Chapter Summaries

Lu Li discovered the corpse of a God-level Baxcalibur and its Pokémon Egg, but left the body in the cave because he could not safely take or process it. After returning to camp and resuming his exploration, he encountered Yu Zhonggang near a group of Onix and asked what he was doing there.

• Lu Li found a Baxcalibur that had been dead for roughly eighty thousand years and realized its Pokémon Egg was nearby.
• Lu Li briefly stored Baxcalibur's valuable corpse, then returned it to the cave because he could not handle it and feared the consequences of removing it.
• Lu Li left the Ice World, returned to camp, and began studying how to Pokémon-ize Formations alongside his cultivation.
• The next morning, Lu Li followed a divination to a mountain range and found several Elite-level Onix fighting.
• Yu Zhonggang called out to Lu Li, then noticed Tropius's Grass Seed and advised Lu Li to have Tropius practice Grassy Terrain.

Yu Zhonggang brought Lu Li to an Onix competition ground, where a Jin Family elder provoked him into battling Jin Longyu. Lu Li’s Elite-level Milotic easily defeated Jin Longyu’s Lairon, and Yu Zhonggang learned that Jin Longyu had begun training Pokémon at thirteen.

• Yu Zhonggang explained that trainers competed for Onix and their Eggs at the abandoned quarry.
• A Jin Family elder introduced his grandson Jin Longyu and challenged Lu Li to a battle, which Yu Zhonggang encouraged him to accept.
• Jin Longyu sent out his Experienced-level Lairon, and Lu Li recognized signs of premature training and a weak bond.
• Lu Li released his Elite-level Milotic, stunning the onlookers with its strength and bond with him.
• Lairon ignored Jin Longyu’s commands to fawn over Milotic, which defeated it with one Dragon Tail.
• Yu Zhonggang asked when Jin Longyu had begun training Pokémon, and the Jin Family elder answered that it was at thirteen.

After Lu Li defeated Jin Longyu, Jin Longyu’s grandfather became fascinated by Lu Li’s bond with Milotic, while Yu Zhonggang explained the family feud behind the challenge. Yu Zhonggang urged Lu Li to win the city tournament for access to the Qingyun Official Treasury, then tried to persuade him to raise a Steel-type Pokémon.

• Jin Longyu’s grandfather questioned Lu Li about when he had begun raising Milotic and wondered whether companionship had helped her grow.
• Yu Zhonggang asked Jin Longyu whether Pokémon were truly companions and family, then left with Lu Li without acknowledging Jin Longyu or his grandfather.
• Yu Zhonggang explained that his second uncle had wanted Yu Lili to marry Jin Longyu and praised Lu Li for discouraging the Jin Family’s ambitions.
• Yu Zhonggang told Lu Li to take first place in Qingyun City’s College Entrance Exam Tournament to gain access to the Qingyun Official Treasury and Ling Kong’s Breeding Notes.
• Lu Li asked about Psychic-type Pokémon Eggs in the Qingyun Secret Realm but lost interest when Yu Zhonggang named Slowpoke, Exeggutor, and Girafarig.
• Yu Zhonggang argued that Steel-type was the strongest type because it had eleven resistances, leaving Lu Li speechless.

After passing the Onix’s test, Lu Li received permission to choose an Onix Pokémon Egg and discovered one with extraordinary fortune. He chose it and returned to his camp, leaving Jin Longyu convinced he had made a foolish choice.

• An Onix announced that Lu Li had passed the test and could take an Onix Pokémon Egg, surprising Yu Zhonggang.
• Yu Zhonggang led Lu Li to a grotto filled with Onix Pokémon Eggs and advised him to choose one from a high spot.
• Lu Li used his Spirit Vision Eye and spotted a Pokémon Egg with purple fortune lying on the ground.
• Despite Yu Zhonggang’s warning, Lu Li chose the egg and told him to trust his judgment as an Intermediate Breeder.
• Jin Longyu and Grandson mocked Lu Li’s choice, while Lu Li declined to socialize and returned to his camp at the Snow Mountain.

Lu Li left the Qingyun Secret Realm, spent several million on supplies, and trained with Wei and Baobao as the College Entrance Exam Tournament approached. After Machop defeated Onix, Baobao’s extraordinary progress with Ralts revealed that she had an even greater training advantage than Lu Li had realized.

• Lu Li used divination to find a Fearow, defeated it, and took its Sharp Beak, prompting the Fearow to decide to seek a human trainer.
• Lu Li left the Qingyun Secret Realm with Yu Zhonggang, then spent several million on supplies, Energy Blocks, Berry orders, and crafting materials.
• Lu Li joined Wei’s training to improve his combat command and prepare Tropius and Charmander for the upcoming College Entrance Exam Tournament.
• Machop defeated Onix, and Baobao comforted Onix while Lu Li reassured it that it had fought well.
• Wei and Baobao credited Lu Li’s pills for Machop’s strength, while Baobao explained that her Ralts and Psychic Ability were advancing rapidly through their shared Telepathy and other advantages.

