Chapter Summaries

Jing He and Cynthia explored Dandelion Island, where they found a damaged inscription and ancient ruins that might be connected to the Celestica people. As a group of Golem launched a coordinated attack with Explosion, the Pokémon Egg in Charcadet’s arms began to hatch.

• Jing He and Cynthia traveled by speedboat to Dandelion Island, where Gengar swallowed and spat out an exploding Voltorb as Rotom charged up on the island’s Voltorb.
• Jing He and Cynthia noticed the Pokémon Egg rocking during the explosions, and Charcadet sensed that it was close to hatching.
• Cynthia translated a damaged stone tablet mentioning a great hero, the Celestica people, and ten kings, then brought the tablet along as she and Jing He explored farther inland.
• Jing He and Cynthia discovered a pyramid-shaped ruin that Cynthia compared to the Solaceon Ruins, prompting Jing He to wonder whether Celestica people had settled on the island.
• A group of Golem rolled down toward Jing He and Cynthia, and the lead Golem used Explosion as Garchomp, Lucario, Tinkaton, Dragonite, and Kubfu moved to respond.
• Charcadet cried out as the Pokémon Egg cracked, beginning to hatch in the middle of the attack.

Jing He and Cynthia witnessed Larvitar hatch amid the battle against the Golem, and the newly born Pokémon immediately showed its enormous appetite by biting Kleavor’s axe. After Gengar subdued Kleavor, Jing He identified it as a Pokémon from the Hisui era, while Larvitar finished eating its eggshell and offered some to the others.

• Cynthia ordered Garchomp and Lucario to finish the Golem quickly while Jing He and the team watched the cracking Pokémon Egg.
• Larvitar hatched safely and immediately began eating pieces of its eggshell.
• Kleavor emerged from the forest, and Larvitar bit a chunk from its axe before Gengar put it to sleep.
• Jing He explained that Kleavor was linked to the Hisui era, while Cynthia considered its significance to her research.
• Larvitar ate the axe fragments and the rest of its eggshell, then offered pieces to Gengar and the others.

Jing He and his Pokémon welcomed the newly hatched Larvitar, whose enormous appetite and talent for finding ore quickly became clear. Larvitar happily joined Jing’s team, then popped out of its Luxury Ball to keep eating Black Augurite.

• Larvitar devoured its eggshell and a box of Energy Cubes, prompting Cynthia to remind Jing He that it also needed mineral ores to grow properly.
• Jing He checked Larvitar’s Pokédex entry and discovered it had inherited several moves, including Dragon Dance.
• Larvitar quickly learned Dig and helped Ice Ninetales uncover a large piece of Black Augurite, which it eagerly began eating.
• Jing He gave Larvitar a purple scarf, and the other Pokémon welcomed it as their new companion.
• Larvitar touched the Luxury Ball’s button with its horn and was successfully caught, then promptly emerged to resume chewing the Black Augurite.

Jing He began preparing food and training plans for his newly hatched Larvitar, while his Pokémon rallied around the goal of earning its rations at the Lily of the Valley Conference. Sakaki encouraged Jing He to develop Larvitar’s offensive power and offered him rare ores on credit.

• Jing He and Cynthia examined ruins bearing patterns and writing, and Cynthia asked Rotom to record them for later translation.
• Back in Player Village, Jing He made Larvitar customized Energy Cubes while considering its future training and possible conflicts between its Sand Stream and Ice Ninetales’s weather Ability.
• Tinkaton and the other Pokémon offered Larvitar metal, stones, and other items to eat, but Jing He stopped them and gave it an Energy Cube instead.
• Jing He and the Outlaw Squad declared that they would work hard at the Lily of the Valley Conference for Larvitar’s rations.
• Sakaki advised Jing He to focus on Larvitar’s offensive capabilities and reminded him to adapt The Essence of Earth to his own Pokémon.
• Sakaki offered to supply rare ores from Team Rocket’s mines and let Jing He buy them on credit.

The Lily of the Valley Conference opened, and Jing He met Professor Oak and Nari Oak before spending time with his companions. After learning that Guzma and Tobias were among the competitors, Jing He prepared for a tournament that might disrupt his plans to earn money and care for his Pokémon.

• The Lily of the Valley Conference held its opening ceremony, and Professor Oak and Nari Oak found Jing He in the crowd.
• Nari Oak invited Jing He to visit Alola for an exchange program, while Professor Oak took Jing He's Pokédex to upgrade.
• Jing He, Cynthia, Volkner, Watari, and Aaron met at a coffee shop, where Larvitar bit Volkner as he tried to tease it.
• Jing He pointed out that Hunter J's group appeared unusually often in Eterna City, and Watari agreed to monitor the situation and gather information on conference contestants.
• Watari told the group that Guzma and Tobias were competing, prompting Jing He to brace himself for the challenging tournament.

