Chapter Summaries

Sato and his companions discovered a vast Underground World filled with diverse Pokémon and found a way down from the waterfall. As they began exploring, a Cubchoo attached itself to George and followed him.

• Sato, Phoebe, Mark, Ryoko, and George emerged from the cave and saw a cavern teeming with Pokémon beneath a mountain.
• Sato, Ryoko, Phoebe, and George used their Pokémon to descend from the waterfall, and Sato helped Mark onto Sharpedo.
• George suggested that everyone keep most of their Pokémon in their Poké Balls to avoid disturbing the peaceful forest.
• A Cubchoo hugged George’s leg and eagerly drank the Sweet Milk he gave it.
• George and the others continued into the forest with Cubchoo tagging along.

Sato and his companions helped a lost Cubchoo find its mother in the Underground World. Beartic reunited with Cubchoo by burying it in the dirt, then made Swampert wash it clean, revealing her immense strength.

• Cubchoo clung to George, and Phoebe persuaded the group to bring it along and help find its mother.
• Phoebe carried Cubchoo in a basket made by Mismagius while Ryoko had Swampert track its mother's scent.
• The group reached the foot of a huge mountain, where Cubchoo heard its mother calling.
• Beartic emerged from the bushes and pushed Cubchoo halfway into the dirt while disciplining it.
• Beartic ordered Swampert to wash Cubchoo with repeated Water Pulses, and the group realized Beartic was a Pseudo-Elite Four High-Level Pokémon.

George’s Sweet Milk calmed Beartic and Cubchoo, and Beartic led Sato’s group up the mountain toward the dungeon. Along the way, they encountered Lian Wu and the others, who had arrived from the opposite side with their own guide.

• Cubchoo ran to George for comfort, and Beartic approached until George offered it Sweet Milk.
• Beartic drank George’s milk, then George gave Cubchoo another can and handed Beartic the last one.
• Beartic invited George, Sato, and their companions to follow it up the mountain, while Lian Wu and the others climbed from the other side with a Sawsbuck.
• Beartic tested Sato’s group on steep paths, but their Pokémon kept pace with it.
• A Sawsbuck appeared in front of Beartic’s group, and Sato’s companions came face-to-face with Lian Wu and the others.

Sato and the others entered the Underground World and discovered that its ruler was a Champion-level Volcarona. Volcarona chose nine of its followers to fight them, and Sato faced an Elite Four-level Bisharp.

• Sato's group and Xizi Yi's group encountered each other and followed Beartic and Sawsbuck through the Underground World.
• The groups reached a cavern beneath a crimson maple tree, where twelve Pseudo-Elite Four High-Level Pokemon and four Elite Four-level Pokemon gathered.
• A Champion-level Volcarona emerged from the tree and inspected everyone, leaving them overwhelmed by its power.
• Volcarona ordered nine of its Pokemon to challenge the visitors, and George explained that each trainer had to fight with all six Pokemon at full strength.
• Sato saw that his opponent was Bisharp, an Elite Four-level Pokemon that heavily countered his team.

Sato and the others were forced into battles against powerful opponents, and Gardevoir became the only one who could seriously challenge Bisharp. The chapter left Sato watching helplessly as Gardevoir fought alone, while she promised they could battle side by side again once Momo grew stronger.

• Volcarona opened the trials by sending the trainers into a long passageway to fight their assigned opponents.
• Sato sent out Gardevoir and Mega Evolved Sharpedo against Bisharp, while the other trainers faced opponents that countered or challenged their teams.
• Mark secretly bargained with Beartic for an easy fight in exchange for five bottles of Sweet Milk.
• Sato's support Pokemon struggled to affect Bisharp, while Gardevoir exchanged powerful attacks with it and showed skill beyond Sato's ability to command.
• Sato withdrew his other Pokemon and watched as Gardevoir continued the fight alone, promising that he and Momo could battle together again when she grew stronger.

Sato’s Gardevoir defeated Bisharp, and George’s team won a hard-fought battle against Heatmor, bringing the group’s record to five wins and four losses. With all nine matches over, Volcarona arrived, and Sato and George anticipated the trial’s reward.

