Chapter Summaries

Qiao Ran and Cynthia discussed their love of Pokémon, and he agreed to battle her after the competition. Meanwhile, Lillie, Mei, and Sabrina performed in the Performance Competition, and Rotom’s footage of Qiao Ran’s Suicune performance drew widespread attention online.

• Cynthia told Qiao Ran that her love for Pokémon drove her to keep growing stronger, then invited him to battle after the competition and persuaded him with the offer of dessert.
• Lillie, Mei, and Sabrina each performed in the second half of the preliminary round, and Sabrina’s Alakazam surprised Qiao Ran by winning over the audience.
• Lillie told Qiao Ran she had overcome her stage fright by remembering her practice and trusting that Nihilego was beside her.
• Qiao Ran asked Rotom to prepare close-up footage, and Rotom captured the performances for a video he posted that evening.
• Viewers and prominent figures praised Qiao Ran’s Suicune performance online, while some also called for Dianxi to appear again.

After their performance video attracted attention, Qiao Ran discussed how Sabrina could guide future Trainers in Magic City before taking Nebby to the Wild Area. There, Nebby seemed to speak to him in a new voice, and he later joined Dianxi and Vulpix as they made decorations, ending when Vulpix clung to his arm as he prepared to leave.

• Qiao Ran explained to Cynthia and Sabrina that Sabrina could guide Trainers drawn in by the video once she became a Gym Leader.
• Nebby joined Qiao Ran for a nighttime visit to the Wild Area and asked to see Dianxi and Vulpix.
• Qiao Ran realized he could understand Nebby, then heard a distant, childlike voice that might have belonged to it.
• Qiao Ran found Dianxi and Vulpix shaping a gem lamp and making decorations, and Nebby joined their work.
• When Qiao Ran prepared to return to the Real World, Vulpix grabbed his arm and showed that she did not want him to go.

Qiao Ran agreed to stay the night with Vulpix, Dianxi, and Nebby, then returned to the competition the next morning. When Sabrina received an urgent message before her performance, she sent him to handle it and left him with her car keys, only for him to realize he could not drive.

• Vulpix, Dianxi, and Nebby each asked Qiao Ran to stay, and he agreed to spend the night with them.
• The next morning, Sabrina questioned Qiao Ran about where he had gone, and he claimed he had visited Galar.
• Cynthia reviewed Qiao Ran's popular video and reflected on the world's mistaken ideas about Suicune and Pokémon legends.
• At the second day of the Performance Competition, Sabrina was called to perform first, but a Gym staff member urgently contacted her.
• Sabrina telepathically explained the situation to Qiao Ran, gave him her car keys, and teleported away to perform.
• Qiao Ran realized that he did not know how to drive.

Qiao Ran and Cynthia met the Ultra Recon Squad, who warned that Nebby could attract Necrozma and plunge the world into darkness. As the squad prepared to leave through an Ultra Wormhole, Neosila suggested that Alola was an ancient civilization in this world, leaving Qiao Ran stunned and eager for answers.

• Qiao Ran asked Cynthia to drive him to the Magic City Gym after Sabrina reported gray-skinned visitors searching for them.
• Neosila introduced himself as captain of the Ultra Recon Squad and explained that his team had come from another world to find the Blinding One.
• Neosila showed Qiao Ran a video that revealed Nebby and warned that Necrozma might hunt it and steal the world's light.
• Qiao Ran said he would handle Necrozma, and Neosila accepted his resolve before preparing to return to Megalopolis with his squad.
• Neosila summoned Solgaleo to open an Ultra Wormhole, then remarked that Alola had been the name of a civilization thousands of years ago in this world.

After the Ultra Recon Squad departed, Cynthia and Qiao Ran considered whether their comments about Alola referred to its ancient civilization and a disaster that erased its history. Qiao Ran returned just in time for his performance, where Vulpix and Dianxi’s dazzling crystalline entrance captivated the audience and judges.

• The Ultra Recon Squad left through an Ultra Wormhole with Solgaleo, after Neosila said goodbye to Qiao Ran as the partner of the Child of the Stars.
• Cynthia told Qiao Ran that ancient Alola was considered a separate civilization and may have hidden a catastrophic disaster by burning historical records.
• Qiao Ran and Cynthia returned to the competition venue, where Sabrina organized a rushed touch-up of Qiao Ran’s makeup and outfit.
• Qiao Ran took the stage as a highly anticipated contestant and created glowing pink and pale blue crystalline paths and flowers.
• Vulpix and Dianxi appeared together at the center of the stage, earning enthusiastic cheers from the audience and praise from the judges.