Lu Li discussed the upcoming College Entrance Exam Tournament and his companions’ growth, then inspected the Orchard and considered ways to protect its trees from pests. Tropius asked about learning Hidden Power to burn bugs, and Lu Li’s thoughts turned to Unown and formations.

• Lu Li and Wei discussed Charmander’s strength, the upcoming exams, and resolving Wei and Baobao’s identity issues through Lu Li’s future connections.
• Lu Li urged Wei to keep Baobao taking Elixirs while studying books to help her control her rapidly growing Psychic Ability.
• Lu Li visited the Orchard with Tropius and Milotic, praised the growing trees, and planned ways to manage pests while helping Onix learn Soil Nourishment Art and Earth Tremor Art.
• Tropius asked whether it could learn Hidden Power: Fire to burn bugs, but Lu Li told it to rely on Charmander’s precise Fire Control instead.
• Lu Li looked at the Sandscale Fruit Tree and began thinking about Unown and formations.

Lu Li searched for clues about Unown and the World Rules, then worked to refine Pokémon-enhancing pills. After eighteen attempts, he successfully made Complexion Pills that greatly increased Milotic’s Beauty Value, leaving him exhausted but ready to use them in Beauty Spirit Pill 2.0.

• Lu Li considered Unown’s possible connection to Formations and the World Rules, and decided to search for them once he grew stronger.
• Tropius told Lu Li that the Green Jadeites had matured, prompting him to try refining Beauty Spirit Pill 2.0.
• Lu Li refined six Youth Preservation Pills and twelve partially successful Complexion Pills, which he planned to dilute and send to Yu Lili for her Feebas.
• After repeated attempts, Lu Li successfully refined Complexion Pills that could indefinitely increase a Pokémon’s Beauty Value.
• Lu Li gave Milotic a Complexion Pill, and Milotic confirmed that its Beauty Value had increased substantially.
• Exhausted from using the last of his energy, Lu Li stopped refining and planned to combine the Complexion Pills with his other ingredients for Beauty Spirit Pill 2.0.

Lu Li refined Beauty Spirit Pill 2.0 and prepared to sell the resulting potion, then traveled to Qingyun City with Charmander for the College Entrance Exam Tournament. After delivering a Speed Potion to Qingyun Gym, he checked the tournament app and found a post in its candidate community.

• Lu Li refined thirty Beauty Spirit Pill 2.0s and made six vials of Beauty Potion for Yu Lili's Feebas.
• Lu Li called Jin Fengjiao, who arranged for Bisharp to collect the potion and bring Speed Activation Potion materials.
• Over the following week, Lu Li kept half the Speed Activation Potion materials and gave his team enough pills for each Pokémon to take three.
• Lu Li rode Bisharp to Qingyun City with Charmander, leaving Tropius and Milotic in charge of the Orchard.
• Lu Li delivered the Speed Potion to Qingyun Gym, settled into an inn, and opened the tournament app, where he saw a post in the candidate community.

Lu Li researched Qingyun City's seeded contestants and learned that his first College Entrance Exam opponent was Ma Li, a student from Qingyun City's No. 3 High School. After Yu Lili warned him that Ma Li had strong battle talent, Lu Li remained confident about their upcoming match.

• Lu Li read a forum post ranking Qingyun City's seeded contestants and paid 30 League Credits to learn that Jin Guilin's starter Pokémon was Aron and that people knew about Lu Li's Milotic.
• Lu Li checked his schedule and saw that he would face Ma Li of Qingyun City's No. 3 High School in his first match.
• Ma Li complained to his father about facing Lu Li, but his father told him to focus on the competition and prepare to follow the family's career plans if he failed.
• Lu Li answered Yu Lili's call, and she identified Ma Li as a former bully with strong battle talent and urged Lu Li to be careful.

Lu Li entered the College Entrance Exam Tournament and faced Ma Li, whose evolved Combusken seemed to have the advantage over Charmander. Lu Li’s Charmander revealed its precise flame control and strength, leaving Combusken hurt and Ma Li stunned.

• Yu Lili told Lu Li that his Beauty Potion had greatly improved Feebas’s Beauty and that Feebas might evolve in half a year, then said she would soon enter a Secret Realm with her teacher.
• Lu Li arrived at Qingyun City’s Pokémon Center the next morning and entered the arena for his tournament match against Ma Li.
• Ma Li sent out Combusken, and Lu Li chose Charmander, prompting Ma Li to accuse him of arrogance.
• Charmander’s Flamethrower curved around Combusken and hit it despite its attempt to dodge, reducing its health to two-thirds.
• When Combusken charged in for close combat, Charmander’s Scratch sent it flying backward, and Lu Li advised Ma Li to find a professional Breeder to raise his Pokémon.

