Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The battle between Xia Chen’s Volcarona and Gladion’s Lycanroc continues beneath a crimson, fire-filled sky.
• Despite Lycanroc’s fourfold Rock-type advantage against Volcarona, Xia Chen gains control of the battle through precise timing and the combination of Fire Spin and Heat Wave.
• Gladion orders Lycanroc to use Dig to escape the assault. Xia Chen takes advantage of the temporary opening to have Volcarona use Quiver Dance, boosting its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.
• As Lycanroc emerges, Gladion commands Rock Slide, timing it to strike just as Volcarona completes its Quiver Dance. The attack appears certain to hit and deal massive super-effective damage.
• Xia Chen counters with Bug Buzz, directing the sound waves upward. The attack shatters the falling boulders into dust, neutralizing Lycanroc’s carefully prepared assault.
• Volcarona’s altered position leaves its back seemingly exposed. Gladion believes he has found a rare opportunity and orders Accelerock, allowing Lycanroc to rapidly close the distance.
• Xia Chen responds with Flamethrower, apparently targeting the wrong direction. However, the flames ignite the dust created by Rock Slide, causing a massive dust explosion that catches Lycanroc off guard.
• The chapter ends with Xia Chen explaining that his command was deliberate, demonstrating how knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry can determine the outcome of a Pokémon battle.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen is portrayed as an exceptionally calm, analytical, and innovative Trainer. He continuously anticipates Gladion’s strategies and uses battlefield conditions, move interactions, and scientific principles to create unexpected counters.
• Gladion proves himself to be an experienced and highly capable opponent. He recognizes standard battle patterns, minimizes risks, and quickly identifies openings, but remains frustrated by Xia Chen’s ability to deny even small advantages.
• Lillie watches Xia Chen with admiration and near-idolatry. When Flamethrower initially appears to be a mistake, she briefly feels relief that her teacher is not infallible, but the ensuing explosion restores her awe.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over type advantage: Lycanroc’s overwhelming Rock-type advantage does not guarantee victory; superior tactics and timing allow Volcarona to remain dominant.
• Battlefield awareness: Dust, positioning, timing, and attack trajectories become as important as Pokémon moves themselves.
• Scientific knowledge as a weapon: Xia Chen applies principles of physics and chemistry—especially the explosive nature of fine dust suspended in the air—to transform an apparent mistake into a decisive tactic.
• The narrow margins between elite Trainers: The battle emphasizes that tiny command choices can determine the outcome at the highest level.
• Perception versus reality: What appears to be an error—Volcarona using Flamethrower while facing away—is revealed to be a carefully calculated trap.

Character Interactions

• Gladion and Xia Chen engage in a battle of prediction and counterprediction, with each trying to exploit the other’s choices.
• Gladion respects Xia Chen’s strength while becoming increasingly frustrated by his inability to secure a lasting advantage.
• Lillie’s emotional reaction highlights her deep admiration for Xia Chen and provides an outside perspective on his seemingly miraculous battle techniques.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gladion’s Lycanroc is caught in a dust explosion engineered by Xia Chen and Volcarona. Volcarona first uses Bug Buzz to pulverize an explosive energy-formed rock, lures Lycanroc into the dust cloud with an opening, and then ignites it with Flamethrower.
• Gladion realizes that Xia Chen calculated the entire sequence in advance and is deeply impressed by his tactical ability.
• Despite suffering severe injuries, Lycanroc refuses to retreat. Gladion allows it to continue fighting, respecting its stubborn, fearless nature.
• Lycanroc launches a final Accelerock, but Volcarona answers directly with Bug Buzz rather than using Protect. Lycanroc collapses after enduring the attack, though it falls still trying to strike Volcarona.
• Gladion recalls Lycanroc and sends out his second Pokémon: Silvally.
• Xia Chen immediately recognizes Silvally, despite theoretically having no reason to know about the rare artificial Pokémon. He reflects on Silvally’s origins, its connection to Arceus, and its role as a weaker, artificial imitation of the Legendary Pokémon.
• Gladion equips Silvally with a Rock-type Memory Disc, activating its AR System and giving it a type advantage against Volcarona.
• Concerned about Volcarona’s injuries, Xia Chen asks whether it wants to continue. Volcarona firmly agrees, revealing its strong competitive spirit.
• Xia Chen orders Giga Drain to restore Volcarona’s stamina, while Gladion unexpectedly commands Swords Dance instead of immediately attacking.
• Xia Chen notices that Gladion’s command style has changed from reckless aggression to cautious preparation, suggesting that Silvally is vastly stronger and more reliable than Lycanroc.

2. Character Developments

• Xia Chen is established as a highly analytical and creative Trainer. His dust-explosion strategy demonstrates his ability to chain environmental conditions, Pokémon moves, and opponent psychology together.
• He also shows concern for Volcarona’s well-being, balancing tactical ambition with responsibility toward his Pokémon.
• Gladion displays respect for both his Pokémon and his opponent. He comforts Lycanroc after its defeat and allows it to fight on because he understands its proud, uncompromising personality.
• Gladion’s confidence shifts after Silvally enters the battle. Rather than attacking recklessly, he adopts a more measured strategy, suggesting that Silvally commands his respect and perhaps makes him more cautious.
• Volcarona reveals a determined and competitive side. Although badly pressured by Lycanroc, it willingly continues the battle and responds decisively to Xia Chen’s trust.
• Lycanroc is characterized by extreme endurance, pride, and a refusal to surrender, fighting until it physically can no longer continue.
• Silvally is introduced as an imposing artificial Legendary Pokémon, immediately changing the perceived balance of the battle.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategy versus raw determination: Xia Chen wins the first exchange through planning, while Lycanroc relies on instinct, endurance, and sheer willpower.
• Respect between Trainers and Pokémon: Gladion honors Lycanroc’s desire to fight, while Xia Chen gives Volcarona the choice to continue despite its injuries.
• The danger and value of calculated risk: Xia Chen’s trap succeeds because he commits to a complex plan, while Gladion’s later Swords Dance shows the risks of allowing an opponent time to strengthen.
• Artificial imitation and identity: Silvally’s resemblance to Arceus raises questions about manufactured power, imitation, and the difference between an original Legendary Pokémon and a constructed substitute.
• Changing battle dynamics: The arrival of Silvally shifts the contest from a battle of attrition into a more dangerous confrontation involving type manipulation and a much stronger opponent.

4. Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Gladion silently acknowledge each other’s abilities: Gladion admires Xia Chen’s battlefield calculations, while Xia Chen studies Gladion’s changing tactics.
• Gladion comforts Lycanroc after its defeat, reinforcing their emotional bond.
• Xia Chen and Volcarona share mutual trust when he asks whether it wishes to continue and accepts its determined response.
• Xia Chen’s recognition of Silvally surprises Gladion, creating a brief moment of mystery that Xia Chen avoids explaining.
• The commands exchanged between the Trainers—Giga Drain and Swords Dance—reflect their contrasting approaches: Xia Chen prioritizes recovery and balance, while Gladion gambles on building overwhelming offensive power.

Chapter Summary: “Mega Diancie VS Silvally”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The battle between Xia Chen’s Volcarona and Gladion’s Silvally resumes with Silvally preparing Swords Dance.
• Volcarona uses Giga Drain, exploiting Silvally’s Rock Memory and resulting Grass weakness to recover a large amount of health. However, Silvally’s exceptional Special Defense and near-Champion-level strength leave Volcarona in serious danger.
• Gladion orders Multitype, a powerful physical attack whose type matches Silvally’s Memory. Volcarona barely survives by using Protect, which shatters under the attack but absorbs its force.
• Silvally attempts Multitype again, but Volcarona counters with Fire Spin. Xia Chen uses the move not primarily for damage, but to disrupt Silvally’s momentum and erode its Rock-type energy.
• Volcarona then takes to the air and uses Giga Drain from a safe distance, causing Silvally’s second Multitype attack to miss completely.
• Gladion orders repeated Rock Slides, hoping to either defeat Volcarona or prevent it from recovering with Giga Drain. Xia Chen answers with Bug Buzz, shattering the falling rocks and filling the battlefield with volatile energy particles.
• Anticipating that Gladion will use Protect against the eventual explosion, Xia Chen changes tactics. Volcarona uses Hurricane to gather and carry the explosive dust toward Silvally.
• The resulting explosion devastates the battlefield. Silvally survives, but Volcarona is finally defeated by the combined effects of Rock Slide and the blast.
• Xia Chen recalls Volcarona and sends out Diancie, revealing that he also possesses a Legendary Pokémon.
• Gladion immediately changes Silvally’s Memory from Rock to Steel, gaining a quadruple advantage against Diancie. Xia Chen responds by initiating Diancie’s Mega Evolution.
• Mega Diancie uses Earth Power, striking Silvally before it can fully benefit from its new typing. Gladion counters with Flash Cannon, but even the super-effective attack deals less damage than expected because of Diancie’s impressive durability.
• Concerned that Silvally may lose a direct confrontation despite its type advantage, Gladion returns to his strongest option and orders Multitype.
• Xia Chen chooses Diamond Storm, setting up the next major exchange between Mega Diancie and Silvally.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen demonstrates superior tactical flexibility. Rather than relying only on raw power, he uses Fire Spin for battlefield control, Bug Buzz to neutralize Rock Slide, and Hurricane to weaponize the accumulated dust against Silvally.
• His calm decision-making allows the badly injured Volcarona to survive far longer than expected and inflict meaningful damage on Silvally.
• Gladion is shown to be an exceptionally skilled trainer. Silvally’s strength, Swords Dance boost, powerful Multitype, and rapid Memory change demonstrate his preparation and training ability.
• However, Gladion recognizes that Xia Chen surpasses him in battle instincts and reactions. The difficult fight becomes an opportunity for Gladion to grow.
• Volcarona displays endurance, precise energy control, and loyalty despite fighting while severely injured.
• Diancie is introduced as Xia Chen’s second powerful Pokémon. Its Mega Evolution and exceptional toughness immediately shift the battle’s balance.

Significant Themes

• Tactical mastery versus raw power: Silvally possesses overwhelming strength, but Xia Chen repeatedly neutralizes it through timing, positioning, and creative use of moves.
• Adaptability: Both trainers adjust to changing circumstances, particularly through Silvally’s Memory changes and Xia Chen’s shift from Volcarona’s defensive strategy to Diancie’s direct assault.
• Growth through challenge: Gladion’s frustration develops into self-awareness as he acknowledges Xia Chen’s superior combat instincts and recognizes that difficult battles are essential for improvement.
• Hidden potential and endurance: Volcarona’s performance emphasizes how much a Pokémon can accomplish through mastery and determination, even when nearly defeated.
• Legendary power: The appearance of Diancie and its Mega Evolution raises the battle to an even higher level, matching Silvally’s status as an artificial Legendary Pokémon.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Volcarona: Xia Chen trusts Volcarona to execute complex tactics under immense pressure and comforts it respectfully after its defeat.
• Gladion and Silvally: Gladion gives direct, decisive commands and relies on Silvally’s strength and versatility. Their coordinated use of Swords Dance, Multitype, Rock Slide, and Memory changes reflects strong mutual understanding.
• Xia Chen and Gladion: Their battle is both a contest and a learning experience. Xia Chen repeatedly outmaneuvers Gladion, while Gladion adapts and continues pressing forward rather than surrendering.
• Xia Chen and Lillie: Lillie watches closely and mentally studies Xia Chen’s creative use of Fire Spin, recognizing that move effectiveness depends on mastery and application, not merely type or power.
• Lillie and the battle: She is excited by Volcarona’s tactics and treats the fight as an important lesson.
• Deoxys and Lillie: Deoxys creates a protective laser barrier to shield Lillie from the enormous explosion on the battlefield.

