Chapter Summaries

Qiao Ran found himself facing an enraged Tapu Bulu and sent out Vulpix, who unexpectedly displayed greatly increased strength. As Vulpix fought to evade Tapu Bulu, Qiao Ran suspected its blood-red eyes impaired its vision, giving them a possible opening.

• Qiao Ran threw a Poké Ball and was surprised when Vulpix appeared, then faced Tapu Bulu across the field.
• Tapu Bulu spread Grassy Terrain and charged Vulpix with Horn Leech, but Vulpix leapt much higher than she normally could and dodged the attack.
• Qiao Ran told Vulpix to use Hail, but the strange world’s dark-red snowfall seemed unlikely to help her Snow Cloak.
• Vulpix used Blizzard to slow Tapu Bulu, and its next charge veered off course, allowing her to dodge easily.
• Qiao Ran suspected Tapu Bulu’s blood-red eyes had impaired its vision and realized that this might improve Vulpix’s chances.

Qiao Ran and Vulpix continued fighting Tapu Bulu, but its powerful Wood Hammer shattered the floating island and left Qiao Ran in danger of falling. Vulpix evolved into Ninetales to save him, and they turned back toward Tapu Bulu to continue the battle.

• Qiao Ran ordered Vulpix to use Ice Beam, but Tapu Bulu dodged and prepared a powerful Wood Hammer.
• Tapu Bulu struck the floating island, causing the ground near Qiao Ran to crack and begin collapsing.
• Vulpix narrowly dodged the attack and fired Ice Beam at the crumbling ground to hold it together and give Qiao Ran time to escape.
• Vulpix evolved into Ninetales, using her stronger Ice-type energy to rescue Qiao Ran from the unstable ground.
• Qiao Ran and Ninetales acknowledged that the battle was not over and faced Tapu Bulu again.

Qiao Ran and Ninetales fought Tapu Bulu across collapsing Floating Islands, using Aurora Veil, Blizzard, and careful teamwork until Ninetales froze it. As the battlefield began to rebuild and reveal Alola’s history, Qiao Ran comforted Ninetales over her evolution and thanked her for saving him.

• Qiao Ran realized the battle followed no rules and prepared to keep fighting across the Floating Islands with Ninetales.
• Ninetales used Hail and Aurora Veil to weaken Tapu Bulu’s attacks while she struck it with Blizzard.
• Qiao Ran and Ninetales dodged Tapu Bulu’s Wood Hammers and escaped as successive Floating Islands collapsed.
• After an exhausting fight, Ninetales froze Tapu Bulu and secured their victory.
• Qiao Ran comforted Ninetales about evolving and thanked her for protecting him.
• The Floating Island began to reassemble, and visions revealed Alola’s history as Tapu Bulu vanished.

Qiao Ran and Ninetales found themselves back in the altar after experiencing a strange battle in a shattered world, while everyone else struggled to recall what had happened. Ninetales revealed her evolved Humanoid Transformation, and the group began comparing accounts of the battle.

• Qiao Ran realized that only he and Ninetales remembered their battle in the strange world, while the altar and its strange substance had returned to normal.
• Lillie, Mei, and Acerola noticed that the group had forgotten something and found the altar empty of Pokémon, but Rotom remained under maintenance and could not explain what happened.
• Qiao Ran checked Ninetales's condition and asked her to use Humanoid Transformation so they could tell the others what they had experienced.
• Ninetales transformed into a tall, elegant woman but could not retract her ears and nine tails, while Dianxi compared her own appearance with Ninetales's evolved form.
• Qiao Ran and Ninetales briefly described their journey to a shattered world and their victory over Tapu Bulu, prompting Acerola to ask about it in astonishment.

After Qiao Ran and Ninetales returned from the Distortion World, Rotom completed an upgrade and announced that the singularity had been separated, but the promised rewards led them to a restored Tapu Bulu at the altar. Tapu Bulu thanked Qiao Ran and Ninetales for helping it, then turned its attention to Qiao Ran.

• Ninetales modestly explained that she defeated Tapu Bulu with Qiao Ran’s commands and grew stronger in the other world, while Qiao Ran told the girls that she had evolved to save him.
• Qiao Ran and the girls investigated the ruins, and Yveltal warned that the strange power had deceived both her and Dianxi.
• Rotom awoke after completing her upgrade, and a system voice announced that Distortion World No. 787 had been separated and rewards were being distributed.
• Rotom pointed Qiao Ran toward Lillie and Mei, where he found Tapu Bulu floating above the altar, restored and free of the substance that had corrupted it.
• Rotom translated Tapu Bulu’s thanks to Qiao Ran and Ninetales, who then exchanged compliments before Tapu Bulu turned to Qiao Ran.