Lu Li defeated Ma Li’s Combusken with Charmander and was summoned by Yu Zhonggang afterward. Yu introduced him to Liu Li, who invited him to visit her Pokémon Ecological Garden, though Lu Li had no intention of boarding his Pokémon there.

• Lu Li ordered Charmander to press its advantage and defeat Ma Li’s Combusken, winning his first tournament match.
• Jin Huang celebrated Lu Li’s victory with other spectators and bragged that Lu Li’s Tropius was even stronger than Charmander.
• Bronzong brought Lu Li to a private room at Yu Zhonggang’s request.
• Yu Zhonggang introduced Lu Li to Liu Li, a Senior Breeder and his private breeder.
• Liu Li invited Lu Li to visit her Pokémon Ecological Garden and offered to board his Pokémon, while Lu Li politely declined to commit.

Lu Li learned that Yu Zhonggang wanted him to persuade Yu Lili to accept his relationship with Liu Li, then met Lian Sheyi, who had been specially recruited to the League Investigator Academy. Lian Sheyi gave Lu Li a thank-you gift before leaving Qingyun City, and said his Muk had hatched and passed the Newborn stage.

• Yu Zhonggang told Lu Li about his past relationship with Liu Li and asked him to help persuade Yu Lili to accept her.
• Liu Li invited Lu Li to visit her Ecological Park the next day to receive a gift.
• Lu Li praised Charmander for its battle and heard it boast that it would win the College Entrance Exam Tournament.
• Lian Sheyi told Lu Li that he was leaving Qingyun City after being specially recruited to the League Investigator Academy for his work undercover in a Pyramid Scheme Organization.
• Lian Sheyi gave Lu Li a gift to thank him for his past help, then said his Muk had hatched and passed the Newborn stage.

Lian Sheyi gave Lu Li a Qimi Fruit seed before leaving Qingyun City for a year of closed training and an undercover mission. The next day, Lu Li visited Liu Li’s Breeding House and Ecological Park, where he saw one of Gym Leader Yu’s Pokémon.

• Lian Sheyi told Lu Li that his Pokémon had Elite-level aptitude and might reach Gym Leader-level after evolving, then gave him a Qimi Fruit seed.
• Lian Sheyi’s teacher warned that trusting Lu Li could make him a weakness during his upcoming undercover mission, but Lian Sheyi said he trusted his friend.
• Lian Sheyi learned that his teacher had come to investigate Gym Leader Yu, whose public reputation hid misconduct.
• Lu Li decided to visit Liu Li’s Ecological Park and later plant the Qimi Fruit seed at Home.
• Liu Si escorted Lu Li through the Ecological Park and explained that Gym Leader Yu kept three members of his Second Echelon and all of his Third Echelon there.

Liu Li gave Lu Li a Chimchar Egg and her Breeding Notes, then showed him the hidden Starter Pokémon breeding operation in her Ecological Park. She also sought his opinion about becoming Yu Zhonggang’s second wife, leaving Lu Li reluctantly caught between the Yu family’s domestic affairs.

• Lu Li visited Liu Li’s villa, ate breakfast with her and Liu Si, and noticed her Bisharp Breeding Plan documents.
• Liu Li showed Lu Li her Incubation Room and revealed that she and Yu Zhonggang had secretly bred Starter Pokémon for ten years.
• Liu Li gave Lu Li her Breeding Notes and let him choose an Egg; Lu Li selected a Chimchar Egg for Wei.
• Liu Li warned Lu Li to keep the breeding operation confidential and offered to show him the Ecological Park.
• After Liu Si left, Liu Li asked Lu Li whether she had a good chance of becoming Yu Zhonggang’s second wife, and Lu Li said Jin Fengjiao might agree if she learned of the Ecological Park.

Liu Li showed Lu Li the Yu Family’s Ecological Park and revealed that she managed a major Black Market owned by Yu Zhonggang. She explained how Gym Leaders controlled the Dark World, leaving Lu Li aware that his ties to the Yu Family also tied him to its hidden dealings.

