Chapter Summaries

Eichi and the other Silver Academy students arrived at Goldenrod Training School for the Basic Breeder assessment, and Eichi began taking the exam. Meanwhile, Professor Kanter reunited with fellow breeders and heard them discuss young candidates they expected to pass.

• Professor Kanter led Eichi and the Silver Academy group to Goldenrod Training School, where they waited for their examination rooms.
• A teacher brought Eichi and the other examinees to a classroom, and Eichi began answering the test after inspecting the questions and cameras.
• Professor Kanter met Nagayama, Sakuraba, Sangi, and Senior Moriguchi in an office and chatted with them about their lives.
• Senior Moriguchi asked whether the assessment would produce promising youngsters, and Nagayama mentioned two twelve-year-old students from his school.
• Sakuraba said her eleven-year-old niece was also taking the assessment and expected her to pass.

Teachers and academy representatives discussed the unusually strong candidates at Goldenrod City's assessment and wagered Pokéblock formulas on whose student would rank higher. Eichi finished the test quickly and waited downstairs, where others mistook his speed for a sign that he could not answer the questions.

• Nagayama noted the many promising candidates and proposed guessing who would earn three As and take first place.
• Sakuraba, Sangi, and Moriguchi backed their candidates to earn three As, while Nagayama challenged Professor Kanter to a wager involving Pokéblock formulas.
• Professor Kanter accepted Nagayama's wager, with Moriguchi agreeing to ensure the winner received the promised formula.
• Eichi judged the test manageable, estimated he had scored at least 98, checked his answers, and handed in his paper.
• Eichi waited downstairs as teachers and candidates assumed he had left early because he could not answer the test; Kato Diao made the same assumption.

Eichi finished the theoretical exam confident in his performance, while Professor Kanter expected him to score at least ninety points. As teachers graded the papers, several high scores appeared, and the chapter ended when the team leader examined a paper whose final answer surprised him.

• Kato and other examinees compared answers and wondered whether Tang Ze and Akanishi had solved the final question.
• Eichi told Professor Kanter the exam was easy and said he expected to score at least ninety points.
• Professor Kanter explained that the afternoon assessment would involve observing a Pokémon and writing a health report.
• Teachers grading the exams found multiple papers scoring ninety-eight, while the team leader had already graded one paper with ninety-seven points.
• A young teacher found a paper with every answer correct so far and asked the team leader to judge its final essay answer.
• The team leader read the essay and suddenly raised his head.

Yoshino Eishi earned a perfect score on the theoretical assessment, then completed the practical assessment by identifying an injured Sentret’s condition and writing a detailed care plan. The theoretical rankings were about to appear, leaving Eishi waiting to see how he placed.

• Oguri, following the team leader’s advice, awarded Eishi’s theoretical answer full marks and discovered his name on the paper.
• Eishi observed the practical assessment’s Sentret from a distance, using Bug King Eye and Bug Force to identify its poor development and an unhealed tail injury.
• Eishi wrote a detailed report and breeding plan for the Sentret, then handed it to the proctor and went downstairs.
• Kato saw Eishi leave and grew more suspicious that he might be a genius, while Professor Kanter told Eishi the theoretical results would soon be announced.
• The theoretical rankings appeared on the electronic screen as Eishi and the other examinees waited, with Tang Ze and Akanishi expected to rank near the top.

Tang Ze and Akanishi placed fifth and seventh in the theory assessment, while Yoshino Eishi took first with an S-rank and Yui placed second. After the rankings surprised the students and staff, Professor Kanter explained the upcoming Pokéblock-making and feed-making assessments to Eishi.

• Tang Ze and Akanishi discovered they had placed fifth and seventh, while Yoshino Eishi ranked first and Yui ranked second, all with S-ranks.
• Kato and the other students recognized Eishi as the junior student who had been taken away by Officer Jenny, and Kato admitted he had misjudged Eishi.
• Yui told Sakuraba that Eishi was from Silver Academy, and Sakuraba became curious about him.
• Kurokawa and Koike celebrated placing third and sixth, while Nagayama urged them to prepare for the next assessments.
• Eishi returned to the hotel, where his classmates mistakenly concluded he was a second-grade student because nobody recognized his name.
• Professor Kanter told Eishi that the next assessments covered Pokéblock-making and feed-making, and explained the rules for the new Basic Pokéblock recipe test.