Chapter 501 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gladion questions Xia Chen’s choice to use Diamond Storm against Steel-type Silvally, since the Rock-type move is heavily resisted. Xia Chen is gambling on its high chance to sharply raise Diancie’s physical Defense.
• Silvally’s first Multitype attack breaks Diamond Storm’s shield and damages Diancie, but Diamond Storm successfully activates its defensive boost. Xia Chen gains confidence and orders Diancie to use the move again.
• Gladion has Silvally attack a second time before Diancie’s Defense becomes even stronger. However, Diamond Storm triggers its effect again, giving Diancie two massive Defense boosts.
• With her enhanced Defense, Diancie uses Body Press, whose power scales with Defense, and quickly defeats Silvally. Gladion is forced to send out his final Pokémon, Lucario.
• Gladion immediately Mega Evolves Lucario. Diancie attacks during the transformation, but Mega Lucario survives by using Protect and then dodging a second Body Press with Bullet Punch’s speed.
• Xia Chen adopts a patient strategy, keeping Diancie at striking distance while pressuring Lucario with ranged attacks such as Dazzling Gleam. After a five-minute stalemate, Lucario briefly hesitates following Iron Hoof Beam, allowing Diancie to land the decisive Body Press.
• Xia Chen wins the unofficial battle 3–1, with Volcarona and Diancie defeating three of Gladion’s primary Pokémon.
• After the battle, Lillie enthusiastically congratulates Xia Chen, unintentionally making Gladion feel neglected. Xia Chen and Gladion arrange for Lillie to leave with Sylveon so they can speak privately.
• Gladion reveals that he wants to entrust Lillie to Xia Chen because something dangerous may soon occur at Aether Paradise.
• The danger involves Ultra Beasts and unstable Ultra Wormhole-related events. Xia Chen admits that he and Lillie already know about the situation and have planned to contain and release the Ultra Beasts.
• Gladion realizes Lillie intends to accompany Xia Chen. Xia Chen, however, refuses to involve her because the Ultra Beasts are too dangerous, and asks Gladion to take responsibility for protecting her. Gladion begins reconsidering his original plan in light of Xia Chen’s superior strength.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen demonstrates his willingness to take calculated risks. His successful Diamond Storm gambles show both strategic confidence and an understanding of probability in battle.
• He also proves himself highly adaptable, turning Diancie’s defensive boosts into offensive power through Body Press and patiently exploiting Lucario’s eventual mistake.
• Gladion displays strong tactical judgment, repeatedly trying to capitalize on Diancie before her Defense becomes overwhelming. Despite losing, he gains valuable information about the strength of trainers outside Alola.
• Gladion’s protective feelings toward Lillie become clearer. He initially intends to entrust her to Xia Chen, but Xia Chen’s refusal forces him to reconsider whether he can safely confront the Ultra Beast crisis alone.
• Lillie appears increasingly attached to Xia Chen as a teacher and places great trust in him. She also seems prepared to participate in the Ultra Beast plan, showing more courage and initiative than Gladion expected.
• Diancie evolves from a defensive target into the dominant force of the battle, using two Defense boosts to make Body Press devastating.
• Lucario shows impressive speed and evasiveness after Mega Evolution but remains vulnerable due to its low durability.

Significant Themes

• Risk and reward: Xia Chen’s repeated use of Diamond Storm illustrates how calculated risks can change the course of a battle.
• Adaptation and strategy: Both trainers adjust their plans, but Xia Chen’s ability to exploit Diancie’s boosted Defense ultimately gives him control.
• Probability as part of battle: The chapter emphasizes that luck is not entirely separate from skill; trainers who understand and exploit favorable odds can make “luck” work for them.
• Protection versus independence: Gladion wants to shield Lillie from danger, while Lillie appears determined to take action herself. Xia Chen’s intervention complicates Gladion’s protective role.
• Trust and responsibility: Gladion formally entrusts Lillie to Xia Chen, signaling growing respect and reliance despite their competitive relationship.

Important Character Interactions

• Gladion and Xia Chen engage in a tense but respectful strategic contest throughout the battle.
• Lillie openly cheers for Xia Chen, then awkwardly reassures Gladion that losing to such a powerful trainer still proves his strength.
• Xia Chen and Gladion cooperate quietly by sending Lillie away with Sylveon, demonstrating their mutual understanding.
• Their private discussion shifts from battle rivalry to the shared responsibility of dealing with the Ultra Beasts and protecting Lillie.

Chapter Summary: “Humanoid Absol”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Chen persuades Gladion not to accompany him into the Ultra World by emphasizing Gladion’s responsibility to protect Lillie and deal with any Ultra Beasts that escape.
• Gladion agrees to protect his sister, and the two establish a “gentleman’s agreement.”
• Since an Ultra Wormhole may open within days, Xia Chen arranges to be invited to the Gladion siblings’ home so he can wait at Aether Paradise and respond immediately.
• Xia Chen and Gladion treat their injured Pokémon with Gardevoir’s help. Lillie returns with medicine, only to discover that the two had already found medical supplies and had forgotten the excuse they used to send her away.
• To distract Lillie from their suspicious behavior, Xia Chen reveals that Gladion invited him to visit their home. She happily agrees.
• After the Pokémon recover, Xia Chen, Gladion, and Lillie travel to Aether Paradise, the Aether Foundation’s highly secure headquarters.
• Lusamine is absent, working at the research institute, so the group is received by the butler, Grandpa Dunlap. Xia Chen spends time at the estate drinking tea and sharing stories of his past adventures.
• Lillie and Gladion become fascinated by Xia Chen’s dramatic accounts, including his encounter with Groudon.
• Lillie jokingly calls Xia Chen a “Humanoid Absol,” referring to the online belief that disaster follows wherever he appears. Xia Chen objects, arguing that Absol warns people of disasters rather than causing them.
• Xia Chen reflects on his repeated involvement in legendary Pokémon crises and accepts that, whether through fate or some unseen force, he seems destined to become involved in such events.
• During a walk through the estate, Xia Chen and Lillie discuss her former fear of Pokémon and her determination to face the Pokémon that traumatized her.
• Xia Chen then privately asks Lillie about the Singularity space-energy fluctuations. She explains that the Aether Foundation’s monitoring device detects a substance that rises before an Ultra Wormhole opens: at 3% concentration there is a fifty-percent chance of an opening, while 5% makes one nearly certain.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen demonstrates strategic thinking and emotional intelligence by redirecting Gladion’s determination toward protecting Lillie. He also takes a protective, mentor-like role toward Lillie.
• Gladion accepts responsibility for his sister and for containing Ultra Beasts that may escape. Though reserved, he shows trust in Xia Chen and becomes increasingly interested in Xia Chen’s experiences.
• Lillie appears cheerful and energetic around Xia Chen, showing how far she has progressed from her former fear of Pokémon. She expresses a desire to become part of Xia Chen’s continuing journey and vows to confront her past courageously.
• Xia Chen and Lillie’s bond deepens through storytelling, affection, and their shared plan to investigate the Ultra Wormhole.
• Gladion and Xia Chen develop a cautious partnership based on mutual concern for Lillie and the coming Ultra Beast crisis.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and protection: Gladion must protect Lillie while Xia Chen handles the larger Ultra Beast threat.
• Fate and unavoidable conflict: Xia Chen questions why legendary disasters repeatedly occur wherever he goes, suggesting that destiny—or an unseen power—continually draws him into crises.
• Growth through facing fear: Lillie’s recovery is shown through her willingness to confront the Pokémon connected to her trauma.
• Public perception versus reality: The “Humanoid Absol” joke reflects how people interpret Xia Chen’s involvement in disasters, even though he often works to prevent or resolve them.
• Trust and hidden motives: Xia Chen, Gladion, and Lillie cooperate while concealing parts of their plan from Lusamine and the Aether Foundation.

