Chapter Summaries

Sato trained Larvitar on the road toward Ecruteak City, where Larvitar defeated an Ariados-led group of Spinarak. Sato found a Pokemon Egg with Pseudo-Elite Four potential in their nest, then encountered a Misdreavus that attacked through a Spatial Ripple.

• Sato trained Larvitar against Bug-type Pokemon as they traveled toward Ecruteak City.
• Larvitar used a powerful Rock Slide to cripple Ariados and strike the Spinarak that had not escaped.
• Sato searched Ariados's nest and found a Pokemon Egg whose potential Dark Power sensed as Pseudo-Elite Four level.
• Sato stored the Egg in his backpack and left the nest with Larvitar.
• Larvitar's Screech revealed a Spatial Ripple, and Sato struck the Misdreavus that emerged before ordering Larvitar to use Bite.

Sato challenged Bellossom, Misdreavus, and Raichu to a battle, and Zorua faced Raichu after Larvitar sat out. Zorua learned Foul Play and defeated Raichu, though it was paralyzed in the final exchange.

• Misdreavus hid behind Raichu after Larvitar tried to bite it, and Bellossom arrived to heal Misdreavus and hear what happened.
• Bellossom apologized for Misdreavus's prank, and Sato proposed a battle, promising not to capture any of them.
• Sato sent out Zorua instead of the recently battled Larvitar, and Zorua used Fake Tears and Scary Face to disrupt Raichu.
• Raichu used Agility, but Zorua stopped its advance and slammed it face-first into the ground.
• Raichu unleashed repeated Thunderbolts, and a close-range clash with Zorua's Dark Pulse left Zorua badly hurt.
• Zorua used its newly mastered Foul Play before Raichu's Thunder Punch could land, defeating Raichu despite being paralyzed.

Sato trained deeper in the forest, where Haunter defeated an experienced Marowak before he encountered a furious Totem Ursaring. After Ursaring left, Sato decided to secretly investigate its cub and began an infiltration operation with Haunter.

• Sato had Haunter battle an experienced Marowak, which used Foresight and Iron Head to counter it before Haunter put it to sleep with Hypnosis.
• Sato and Haunter encountered a three-meter-tall Totem Ursaring, and Zorua's Scary Face enraged it.
• Sato threw a Skitty Tail to distract Ursaring and let him and his Pokemon escape.
• Sato suspected Ursaring was in its breeding season and decided to investigate its child, releasing Haunter to begin an infiltration mission.
• Totem Ursaring finished patrolling and entered a tree hole, unaware that Sato and Haunter were watching it.

Sato searched Ursaring’s cave for treasure but found only honey and its sleepy Teddiursa, then escaped after Ursaring caught him trespassing. After reaching Violet City, he avoided the Gym and public tournaments, choosing to enter the Million Voucher Competition instead.

• Sato secretly entered Ursaring’s cave and found Teddiursa sleeping in its nest, but discovered nothing valuable beyond a bundle of honey.
• Ursaring returned and chased Sato through the cave while Haunter’s Shadow Balls distracted it, leaving Ursaring to find the frightened Teddiursa.
• Sato left Ursaring’s territory, continued to Violet City, and had his three companions treated at the Pokemon Center before booking a hotel.
• Sato considered the risks of exposing Larvitar and Zorua or entering tournaments, then signed up for the Million Voucher Competition.

Sato advanced through the Million Voucher Competition’s chaotic preliminary round by keeping Haunter hidden until it defeated the four remaining Pokemon with one Shadow Ball. The first day ended with thirty-two qualifiers, and the paired 2V2 matches were set to begin the next day.

• Trainers competed in chaotic preliminary battles, where large Pokemon initially dominated and a skilled female trainer’s Bellossom later won through an ambush.
• Sato heard his number called and entered arena three, where he concealed Haunter while the other Pokemon focused on the powerful Golem.
• After only four Pokemon remained, Sato revealed Haunter and knocked them all out with a single Shadow Ball.
• The crowd booed Sato’s ambush, but he advanced as the day’s battles ended with thirty-two qualifiers for the next day’s 2V2 matches.