Eichi completed the Pokéblock production and Pokémon food assessments with confidence, and an invigilator discovered that his Pokéblocks were perfect quality. Two days later, Eichi and Professor Kanter arrived at the hall to hear the final Basic Breeder assessment results and rankings.

• Professor Kanter told Eichi that S-ranks in Pokéblock production were rare and recalled earning two S-ranks and first place in his own assessment.
• Sakuraba told Yui she had earned one S-rank when she took the assessment, and Yui vowed to earn several.
• Eichi calmly completed the Pokéblock production assessment while the invigilator watched, then left without checking his work.
• After Eichi left, the invigilator examined his finished Pokéblocks and found one to be perfect quality.
• Eichi finished the Pokémon food production assessment easily, bringing the Basic Breeder assessment to an end.
• Two days later, Professor Kanter brought Eichi to the hall, where the results and final rankings were about to be announced.

The Basic Breeder assessment rankings were announced, and Yoshino Eishi took first place with four S-ranks. Eichi celebrated the result with Professor Kanter, who said he had beaten Nagayama.

• Professor Kanter guessed that Eichi could earn at least two S-ranks, and Eichi agreed.
• The assessment ended, and candidates and teachers anxiously waited as the rankings appeared.
• Kurokawa placed third with SSAS, Yui placed second with SSAS, and Tang Ze and Akanishi placed fifth and sixth.
• Yoshino Eishi took first place with a score of SSSS, prompting astonishment throughout the hall.
• Kanter praised Eichi and said he looked forward to Nagayama's reaction after losing.

Eichi celebrated taking first place in the Basic Breeder Assessment, met other top-ranked breeders, and returned to Silver Academy. Professor Kanter later discussed Eichi’s talent and the Pokémon League’s attention with Director Liu, who worried that Eichi could become a target in the future.

• Tang Ze, Akanishi, and the Silver Academy students congratulated Eichi on taking first place, and Eichi congratulated them on passing the assessment.
• Yui, Kurokawa, and others approached Eichi to meet him and recognize his achievement.
• Professor Kanter and the teachers took the students to watch matches at the Pokémon All-Around Competition Dome before they left Goldenrod City.
• Three days later, Eichi returned to Silver Academy, where he kept his recent activities secret from his classmates.
• Director Liu told Professor Kanter that the Pokémon League had begun paying attention to Eichi, but Kanter said the academy kept him safe for now.

Kato discovered that Eichi was a Battle Major student who had earned 99 points on the Entrance Assessment. As the Inter-Academy Exchange Match approached, Eichi resumed training and watched Beedrill and Scizor battle until their clashing attacks exploded.

• Director Liu concluded that Eichi's current situation would not attract attention, and Professor Kanter left after finishing his tea.
• Kato asked Xiao Tian about Eichi, but Xiao Tian said no such student was in his year or 1st Grade.
• Xiao Tian recalled that Eichi was one of three students to score 99 points on the Entrance Assessment and belonged to the Battle Major.
• Eichi learned that the Inter-Academy Exchange Match was a month away and decided to train instead of continuing to relax.
• Eichi watched Beedrill and Scizor fight by sensing their opponents, then clash a lightning attack and a Fire Pillar until the energies exploded.

Eichi trained his Pokémon and stayed at the academy during break to prepare for the Inter-Academy Exchange Match, while Sato, Kona, and Asen made their own preparations. As the academy planned a wilderness trial for the 1st Grade students, Asen left Indigo Academy to train alone for a month.

• Eichi ended Beedrill and Scizor's blindfolded battle, then had Heracross fight Scizor and suffer through another beating.
• Sato and Kona trained Pokémon selected from their families' collections for the Inter-Academy Exchange Match a month away.
• Eichi passed the final exams and chose to stay at the academy during break to train his three Pokémon, planning to exchange for a Pokémon Egg after the match.
• The Vice Principal told Director Liu that preparations for the wilderness trial were nearly complete and stressed that student safety came first.
• Asen requested and received a month's leave from the Indigo Academy director, then departed on Fearow to train alone.