Important Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Gladion negotiate their respective roles in the Ultra Beast crisis.
• Xia Chen and Gladion awkwardly discuss Lillie while treating the injured Pokémon, revealing their shared concern for her.
• Lillie playfully challenges Xia Chen about his reputation, and he responds by defending Absol’s true nature.
• Xia Chen reassures Lillie about her past fear, while she promises to face it again if necessary.
• Xia Chen and Lillie secretly withdraw from the others to discuss the scientific warning signs of the approaching Ultra Wormhole.

Chapter Summary: “Lusamine, the Truth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lillie explains that the size of an Ultra Wormhole determines how many Ultra Beasts can emerge and how powerful they will be.
• She reveals that the Aether Foundation’s worst recorded incident occurred seven years earlier, when Nihilego attacked her. The Spatial Fluctuation Deviation Rate reached 28.7%, allowing five species and nearly one hundred Ultra Beasts to cross over.
• Xia Chen realizes the incident coincided with the time his parents joined the Aether Foundation and suspects Lusamine concealed the truth.
• Using an old instrument hidden in Lillie’s room, they discover that the current deviation rate has already reached 13.4% and is rapidly climbing, with a projected peak of at least 20%.
• Xia Chen contacts allies for reinforcements, including Christina and Zapdos, Zinnia and Rayquaza, and several Champions. Caitlin and Leon agree to come, while others cannot be reached.
• The deviation rate rises to 20%, convincing Xia Chen that waiting is too dangerous. He and Lillie fly to the Aether Foundation on Koraidon to confront Lusamine directly.
• Koraidon breaks through the Foundation’s defenses and overwhelms its security Pokémon. Xia Chen and Lillie reach a laboratory deep underground.
• They discover Ultra Beasts imprisoned in harsh conditions, deliberately weakened by having their energy drained. Lillie is saddened and disturbed by the cruelty of her mother’s experiments and “collection.”
• In the laboratory’s central chamber, Xia Chen finds Lusamine overseeing a device whose progress reading has reached 50%.
• Lusamine reveals that Xia Chen’s parents were once her close friends and that their disappearance into the Ultra World was not simply an accident.
• She explains that deviations above 20% can permit humans to enter the Ultra World, and claims that the earlier incident resulted from an instrument malfunction.
• Lusamine announces that she has now perfected the process and intends to bring back her missing associates while summoning even more Ultra Beasts.
• Xia Chen realizes that the Ultra Wormholes have been artificially created rather than occurring naturally. He deduces that Lusamine possesses Nebby/Cosmog’s evolved form, Ultra Star—Cosmoem—and has used it as the mechanism for opening the wormholes.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen becomes increasingly cautious and decisive. Although an Ultra Wormhole was originally his goal, the possibility of a massive outbreak forces him to prioritize protecting Alola and summoning powerful allies.
• Lillie demonstrates extensive knowledge of the Aether Foundation and its research. Her cheerful, playful behavior gives way to seriousness as she confronts the scale of the danger and her mother’s atrocities.
• Lusamine is revealed as the central force behind the Ultra Wormhole incidents. Her cold, obsessive determination is rooted in her desire to retrieve those lost to the Ultra World, but she is willing to exploit Cosmoem and cruelly imprison Ultra Beasts to achieve it.
• Xia Chen’s parents are shown to have had a close relationship with Lusamine and are strongly implied to have been deliberately sent—or lost—into the Ultra World through her experiments.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus concealment: Lusamine has hidden both the seven-year-old Ultra Beast disaster and the circumstances surrounding Xia Chen’s parents.
• Scientific ambition and moral corruption: The Foundation’s research has crossed ethical boundaries, using living Pokémon as tools and subjects.
• Family betrayal: Lillie must face the horrifying gap between the mother she remembers and the ruthless researcher Lusamine has become.
• Consequences of unchecked power: Opening increasingly large Ultra Wormholes risks unleashing catastrophic numbers of powerful Ultra Beasts, potentially threatening both worlds.
• Responsibility and preparation: Xia Chen’s instinct to plan for the worst contrasts with Lusamine’s reckless willingness to endanger Alola for personal goals.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Lillie work together as teacher and student, combining his strategic judgment with her scientific knowledge.
• Their lighthearted exchange in Lillie’s bedroom briefly shows their growing familiarity before the danger forces them to focus.
• Xia Chen relies on Lillie to interpret the Foundation’s research and guide him through the facility.
• Lillie’s reaction to the tortured Ultra Beasts exposes her growing alienation from Lusamine.
• Xia Chen confronts Lusamine while Lillie remains confused by their shared history, setting up a revelation about the connection between their families.
• The chapter ends with Xia Chen recognizing that Lusamine has been holding the “key” to the Ultra Wormholes—and likely to his parents’ fate—all along.

