Chapter Summaries

Yan Yang learned that Ho-Oh’s final trial required him and Entei to defeat the Legendary Pokémon in battle. Though the odds seemed almost impossible, Yan Yang chose to fight, and Entei prepared to stake everything on the attempt.

• Yan Yang met Ho-Oh and asked what he needed to do to complete the final trial and become the Brave of the Rainbow.
• Ho-Oh declared that Yan Yang had to defeat it to earn its recognition, stunning Entei and the Pokémon watching from the clouds.
• Ho-Oh explained that Yan Yang could not gang up on it but could use Entei’s strength and his own unusual abilities.
• Yan Yang accepted the challenge, and Entei roared as the battle was about to begin.

Yan Yang and Entei battled Ho-Oh on Tianqing Mountain, with Armorouge’s Overlord Domain and Yan Yang’s Evergreen Power strengthening Entei. They struggled to land a meaningful hit, while Ho-Oh continued testing their resolve and ability.

• Entei overcame his fear and resolved to give everything in the fight against Ho-Oh.
• Yan Yang summoned Armorouge, whose Overlord Domain boosted Entei’s stats, then linked his Evergreen Power to Entei.
• Yan Yang rode Entei and ordered an Extreme Speed and Sucker Punch attack, but Ho-Oh distorted gravity and sent Entei crashing down.
• Entei recovered and dodged Ho-Oh’s next strike, which blasted a crater into the mountaintop.
• Yan Yang and Entei made several more counterattacks, but Ho-Oh evaded them or stopped their blows with a rainbow barrier while Armorouge stayed nearby to maintain his boost.

Yan Yang and Entei unleashed a final Eruption against Ho-Oh, but Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire overwhelmed them and ended their trial. Yan Yang and Entei were left defeated as the battle's observers watched.

• Ho-Oh's rainbow-enhanced attacks battered Entei while Silvally studied the rainbow aura and recorded the battle.
• Houndoom pulled Pyroar away from the danger, while Suicune and Raikou watched anxiously from the clouds.
• Ho-Oh paused his attacks, giving Yan Yang an opening to order Entei to use Eruption.
• Entei's empowered Eruption collided with Ho-Oh's pure Sacred Fire, and the clash sent a shockwave across the mountaintop.
• Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire overcame Eruption and struck Yan Yang and Entei, leaving Entei collapsed and Yan Yang burned and kneeling.

Yan Yang and Entei refused to accept defeat after Ho-Oh overwhelmed them, and their bond awakened a powerful transformation. As Ho-Oh watched with approval, Entei began evolving through their merged energy.

• Yan Yang rejected Ho-Oh’s apparent judgment and resolved to keep fighting for his Pokémon and their wishes.
• Entei regained his resolve, determined to remain beside Yan Yang and help him win.
• The watching Pokémon feared Yan Yang and Entei had failed, while Silvally detected their energies beginning to merge.
• Yan Yang and Entei stood together and declared that they would not lose, causing the energy around Tianqing Mountain to converge on them.
• Yan Yang touched his forehead to Entei’s crest, and their powers merged as a blazing evolution began, astonishing the watching Pokémon and earning Ho-Oh’s approval.

Entei completed a dramatic evolution, and his bond with Yan Yang transformed into Bond Evolution, bringing them to Ho-Oh's level. Yan Yang challenged Ho-Oh to a rematch, and a new battle was about to begin.

• Entei's evolution continued for a full minute, while Happiness Powder from Houndoom joined Yan Yang's feather and ensured the transformation succeeded.
• Entei emerged larger and more powerful, and Ho-Oh sensed that he had reached its level and broken free of its control.
• Ho-Oh recalled an ancient Bond Evolution and its history with Ecruteak City, then decided to claim Yan Yang as a new candidate for the Brave of the Rainbow.
• Yan Yang synchronized with Entei as Ho-Oh unleashed a divine storm, and their Bond Evolution shared Entei's power with Yan Yang.
• Yan Yang used God's Eye to inspect Bond Entei, then challenged Ho-Oh to fight again as both sides prepared for the rematch.

Entei battled Ho-Oh atop Tianqing Mountain after evolving into a powerful form, while Yan Yang guided him from his back. The fight continued to intensify, and Entei successfully deflected Ho-Oh’s devastating Brave Bird strike.