After training at a waterfall for a week, Eichi joined the school’s wilderness training expedition. The students and teachers set off together, leaving the destination unknown to the students.

• Eichi finished a week of training Beedrill and his other Pokémon at a waterfall outside the academy and returned to school.
• Eichi greeted Sato and caught up with Tetsu and Xiao Ye as the students gathered for the expedition.
• Director Liu arrived with more than thirty teachers and led the group out of the school on his Flygon.
• The students and teachers mounted their Pokémon and set off, with Eichi riding Heracross for the first time.
• Heracross wobbled briefly in flight, making Tetsu laugh, before it steadied as the group reached Silver Town.

Eichi and nine other students began a wilderness trial in the forest, where they were expected to battle Pokémon and improve their practical experience and teamwork. After the group set off without the teachers, Growlithe and Houndoom emerged from the bushes to confront them.

• Director Liu separated Eichi's group from the older students and made the students travel on foot until only Eichi, Sato, and Kona remained close behind.
• After the rest of the students caught up, Director Liu told the ten students to continue alone toward a tree bearing the school emblem, while Teacher Yamashita secretly protected them.
• Eichi and the others set off into the forest, and Director Liu and the teachers flew ahead to make arrangements.
• As the students walked, Eichi explained to Tetsu that the trial would test their battle experience and teamwork.
• Growlithe and Houndoom suddenly sprang from the bushes in front of the group.

Eichi and the other students fought off a pack of Houndoom and Growlithe, then fled when Ariados surrounded them with spider silk. After resting, they continued through the wilds more cautiously.

• The Houndoom leader charged at Eichi's group, but Eichi summoned Scizor, and the students joined the battle with their Pokémon.
• Scizor, Magmar, Steelix, and the other students' Pokémon drove back the Houndoom and Growlithe.
• Matsumoto and Ishida criticized the others for freezing during the attack, but Eichi calmed the argument and urged everyone to keep moving.
• The group entered Ariados territory and retreated from the numerous Ariados after Scizor used Hidden Power to create an opening.
• Eichi let everyone rest, and the group continued onward with greater caution, easily driving back several more Pokémon.

Eichi and his classmates endured repeated wild Pokémon attacks during their wilderness training, then camped for the night. Eichi suspected the Pokémon were attacking them as part of a training arrangement with the teachers, while Kona secretly listened to his conversation with Sato.

• A group of Donphan ambushed Eichi and the others with Rollout, and the students sent out replacement Pokémon before driving them away.
• More Pokémon appeared after the battle, so Eichi led the group away and later found a safe campsite near water using Bug Force.
• The students pitched tents and Xiao Ye and another girl prepared dinner; Xiao Ye brought Eichi food and praised his hard work.
• After dinner, Eichi told Sato that the frequent Pokémon attacks seemed coordinated and that the Pokémon avoided harming Trainers, suggesting they had agreed to help the teachers train the students.
• Eichi and Sato returned to their tents, while Kona, who had overheard their conversation, closed her eyes in the darkness.

Eichi and the others were ambushed by swarms of Arbok, Ekans, and Zubat in a dark forest and fought to escape. After Sato and Kona helped blast open a path, the group rushed forward while Eichi stayed behind to cover Xiao Ye.

• Eichi sensed an Arbok diving toward Xiao Ye and used Scizor to knock it down.
• More Arbok surrounded the group, so everyone released their Pokémon and attacked with wide-range moves.
• Flocks of Zubat joined the assault as more Arbok and Ekans emerged, forcing the group to release additional Pokémon.
• Eichi called to Sato, who coordinated with Kona to protect Electabuzz while it used Thunder and Charizard blasted open a path with Fire Blast.
• Ishida sent Steelix ahead as the group rushed through the opening, and Eichi urged Xiao Ye forward while staying behind to cover them.

