Chapter Summaries

Shindai stopped three Lava Team members from capturing an injured Regirock and defeated their Pokémon with his own Regirock. After learning the Rock Golem’s origins, he invited it to follow him, and it agreed before he captured it.

• Three Lava Team members attacked the injured Regirock with eighteen Pokémon and knocked it to the ground.
• The burly man threw a Heavy Ball at Regirock, but Shindai destroyed it with a lightning strike from above.
• Shindai summoned his larger Regirock, whose Sandstorm defeated the Lava Team members’ Pokémon and forced them to retreat.
• Shindai touched the Rock Golem and learned about its origins, then invited it to follow him.
• The Rock Golem agreed, and Shindai captured it in a Heavy Ball before recalling Regirock and flying away on Salamence.

Eichi rescued Xiao Duo and another student from the desert, then led the group back to Sandstorm Town after their trek. Back at the hotel, everyone rested, while Flygon remained withdrawn after leaving the army.

• Eichi found Xiao Duo in the desert, comforted her, and took her aboard Fearow to search for another missing student.
• Eichi found the other student, returned with both students to camp, and joined Teacher Lan Lan as everyone gathered safely for the night.
• Teacher Lan Lan led the group out of Storm Desert, and they returned to Miracle Hotel, where she briefed the academy teachers and leaders.
• Eichi rested at the hotel, released his five Pokémon, and noticed that Flygon stayed alone in a corner.

Flygon recounted its long life in the Illusory Tower and began enjoying the outside world after Eichi captured it. After the desert trip ended, Eichi arranged for Mina to help hatch Asen’s Root Fossil, and Mina revealed that her brother Steven had visited the Illusory Tower six years earlier.

• Flygon remembered growing up lonely in the Illusory Tower, becoming its guardian, and once being knocked unconscious by a human who took two fossils.
• Eichi fed Flygon Pokémon food as it adjusted to life outside the tower and savored the meal.
• Lan Lan announced that the desert Extracurricular Practice had ended, summarized the students’ performance, apologized for the dangers, and said they would return to school the day after tomorrow.
• Eichi asked Asen for his Root Fossil and offered to arrange its hatching through Mina’s family, and Asen entrusted it to him.
• Eichi visited Mina and showed her the Claw Fossil and Root Fossil he had found in the Illusory Tower.
• Mina told Eichi that her brother, Zufuki Steven, had visited the Illusory Tower six years earlier, leading Eichi to realize Steven had been the human who knocked Flygon unconscious.

Eichi arranged for Mina to incubate two fossils, spent the next day shopping with Xiao Na and Fatty, and learned that Shindai had captured Regirock. Back at the hotel, Eichi began writing his field-practice reflection while Tetsu thought about him from afar.

• Mina promised Eichi she would have her family incubate his two fossils as quickly as possible.
• Eichi bathed Flygon for the first time and circulated Bug Force through his five Pokémon that night, leaving Flygon puzzled about why it lacked the ability.
• Xiao Na and Fatty took Eichi shopping, while Shindai told Sinnoh Academy's leaders that he had captured Regirock.
• Eichi recognized Shindai as he left the hotel and wondered whether he had come for Regirock.
• At Silver Academy, Tetsu thought about Eichi and reflected on how the top students' departure had left him less motivated.
• Eichi returned to the hotel, reviewed his notes, and started a five-thousand-word reflection while Heracross and Golisopod chatted with Flygon.

Eichi and the other students returned to Sinnoh Academy after their desert expedition, where they were assigned a test and a reflection essay. He resumed training his Pokémon and discovered that Flygon struggled with evasion drills despite its high level.

• Heracross told Flygon about the outside world, and Flygon lost its battle against Golisopod before the two became closer.
• Eichi and the students left Sandstorm Town and returned to Sinnoh Academy six days later.
• Eichi cleaned his dusty room and continued writing his five-thousand-word reflection on the Storm Desert.
• Teacher Lan Lan assigned the class a desert test and a five-thousand-word reflection due the following Monday.
• Eichi brought his five Pokémon to the Training Room and assigned them drills, with Flygon training in evasion alongside Golisopod.
• Flygon was hit by many metal pellets during the evasion drill, and Eichi’s assessment showed that its skills were proficient but its attributes were not yet outstanding.

