Chapter Summaries

Sato’s Hydreigon defeated Zhi Mi’s Mega Blastoise, giving Sato a 2–0 lead in their match. Zhi Mi sent out Greninja, and Sato answered with Queen Gardevoir for the final battle.

• Blastoise and Hydreigon exhausted themselves in a prolonged clash of Hyper Voice and Aura Sphere before Sato ordered Hydreigon to attack physically.
• Hydreigon and Blastoise collided with Dragon Rush and Dragon Pulse, while Little Left and Little Right bit Blastoise and inflicted paralysis and burn.
• Sato’s Hydreigon struck Blastoise with a stacked Dark Pulse, knocking it out and securing Sato’s second win.
• Zhi Mi recalled Blastoise and sent out his final Pokemon, Greninja, while Sato recalled his exhausted Hydreigon and sent out Queen Gardevoir.

Sato’s Gardevoir battled Zhi Mi’s Greninja, using Telepathy and a sequence of moves to seize the advantage. Greninja’s clever escape from Future Sight briefly surprised Sato, but Thunderbolt left it paralyzed as Gardevoir prepared another Moonblast.

• Sato ordered Gardevoir to use Future Sight as Greninja rushed in with Aerial Ace.
• Gardevoir used Double Team and Hypnosis, but Greninja used Mind's Eye to find her real position.
• Gardevoir blocked Greninja’s Gunk Shot with Substitute, and the delayed Future Sight struck Greninja into the ground.
• Greninja softened its fall with Hydro Pump and Play in the Mud, then used Waterfall to escape Moonblast and leap from the ground.
• Sato ordered Thunderbolt, which traveled through the surrounding water and paralyzed Greninja.
• Gardevoir began another Moonblast as Greninja recovered from paralysis.

Sato and the Dark Night Gym delegation defeated the Kalos representatives, then spent half a month accepting challenges and growing stronger. Drake prepared to promote Sato and his companions, and the chapter ended with their return to Kanto scheduled for three days later.

• Sato's Gardevoir defeated Zhi Mi's Greninja, giving the Kanto Alliance delegation the Region Exchange Match victory.
• Zhi Mi accepted the loss and asked Sato to look after his younger brother George, who wanted to leave with Sato.
• Drake said he would recommend Si'nan and the other Dark Night Gym members for Pokémon League positions, then told Sato that the Gym Leader role no longer suited him.
• Sato and the others accepted Kalos Trainers' challenge letters, and several of their Pokémon advanced to the Pseudo-Elite Four Level over half a month.
• Drake called the group back from their battles and announced that they would return to Kanto in three days.

Sato and his companions sailed from Kalos toward Johto after Elite Four Drake offered Sato several possible futures. On the cruise, Sato assigned roles for his friends and weighed whether to become an Independent Investigator or join the Elite Four Reserve.

• Elite Four Drake urged Sato to consider the proposal they had discussed, then departed for Kanto while Sato and his companions boarded George's Binus cruise ship for Johto.
• Sato assigned Si'nan, Sosuke, and Little Ming to pursue Alliance Investigator training, recommended Breeder Association study for Si'an, appointed Ponyo Acting Gym Leader, and tasked Lota with leading a new breeding base.
• Sato explained the Independent Investigator, Elite Four Reserve, and Regional Inspector General positions to George and Mark, who rejected the Inspector General path as too dangerous.
• Mark chose to apply for the Elite Four Reserve, while Sato held the Independent Investigator application and continued weighing his own future.

Sato continued training Froakie and Absol in the cruise ship’s battle tournament, winning an easy match before facing a stronger trainer with Heliolisk and Pangoro. Froakie knocked Pangoro down while Absol stalled Heliolisk’s Thunderbolt, leaving Froakie free to evade its next attack as the battle continued.

• Sato’s Froakie and Absol defeated a trainer’s Slurpuff and Pangoro in a Double Battle.
• Mark predicted that a hidden expert would challenge Sato, and the Dark Night Gym members teased him by revealing they had recorded his remark.
• A female trainer sent out an Elite Intermediate Heliolisk and Pangoro to face Sato’s Pokemon.
• Absol used Psychic to hold back Heliolisk’s Thunderbolt while Froakie fought Pangoro at close range.
• Froakie struck Pangoro’s vulnerable neck and knocked it down, allowing Absol to stop its Psychic and Froakie to dodge Heliolisk’s Thunderbolt.