Eichi led the group through repeated dangerous encounters with wild Pokémon, including pursuing Zubat and Crobat, a Beedrill swarm, and aggressive Ursaring. After a difficult day that strained the group’s relationships, Matsumoto proposed that he and Ishida split off the next day.

• Eichi and the others escaped the Zubat and Crobat by fighting their way out, then fled a Beedrill swarm after discovering Metapod hanging in a tree.
• Eichi distracted the Beedrill with Pokémon food, allowing the group to rest while Scizor and Beedrill patrolled nearby.
• The chubby teacher watched from a distance and approved of Eichi’s calm leadership during the danger.
• The group encountered irritable Ursaring during breeding season, then later fled from a much larger group of more than twenty Elite Class Ursaring.
• At camp, Matsumoto announced that he and Ishida would travel together the next day, leaving the others to decide what to do.

Eichi and Sato agreed to split their group for the journey, while Teacher Yamashita and other teachers secretly followed the travelers. Two days later, Eichi's group reached the finish line first as the teachers waited beneath the academy emblem.

• Eichi divided the seven travelers into two groups, and he and Sato promised to meet at the finish line.
• Matsumoto, Ishida, and Xin Tai left before breakfast, then Sato's group and Eichi's group set off separately.
• Teacher Yamashita reported the split to Director Liu, who sent teachers to follow each group.
• Eichi led his group around dangerous areas and hurried toward the finish line with Tetsu, Xiao Ye, and A Mi.
• Teacher Xiao Lin spotted Eichi's group arriving at the giant tree bearing Silver Academy's emblem, and the travelers ran toward the waiting teachers.

After all the students reached the endpoint, Eichi learned how each group had struggled through the journey and talked with Sato about traveling. Director Liu then began the second trial, and Eichi recognized the bead contestants had to find as a Key Stone.

• Xiao Ye and A Mi reunited with Teacher Xiao Lin, while Eichi and Tetsu thanked the teachers who had secretly protected them.
• Sato and his group arrived exhausted, followed by Matsumoto and Ishida, whose teacher had needed to rescue them during their journey.
• Xin Tai finally arrived at dusk after repeatedly being surrounded by Pokémon and rescued by his protecting teacher.
• Eichi and Sato discussed how fulfilling the journey had felt, and Sato wondered whether traveling was like this.
• Director Liu announced a seven-day trial to find five hidden beads, and Eichi recognized the bead he displayed as a Key Stone before asking what it was.

Eichi learned that Director Liu had hidden ten Key Stones in the forest and used Bug Force to track them without being seen. He found one guarded by a powerful Ursaring and began offering Pokémon food in exchange, but the trade had not yet concluded.

• Director Liu gave Eichi the Key Stone he had found and promised that Eichi could keep however many he discovered.
• Eichi entered the forest, confirmed that no teachers were watching, and used the Key Stone’s energy signature to search for others.
• Eichi decided to collect five Key Stones and sensed one nearby after walking through the forest.
• Eichi found a Key Stone in a hollow tree guarded by an Elite-level Ursaring and approached it without provoking an attack.
• Eichi showed Ursaring a drawing of a Key Stone and offered Pokémon food in exchange, demonstrating the food with Heracross.

Eichi collected four Key Stones by trading with or battling Pokémon in Viridian Forest and continued searching for a fifth. Elsewhere, Director Liu rushed to Silver Mountain after a Togekiss-led Pokémon riot endangered 3rd Grade students, while a mining crew discovered people nearby and ordered them dealt with.

• Eichi traded Pokémon food to Ursaring for the first Key Stone, then stored it and resumed searching.
• Eichi's Beedrill defeated a colony's leader to earn the second Key Stone, and Eichi also traded for a Mega Stone.
• Eichi traded a Poké Ball to Poliwrath for the third Key Stone and Pokémon food to Houndoom's colony for the fourth.
• Director Liu learned that students had angered an Elite Four-level Togekiss and led teachers toward Silver Mountain to help.
• Eichi continued searching for the fifth Key Stone, unaware of the crisis at Silver Mountain.
• A mining supervisor learned that people had arrived nearby and ordered his associate to deal with them.