Chapter Summaries

Lu Li met Ekaterina’s powerful Pokémon team, agreed to let Eike bring the Wildfire Gang to Jinji Village for work, and traveled with Ekaterina to the Deep Qingyun Mountains. They reached a dangerous wilderness Market to seek information about the Secret Realm, where representatives of the Crimson Flame Guild and the Jin Family stepped forward to negotiate.

• Ekaterina showed Lu Li her six Gym Leader-level Pokémon, including her powerful Baxcalibur, and Lu Li felt reassured about their trip to the Secret Realm.
• Over dinner, Lu Li agreed to hire four members of the Wildfire Gang for the ranch and promised the group priority for future jobs.
• Ekaterina prepared ingredients for the trip, and she and Lu Li rode Dragonite toward the Deep Qingyun Mountains the next morning.
• At a temporary Market near the Secret Realm, Ekaterina displayed her strength and warned Lu Li to stay close because the people there were dangerous.
• A Vice President of the Crimson Flame Guild and Jin Qiaoqiao of the Jin Family both claimed to have extensive knowledge of the Secret Realm.

Ekaterina and Lu Li entered the Qingyun Mountains Secret Realm to search for icy habitats that might suit a Baxcalibur. After Ekaterina mapped several promising sites, Lu Li offered to use his knowledge to locate hidden Ice Stone Mine Veins.

• Ekaterina bought the Crimson Flame Guild’s map of Ice-type Pokémon habitats for six hundred thousand.
• Ekaterina and Lu Li entered the Qingyun Mountains Secret Realm, where they found it was night and set up camp.
• Ekaterina used the map and her knowledge of Ice-type habitats to mark six unexplored icy sites.
• Ekaterina explained that Baxcalibur might live in underground icy terrain near an Ice Stone Mine Vein.
• Lu Li claimed he could find such a vein and identified more than a dozen possible locations on the map.

Lu Li and Ekaterina identified three likely Ice Stone Mine Vein locations and spent the evening battling in a Pokémon simulator before an embarrassing backpack mix-up. Later, Lu Li tried to match Tropius with the Secret Realm’s Overlord Serperior, but Tropius refused romance.

• Lu Li marked possible Mine Vein locations and identified three spots where Ice Stone Mine Veins might appear, which Ekaterina agreed to investigate the next day.
• Ekaterina introduced Lu Li to Pokémon Battle Simulator and repeatedly defeated him with her expertise.
• Lu Li accidentally opened Ekaterina’s personal backpack, saw her clothing, and was warned to keep the discovery secret.
• Lu Li cooked dinner, then teased Tropius about courting Serperior and argued with Charmander over his devotion to Milotic.
• Tropius firmly rejected romance, and Lu Li accepted that Serperior might not be interested in him anyway.

Lu Li and Ekaterina searched an Abyss for an Ice Stone Mine Vein, found one, and continued toward their next marked location while Leng Qianqiu entered the Secret Realm to pursue the same Pokémon Egg. The chapter left Lu Li and Ekaterina heading to Point B, unaware that Leng Qianqiu was following a mistaken lead.

• Lu Li and Ekaterina flew to Point A, an Abyss, where Jynx caught and killed a Drapion that had tried to ambush them.
• Lu Li collected three stalks of Youhan Grass, which he planned to use as material for refining Magic Treasures.
• Ekaterina's Jynx found a cave, and Baxcalibur dug up Ice Stone Raw Ore from a Mine Vein sixty meters underground.
• Ekaterina gave Lu Li the Ice Stone Raw Ore, and the two left for Point B to continue searching for the Pokémon Egg.
• Leng Qianqiu learned from the Bald Man that Ekaterina had entered the Secret Realm, took her map, and rode Bisharp inside to search for the egg.

Ekaterina sent Lu Li home from the snow mountains so he could prepare for his College Entrance Exam, then continued the search alone. Back home, Lu Li agreed to take Eike and the Wildfire Gang under his protection, but learned that none of the gang’s young Trainers had ever returned from their travels.

• Ekaterina and Lu Li found no Ice Stone Mine Vein at the second location, and Dragonite said he could not carry them across the freezing snow mountains.
• Ekaterina sent Lu Li out of the Secret Realm, accompanied him through the Market, and wished him luck before riding Dragonite away.
• Lu Li spent the night in the Underground Alchemy Room, then met Wei and Eike when he emerged the next day.
• Lu Li offered Eike work for capable members of the Wildfire Gang and a chance for them to become Trainers in exchange for loyalty, and Eike accepted.
• Lu Li learned that four gang members were nearly sixteen and that the gang’s other Trainers had left to travel without returning.
• Lu Li questioned whether the missing young Trainers had met with accidents or abandoned the Wildfire Gang, while Eike said he preferred to believe they had simply cut ties.