Sato advanced through the competition with Haunter, defeating Victreebel and then Nurse Joy’s Chansey with Curse. The crowd condemned him after the second battle, but Joy calmed them, and Sato sat among the Top 16, newly resolved to leave his recent slackness behind.

• Sato trained Haunter at the hotel before arriving at the Commercial Plaza, where Feraligatr and Chansey won notable morning matches.
• Sato defeated the glasses-wearing trainer’s Victreebel with Haunter’s Lick, Hypnosis, and Shadow Ball.
• After his win, Sato returned to the hotel and trained Haunter, Zorua, and Larvitar.
• Sato faced Nurse Joy and used Haunter’s Curse and Hypnosis to make her concede.
• The crowd insulted Sato for using Curse, but Joy explained that Chansey was fine and the battle was ordinary, calming most of them.
• Sato took his place among the Top 16 and thanked Joy inwardly for reminding him not to grow complacent.

Sato advanced through the tournament with Haunter, defeating opponents and deciding to keep a Spinarak egg to strengthen his roster. In the Top Four match against Hetian, Bellossom’s Petal Dance obscured the battlefield, and Sato realized it had appeared behind Haunter.

• Sato defeated Wujian’s Scyther with Haunter’s Toxic, Shadow Balls, and Shadow Punch.
• Sato’s Haunter overcame a fast Dodrio by exploiting the three heads’ tendency to argue and then using Toxic.
• After reaching the Top Four, Sato kept the Spinarak egg and put Haunter through overnight training to learn a new move.
• Sato drew Hetian, the seemingly delicate trainer, as his Top Four opponent.
• Hetian sent out Bellossom, whose Petal Dance filled the field with petals, and Sato had Haunter form a shield of linked Shadow Balls.
• Sato noticed Bellossom had appeared behind Haunter.

Sato defeated Hetian and her Bellossom with Haunter, then learned that his final opponent, West, wanted to trade for Haunter and offered a powerful Pokémon plus five million League Coins. Suspicious of West’s motive, Sato left to investigate and arrived at the arena believing their match might reveal the answer.

• Sato’s Haunter interrupted Bellossom’s Quiver Dance and defeated it with Sludge Bomb and Shadow Punch.
• Sato watched West’s Skarmory defeat a Rhyhorn from range, and the organizers scheduled the final match for that afternoon.
• West introduced himself to Sato and offered Houndoom, Xatu, Skarmory, or Breloom plus five million League Coins in exchange for Haunter.
• Sato postponed the discussion and left after sensing no hostility from West but remaining wary of his motives.
• Sato searched for West’s personal information and background, then took Haunter to the arena shortly before the final match.

Sato’s Haunter battled West’s Houndoom to a draw, breaking through to Elite Level before Toxic finally incapacitated Houndoom. After the match, West explained that he wanted Haunter because its Ghost- and Poison-type potential had reached Pseudo-Elite Four level.

• Sato’s Haunter poisoned West’s Houndoom, but Houndoom’s Odor Sleuth and greater strength kept Haunter from relying on its usual evasive tactics.
• Under pressure in the battle, Haunter broke through to Elite Level and gained the ability to create two Shadow Balls at once.
• Haunter and Houndoom both fell, with Toxic ultimately incapacitating Houndoom, and the host awarded both contestants one million in shopping vouchers.
• Sato agreed to speak privately with West and asked why he was interested in Haunter.
• West said his four Pokémon each had high potential in two types, and that Haunter’s Ghost- and Poison-type talent had reached Pseudo-Elite Four level.

Sato learned how Pokémon talent affected their chances of reaching Elite Four level and refused to trade Haunter. He made a deal with West to lead him to a talented Shuppet in exchange for the Pokémon Talent Analyzer and five million League Coins, then checked Haunter’s data with the device.

