Chapter Summaries

Fang Yuan’s team broke Jiang Liu’s Ghost Domain and overwhelmed her Ghost-type Pokémon with coordinated control moves and powerful attacks, passing the Fourth Gate. The Twelve Earthly Branches watched the battle and wondered whether Fang Yuan had enough strength left to defeat the guardian of the Fifth Gate.

• Gluttony Ghost, Magnezone, and Eevee broke free of the Ghost Domain and trapped Jiang Liu’s six Pokémon with Shadow Disable and Gravity.
• Espeon blinded the trapped Pokémon with a Psychic illusion, allowing Infernape to strike them with Morning Peacock and Magnezone to bombard them with Railguns.
• Fang Yuan recognized Jiang Liu as the Fourth Gate’s guardian, but his team kept attacking because her Pokémon remained conscious and battle-ready.
• Fang Yuan told Eevee and the others to stop and conserve their strength after they had repeatedly beaten Jiang Liu’s Pokémon.
• The Twelve Earthly Branches watched the fight, praised the team’s coordinated control tactics, and questioned whether Fang Yuan could overcome the Fifth Gate.

Fang Yuan reached the Fifth Gate and faced Master Qiao Jing, one of the Twelve Earthly Branches, whose defensive and healing-focused battle style promised a punishing war of attrition. The challenge began with Qiao Jing sending out a Racial Zenith Wobbuffet, and Fang Yuan chose Gluttony Ghost to meet it.

• Fang Yuan recovered on the way to the Plain Area and asked Rotom about developing Energy Cubes for human use, but Rotom played an advertisement instead.
• Dragonite spotted the Fifth Gate's gatekeeper, and Fang Yuan recognized her as Master Qiao Jing, the leading figure of the Medical Field.
• Master Qiao Jing explained that the Fifth Gate was a 12VS2 battle in which Fang Yuan could replace a Pokémon only after it lost its Combat Ability.
• The Twelve Earthly Branches discussed Qiao Jing's defensive and healing-focused style, which had earned her the name Trainer of Non-Attack.
• Master Qiao Jing sent out a Racial Zenith Wobbuffet, and Fang Yuan ruled out most of his team before choosing Gluttony Ghost.

Fang Yuan's Mega Gengar struggled to break through Master Qiao Jing's Wobbuffet, whose perfected defensive and reflection techniques turned his strongest attacks back on him. After five minutes, both Pokémon were tiring, but Wobbuffet still had the stamina advantage as the battle continued.

• Fang Yuan ordered Mega Gengar to attack with Spiral Shadow Ball, but Wobbuffet used Mirror Coat and Shadow Tag to endure the hit and reflect it back.
• Fang Yuan had Mega Gengar evade the reflected beam and attack with White Flame, but Wobbuffet combined Mirror Coat and Safeguard to block it and send the flames back.
• Fang Yuan recognized that Wobbuffet's defenses and stamina made a prolonged battle dangerous while Mega Gengar's Mega Evolution had a time limit.
• The Twelve Earthly Branches discussed Fang Yuan's limited battle-ready roster and estimated that he would struggle to advance far in Champion Road.
• After five minutes of fighting, Mega Gengar and Fang Yuan were exhausted, while Wobbuffet still had more stamina despite beginning to pant.

Fang Yuan used Destiny Bond to knock out Master Qiao Jing’s Wobbuffet at the cost of Gluttony Ghost, then sent Eevee to face her Blissey. Their next battle settled into a slow stalemate as both sides repeatedly countered each other.

• Fang Yuan had Gluttony Ghost take Wobbuffet’s reflected Shadow Ball at close range and use Destiny Bond, knocking both Pokémon out.
• Fang Yuan recalled Gluttony Ghost and Master Qiao Jing sent out her second Pokémon, Blissey.
• Fang Yuan chose Eevee over Infernape, and Eevee split into a Substitute and an Espeon form.
• The Twelve Earthly Branches expected a long, dull fight as Blissey and Eevee both had powerful defenses and recovery.
• After about fifteen minutes, Eevee and Blissey were still amiably countering each other’s moves.

Fang Yuan and Eevee ended their exhausting battle against Master Qiao Jing’s defensive Blissey with a weakened Psychic Z-Move and a Partner Move attack, passing the Fifth Gate. Though Fang Yuan chose to continue the challenge despite his team’s exhaustion, the Twelve Earthly Branches wondered how he would fare against the aggressive Trainer at the next gate.

