Chapter Summaries

After earning all eight Gym Badges and returning to Pallet Town, Ash received a Virtual Universe player panel that highlighted his lack of knowledge and offered new ways to grow. Ho-Oh secretly blessed him with the system, and Ash joined a chat with versions of himself from parallel worlds.

• Ash returned to Pallet Town after clearing the Kanto Region and earning all eight Gym Badges.
• A player panel appeared before Ash, showing his Trainer status, stats, Bond Value, and the Knowledge is Power effect.
• Ho-Oh's Feather glowed as Ho-Oh gave Ash a temporary blessing, hoping to help him catch up and avoid being outmaneuvered.
• Ash opened the Virtual Universe menu and noticed the group chat was flashing.
• Ash joined Ash Chat and learned it connected him with Ashes from parallel worlds.

Hermes enjoyed a relaxed vacation in the Pokemon World with Erii and Little Gardevoir, then found a challenge letter from Natsume after Little Gardevoir had crushed her in the Virtual Universe's Ladder Arena. He considered building a more balanced team, while worrying that Natsume might seek a real-life battle in Sinnoh.

• Erii woke Hermes and went off to play with Nine-Tails while he got ready for the day.
• Hermes opened the Qing Tuan Takeout app and considered ordering roast duck, but Little Gardevoir offered to cook for him instead.
• Little Gardevoir went to help Erii prepare a huge garden, and Hermes noticed a package from the Kanto Golden Gym on his desk.
• Hermes recalled defeating Natsume, the Witch of Golden City, with Little Gardevoir in the Ladder Arena.
• Hermes read Natsume's 6v6 challenge letter and decided he should catch more Pokemon rather than rely on Little Gardevoir alone.

Hermes and Index discussed how Pokémon trainers could develop more imaginative techniques, prompting Cynthia to recognize how much potential remained in her world. Unohana Retsu received permission to visit the Pokémon World and explained why she was willing to leave Soul Society’s conflict to unfold, while the group speculated about Ichigo’s future role.

• Hermes teased Index about visiting the Pokémon World and criticized its trainers for using conventional battle styles.
• Index explained to Cynthia that Pokémon abilities could be developed with far more imagination, comparing them to magic, Devil Fruit powers, and genjutsu.
• Cynthia acknowledged the Pokémon World’s untapped potential and gave Unohana Retsu permission to visit.
• Unohana Retsu said she could accept either Yamamoto or Aizen winning and speculated that Ichigo Kurosaki might someday rule the Three Realms.
• Luo Qianqiu warned Chen Nan that Soul Society was a decayed, conservative force, and Chen Nan lamented that he could not take a Pokémon vacation.

Luo Qianqiu explained that she had ignored recent Chat Group candidates she found unappealing and revealed the newly unlocked True Simulation function, which excited the members with its potential. After Hermes saw that Uesugi Erii had recovered, he suggested buying a ranch for her to grow flowers, and she agreed once he promised she could still visit her friends.

• Luo Qianqiu told Chen Nan she had ignored recent Chat Group candidates because they did not interest her and revealed that she had unlocked True Simulation.
• Lü Dongbin, Hermes, Dragon, Li Hanyi, Aozaki Touko, and other members discussed how True Simulation could help them pursue their goals.
• Luo Qianqiu privately recalled that she had used her entire fortune to create a Dao Attainer character card of herself through True Simulation.
• Hermes saw Uesugi Erii happily planting flowers and recognized that she had fully recovered.
• Hermes suggested buying a ranch so Uesugi Erii could grow a sea of flowers, and promised her a teleportation gate to keep visiting Zhu Lan and Mustard Orchid Grandma.
• Uesugi Erii eagerly accepted Hermes's ranch proposal.

Lumine returned to Star Crown Garden and discovered that Phanes’s Human Order had transformed the world. Paimon revealed that Kong was using the Abyss to overturn the existing Order, leaving Lumine stunned by how powerful the Abyss had become.

• Lumine sensed Human Order across Star Crown Garden and felt the motherly power of Phanes embrace her as a Child of Humanity.
• Paimon told Lumine that Phanes had assigned them a task because Kong had caused serious trouble.
• Lumine guessed that Kong had organized an Abyss gang or started a rebellion, while Paimon clarified that he had not openly raised a banner.
• Paimon revealed that Kong was using the Abyss to overturn the existing Order and twist the real world with Black Hatred.
• Paimon explained that the Abyss came from hatred of unchosen destinies and had grown far stronger in Star Crown Garden.

