Chapter Summaries

Sato and Weavile fought an Elite Advanced Muk in the swamp, using ice and coordinated tactics to overcome Muk’s resistance to close-range attacks. After Muk lost its combat capability, Weavile showed Sato a brief flash of excitement, and Sato hoped his commands had shown that he was trying to understand and help it.

• Sato, George, and Mark continued through Sand Arc Forest as Weavile easily defeated a string of Elite Beginner and Elite Intermediate Pokémon.
• Sato spotted an Elite Advanced Muk occupying a swamp and had Weavile provoke it by throwing a stone into its mud pit.
• Weavile used Swords Dance and Nasty Plot before laying down ice with Icy Wind, while Muk retaliated with Sludge Wave.
• Sato directed Weavile to freeze Muk’s Sludge Wave with Blizzard and attack with Ice Punch, but the strike missed Muk’s hidden core.
• Sato ordered Weavile to bombard Muk with Ice Shard and finish with Surprise Attack, leaving Muk unable to battle.
• Weavile briefly showed excitement toward Sato after the fight, and Sato reflected that he had been issuing commands to understand and support its fighting style.

Sato and Sakura began a battle between Weavile and Snorlax, with Sato realizing that Sakura used a free command style. The match continued as both Trainers issued orders at a crucial moment.

• Sato, Mark, and George met Sakura and her Snorlax, Little Ka, in Sand Arc Forest.
• Sakura said she had come to help Little Ka break through its Elite Advanced bottleneck, and Mark encouraged her to battle Sato.
• Sato and Sakura agreed to a one-on-one match, with Mark acting as referee.
• Sato ordered Weavile to use Swords Dance while Little Ka used Defense Curl and Rollout without a command from Sakura.
• Sato had Weavile evade Rollout and attack with Ice Shard, then Brick Break, while Sakura ordered Little Ka to use Yawn.
• Sato realized Sakura was deliberately letting Little Ka act on its own except at crucial moments.

Sato’s Weavile defeated Sakura’s Snorlax after a fierce exchange of attacks, finishing it with a Seismic Toss while both Pokémon had been asleep. After the battle, Sato and Sakura headed back toward the Pokémon Center with George, and Sato learned that Sakura and Snorlax had grown up together.

• Sakura’s Snorlax used Yawn as Weavile’s boosted Brick Break knocked it down, but Snorlax activated Rest and healed as Weavile’s Low Kick landed.
• Sato’s Weavile and Sakura’s Snorlax both fell asleep, then traded Snore and Sleep Talk attacks; Weavile’s critical Sucker Punch woke Snorlax.
• Sakura’s Snorlax crushed Weavile with Heavy Slam, but Weavile woke and lifted Snorlax with Double Brick Break before slamming it down with Seismic Toss.
• Mark declared Sato the winner, and George treated the Pokémon while Sakura cared for Snorlax and Sato tended to Weavile.
• Sato and Sakura returned Weavile and Snorlax to their Poké Balls and walked back with George; Sakura told Sato that Snorlax had grown up with her from when it was a Munchlax.

Sato and his companions heard that a golden-tailed Milotic had appeared at Dripping Lake and decided to investigate. The next morning, they set out for the lake without Sakura, while Mark eagerly anticipated seeing the rare Pokémon.

• Sato overheard a Trainer claim that a golden Milotic had been spotted at Dripping Lake and planned to catch it.
• Mark returned late, and Sato and George heard his exaggerated announcement about the golden-tailed Milotic.
• Mark proposed that the group visit Dripping Lake, and Sato agreed before heading to bed.
• Sakura waited outside the Pokémon Center and asked to join the group, but Sato refused and walked away with George and Mark.
• George reminded Mark that the Golden Milotic was waiting for them, and Mark excitedly focused on the trip.

Sato, George, and Mark found Golden Milotic at a quiet cove on Dripping Lake and watched it eat the Energy Cubes before it returned to the water. Just as they let it go, an unknown attacker struck Milotic with a powerful Lightning Attack.

• Mark led Sato and George around Dripping Lake to a secluded cove away from the crowds searching for Golden Milotic.
• Umbreon teased Pichu, but Pichu became eager to chase and cuddle Umbreon, leaving Umbreon startled and fleeing.
• George prepared special Energy Cubes for Milotic while Mark played on Lapras and forgot to summon the Pokemon.
• Golden Milotic appeared, accepted the Energy Cubes, thanked Sato and the others, and sank into the lake.
• An unknown attacker hit Milotic with a powerful Lightning Attack, scattering the Energy Cubes.

