Chapter Summaries

Xiaoyun watched the Jubilife Contest and turned his seats into a cheering section for Dawn, while contestants including Zoey, Jessilina, and Ash performed. Ash earned a strong score, and Dawn and Zoey watched his performance from the preparation room.

• Xiaoyun found Teruhiko in the stands and brought out Ursaring and Turtwig to cheer for Dawn, dressing them and Teruhiko in contest gear.
• Zoey performed with Misdreavus using Double Team, Confuse Ray, and Thunder Wave, earning a score of 29.3 and temporarily taking first place.
• Jessilina the Sweet performed with Carnivine, jumping into its mouth and receiving praise from the judges.
• Ash used Aipom's Double Team and Swift to form a five-pointed star, then shattered it with Focus Punch and earned a score of 29.1.
• Dawn was surprised by Ash's performance, and Zoey acknowledged that he had taken the contest seriously.

Dawn made her Pokémon Contest debut with a dazzling performance alongside Piplup, earning the highest score and beating Zoey. Afterward, Zoey and Ash congratulated her as the contestants awaited the announcement of who would advance.

• Xiaoyun loudly cheered Dawn on as she took the stage, and his support helped her relax.
• Dawn directed Piplup through a performance combining Whirlpool, Aqua Jet, and Spinning Bubble Beam, ending with a burst of water and sparkling blue light.
• The audience and judges praised Dawn's performance, while Zoey recognized her as a promising rival and Jessie worried about losing her chance at a Ribbon.
• Dawn received a unanimous score of 29.5, placing first ahead of Zoey, as Johanna and Lina watched proudly on television.
• Ash and Zoey praised Dawn in the waiting room, where Zoey pointed out that the list of contestants advancing to the next round had appeared.

Dawn defeated Nobuko with Buneary and advanced, while Zoey beat Ash in the timed Contest match. Jessie Lina also won her match, setting up her next battle against Dawn, which began with Piplup facing Carnivine.

• Dawn and Nobuko began their match with Buneary and Masquerain, and Dawn used Buneary’s Bounce and Dizzy Punch to defeat Masquerain.
• Zoey defeated Ash after Glameow repeatedly countered Aipom and Ash ran out of time with almost no points remaining.
• Xiaoyun watched Ash’s loss and wondered how Paul would fare in a Pokémon Contest.
• Jessie Lina won her match with Carnivine, and Dawn and Jessie Lina were paired for the next battle.
• Dawn sent out Piplup against Jessie Lina’s Carnivine.

Dawn defeated Jessie and reached the Pokémon Contest final, where she narrowly lost to Zoey when time ran out. She called Johanna afterward and received praise for how much she had grown.

• Dawn used Piplup's attacks to defeat Jessie and Carnivine, advancing to the final.
• Zoey defeated her opponent Glameow and met Dawn in the final.
• Dawn and Zoey traded attacks in a close contest, but Zoey won when the five-minute time limit ended with her ahead on points.
• Dawn called Johanna, who praised her growth despite her loss.
• Xiaoyun and Teruhiko went backstage to check on Dawn.

After the contest, Dawn said goodbye to Teruhiko and Zoey while Xiaoyun comforted and encouraged her. Xiaoyun then agreed to travel with Ash and Brock toward Oreburgh City the next day, and everyone returned to the Pokémon Center to rest.

• Johanna chatted with Xiaoyun during her call with Dawn, leaving Dawn frustrated that she barely got to speak.
• Dawn and Xiaoyun walked Teruhiko to the entrance and said goodbye as he left with Shinx.
• Zoey said goodbye to Dawn and Xiaoyun, explaining that she wanted to train harder after nearly losing to Dawn.
• Xiaoyun encouraged Dawn, then changed the subject when Ash and Brock joined them.
• Xiaoyun remembered his Gym challenge and agreed to travel with Ash and Brock to Oreburgh City the next day.
• Xiaoyun invited everyone to return to the Pokémon Center to rest.

Xiaoyun and his companions arrived in Oreburgh City and went to Oreburgh Gym, where they watched Paul challenge Roark. Paul defeated Roark’s final Pokémon, Cranidos, and won the Gym Challenge.