• Sato saw that Mark and Feng Lu had lost, while George’s team struggled to survive Heatmor’s attacks with support from Chansey, Wigglytuff, and Florges.
• Gardevoir knocked Bisharp down with Focus Blast, winning Sato’s match.
• Phoebe, Xizi Yi, and Hua She won their matches, while Ryoko and Lian Wu lost.
• George used Florges’s Psychic and Gallade’s boosted Close Combat to defeat Heatmor, though Gallade and Gogoat collapsed afterward.
• Volcarona flew down after all nine matches ended, and Sato and George suspected that it would reveal the trial’s reward.

After the battle, Volcarona healed the injured Pokemon and gave everyone rewards, including Sato’s Ancient Pot. George recognized the red maple tree’s power as related to Viridian Power, and Sato decided to visit Opelucid City to learn more about the Ancient Objects.

• George and Xizi Yi treated the injured Pokemon, and the red maple tree’s power quickly restored nine of them.
• Volcarona distributed rewards, giving Sato an Ancient Pot, George a branch from the red maple tree, and Mark a Razor Claw.
• George concluded that the branch held forest power related to his Viridian Power.
• Hua She and Xizi Yi told Sato that the Bourgeois Family collected Ancient Objects and offered to connect him with Mr. Bourgeois in Opelucid City.
• Sato decided to visit Opelucid City after the trial to investigate the Ancient Objects.
• Beartic demanded Mark’s promised Sweet Milk, and Gardevoir gave Mark five bottles before Beartic snatched them and ran off.

After leaving the Underground World, Sato’s team resumed the tournament trial and competed against two rival teams for a Blue Flag. Sato’s Pokémon secured the flag, leaving the group victorious as the contest continued.

• Lian Wu left the Underground World with Hua She and his team after realizing Sato’s group had likely found the Red Flag.
• Sato’s group returned to the surface, rested, and joked with one another before getting back to the tournament trial.
• Sato’s group encountered three rival teams competing for a Blue Flag beside a cave containing Simisage, Simisear, and Simipour.
• Sato’s Ariados restrained an Excadrill that tried to steal the flag, while Pokémon from the other teams clashed over it.
• A Joltik seized the Blue Flag during the confusion and brought it to Sato, who raised it to claim victory.

Sato’s group secured the Blue Flag and then fought through a chaotic Woobat swarm to reach a Shiny Woobat guarding the second Red Flag. They joined forces with Lian Wu’s team, and the crowded swarm began to work against the Woobat.

• Zoroark used Illusion to secure the Blue Flag and deliver it to Sato after the Surf attack exposed its true form.
• Sato’s group entered a cavern where a Shiny Woobat commanded a huge swarm and guarded the second Red Flag.
• George organized the team’s advance, with Sato’s Dark-type Pokémon leading the attack while the others defended.
• Lian Wu’s group noticed Sato’s team and agreed to approach them under their mutual-assistance arrangement.
• George took command after the teams merged, assigning Phoebe and Xizi Yi to the main attack and Lian Wu to receive healing.
• The combined teams pressed forward, and the densely packed Woobat could no longer evade their attacks.

Sato’s team fought through the Woobat swarm and reached the Shiny Woobat as rival groups raced for the Red Flag. The teams split into separate battles, leaving Sato and Hua She to confront each other while Sharpedo moved to seize the flag.

• Feng Lu scouted ahead and reported that rival teams were closing in, so George ordered Sato, Phoebe, and Xizi Yi to attack at full strength.
• A six-person team attacked Sato’s group, and Lian Wu, Mark, and Ryoko stayed behind to hold them off while the others pursued the Shiny Woobat.
• Sato’s remaining group reached the Shiny Woobat, which unleashed Air Slashes as Hua She and Sato’s teams split into opposing sides.
• Sato sent Sharpedo to seize the flag while ordering Umbreon, Zoroark, and the other Pokemon to hold off Hua She’s team.
• George and Phoebe faced Xizi Yi and Feng Lu as the competitors began fighting separately.

Sato’s team battled Hua She’s group for the second Red Flag while their allies held off other participants. Sato secured the flag with Golden-Eyed Gengar’s hidden ambush, and George revealed how his preparations had shaped the contest.