Jing He began the Lily of the Valley Conference by sending Charcadet against Dino’s Chandelure and overwhelming it with aggressive Fire-type attacks. Charcadet remained standing after taking a Shadow Ball, leaving Dino to face Jing He’s reckless battle style.

• Jing He woke from a strange dream, found Larvitar hungry in its food-bowl bed, and asked Gengar to teach it to brush its teeth.
• Jing He arrived at the Lily of the Valley Conference’s Grass Field, where he learned his first opponent was Dino, a former Johto Conference top-thirty-two finisher.
• Dino opened the battle by having Chandelure use Trick Room, while Jing He sent out Charcadet and ordered it to charge forward with Astonish.
• Jing He had Charcadet use Flare Blitz, then Flamethrower, defeating Chandelure despite it striking Charcadet with Shadow Ball.

Jing He defeated Dino in the competition after Charcadet overcame Haxorus and Mandibuzz with a series of powerful attacks. Dino left encouraged by Jing He's praise, while the spectators celebrated Jing He's victory and debated his tactics.

• Dino sent out Haxorus under Trick Room, but Charcadet burned it before it could attack.
• Haxorus struck Charcadet with Rock Slide and Bulldoze, but Charcadet countered with Flare Blitz and knocked Haxorus out with Heat Wave.
• Dino sent out Mandibuzz for a final Brave Bird, but Charcadet revealed its strength and defeated her with Fire Blast.
• The referee declared Jing He the winner, and the spectators cheered while Watari and Aaron discussed Jing He's tactics.
• Jing He encouraged Dino after their match, and Dino's spirits improved.

After defeating Dino, Jing He watched the tournament and learned that his next opponent would be Louis, who had challenged him from the stands. He opened a temporary café with his Pokémon at the Lily of the Valley Conference, where the group hurried to eat the pastries before they could be sold.

• Jing He returned from his victory over Dino and watched Guzma defeat Swanna with a brutal Extreme Drop, then leave without shaking hands.
• Louis pointed his umbrella toward Jing He's private room after winning his match, and Jing He praised his courage.
• The Sinnoh League announced that Jing He would face Louis in the next round, sending online attention to the match soaring alongside interest in Tobias and Guzma.
• Jing He set up A Touch of Sunlight Café at the tournament with Indeedee, Alcremie, Steven Stone, and his Pokémon.
• Charcadet took cakes from Volkner and Infernape to share with itself and Larvitar, while the others rushed to eat before the treats were sold.
• Indeedee brought out Gengar Chocolate Pudding, and Gengar stared uneasily as Cynthia cut into it.

Jing He faced Louis in the Lily of the Valley Conference and sent out Indeedee, who politely knocked out Louis’s first two Pokémon in one hit. The battle continued with Louis rattled by the strength behind Indeedee’s courteous demeanor.

• Cynthia’s friends teased Volkner about her cake, and Cynthia threatened him with a sickle when he joked about her weight.
• Jing He and Louis entered the arena, where Louis declared that he would defeat at least one of Jing He’s Pokémon.
• Louis sent out Conkeldurr, but Jing He chose Indeedee, who used Expanding Force on Psychic Terrain to knock it out in one hit.
• Louis sent out Bouffalant and ordered Head Charge, but Indeedee’s boosted Expanding Force struck it down as well.
• Louis swallowed nervously as he realized Indeedee was far stronger than she looked and wondered whether he could still apologize for his Taunt.

Jing He and Indeedee defeated Louis and his Garchomp in an official battle, showcasing Indeedee’s healing and Psychic-type skills. After the match, Indeedee asked Jing He for more training material, and Tobias approached them in the Player Tunnel.

• Louis sent out his ace, Garchomp, and challenged Jing He and Indeedee to continue the battle.
• Indeedee used Trick Room, Expanding Force, Heal Pulse, and a psychic Barrier to withstand Garchomp’s attacks.
• Jing He told Indeedee to finish the battle with Dazzling Gleam, knocking out Garchomp and winning the match.
• Jing He praised Louis, then left the field with Indeedee, who admitted the battle had been satisfying.
• Indeedee showed Jing He that she had finished reading his booklet on Psychic-type Pokémon and psychic training, and he promised to find more material for her.
• Tobias approached Jing He in the Player Tunnel and greeted him, while his hand moved toward the Card Deck at his waist.