Lu Li recruited Eike as a trusted subordinate, promising powerful resources and a Dark-type Pokémon Egg while arranging housing for Eike and his siblings. After Eike left, Lu Li discovered the Quick Feather crafting formula in Ling Kong’s Breeding Notes.

• Lu Li explained to Wei and Eike why the League allowed dangerous training journeys, and Eike admitted he would have traveled if he had not needed to care for his siblings.
• Eike agreed to serve Lu Li and accept a lethal Curse Seal if he betrayed him, so Lu Li made him a trusted confidant.
• Lu Li promised Eike high-quality Energy Blocks, a monthly salary, and a Pokémon Egg for his Dark-type team; Eike chose Houndour or Sandile after learning he could not obtain Greninja.
• Lu Li arranged for Jinji Village to be rebuilt as employee housing and told Eike to keep the children away from the wilderness.
• After Eike left, Lu Li found the Quick Feather crafting formula in Flying Elite Four Ling Kong’s Breeding Notes.

Onix mastered the special version of plow, tilling a large field and activating Soil Nourishment Art. Lu Li promised Onix an upgrade and put it to work preparing fields for Wangwang Grain, while Eike and his workers began sowing at the Farm.

• Baobao told Lu Li that Onix had mastered Special Tilling, and Lu Li went to inspect the plowed field.
• Lu Li confirmed that Onix's plow had activated Soil Nourishment Art, while Tropius urged Onix to practice so it could boost the Orchard's crops.
• Lu Li promised Onix steel for an upgrade, then asked it to practice plowing fields outside the Villa.
• Lu Li fetched Wangwang Grain seeds and told Eike to bring workers to the Farm.
• Lu Li explained the sowing rules to Eike, who joked about being whipped while working.

Lu Li started an experimental Wangwang Grain farm with Eike and his siblings, then arranged wages and provisions for them. As Eike watched a truck unload expensive Wangwang Grain flour, he struggled to believe how much their lives had changed.

• Lu Li used Onix's enhanced Rototiller to prepare six fields, then used Divine Sense to help Eike and the children sow Wangwang Grain seeds.
• Lu Li told Eike to manage watering and weeding, promised agricultural books, and set the younger children's monthly wages at 3,000.
• After Lu Li left, Eike reassured the younger children that they could build a future by following their new boss rather than traveling.
• Lu Li returned to his villa and began designing a Magic Treasure-grade Smelting Furnace in the basement.
• A delivery truck brought provisions to Eike, who discovered that the weekly supplies included flour made from costly Wangwang Grain and watched Machoke unload them.

Ekaterina climbed a remote snow mountain in a Secret Realm and discovered a newly emerged Ice-type Deity surrounded by Calamity Aura. After finding its cave and a powerful Broken Sword, she left the Divine Item behind rather than risk the Deity’s pursuit.

• Ekaterina and Jynx spotted a Froslass as an Avalanche swept down the mountain, and Baxcalibur dug a tunnel to protect them.
• After the Avalanche passed, Ekaterina saw a snow-leopard-like Pokémon playing in it and recognized it as an Ice-type Deity with Calamity Aura.
• Ekaterina and Jynx flew Dragonite to the summit and suspected the Secret Realm was a prison that had once sealed the Deity.
• Inside the Deity’s cave, Jynx found a Broken Sword whose dense Dark-type and Ice-type Origin could help her reach Elite Four-level.
• Ekaterina ordered Jynx to return the Broken Sword because they could not escape the Deity’s pursuit if they took it.

Ekaterina left the Snow Mountain with a valuable discovery and sent Lu Li the Zhi Li Fruit seeds she had promised. Lu Li completed a Magic Tool-grade Smelting Furnace, but still needed to find magma, and hurried to Qingyun City after nearly missing the Regional Tournament.

• Ekaterina left the Snow Mountain after deciding to return for the Broken Sword once her team became Champions, and planned to report the newly discovered Tier 3 Evil God to her family.
• Lu Li finished designing a Magic Tool-grade Smelting Furnace and received Zhi Li Fruit seeds from Bisharp on Ekaterina's behalf.
• Lu Li concluded that Qingyun City's Secret Realm and the distant volcanoes were impractical sources of magma, so he planned to find a volcano near Kyushu University.
• Lu Li spent more than a day refining the Smelting Furnace, then recalled Charmander and Milotic and rushed toward Qingyun City on an Elite-level Bisharp after Wei reminded him about the Regional Tournament.

Lu Li faced Long Lingling in the Southern Division and sent out his mid-stage Normal-level Charmander, surprising her despite her claims that he had been sponsored. Their battle continued with Charmander enduring Swablu’s attacks, while Long Lingling questioned his exceptional stamina and speed.

