Chapter Summaries

Xiaoyun and the others watched Gouging Fire battle Moltres before Zapdos and Raging Bolt joined the fight, turning the volcanic summit into a clash between Paradox Pokémon and Legendary Birds. As Raging Bolt and Gouging Fire gained the upper hand, Articuno finally appeared from the snowy mountain.

• Gouging Fire used Burning Bulwark to absorb Moltres's Burn Up, then fought back with Dragon Rush and Flare Blitz, injuring Moltres and driving it from the volcano summit.
• Rotom identified the unknown Pokémon as Gouging Fire, an ancient Fire- and Dragon-type Pokémon suspected to be a variant of Entei.
• Zapdos arrived to help Moltres, and the two Legendary Birds attacked Gouging Fire together, but Gouging Fire blocked their fire attacks with Burning Bulwark.
• Raging Bolt appeared and struck Zapdos with a lightning spear and Thunder, then trapped Moltres and Zapdos in a lightning net, allowing Gouging Fire to wound Moltres with Dragon Claw.
• Articuno rose into the sky from the snowy mountain as Xiaoyun and Dawn discussed the Paradox Pokémon's fighting strength.

Walking Wake joined the battle and fought Dawn, Barry, and Sanpei while Xiaoyun's Suicune battled Articuno. Suicune froze Articuno and came to Dawn's aid, but Walking Wake faced down Suicune alongside Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt.

• Walking Wake emerged from the sea, and Xiaoyun's Suicune appeared before challenging Articuno's attack.
• Dawn, Barry, and Sanpei fought Walking Wake, but it defeated Greninja and Empoleon before Dawn Mega Evolved Gyarados.
• Suicune defeated Articuno with Absolute Freezing Air, freezing it in a block of ice.
• Dawn's Mega Gyarados matched Walking Wake's Water Steam with Steam Eruption but fell exhausted after their clash.
• Floette protected Gyarados from Walking Wake, and Suicune arrived to calm the steam as Xiaoyun stepped in.
• Walking Wake approached Suicune again as Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt landed at its sides.

Xiaoyun summoned Deoxys to help Suicune against Walking Wake, Gouging Fire, and Raging Bolt, and Deoxys defeated all three ancient Pokémon. After catching them, Xiaoyun asked why they had come, but Gouging Fire admitted they did not know.

• Walking Wake attacked Suicune, while Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt advanced on Xiaoyun and his companions.
• Xiaoyun summoned Deoxys, whose Pressure overwhelmed Barry and Sanpei before Deoxys turned its attention to the ancient Pokémon.
• Deoxys switched forms to evade and counter the attacks, defeating Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt and helping Suicune bring down Walking Wake.
• Gouging Fire and Raging Bolt got back up and attacked again, but Deoxys endured their strikes, healed with Recover, and knocked Raging Bolt out.
• Xiaoyun caught Gouging Fire, Raging Bolt, and Walking Wake with Great Balls, while the Legendary Birds fled before Barry could pursue them.
• Xiaoyun questioned the captured Pokémon, and Gouging Fire said the three did not know why they had come.

Xiaoyun learned that Hoopa had likely transported Gouging Fire and the other Legendary Beasts, then arranged for Deoxys to take them to a new home. After returning to Azure Bay and winning the fishing tournament with Dratini, Xiaoyun and his friends reached Coumarine City, where Ash defeated Ramos and earned the Plant Badge.

• Xiaoyun concluded that Hoopa had brought the three Legendary Beasts to the region and sent Deoxys to relocate them to the Tree of Beginning.
• Xiaoyun, Dawn, Barry, and Sanpei returned to Azure Bay, where Dratini drew anglers away from the tournament and helped Xiaoyun win first place; he gave the prize to Dawn.
• Xiaoyun's group traveled to Coumarine City and registered Dawn for the Coumarine Festival before heading to Coumarine Gym.
• Ash used Frogadier to overcome Gogoat's attacks by sensing its position inside the Leaf Storm and counterattacking with Water Pulse and Iai Slash.
• Ramos awarded Ash the Plant Badge after Ash defeated Gogoat.