• Entei turned the summit into a field of lava and attacked Ho-Oh with a fiery display that led into a clash of Sacred Fire and Ho-Oh’s rainbow storm.
• Raikou and Suicune led the watching Pokémon down the mountain to safety as Entei’s and Ho-Oh’s attacks overwhelmed the battlefield.
• Yan Yang had Entei try Rainbow Lava, and the barrage struck Ho-Oh, making her feathers fall and slightly lowering her resistance to fire.
• Yan Yang warned Entei that their powerful state might not last, so Entei sped up as Ho-Oh prepared to use the last of her strength.
• Ho-Oh dove with Brave Bird, and Entei braced himself and deflected the mountain-shaking attack after staggering backward several steps.

Yan Yang and Entei fought Ho-Oh in a grueling battle that ended in a draw after both sides unleashed their strongest attacks. Ho-Oh healed Entei and Yan Yang, and the Legendary Beasts reunited before turning their attention to Yan Yang.

• Yan Yang and Entei used Entei's brief flight to launch a Rock Slide, but Ho-Oh blocked it with a rainbow barrier and continued battling.
• Ho-Oh's attacks exhausted Entei and Yan Yang, while both Ho-Oh and Entei showed signs of fatigue.
• Yan Yang and Entei prepared a final Rock Slide as Ho-Oh gathered a final Sacred Fire, and the attacks collided.
• Entei and Ho-Oh remained locked together after the clash, and the watching Pokémon concluded that the battle had ended in a draw.
• Ho-Oh healed himself with Regeneration, then used rainbow-colored rain to heal Entei and Yan Yang as Entei returned to normal size.
• Raikou and Suicune reunited with the recovered Entei, and the three Legendary Beasts bowed to Ho-Oh before turning meaningful gazes toward Yan Yang.

Yan Yang became Ho-Oh’s Brave of the Rainbow after surviving the trial and receiving the Rainbow Rock crown. News of his appointment spread, leaving the League officials reconsidering their dispute over his Pokémon.

• Ho-Oh appointed Yan Yang its human envoy, crowned him the Brave of the Rainbow, and gave him a feather to summon it.
• Entei, Raikou, and Suicune welcomed Yan Yang and pledged to protect him.
• Lugia watched Ho-Oh’s camera recording, learned a minor had become the new Brave of the Rainbow, and decided it might meet Yan Yang someday.
• In Ecruteak City, an old man and former dancer saw the Rainbow Rock glow and urged the League to invite Yan Yang for a visit.
• Wang Yan realized Yan Yang was likely the new Brave of the Rainbow and announced the news during a meeting where officials were arguing over Yan Yang’s Pokémon.

Yan Yang realized Lycanroc had disappeared while Ho-Oh considered the boy’s future and the blessing it would grant him. In the spirit world, Lycanroc woke from a frightening trial, and Marshadow rescued her so she could return to Yan Yang.

• Yan Yang checked on his Pokémon after the battle and discovered that Lycanroc was missing from her empty Poké Ball.
• In the spirit world, Lycanroc woke from her trial in tears, and Banette comforted her while Gengar mocked her.
• Cresselia confronted Gengar, Mismagius, Banette, and Lycanroc for trespassing, but Marshadow tore open the barrier and let the ghosts escape.
• Marshadow took Lycanroc away, saying she should receive Ho-Oh’s blessing, while Cresselia vowed to treat future intruders harshly.

Marshadow returned Lycanroc from the Spirit World, where her Ghost energy had greatly improved, and she hurried back to Yan Yang. Ho-Oh took Yan Yang aside and revealed that Legendary Pokémon could sense his connection to the Creator God and his otherworldly aura.

• Marshadow brought Lycanroc back from the Spirit World and explained that time had passed differently there while she trained.
• Lycanroc rushed to find Yan Yang, while Marshadow followed in her shadow.
• Yan Yang worried over Lycanroc’s disappearance until Entei suggested Marshadow had taken her; Yan Yang then agreed to wait for her before receiving Ho-Oh’s blessing.
• Ho-Oh invited Yan Yang to ride on His back and speak privately above the sea of clouds.
• Ho-Oh asked whether Yan Yang knew the Creator God and explained that powerful Legendary Pokémon could recognize the faint aura he carried from another world.

Yan Yang agreed to help Ho-Oh if a world-threatening calamity arose, then reunited with Lycanroc and learned she had grown stronger after visiting the spirit world. Meanwhile, Banette returned to the dump with Gengar and Mismagius, thinking about Lycanroc and promising to spend more time with his friends.