• Liu Li drove Lu Li through the Ecological Park, showing him its Pokémon and costly Simulated Volcano Zone.
• Liu Li revealed that the park’s expenses were funded largely by protection fees and stall fees from a Black Market in Mulin City that she managed for Yu Zhonggang.
• Liu Li explained that local Gym Leaders often controlled Black Markets and that the League tolerated their activities as long as ordinary people were not involved.
• Liu Li recounted how she and Yu Zhonggang had entered the Dark World and warned Lu Li that the world was a delicate shade of gray.
• Lu Li connected Inspector Lian Sheyi’s visit to Yu Zhonggang and accepted that his gifts from the Yu Family tied his fortunes to theirs.
• Liu Li told Lu Li the Black Market earned nearly three billion in annual net profit and warned him to keep it secret from other Heavenly Kings.

Lu Li returned home, where Baobao showed that she had learned Teleport and could carry people to the Orchard. He gave Wei a Chimchar Egg, then planted rare Qimi Fruit seeds with Tropius and Milotic as Tropius continued to sense the Way of Life.

• Liu Li explained why Yu Zhonggang ran the Linmu Black Market, and Lu Li learned that the Inspector sent to Qingyun City had already been sent away.
• Lu Li borrowed a Bisharp from Liu Li's Ecological Park and rode home, where Baobao greeted him with Teleport.
• Baobao told Lu Li that Xiao Ai had taught her Teleport, and Wei confirmed that Baobao could teleport people with her.
• Lu Li gave Wei a Chimchar Egg and then let Baobao teleport him to the Orchard.
• Lu Li planted Qimi Fruit seeds with Tropius and Milotic, and Tropius reflected on the life she perceived in the growing sprouts.

Lu Li returned to Qingyun City and prepared to face Marko, whose Quaxly had a type advantage over Charmander. As the match was about to begin, Lu Li remained unaware that Yu Zhonggang and Jin Fengjiao hoped his encounter with Ekaterina might benefit their family.

• Lu Li returned to Qingyun City after lunch and anticipated his match against Marko the next morning.
• Marko believed his Quaxly’s Water-type advantage would secure victory, while Ekaterina warned him not to underestimate Lu Li’s well-bred Charmander.
• Yu Zhonggang learned that Ekaterina, a princess from a European Champion Family, was visiting Qingyun City, and Jin Fengjiao proposed letting Lu Li meet her in hopes of gaining powerful Pokémon.
• Lu Li trained through the night and went to the Pokémon Center the next morning for the match.
• After registering and waiting, Lu Li was called to Arena No. 7 to begin his match.

Lu Li's Charmander defeated Marko's Quaxly's concealment strategy and overwhelmed it with Growl before using an unusually mobile Fire Spin. Ekaterina suspected Lu Li had a rare scouting ability and decided to approach him after the match.

• Marko sent out Quaxly and tried to use Bulk Up behind steam created by its Water Gun colliding with Charmander's Flamethrower.
• Lu Li used Divine Sense to locate Quaxly, and Charmander hit it with Scratch before repeatedly lowering its Attack with Growl.
• Ekaterina wondered whether Lu Li had Aura, Psychic Ability, or a rarer Special Ability after Jynx sensed something that was neither Aura nor Psychic Ability.
• When the steam began clearing, Marko ordered Quaxly to use Water Gun, but Lu Li's Charmander used a Fire Spin that followed Quaxly as it tried to escape.
• The audience and Ekaterina were astonished by Charmander's Fire Control Ability, and Ekaterina resolved to approach Lu Li after the match.

Lu Li defeated Marko and met Ekaterina, a powerful visitor from the European League who insisted he accompany her if he had no match the next day. Ekaterina learned that Lu Li possessed an unusual kind of Psychic Power, then reprimanded Marko for interfering in her affairs.

• Lu Li defeated Marko, and the referee declared him the winner.
• Ekaterina introduced herself to Lu Li in his lounge and said she wanted to meet him.
• Ekaterina insisted Lu Li guide her around Qingyun City the next day if he had no match, and he reluctantly agreed.
• Jynx told Ekaterina that Lu Li's Psychic Power was an unfamiliar Special Ability.
• Ekaterina warned Marko not to interfere in her affairs and ordered him to address her as Miss or My Lady.

Jin Fengjiao insisted on pursuing a risky opportunity for Li Li despite Yu Zhonggang’s concerns, while Lu Li corrected Charmander’s arrogance and cultivated overnight. The next morning, Ekaterina took Lu Li to Linmu City and hinted that he knew what lay beneath its surface.

• Jin Fengjiao assured Yu Zhonggang that she would take responsibility for the scheme involving Ekaterina, and he reluctantly agreed to go along with her.
• Lu Li scolded Charmander for boasting about its battle and warned it not to reveal its strongest moves too early.
• Lu Li cultivated overnight and received a call from Ekaterina the next morning.
• Ekaterina picked Lu Li up and told him they were going to Linmu City.
• Lu Li recognized Linmu City as the home of the Southern Region’s seventh-ranked Black Market, and Ekaterina asked whether he understood what lay beneath the city.