Chapter Summaries

Mark and Bulbasaur met the Bulbasaur Sage in Miao Miao Mountain and learned why Mark had received Nature's Blessing, while the Sage asked them to create an entrance so it could observe the outside world. After a long Dance of Nature, Mark gained Miao Miao Mountain's Longevity Technique.

• The Bulbasaur Sage used its power to complete Bulbasaur's Rooting, then tried to explain the cycle of life and death through Bulbasaur's translation.
• Kike translated that Pokémon Mark had buried after their deaths had granted him Nature's Blessing, and the Bulbasaur Sage asked Mark and Bulbasaur to build an entrance near Clear Stream Forest.
• Mark learned that the Sage wanted to observe the outside world through the entrance because leaving Miao Miao Mountain would destroy it.
• The Bulbasaur Sage sent Kike and the three Venusaurs away after blessing the Venusaurs, then Mark and Bulbasaur performed Miao Miao Mountain's Dance of Nature for a long time.
• Mark gained Miao Miao Mountain's Longevity Technique on his Spirit Control Panel.

Mark gained Miao Miao Mountain's Longevity Technique, which increased his lifespan and strengthened his Clear Stream Power, but he could not merge the two abilities. After leaving Miao Miao Mountain, he found that he and Bulbasaur would have to wait a month to return, just as Kike ran toward them.

• Mark realized the Longevity Technique could extend his and his Pokémon's lives, and wondered how long his mental fortitude would last in the Stat Point Dream World.
• Mark discovered that the Longevity Technique and Clear Stream Power enhanced each other but would not remain merged, while the Bulbasaur Sage explained the entrance-building task before communication failed without Kike's translation.
• Mark and Bulbasaur left Miao Miao Mountain in the Five Directions Mountain Range, where Mark found the entrance connection still existed but could not be entered for another month.
• Mark checked Bulbasaur's updated information and saw its Constitution potential had risen to B and it had gained Bulbasaur Sage's Favor and stronger forest abilities.
• Bulbasaur tried to open Miao Miao Mountain's entrance early but failed, and Kike ran toward Mark from a distance.

After returning from Miao Miao Mountain, Mark learned that Aya’s Magikarp had evolved into a Gyarados and that the Baby Cup Preliminary Round would begin soon. Three days later, John found a Secret Letter ordering him to investigate and kidnap Mark, and he began trembling as he read it.

• Kike welcomed Mark back from Miao Miao Mountain, while Aya arrived and showed him her large Bulbasaur.
• Aya revealed that her Magikarp had evolved into a Gyarados, meaning Mark had lost their bet.
• Kike explained that Aya had trained her Magikarp relentlessly at Cliff Waterfall until it evolved.
• Mark learned that he had spent over twenty days in Miao Miao Mountain and that the Baby Cup Preliminary Round began in three days.
• At Hack Pokemon Academy, John read a Secret Letter instructing him to investigate Mark and arrange his kidnapping, while warning that Amakusa Company might know of his plan.
• John trembled as he realized the letter referred to his plan to capture Mark.

John’s memories began returning, alarming Electivire, while Thunderclap Gang members uncovered a possible link between Du Wei’s Thunderclap Plan and Pika Power Plant. The chapter left Mark heading toward the power plant after Aya told him it held many Magnemite.

• Electivire soothed John through a bout of trembling and secretly destroyed the Thunderclap Gang’s Secret Letter, then worried that John might soon recover his memories completely.
• Electivire’s memories of fighting George and Gengar revealed that it had overcome its reluctance to battle and could now fight again.
• A Yuan, Li Seventeen, Roger, and Tiao Zi gathered to discuss Lei Meng’s situation and Roger’s failed investigation into the Thunderclap Plan.
• Li Seventeen discovered that Pika Power Plant had once been called Thunderclap Power Plant and suspected it belonged to the Thunderclap Gang, warning that Du Wei might be plotting against Lei Meng.
• Li Seventeen told Roger and Tiao Zi to pass their findings to Lei Meng while continuing to follow Du Wei’s orders.
• After Aya told Mark that Pika Power Plant had many Magnemite, Mark boarded the Vikavolt aircraft above the Five Directions Mountain Range.

Mark returned to Hack Pokemon Academy with Aya and learned that Special Ability Users would compete in the Baby Cup alongside ordinary freshmen. At Professor Tao’s laboratory, he encountered Lin Tong, a Psychic-type freshman he had met months earlier.

• Mark discussed Vikavolt’s speed with Aya and considered asking Assistant Gu Dan and Dean Cao for flying advice.
• Mark used Multi-Magnemite alongside Vikavolt to boost its flight speed to around 500 kilometers per hour.
• Mark and Aya returned to Hack Pokemon Academy, where freshmen protested the Special Ability Users’ participation in the Baby Cup.
• Professor Tao showed Mark a Psychic-type Special Ability User controlling Slowpoke and explained that the boy had joined the academy’s Special Experiment Class.
• Mark recognized the boy as Lin Tong, who recoiled when he recognized Mark.