Chapter Summary: “Ultra Wormhole, Activate!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lusamine confirms that she personally opened the Ultra Wormhole, revealing that Xia Chen’s parents’ disappearance four years earlier was caused by her experiment rather than a natural disaster.
• Lillie angrily confronts her mother, blaming Lusamine’s obsession with Ultra Beasts for endangering Alola and causing her father’s disappearance.
• Deoxys appears behind Lusamine and threatens her at Xia Chen’s command. Lusamine remains unnervingly calm, claiming that the wormhole cannot be stopped and that even Arceus might be unable to interfere.
• Xia Chen gives Lusamine ten seconds to shut down the process or die. Lillie begs him not to kill her mother.
• Lusamine accepts the possibility of death and asks Xia Chen to protect Lillie and help find her missing husband if she cannot do so herself.
• Rather than kill her, Xia Chen offers a compromise: Lusamine must stop the wormhole’s spatial deviation from increasing, and he will later take her into the Ultra World.
• Lusamine aborts the experiment, but the deviation rate has already reached 62.8%, leaving the wormhole dangerously unstable and likely to attract numerous powerful Ultra Beasts.
• Xia Chen orders Lusamine to warn all of Alola and gather every available Ultra Ball. The Aether Foundation has approximately 1,000 balls, but ordinary Poké Balls cannot contain Ultra Beasts.
• Koraidon senses that the wormhole is about to open.
• An emergency broadcast warns Alola’s residents to shelter and avoid the unknown object. Many people ignore the warning, and livestreamers fly toward the phenomenon, unaware that Ultra Beasts are emerging and that their broadcasts may become fatal.
• The enormous wormhole opens above Aether Paradise, far larger than any previous passage. Lusamine realizes the situation is worse than expected and admits that she did not foresee this outcome.
• Lusamine promises to surrender to the Pokémon League after the crisis. Xia Chen concludes that the wormhole cannot be safely sealed with Deoxys’s barrier and decides that they must enter the passage and fight the Ultra Beasts directly.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen becomes increasingly distrustful and hostile toward Lusamine because of her responsibility for his parents’ disappearance and the danger she has unleashed. Despite this anger, he demonstrates restraint by offering her a final chance to cooperate instead of killing her.
• Lusamine is revealed as obsessive, reckless, and willing to risk Alola for her research and personal goals. However, her concern for Lillie and her desire to recover her husband show that her motives are not purely scientific. She ultimately abandons the experiment and accepts responsibility for her actions.
• Lillie moves from shock and anger to emotional collapse. Although she condemns Lusamine’s decisions, her love and sense of filial duty lead her to beg Xia Chen to spare her mother.
• Deoxys serves as Xia Chen’s enforcer, demonstrating its speed and lethal power by restraining Lusamine instantly.
• Koraidon contributes by sensing the imminent opening of the wormhole, providing an early warning of the approaching crisis.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and consequence: Lusamine’s desire to reach and study the Ultra World produces a disaster threatening all of Alola.
• Guilt and responsibility: Lusamine recognizes that she caused both the wormhole crisis and the disappearance of Lillie’s father, eventually agreeing to face legal judgment.
• Family conflict and attachment: Lillie’s anger toward Lusamine is inseparable from her love for her mother, while Lusamine’s actions are partly driven by her desire to recover her husband.
• Powerlessness versus leadership: Xia Chen cannot stop the wormhole, but he takes command of the situation and searches for the least disastrous solution.
• Warnings ignored by the public: The emergency broadcast highlights the danger, but curiosity, opportunism, and the desire for online popularity lead civilians toward the phenomenon.
• Unintended escalation: The deviation rate reaches an unprecedented level, showing how experiments beyond one’s understanding can produce consequences far beyond the original plan.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen confronts Lusamine over the disaster, threatening her while forcing her to choose between shutting down the process and dying.
• Lillie pleads with Xia Chen to spare Lusamine, then confronts her mother emotionally over the destruction caused by her obsession.
• Lusamine asks Xia Chen to care for Lillie and find her father, revealing both her resignation and her lingering concern for her daughter.
• Xia Chen and Lusamine negotiate a temporary alliance: she must limit the wormhole’s danger, warn Alola, and provide Ultra Balls, while he agrees to help her reach the Ultra World later.
• Lusamine’s dependence on Xia Chen becomes clear when she asks him for guidance, while Xia Chen remains cold but accepts responsibility for leading the response.

Chapter Summary: “Ultra Beasts, Shocking the World!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious rift suddenly appears in the sky above Alola at 7:30 p.m., triggering emergency broadcasts, worldwide speculation, and livestream coverage.
• Harper, a moderately famous Trainer and ambitious streamer, abandons a Battle Park match to investigate the rift, hoping to gain fame by uncovering its secrets.
• His livestream rapidly becomes Pixiv’s most popular broadcast as viewers watch him approach the anomaly.
• A strange crimson Pokémon emerges from the rift. Harper and his audience believe they have discovered a completely new species, unaware that the Aether Foundation has already studied it.
• The Pokémon, later identified as the Ultra Beast Buzzwole, attacks Harper’s group. Harper sends out Pelipper, Wattrel, and Gyarados, attempting to use coordinated battle tactics involving Tailwind, Thunder, and Dragon Dance.
• Buzzwole proves overwhelmingly powerful. It instantly defeats Pelipper, drains its life through its proboscis, and prepares to attack the remaining Pokémon. Harper realizes too late that pursuing the rift for fame was a disastrous mistake, and the livestream ends in horror.
• Similar encounters occur throughout the skies above Aether Paradise. Other Trainers encounter different Ultra Beasts, including jellyfish-like, cockroach-like, and electrical humanoid creatures, but nearly all are killed.
• The recorded footage causes a worldwide sensation. The rift and the violent Ultra Beasts become the dominant news story, spreading fear and excitement across the globe.
• The Aether Foundation unexpectedly releases detailed information about the Ultra Beasts, including their names, types, abilities, and habits. This raises suspicions that the Foundation had prior knowledge of them and may be connected to the rift.
• The danger escalates when enormous Pokémon, far larger than the known Ultra Beasts, descend onto Alola’s major islands and begin destroying everything indiscriminately.

Character Developments

• Harper is introduced as an ambitious but not truly elite Trainer who sees the rift as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fame. His desire for views overrides his awareness of the danger. His confidence collapses when Buzzwole effortlessly destroys Pelipper, forcing him to recognize the fatal consequences of his decision.
• Harper’s relationship with Pelipper is emphasized: the Pokémon has been his companion for more than a decade. Its death transforms the encounter from a risky publicity stunt into a deeply personal tragedy.
• The unseen Xia Chen is indirectly connected to the rift. Viewers speculate about this connection, calling him cursed, though they do not yet understand the truth.
• The Aether Foundation becomes increasingly suspicious. Its detailed knowledge of the Ultra Beasts suggests prior research and possibly a deeper involvement in the crisis.
• The Alola League is shown to be immature and poorly prepared, while local Trainers and authorities are largely unequipped to face the invasion.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus survival: Harper sacrifices caution for fame, showing how the pursuit of attention can lead people into deadly danger.
• The dangers of the unknown: The rift and Ultra Beasts demonstrate that conventional assumptions about Pokémon battles and power levels cannot protect people from unfamiliar threats.
• Spectacle and desensitization: Viewers treat the crisis as entertainment, encouraging Harper despite warnings and eagerly donating to keep the dangerous livestream going.
• The limits of rules: Standard battle rules offer no protection in a genuine life-or-death encounter. Buzzwole is not constrained by sportsmanship, referees, or Pokémon battle conventions.
• Institutional secrecy and preparedness: The Aether Foundation’s prior knowledge raises questions about hidden research, while Alola’s weak emergency response highlights the consequences of being unprepared.
• Natural disaster and global panic: The rift destabilizes the peaceful world, turning a regional anomaly into an international crisis.