Hanasaki Sen and Hanasaki Aoi ambushed Sato and his companions with iron nets and powerful Pokemon, but Sato’s team turned the attack around. Sato survived and ordered the siblings dealt with, leaving them and their Pokemon defeated.

• Hanasaki Sen and Hanasaki Aoi attacked Sato’s group with iron nets, trapping Mark, George, and many of their Pokemon.
• Sato sent out Zoroark and Weavile to fight Sceptile and Meganium while Sharpedo attacked Tropius and Skarmory.
• Gengar protected Sato from the combined Leaf Storm and Petal Dance, and Sato emerged unharmed from the explosion.
• Sato ordered Zoroark and Weavile to continue fighting and told Gengar and Sharpedo to bring down Hanasaki Sen and Hanasaki Aoi.
• Gengar used Hypnosis and Nightmare on Hanasaki Sen and Hanasaki Aoi, while Sharpedo subdued Skarmory and Gengar put Electabuzz and Tropius to sleep.

After killing the Hanasaki siblings, Sato concealed the battle, released the surviving Pokémon far from the scene, and continued his journey with George and Mark. Aboard the St. Anne, Mark recoiled from the Pokémon auctions, then steadied himself after voicing his discomfort.

• Sato buried the Hanasaki siblings and their Pokémon, then locked away Tropius, Skarmory, and Electabuzz before erasing signs of the battle.
• Sato, George, and Mark left Sand Arc Forest, and Sato later released the surviving Pokémon in the western mountains after Gengar erased their memories of the incident.
• A week later, Sato, George, and Mark reached Lilycove City and bought tickets aboard the St. Anne to Mossdeep City.
• Mark eagerly checked out the cruise ship’s Pokémon sales and auctions, while Sato and George explored the Free Market.
• Mark stopped visiting the auction after seeing Pokémon treated as merchandise, then told Sato and George what troubled him and regained his composure.

Sato, George, and Mark explored Shoal Cave near Mossdeep City, first surveying its upper levels at high tide and returning the next morning to investigate the exposed depths. Sato brought Weavile along to train, and the chapter left them facing an Ursaring underground as Sato ordered Weavile to attack.

• Sato, George, and Mark crossed the sea to Shoal Cave and explored its upper levels, spotting Pokémon and finding Shoal Shell.
• The three camped on a sheltered beach overnight and returned to Shoal Cave after the tide went out.
• Sato saw a Jynx fleeing into the lower levels and sent out Weavile to explore the cold caverns.
• Mark found Shoal Salt and gathered some while Sato explained its use in making Shell Bells.
• An Ursaring blocked the group’s path, and Sato ordered Weavile to use Brick Break.

Sato, George, and Mark explored Shoal Cave, where Sato noticed the cave stayed dry at high tide and Weavile defeated several powerful Wild Pokemon. After beating Walrein, they found a guarded passage to the Underground Cave’s second floor and descended, hoping Weavile would find something to help it grow stronger.

• Sato noticed that Shoal Cave’s rock walls were cold and dry, and George agreed they should follow the locals’ advice and leave before high tide.
• Weavile defeated an Ursaring and then overcame a heavily armored Cloyster as the group continued deeper into the cave.
• Mark found valuable items while Pichu followed him and received some of his discoveries.
• Weavile defeated Walrein with Seismic Toss, causing the nearby Sealeo to move aside and reveal a cave entrance guarded by Wild Pokemon.
• Sato led George and Mark down the passage to the second floor, where they arrived in a dazzling Underground Ice and Snow World.

Sato and his companions followed Weavile through Shoal Cave’s second floor, where Weavile cleared a Glalie nest and showed them that the Ice Blue Stones were edible. After Mark noticed the stones grew darker blue deeper inside, Sato had Weavile keep digging to see if they could find something better.

• Sato let Weavile scout ahead while Mark and Arbok followed behind, but Weavile cleared the route so effectively that they encountered almost no battles.
• At a fork, two Glalie attacked Weavile, and Weavile and Arbok defeated them with Metal Claw and Iron Tail.
• Sato found the passage filled with incapacitated Glalie and Snorunt and realized Weavile had nearly cleared the nest by itself.
• Weavile ate an Ice Blue Stone and cut more into cubes for Sato to pack away as supplies.
• Mark spotted that the stone’s interior was a deeper blue, so Sato ordered Weavile to dig farther into the deposit.