Mark studied Psychic and Telekinesis in Professor Tao’s laboratory, improving his control over several Pokemon, while the Baby Cup Preliminary Round ended without him having to battle. Yan Yong learned that Mark had reached the top 64 after twelve opponents surrendered and watched a video showing why students called him the Great Demon King.

• Lin Tong left the laboratory, and Professor Tao explained that his Beldum was close to evolving after only two months of training.
• Mark studied Lin Tong’s brainwave data and used the Brainwave Control Device to practice controlling Slowpoke.
• After five days of research, Mark had not gained Psychic abilities, but imitating Lin Tong’s brainwave method made it easier to control Slowpoke, Magikarp, and Multi-Magnemite.
• Mark learned that he had advanced to the Baby Cup top 64 after all twelve opponents surrendered without fighting.
• Yan Yong’s lackey showed him a video of Mark’s enormous Bulbasaur growing to nearly nine meters and frightening a Ponyta into surrender.

Yan Yong watched recordings of Mark’s Bulbasaur and realized how overwhelmingly powerful it was, then checked the Baby Cup’s top-sixty-four bracket and championship odds. The chapter ended with Mark scheduled to face Champion Candidate Aimo, while Yan Yong reassessed the tournament’s contenders.

• Yan Yong compared his Bulbasaur’s Growth with Mark’s and concluded that neither his Bulbasaur nor his Squirtle could challenge Mark’s Pokémon.
• Yan Yong learned that Mark’s Bulbasaur was confirmed to be the same young Pokémon he had registered, and that most of Mark’s opponents had surrendered or skipped their matches.
• Yan Yong called his cousin Gu Dan about whether Mark had earned the Bulbasaur Sage’s recognition, then decided his own Charmeleon might still give him a chance.
• Yan Yong learned that he would face Zhao Qiu in the top sixty-four and asked the attendant to check Mark’s opponent.
• The attendant reported that Mark would face Aimo, a Champion Candidate whose Larvesta was strong and who was a Flame Ability User.
• Yan Yong checked the championship odds and found Mark ranked first, himself second, Xia Kang third, and Aimo fourth.

As Mark prepared to face Aimo in the Baby Cup, Amakusa Company executive Cai Chen watched from disguise and planned to capture Mark and make him consume an Amakusa Seed. Mark’s striking Magnet Mechanical Arm revealed why Thunderclap Gang valued him, but Cai Chen decided the moment was not yet right to act.

• Spectators debated whether Aimo’s Larvesta could overcome Mark’s Bulbasaur, citing Larvesta’s type advantage and an unrevealed secret move.
• Cai Chen, disguised as a cleaner, monitored Thunderclap Gang and planned to recruit Mark by making him consume an Amakusa Seed.
• Cai Chen recognized Lei Meng in the competitors’ rest area and worried that Lei Meng’s relationship with Mark would obstruct his plan.
• Aimo and Mark entered the arena, and Mark’s Magnet Mechanical Arm astonished Cai Chen.
• Cai Chen watched Lei Meng give Mark mineral water and decided not to make his move because preparations were insufficient.

Mark met John at the Battle Arena and learned that John had been suffering memory lapses, while Du Wei’s plot to poison and abduct Mark appeared to fail. Mark’s round-of-64 match against Aimo began, and Bulbasaur opened with an overwhelming attack that engulfed the arena in poison and sleep powders as Vine Whips struck toward Larvesta.

• John told Mark that he had been forgetting things and had asked Professor Tao to order Fu Cong Capsules, while Mark suspected the memory loss came from his past overuse of Amnesia Potion and the Hypnosis Gun.
• Du Wei watched Mark drink the water Lei Meng had given him, mistakenly suspected Lei Meng had betrayed their faction, and left the venue without carrying out the abduction plan.
• Caterpie sensed intense malice toward Mark from the southwest stands, but the presence vanished before Mark could find its source.
• The commentators introduced the match between undefeated Aimo, a Fire-type Special Ability User with Larvesta, and Mark, whose Caterpie and Multi-Magnemite drew attention from the audience.
• Bulbasaur entered its first true battle and used Growth and Ingrain to spread vines across the arena before releasing Poison Powder and Sleep Powder and sending Vine Whips toward Larvesta.

Mark’s Bulbasaur overwhelmed Aimo’s Larvesta with a field-wide Vine Whip assault, prompting Larvesta to achieve Flame Resonance with Aimo and evolve into Volcarona. As the crowd cheered for Aimo’s comeback, Bulbasaur began its boosting strategy, growing to thirteen meters while its vines spread and multiplied across the arena.