Lumine learned that Phanes wanted Caelus captured and sentenced to a hundred and eight thousand years of labor, while Hermes considered studying the Abyss’s power. In a real dungeon, Erii pursued a frightened Egui Peng and used Nine-Tails to bring it into her embrace, determined to befriend it.

• Paimon told Lumine that Phanes would forgive Caelus if Lumine captured him and made him work for a hundred and eight thousand years.
• Lumine decided to capture Caelus quickly and use her old reward from Hermes.
• Hermes realized the Abyss could arise from hatred of an unchosen fate and added it to his research list.
• Erii told Hermes she liked Egui Peng because it reminded her of how she used to be and wanted to make it happy.
• Egui Peng fled when Erii approached, so Erii sent out Nine-Tails and used Psychic to bring it back to her.

Egui Peng woke to find Uesugi Erii gone and feared she had been abandoned, but sensed a gentle presence approaching Ghost Mountain. Hermes, Uesugi Erii, and Index headed toward her, while Index became eager to study the Pokémon World.

• Egui Peng woke alone, panicked that Uesugi Erii had left her, and clutched her remaining mask.
• Egui Peng sensed a newcomer with a gentle aura entering Ghost Mountain and stepped toward it.
• Uesugi Erii hurried out of the instance dungeon with Hermes and Index to find Egui Peng, and Hermes sent Metagross to carry her over the steep terrain.
• Index noticed Metagross's unusual aura, and Hermes explained that it had mastered Teyvat's ley line technology and taken control of the Ley Line Origin.
• Index decided she wanted to catch Pokémon and research the world, and Hermes encouraged her interest in research.

Hermes and Index began planning a Pokémon-like Cosmo System, while Erii worried that she was neglecting Nine-Tails as she bonded with Egui Peng. Hermes reassured her that caring for companions was a Trainer’s responsibility, leaving Erii wondering whether she could properly care for more Pokémon.

• Hermes and Index discussed whether scientific mysteries and Saint Seiya’s Cosmo could lead to wielding the source, then decided to study a Pokémon-like Cosmos System.
• Erii felt guilty that she regarded Egui Peng as her Heavenly Mandate while Nine-Tails seemed like an accident, and Nine-Tails sensed her unease through their psychic bond.
• Erii reassured Nine-Tails that Hermes could help her break through her Heavenly King Tier bottleneck, and Nine-Tails calmed down.
• Hermes explained that Trainers needed to coordinate their companions’ relationships, prompting Erii to worry about caring for more Pokémon despite wanting to adopt several.
• Hermes praised Erii’s sense of responsibility and contrasted it with Ash’s tendency to leave Pokémon behind when traveling to new regions.

Uesugi Erii reunited with Egui Peng and welcomed it into her family, then learned that Beishang Village had stolen its other three masks and weakened its strength. She resolved to retrieve the masks despite Egui Peng not caring about them, leaving the response to the village undecided.

• Egui Peng rushed toward Uesugi Erii, but hesitated until she embraced it and promised it would never be alone again.
• Index and Hermes approved of Egui Peng, while Hermes explained that its stolen masks had held back its growth.
• Uesugi Erii asked Hermes whether they should take the three masks back from Beishang Village.
• Egui Peng showed that it cared more about staying with Uesugi Erii than recovering the masks, but she refused to let the village's injustice go unanswered.

Hermes and Index explored the possibility of creating new Attribute Masks to unlock Egui Peng’s vast potential. After discovering that Egui Peng’s Ghost Cave connected to the Spirit Realm, they opened a passage to explore it and find Pokémon to raise.

• Index argued that the villagers of Beishang Village should be punished for vilifying Egui Peng, but the group turned their attention to its mask.
• Index asked whether new masks could give Egui Peng additional attributes, and Hermes said that technology could potentially let it reach beyond the Pokémon World’s eighteen attributes.
• Erii fed Egui Peng Energy Cubes and bought ingredients from Toriko World to learn more about its diet.
• Metagross explored the Ghost Cave and discovered that it was connected to the Spirit Realm, prompting Hermes to consider improving Metagross with Ruan Mei’s system algorithm.
• Index recognized a strange presence near the mountain as a Ghost Dragon Vein and opened a temporarily stable passage into the Spirit Realm.

Hermes, Index, and Uesugi Erii entered the Spirit Realm and found a rare Dragapult tribe whose Champion had died, leaving it unable to nurture Drakloak. They planned to raise the tribe’s Pokémon in different ways, and Hermes offered to help them reach Champion rank and restore the tribe.