Sato’s group explored deeper into Shoal Cave, where Weavile found a potent Ice Blue Stone and battled several powerful Pokémon. After Weavile was seriously injured by Cloyster’s repeated Icicle Spears, Sato ordered it to use Substitute and close the distance.

• Weavile found a powerful Ice Blue Stone in Glalie’s lair, and Sato kept it safe while saving a darker stone to ask Joy about.
• Mark led Sato and George to a Never-Melt Ice, then guided them deeper into the cave.
• Weavile defeated an Elite Advanced Piloswine and an Elite Advanced Glalie, but Glalie’s Gyro Ball left it seriously injured.
• Sato’s group rested while George’s Wigglytuff and Gogoat helped Weavile recover.
• An Elite Advanced Cloyster hit Weavile with Icicle Spears, and Sato ordered it to use Substitute and charge closer.

Weavile defeated several opponents in Shoal Cave before facing a battle-hardened Elite Peak Lapras on smooth ice. The chapter ended with Weavile exploiting Lapras’s shell with Screech and throwing it with Seismic Toss.

• Weavile defeated Cloyster by striking its shell horns to make it spin, then powered up with Swords Dance and knocked it into a rock wall.
• Weavile refused Sato’s offer to stop and continued battling after receiving treatment from Wigglytuff.
• Weavile defeated Jynx, Golem, and Sandslash before encountering an Elite Peak Lapras.
• Lapras attacked Weavile on an icy stretch, and Weavile blocked Hydro Pump with Substitute before striking Lapras with Brick Break.
• Weavile cut through Lapras’s Hydro Pump with Metal Claw, then scraped its claw across Lapras’s shell to unleash Screech.
• Weavile grabbed Lapras’s flipper and used Seismic Toss while Lapras struggled from the sound.

After Weavile defeated Lapras in Shoal Cave, it absorbed energy from the Ice Blue Stone and broke through to Elite Peak. Back in Mossdeep City, Sato learned that both Lance and Joy Lily had made progress on Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution Stone, and he began a negotiation with the regional clan leaders.

• Weavile defeated Lapras with Seismic Toss and Brick Break, then absorbed energy from the Ice Blue Stone and broke through to Elite Peak.
• Sato, George, and Mark left Shoal Cave before the tide rose and returned to their campsite, where Sato’s Pokémon noticed Weavile’s new strength.
• Sato and his companions rode Lapras back to Mossdeep City, where staff told him that Lance and Joy Lily had left messages about Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution Stone.
• Sato called Joy Lily, who offered to bring him to meet the clan leaders from the four main regions, and he considered what he could offer in negotiations.
• Four Elder Nurse Joys appeared on the video call, and Sato greeted Aunt Qing without showing anger over the delayed Mega Evolution Stone.

Sato met with the Nurse Joy Family’s four regional leaders, who tried to persuade him to wait for Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution Stone and coax information from him. He revealed Sharpedo could Mega Evolve but gave them nothing more, leaving Aunt Qing’s loyalties uncertain.

• The regional clan leaders showered Sato with praise and questions while Aunt Qing watched quietly.
• Joy Meilu asked why Sato wanted Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution Stone when his Pupitar had not evolved, and Sato said he was preparing ahead.
• The Kanto clan leader proposed giving Sato the stone after Pupitar evolved, then asked about his latest discovery.
• Sato told the leaders he had discovered Sharpedo’s Mega Evolution and offered to show them, frustrating their attempt to obtain more valuable information.
• After failing to learn anything else, the leaders ended the call, and Sato wondered whether Aunt Qing would remain on his side.

Sato learned that Lance was away on a mission and caught up with Tsubaki, whose friends had scattered into new pursuits. After another trip to Shoal Cave yielded little, Sato began pushing Mark to figure out how to control his own strength, but Mark ended the chapter with no answer.

• Sato tried to call Lance, then spoke with Tsubaki, who explained that Lance and Itsuki had become Alliance Investigators, White was traveling in Sinnoh, and Lixiang was training at a breeding facility.
• Tsubaki said she was training to become a Gym Leader in Blackthorn City, and Sato teased her about keeping Blackthorn Gym strong.
• Sato, Mark, and George decided to return to Shoal Cave, where Lapras let them pass and Sato found another piece of Never-Melt Ice.
• Mark refused to dig for treasure because he was cold, so Sato ended the search and led the group back.
• Sato asked Mark whether he could control his strength, and Mark spent more than two hours thinking before admitting he had come up with nothing.