• Bulbasaur used Sleep Powder and Poison Powder to obscure the field while its Vine Whips attacked Larvesta from every direction.
• Aimo achieved a stable Flame Resonance with Larvesta, strengthening its fire and helping it withstand Bulbasaur’s assault.
• Larvesta evolved into Volcarona, and the spectators cheered for Aimo to defeat Mark.
• Mark revealed that Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip assault had been harassment while it prepared its boosting strategy with Ingrain and Growth.
• Bulbasaur used Growth repeatedly, reaching thirteen meters as its vines expanded and filled the Battle Arena.

Mark and Bulbasaur defeated Aimo’s Volcarona, advancing to the top thirty-two of the tournament. After the battle, Dean Cao watched the recording and recalled being crushed by Amon in his younger days.

• Bulbasaur overwhelmed Volcarona with a massive Vine Whip attack, and the referee stopped the battle before Bulbasaur could use Solar Beam.
• The referee confirmed that Volcarona had fainted and declared Mark the winner, while commentators praised Bulbasaur’s strength and its Vine Whip as a possible signature move.
• Aimo left with reddened eyes as medical staff carried away Volcarona, while Mark’s Pokémon celebrated their victory.
• Dean Cao watched the recorded battle and told Gu Dan that it reminded him of facing Amon, adding that Mark was even more formidable than Amon had been.

After his Baby Cup battle, Mark continued his research and Pokémon training while operatives, officials, merchants, and students reacted to his growing reputation. By night, nearly everyone at Hack Pokemon Academy had already settled on Mark as the Baby Cup champion.

• Mark refined his brainwave research, trained Magikarp, aligned Multi-Magnemite and Vikavolt's magnetic fields, and followed his usual evening routine in Clear Stream Village.
• Cai Chen abandoned his earlier capture plan and decided to call for support, increasing the number of Amakusa Seeds he planned to give Mark from one to three.
• Du Wei focused on accelerating the Thunderclap Plan against Lei Meng and considered using Mark as a pawn.
• Hack City Police Station officials and merchants began taking an interest in Mark after watching his match.
• Hack Pokemon Academy students debated Mark's prospects, his chances against Yan Yong, and the academy's rivalry with Riel Pokemon Academy.
• By late night, Mark's Baby Cup championship odds had fallen to 1.02, while Yan Yong's rose to 89 and Xia Kang's exceeded 100.

Mark won the Baby Cup after his opponents repeatedly surrendered, including Yan Yong in the final. Yan Yong then challenged Mark to a three-on-three battle for the title of Top Freshman, scheduled for seven days later.

• Mark's opponents forfeited in the second round, third round, quarterfinals, and semifinals, while Yan Yong's Charmeleon narrowly lost to Aimo's Volcarona in a private battle.
• Yan Yong surrendered to Mark in the Baby Cup final, giving Mark the championship.
• Yan Yong challenged Mark to a battle to determine the true Top Freshman, and Mark accepted.
• Mark and Yan Yong agreed to fight under standard three-on-three rules in seven days, with Mark choosing Caterpie, Wimpod, and Butterfree.
• Dean Cao arrived at the arena and held a small award ceremony for Mark.

After winning the Baby Cup, Mark learned more about his upcoming battle with Yan Yong and collected his tournament rewards. Seven days later, Mark and Yan Yong began their standard-rules battle for the title of Top Freshman.

• Dean Cao brought Mark to the Starter Pokemon Tournament Memorial Hall, where Mark and Caterpie wrote messages in the winners’ notebook.
• Dean Cao asked Mark about his chances against Yan Yong, and Gu Dan gave Mark battle footage of Yan Yong’s Swampert and Magmar.
• Gu Dan revealed that Yan Yong was his younger cousin and planned to bring Flygon to the Veteran-level before their battle, giving him three Veteran-level Pokémon.
• Dean Cao distributed Mark’s rewards: Work Up, four incoming Terrain Move Tutors, and a red card for training at the Flame Heart Gym.
• After waiting seven days, Mark and Yan Yong began their battle for the title of Top Freshman.

Mark faced Yan Yong in a heavily publicized 3v3 battle and chose Caterpie, Wimpod, and Butterfree, provoking confusion from the audience. Caterpie overwhelmingly defeated Yan Yong’s Magmar in the opening match, leaving the stunned crowd silent as the referee called the battle.