• Index opened a passage into the Spirit Realm, where she drove off a tribe of dangerous wild Chandelure.
• Uesugi Erii sensed nearby Dragon-type Pokémon, and the group traveled through dreamlike regions of the Spirit Realm.
• Giratina appeared, but Erii attacked it with Judgment; the Spirit Realm stopped their clash and expelled Giratina, and Hermes told Erii to apologize next time.
• The group discovered nine members of a Dragapult tribe in the Black Mountain range and learned that its fallen Champion had left it unable to nurture Drakloak.
• Index proposed a competition to raise Dragapult and Dratini using their own methods, and Hermes offered the tribe a way to reach Champion rank and continue its lineage.

Zhu Lan, Wan Long, and Cynthia discussed powerful trainers, recent trouble in Sinnoh, and Ash’s rapid rise. Zhu Lan then opened a lively communication with Erii, whose attempt to appease Kyuubi amused the others.

• Wan Long teased Zhu Lan about dating, and Zhu Lan said she had been busy for other reasons.
• Zhu Lan offered Cynthia ice cream and a Virtual Universe dungeon challenge, but Cynthia refused both because of past bad experiences.
• Cynthia reported that Goh had told her Giratina was beaten black and blue by an unknown person.
• Cynthia and Wan Long discussed Pryce, Red, and the possibility of creating a new rank called Grandmaster.
• Wan Long teased Cynthia about nearly losing to Ash, and Cynthia said he had risen to the Heavenly King level after gaining Virtual Universe resources and guidance.
• Zhu Lan projected a communication with Erii, who tried to calm an angry Kyuubi by offering Volcanic Lava Ice Cream, making Zhu Lan, Cynthia, and Wan Long laugh.

Zhu Lan, Cynthia, and Wan Long saw Hermes tending a Green Lotus Core Flame with Erii and Index, and Wan Long assumed Zhu Lan was romantically involved with him. After agreeing to meet Hermes and the others in the Virtual Universe, Zhu Lan reflected on her feelings and resolved to grow stronger without compromising her pride.

• Hermes planted a Green Lotus Core Flame in a Fire Pool, while Erii used it to soothe her jealous Nine-Tails.
• Wan Long and Cynthia teased Zhu Lan about hiding a relationship with Hermes after seeing him on the video call.
• Index invited Zhu Lan and her friends to watch Hermes battle Natsume in the Ladder Arena and suggested comparing their Dragapult training methods.
• Wan Long accepted the invitation for herself, Cynthia, and Zhu Lan, and the Virtual Universe call ended.
• Zhu Lan admitted she had a favorable impression of Hermes but decided not to force herself closer to him or abandon her pride.
• Zhu Lan resolved to seize the Chat Group's opportunities and keep advancing with her Pokémon despite being behind its other members.

Natsume faced Hermes in a packed Virtual Universe Ladder Arena, while spectators debated their strength and watched the battle begin. Hermes’s Champion-level Dragapult pierced Natsume’s defenses and revealed a powerful Dragon Dance, leaving Green to recognize Hermes as a seasoned Spirit Realm Wanderer.

• Cynthia, Zhu Lan, Index, and Uesugi Erii discussed Champion-level training as Red, Green, Ash, and Satoshi gathered to watch Natsume challenge Hermes.
• Green praised Ash’s progress and ordered Satoshi to prepare for hellish training after Satoshi resolved not to fall behind Ash.
• Natsume and Hermes began a full six-on-six battle, sending out Natsume’s peak Heavenly King Metagross and Hermes’s Champion-level Dragapult.
• Hermes ordered Dragapult to use Dragon Arrow, and it pierced Natsume’s combined Light Wall and Reflect Barrier defenses with its Infiltrator Ability.
• Dragapult completed Dragon Dance and unleashed its imposing Dragon’s Might, while Red recognized its unusual strength and Green identified Hermes as a seasoned Spirit Realm Wanderer.

Natsume sent out her bonded Alakazam to challenge Hermes’s Dragapult, and their fierce battle began drawing out her Champion-rank potential. The chapter ended with Natsume and Alakazam still growing stronger as their bond deepened in battle.

• Hermes’s Dragapult broke through Metagross’s Agility and Meteor Mash with Dragon Rush, defeating it in one strike.
• Index and Uesugi Erii hinted that their own partners would surprise Zhu Lan, while Zhu Lan reflected on her efforts to perfect the trainer system.
• Natsume sent out Alakazam and declared that she wanted to win, bringing their bond to its peak and unleashing a powerful psychic attack on Dragapult.
• Alakazam and Dragapult exchanged attacks as their Champion-level Domains began to form, and Hermes told Dragapult to go all out.
• Red and Green observed that Natsume and Alakazam were growing stronger together through battle.