Sato won the Binus Cruise Ship doubles battle tournament after Absol reached Elite Beginner, then told his friends he would become an Independent Investigator. George planned to support the Breeder Association, while Mark announced his ambition to join the Elite Four Reserve, but the group headed off to lunch before anyone read his application form.

• Sato and Froakie helped Absol defeat Heliolisk, and Absol broke through to Elite Beginner.
• Sato was declared the tournament’s final victor and collected ten Poké Balls as prizes.
• Sato told Mark and the others he would become an Independent Investigator, while George shared his plan to fund the Breeder Association and organize a Breeder Competition.
• Mark delivered a prepared speech about becoming an Elite Four Trainer and handed over an application listing his virtues.
• Sato led everyone to lunch at George’s seafood hot pot, leaving Mark’s application unread.

Sato returned to Dark Night Town and learned that Uncle An and Nicole had missed their regular contact after last appearing in Viridian City. Joy Meiqing’s investigation found that Nicole’s two Trainer friends had no records before age twelve, leaving Sato facing the possibility that their disappearance was connected to Team Rocket.

• Sato and his group returned to Dark Night Town, where the Gym apprentices welcomed them.
• Misaka Xi told Sato that Uncle An and Nicole had not contacted the Gym for ten days and were last seen in Viridian City.
• Sato learned that Nicole had traveled to Kanto after two Trainer friends invited her, and he questioned whether they were trustworthy.
• Sato asked Joy Meiqing to investigate Nicole and Uncle An’s disappearance.
• Joy Meiqing confirmed they had visited a Pokémon Center in Viridian City and revealed that Nicole’s friends had no records from before age twelve.

After Nicole and Uncle An disappeared, Sato prepared to face the dangers of Viridian City alone, but Gardevoir urged him to trust his companions. Sato revealed Team Rocket’s hidden strength and began organizing a careful rescue effort with the Dark Night Gym.

• Sato refused to let George and the others accompany him to Viridian City, despite their insistence that they wanted to help rescue Nicole and Uncle An.
• Gardevoir confronted Sato about hiding his fears and told him to share the truth with his companions.
• Sato explained Giovanni’s identity, Team Rocket’s strength, and the legend of Viridian Power, leaving everyone shocked but undeterred.
• Sato proposed asking his Kanto friends to locate Nicole and Uncle An before the group planned their next steps.

Sato and his allies gathered in Viridian City after learning that Nicole and Anbo may have gone to Viridian Forest, then prepared a nighttime rescue of those held by Team Rocket. As the group planned their operation, a muscular uncle arrived in the city, remembering a promise to Sato.

• Joy Meiqing told Sato that a witness had overheard Nicole and two companions planning to catch a Snorlax in Viridian Forest.
• Sato arranged to travel to Viridian City with George and Mark, while Lance promised to scout ahead and Itsuki joined him.
• Sato and his companions flew from Cerulean City to Viridian City under Gengar's concealment and met Lance and Itsuki at the Pokemon Center.
• Sato explained what he knew about Viridian City's secrets, and the group decided to begin the rescue that night.
• A muscular uncle entered Viridian City and reflected on the promise he had made to Sato.

Lance and Itsuki infiltrated a Team Rocket base in Viridian City while Sato’s search for Nicole and Uncle An led him deeper into Viridian Forest. After finding Uncle An’s coin trail, Sato gathered Elite Four Shiba and prepared to approach another base entrance.

• Lance and Itsuki entered a concealed Team Rocket base through a hidden passage in a crowded pub.
• Sato sent Houndoom and Zoroark to search Viridian Forest for traces left by Nicole and Uncle An.
• Houndoom found an ancient silver coin, and the Pokémon followed a trail of ancient coins deeper into the forest.
• Sato confirmed the trail led toward a Team Rocket base entrance and summoned Gardevoir to bring Elite Four Shiba.
• Shiba joined Sato, George, and Mark, and Sato led them toward the entrance.

Nicole remained captive at Team Rocket’s A3 Base in Viridian City, where Miyamoto pressured her for information about entering the Reverse World. An Elite Four-level trainer’s invasion interrupted the interrogation, while Lance and Itsuki’s exposure at B13 helped Sato and the others’ rescue operation.