Sato met Steven Stone in Mossdeep City and arranged a battle for the next morning, where Sato revealed Mega Sharpedo against Steven’s powerful Aggron. As the fight continued, Steven began to turn Sato’s early advantage against him.

• Sato and Steven Stone reunited at the Mossdeep City Pokemon Center and agreed to battle the next morning.
• Sato chose Sharpedo for the match, while Steven sent out his Pseudo-Elite Four Intermediate Aggron.
• Sato Mega Evolved Sharpedo, raising its strength to Pseudo-Elite Four Beginner and renewing Steven’s interest in the battle.
• Sharpedo and Aggron traded attacks, and Aggron trapped them both in a rock cage before Sharpedo escaped with Substitute and Aqua Jet.
• Steven gradually drew Sato into his battle rhythm, and Sato ordered Sharpedo to use Agility.

Sato and Steven Stone fought a close Pokémon battle, with Sato’s Sharpedo repeatedly attacking Aggron through speed and hit-and-run tactics. Steven’s Aggron ultimately caught Sharpedo with Metal Claw and won, leaving Sato to ask how Steven had predicted its movements.

• Sato used Sharpedo’s Payback and Substitute to counter Aggron’s Surf and Metal Burst, then tried to break through Aggron’s defenses with Surf and Aqua Jet.
• Sato realized Sharpedo could use Agility and Aqua Jet to evade Aggron, so he ordered it to wear Aggron down with repeated hit-and-run attacks.
• Steven Stone told Aggron to close its eyes and wait with Metal Claw ready, while Sato changed Sharpedo’s attack pattern.
• Steven told Aggron to use Slash, and Aggron struck Sharpedo during Aqua Jet, ending its Mega Evolution and incapacitating it.
• Steven Stone won the battle, and when Sato asked how he had done it, Steven said he had calculated Sharpedo’s movements.
• Sato took Sharpedo to Nurse Joy, who comforted him and reminded him not to dwell on a temporary loss.

After visiting Steven Stone’s stone-filled villa, Sato learned that Origin Stones could help Pokémon grow and increase their potential. Steven invited Sato and his companions to explore a newly discovered Underwater Cave, offering him all the Origin Stones they found in exchange for basic information about Mega Evolution; Sato’s group agreed to go.

• Steven Stone hosted Sato and his companions at his villa, where Sato asked about an Origin Stone and learned how Origin Stones could benefit Pokémon.
• Sato realized the Ice Blue Stone that had helped Weavile break through was likely an Ice-type Origin Stone.
• Steven Stone told Sato that his father’s survey team had discovered a huge underwater hollow and invited him to explore it.
• Steven Stone offered Sato all the Origin Stones they found in exchange for basic Mega Evolution information, and promised his Rock-type Origin Stone if they found none.
• Sato asked George and Mark whether they wanted to go, and Mark enthusiastically urged the group to accept.

Sato and his companions agreed to join Steven Stone’s expedition to the Underwater Cave and prepared for the dangerous journey. After a thirty-six-hour submarine trip, they reached the dark cave entrance, where Mark hesitated to go inside.

• Sato told Steven Stone that Mark and George would join the expedition, and Steven arranged supplies and a submarine.
• Sato asked Joy to prepare diving gear and discussed Mega Evolution with Lance, offering Gyarados’s Mega Evolution information in exchange for Tyranitar’s Mega Evolution Stone.
• Steven Stone’s team picked up Sato and his companions and took them to his private beach, where they boarded a submarine.
• The submarine descended through the ocean, and Sato’s group watched marine Pokemon before the deep sea grew dark.
• The submarine avoided a pod of Wailord and reached the Underwater Cave, where Mark nervously questioned whether they should enter.

Steven Stone, Sato, George, and Mark explored the Underwater Cave, where they found signs of an ecosystem and encountered a Sandslash. After it fled, Sato noticed that its skin was paler than an ordinary Sandslash.

• Steven Stone and the others entered the Underwater Cave, confirmed the air was safe, and prepared to explore with their Pokémon.
• The group discovered glowing White Crystal, moss, and grass deeper in the cave, and Steven Stone warned that Pokémon might live nearby.
• A Sandslash attacked Metagross, was knocked away with Bullet Punch, and escaped using Dig.
• Steven Stone inferred that the cave supported its own ecosystem, while Sato noticed the Sandslash's unusually pale skin.