Chapter Summaries

Su Hao rushed back to Jiangcheng University to check Lake Tower, but the third Trial did not activate, and Zhao Yun advised him to communicate instead of exhausting himself. After returning to the dreamlike space beneath Electric Grand Canyon, he found Zeraora had absorbed the supplies and grown, and considered catching it with a Poké Ball to take it away.

• Su Hao used Dragapult and the Reverse World to travel from the Imperial City to Jiangcheng University, but Lake Tower's third Trial did not trigger.
• Su Hao returned to the Imperial City, where Zhao Yun gently pointed out that his sudden departure had worried his teammates and that he should tell her when urgent matters arose.
• Zhao Yun told Su Hao he could skip the next day's matches and go with Long Ningyan to her hometown while the team advanced toward the Main Tournament.
• Su Hao went to sleep holding the Super Glove and returned to the space beneath Electric Grand Canyon, where Zeraora greeted him.
• Su Hao found that Zeraora had consumed the Moomoo Milk and absorbed the Electric-type resources, then wondered if he could use a Poké Ball to take it away.

Su Hao entered Mesprit’s Trial of Emotion, where he began building a bond with the newborn Zeraora in a lucid dream. After waking refreshed, he traveled with Long Ningyan toward Dragon Cave and encountered Long Tianxing, who openly resented him over a trial slot.

• Su Hao realized Mesprit had drawn him into the Trial of Emotion and decided to nurture his bond with Zeraora in the dream.
• Su Hao checked Zeraora’s information, returned its Thunder Stone Slab Fragment to its bed, and left toys and supplies for it.
• Su Hao woke at seven feeling unusually rested and continued his journey toward Dragon Cave.
• Su Hao met Long Ningyan outside Imperial City, and she said someone would take them to Dragon Cave.
• Long Tianxing arrived on a Salamence, taunted Su Hao over the trial slot Bai Du had secured for him, and hinted at hostility toward him.
• Su Hao answered Long Tianxing’s provocation with a sarcastic remark about his battle against Su Hao’s father.

Su Hao traveled toward the Dragon Cave with Long Tianxing and Long Ningyan, learning about the Dragon's Lair Trial and the Dragon Tamer Clan’s rules. Long Tianxing abandoned Su Hao in the desert to delay him, while Long Ningyan was forced to continue toward the Oasis Outpost without him.

• Su Hao challenged Long Tianxing during their greeting, and Long Ningyan was impressed by his boldness.
• Long Ningyan explained that outsiders had to pass the Dragon's Lair Trial to earn the chance to take a pure Dragon Blood Pokémon from the Dragon Cave.
• Long Tianxing ordered Noivern to drop Su Hao in the desert instead of taking him to the Oasis Outpost.
• Long Tianxing used Salamence’s Dragon's Aura to prevent Long Ningyan from going after Su Hao and said finding the outpost could take up to a week.
• Long Tianxing led the group toward the Oasis Outpost, leaving Su Hao behind as Long Ningyan privately condemned the clan’s factional struggles.

After Long Tianxing stranded Su Hao in the desert, Su Hao sought out the region’s strongest wild Pokémon to find an oasis and expose Long Tianxing’s plan. He found Flygon, but summoned Diancie to end the confrontation quickly.

• Su Hao realized Long Tianxing had stranded him to delay his journey, so he used Aura and Wave Power to search for a powerful Pokémon that could lead him to water or a settlement.
• Su Hao and Hisuian Braviary located a hidden pit filled with Trapinch, and Su Hao sent Incineroar to blast the Pokémon out of their ambush.
• Flygon arrived with a swarm of Noibat to avenge its offspring, and Su Hao recognized that Long Tianxing had arranged the encounter to slow him down.
• Su Hao recalled Incineroar and sent out Diancie, whose presence made Flygon hesitate.

Diancie defeated the Flygon clan’s leader, while the Flygon clan advanced on Oasis Outpost. Long Ningyan and Long Tianxing responded to the Class B alert, and the outpost’s defenders spotted someone riding on the Flygon leader’s back.

• Flygon used Dragon Rush against Diancie, but her Iron Defense stopped the attack and her Dazzling Gleam defeated it.
• The Noibat panicked after their leader fell and decided to choose a new king.
• Long Ningyan returned to Oasis Outpost with guards as a Class B alert announced an approaching wild Pokémon clan.
• Bai Mochou reported that about five hundred Flygon clan members were heading toward the outpost, while reinforcements traveled from Dragon Cave.
• Dragon Tamer Clan members set out to intercept the Flygon clan, and startled cries revealed someone was riding on its leader’s back.