• Ho-Oh asked Yan Yang to aid her if a calamity threatened the world, and Yan Yang solemnly agreed as the Brave of the Rainbow.
• Yan Yang praised Entei, Suicune, and Raikou to Ho-Oh and shared stories about them.
• Lycanroc returned, embraced Yan Yang, and showed him that she had gained three levels and learned a powerful Shadow Ball.
• Marshadow explained that Lycanroc had grown stronger in the spirit world, where she had met a Banette who helped her train.
• Banette returned to the dump and remembered Lycanroc, while Gengar and Mismagius complained that he had neglected them.
• Banette promised Gengar and Mismagius that he would play with them more, and the three renewed their friendship.

Ho-Oh blessed Yan Yang and his Pokémon, restoring Armorouge’s severed arm and granting them new strength and other changes. After Raikou and Suicune left, Yan Yang questioned Marshadow about an illusion involving Substitute Entei, while the hidden Entei remained relieved that Yan Yang had not uncovered the truth.

• Ho-Oh showered Yan Yang and his Pokémon with Holy Ash, restoring Armorouge’s severed arm and granting a longer lifespan, a chance to reverse death, and an unexplained blessing.
• Yan Yang and the Pokémon tested their changes, finding that their levels and constitutions had improved and that Silvally had learned Water Pledge and Fire Pledge.
• Houndoom’s Happiness Powder returned to him, carrying strands of Entei’s mane, and Raikou and Suicune left after giving Yan Yang gifts.
• Yan Yang asked Marshadow whether the illusion’s events were real, then worried that Substitute Entei had left because he felt abandoned.
• Entei secretly watched Yan Yang and felt relieved that he had not discovered more about Substitute Entei.

Yan Yang confronted Entei about Substitute after piecing together clues that he had died in the Aether Foundation base explosion. Though Yan Yang told Entei he would move on and protect their relationship, he privately clung to the hope that Substitute might still exist.

• Entei hid his guilt as Yan Yang asked whether Substitute was all right, then agreed to look at the stars with him.
• Yan Yang asked Entei about losing loved ones, and Entei described his brothers’ deaths and his rebirth.
• Yan Yang asked whether Substitute had disappeared in the Aether Foundation explosion, and Entei’s shocked reaction confirmed his suspicions.
• Yan Yang told Entei he would not blame him and wanted to turn the page, leaving Entei worried about his calm response.
• Yan Yang privately struggled with despair but chose to believe Substitute might not be gone, while Entei resolved not to hide the truth from him again.

Yan Yang returned home as the newly recognized Brave of the Rainbow and prepared to meet Wang Yan, while also helping the wandering Pokémon around his courtyard. He left Houndoom and Silvally behind to guard the house as Cosmog teleported him and his companions away.

• Yan Yang returned with his companions to find wandering Pokémon gathered in his courtyard, and he welcomed them and let them eat.
• Wang Yan called Yan Yang after learning he had become the Brave of the Rainbow and invited him to the League; Yan Yang agreed to meet him.
• Yan Yang gave Nidorino a high-quality Moon Stone and advised him to train before using it to evolve.
• Yan Yang decided to travel to Wang Yan with his companions, leaving Houndoom and Silvally behind to guard the house.
• Cosmog woke up and teleported Yan Yang and the others away, while Silvally quietly replayed Yan Yang's song and Houndoom overheard it.

Yan Yang met League officials who wanted to learn Ho-Oh’s attitude toward humanity and whether it might return to Johto. After sharing Ho-Oh’s wish to see humans and Pokémon deepen their relationship, he asked to speak privately with Wang Yan, while Chen Mo stayed behind.

• Wang Yan welcomed Yan Yang to League headquarters, where officials and two elders gathered to meet the Brave of the Rainbow.
• Yan Yang showed the group his Rainbow Feather and Rainbow Rock crown, prompting excitement and renewed hopes of reconnecting with Ho-Oh.
• Yan Yang explained that Ho-Oh wanted to observe humans and Pokémon and hoped they would build a deeper relationship, so the League would need to show genuine sincerity.
• Li Xin demanded that Yan Yang explain what Johto needed and what he should do, but Wang Yan rebuked him and insisted the League needed sincerity rather than orders.
• Yan Yang said he would share his ideas with Wang Yan alone, and Li Xin left with his faction after warning Wang Yan not to keep the truth from them.
• After the other officials departed, Wang Yan tried to send Chen Mo away, but Chen Mo stayed, citing his status as the League’s nominal Chairman.