Jing He met Tobias, who proposed both a card collaboration and a Pokémon battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference, then received a new Rotom-compatible Pokédex from Professor Oak. He encouraged Rotom to take photos at the conference and hinted that it would meet the world’s strongest “photographer.”

• Tobias introduced himself to Jing He as the founder of Pokémon cards and proposed a card duel, but Jing He declined and agreed to face him in a Pokémon match at the conference.
• Tobias decided to train with Darkrai for the conference, while Jing He met up with Cynthia, Volkner, Watari, Aaron, and Steven Stone.
• Volkner went to challenge Tobias, but the two mistook each other’s cards and Poké Ball for invitations to different kinds of matches.
• Professor Oak gave Jing He an upgraded Pokédex, and Rotom entered it to become a Rotom Pokédex.
• Jing He teased Rotom with the chance to meet the strongest photographer and assigned it the task of taking that photographer down.

Jing He’s Pokémon forged armor and weapons for Charcadet, which showed early signs of using moves tied to both of its evolutions. Meanwhile, Mawa sought Leon’s advice before facing Jing He, and the Top Eight battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference began.

• Tinkaton led the Pokémon in forging a golden cannon barrel and a dark-purple sword for Charcadet, with Ice Ninetales quenching the pieces and Gengar filming the process.
• Charcadet wielded the sword and produced a flame resembling Ceruledge’s Bitter Blade, then gathered fire and Aura into the cannon barrel as if preparing Armor Cannon.
• Mawa called Leon to ask how to prepare for his match against Jing He, and Leon warned him about Jing He’s Pokémon and praised Kubfu’s talent.
• Jing He received Mawa’s information from Watari before the Top Eight match, and Cynthia asked what tactic he planned to use.
• The conference host welcomed the crowd to the Top Eight battle between Jing He and Mawa, while Jing He recalled a Pokémon Hunter case involving a fake egg and another victim.

Jing He faced Mawa in a tournament battle, using Wash Rotom to disrupt Mawa’s Golisopod and Stonjourner with item tricks and status moves. Stonjourner fainted after Rotom exploited its paralysis, but Mawa suggested that his real strategy was just beginning.

• Jing He and Mawa opened the battle with Rotom and Golisopod, and Rotom briefly took photographs before changing into Wash Rotom.
• Mawa boosted Golisopod with Shell Smash, but Jing He had Rotom use Trick to give it a Choice Scarf and lock it into Shell Smash.
• Rotom struck Golisopod with Thunderbolt before Mawa recalled it and sent out Stonjourner.
• Stonjourner used Wonder Room to swap the Pokémon’s defenses and Gravity to cancel Rotom’s Levitate, while Rotom paralyzed and burned it.
• Rotom’s Hydro Pump damaged Stonjourner, and its paralysis stopped it from using Earthquake, leaving it unable to battle.
• Mawa smiled and declared that the stone formation was complete and the real battle was about to begin.

Jing He used Rotom to defeat Mawa’s Coalossal with a precisely timed Trick that transferred Weakness Policy as Gravity ended, then finished the battle against Mawa’s last Pokémon. Rotom won after taking down three opponents, and Jing He left the field with Mawa’s respect and a new wave of fans.

• Mawa sent out Coalossal, using Stonjourner’s lingering boulders and water in the crater to activate Power Spot and Steam Engine.
• Jing He paralyzed Coalossal with Rotom, then had Rotom defend against successive Earthquakes while waiting for Gravity to end.
• Jing He ordered Rotom to discard its Focus Sash and run before using Trick to take Coalossal’s Weakness Policy at the moment Rotom’s Levitate returned.
• Rotom survived most of Coalossal’s Earthquake, gained a Special Attack boost from Weakness Policy, and knocked Coalossal out with Hydro Pump.
• Rotom defeated Mawa’s last Pokémon, Golisopod, and Jing He won the battle before thanking Mawa and dismissing his success as luck.

After defeating Mawa, Jing He learned that his next opponent would be Kabu and discussed the possibility of showcasing Mega Evolution after the Lily of the Valley Conference. The chapter left Jing He preparing for the rest of the tournament while Professor Sycamore planned a later seminar.

• Larvitar gnawed on Stonjourner's discarded stone in the tournament storage area while Steven Stone offered to send Jing He a plane-load of ore.
• Online fans praised Jing He's win over Mawa and compared his dominance with Tobias's Darkrai, which had carried Tobias through the tournament alone.
• Watari told Jing He that he would face Kabu next, and Cynthia offered to ask about the difficult matchups before Jing He declined.
• Jing He sent Garchomp to challenge Volkner, promising her an extra meal, and later struggled to keep his Pokémon's enormous appetites fed.
• Professor Sycamore invited Jing He to a seminar on Mega Evolution, and Jing He suggested that a post-tournament Exhibition Match might be a better venue to demonstrate it.