Barry challenged the Coumarine Gym and battled Ramos's apprentice Hill in a three-on-three match. Barry's Skarmory defeated Roselia and tied with Tropius, then faced Hill's final Pokémon, Shiftry, as the battle continued.

• Barry and Dawn asked Ramos for Gym battles, but Ramos had Hill defend the Gym in his place, and Barry accepted Hill's challenge after being provoked.
• Hill's Roselia defeated Barry's Clawitzer by ensnaring it with Vine Whip and draining it with Leech Seed before slamming it down.
• Barry's Skarmory defeated Roselia with Steel Wing and Air Slash after resisting its Grass-type attacks.
• Hill's Tropius used its Chlorophyll Ability to charge Solar Beam quickly, but Skarmory's Metal Sound disrupted it before both Pokémon knocked each other out.
• Hill sent out Shiftry, which dodged Skarmory's Air Slash, countered its Metal Sound with Leaf Blade, and prepared Payback as Skarmory charged with Brave Bird.

Barry defeated Hill to win the Gym battle and receive the Forest Badge, then Ramos served tea before Dawn’s Gym battle began. Dawn’s Skrelp defeated Jumpluff but was knocked out by Victreebel, and Braviary had begun its counterattack when the chapter ended.

• Barry’s Roserade defeated Hill’s Shiftry, earning Barry the Forest Badge.
• Ramos served tea to Ash, Dawn, Clemont, Xiaoyun, and Barry before resuming the Gym battles.
• Dawn’s Skrelp poisoned Jumpluff and evaded it until Jumpluff fell from exhaustion.
• Victreebel bound Skrelp with Vine Whip and knocked it out with Power Whip.
• Dawn sent out her Shiny Braviary, which blew Victreebel’s Poison Powder away with Hurricane before Dawn commanded Esper Wing.

Dawn defeated Ramos’s Victreebel and Gogoat with Braviary and Doublade, earning the Forest Badge. Afterward, Ramos postponed Xiaoyun’s assessment until the afternoon, and everyone shared a meal at the Gym.

• Braviary defeated Victreebel, but Ramos’s Gogoat exploited poison left by Victreebel to knock Braviary out.
• Dawn sent out Doublade, which overcame Gogoat’s defenses and deflected its final charge with Swords Dance.
• Doublade defeated Gogoat with Sacred Sword, securing Dawn’s victory over Ramos.
• Ramos praised Dawn’s battle and awarded her the Forest Badge.
• Ramos and Xiaoyun agreed to hold Xiaoyun’s assessment in the afternoon, and the group ate together in the Gym courtyard.

Xiaoyun and Dawn shared a sweet moment before Xiaoyun began his assessment battle against Coumarine Gym Leader Ramos. Ramos’s Sunflora defeated Dratini, but Zweilous disrupted its Solar Beam and landed a hit, leaving the battle underway.

• Dawn offered Xiaoyun a sip of her Pecha Berry juice, and they flirted while Serena’s attempt to share juice with Ash ended in a misunderstanding.
• The afternoon assessment began with Ramos and Xiaoyun each sending out a Pokémon: Sunflora and Dratini.
• Ramos’s Sunflora used Sunny Day, Ingrain, and a nearly instant Solar Beam to defeat Dratini despite Xiaoyun’s counterattacks.
• Xiaoyun sent out Zweilous, whose paired Dragon Pulse and Dark Pulse interrupted Sunflora’s Solar Beam and damaged it.

Xiaoyun defeated Ramos's Sunflora with Zweilous, then faced Ramos's Alolan Form Exeggutor in a fierce battle of Dragon-types. The chapter ended as Exeggutor's Draco Meteor rained down on Zweilous's charging Head Smash.