Eichi assessed Flygon's limited potential while directing Beedrill to develop a stronger version of Pin Missile. He then watched Scizor and Heracross continue their training.

• Eichi concluded that Flygon had little room to improve and planned to keep it as a temporary team member before leaving it at home to protect his father.
• Beedrill practiced Pin Missile by striking iron pellets with Light Needles, and Eichi decided it should create fewer, more powerful needles through tighter energy compression.
• Eichi noted that Beedrill had reached level 55 after its Innate Fire became gold, while Golisopod, Scizor, and Heracross had each gained about one level.
• Eichi set Beedrill's training machine to automatic mode and watched Scizor strike a strength-testing pillar with both pincers.
• Heracross dodged and endured the Robot Dummies' attacks, then exploited an opening to drive its horn into one dummy and knock it down.

Eichi told Sato and Kona about their encounter with Regirock, then heard how they explored Petalburg Woods and challenged Mr. Chili at the Orange Gym. At Devon Corporation, Dr. Ash received and inspected a Claw Fossil and a Root Fossil.

• Heracross defeated five mannequins during training, and Eichi continued watching Golisopod and Flygon.
• Eichi met Sato and Kona at a bookstore and recounted the Extracurricular Practice encounter with Regirock.
• Kona described how Mr. Chili’s Vigoroth and Slaking defeated Sato’s Pokémon at the Orange Gym, while Sato reflected on what he learned from challenging Chili.
• A suited man delivered a metal case from Miss Mina to Dr. Ash at Devon Corporation.
• Dr. Ash examined the Claw Fossil and Root Fossil and remarked that the Claw Fossil was in very good condition.

Steven learned that two unusually high-quality fossils came from the Illusory Tower and decided to return to the Storm Desert. Meanwhile, Maxie learned that Team Rocket had entered Hoenn, and strange changes began in a town near Kikyo City.

• Steven examined the Claw Fossil and watched Dr. Ash test it and the Root Fossil, finding both had abnormal, excellent data.
• Steven called Mina and learned that her junior student had found the fossils in the Illusory Tower.
• Steven told Dr. Ash where the fossils came from, then decided to make another trip to Storm Desert.
• Maxie forgave the Lava Team trio after they reported finding information about the Red Orb in a desert ruin.
• Maxie learned that Team Rocket was expanding into Hoenn and said Lava Team would warn them when possible.
• Strange changes began in a town not far from Kikyo City.

Team Rocket consolidated its hold on Jifeng Town and expanded into Mauville City, where it became one of two dominant forces. At Sinnoh Academy, Eichi agreed to attend a Pokémon Contest with Xiao Na the next morning and continued studying Pokémon cultivation.

• Team Rocket wiped out the Bat Group and Black Iron Society, leaving Gray Rattata as the only other organization in Jifeng Town.
• After building its strength in Jifeng Town, Team Rocket returned to Mauville City and fought several dark forces until they accepted its entry.
• Team Rocket rapidly expanded in Mauville City, prompting the remaining forces to unite against it and creating a two-power balance.
• Lava Team and Team Aqua heard of Team Rocket's growth and moved to suppress it, while Asen remained undercover at Sinnoh Academy.
• Xiao Na invited Eichi to a Pokémon Contest, and Eichi agreed to meet her and the chubby boy at the entrance at eight the next morning.
• Eichi went to the cafeteria, then returned to his dormitory to make Pokéblocks and continue reading Teacher Ami's books.

Eichi, Xiao Na, and Fatty attended the Pokémon Contest at Slateport Contest Hall, where Vivian introduced the judges and explained the competition. The first performance impressed Eichi, and the contest’s preliminary round began.