• Mark and Yan Yong revealed their available Pokemon and selected Caterpie, Wimpod, and Butterfree for Mark and Flygon, Magmar, and two others for Yan Yong.
• Yan Yong sent out Magmar first, and Mark chose Caterpie, which transformed into a towering, flame-wreathed giant bug.
• Caterpie struck Magmar into a wall, then blasted it through the wall into a storage room with another attack.
• Magmar returned in its Activated State and launched a giant magma bomb, but Caterpie stopped the attack and battered it with Infinite Quick Strikes.
• Caterpie crushed Magmar into a crater with Body Slam, and the referee declared Magmar unable to battle as the audience watched in silence.

Mark's Caterpie defeated Yan Yong's Magmar with overwhelming strength, and Mark sent out Butterfree for the next battle. Butterfree danced through Flygon's Sandstorm, then used Telekinesis and an entrancing performance that sent Flygon flying out of the arena and into a passage.

• Mark's Caterpie defeated Yan Yong's Activated State Magmar, stunning the audience with its Master-level strength.
• Mark switched Caterpie out and released Butterfree, while Yan Yong sent out Flygon to continue the match.
• Yan Yong's Flygon created a Sandstorm and attacked with Rock Slide, but Butterfree elegantly dodged every rock while dancing.
• Butterfree spoke to Flygon through their minds, then used Telekinesis to clear the Sandstorm and reveal it.
• Butterfree's dance entranced Flygon, which ignored Yan Yong's commands and flew through an open passage behind the Battle Arena.

Mark’s Wimpod faced Yan Yong’s Swampert in the final match and won after using Rain Dance and rain-based surprise attacks. Wimpod remained timid but took a small step toward courage, while Mark completed three straight victories.

• Yan Yong declined to retrieve Flygon, and Mark switched Butterfree out for Wimpod before Yan Yong sent out Swampert.
• Swampert used Earthquake and strengthened itself, but Wimpod stood steady on the shaking ground.
• Wimpod overcame its fear enough to step forward and use Rain Dance, which also empowered Swampert’s Swift Swim ability.
• Wimpod blended into the rain and repeatedly ambushed Swampert with attacks including Waterfall and Leech Life.
• After nearly half an hour, Wimpod exhausted Swampert and won the match, appearing uninjured and slightly less timid.

Mark’s Wimpod defeated Yan Yong’s Swampert without taking damage, then received cheers that helped it begin to understand the value of conviction. After Mark explained that Wimpod needed to find its own reason to be courageous, Wimpod decided to leave his side for a while and search for that conviction.

• Wimpod defeated Yan Yong’s Swampert, and spectators discussed how it had avoided every attack while wearing Swampert down.
• Caterpie lifted Wimpod before the cheering crowd, and Wimpod felt warmed by the audience’s praise.
• Mark told Wimpod that true courage required personal conviction and urged it to discover its own reason to move forward.
• Yan Yong promised Mark he would train and challenge him again, and Mark accepted the promise.
• Wimpod decided to leave Mark’s side temporarily to seek its own conviction and courage.

Wimpod chose to live independently in Hack City, and Mark encouraged it to stay away for seven days before returning with its experiences. After Mark received his Top Freshman privileges and a reserve spot on Hack Pokemon Academy’s tournament team, Yan Yong learned that Mark was even younger than he was, while Cai Chen’s company prepared a plan for Mark’s return to Clear Stream Village.

• Wimpod rejected the idea of visiting its hometown and chose to explore Hack City on its own.
• Mark urged Wimpod to spend seven days exploring the whole city, and Wimpod slipped into a sewer to begin its stay.
• Mark received Student Council status, Top Freshman resources, and notice that he was a reserve member of Hack Pokemon Academy’s representative team for the Hia Academy Cup Tournament.
• Yan Yong told his attendant he planned to travel, then learned Mark was only twelve and a half years old.
• A reporter and another man discussed Mark’s victory and strength, while Cai Chen told his associate to begin preparations for Mark’s return to Clear Stream Village.

Mark returned to Clear Stream Village with snacks for his Pokémon and went to a book stall after reading a flyer advertising Grass-type books. Cai Chen and the Amakusa Company ambushed him, but Mark broke free and struck Cai Chen as he tried to use a Poké Ball.

• Mark bought snacks for Caterpie, Jirachi, Butterfree, Vikavolt, Bulbasaur, Wimpod, and his other Pokémon before returning to Clear Stream Village.
• Mark noticed the village’s growth and picked up a flyer advertising pirated books, then headed to a book stall near Clear Stream School.
• Caterpie sensed someone watching Mark, while Jirachi warned him that the bookstall owner seemed shady.
• Cai Chen, Tangrowth, and more than a dozen Amakusa Company members ambushed Mark, while Bo Ning used Cofagrigus to create a barrier.
• Tangrowth’s vines snapped apart, and Mark and Jirachi examined a Poké Ball that would not work.
• Mark looked at Cai Chen and punched him as the chapter ended.