• Xiaoyun had Zweilous break through Sunflora's Protect with Head Smash, knocking it out and winning the first clash.
• Ramos sent out his unusual Alolan Form Exeggutor, and Rotom explained that it was a Grass- and Dragon-type Pokémon from Alola.
• Exeggutor matched Zweilous's Dragon Pulse, then drove it back with Leaf Storm combined with Extrasensory.
• Zweilous broke free with Crunch and countered Exeggutor's Dragon Hammer and Uproar with Hyper Voice and Dragon Pulse.
• Xiaoyun ordered a final Head Smash as Ramos answered with Draco Meteor, whose falling meteors closed in on Zweilous.

Inspector Xiaoyun defeated Ramos in the final round of his Coumarine Gym assessment after their battle ended in a draw between Zweilous and Exeggutor. Ramos accepted Xiaoyun’s favorable evaluation, and they parted with mutual respect.

• Zweilous and Exeggutor knocked each other out with Head Smash and Draco Meteor, leaving Xiaoyun and Ramos tied at one win each.
• Ramos sent out Chesnaught, then Mega Evolved it, while Xiaoyun chose Volcarona for the final battle.
• Volcarona and Mega Chesnaught traded attacks, and both were badly hurt before Xiaoyun unleashed the Fire-type Z-Move Inferno Overdrive.
• Volcarona’s Inferno Overdrive overwhelmed Chesnaught’s Protect, leaving Chesnaught unconscious and giving Xiaoyun the victory.
• Xiaoyun praised Ramos and the Coumarine Gym’s standards on his assessment form, and Ramos thanked him for the battle.

At Coumarine City’s Oath Festival, the group prepared gifts for their Pokémon and celebrated beneath the Pledging Tree. Serena gathered her courage to hold Ash’s hand, while the chapter ended with Dawn giving Piplup a brooch.

• Ramos invited the group to stay for Coumarine’s festival and told them the legend of the Pledging Tree and its gift-giving tradition.
• Dawn and Xiaoyun planned gifts for their Pokémon and each other, while Serena prepared a scarf for Braixen and hoped to give Ash a present.
• Xiaoyun secretly bought Dawn the blue ribbon she admired, and the group spent the afternoon playing festival shooting games.
• Ash and Pikachu won the shooting game with a perfect score, and Xiaoyun encouraged Serena to follow her feelings toward Ash.
• Serena took Ash’s hand as they walked to the Pledging Tree, and Ash held it more tightly, believing she was worried about getting separated.
• Ramos opened the Oath Festival, and Dawn fastened a Dive Badge-shaped brooch to Piplup’s bow tie, making Piplup leap happily into her arms.

At the Coumarine Festival, Xiaoyun and Dawn shared a kiss while Serena struggled to get closer to Ash. Before the warmth of the festival faded, Dawn prepared Floette and Shaymin for the Coumarine Showcase, where Miette formally challenged her, leaving Serena nervous about competing.

• Xiaoyun gave Dawn a blue ribbon and tied it in her hair before they kissed, while Bonnie, Clemont, Barry, and Kenny watched from behind a tree.
• Serena tried to lean against Ash as they watched Volcarona battle Talonflame, but Ash rushed off to find a nighttime battle, and Serena followed him.
• Dawn prepared Floette for its first Showcase performance and persuaded Shaymin to join it onstage.
• Miette introduced herself to Dawn, praised her past performances, and declared that she intended to challenge her at the Coumarine Showcase.
• Serena admitted she felt pressured by the experienced performers, and Dawn encouraged her to take the competition slowly and enjoy performing.

At the Coumarine Showcase, Serena, Dawn, Miette, and Jessie competed in a soufflé-making Theme Performance, using their Pokémon’s abilities to prepare and present their desserts. The first round ended with Serena, Jessilee, Miette, and the other contestants advancing, and the Freestyle Performance began.