Su Hao returned to Oasis Outpost after completing the first qualification trial in two hours and fifty minutes, riding the Flygon clan leader. Long Ningyan brought him into Dragon Cave, where he saw its vast hidden world and learned that the Sky Tower’s surrounding ground was forbidden.

• Long Tianxing halted the guards and recorded Su Hao as having completed the first trial in two hours and fifty minutes.
• Su Hao arrived at Oasis Outpost riding the obedient Flygon leader and explained that the clan had mistaken him for its leader.
• Long Tianxing acknowledged Su Hao’s performance but refused to apologize, challenging him to surpass his father and confront him on Champion Road.
• Su Hao promised to defeat Long Tianxing head-on, and Long Ningyan later led him to the Dragon Cave passage.
• Su Hao and Long Ningyan entered Dragon Cave and emerged in an ancient town overlooking a vast landscape and the towering Sky Tower.
• Long Ningyan explained that the Sky Tower reached the edge of the Secret Realm and warned Su Hao not to touch the ground around it.

Su Hao met Long Wen, who apologized for Long Tianxing’s unauthorized desert Trial and explained the Dragon Lair Secret Realm’s dangers and regions. As amends, Long Wen offered Su Hao a more detailed map to help him choose where to enter.

• Long Ningyan introduced Su Hao to her uncle, Long Wen, who apologized on behalf of the Dragon Tamer Clan for Long Tianxing’s actions.
• Long Wen took Su Hao to the reception room and explained that the desert Trial had tested whether he was ready to enter the more dangerous Dragon Lair Secret Realm.
• Long Wen described the Secret Realm’s four areas, fierce Dragon-type Pokémon, and the safer routes between areas through outposts.
• Long Wen revealed that the clan had granted Su Hao an exception to use a more detailed map when choosing his entry area.

Su Hao explored the Dragon Lair’s Lake Island Area with Milotic, searching for a Dragon-type Pokémon to recruit but avoiding powerful groups that outmatched them. After reaching Dragon Gate and seeing its powerful Gyarados, he camped near the Plains Area, where a green figure suddenly fell from the sky.

• Su Hao chose a landing point between the Lake Island Area and the Plains Area, then followed a tributary upstream with Milotic as his guard.
• Su Hao and Milotic spotted a promising Golisopod, but an Early Elite Four Level Dragalge warned them away, so they went around its territory.
• Su Hao and Milotic continued upstream, fighting off attacking Pokémon and eventually reaching Dragon Gate Waterfall.
• Su Hao watched Magikarp attempt to cross the waterfall and saw a Shiny Elite Four Level Red Gyarados lead a group of Gyarados up it.
• Su Hao left the waterfall and set up camp near the Plains Area, but a green figure fell from the sky and crashed into the ground before him and Milotic.

Su Hao became intrigued by an injured Cycloze that fled from him, then camped with his Pokémon and spent the night cultivating his bond with Zeraora. The next morning, he set off toward the Plains Area and chose a forest route despite sensing a powerful Pokémon inside.

• Su Hao noticed a wounded Cycloze flee and decided he might try to capture it if they met again.
• Milotic reminded Su Hao to release his companions and prepare camp before nightfall.
• Su Hao and Diancie prepared sandwiches for the team, and Su Hao healed and cleaned the Pokémon after their sparring.
• Diancie arranged the night watch while Su Hao secretly visited Zeraora beneath Electric Grand Canyon and dreamed of playing with her.
• Su Hao woke to find Quick Attack had appeared in Zeraora's move list, then packed up and headed toward the Plains Area.
• Su Hao chose to take a forest route where only one extremely powerful Pokémon's Aura had been detected.

Su Hao fled a Sceptile after taking its rare Berries, then found shelter at a Dragon Tamer Clan safe point with help from Long Ying, Long Sheng, and Long Xihua. In return for his Berries, they offered to guide him to Dragon-type Pokémon, but Su Hao chose to search for Cycloze.

• Long Ying, Long Sheng, and Long Xihua spotted Su Hao and Lucario fleeing a Sceptile and recognized Su Hao as the Trial-taker who had set a record.
• Su Hao tried to reason with the Sceptile but kept running after it pursued him beyond its forest territory.
• Long Ying, Long Sheng, and Long Xihua called Su Hao toward a Dragon Tamer Clan safe point, where the Sceptile refused to approach.
• Su Hao gave the three Dragon's Eye Berries and Sand Scale Berries as thanks, and they offered to guide him to Dragon-type Pokémon.
• Long Xihua suggested Garchomp, Goodra, or Kommo-o, but Su Hao declined and asked to look for Cycloze instead.