• Nicole spent a week isolated in captivity, worrying about Uncle An and whether anyone would rescue them.
• Miyamoto visited Nicole and demanded to know how to enter the Reverse World, threatening her and Uncle An when Nicole said she did not know.
• A grunt reported that an Elite Four-level trainer had invaded B16, and Miyamoto ordered an immediate retreat before leaving to respond.
• Nicole wondered whether the invasion meant Brother Moyan had come to save them, though she remained locked in her room.
• Lance and Itsuki were exposed at B13 after finding where Team Rocket held many wild Pokemon, helping Sato and the others lure the enemy away for the rescue operation.

Lance and Itsuki tore through Team Rocket’s B13 Underground Base, blasting open a path to the surface while Slowking redirected escaping wild Pokemon toward Viridian Forest. A Rocket leader and a masked woman confronted them in battle, while an unknown pair of golden eyes appeared inside the unattended A3 Base.

• Lance and Itsuki used their Pokemon to defeat Team Rocket’s defenders and contacted Viridian City’s security forces for reinforcements.
• Lance ordered Dragonite to blast through the underground dome with Hyper Beam, splitting and collapsing a street above the base and scattering civilians.
• Slowking used its Psychic power to guide the fleeing wild Pokemon toward Viridian Forest.
• A Rocket leader protected by Horsea and Quagsire joined forces with a masked woman, whose Cloyster and Weavile attacked Lance and Itsuki’s Pokemon.
• Dragonite fought Weavile as Alakazam and Slowbro engaged Cloyster and Quagsire, while Quagsire’s Amnesia made it resistant to their attacks.
• A pair of golden eyes briefly appeared in a ceiling gap inside Team Rocket’s unattended A3 Base.

Sato and his companions infiltrated Team Rocket’s Viridian Forest base and rescued Nicole and the injured Uncle An. As they prepared to escape, Shiba confronted the base leader, Caesar.

• Sato’s group entered the underground base under Gengar’s Space Barrier and followed it to Uncle An and Nicole’s rooms.
• Sato went to rescue Nicole while the others stayed near Uncle An, and the base alarm sounded after Zoroark attacked Nicole’s iron door.
• Nicole reunited with Sato, and Mark carried out the badly injured Uncle An, whom Comfey treated with Floral Healing.
• Team Rocket’s counterattack force arrived, and Zoroark used Dark Burst to defeat the grunts approaching the group.
• The leader of Team Rocket’s A3 Base stepped forward, and Shiba confronted him, calling him Caesar.

Miyamoto chose to reinforce B13 Base while Caesar was forced into a desperate battle with Elite Four Shiba at A3 Base. After the fighting at both bases, Officer Jenny arrived to handle the aftermath, where a red-haired woman attacked a police officer.

• Miyamoto received word that A3 Base had been infiltrated but continued toward B13 Base, judging it more important.
• Caesar fought Shiba, who overwhelmed his Dark Ball-enhanced Pokemon and blocked his escape with Poliwrath.
• Sato and his allies suppressed the Team Rocket reinforcements at A3 Base while Lance and Itsuki defeated the Star Hunters at B13 Base.
• Officer Jenny arrived at the collapsed street and learned Lance and Itsuki had caused the commotion.
• A furry tail seized a male police officer by the neck, and Ninetales and Arcanine attacked the unseen assailant.

Miyamoto attacked Officer Jenny and her Pokémon in Viridian City, but Itsuki and Lance arrived to confront her. As their battle began, Caesar called out in relief to the newly arrived Lord Shaka.

• Miyamoto's Ninetales defeated Arcanine and badly injured Pidgeot and Blastoise, while Slowking healed Pidgeot and used Trick Room to hold Ninetales at bay.
• Itsuki received Slowking's distress signal and brought Lance and two captured Team Rocket Star Hunters to Viridian City.
• Miyamoto mocked Lance and tried to take the Star Hunters, but Slowking, Lance, and Itsuki attacked Ninetales.
• Miyamoto's Clefable and Mismagius joined the fight as Team Rocket elites attacked the police officers.
• At Rocket Team Base A3, Caesar's Pokémon fell in battle, and Caesar welcomed Lord Shaka as he arrived.

Sato, Shiba, and their allies rescued Uncle An from Team Rocket’s base, but Shaka and Caesar escaped during the battle. Shiba decided they would search the base and wait for the Pokémon League to take it over.

