to knock out Kenny’s injured Prinplup.
• Ash ordered Pikachu to attack Empoleon, and Pikachu broke through its Hyper Beam with High-Voltage Thunder Shock.
• The referee declared Paul and Ash the winners of the match.

After Ash and Paul defeated Barry, Paul released Chimchar and handed it over to Xiaoyun, who challenged Paul's belief that bonds were useless. Paul demanded that Xiaoyun prove bonds could turn Chimchar's talent into strength.

• Ash and Paul won after Pikachu defeated Barry's Empoleon, while Barry protested Pikachu's sudden strength.
• Paul released Chimchar in a grove outside Hearthome City, saying Chimchar had failed to master its power and no longer needed to follow him.
• Paul revealed that Xiaoyun had been listening and tossed him Chimchar's Poké Ball, keeping his promise to hand Chimchar over.
• Xiaoyun asked whether he could make Chimchar's talent real and whether Paul would regret giving it up.
• Paul challenged Xiaoyun to prove that bonds could build strength, arguing that bonds clouded judgment and strict training mattered more.

Xiaoyun convinced Paul’s injured Chimchar to join him, giving the Pokémon a new beginning. The next morning, Xiaoyun and Dawn faced Ash and Paul in the Hearthome Double Battle Competition finals as Ash and Paul sent out their first Pokémon.

• After Paul left Chimchar behind, Xiaoyun offered him a place on his team and promised to help him prove his strength.
• Chimchar accepted Xiaoyun as his new Trainer, and Xiaoyun took him to the Pokémon Center for Nurse Joy to examine.
• Dawn learned that Xiaoyun had taken in Paul’s Chimchar and angrily criticized Paul for abandoning him.
• At the Hearthome Double Battle Competition finals, Xiaoyun and Dawn entered the field to face Ash and Paul.
• Ash sent out Turtwig, and Paul sent out Electabuzz to begin the battle.

Xiaoyun sent Chimchar, Paul’s former Pokémon, into battle against Paul’s Electabuzz in the finals, while Dawn and Ash’s Pokémon fought on the other side of the field. Chimchar held his own against Electabuzz, but Paul’s command to use Thunder left Xiaoyun worried about what would happen next.

• Paul sent out Electabuzz, and Dawn sent out Piplup before Xiaoyun revealed that he would battle with Chimchar.
• Paul reacted with anger and humiliation at seeing his former Pokémon on Xiaoyun’s team, while Team Rocket approved of Chimchar’s new home.
• Xiaoyun encouraged Chimchar, who overcame his fear of Paul and stepped forward to battle.
• Paul ordered Electabuzz to use Thunderbolt, and Xiaoyun countered with Chimchar’s Flamethrower as Ash and Dawn began their own Pokémon battle.
• Electabuzz’s Wild Charge and Chimchar’s Flame Wheel collided in a stalemate, until Paul ordered Thunder and Xiaoyun realized Chimchar was in danger.

Chimchar awakened its mutated Blaze during its battle with Electabuzz, but the power overwhelmed its consciousness. Xiaoyun entered Chimchar’s inner world, comforted it as it relived its painful past, and helped it begin to reclaim control.

• Electabuzz struck the injured Chimchar with Thunder, and Paul called it useless.
• Chimchar forced open its sealed power and unleashed a towering Blaze, then attacked Electabuzz with a powerful stream of flames.
• Xiaoyun used the Power of Overcoming to enter Chimchar’s dark inner world and found it cowering beside unconscious Zangoose.
• Xiaoyun held Chimchar and reassured it, and Chimchar cried as it remembered its hardship and abandonment by Paul.
• Xiaoyun asked Chimchar to face its power with him, and Chimchar agreed as light began to fill its inner world.

Xiaoyun and Dawn won the Double Battle tournament after Chimchar mastered its Mutated Blaze and defeated Ash and Paul’s Pokémon. The chapter ended with Paul silently leaving as the crowd reacted to Chimchar’s strength.

• Chimchar regained control of its power, and Xiaoyun ordered it to use Flamethrower against Electabuzz and Turtwig.
• Chimchar’s Flamethrower shattered Electabuzz’s Protect, knocked out Turtwig, and eliminated Ash.
• Chimchar defeated Electabuzz with Flame Wheel after overpowering its Wild Charge, and the referee declared Xiaoyun and Dawn the winners.
• Chimchar stared at Paul after the battle, but Paul recalled Electabuzz and walked away without speaking.
• Rhonda announced Xiaoyun and Dawn as the tournament champions, while the spectators and contestants reacted to Chimchar’s overwhelming strength.