• George withdrew Weavile and Gallade, while Feng Lu called back her Pokémon and watched for nearby threats.
• Xizi Yi and Phoebe fought to a stalemate as Sato and Hua She’s Pokémon struggled over the Red Flag.
• After Feng Lu warned that another team was approaching, Sato distracted Hua She and signaled his hidden follow-up move.
• Ariados trapped the Shiny Woobat in an Electroweb Cage, but Hua She revealed Golurk to tear through the web.
• Golden-Eyed Gengar turned intangible, snatched the Red Flag, and delivered it to Sato before the surrounding battles ended.
• Feng Lu questioned George about the setup, and he explained that he had drawn Lian Wu away, arranged Mark and Ryoko’s support, and relied on the opponents’ reluctance to fight desperately.

On the final day of the Trial Tournament, Sato’s team watched Xizi Yi claim a red flag with Hua She’s Seismitoad, then found the fourth flag guarded by an Elite Four-level Bisharp. Sato recognized Bisharp and realized their chance to claim another red flag had arrived.

• Sato warned his team that winning the Woobat red flag publicly might make regional teams target them on the final day, and George urged them to prevent any one team from claiming three red flags.
• Ariados showed signs of approaching Elite Peak, and Sato promised it the lead in a battle the next day while George mentioned treasures that could extend Pokémon lifespans.
• Sato and his team arrived too late to challenge Xizi Yi, who used Hua She’s Seismitoad to gain the third red flag by winning the dark river colony leader’s approval.
• Less than ten minutes later, Sato’s team reached the fourth red flag and found it guarded by an Elite Four-level Bisharp.
• Mark recognized Bisharp, and Sato grinned as he realized the opportunity had turned in his team’s favor.

Sato’s group encountered the Elite Four-level Bisharp guarding the fourth Red Flag, and Bisharp gave the flag to Sato after greeting Ralts. Sato secured first place in the Icirrus Cave Trial Competition, and the chapter ended with the group preparing to divide their rewards.

• Sato’s group entered the cave, where the participants gathered around the Elite Four-level Bisharp guarding the fourth Red Flag.
• Sato asked the other participants to yield the flag, but Bisharp walked through the crowd and approached him.
• Ralts emerged from Sato’s backpack, greeted Bisharp, and prompted Bisharp to hand Sato the Red Flag before leaving.
• Sato and his teammates retreated with the flag, and the remaining participants later yielded flags to Hua She as they competed for second place.
• Sato finished first and Hua She finished second in the trial, while Drake’s negotiations made substantial progress after the Pokémon League headquarters trainers’ victory.
• Sato and the others gathered for the awards ceremony and prepared to divide their rewards.

Sato and his teammates spent their Trial Tournament points on prizes, passing up the rare Deino Egg and dividing the remaining rewards among themselves. Afterward, Drake revealed that Pokémon League rewards could not be traded, and the group left Icirrus Cave amid continued talk about Sato’s victory.

• Sato’s team ranked first with 382 points, while Hua She placed second with 166.
• Sato asked his teammates about the 300-point Deino Egg, but they agreed not to exchange for it.
• The team chose five Energy Crystals as basic rewards and gave the remaining 182 points to Sato.
• Sato exchanged the points for a Bug-type Dark-type Origin Stone, a Dragon-type Energy Crystal, two Ability Capsules, and a Dark Gem.
• Drake teased the group about trading the Deino Egg, and Qing Bei explained that League-issued Pokémon rewards could not be traded or gifted.
• Drake led the group away as people outside Icirrus Cave continued discussing Sato and his decision to pass up Deino.

After finishing the Icirrus Cave Trial Tournament, Sato traveled with Mark and George to Opelucid City to meet the merchant Bourgeois and learn what the Ancient Objects were for. Bourgeois welcomed them warmly, but his young daughter Nicole accused Sato of bullying Hua She.

• Sato told Mark and George he wanted to visit Bourgeois to investigate the purpose of his Ancient Objects, and they agreed to go with him.
• The next day, Sato and his friends left Icirrus City by high-speed rail while Phoebe and Ryoko stayed behind.
• After arriving in Opelucid City, the group found Bourgeois's villa and was admitted after the gatekeeper recognized Sato.
• Bourgeois greeted Sato, Mark, and George warmly and had a meal prepared for them.
• Bourgeois's daughter Nicole entered the dining room, recognized Sato, and called him a big bad guy for bullying Hua She.