Qiao Ran and Dianxi and Vulpix impressed the judges with a coordinated performance, then he told the others about the Ultra Recon Squad and their account of the Ultra World. The group advanced to the final sixteen, and Lillie and Mei asked Qiao Ran to take them to Alola.

• Qiao Ran, Dianxi, and Vulpix performed with interwoven ice crystals and gems, earning high praise and an 8.5 from Su Yiliu.
• Qiao Ran and Cynthia told Sabrina, Lillie, Mei, and the others about meeting the Ultra Recon Squad and shared what they knew about Necrozma and the Ultra World.
• Cynthia suggested the Ultra Recon Squad might have meant the Ancient Alola Kingdom, while asking everyone to watch for other explanations.
• Mei and Lillie advanced to the final sixteen alongside Qiao Ran, Sabrina, Cynthia, and Nian Hongyu.
• Qiao Ran told Sabrina that the red-haired woman had left Magic City, keeping Latias's identity secret.
• After training, Lillie and Mei asked Qiao Ran to take them to Alola.

Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei returned to the Aether Foundation and found it overwhelmed by powerful Ultra Beast Aura. As they searched for Lusamine, a group of Pheromosa attacked, and the group prepared to fight them.

• Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei entered the Aether Foundation, where the dense Ultra Beast Aura made Mei dizzy and stirred painful memories for Qiao Ran and Lillie.
• Qiao Ran decided to search for Lusamine, helped Mei recover, and released several Pokémon to protect the group.
• Nihilego sensed pheromones resembling those of a cockroach, and a Pheromosa lunged at Qiao Ran before Dianxi blocked its attack.
• Lillie spotted several more Pheromosa and sent out her Nihilego and Type: Null to fight alongside Qiao Ran's Pokémon.
• Qiao Ran warned Lillie that the Pheromosa would attack Trainers directly, and Lillie agreed to stay alert.

Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei fought their way through the Aether Foundation as Pheromosa and Buzzwole swarmed them, escaping to the lower level after Yveltal and the other Pokémon battled the flying Ultra Beasts. They reached the area near the Central Elevator, where Mei recovered enough to prepare to fight.

• Pheromosa surrounded Qiao Ran and Lillie in a narrow passage, forcing Qiao Ran to use his Pokémon to fight while he treated and carried Mei.
• Qiao Ran Mega Evolved Dianxi and changed Silvally to the Flying type, using Silvally's charge to break through the Pheromosa encirclement and reach the Central Elevator area.
• Buzzwole appeared and attacked the suspended walkways, so Qiao Ran mounted Reshiram with Lillie and Mei and headed toward the lower level.
• Yveltal, Reshiram, Latias, and Altaria fought the pursuing Buzzwole, while Yveltal's attacks destroyed several walkways and Latias captured defeated Buzzwole with Poké Balls.
• Reshiram landed near the Central Elevator, and Mei steadied herself and said she was ready to join the coming battle.

Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei reached Lusamine’s laboratory but found her gone, with her research data missing. Lillie discovered a clue pointing to Alola, and the group left the Aether Foundation to investigate.

• Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei escaped the Ultra Beasts by taking the central elevator to Lusamine’s laboratory.
• Qiao Ran used Aura Power to search the empty laboratory, while Mei examined scattered research papers.
• Lillie realized Lusamine had left voluntarily after finding the computer wiped and its storage device missing.
• Lillie found the word “Alola” on the back of a family photograph and concluded that Lusamine was there.
• Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei decided to head to Alola despite their upcoming match and left through a hidden emergency passage with speedboats.

Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei escaped the Aether Foundation and flew across the sea in search of Alola, eventually reaching an island after defeating a Buzzwole. They returned to the Real World late at night, where Sabrina and Cynthia had been waiting for them.

• Qiao Ran and the girls flew away from the Aether Foundation after its spatial barrier no longer prevented them from leaving.
• Qiao Ran, Lillie, and Mei realized they had no idea which direction led to Alola and searched aimlessly over the ocean.
• Qiao Ran spotted a Buzzwole, and Yveltal, Latias, and Altaria attacked it until it fell into the sea.
• Qiao Ran used the direction Buzzwole had come from to guide the group to a beach, though Lillie could not identify which Alola island they had reached.
• Qiao Ran suggested they return to rest and ask Mei for help identifying the area before continuing their search for Mei's mother.
• Qiao Ran and the others returned to the Real World at two or three in the morning, where Sabrina and Cynthia questioned why they had been gone so long.