Qiao Ran and his companions met Tapu Bulu, who awakened Z-Power on Ula'ula Island but could not leave to join their journey. After returning to the Real World to rest, Qiao Ran caught Rotom trying to sneak away and reminded it that it still owed him an explanation.

• Tapu Bulu declined to travel with Qiao Ran because it had duties on Ula'ula Island, but gave him a Grass-type Z-Crystal and asked him to help the other islands.
• Tapu Bulu used its power to awaken Z-Crystals within Ula'ula Island, giving the island’s residents hope that they could recover.
• Qiao Ran accepted that Tapu Bulu’s help was the reward and said the island’s people needed it more than he did.
• Qiao Ran and the others returned to the Real World, booked rooms at an inn, and agreed to take their next island journey more slowly.
• Qiao Ran caught Rotom trying to sneak back into the Wild Area and asked it to finish telling him what it had left unexplained.

Qiao Ran questioned Rotom about the mysterious light from the shattered world, then visited the Wild Area to check on Ninetales after her evolution. The group discussed Ninetales’s future and where the Ultra Beasts could live, and the chapter ended the next morning as Qiao Ran prepared to contact Lillie, Mei, and the others.

• Qiao Ran asked Rotom whether she had been the ball of light in the shattered world, and Rotom admitted it while claiming she knew nothing beyond following the system’s guidance.
• Qiao Ran visited the Wild Area and found Ninetales adjusting to her evolved form alongside Dianxi and Mew, who had transformed into Vulpix.
• Altaria and Dianxi argued over whether Ninetales should help with singing and promotion or make decorations, but Qiao Ran left the choice to Ninetales.
• Qiao Ran and the others discussed the Ultra Beasts, and Nihilego explained that they had left their homes because the Ultra World was unfit to live in; Qiao Ran offered the Wild Area as a possible refuge.
• Qiao Ran stayed in the Wild Area overnight, and the following morning he joked that the Pokémon could open a restaurant before setting out to call Lillie, Mei, and the others.

Qiao Ran and Cynthia learned that the Distortion World’s encroachment threatened both worlds, prompting Cynthia to join the effort and travel to the Pokémon World. The group prepared to meet in Rongcheng and recruit Anabel, while Mei reacted pointedly to Cynthia’s decision.

• Qiao Ran, Cynthia, Sabrina, and Brock discussed Qiao Ran’s experience in the Distortion World, and Cynthia warned that its spreading imbalance could destroy both worlds.
• Qiao Ran told the group they had found Anabel’s old records and mentioned an unidentified Nurse Joy, so Brock volunteered to identify her.
• Cynthia decided to travel to the Pokémon World immediately and asked Qiao Ran to take her there, planning to reach Sinnoh from Unova with Garchomp.
• Qiao Ran agreed to accompany Cynthia, inviting her to meet him and the others in Rongcheng before they planned the journey.
• Cynthia set out to inform Phoebe, while Mei teased Qiao Ran about Cynthia and Anabel joining the group.

Qiao Ran and his companions spent the day shopping and playing games, while the girls tried to arrange a private talk between him and Mei by tricking them into meeting at the lakeside. After discovering the setup, Qiao Ran and Mei walked back together and began reminiscing about Mei’s adventures in Alola.

• Qiao Ran and the girls disguised themselves to shop for new clothes for Ninetales, and they encouraged her to consider becoming an idol with Altaria.
• Qiao Ran and his companions spent the evening trying games before he returned to his room for the night.
• Lillie and Mei separately lured Qiao Ran and Mei to the lakeside, where they discovered they had both been tricked into meeting.
• Qiao Ran received messages from Mei and Lillie urging him to take the initiative, and he sensed the two of them hiding nearby.
• Qiao Ran and Mei walked back in silence until Qiao Ran asked Mei to tell him about her past adventures in Alola.

Mei recounted how she came to Alola and met Lillie before Qiao Ran confessed that he wanted to travel with her forever. After Mei accidentally fell into a lake and spent the night with him, she tried to hide what had happened, while the group planned a visit to a haunted house escape room.

• Mei told Qiao Ran about moving from Kanto to Alola, her island challenge, and meeting Lillie in a clothing shop.
• Qiao Ran praised Lillie, then told Mei he wanted to keep traveling with her forever and asked her for an answer.
• The rotten railing broke beneath Mei, and Qiao Ran jumped into the lake to rescue her; they ended up spending the night together in his room.
• Mei realized she had not returned to her room and worried that Lillie and Mei knew what had happened, while Qiao Ran shared secrets about them.
• Mei and Lillie acted unconcerned at breakfast, and Acerola suggested that the group visit a haunted house escape room.

Acerola helped the group put the previous night’s awkwardness behind them, while Qiao Ran and the others trained and arranged to meet Anabel the next day. That night, Nihilego confronted Qiao Ran over his broken promises and kept him with her until morning, leaving him exhausted as he returned to the Real World.