Character Interactions

• Harper interacts directly with his viewers, encouraging their excitement and using their support to justify approaching the rift.
• Viewers debate whether he should retreat, with some warning him about the danger and others urging him forward for entertainment and the chance to witness history.
• Harper commands Pelipper, Wattrel, and Gyarados in a coordinated battle, but Buzzwole’s overwhelming strength renders their strategy useless.
• Harper desperately pleads with Buzzwole after it attacks Pelipper, but the Ultra Beast ignores him, emphasizing the gulf between human expectations and its predatory behavior.
• The global public reacts collectively through social media, shifting from curiosity to fear as the Ultra Beasts’ power and violence become clear.
• The Aether Foundation indirectly addresses the world through its information release, providing useful knowledge while simultaneously making itself the subject of suspicion.

Summary

Xia Chen and Lusamine respond to a large-scale Ultra Beast crisis caused by the opening of an Ultra Wormhole. The wormhole has filled the night sky with light, while Ultra Beasts attack populated areas across Alola. Deoxys has gone to Hau’oli City to provide emergency assistance using its cloning ability, and Koraidon has advanced toward the wormhole to intercept incoming threats.
Lusamine informs Xia Chen that an unidentified Ultra Beast has appeared on Melemele Island and has already destroyed and eaten an entire office building. Xia immediately recognizes it as Guzzlord, a Dark/Dragon-type Ultra Beast capable of converting everything it consumes into Infinity Energy. He explains that Guzzlord is essentially an emotionless engine of destruction: the more it eats, the more energy it gains, allowing it to continue destroying and consuming without stopping.
Because Melemele Island is Alola’s most populous island, Xia Chen prioritizes dealing with Guzzlord. He sends Sylveon, Milotic, and Gardevoir to support Koraidon near the Ultra Wormhole, reasoning that Koraidon may not be able to cover every area alone. The three Pokémon worry about leaving Xia without his strongest partners, especially because Guzzlord is present on Melemele, but Xia reassures them that Dragapult and the others remain with him and that Zeraora has nearly recovered. Sylveon reinforces Xia’s confidence by reminding the others that they should trust him. Before they separate, Xia uses his Key Stone and Tera Orb to enhance the three Pokémon through Mega Evolution and Terastalization.
Lusamine then switches from Altaria to a Champion-level Dragonite, inviting Xia to ride with her so they can reach Melemele more quickly. Xia recognizes the Dragonite as one of the strongest he has encountered, surpassed only by the Dragonite King of Dragon Island and Professor Oak’s ace. They fly directly to Mahalo City, where Guzzlord has appeared.
Upon arrival, Xia and Lusamine see that Guzzlord is enormous—roughly hill-sized—and is rampaging through a park toward a residential area. Its movements cause the ground to shake like an Earthquake, while it destroys and devours everything in its path. Lusamine, who feels responsible because the crisis stems from the Ultra Wormhole she helped open, is visibly shaken and begins to doubt whether the monster can be defeated. Xia also becomes unusually serious after sensing its strength. He reveals that Guzzlord is only slightly weaker than Zapdos, meaning that this supposedly unrecorded Ultra Beast possesses power on a Legendary level.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Xia Chen remains calm, strategic, and confident under extreme pressure. He prioritizes the most dangerous threat, distributes his strongest Pokémon efficiently, and reassures them when they worry about him.
• Lusamine acts as a coordinator for the emergency response but becomes increasingly troubled by the consequences of the Ultra Wormhole crisis. Her sense of responsibility and dependence on Xia become more apparent when she sees Guzzlord firsthand.
• Sylveon demonstrates strong trust in Xia and helps calm Gardevoir and Milotic, showing emotional maturity and a close bond with him.
• Gardevoir and Milotic reveal their concern for Xia’s safety, emphasizing the mutual loyalty between him and his Pokémon.
• Xia and Lusamine work cooperatively, with Lusamine providing logistical information and transportation while Xia identifies and assesses the threat.

Significant Themes

• Trust and teamwork: Xia divides his forces according to the crisis, relying on both his Pokémon and Lusamine’s coordination.
• Responsibility and guilt: Lusamine struggles with the consequences of unleashing the Ultra Wormholes and the danger they bring to Alola.
• The scale of the threat: Guzzlord is established as far more than an ordinary Ultra Beast, raising the stakes by placing it near Legendary Pokémon in strength.
• Confidence versus fear: The chapter contrasts Lusamine’s shock and doubt with Xia’s controlled determination, though even Xia recognizes the seriousness of the battle ahead.

Chapter Summary: “Drive Every Ultra Beast Out of This World!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lusamine realizes that the rampaging Guzzlord is far more powerful than expected. Unlike the Champion-level Ultra Beasts encountered over the previous decade, this Guzzlord possesses strength comparable to a Legendary Pokémon.
• She recognizes that its power is another consequence of the dangerously high Spatial Fluctuation Deviation Rate and feels intense guilt over the situation.
• Lusamine offers to confront Guzzlord herself, believing there is no other option because Koraidon and Deoxys are absent and Xia Chen has already deployed several of his strongest Pokémon.
• Xia Chen warns her that the difference between Champion and Legendary levels is enormous, then reveals a newly captured trump card: the Legendary Pokémon Zeraora.
• Xia Chen appeals to Zeraora’s sense of justice, asking it to help protect innocent humans and Pokémon and drive the Ultra Beasts out of their world. Zeraora agrees.
• Xia Chen sends out his current battle lineup: Zeraora, Zoroark, Dragapult, Goodra, Ceruledge, and Volcarona.
• Meanwhile, Guzzlord rampages through Mahalo City, devouring trees, buildings, vehicles, and even Pokémon. The evacuation quickly descends into chaos as the city’s roads become gridlocked.
• Local Trainers, including several Gym-level elites, attempt to fight Guzzlord, but their attacks are completely ineffective. Guzzlord treats them as insignificant as ants.
• As Guzzlord approaches a densely populated residential area, the disaster is broadcast worldwide by Alola TV’s drones.
• Zeraora suddenly attacks Guzzlord, striking it with enough force to make the enormous Ultra Beast stagger. The public is stunned, then erupts into hopeful cheers.
• The world identifies Zeraora as Xia Chen’s Pokémon. His other Pokémon soon join the attack, confirming that Xia Chen is present.
• His arrival restores public confidence, but viewers become worried when they realize that Koraidon and Deoxys—the two Legendary Pokémon most associated with Xia Chen—are nowhere to be seen.