After returning from the Pokémon World, Qiao Ran told Sabrina and Cynthia about the dangers there and explained that traveling between worlds required becoming a Pokémon. Lillie demonstrated that she could enter a Poké Ball, leaving Sabrina and Cynthia astonished and asking Qiao Ran how the transformation worked.

• Qiao Ran returned with Mei and Lillie looking disheveled and recounted their recent dangers in the Pokémon World.
• Qiao Ran said he planned to return to Alola the next day with a companion who knew the region and had family there.
• Sabrina accepted that Qiao Ran and the others would miss the competition, and Qiao Ran urged her to win it.
• Cynthia asked what price people paid to travel between worlds, and Qiao Ran explained that they had to become Pokémon.
• Lillie entered a Poké Ball and then reappeared, proving the transformation was real and startling Sabrina and Cynthia.
• Sabrina asked Qiao Ran how becoming a Pokémon allowed someone to enter the Pokémon World.

Qiao Ran explained how Nihilego could turn humans into catchable Pokémon and warned Sabrina and Cynthia to consider the irreversible choice carefully. The next day, he took Mei from Spikemuth to the strangely quiet Alola, where they began searching for signs of what had happened.

• Qiao Ran showed Sabrina and Cynthia a Nihilego, explained how it could fuse with humans, and warned them that the transformation and bond were irreversible.
• Sabrina and Cynthia said they needed time to think, while Qiao Ran considered whether Nebby might eventually let him cross worlds without a Portal.
• Qiao Ran went to Spikemuth and, with Marnie and Gloria’s understanding, borrowed Mei for the day without revealing his ability to cross worlds to her parents.
• Qiao Ran told Mei that Ultra Beasts had appeared at the Aether Foundation, Lusamine had vanished, and they had crossed the sea after the spatial barrier disappeared.
• Mei agreed to visit Alola, and Qiao Ran brought her, Lillie, and Mei to a quiet beach where they prepared to explore inland.

Qiao Ran and his companions reached Ula'ula Island, fought off a swarm of Kartana, and found an Aether Foundation shelter while searching for Lusamine. As they approached, Qiao Ran sensed frightened humans inside and his Pokémon surrounded a Gengar that had emerged from his shadow.

• Mei recognized the distant snowy mountains as Ula'ula Island after the group crossed the forest beside the beach.
• A Kartana ambushed the group, and Qiao Ran, Mei, Lillie, and their Pokémon defeated it and the many Kartana that followed.
• The group found an Aether House, and Lillie suggested Lusamine might have gone there.
• Qiao Ran sensed humans inside the building whose emotions showed despair and hope, then warned the others to stay alert.
• Gengar emerged from Qiao Ran's shadow, but the gathered Pokémon surrounded it and made it stop struggling.

Qiao Ran and his companions met Acerola at the Aether House after stopping her Gengar from attacking them, and she brought them inside to avoid the Ultra Beasts. There, they reunited with Mei, met Island Kahuna Modan, and learned that the Aether Foundation staff recognized Lillie before Acerola asked the newcomers to explain what had happened.

• Qiao Ran’s group stopped Acerola’s Gengar, and Acerola emerged from hiding to call out to Mei.
• Mei and Acerola reunited, and Acerola explained that she had been living at the Aether House to care for its children.
• Acerola warned the group about the Ultra Beasts and brought everyone inside, where they found Modan and several children.
• Mei introduced the group to Modan, and the Aether Foundation employees recognized Lillie as the foundation’s young mistress.
• Modan questioned Qiao Ran about his connection to Dark-type Pokémon, then Acerola asked the group to share information about the situation.

Lillie and Qiao Ran learned that Alola had fallen into darkness and been overrun by Ultra Beasts, while the Aether Foundation had separately suffered an invasion and lost its president and staff. After agreeing to help Acerola and Modan find food, they learned that Lusamine might be in Po Town, Team Skull’s hideout.

• Lillie explained how the Ultra Wormhole, the disappearance of Lusamine and her brother, and the Nihilego invasion had left the Aether Foundation in crisis, and vowed to find everyone and rebuild it.
• Acerola told Lillie and Qiao Ran that a black star had plunged Alola into darkness before spatial rifts unleashed Ultra Beasts across the islands.
• Acerola explained that the Tapus restored Alola’s light, but the survivors were forced to hide at Aether House as the Ultra Beasts destroyed their former lives.
• Acerola revealed that she and Modan had fled after losing to a powerful Ultra Beast in Malie City, and Mei offered to help them seek supplies.
• Acerola said Lusamine had never visited Aether House and suggested the group search Po Town, where Team Skull was based.