• Fang Yuan and Eevee realized Blissey’s defenses would turn their battle into a lengthy war of attrition, so they decided to use a Z-Move.
• Espeon unleashed Highest Mental Destruction Wave, severely injuring and dazing Blissey despite using a weakened version of the move.
• Partner Eevee struck the impaired Blissey with Brave Fire, knocking it unconscious and helping Fang Yuan pass the Fifth Gate.
• Master Qiao Jing asked whether Fang Yuan could continue, and Fang Yuan said he would rely on Infernape while his other Pokémon recovered.
• The Twelve Earthly Branches discussed Fang Yuan’s depleted team and the Legendary Item Trainer waiting at the next gate.
• Milotic saw the battered Gluttony Ghost and exhausted Eevee and questioned whether they could battle.

After reaching the Sixth Gate, Fang Yuan learned that Master Tao Xiuying and her Blaziken guarded it with a Life Fire-powered challenge. Tao offered to pass the Life Fire to Fang Yuan if he and Infernape earned its recognition in battle, and Infernape stepped forward to fight despite being exhausted.

• Fang Yuan decided to travel to the Sixth Gate while his Pokémon rested so he could learn its rules and prepare.
• Master Tao Xiuying revealed that the Sixth Gate was a one-on-one battle against her Blaziken, which carried the Life Fire and had gained unusual Mega-like traits.
• Tao offered to entrust the Life Fire to Fang Yuan if he defeated her Blaziken and earned the flame's recognition.
• Fang Yuan accepted the chance, and Infernape volunteered to battle immediately, its Willpower Flame and fighting spirit surging despite its fatigue.

Fang Yuan and Infernape fought Tao Xiuying’s Blaziken without Ditto, hoping to earn Life Fire’s recognition. Though Life Fire transformed Blaziken into a Moltres-like force and pushed Infernape toward collapse, Infernape’s unwavering fighting spirit appeared to win Life Fire’s acknowledgment.

• Infernape chose to face Blaziken alone, and Fang Yuan agreed to support it with Aura Power.
• Infernape opened the Fourth Gate and clashed head-on with Blaziken, matching its attacks with powerful punches.
• As the battle intensified, Life Fire took on Moltres’s form around Blaziken, restoring its injuries and raising its power to the Guardian God Domain.
• Blaziken struck Infernape hard, leaving it injured and weakening its Thunder Flame, but Infernape refused to give up.
• Fang Yuan renewed his Aura support and ordered Mach Punch, and Infernape’s rising strength stirred Moltres’s consciousness.
• Tao Xiuying realized that Life Fire had acknowledged Infernape despite its inability to defeat Blaziken.

Fang Yuan and Infernape opened the Fifth Gate and defeated Blaziken to clear the Sixth Gate, though the strain left them exhausted. As everyone celebrated, the Mysterious Pokémon Egg hatched into Victini, which prepared to share its power with them.

• Infernape asked Fang Yuan to help it open the Fifth Gate, and Fang Yuan agreed so they could win against Blaziken.
• Infernape opened the Fifth Gate, dodged Blaziken’s flying kick, grabbed it, and slammed it into a huge pit with Thunder Flame Power.
• Blaziken failed to rise after the ten-second countdown, giving Fang Yuan and Infernape a complete victory at the Sixth Gate.
• Fang Yuan’s companions celebrated while Milotic worried about the effort needed to treat Infernape.
• The Mysterious Pokémon Egg hatched inside Fang Yuan’s backpack, and Victini emerged, recognized Fang Yuan and Infernape, and decided to share its seemingly endless power.

Victini secretly shared its energy with Fang Yuan, restoring him after his battle with Infernape. After Infernape collapsed from exhaustion, Fang Yuan mistook Victini’s boost for a breakthrough in his physique, then discovered his strength had become extraordinary.

• Victini invisibly gave Fang Yuan its energy, causing his strength and stamina to recover.
• Infernape lost consciousness after defeating Blaziken with the Fifth Gate.
• Fang Yuan asked Milotic to treat Infernape, while his Pokémon wondered how he had recovered so quickly.
• Fang Yuan attributed his renewed energy to a breakthrough caused by pushing his limits in battle.
• Fang Yuan punched the mountain path and cracked the ground, startling his Pokémon, while Victini went to Infernape.

Victini secretly lent its power to Milotic, whose Life Dew healed Infernape’s severe injuries and stunned the onlookers. The boost vanished after the healing, while Fang Yuan injured his hand testing his strength, and Victini hid to rest.

• Victini saw how badly Infernape was injured and secretly transferred its power to Milotic as Milotic prepared another Life Dew.
• Milotic used the enhanced Life Dew to heal Infernape’s external injuries, and Infernape awoke and sprang to its feet.
• Master Tao Xiuying, Master Qiao Jing, the Rabbit, and the others were astonished by Infernape’s rapid recovery.
• Milotic’s newfound power vanished after healing Infernape, so Milotic repeatedly threw Life Dew at Infernape to try to regain it.
• Fang Yuan injured his hand while testing his strength, and Victini hid to rest.