Character Developments

• Lusamine: Her confidence and guilt deepen as she confronts the consequences of her past recklessness. Though she is willing to risk herself against Guzzlord, Xia Chen’s intervention shows that she is still not fully prepared for the crisis.
• Xia Chen: He demonstrates strategic judgment, compassion, and leadership. Rather than allowing Lusamine to face an overwhelming opponent, he assumes responsibility and reveals that he has recently gained Zeraora as a powerful ally.
• Zeraora: Its strong moral convictions are emphasized. Though newly allied with Xia Chen, it readily agrees to defend innocent lives and immediately proves its power by staggering Guzzlord.
• Guzzlord: It is portrayed as a catastrophic, nearly unstoppable force, indifferent to human resistance and treating the city and its defenders as food or debris.
• The public: Panic shifts toward hope when Xia Chen and Zeraora appear, illustrating Xia Chen’s widespread reputation and the confidence people place in him.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and redemption: Lusamine is forced to confront the damage caused by her previous decisions and her role in creating the current danger.
• Heroism and leadership: Xia Chen protects others by taking command, preparing his strongest available team, and inspiring both Zeraora and the public.
• The scale of power: The chapter stresses the enormous gap between ordinary high-level Pokémon and Legendary-level threats.
• Hope amid disaster: Even in a city overwhelmed by destruction, the arrival of a capable hero dramatically changes public morale.
• Justice and moral persuasion: Xia Chen motivates Zeraora not through force, but by appealing to its desire to protect the innocent.

Character Interactions

• Lusamine and Xia Chen debate who should confront Guzzlord, with Xia Chen challenging Lusamine’s readiness and ultimately taking the responsibility himself.
• Xia Chen appeals directly to Zeraora’s sense of justice, framing the battle as a defense of their shared home.
• Xia Chen’s assembled Pokémon coordinate to confront Guzzlord after Zeraora’s opening strike.
• The chapter also highlights the relationship between Xia Chen and the public: his presence alone reassures people worldwide, even though the absence of Koraidon and Deoxys leaves them uncertain about whether he can truly win.

Chapter Summary:

Zeraora vs. Guzzlord

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guzzlord attacks Alola, and viewers worry because Zeraora is facing it without Koraidon. Although Zeraora is considered a Legendary Pokémon, its current strength has not yet reached that level.
• Xia Chen commands Zeraora remotely through Telepathy while observing the battlefield from Altaria. Zeraora accepts his orders, allowing them to fight together for the first time.
• Zeraora begins by using Agility, exploiting its already superior speed to evade Guzzlord’s massive attacks and avoid being swallowed.
• Lusamine arrives on Dragonite and organizes a large-scale evacuation, using several Flying-type Pokémon to rescue civilians, especially the vulnerable.
• Xia Chen develops a strategy based on Guzzlord’s strengths and weaknesses: Guzzlord possesses enormous endurance and power but has very low speed and poor defensive mobility. Zeraora will use speed, repeated attacks, and stat boosts to gradually wear it down.
• Zeraora uses Charge followed by Electro Ball, whose power increases with the speed difference between the user and its target. The attack enters Guzzlord’s mouth and explodes inside its body, causing significant damage and briefly stunning it.
• Xia Chen orders Zeraora to use Power-Up Punch, allowing it to strengthen its physical power while continuing to attack. Zeraora first strikes Guzzlord’s enormous eye, then uses Play Rough, exploiting Guzzlord’s fourfold weakness to Fairy-type attacks.
• Guzzlord retaliates with a massive claw strike, but Ceruledge blocks the attack and saves Zeraora. Zeraora recognizes this as an example of cooperation among comrades.
• Zeraora continues using Power-Up Punches, deliberately making some weaker attacks against Guzzlord’s back to conceal how much its power has increased.
• Guzzlord shifts its attention to the allied Pokémon. Its Dragon Breath nearly defeats Ceruledge, who is rescued by Dragapult and recalled by Xia Chen.
• Guzzlord then overwhelms the other Pokémon: Sludge Wave defeats Volcarona, while Hammer Arm knocks down Goodra. Dragapult repeatedly saves injured allies from being eaten.
• After Zeraora’s sixth Power-Up Punch, its attack has been greatly enhanced. Seeing its companions being defeated fuels its anger, but it remains patient and awaits Xia Chen’s decisive command.
• The chapter ends with Xia Chen ordering Zeraora to unleash Plasma Fists, setting up the next major attack.

Character Development

• Zeraora begins uncertainly, as this is its first battle alongside Xia Chen and the other Pokémon. It gradually develops trust in Xia Chen’s commands and learns to rely on teamwork rather than fighting alone.
• Zeraora also demonstrates growing battle discipline. Instead of recklessly attacking, it follows a patient strategy, builds its power through repeated Power-Up Punches, and waits for the correct moment to strike.
• Xia Chen shows strong tactical awareness. He carefully analyzes Guzzlord’s statistics, weaknesses, and battle habits, using speed, deception, setup moves, and Fairy-type attacks to compensate for Zeraora’s lower overall strength.
• Ceruledge demonstrates loyalty and courage by placing itself between Zeraora and Guzzlord’s claw, despite being badly injured afterward.
• Dragapult emerges as a dependable support Pokémon, rescuing Ceruledge and helping protect the team from Guzzlord’s attacks.
• Lusamine acts decisively as a leader, prioritizing civilian safety and coordinating the evacuation rather than immediately joining the battle.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and trust: Zeraora’s cooperation with Xia Chen and the other Pokémon marks an important shift from individual strength to collective battle.
• Strategy overcoming raw power: Guzzlord is vastly stronger and tougher, but Zeraora’s speed, tactical positioning, and carefully timed attacks create a chance for victory.
• Patience and restraint: Xia Chen avoids wasting Zeraora’s strength, building up its attack power while concealing its true capabilities.
• Sacrifice and mutual protection: Ceruledge and Dragapult risk themselves to save their allies, emphasizing the bonds formed through battle.
• The difference between potential and present strength: Zeraora may be Legendary in status, but it still has to grow before matching truly Legendary-level opponents like Guzzlord.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen communicates with Zeraora through Telepathy, giving it precise instructions throughout the battle.
• Zeraora initially fights independently but begins accepting support from Dragapult, Ceruledge, and the other Pokémon.
• Ceruledge protects Zeraora from Guzzlord’s claw, creating a moment in which Zeraora recognizes the meaning of fighting alongside companions.
• Dragapult rescues the critically injured Ceruledge and later continues saving other Pokémon from Guzzlord’s attacks.
• Lusamine coordinates with Xia Chen’s Pokémon during the evacuation, using Altaria and other Flying types to move civilians to safety.
• Xia Chen encourages Ceruledge after its defeat and recalls it to protect it from further harm.
• The chapter concludes with Xia Chen and Zeraora fully synchronized, as he gives the command for their strongest attack yet: Plasma Fists.