• Eichi met Xiao Na and late-arriving Fatty at Sinnoh Academy, and they headed to Slateport Contest Hall.
• Xiao Na revealed she had bought three tickets in advance after tickets at the venue sold out.
• The group found their seats as Vivian introduced Conkeldurr, Grimsley, and Nurse Joy as the judges.
• Vivian explained the scoring rounds and announced that the Pokémon Contest had begun.
• The first contestant performed with Beautifly, using three powder moves to create a colorful vortex that earned 26 points.

Eichi watched the Pokémon Contest and later found a contestant whose exhausted Butterfree threatened his chance to compete. Eichi restored Butterfree with a custom Pokéblock, and the boy hurried backstage as his turn approached.

• A Kirlia contestant recreated a starry sky with Psychic-type moves and earned a perfect score from all three judges.
• Eichi left the audience to use the restroom and overheard a black-haired boy worrying about his unwell Butterfree backstage.
• A green-haired contestant mocked the boy and boasted that he had won 2nd Place in the Orange City Pokémon Contest.
• Eichi recognized that Butterfree was exhausted from overtraining and gave it a custom Bug-type Pokéblock.
• Butterfree quickly recovered, and the boy rushed upstairs when he realized his turn was near.

Eichi watched the black-haired boy use his Pokéblock-enhanced Butterfree to give a dazzling performance and advance through the first battle round. The green-haired boy also advanced, setting up their rivalry for the next matches.

• The black-haired boy performed with Butterfree, whose layered powders, Double Team, Silver Wind, Whirlwind, and Quiver Dance earned him 29 points.
• The black-haired boy and the green-haired boy confronted each other backstage, with the green-haired boy dismissing his chances in later matches.
• The first round ended with sixteen contestants advancing, and the black-haired boy defeated an opponent using Fidough in the second-round battles.
• Eichi, the fat boy, and Xiao Na ate lunch together, where Eichi praised the creativity of the morning's performances.
• The green-haired boy defeated his opponent with Skitty in the fourth match.

The black-haired boy defeated the green-haired boy with Butterfree, then lost the final Lilycove Contest match to the girl with Kirlia. After the ceremony, he caught up with Eichi and thanked him for the Pokéblocks, and Eichi gave him the remaining ones.

• The black-haired boy's Butterfree defeated the green-haired boy's Skitty, advancing Contestant No. 46 to the final.
• The girl with Kirlia defeated Butterfree, and the black-haired boy congratulated her on winning the Contest.
• After the award ceremony, the black-haired boy realized he had forgotten to ask the name of the boy who gave him Pokéblocks and hurried out to find him.
• The black-haired boy caught up with Eichi, thanked him for the Pokéblocks, and Eichi handed him the remaining ones.

Eichi explained that he had helped the black-haired boy by giving Butterfree an improved Pokéblock, then returned to his dorm and reviewed the recipe. He decided to focus on studying and training before considering whether to sell his Pokéblocks.

• Eichi gave the black-haired boy a Pokéblock for Butterfree and encouraged him to keep working hard.
• Eichi told the chubby boy and Xiao Na that he had improved the Pokéblock himself, then claimed he had learned the recipe from an Intermediate Breeder relative’s acquaintance.
• Eichi went shopping with the chubby boy and Xiao Na after they left the Slateport Contest Hall, and returned to his dormitory after four in the afternoon.
• Eichi examined his improved Pokéblock recipe and remaining stock, concluding that the blocks worked well for lower-level Bug-type Pokémon but cost too much to sell profitably.
• Eichi set aside thoughts of entering the Pokéblock market and returned to his bedroom to study.

Eichi called his father and learned that Pokémon seemed drawn to Xiao Yu, then went to train at Sinnoh Academy. Asen remembered his lonely childhood and resisted deleting a message from his younger sister before Eichi’s training session began.