Yan Yang shared his ideas for improving the League with Wang Yan, who praised his insight and assured him that Yan Yang’s Pokémon would not be targeted again. Before leaving, Yan Yang asked Wang Yan to watch for signs of another Entei in Johto.

• Wang Yan asked Yan Yang how he had become the Brave of the Rainbow, and Yan Yang described the hardships of his own trials while privately recalling how easy his experiences had been.
• Yan Yang suggested improving Pokémon education, shelters for strays, research support, and regulated battle platforms, impressing Wang Yan and the others with his practical ideas.
• Wang Yan assured Yan Yang that he had warned others not to target Yan Yang’s Pokémon, and Yan Yang went to play with Mamoswine.
• Yan Yang released Gengar, which noticed Lycanroc’s unusual aura and suspected it had been to the spirit world.
• Wang Yan introduced Yan Yang to League members, and Yan Yang asked him to watch for traces of another Entei in Johto.

Yan Yang decided not to hire a human nanny and instead planned to have Nidorino and a wandering Pokémon help manage the household. He learned that the wandering Pokémon was an Audino who resisted becoming a nanny, and her past remained unclear.

• Yan Yang returned home and found Houndoom and Silvally listening to a recording of him singing, then reluctantly let the Pokémon hear the song.
• Pyroar tried to sing along, but his terrible howling earned him a chop from Armorouge.
• Yan Yang decided against hiring a nanny and chose to train Nidorino as the household steward.
• Nidorino agreed to help, but Audino seemed reluctant to take on nanny duties and appeared to have an undisclosed past.

Yan Yang learned why Audino rejected being called a nanny and offered it a place in his home under the title Miss. Audino joined his household, though its expectations for the job differed greatly from Yan Yang’s.

• Nidorino encouraged Audino to accept Yan Yang’s offer, and Audino told Yan Yang that its former owner had exploited it and touched it against its wishes.
• Audino explained that it escaped by making its former owner do more housework, and said it disliked being called a nanny because the name reminded it of him.
• Yan Yang offered to call Audino Miss, and Audino agreed to enter his house.
• Yan Yang introduced Audino to the household Pokémon, where Silvally knocked it away and Lycanroc demanded that it return Cosmog.
• Yan Yang described the work he expected Audino to do, and Audino exclaimed that the workload was so small it barely counted as being a Miss.

Yan Yang settled Nidorino into the role of garden steward and checked in with his Pokémon about their training, abilities, and bond. He ended the conversation reassured that his companions were doing well, while the conditions for Entei’s bond state remained uncertain.

• Nidorino declined to enter Yan Yang’s house, so Yan Yang made him the garden steward while Audino managed indoor chores.
• Lycanroc showed off her Ghost-type energy control by turning translucent, then struck Pyroar with a Shadow Claw that had no effect on the Normal-type lion.
• Yan Yang discussed Cosmog’s and Armorouge’s inability to evolve, considered preparing a Mega Evolution stone for Houndoom, and heard about Silvally’s progress with Pledge Move effects.
• Yan Yang reassured Entei about their private matter and discussed how their bond state had not returned since the battle with Ho-Oh.
• Audino finished cleaning the house, and Yan Yang’s companions ended their gathering feeling better.

A year passed as Yan Yang’s household settled into a routine, his Pokémon trained, and reforms improved life for stray Pokémon and Trainers in Johto. With a Trainer school set to open in a week, Yan Yang prepared to attend, unaware that he had been assigned to its advanced class.

• Audino kept the estate spotless, helped by Armorouge, while Nidorino continued to oversee the outdoors without evolving.
• The stray Pokémon grew stronger over the year, and Yan Yang’s Pokémon also gained levels, with Houndoom making surprisingly rapid progress that it connected to the feather on its back.
• Yan Yang saw that his proposed Love Shelter had been established and was helping stray Pokémon find safety.
• More city battle events appeared as Wang Yan’s reforms took hold, though age restrictions kept Yan Yang from competing.
• Yan Yang learned that Trainer school would begin in a week and looked forward to attending with his Pokémon, while the three starters were due to arrive the next day.