• Shaka demanded to take Team Rocket members above Star Hunter rank, but Shiba refused, and Sato sent Gardevoir to confront Caesar.
• Sato’s Pokémon battled Caesar’s team, and Comfey’s Aromatherapy neutralized Arbok’s Toxic before Zoroark struck Arbok with a Dark Burst Ball.
• Shaka and Caesar fled through separate tunnels after the explosion, leaving Forretress behind, while Sato hesitated over whether to pursue them.
• Shiba recalled Machamp and Hitmonchan and reminded Sato that rescuing Uncle An had been their main goal.
• Shiba ordered Mark to collect everything valuable while they searched the base and waited for the Pokémon League.

Sato and George reached Viridian City and joined Lance and Itsuki in their battle against Miyamoto, whose three Pokémon had overwhelmed the League forces. Their coordinated assault began to turn the fight toward Clefable, but Miyamoto and the battle remained unresolved.

• Sato and George delivered Nicole and Uncle An to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, which had become a refuge for injured League members.
• Sato and George joined Lance and Itsuki against Miyamoto, whose Ninetales, Mismagius, and Clefable had kept the League group at a disadvantage.
• George's Gallade angered Ninetales over the missing beef jerky, and Ninetales nearly struck Gallade down before Gardevoir's Disable weakened its second Iron Tail.
• Sato, George, Lance, and Itsuki coordinated attacks to restrain Miyamoto's Pokémon and target Clefable, the source of the Gravity Field.
• Gengar's Taunt made Clefable abandon Minimize, allowing Dragonite's Iron Tail to hit it.

Team Rocket withdrew from Viridian City after Miyamoto’s forces overwhelmed the defenders, and Alliance reinforcements arrived too late to catch them. The Pokémon League uncovered eleven emptied bases and questioned the city’s officials, while Sato kept secret that Giovanni’s Gym still concealed Team Rocket’s most important base.

• Dragonite defeated Clefable, but Miyamoto revealed several Elite Four-level Pokémon and outmatched Lance, Sato, Itsuki, and George.
• After a call with a mysterious woman, Miyamoto recalled most of her Pokémon, signaled a retreat with a whistle, and led Team Rocket out of Viridian City.
• Lance ordered Officer Jenny to stop the pursuit and focus on restoring order, and Agatha arrived with Alliance reinforcements after Team Rocket had escaped.
• Agatha ordered searches that uncovered eleven emptied Underground Bases, then questioned Alliance officials about Giovanni’s absence and Viridian City’s security.
• Agatha questioned Sato separately, praised his role in the incident, and Sato chose not to reveal the undiscovered Team Rocket base beneath Viridian Gym.

Nicole chose to keep traveling rather than remain sheltered, and she set off for Sinnoh with Uncle An and George. Sato and Mark reached Pokémon League headquarters, where they encountered a provocation tied to Liang Guang taking someone’s brother’s Elite Four Reserve spot.

• Nicole told Uncle An she wanted to learn to protect herself, and he accepted that she should grow through traveling.
• Mark recounted finding a warehouse full of rare Pokémon treasures and gave the Heart of Healing Soul to George and the World Tree Leaf to Sato.
• Three days later, George escorted Nicole and Uncle An toward Johto, while Sato and Mark continued to Indigo Plateau as Alliance Investigators.
• At Pokémon League headquarters, Liang Guang warned Sato and Mark that some people might exploit them to advance their careers.
• A man insulted Mark outside the old headquarters building, and Liang Guang identified the provocation as a test connected to his junior brother taking the man’s brother’s Elite Four Reserve spot.

Sato began his onboarding training to become an Independent Alliance Investigator after publicly humiliating Juguan, who had tried to provoke Mark. The next morning, Sato trained Froakie and Pikachu while Drake watched.

• Sato called Juguan his nephew because Agatha was Juguan’s grandmother, and Juguan tried to attack him outside Pokémon League headquarters.
• The Security Guard Team restrained Juguan and took him away, while Sato completed his paperwork and received his month of courses and assessments.
• Kikuriku scolded Juguan for provoking Sato, explained that Sato was powerful enough to become an Independent Investigator, and decided to execute Plan B.
• Sato trained Froakie and Pikachu in Drake’s backyard as Salamence and Hydreigon slept nearby, while Drake watched from the balcony.