• Eichi called his father, heard that Xiao Yu often visited Viridian Forest, and wondered whether she had a special constitution that attracted Pokémon.
• Asen watched children with their parents, recalled growing up in an orphanage before Team Rocket took him and his sister, and kept her message instead of deleting it.
• Eichi and Asen crossed paths at Sinnoh Academy’s training hall, where Eichi reserved a Training Room and released his five Pokémon.
• Eichi set Golisopod to train Hydro Pump, and Golisopod’s strike raised its power tester score by sixty.
• Beedrill formed a dozen Light Needles and fired them into a training pillar.

Eichi saw Beedrill's Pin Missile training begin to leave scratches and considered buying more TMs for his Pokémon. Meanwhile, Steven searched the Storm Desert for the Illusory Tower, and Eichi received news that an egg had hatched before meeting Mina at the medical room.

• Eichi praised Beedrill for scratching the training pillar with Pin Missile and checked on his Pokémon, who had mastered their current moves.
• Xiao Jing and the professor rested in the Storm Desert after a productive expedition, while Steven flew past them on Corviknight.
• Steven used a device to locate the Illusory Tower's suspected site and sent Cradily to dig, but it found nothing.
• Eichi received a phone call telling him that an egg had hatched, then left school and met Mina at the medical room.

Eichi received the hatched Armaldo and Lileep from Dr. Ash after Mina repaid her favor and left. He gave Lileep to Asen, who welcomed it as his Pokémon, then returned to his dorm with Armaldo.

• Mina contacted Dr. Ash, who sent Eichi the Poké Balls containing the hatched Armaldo and Lileep.
• Eichi released the Pokémon, confirmed that both had Outstanding potential, and bonded with Armaldo before explaining that Lileep belonged to Asen.
• Eichi delivered Lileep’s Poké Ball to Asen, who released it and accepted it as his Pokémon.
• Eichi returned to his dorm and released Armaldo, which immediately rubbed against his feet.

Eichi welcomed the newly hatched Armaldo into his dormitory and introduced it to his Pokémon. The next day, Mina gave Eichi detailed training materials for Armaldo and Lileep from her cousin Steven, leaving Eichi surprised by Steven's generosity.

• Eichi showed Armaldo around the dormitory, fed it, and introduced it to Flygon, Beedrill, Golisopod, Scizor, and Heracross.
• Heracross and Golisopod warmly welcomed Armaldo as the newest member of Eichi's Pokémon family.
• Steven called Mina and asked her to deliver detailed cultivation methods for Armaldo and Lileep to their owners.
• Mina picked up Eichi in her car and handed him the training materials.
• Eichi learned that Mina's cousin was Steven and left with the materials, astonished that Steven had sent them.

Eichi studied Steven’s detailed care and training plans for Armaldo, then bought its first supplies and prepared to begin its training. He started Armaldo with a warm-up run alongside Heracross in the Training Room.

• Eichi delivered Mina’s Lileep training documents to Asen, who thanked him for helping get the Pokémon incubated.
• Eichi read Steven’s detailed plans for raising and training Armaldo and realized how much stronger Armaldo could become with them.
• Eichi observed Armaldo’s physical data for three days and spent over two hundred thousand on its initial Pokémon food and Pokéblocks.
• Eichi asked Teacher Jiang Ben for advice about Armaldo, but Teacher Jiang Ben could not offer useful guidance.
• Eichi assigned Heracross to fly around the Training Room thirty times with Armaldo following behind as a warm-up.

Eichi trained Armaldo, discovered its skills and Battle Armor Ability, and recorded its training data. After caring for all six Pokémon for the night, he went to sleep as cyan energy flowed from his body into the five Pokémon.

• Armaldo followed Heracross through thirty laps and earned praise and a stamina-restoring Pokéblock from Eichi.
• Eichi asked Armaldo to demonstrate its skills, and it used Scratch, Harden, Mud Sport, Water Pulse, Agility, and Cross Poison against a target.
• Eichi discovered Armaldo had the Battle Armor Ability and recorded its skills and training data as it practiced until exhausted.
• Eichi ended training, bathed all six Pokémon, gave them massages, reviewed their training data, and went to sleep.
• Cyan energy flowed from Eichi's body into the five Pokémon in the darkness.