After Fang Yuan defeated Blaziken, Infernape absorbed the Life Fire and Fang Yuan decided to continue the Champion Road challenge after resting. As he prepared to stop for the night, he discovered that the Pokémon Egg had hatched and Victini had emerged.

• Master Tao Xiuying gave the Life Fire to Fang Yuan, and it merged with the flame atop Infernape's head, strengthening its Fire-type power and healing ability.
• Fang Yuan said he would continue the challenge with Eevee and his other Pokémon while Infernape recovered, and Master Tao Xiuying left.
• President Wen revealed that Shen Gong could guard the Eighth Gate if Fang Yuan cleared the Seventh Gate, while the Magic University Old Principal prepared to face him there.
• Fang Yuan found the Pokémon Egg had become eggshells, and he and his Pokémon realized they had missed its hatching.
• Victini appeared among the eggshells, and Fang Yuan recognized it as the Mythical Pokémon that had hatched from the egg.

Fang Yuan realized that newborn Victini had restored his and Infernape’s strength by sharing her power, then watched her dramatically boost Magnezone. He claimed responsibility for raising Victini as his team competed to care for her.

• Fang Yuan thanked Victini for helping him and Infernape recover, and she reappeared to confirm it.
• Fang Yuan introduced Victini to his Pokémon and explained her ability to share power with others.
• Victini enhanced Magnezone, whose enormous Electro Ball blast stunned the team and demonstrated her remarkable strength.
• Victini revealed that she could continually generate Infinity Energy, which adapted to the Pokémon receiving it.
• Eevee, Milotic, Gluttony Ghost, Venusaur, Dragonite, and Rotom offered to care for Victini, but Fang Yuan picked her up and said he would raise her.
• Fang Yuan imagined using Victini’s energy to enable unlimited Z-Moves, then decided to focus on letting her grow up happily.

Fang Yuan’s newly hatched Victini proved powerful and eager to help his Pokémon win, and it joined forces with Milotic to heal Infernape. After the group rested, Victini woke to find Eevee and four Substitutes producing a strong Victory Wave while playing a game, and agreed to join in.

• Fang Yuan examined Victini and discovered that the newborn Pokémon was already at Beginner Top Level and could generate energy and strengthen allies.
• Victini told Fang Yuan that it enjoyed watching battles and supporting Pokémon toward victory, delighting him with its enthusiasm.
• Victini charged Milotic with energy so Milotic could repeatedly heal Infernape, though the treatment exhausted Milotic and Fang Yuan decided not to overuse Victini.
• Fang Yuan and his Pokémon rested in a wooden house after deciding to challenge the Seventh Gate the next day with Victini’s help.
• Victini woke at night and found Eevee playing a game with four Substitutes, whose combined Desire to Win produced a powerful Victory Wave.
• Eevee invited Victini to play, and Victini agreed.

After a night of rest, Fang Yuan used Victini’s power and Life Fire to prepare his team for the remaining Champion Road gates. He defeated the Seventh Gate’s two-on-one challenge with Infernape, leaving the Magic University Old Principal regretting that he had volunteered as its guardian.

• Fang Yuan decided to train Eevee and his other Pokémon to control the power Victini lent them instead of unleashing it all at once.
• Fang Yuan and his team set out for the Seventh Gate, where the Magic University Old Principal explained that Fang Yuan had to face his two Racial Limit Pokémon, Ampharos and Manectric, one at a time.
• Fang Yuan sent out Infernape, explaining that Tao Xiuying’s Life Fire had helped it recover overnight; the Old Principal realized this had undone his expectations.
• Infernape used the Fourth Gate with Life Fire’s enhancement to overwhelm Ampharos and Manectric, defeating both in about a minute.

Shen Gong agreed to serve as the Eighth Gate gatekeeper with Crystal Steelix after watching Fang Yuan defeat the Seventh Gate. Fang Yuan arrived soon after, and Infernape had already recovered and was eager to battle.

• President Wen invited Shen Gong to become a Champion Road gatekeeper, and Shen Gong agreed to discuss the assignment with Crystal Steelix.
• After studying Fang Yuan's record and watching his challenge, Shen Gong and Crystal Steelix recognized Infernape as a formidable opponent but believed Crystal Steelix could withstand it.
• Fang Yuan defeated the Magic University Old Principal at the Seventh Gate, and Infernape collapsed after the battle.
• Fang Yuan reached the Eighth Gate twenty minutes later with Infernape fully recovered and ready to fight, leaving Shen Gong and the others stunned.

Fang Yuan sent Espeon and Victini to face Shen Gong’s Guardian God-level Crystal Steelix at the Eighth Gate. Espeon defeated Steelix with two strengthened Fire-type Z-Moves, leaving Shen Gong and the officials watching the battle stunned.