• Sato questioned West about Haunter’s talent, learning that Dual Pseudo-Elite Four Talent gave a Pokémon a higher chance of reaching Elite Four level than a single talent.
• Sato told West about a talented Shuppet he had found near the Ruins of Alph and offered to lead him to it in exchange for the talent-analysis method.
• West agreed to give Sato a Pokémon Talent Analyzer and five million League Coins for information about the Shuppet.
• Sato met West at the Pokémon Center the next morning and led him toward the outskirts.
• West showed Sato how to use the analyzer, and Sato confirmed Haunter’s Elite Beginner strength and dual Pseudo-Elite Four potential.

Sato traveled with West toward the Ruins of Alph while West talked constantly and set up an extravagant lunch. They reached the ruins near evening and prepared to camp, with West producing an entire house from his backpack.

• West peppered Sato with questions about Unown and powerful Pokémon, then kept talking as they walked toward the Ruins of Alph.
• West unpacked camping equipment and cooked a large lunch, sharing specialized food with Sato's Zorua and Haunter and showing off his Feraligatr, Houndoom, and Skarmory.
• Sato noticed that Spinarak's Pokémon Egg seemed close to hatching, and the group resumed their journey with their Pokémon out.
• West talked to Haunter and Zorua along the road while Zorua went scouting and Houndoom ran off to escape the chatter.
• Sato and West spotted the Ruins of Alph and decided to camp nearby before entering in the morning, and West pulled a whole house from his compact backpack.

Sato helped West find and capture a powerful Shuppet in the Ruins of Alph, then suggested that it was searching for its home because it had once been an abandoned Unown. Shuppet reacted to Sato’s explanation, leaving its origins and past unresolved.

• Sato found a hidden Shuppet at the Ruins of Alph and left the battle to West.
• Shuppet used a powerful Night Shade, but West’s Houndoom broke through it with Howl.
• West weakened Shuppet with Inferno Field and Fire Fang, then caught it in a Great Ball.
• After they left the ruins, West treated Shuppet’s injuries, and Shuppet searched for the place it considered home.
• Sato told West that Shuppet was said to form from a Pokémon that died with intense resentment, then suggested an abandoned Unown might suffer the same pain.

Sato helped West take in a Shuppet who had been an Unown in a previous life, then left Violet City and traveled north with his Pokémon. Spinarak hatched along the way, and Sato discovered that it had exceptionally high potential and several inherited moves.

• Sato explained Shuppet’s past to West and left him to help the Pokémon adjust to its new life.
• West told Sato that Shuppet had Pseudo-Elite Four potential and could use Hidden Power.
• Sato returned to Violet City, bought supplies, and left the next day for a route north of the Ruins of Alph.
• Spinarak hatched from its egg, climbed onto Sato’s arm, and was welcomed by Zorua and Larvitar.
• Sato analyzed Spinarak’s talent and found Elite Four Poison potential, Pseudo-Elite Four Bug potential, the Sniper ability, and three inherited moves.

Sato adjusted his Pokémon’s care and training, then took Spinarak out for its first battles and discovered its Poison Sting had an unusually high chance of poisoning opponents. Spinarak eagerly agreed to keep battling, while Sato sent Zorua into the forest to seek a suitable opponent and make a breakthrough.

• Sato fed Larvitar, Zorua, Haunter, and Spinarak meals suited to their needs and reviewed training plans to develop Spinarak’s talent.
• Sato brought Spinarak and Zorua into the forest, where Spinarak struggled to follow battle commands but defeated a Ledyba with String Shot and Poison Sting.
• After Sato freed Ledyba and treated it with Antidote, Spinarak agreed to battle again and defeated a Rattata by poisoning it.
• Sato tested Spinarak’s Poison Sting in further novice battles and found that it poisoned opponents nearly half the time, leading him to anticipate the move Toxic Spikes.
• Sato told Zorua to search for a suitable opponent, and Zorua happily slipped away into the forest.

Sato and his Pokémon fought off Gligar before a rare Gliscor attacked, pushing Zorua to evolve into Zoroark. Zoroark defeated Gliscor in its first battle after evolving.