• Xiaoyun stopped Ash from rushing to challenge the Gym before the group had eaten or rested.
• The next morning, Xiaoyun and his companions visited Oreburgh Gym and learned that Roark was already battling a challenger.
• Xiaoyun spotted Paul on the battlefield, and Brock explained that Ash wanted to beat him after losing their previous battle.
• Xiaoyun suggested that Ash challenge Paul to a fistfight, and Ash considered the idea.
• Paul ordered Elekid to strike Cranidos with Brick Break using its other hand, knocking Cranidos out and winning the Gym Challenge.

After Paul defeated Roark and received the Coal Badge, Xiaoyun reminded him of their agreement about Chimchar, and Paul agreed to watch the others battle. Ash began preparing to challenge Roark first, with Xiaoyun set to battle afterward.

• Paul narrowly defeated Roark’s Cranidos with Elekid, and Roark gave Paul the Coal Badge.
• Xiaoyun stopped Paul and asked about Chimchar, and Paul said Chimchar could remain on his team for now.
• Ash invited Paul to watch his Gym battle, and Paul agreed to stay and observe both battles.
• Xiaoyun and Ash asked Roark for Gym battles, and Roark said Ash would go first after his Pokémon recovered.

Ash challenged Roark for a Badge in a three-on-three Gym battle, where Staravia and Pikachu each faced Roark’s Pokémon. After Staravia and Pikachu were defeated, Aipom battled Cranidos but was struck down repeatedly, leaving the match unresolved.

• Ash sent out Staravia against Roark’s Geodude, but Geodude used Rollout to knock Staravia out.
• Ash sent out Pikachu, whose Thunderbolt defeated Geodude despite its Ground type.
• Roark’s Onix interrupted Pikachu with Screech and landed Dig, but Pikachu escaped Bind and defeated Onix with Iron Tail after forcing it out of its hole.
• Roark sent out Cranidos, and its Head Smash defeated Pikachu after clashing with Volt Tackle.
• Ash sent out Aipom, which was caught off guard by Stealth Rock and struck by Cranidos’s Zen Headbutt and Head Smash before it could finish charging Focus Punch.

After Ash lost his Gym challenge to Roark, a rampage by revived fossil Pokémon forced Roark to postpone Xiaoyun’s battle and rush to Oreburgh Mine. Xiaoyun, Dawn, Ash, and Brock joined the response, where Xiaoyun quietly planned to use the crisis as battle training for his Pokémon.

• Roark’s Cranidos knocked out Ash’s Aipom with Head Smash, and Roark denied Ash the Badge.
• Paul criticized Ash for letting his emotions affect his battle and left after Xiaoyun’s Gym challenge was postponed.
• A mine worker told Roark that revived fossil Pokémon had run wild and injured people, so Roark hurried to Oreburgh Mine.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn followed Roark to the mine, while Ash and Brock joined the effort and Paul departed.
• Roark sent out Onix and Cranidos to help the rescue teams, and Xiaoyun split up the group to cover the area.
• Xiaoyun told Sceptile to fight the fossil Pokémon as training while he and Dawn prepared their Pokémon to help.

Xiaoyun coached Dawn in combining Piplup and Buneary’s moves, then decided to catch an Aerodactyl that was provoking Ursaring. He challenged Aerodactyl to a battle, with Ursaring ready to follow his plan and get revenge.

• Xiaoyun trained Turtwig and Ursaring while Dawn battled an Armaldo with Piplup and Buneary.
• Xiaoyun suggested combining Ice Beam and Bubble Beam, and Dawn’s Pokémon knocked out Armaldo with the combined attack.
• Aerodactyl appeared and insulted Ursaring, which retaliated by hurling rocks while Aerodactyl dodged and taunted it.
• Xiaoyun told Ursaring to follow his commands and promised it could punch Aerodactyl, then challenged Aerodactyl to a battle.
• Aerodactyl accepted the challenge, treating it as a fight.

Xiaoyun defeated and caught Aerodactyl, then used his feigned modesty to persuade Roark to let him keep the Fossil Pokémon. The chapter ended with Xiaoyun gaining Roark as a big brother while Dawn saw through his act.