• Lu Li arrived at the Nandu Pokémon Center and headed to Arena Seven for his match.
• Long Lingling dismissed Lu Li as a commoner before he revealed Charmander’s mid-stage Normal strength.
• Long Lingling sent out Swablu and ordered it to use Charm Voice, which Charmander endured.
• Lu Li ordered Charmander to attack with Flame Claw and then Flamethrower, but Swablu took to the air and avoided the attack.
• Swablu struck Charmander with Dazzling Gleam, and Long Lingling was surprised that Charmander remained standing.

Lu Li and Charmander defeated Long Lingling and her Swablu in the Regional Tournament, then Lu Li considered his next battles and Milotic’s fading progress. Reporters questioned him about his background, Charmander, and possible sponsorship, and he denied any ties to individual factions.

• Lu Li used Flame Moon Step and Flame Claw to strike down Long Lingling’s Swablu, forcing Long Lingling to surrender.
• Lu Li returned to the lounge, where Charmander sought Milotic’s praise and Milotic told Lu Li that her Beauty level improvement from the Elixir had weakened.
• Lu Li considered researching Beauty Spirit Pill 3.0 and weighed his many other projects and tournament battles.
• Two reporters stopped Lu Li outside the Pokémon Center and asked about his grassroots background and how he raised Charmander.
• Lu Li explained that Charmander’s breeding resources and hard work had helped it, and he said he had received a Pokémon Egg without knowing it was Shiny.
• Lu Li denied accepting sponsorship from an individual faction and said he had only accepted support from the League.

Lu Li was ambushed in his hotel room by a Ghost-type Pokémon and chased its Trainer, the taxi driver who had observed him earlier. After discovering the man was likely an assassin targeting young Trainers, Lu Li cornered him in Nan Du City and began a battle that was still underway when Milotic repeatedly stunned the man's Pokémon.

• Lu Li left the interview, returned to his hotel, and cultivated after releasing Charmander and Milotic.
• An Elite-level Gastly attacked Lu Li while he meditated, but Milotic blasted it through the window with Hydro Pump.
• Lu Li pursued Gastly on Tropius and recognized its Trainer as the taxi driver from earlier that day.
• The driver fled in a taxi, but Tropius smashed the vehicle; Lu Li then pursued him through the city despite the driver's Smog and Pokémon counterattacks.
• Lu Li summoned Milotic, whose Allure Voice repeatedly incapacitated the driver's Sableye, Gastly, and Lampent as the battle continued.

Lu Li killed an assassin who attacked him and went with a League Security Officer to the police station, where officials identified the dead man and cleared Lu Li of criminal liability. Qu Zhengyi then told him that, as a target of another League, he could apply for free Gym Leader-level protection in the Kyushu Region until he entered university.

• Lu Li killed the middle-aged attacker while Tropius and Milotic fought off the man's Ghost Pokémon, then helped the arriving Security Officer subdue them.
• The Security Officer took Lu Li to the police station, where Lu Li confirmed that he had killed the attacker and signed his statement after reviewing it.
• The officers identified the deceased as Hiroshima Feiyuan, an electronics engineer and suspected Zhemia Project spy who had targeted Lu Li for his talent.
• Qu Zhengyi revealed that she was related to the Fairy Elite Four and invited Lu Li to marry into the Qu Family, but he refused.
• Qu Zhengyi told Lu Li that he could apply for free close protection from a Gym Leader-level Trainer until he entered university, a benefit exclusive to the Kyushu Region.

Lu Li sought a Gym Leader-level guardian and chose to review Flying-type candidates, hoping to find someone unlikely to uncover his secrets. He settled on Yao Yifei, a gifted but unconventional Coordinator Trainer whose background tied her to the Qu Family’s political rival, the Yao Family.

• Lu Li rejected Psychic-, Ghost-, and Dragon-type guardians and asked Qu Zhengyi to show him Flying-type candidates.
• Qu Zhengyi brought Lu Li a tablet listing nearly a hundred Gym Leader-level Flying-type Trainers willing to serve as Guardians.
• Lu Li narrowed the list and noticed Yao Yifei, a twenty-six-year-old celebrity Coordinator Trainer with an unusual Pokémon roster and no Second Echelon.
• Qu Zhengyi and Lu Li questioned whether Yao Yifei truly qualified as a Flying-type Trainer, given her mixed team and stalled progress.
• The security officer revealed that Yao Yifei was a collateral descendant of the Yao Family and Gym Leader of Aoki Gym, linking her to the Qu Family’s political rival.

Lu Li applied to have Yao Yifei become his guardian, then heard Yu Lili had won a Mudkip Egg from the Milotic Secret Realm’s Champion-level Overlord. Yu Lili returned to the Shui Bo Gym and was formally accepted as the Gym Leader’s disciple, putting her on track to inherit the Gym.

