Chapter Summaries

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.

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.