Su Hao and the Dragon Tamers watched a scarred, tailless Cycloze struggle to find food outside a herd that had rejected it for its disability and poor talent. As the cold wave threatened its survival, Su Hao silently considered what to do.

• Long Ying warned Su Hao that chasing a Cycloze could lead into the nearby Restricted Area and bring the clan's wrath.
• A scarred, tailless Cycloze approached the herd but went to eat Berries from a few nearby trees instead.
• Long Xihua explained that the herd rejected the Cycloze because it was born disabled, while Long Sheng said the clan's adults had forbidden them from helping it.
• The Cycloze leader warned the tailless Cycloze away, but it frightened the herd into retreating without entering the Restricted Area.
• Long Xihua, Long Ying, and Long Sheng worried that the hungry Cycloze would not survive the coming cold wave, while Su Hao silently weighed the situation.

Su Hao decided to take the starving Tailless Cycloze with him and lured it with food. The Cycloze’s memories revealed that it was once Groudon, who escaped an ancient prison by sacrificing its power and becoming a crippled Cycloze.

• Su Hao said he wanted to take Tailless Cycloze with him, and Long Ying and the others agreed to show him where it lived.
• Groudon recalled being imprisoned by a flying Caterpie in Sky Tower and learning Shed Tail to escape as an ordinary Cycloze.
• Groudon left its power and essence behind, became a tailless Cycloze, and avoided returning to the prison for fear of being discovered and killed.
• The exhausted Cycloze sheltered in a safe zone protected by Dragon's Aura and fell asleep hungry.
• Su Hao cooked food and left it unattended; after he walked away, Cycloze rushed over and began feasting.
• Su Hao watched from afar and said that Cycloze had taken the bait.

Su Hao tried to win over the starving Tailless Cycloze with delicious meals, but Cycloze refused the food once it realized he was feeding it deliberately. As Su Hao prepared to leave for the Main Tournament, Cycloze finally accepted a sandwich, though it still framed the meal as tribute to its former glory.

• Su Hao began Operation: Culinary Erosion, feeding Tailless Cycloze several meals while Long Ying and the others returned home.
• Su Hao prepared Master Curry Chicken Cutlet Sandwiches, while Zeraora learned Fake Out, Snarl, Power-Up Punch, and Quick Guard as it trained and grew stronger.
• Tailless Cycloze realized Su Hao was deliberately leaving food for it and refused to eat, then continued its hunger strike even as Long Ningyan told Su Hao the Main Tournament was about to begin.
• Su Hao approached Cycloze with a steaming all-meat sandwich, explained that he was leaving, and tried to understand why it refused his help.
• Cycloze panicked when Su Hao appeared ready to leave, snatched the sandwich from his hand, and happily ate it while imagining that it was accepting tribute.

Su Hao captured Cycloze in Dragon Cave and brought it back to Imperial City, where the Dragon Tamer Clan’s dismissive reaction strengthened his resolve to help it grow. He then learned Jiangcheng University would face Zhongnan University in the first round of the Main Tournament and attended an urgent strategy meeting.

• Su Hao fed Cycloze sandwiches, inspected its modest abilities, and captured it after Cycloze recognized the powerful auras surrounding him.
• Su Hao signaled for pickup, registered Cycloze, and accepted Dragon-type resources from Long Ying and the others before returning with Long Ningyan.
• Su Hao overheard Long Tianxing’s companions disparaging Cycloze and vowed to prove its potential if he faced Long Tianxing in an Official Match.
• Zhao Yun gathered Su Hao, Long Ningyan, and the team at their hotel and announced that Jiangcheng University had drawn Zhongnan University, ranked eighth among the TOP 10 universities.
• Zhao Yun explained the Main Tournament’s Singles, Team Battle, and Arena formats and urged the team to reveal its strength against Zhongnan University.

Jiangcheng University and Zhongnan University prepared for their University League match, with Zhao Tiancheng choosing to face Su Hao. The two captains opened the 3v3 Singles match by sending out Lucario and Mimikyu.