• Pierre introduced the Showcase’s two rounds, the soufflé-making Theme Performance and the audience-voted Freestyle Performance, and presented Pokémon League inspector Xiaoyun and Kalos Queen Aria as special guests.
• Miette used Slurpuff’s Dazzling Gleam and Psychic type Meowth’s Confusion to prepare a precise, glowing soufflé.
• Jessie used Pumpkaboo’s Shadow Ball and Jellicent’s Water Pulse to make soufflés with a starry purple interior.
• Serena used Braixen’s flames and Frogadier’s Water Pulse and Iai Slash to make plain but well-prepared soufflés.
• Dawn used Floette’s Fairy Wind and Shaymin’s Sweet Scent to create fragrant soufflés, impressing Aria with her performance.
• Serena, Jessilee, Miette, and the other contestants advanced from the first round, and the Freestyle Performance began.

Dawn won the Coumarine Pokémon Showcase with a breathtaking performance that shocked Aria, then continued traveling with Xiaoyun and Ash's group to Greenfield Ranch. There, Serena reunited with her mother Saki, who urged her to resume riding training, but Serena chose to keep traveling.

• Dawn performed with Floette and Shaymin, transforming the stage into a radiant forest and earning the stunned admiration of Aria and the audience.
• Mr. Pierre announced Dawn as the winner, and Aria presented her with her second Princess Key while praising her performance.
• Xiaoyun and Dawn said goodbye to Little Blondie and Sanpei, then traveled with Ash's group to Greenfield Ranch, where they learned the riding competition provided unfamiliar Pokémon.
• Serena explained the ranch's riding traditions before her mother, Saki, corrected her account and invited the group to her cottage.
• Saki urged Serena to pause her journey and return to riding training, but Serena told her mother she did not want to give up traveling.

Serena challenged her mother Saki to a Rhyhorn race to prove she wanted to choose her own future, then won with the support of Ash and her bond with Rhyhorn. After the ranch competition, the group said goodbye to Saki and set off together, with Serena more certain of her chosen path.

• Serena told Saki she wanted to travel and challenged her to settle their disagreement in a Rhyhorn race.
• Saki took an early lead, but Ash cheered Serena on, and Serena's connection with Rhyhorn helped her catch up and win by a narrow margin.
• Saki praised Serena's resolve and asked Ash and the others to look after her; Serena hugged Ash, who returned the embrace as a friend.
• At the ranch's public riding competition, Ash won on Rhyhorn while Dawn and Xiaoyun chose Gogoat for a comfortable ride.
• The next day, Serena said goodbye to Saki and joined her friends as they departed for their next destination.

Xiaoyun and Dawn explored Lumiose City before finding the wandering Sirfetch'd, a powerful unowned Pokémon that battled for the Restaurant Le Nah. After feeding it a Pokéblock, Xiaoyun challenged it, and the chapter ended as their battle was about to begin.

• Xiaoyun and Dawn visited Summer Avenue, lost at the lottery, shared ice cream, and relaxed at Café Rouleau.
• At Restaurant Le Nah on Autumnal Avenue, Xiaoyun and Dawn watched Sirfetch'd defeat a Furfrou with a precise Brick Break.
• A passerby explained that Sirfetch'd was a wandering knight that challenged Trainers and helped the restaurant in exchange for food.
• Xiaoyun gave Sirfetch'd a Pokéblock to restore its strength before asking for a battle, and Sirfetch'd accepted.
• Xiaoyun sent out his Shiny Frogadier as the restaurant owner announced that the challenger would make the first move.

Xiaoyun and Frogadier battled Sirfetch'd, overcoming its formidable skill and defenses with a Substitute feint and Water Blade Slash. After accepting Xiaoyun’s Pokéblock and respect, Sirfetch'd offered its leek lance as a pledge and agreed to join him as a partner.