• Spinarak trapped Gligar with String Shot while Larvitar used Rock Slide to defeat them.
• Gliscor ambushed Sato, but Zorua struck it with Dark Pulse and used Scary Face and Foul Play to counter its attacks.
• Gliscor repelled Zorua with Acrobatics, and Zorua began evolving under pressure.
• Sato used Dark Power, Blood Feeding to send his blood’s energy into Zorua, which completed its evolution into Zoroark.
• Zoroark attacked Gliscor twice with Sucker Punch and defeated it.

Sato celebrated Zoroark’s evolution and inspected its newly revealed strength and moves before traveling with Spinarak to the National Park Bug-Catching Contest. The contest began as a stubborn burrowing bug uncovered a deep black iron plate.

• Sato captured the defeated Gliscor, then reunited Zoroark with Haunter, Spinarak, and Larvitar.
• Sato examined Zoroark and found it had Elite Beginner strength, Elite Four+ potential, Dark Burst, and the inherited move Extrasensory.
• Sato encouraged Larvitar and Spinarak to grow stronger, then traveled with Spinarak for a week to the National Park.
• Sato entered the Bug-Catching Contest with Spinarak, which began searching for unfamiliar Bug-type Pokémon.
• Deep in the National Park, a burrowing bug uncovered a black iron plate and scraped at it with Metal Claw.

Sato and Spinarak encountered a Nincada in National Park, but it escaped underground. Haunter investigated the tunnels and found something beneath the forest, so Sato left the park and located a hidden mechanism to enter.

• Spinarak battled a Nincada with Poison Sting, String Shot, and Sucker Punch, but Nincada escaped by digging underground.
• Sato sensed something unusual below the ground and sent Haunter to investigate while Spinarak watched.
• Haunter returned after a fight underground, and Sato questioned it about what was below before deciding to investigate himself.
• Sato left National Park so his Competition Ball would not be locked, recalled Spinarak, and followed Haunter into the wild forest.
• Haunter led Sato to a concealed patch of grass, where Sato found a button beneath a large stone and pressed it.

Sato explored an abandoned Team Rocket laboratory that had researched ways to stimulate Bug-type Pokemon evolution. He defeated and captured an Alakazam and a Hypno, then continued deeper into the facility.

• Sato found Team Rocket documents about Venonat and inferred that the laboratory had studied methods of stimulating Bug-type Pokemon evolution.
• Haunter warned Sato that Pokemon were approaching, and Sato ordered Haunter and Zoroark to confront them.
• Zoroark and Haunter overwhelmed Alakazam and Hypno, with Zoroark's Dark Burst destroying the laboratory room around them.
• Sato captured the incapacitated Alakazam and Hypno, then continued scouting deeper into the laboratory.

Sato discovered Alakazam and Hypno’s young family in the research institute and chose to leave them together rather than capture them. As he examined the institute’s disturbing experiments, he pieced together clues about Team Rocket and noticed a computer brand logo that might complete his deduction.

• Sato found young Abra and Drowzee searching anxiously around a mattress, with Haunter and Zoroark nearby.
• Sato released Alakazam and Hypno, let them reunite with their young, and left Sitrus Berries before walking away.
• Sato and his Pokémon passed grotesque experimental specimens, including altered Metapod, Parasect, and Beedrill.
• Sato connected clues involving Pokémon evolution, the National Park, Team Rocket, the underground research institute, and the Pokémon League.
• Sato spotted a computer brand logo and cautiously approached the computer.

Sato realized that the laboratory had been staged to frame Team Rocket and suspected the Pokemon League was behind it. As he tried to leave, he uncovered a disguised League operative and fought back, leaving Golbat struck by a coordinated attack.

• Sato noticed the Silph Company computers and concluded that the laboratory’s evidence had been planted to frame Team Rocket, likely by the Pokemon League.
• As Sato approached the laboratory entrance, Dark Power detected a hidden Starmie, and Zoroark and Haunter attacked it.
• A middle-aged man and his Golbat were revealed; the man claimed to be Team Rocket, but Sato suspected otherwise.
• Golbat’s powerful Air Slashes forced Sato and his Pokemon to dodge, and the man ordered Golbat to finish them.
• Sato baited Golbat into attacking him, then struck its ears while Zoroark and Haunter hit it with Sucker Punch and Shadow Ball.