Qiao Ran’s group left Aether House for Po Town to seek information about Lusamine, but had to stop overnight after battling Ultra Beasts along the way. In the Real World, Mei met Sabrina and Cynthia, then began recounting Alola’s crisis to them.

• Lillie promised the children and Aether Foundation employees that she would bring Lusamine back, and Qiao Ran’s group set off toward Po Town.
• Mei described Team Skull and Guzma while she and Mei spoke about their ambitions to become League Champions, encouraging Lillie.
• Qiao Ran’s group traveled across Ula'ula Island, fighting and collecting Ultra Beasts until they stopped for the night and returned to the Real World.
• Qiao Ran invited Mei to meet Sabrina and Cynthia, and Mei eagerly agreed after hearing their names.
• Mei greeted Sabrina and Cynthia, took photos with them, and volunteered to explain what had happened in Alola.

After Mei described the Ultra Beasts, Cynthia offered help with training and planned to investigate Pokémon history at Zhenze Lake. Back at Sabrina’s home, the group dealt with the fallout from withdrawing from the tournament and drew lots to decide who would share Qiao Ran’s bed, leaving him under Sabrina’s wary gaze.

• Sabrina and Cynthia judged the Ultra Beasts manageable if their weaknesses were understood, while Cynthia offered Garchomp and the others for training and planned to investigate Zhenze Lake.
• Cynthia discussed strange gaps in Pokémon history, including a record of a nurse surnamed Qiao, and agreed to share findings with Qiao Ran.
• Sabrina told Qiao Ran that the group’s tournament withdrawals had angered spectators and prompted strange rumors online, so he decided to post an update.
• Sabrina struggled to find sleeping arrangements for the six people at her home, and the group agreed to draw lots for who would share Qiao Ran’s room.
• Sabrina drew the winning lot and kept watch beside Qiao Ran, who struggled to fall asleep under her constant surveillance.

After Qiao Ran and Sabrina lost a night of sleep sharing a room, they rested while Mei, Lillie, and the others trained with Cynthia’s Pokémon. The group then traveled to Po Town in search of Lusamine and reached its guarded entrance.

• Qiao Ran and Sabrina both appeared exhausted after spending the night awake, so they returned to their rooms to sleep while the others speculated about what had happened.
• Mei, Lillie, and the others trained with Cynthia’s Pokémon and felt their teams had made significant progress.
• After sleeping through the morning, Qiao Ran rejoined the group, and they traveled across Ula’ula Island toward Po Town.
• Lillie worried about Lusamine’s whereabouts, but Qiao Ran and the others reassured her that they would keep searching together.
• The group arrived at Po Town, where several guards wearing skull-patterned bandanas marked with red Xs spotted them, and Mei greeted the guards.

Mei and Qiao Ran arrived at Po Town, where Guzma tried to intimidate them before Qiao Ran stopped him. After Plumeria led the group into town, Mei thanked Qiao Ran, leaving her feelings stirred by his defense of her.

• At the Aether House, Acerola told Modan she had seen Yveltal, alarming him.
• Mei and Qiao Ran waited at Po Town’s gate, where Guzma and Plumeria came to meet them.
• Guzma moved to intimidate Mei, but Qiao Ran grabbed his wrist and stopped him from striking.
• Plumeria intervened, and Qiao Ran released Guzma before Guzma left and Plumeria led the group into town.
• Mei told Qiao Ran he did not need to step in, then quietly thanked him as she felt her cheeks flush.

Qiao Ran and his companions entered Po Town’s former Team Skull headquarters and learned that Guzma had reunited his disbanded gang to protect refugees from Ultra Beast attacks. Guzma demanded Pokémon battles in exchange for information about Lusamine, and Qiao Ran stepped forward to face him.

• Mei compared Po Town’s Team Skull members with Spikemuth’s Team Yell and explained why their motives seemed different to her.
• Plumeria said Guzma had disbanded Team Skull after his earlier defeat, but former members and Ula’ula residents had gathered in Po Town amid the disaster.
• Guzma recognized Lillie’s connection to Lusamine and demanded that the group battle him for information about her.
• Guzma challenged Qiao Ran first, promising to share what he knew if the challengers won two of three one-on-one matches.
• Qiao Ran accepted, and Guzma sent out a red-armored Pokémon with two large pincers.