• Zhao Yun explained the League’s match formats, and Jiangcheng University began analyzing Zhongnan University’s lineup and planning its own order.
• Zhongnan University’s coach reviewed Jiangcheng University’s roster, and Zhao Tiancheng singled out Su Hao as the greatest threat and proposed facing him in an Arena Competition.
• On October 30, 2023, the University League Main Tournament began, and Jiangcheng University and Zhongnan University’s battle for the TOP 10 drew major attention.
• Zhao Yun assigned Su Hao to open the 3v3 Singles match and placed Mu Yao and Li Xiao in the Team Battle.
• Su Hao discovered that Zhongnan University captain Zhao Tiancheng was his opponent, and they sent out Lucario and Mimikyu to begin the match.

Su Hao’s Lucario overwhelmed Zhao Tiancheng’s Mimikyu, revealing a new Steel-infused Aura Bullet that defeated it before it could use Pain Split. The battle ended with Su Hao calling for Zhao Tiancheng’s next Pokémon.

• Lucario displayed its Late Professional Level strength, astonishing the spectators and putting Zhao Tiancheng on guard.
• Su Hao ordered Flash Cannon, but Mimikyu used Curse and its Disguise Ability to endure the attack and curse Lucario.
• Su Hao anticipated Zhao Tiancheng’s planned Pain Split and ordered Lucario to use Aura Bullet.
• Lucario Teleported beside Mimikyu and struck it with a Steel-infused Aura Bullet, knocking it out.
• Su Hao waited for the smoke to clear, then told Zhao Tiancheng, “Next.”

Su Hao's Lucario overwhelmed Zhao Tiancheng's Garganacl and the rest of his team in Jiangcheng University's first Main Tournament match. Jiangcheng University won decisively, and the other universities began to regard Su Hao as a major threat.

• Zhao Tiancheng sent out his Late Professional Level Garganacl as his ace after Mimikyu was defeated.
• Su Hao ordered Lucario to use Close Combat, and Lucario battered Garganacl while evading its Salt Cure with Teleport.
• Zhao Tiancheng raised a Sandstorm and sent Rock Slide at Lucario, but Lucario sensed the attack and destroyed it with Aura Bullet and Meteor Mash.
• Lucario blasted Garganacl with Steel Aura Bullet, then easily countered its Hyper Beam and Explosion.
• Zhao Tiancheng's tactics fell apart, and Lucario defeated his third Mid Professional Level Pokémon, giving Jiangcheng University a great victory.

Jiangcheng University defeated Zhongnan University and advanced, while Su Hao's provocative interview remarks ignited a feud with Baodao University. That evening, Su Hao began planning Cycloze's training after discovering its affinity for Type Energy was exceptionally poor.

• Su Hao, Lin Daoyi, and Mu Yao's teams helped Jiangcheng University beat Zhongnan University by seven points and advance without an Arena match.
• Su Hao gave a media interview, claiming that Jiangcheng University was aiming for first place and dismissing Baodao University as unworthy of attention.
• Su Hao's remarks made headlines and angered Baodao University, while Zhao Yun scolded him backstage.
• Su Hao offered Cycloze a Dragon Gem and then a Normal Gem, but realized Cycloze could barely absorb either kind of Type Energy.
• Su Hao decided Cycloze needed a fresh training plan and considered summoning reinforcements.

Su Hao summoned Latios and Latias with the Infinite Flute and asked Latias why the Creator God's Plates had shattered. Before she could answer, Suicune arrived, and Su Hao immediately asked whether he had once been an Eevee.

• Su Hao played the Infinite Flute, drawing the attention of Latios and Latias as well as a mysterious watcher in the Imperial City.
• Latias reached Su Hao's hotel room and admired the growth of his Pokémon, especially Diancie and Milotic.
• Su Hao asked Latias whether she knew why the Creator God's Plates had shattered.
• Latias realized that the flute had alerted the one guarding the area as fog gathered outside.
• Suicune appeared in the room, and Su Hao greeted him excitedly and asked if he had been an Eevee before Ho-Oh resurrected him.

Su Hao asked Suicune about his revival and then sought Latias’s help improving Cycloze’s Dragon-type talent. Latias’s blessing failed twice, and after examining Cycloze, she declared its condition hopeless.

• Suicune answered Su Hao’s strange question through Telepathy, then left after explaining that he had come to inspect the region he guarded.
• Latias admitted she knew nothing about the Plate Fragment and said she and her brother had never seen the Creator God.
• Su Hao woke Cycloze and asked Latias to improve its Dragon-type Energy Affinity, so Latias tried blessing it.
• Latias’s blessing failed twice, and her Mental Power scan revealed an unusual problem with Cycloze.
• Latias covered Su Hao’s mouth and gravely told him that Cycloze was hopeless.