• Lu Li applied to choose Yao Yifei as his guardian and named Wang Gang as a backup; Qu Zhengyi assured him the choice would not provoke the Qu Family.
• Lu Li moved to a hotel near the Security Office for safety, then won two easy Pokémon Center matches with Charmander.
• Yu Lili called Lu Li and revealed that she had earned a Mudkip Egg whose father was an Elite Four-level Swampert and whose mother was the Champion-level Overlord Drednaw of the Milotic Secret Realm.
• Yu Lili explained that she passed a trial arranged by the Overlord and received the Egg as her reward; Lu Li warned her to guard against anyone seeking it.
• The Shui Bo Gym Leader formally accepted Yu Lili as his disciple, and she identified the Shui Bo Secret Technique as the Gym’s signature technique.

Yu Lili learned that she needed to master Water Pulse and Surf before she could begin studying the Shui Bo Secret Technique. Lu Li met Yao Yifei to ask her to become his guardian, and she challenged him to prove his potential in battle.

• The Shui Bo Gym Leader told Yu Lili that Water Pulse and Surf were prerequisites for learning the Shui Bo Secret Technique.
• Qu Zhengyi told Lu Li that Yao Yifei had arrived in Nan Du City and wanted to meet him.
• Lu Li asked Yao Yifei to become his guardian, citing her attributes and his own strength as a Rookie Trainer.
• Yao Yifei revealed her Gym Leader-level Early Stage Espeon and mid Elite-level Vaporeon, then explained that she had chosen Pokémon out of love and wanted them protected after her death.
• Yao Yifei challenged Lu Li to prove his future, and Lu Li released Milotic to begin their battle.

Lu Li’s Milotic battled Yao Yifei’s Water Eevee, whose attraction to Milotic repeatedly disrupted the fight, and Yao Yifei ended the match by declaring Lu Li had passed her test. Yao Yifei agreed to become Lu Li’s guardian for two months, then revealed she was an Eevee Breeder connected to the Eevee Family.

• Yao Yifei praised Milotic’s beauty, but her Water Eevee became infatuated with it before the battle began.
• Lu Li and Yao Yifei ordered their Pokémon to trade attacks, and Milotic’s charm caused Water Eevee to crash into a wall and take heavy damage.
• Yao Yifei used Aqua Ring and Dig to help Water Eevee recover, while Lu Li used Charm Voice and Milotic’s charm to keep pressuring it.
• Water Eevee was charmed again after striking Milotic with Aurora Beam, allowing Milotic to hit it with Hydro Pump at close range.
• Yao Yifei recalled Water Eevee, declared that Lu Li had passed her test, and agreed to be his guardian for two months.
• At the Hanging Gardens Cafe, Yao Yifei said she was an Eevee Breeder, and Lu Li wondered how many Eevee she had raised.

After Yao Yifei warned Lu Li about the College Entrance Exam Tournament’s rewards, she prepared to protect him, while an enemy assassin abandoned his attempt on Lu Li after receiving orders to hunt a newly discovered Reserve Emissary of Ideals. The news reached Qu Suxin, who questioned how the reported candidate Raine related to Lu Li and whether Raine had awakened the Power of Ideals.

• Lu Li asked Yao Yifei about her Eevee, and she revealed she had raised eight, with her Sylveon the strongest at peak Gym Leader-level.
• Yao Yifei told Lu Li he had passed her test, said she would begin protecting him the day after tomorrow, and explained the tournament could earn him a Pseudo-Legendary.
• Nagasaki Douzhi learned Hiroshima Feiyuan’s assassination attempt on Lu Li had failed and that Lu Li now had a Gym Leader-level guardian.
• Nagasaki Douzhi reported the failure, then received orders to abandon Lu Li and kill a Reserve Emissary of Ideals in the western Kyushu Region.
• Qu Suxin learned the League had verified that a Reserve Emissary of Ideals named Raine had appeared, and she wondered whether he had awakened the Power of Ideals.

Lu Li advanced to the regional competition semifinals while Yao Yifei began protecting him and accompanied him home, where they met Ekaterina. The chapter ended with Lu Li showing Ekaterina news about Raine, the Reserve Emissary of Ideals.

• Qu Suxin told her Butler to protect Lu Li and dismissed the great families’ support of Raine as premature.
• Lu Li read the news about Raine, won two more matches, and advanced to the semifinals.
• Yao Yifei revealed that her Togekiss’s Super Luck Ability had brought her good fortune, then agreed to accompany Lu Li home on Togekiss.
• Lu Li and Yao Yifei met Ekaterina as she returned from the Deep Qingyun Mountains, and they went back to the Villa together.
• Yao Yifei learned that Baobao was an Elite-level Psychic Ability user, while Ekaterina said she had not found the Pokémon Egg she sought.
• Lu Li handed Ekaterina a tablet with news about Raine.