• Acerola recalled her Ghost Pokémon to enter the escape room, then enjoyed the outing and considered opening a similar attraction in Alola.
• Mei suggested building training facilities in the Wild Area with help from Timburr, and Lillie told Qiao Ran that Anabel could meet them the next day.
• Qiao Ran entered the Wild Area intending to visit Mew, but Nihilego captured him and reminded him that he had repeatedly delayed his promised compensation.
• Qiao Ran admitted he had forgotten his promise, and Nihilego gathered the other Nihilego and kept him with her through the night.
• Nihilego let Qiao Ran rest on her lap and explored what she had been curious about, while Qiao Ran eventually lost consciousness from exhaustion.
• Qiao Ran returned to the Real World the next day, and someone asked whether he had spent the night doing special training with his Pokémon.

Qiao Ran and his companions gave Anabel records about her past in hopes of restoring her memories, but she fainted after reading them. While Latias and Mew worked to help her recover, Qiao Ran left to meet Cynthia and arranged for Altaria’s livestream.

• Qiao Ran concealed his exhaustion and planned to split his Pokémon into groups for the journeys ahead, then took everyone to meet Anabel.
• Qiao Ran and the others spent the morning with Anabel before giving her records detailing her disappearance and life in the International Police.
• Anabel read the records and lost consciousness, so Qiao Ran had Latias and Mew teleport her back to the inn.
• Qiao Ran consulted Sabrina, who advised them to let Anabel rest, while Latias and Mew tried to help her.
• Qiao Ran left to meet Cynthia and told the others to prepare Altaria for a livestream.

Qiao Ran picked Cynthia up at the airport, and she confirmed that she was determined to travel to the Pokémon World with his help. At the hotel, Anabel recovered her memories from ten years earlier but struggled to accept the change, while Qiao Ran invited everyone to another room to discuss Cynthia’s plans.

• Qiao Ran met Cynthia at the airport and brought her to the hotel, where she asked him to explain how he could travel to the Pokémon World.
• Cynthia told Qiao Ran she had made up her mind to go, and he understood that she trusted him and wanted to help with the danger there.
• Anabel woke and recalled that she was Battle Tower Tycoon Anabel, but she could not remember her later years in Alola.
• Qiao Ran and the others explained to Anabel that she had lost her memory and spent ten years working for the International Police in Alola, then Latias and Mew helped her sleep.
• Qiao Ran led Cynthia and the others to another room so they could discuss why she had come.

Cynthia joined Qiao Ran and the others after sharing her determination to save the Pokémon World, and the group planned to prepare for their journey to Unova by traveling through Alola. The chapter ended as Cynthia began preparing for her transformation and learned that Nihilego had taken human form.

• Cynthia told Qiao Ran and the girls that she could not stand by while the Pokémon World and its people suffered, and they agreed that they shared her goal.
• Lillie and Mei sneaked into Qiao Ran's room again to ask about Mei, while Qiao Ran questioned their late-night visits.
• Anabel asked to spend time alone after breakfast, and Qiao Ran offered to help her later if she needed anything.
• Qiao Ran proposed traveling to Yangcheng and Alola before heading to Unova, giving Cynthia time to adjust and train with the group.
• Qiao Ran gathered everyone to help Cynthia undergo her transformation and warned her about Nihilego's neurotoxins.
• Nihilego appeared in human form, and Cynthia was stunned to learn that she was a Nihilego before preparing to begin her transformation.

Cynthia recovered from her reaction to Nihilego’s neurotoxin and learned more about Qiao Ran’s powers and their new connection. After spending the evening with the group, she prepared to travel with them toward Alola and Unova, while Altaria and Ninetales’s livestream drew widespread attention.

• Cynthia woke up weak but stable, and Qiao Ran explained that she needed rest after her strong reaction to Nihilego’s neurotoxin.
• Cynthia sensed a connection with Qiao Ran, agreed to follow his commands in battle, and asked to watch Altaria and Ninetales livestream.
• Cynthia speculated about the origins of Pokémon-human transformation, then awkwardly asked Qiao Ran to help her reach the bathroom.
• Qiao Ran outlined plans to challenge the next Gym, practice at Alola’s Altar of the Moone, and take on Unova, while Cynthia agreed to rest before traveling.
• The group played games with Cynthia that evening, and Altaria and Ninetales’s livestream became popular enough for fan-recorded clips to reach the rankings the next morning.

Qiao Ran showed Cynthia the Wild Area, where she met his Pokémon and began rethinking their lives and interests beyond battling. After saying goodbye to Wanshuang and advising Anabel, the group flew to Yangcheng, where Cynthia began planning individualized training for them.