• Xiaoyun had Ursaring use Taunt to provoke Aerodactyl, then Brick Break to knock him off balance.
• Ursaring pinned Aerodactyl down and hit him with a point-blank Hyper Beam, leaving him unconscious.
• Xiaoyun caught Aerodactyl in a Poké Ball as Roark arrived with Rampardos and thanked Xiaoyun for helping recover the Pokémon.
• Xiaoyun presented Aerodactyl to Roark while pretending he had only caught him to protect others, and Roark insisted Xiaoyun keep him as a thank-you gift.
• Roark asked Xiaoyun to call him big brother, and Xiaoyun accepted while Dawn recognized that he had manipulated the situation.

After Team Rocket’s fossil theft was resolved, Roark postponed Xiaoyun’s Gym challenge until the day after tomorrow. Xiaoyun tried to train his newly caught Aerodactyl, but a misunderstanding led Ursaring and Sceptile to beat it repeatedly, leaving Aerodactyl battered and furious.

• Roark told Xiaoyun that Team Rocket had stolen fossils and revived ancient Pokémon, and said the warehouse cleanup would delay Xiaoyun’s Gym challenge until the day after tomorrow.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn went to the Pokémon Center, where they collected their healed Pokémon and visited Ash and the others.
• Xiaoyun took Ursaring, Sceptile, and Aerodactyl to an open space to establish whether Aerodactyl would follow his commands.
• Aerodactyl asked what Xiaoyun wanted it to command, but Xiaoyun mistook the question for defiance and ordered Ursaring and Sceptile to attack.
• Aerodactyl tried to explain itself, but Ursaring and Sceptile ignored it and beat it again.

Xiaoyun settled Aerodactyl into his team, planned to use the Gym battle to build their coordination, and took a day off with Dawn in Oreburgh City. The next morning, they headed to the Oreburgh Gym while Ash continued training.

• Xiaoyun gave Aerodactyl Pokéblocks, checked his Pokédex information, and decided to bring him to the Gym battle the day after tomorrow.
• Xiaoyun tested sitting on Aerodactyl’s back, then announced that the Pokémon would have the next day off before their Gym challenge.
• Xiaoyun warned Aerodactyl against flying away by promising him double portions of Pokéblocks, and Aerodactyl settled down to sleep.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn spent the day shopping, eating ice cream, buying contest stickers, and playing claw machines in Oreburgh City.
• Xiaoyun saw Ash training intensively at the Pokémon Center, then left with Dawn for the Oreburgh Gym early the next morning.

Xiaoyun began his three-on-three Oreburgh Gym battle against Roark, with Dawn cheering him on. Turtwig defeated Roark’s Onix, and Roark sent out Rampardos as the battle continued.

• Roark and Xiaoyun agreed to a three-on-three Gym battle, and Roark opened with Onix while Xiaoyun chose Turtwig.
• Dawn cheered for Xiaoyun alongside Piplup and Buneary as Roark’s Onix attacked with Rock Throw and Take Down.
• Turtwig defended against the falling rocks, then Xiaoyun used a Small Energy Ball to interrupt Onix’s attempt to set Stealth Rock.
• Onix used Dig to ambush Turtwig, but Xiaoyun coached Turtwig to sense its underground movements.
• Turtwig dodged Onix’s next Dig and struck it with Razor Leaf and Tackle, knocking it out.
• Roark recalled Onix and sent out Rampardos.

Xiaoyun’s Aerodactyl defeated Roark’s Rampardos after Turtwig had been knocked out, leaving Roark’s powerful final Pokémon, Rhyperior, to face him. Xiaoyun questioned whether Rhyperior was too strong for a Gym test.

• Roark sent out Rampardos, which knocked out Turtwig with repeated Zen Headbutts.
• Xiaoyun sent out Aerodactyl, which blocked Rampardos’s Iron Head and struck it with Iron Tail.
• Rampardos charged Aerodactyl with Zen Headbutt, but Aerodactyl answered with Head Smash and drove it into a crater, knocking it out.
• Roark sent out Rhyperior as his final Pokémon, and Xiaoyun remarked that it seemed too strong for a test.

Xiaoyun tested Ursaring against Roark’s powerful Rhyperior in a fierce battle, with both Pokémon trading heavy attacks. Ursaring ultimately collapsed after their final clash, leaving the battle’s winner unclear.