• Fang Yuan stopped Infernape from fighting again and learned that Shen Gong’s Eighth Gate challenge was twelve Pokémon against one.
• Shen Gong sent out his Guardian God-level Crystal Steelix, while Fang Yuan assembled his twelve Pokémon and had Victini strengthen Espeon and himself.
• Fang Yuan activated the Shining Stone and Heart Power, allowing Espeon to unleash the Fire-type Z-Move Super Strong Limit Blast Flame Bullet.
• Espeon’s first strengthened Z-Move badly wounded Crystal Steelix, which survived and emerged from the flames.
• Victini recharged Espeon, and Espeon’s second Z-Move knocked Crystal Steelix unconscious.
• Shen Gong complained that he never wanted to be a trainer, while President Wen and the other officials watched in shock.

Fang Yuan’s Victini helped Eevee defeat Shen Gong’s Crystal Steelix, but the unregistered Mythical Pokémon made the Champion Road challenge ineligible to continue. Fang Yuan accepted President Wen’s invitation to succeed the Twelve Earthly Branches, and news of his appointment spread worldwide as a mysterious pink Pokémon emerged from a rift on Mount Everest.

• Eevee and Infernape argued over whether Victini or their own combinations were stronger while Fang Yuan prepared to explain Victini’s abilities to President Wen and the Twelve Earthly Branches.
• Fang Yuan introduced Victini and described how it enhanced Pokémon’s moves, strengthened Psychic Power, and restored stamina, astonishing the Association officials.
• President Wen pointed out that Victini was unregistered, so Fang Yuan agreed to end the Champion Road challenge; President Wen then invited him to return and succeed the Twelve Earthly Branches.
• On September 1, Fang Yuan received the Dog medal and became one of China’s Twelve Earthly Branches, drawing attention across the world as the promoter of China’s Third Trainer Tide.
• A pink Pokémon emerged from a rift atop Mount Everest, wandered to a nearby home, and froze when it saw Fang Yuan’s news on television.

After the Mega Stone Detection Device succeeded, Fang Yuan handed off his Third Trainer Tide duties and took an open-ended vacation to focus on raising his Pokémon. His quiet break ended when Rotom Phone reported that Ho-Oh was beating up Darkrai and Victini.

• Xie Qingyi told Fang Yuan that her team’s Mega Stone Detection Device had found three Mega Stones and two Key Stones in China.
• Fang Yuan asked President Wen for leave, and President Wen approved an open-ended vacation after deciding the Third Trainer Tide’s work could continue without him.
• Fang Yuan returned to Fang Yuan Research Institute, set his Pokémon a four-year goal of reaching the Racial Limit, and enjoyed a few days of rest.
• Rotom Phone warned Fang Yuan that Darkrai and Victini were being badly beaten in a fight.
• Rotom Phone identified their opponent as Ho-Oh, leaving Fang Yuan shocked that the Legendary Pokémon was nearby.

Mew arrived from the World Tree Secret Realm and amused itself by transforming into Ho-Oh and then Darkrai, confusing Darkrai, Victini, Fang Yuan, and the others. Mew revealed that the World Tree had recovered, but regretted not discovering Victini sooner because Victini’s energy could have helped it wake earlier.

• Darkrai and Victini fought a powerful Ho-Oh that effortlessly countered their attacks and seemed to be targeting Victini.
• Ho-Oh transformed into a second Darkrai, leaving Victini and the nearby Fossil Pokémon unable to tell which one was real.
• Fang Yuan arrived and suspected that one Darkrai was Mew, who had copied Darkrai perfectly, even matching its memories and future words.
• Mew dropped its disguise and greeted Eevee, while Darkrai and Victini reacted with surprise.
• Fang Yuan asked whether the World Tree had recovered, and Mew confirmed it had while wishing it had found Victini sooner to use its Infinite Energy.

Mew revealed that it wanted Fang Yuan to become the World Tree Guardian because Earth faced an impending Spacetime Collapse, not because of the Ziyuan Prophecy or the arrival of Legendary Pokémon. It explained that Fang Yuan and Victini could help Celebi travel through Parallel Timelines to recover Arceus's scattered Plates, leaving Fang Yuan overwhelmed by the plan.

• Mew met Victini and decided Fang Yuan should become the World Tree Guardian without first passing the World Tree Trial.
• Fang Yuan asked whether Mew's concerns were related to the Ziyuan Prophecy, but Mew said the descent of Legendary Pokémon was not its main worry.
• Mew told Fang Yuan that merging Secret Realms would destabilize Earth's space and time, and that only an awakened Arceus could stop Spacetime Collapse.
• Mew explained that Arceus could awaken if its scattered Plates were recovered, but most of them lay in Parallel Timelines and the Creation Duo were asleep.
• Mew said Victini could restore Celebi's energy so Fang Yuan could search other timelines for the Plates, and Fang Yuan was stunned by the prospect of time travel.