Red taught Satoshi and Ash that battles were clashes of hearts and ideals as they watched Hermes and Natsume fight at the highest level. Hermes’s Dragapult launched a final Dragon Rush, but Natsume broke through and empowered Alakazam’s Psychic for a desperate counterattack.

• Red explained his principles of battle to Satoshi and Ash, who watched the match with the other Trainers.
• Natsume caught Dragapult off guard with Alakazam’s Ice Punch, exploiting the gap in its coordination with Hermes.
• Hermes ordered Dragapult to ignore the attack and charge with Dragon’s Maw, revealing that it had been building momentum through Dragon Dance.
• Hermes announced Dragapult’s final Dragon Rush, leaving Alakazam unable to escape with Teleport.
• Natsume and Alakazam unleashed a Psychic that transformed five times and grew immensely powerful, prompting Red to recognize Natsume’s breakthrough.

Hermes defeated Natsume’s ultimate attack with Dragapult’s [Ouroboros] Champion Path, and Natsume forged her own Champion Path, [Change]. Meanwhile, Lumine confronted a blackened Zhongli in a virtual Worldline while cleaning up the Abyssal Calamity.

• Dragapult used [Cycle] to create a Sub-dimensional Otherworld and nullify Natsume’s final strike.
• Hermes recalled Dragapult, congratulated Natsume on forging a Champion Path, and left the Virtual Universe so she could stabilize her realm.
• The emergence of Hermes and Natsume as Champions stirred excitement over the political influence their regions could gain.
• Hermes reflected on the potential of Natsume’s [Change] path and its transformations.
• Lumine complained that Aether had exposed her weakness to Phanes, then surveyed the Abyssal remains and prepared for battle.
• Lumine faced the blackened Zhongli, recognizing him as the true Morax from a rejected virtual Worldline.

Lumine refused to abandon Zhongli and her friends trapped in the Dark Calamity, choosing to fight for their survival instead. She forged Cosmic Light from Trailblaze and Light Realm Power and charged into the Pitch-Black Torrent, while Zhongli began to consider his own choice.

• Lumine urged Zhongli to let her preserve him, but he insisted that he had to free Liyue's people from the dreamlike illusion.
• The Dark Calamity's countless Possibilities turned their hatred toward Lumine and Morax, while familiar faces from Lumine's journeys appeared before her.
• After Paimon questioned whether they should cut everyone down, Lumine resolved to save her friends rather than abandon them.
• Zhongli warned Lumine that failing to overcome the trial could let the Dark Calamity corrupt the real world.
• Lumine combined Trailblaze with Light Realm Power, creating Cosmic Light on her Dull Blade, and charged into the Pitch-Black Torrent.
• As Lumine and the Dark Calamity clashed, Zhongli looked at the people of Liyue and began to consider making his own decision.

At Wan Ming Tang, Izayoi exposed Canary’s notorious history of provoking gods and sacrificing allies, leaving Hu Tao and the others stunned. In the Creator’s Garden, Scathach explained to Zhongli that Canary had taken the blame during a desperate crisis, before Zhongli noticed something unexpected.

• Izayoi punched Canary and warned her that her many powerful backers would not protect her if she offended people in the new world.
• Hu Tao questioned Izayoi’s description of Canary, and Izayoi listed the countless gods who wanted Canary dead and some of her past schemes.
• Canary defended her actions by recalling how she had rallied heroes against the Dystopian Demon King and the Three-Headed Evil Dragon.
• Zhongli sought Halloween Queen’s response to Canary’s reputation, but she stayed silent until Scathach explained that Canary had taken responsibility during Little Garden’s crisis.
• Zhongli paused as if he had noticed something.

Zhongli met Halloween Queen and explained that Proving the Dao Through Force meant breaking the rules and shackles that bound one’s existence. His words made Halloween Queen realize that she herself had been the greatest obstacle to her own advancement, while a voice then revealed that it had arranged the opportunity for Zhongli to attain the Dao as a Star Master.

• Zhongli sensed that something important was about to happen and glimpsed a familiar presence across an unknown Worldline.
• Halloween Queen examined Zhongli’s revealed dragon form, and Zhongli recognized the immense, layered sunlike existence behind her.
• Zhongli asked why Halloween Queen did not force her way to Path Attainment and explained how Breaking Law by Force could lead to Proving the Dao Through Force.
• Halloween Queen realized that her own assumptions, rather than Shiroyasha, Little Garden Central, or the Sun Sovereignty, had kept her from considering that path.
• Scathach reflected that Halloween Queen’s stubbornness had worsened her conflict with White Night King.
• A voice praised Zhongli and revealed that it had secretly created the opportunity for him to attain the Dao as a Star Master.