• Roark offered Xiaoyun the Badge regardless of the result but asked him to challenge Rhyperior for a surprise.
• Xiaoyun recalled Aerodactyl and sent Ursaring out to fight Rhyperior, choosing not to rely on Sceptile.
• Ursaring used Bulk Up to stop Rhyperior’s Horn Drill charge, then clashed with it using Hammer Arm and Brick Break.
• Ursaring countered Rhyperior’s Iron Tail with Fire Punch and forced it back.
• Roark ordered Rhyperior to use Rock Wrecker, and Xiaoyun answered with Ursaring’s maximum-power Hyper Beam.
• After the attacks collided and the smoke cleared, Ursaring collapsed while Rhyperior remained standing.

Xiaoyun defeated Roark’s Rhyperior with Ursaring, earning the Coal Badge and a Hard Stone. He and Dawn left for Floaroma Town before their next Gym challenge, then ran into Ash and Brock at the Pokémon Center.

• Ursaring and Roark’s Rhyperior knocked each other out, giving Xiaoyun the victory over Roark.
• Roark awarded Xiaoyun the Coal Badge and gifted him a Hard Stone for Aerodactyl.
• Xiaoyun told Roark he intended to win the League Conference, then said he and Dawn would visit Floaroma Town before heading to the Eterna Gym.
• Roark teased Xiaoyun and Dawn as they said goodbye and left the Gym.
• At the Pokémon Center, Xiaoyun and Dawn gave their Poké Balls to Nurse Joy, then Ash and Brock arrived and greeted Xiaoyun.

Xiaoyun told Ash to keep training with Brock before challenging another Gym, then set off with Dawn for Floaroma Town. Along the way, Dawn caught Pachirisu, which immediately escaped her control and subdued Piplup and Buneary.

• Xiaoyun explained that he had wanted Ash to train longer, and Brock agreed to help him strengthen his foundation before another Gym challenge.
• Xiaoyun told Ash that he and Dawn would leave for Floaroma Town the next day to enter the Pokémon Contest, and Ash promised to show how much he had improved.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn set off toward Floaroma Town via Jubilife City and Route 204.
• Dawn spotted Pachirisu, but Piplup lost their battle when Pachirisu defeated it with Discharge; Buneary then helped Dawn wear Pachirisu out so she could catch it.
• Pachirisu woke up after eating, ran away from Dawn, and used a heart-shaped move to daze Piplup and Buneary before rubbing its cheeks against them and leaving them slumped on the ground.

Dawn caught a mischievous Pachirisu, while Xiaoyun helped her settle it into being her Pokémon. Xiaoyun then gave Aerodactyl a Hard Stone and discovered that the Mega Evolution Stone in his bag belonged to Aerodactyl, leaving it with him until they found a Key Stone.

• Dawn explained that Pachirisu had collapsed from exhaustion after she chased it, and Xiaoyun had Sceptile carry it over to her.
• Dawn gave Pachirisu a Pokéblock and welcomed it as her Pokémon, but it shocked her with Thunder Shock before racing around camp.
• Xiaoyun gave Aerodactyl the Hard Stone Roark had provided, and Aerodactyl absorbed its energy and felt its power.
• Aerodactyl sensed a special energy in Xiaoyun's backpack, leading Xiaoyun to show him the Mega Evolution Stone.
• Aerodactyl confirmed the Mega Evolution Stone was his, and Xiaoyun promised to keep it until they obtained a Key Stone.
• Xiaoyun decided he needed to strengthen his bond with Aerodactyl and planned to give him an extra meal.

Xiaoyun and Dawn encountered Hunter J attacking a girl to capture her Gardevoir. After Hunter J petrified Gardevoir and had it lifted away by helicopter, Xiaoyun and Dawn arrived as she ordered her team to withdraw.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn spotted Hunter J flying over a flower garden on Salamence and went to investigate together.
• Hunter J demanded the girl's Gardevoir, then ordered Salamence to use Flamethrower when the girl refused.
• The girl and Gardevoir escaped the burning garden with Teleport, but Hunter J tracked them to a nearby valley.
• Salamence struck Gardevoir, and Hunter J turned it to stone with a beam from her arm.
• Hunter J had a helicopter carry away the petrified Gardevoir, then ordered her team to withdraw as a voice interrupted her.