Jing He faced Kabu in the Lily of the Valley Conference quarterfinals, and Kubfu defeated Kabu’s first two Pokémon with aggressive attacks. Kubfu was badly strained after its clash with Hot Pepper, but remained determined to keep fighting.

• Tobias and Darkrai discussed Jing He’s chances, then challenged each other to a card duel.
• Kabu opened the 6v6 battle with Torkoal, whose Drought created Extremely Harsh Sunlight and whose Eruption missed Kubfu after it used Dig.
• Kubfu used Aura to locate Torkoal through Smokescreen and knocked it out with a critical Brick Break to its exposed underbelly.
• Kabu sent out Hot Pepper, which activated Chlorophyll and fired a sun-boosted Solar Beam, but Kubfu charged through the beam with Detect.
• Kubfu used Close Combat to deflect Hot Pepper’s Overheat and knock it out, then declared that its condition was still great.

Kubfu continued battling Kabu’s team despite its injuries, then evolved into Urshifu during Centiskorch’s Lava Plume. The chapter ended with Urshifu standing in the arena as the crowd reacted in amazement.

• Arcanine failed to defeat Kubfu, which used Dynamic Punch and Close Combat to knock it out.
• Kabu sent out Centiskorch and ordered it to use Will-O-Wisp, but Kubfu kicked the flames apart and insisted on continuing the battle.
• Kabu ordered Centiskorch to unleash Lava Plume, and the flames swallowed Kubfu.
• Jing He and Kubfu connected their Aura as Jing He called for Kubfu to become Urshifu.
• Kubfu evolved into Urshifu, which roared and blew away the flames surrounding it.

Kubfu evolved into Urshifu during Jing He's battle with Kabu, then swept Kabu's team of six. Kabu accepted his defeat and resolved to fight his way back to his former position as Gym Leader.

• Mustard told Leon that Kubfu had already cleared both Towers of Two Fists and mastered both secret techniques before evolving.
• Urshifu used Rapid Strike Style and Water-type moves to defeat Kabu's Centiskorch before it could use Burn Up.
• Urshifu ignored Salazzle's Protect with its Unseen Fist Ability and defeated it with Surging Strikes.
• Urshifu swept Kabu's full team, and Jing He and Kabu shook hands after the battle.
• Kabu said he had learned from Jing He and Urshifu, then vowed to return to his former position as Gym Leader.

After Jing He swept Kabu to reach the Lily of the Valley Conference semifinals, Urshifu’s evolution revealed that he practiced Rapid Strike Style while awake and Single Strike Style while asleep. Jing He learned that Guzma would be his semifinal opponent and prepared to face him before the expected final against Tobias.

• Jing He watched online discussions surge after he defeated Gym Leader Kabu six to zero and advanced to the Top Four.
• Jing He checked Urshifu’s Pokédex entry, noticed his appetite had grown after evolving, and learned he had stayed awake for the match by drinking coffee.
• Urshifu fell asleep and unconsciously practiced Single Strike Style, causing his Pokédex type and moves to change from Water-type and Rapid Strike moves to Dark-type and Single Strike moves.
• Jing He speculated that Urshifu might someday combine the two styles, while Tinkaton offered to make him new Knuckle Dusters and Larvitar swallowed his old pair.
• Rotom announced that Jing He would face Guzma in the semifinals, and Jing He predicted he would meet Tobias in the final before the semifinals began on January 22.

After Larvitar accidentally learned Bulldoze and damaged Jing He's house, Jing He faced Guzma in the Lily of the Valley Conference semifinals. Guzma opened with Masquerain and used U-Turn, but Dragonite dodged as Jing He began gaining momentum.

• Volkner woke Jing He early, so Jing He had Gengar put him to sleep and Infernape carried him away.
• Dragonite tried to teach Larvitar Ground-type moves, but Larvitar learned Bulldoze and cracked the house's foundation, collapsing one corner.
• Jing He arrived at the arena for his semifinal against Guzma, who confronted him for being Kukui's praised teacher.
• Jing He sent out Dragonite, while Guzma chose Masquerain, whose Intimidate lowered Dragonite's Attack.
• Jing He ordered Dragon Dance, and Guzma responded with U-Turn; Dragonite dodged as Masquerain returned to its Poké Ball.