• Xiaoyun sent Frogadier to attack Sirfetch'd, which evaded Water Pulse and countered with its leek lance.
• Frogadier used Double Team and Aerial Ace, but Sirfetch'd defended with Swords Dance and struck back with Night Slash.
• Frogadier countered Sirfetch'd’s Fighting-type moves by changing types, while Sirfetch'd’s Scrappy Ability let it hit Frogadier’s Ghost-type tongue with Brick Break.
• Xiaoyun used Smokescreen and directed Frogadier to counter Sirfetch'd’s charge with Hydro Pump, but Sirfetch'd endured the blast behind its leek shield.
• Frogadier tricked Sirfetch'd with Substitute, then defeated it with Water Blade Slash while Sirfetch'd was recovering from its attack.
• Xiaoyun offered Sirfetch'd a Pokéblock and welcomed it as a partner after it presented its leek lance as a pledge of loyalty.

Xiaoyun caught Sirfetch'd and shared a meal with Dawn before Wikstrom arrived and challenged him to a battle. Under Wikstrom's pressure, Xiaoyun's Tyrunt evolved into Tyrantrum, leaving the three-on-three match underway.

• The restaurant owner celebrated Sirfetch'd choosing Xiaoyun by treating Xiaoyun and Dawn to a meal and offering them a permanent discount.
• Wikstrom joined Xiaoyun and Dawn, then challenged Xiaoyun after reflecting on his championship victory and the Kalos Elite Four's defeats.
• Xiaoyun and Wikstrom agreed to a three-on-three battle at the restaurant's battlefield, with the owner serving as referee.
• Wikstrom sent out Skarmory, and Xiaoyun chose Tyrunt, which endured Skarmory's attacks and fought back with Crunch.
• Tyrunt evolved into Tyrantrum as it resisted Wikstrom's full-power Steel Wing.

Xiaoyun defeated Elite Four Wikstrom in a Pokémon battle, overcoming Mega Skarmory with Bond Aerodactyl. Afterward, Xiaoyun and Dawn visited Professor Sycamore, who revealed that newly discovered Mega Stones appeared through a phenomenon originating in wild Pokémon.

• Tyrantrum evolved during its battle with Wikstrom's Skarmory, but Skarmory defeated it with Steel Wing and Brave Bird.
• Xiaoyun's Shiny Volcarona knocked out Probopass, then traded blows with Aegislash until both Pokémon were unable to battle.
• Wikstrom Mega Evolved Skarmory and challenged Xiaoyun's Aerodactyl, which used Bond Phenomenon and Thunder Bagua to shatter Mega Skarmory's attack and defeat it.
• Wikstrom conceded the battle and praised Xiaoyun, who accepted his congratulations before leaving with Dawn for the Sycamore Pokémon Lab.
• Professor Sycamore showed Xiaoyun and Dawn footage of new Mega Evolutions and explained that wild Pokémon were the source of the Mega Stones through the Spontaneous Mega Evolution Phenomenon.

Professor Sycamore showed Xiaoyun and Dawn newly discovered Mega Evolution forms while explaining that unstable Mega Evolution might be connected to Zygarde. Elsewhere, Z2 escaped Team Flare’s base, gathered Zygarde Cells to reach its 50% Forme, defeated the pursuing admins, and then set off to find Z1.

• Professor Sycamore explained that defeated wild Pokémon undergoing uncontrolled Mega Evolution could yield Mega Stones and that the phenomenon might involve Zygarde.
• Professor Sycamore showed Xiaoyun and Dawn Mega Evolution forms including Delphox, Chesnaught, Greninja, Meganium, Feraligatr, Hawlucha, Dragalge, Dragonite, and Starmie.
• Z2 escaped its containment at a Team Flare base and fought through Aliana, Mable, and their Pokémon as they pursued it.
• Xerosic stopped Z2 with Malamar and Crobat, but Z1 sensed its danger and summoned Zygarde Cells from across Lumiose City.
• Z2 absorbed the cells, transformed into its 50% Forme, and defeated Team Flare’s Pokémon and three admins with Thousand Arrows and Land’s Wrath.
• Exhausted, Z2 returned to its 10% Forme and headed toward the place where it sensed Z1, though it began to veer off course.