• Qiao Ran took Cynthia through a Portal to the Wild Area and explained that Pokémon recovered faster there.
• Cynthia met Qiao Ran's Pokémon, saw Yveltal's humanoid form, and joined a banquet hosted by Suicune and Latias.
• Cynthia reflected on Pokémon having independent hobbies and ideas, and recognized that her understanding could change her training methods.
• Qiao Ran and the girls called Wanshuang, who warned them about Yangcheng's Gym Leader and his new power.
• Qiao Ran advised Anabel to seek Sabrina's help in Magic City while she considered how to recover her lost memories.
• Qiao Ran and the group flew to Yangcheng, where Cynthia began noting their weaknesses and planning tailored training.

Qiao Ran and Mei reached the Yangcheng Gym, where Leader Chen Leizhong explained the tower arena’s strict ban on destructive moves before the crowded Gym battles began. Qiao Ran faced Chen Leizhong in the first match, and the chapter ended as Chen sent out his first Pokémon.

• Qiao Ran’s group hurried to a hotel and then traveled to the Yangcheng Gym, housed inside a towering tourist attraction.
• A Gym Trainer recognized Qiao Ran and took the group to meet Gym Leader Chen Leizhong, who confirmed that Qiao Ran and Mei would battle that day.
• Chen gave Qiao Ran and Mei a booklet of arena rules, including bans on moves such as Earthquake and Dig that could damage the tower.
• The announced battles drew a large crowd, and Cynthia encouraged Qiao Ran and Mei to win as they prepared for their matches.
• Qiao Ran and Chen Leizhong began their three-on-three battle, and Chen sent out a round, rodent-like Pokémon with large wing-shaped ears.

Qiao Ran used Latias against Gym Leader Chen Leizhong’s Alolan Raichu in Yangcheng Gym, where Latias’s hidden typing let her turn Raichu’s Electric Terrain strategy against it. After Latias knocked Raichu from its tail and followed up with Dragon Pulse, Chen Leizhong realized she was likely a Dragon type and began reconsidering his tactics.

• Gym Leader Chen Leizhong introduced his Alolan Raichu and asked Qiao Ran to choose his first Pokémon.
• Qiao Ran sent out Latias, surprising the crowd and leaving Chen Leizhong unsure of her type.
• Chen Leizhong ordered Raichu to use Thunderbolt, while Latias dodged at high speed and Qiao Ran recognized that his opponent might mistake her for a Flying type.
• Chen Leizhong used Electric Terrain to boost Raichu’s Surf's Tail speed, then sent it charging at Latias with Thunderbolt.
• Qiao Ran told Latias to attack during Raichu’s brief pause, and her Shadow Ball struck Raichu and knocked it off its tail.
• Latias followed with Dragon Pulse, and Chen Leizhong realized she was likely a Dragon type and started adjusting his strategy.

Qiao Ran’s battle against Chen Leizhong’s Ampharos turned against Latias when Ampharos’s pulse attacks inflicted paralysis, slowing both Latias and Qiao Ran. Qiao Ran Mega Evolved Latias, and Chen Leizhong revealed a Key Stone of his own, leaving the match poised for a second Mega Evolution.

• Chen Leizhong used Raichu’s Volt Switch to withdraw it and send Ampharos into battle against Latias.
• Ampharos used Electric Terrain, defended against Latias’s Psyshock with an electrical mesh, and hit her with Dragon Pulse.
• Chen Leizhong revealed that Ampharos’s pulse moves could inflict paralysis, which slowed Latias and affected Qiao Ran through their linked senses.
• With Latias losing stamina to Ampharos’s Dragon Pulse, Qiao Ran used a stone to Mega Evolve her.
• Chen Leizhong showed Qiao Ran a rainbow-colored Key Stone, and the spectators cheered for another Mega Evolution.

Qiao Ran and Latias battled Chen Leizhong and his Mega-Evolved Ampharos in a prolonged match that tested both Trainers’ ability to sustain Mega Evolution. Qiao Ran won when Chen Leizhong faltered, and Cynthia concluded that Qiao Ran needed more training before facing experienced Mega Evolution users.

• Chen Leizhong revealed his Key Stone and matching Mega Stone, then Mega-Evolved Ampharos into an Electric- and Dragon-type Pokémon.
• Latias dodged Ampharos’s Dragon Pulse, and the two Pokémon traded attacks as Ampharos used Thunder to trap Latias in a lightning storm.
• Both Trainers had their Pokémon recover with Rest and Roost before the long battle resumed.
• Cynthia told the spectators that Qiao Ran’s stronger bond with Latias gave him an edge over Chen Leizhong, who was less experienced with Mega Evolution.
• Chen Leizhong sank to one knee, causing Ampharos to leave its Mega state, and Cynthia declared the match over.