Bourgeois hosted Sato and his companions, then challenged them to a two-on-two battle in his garden. As Ariados faced Beheeyem, Bourgeois’s young daughter Nicole took over commanding Beheeyem, and the match remained unresolved.

• Bourgeois explained that he had once dreamed of becoming a powerful Trainer before inviting Sato to battle.
• Bourgeois and Sato sent out Beheeyem and Ariados, and the battle began with Psychic Terrain and Toxic.
• Ariados used Sticky Web to weaken Beheeyem’s Psychic, and Nicole pointed out the tactic and prompted Beheeyem to Teleport.
• Nicole began directing Beheeyem herself, using Self-Recovery and Trick Room as Sato had Ariados create a Substitute.
• Sato’s Substitute strategy let Ariados exploit Trick Room while Toxic continued damaging Beheeyem, leaving the battle ongoing.

Sato’s Ariados defeated Bourgeois’s Beheeyem and Escavalier in friendly battles, while Little Nicole took command of the second match. After losing, she asked her father to hire her a Trainer teacher and said she wanted to become as strong as Sato.

• Ariados defeated Beheeyem, then recovered its poison while George gave the butler a specially formulated Antidote.
• Little Nicole urged Bourgeois to send out Escavalier and took command of the battle against Sato.
• Ariados overwhelmed Escavalier with Sticky Webs and a critical Sucker Punch, winning the match for Sato.
• Little Nicole asked Bourgeois to hire her a Trainer teacher so she could become a real Trainer as strong as Sato, and he enthusiastically agreed.
• Ariados recovered the toxins from Escavalier, and George provided another Antidote.

Sato brought the Ancient Pot to Bourgeois, who confirmed it contained a special energy and explained that Ancient Objects were keys to the Reverse World. Before he could explain further, a Beheeyem abducted Bourgeois and the pot as the villa began collapsing, trapping Sato and his companions inside.

• Bourgeois showed Sato and his companions his collection, then explained that some Ancient Objects retained a special energy he called spirituality.
• Sato presented the Ancient Pot, and Bourgeois examined it with machines that revealed a layer of strange energy around it.
• Bourgeois said Ancient Objects were keys to the Reverse World and began explaining the legend behind it.
• A Beheeyem grabbed Bourgeois and the Ancient Pot and vanished, while Sato's Golden Eyed Gengar failed to stop it.
• The villa shook and began collapsing, and Sato and George found that Teleport was restricted.
• Sato sent out Sharpedo to help them escape, while Gardevoir appeared and used Psychic Type energy to control the shaking villa.

Sato and his companions escaped Bourgeois's collapsing Collection Hall and discovered that Bourgeois had powerful allies and was pursuing the Ancient Pot. After letting Nicole flee so they could follow her, Sato, George, and Mark arrived on Reverse Mountain near Opelucid City.

• Gardevoir interrupted the Mandibuzz attack and teleported Sato and the others out of the collapsing villa.
• Gardevoir confirmed that no humans were buried in the ruins, and Sato sent George and Mark to find the Butler while he searched for Nicole.
• Beheeyem protected Nicole from Gardevoir's Hypnosis and teleported away with her, while Gardevoir memorized its psychic fluctuations.
• George told Sato that the Butler had escaped after warning them, and Sato explained that he had let Nicole go so they could follow her to Bourgeois.
• Gardevoir teleported Sato, George, and Mark to Reverse Mountain near Opelucid City, where they prepared to catch up with Nicole.

Bourgeois reached the summit of Reverse Mountain and used the Ancient Pot to open a passage through a stone. Sato and his companions arrived moments later, finding the stone dark and ordinary again.

• Bourgeois realized Sato might be tracking Beheeyem and ordered Anbo to take Little Nicole away while he continued toward the summit.
• Bourgeois gave Anbo five Pseudo-Elite Four Level Pokémon, then had Beheeyem carry him onward as Anbo and Little Nicole flew toward Mountain Road Town on Mandibuzz.
• Gardevoir sensed Beheeyem changing direction, and Sato deduced that Bourgeois and Little Nicole had briefly reunited before separating.
• Sato, George, and Mark followed Gengar toward the summit while Gardevoir returned to Sato's backpack as Ralts.
• Bourgeois used the Ancient Pot on a smooth-faced stone, opening a passage and entering it with Beheeyem.
• Sato and the others reached the summit just as the stone's light faded and it became ordinary again.