Chapter Summary: “Zeraora, Become My Partner!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mahalo City lies devastated after Guzzlord’s arrival transforms the Ultra Beast crisis into full-scale warfare. Driven only by hunger, Guzzlord attacks everything around it.
• Zeraora confronts Guzzlord after earlier Pokémon, including Volcarona and Ceruledge, have contributed to the battle and suffered losses.
• Guzzlord unleashes a massive Sludge Wave, but Zeraora protects itself with electrically charged armor and counters with Plasma Fists, knocking the enormous Ultra Beast backward.
• Xia Chen orders a sustained offensive:
  • Quick Attack, enhanced by Plasma Fists into an Electric-type move
  • Play Rough, exploiting Guzzlord’s Fairy-type weakness
  • Repeated attacks supported by Drain Punch, allowing Zeraora to continually recover stamina
• Guzzlord’s huge health pool and low defensive ability make it increasingly helpless against Zeraora’s speed and power. When it attempts to escape using Dig, Zeraora drags it back to the surface.
• After roughly ten minutes of relentless punishment, Guzzlord becomes too weak to fight. Xia Chen begins capturing it with Ultra Balls.
• Guzzlord breaks free from the first thirteen attempts, but each struggle leaves it more exhausted. The fourteenth Ultra Ball finally captures it.
• Meanwhile, Lusamine reports that Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini have appeared to help restrain the Ultra Beast invasion on other islands. However, the Ultra Wormhole remains open, with stronger and more numerous Ultra Beasts continuing to emerge.
• After the battle, exhausted Zeraora collapses. Xia Chen takes its hand and asks it to become his partner—not merely a temporary ally, but a true companion.

Character Developments

• Zeraora demonstrates extraordinary strength, speed, endurance, and battle instinct by defeating an Ultra Beast vastly larger than itself. Its intense excitement during the fight reveals that it genuinely enjoys battling alongside Xia Chen.
• Xia Chen shows tactical flexibility, exploiting Zeraora’s boosted moves and Guzzlord’s weaknesses. He also reveals a practical, even ruthless side by repeatedly using Ultra Balls to exhaust Guzzlord before securing the capture.
• Xia Chen’s relationship with Zeraora changes significantly. He initially views the battle as a cooperative mission, but Zeraora’s performance and emerging emotional bond convince him to invite it into a lasting partnership.
• Lusamine, once portrayed as domineering and calculating, appears cooperative and subdued while helping coordinate the evacuation. She accepts the continuing danger with seriousness and responsibility.
• Guzzlord shifts from an apparently unstoppable predator to a desperate, enraged creature driven by survival instincts once it realizes it cannot defeat Zeraora.

Significant Themes

• Power versus scale: Zeraora’s small size contrasts with Guzzlord’s enormous body, emphasizing that speed, technique, and focused power can overcome raw physical magnitude.
• Partnership and trust: The chapter moves beyond combat cooperation toward a genuine bond between Xia Chen and Zeraora.
• War and survival: Guzzlord represents mindless consumption and destruction, while the defenders rely on coordination, sacrifice, and strategy.
• Public heroism: The livestream turns Zeraora’s victory into a spectacular event witnessed by millions, transforming the battle into a shared symbol of hope.
• Unresolved danger: Although Guzzlord is captured, the Ultra Wormhole remains open and increasingly powerful Ultra Beasts continue to appear, preventing a true sense of victory.

Important Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Zeraora: Xia Chen commands Zeraora throughout the battle, trusts its abilities, and ultimately offers it a permanent place at his side. Zeraora’s emotional response suggests that it accepts the relationship.
• Zeraora and Guzzlord: Their confrontation is a dramatic mismatch in size but not in combat ability. Zeraora repeatedly overwhelms Guzzlord, while Guzzlord relies on clumsy area attacks and eventually attempts to flee.
• Xia Chen and Lusamine: They discuss the evolving crisis and the intervention of the island guardians. Their exchange shows growing cooperation and Lusamine’s reliance on Xia Chen’s judgment.
• Zeraora and the public: Through the drones and livestream, spectators witness Zeraora’s victory and quickly transform from doubters into enthusiastic supporters.
• Xia Chen and Guzzlord: Xia Chen captures the defeated Ultra Beast through repeated Ultra Ball attempts, prioritizing effectiveness over fairness.

Chapter Summary: “The Planet-Busting Limit, Zeraora’s Speed Force!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Chen publicly asks Zeraora to become his partner while millions of people watch the livestream. The audience enthusiastically cheers for Zeraora to accept.
• Zeraora initially pretends to deliberate, but ultimately extends its paw, accepting Xia Chen’s offer. The gesture represents a serious lifelong commitment, especially because Zeraora regards promises as sacred.
• Upon accepting Xia Chen, Zeraora suddenly gains knowledge of a mysterious power called the Speed Force. The power allows limitless acceleration and a wide range of abilities, including:
  • Speed transfer and energy absorption
  • Flight and enhanced healing
  • Super senses and accelerated thinking
  • Shields, clones, and increased strength
  • Eventually, time-space travel, molecular control, material creation, and the devastating Infinite Mass Punch
• Zeraora is overwhelmed by the information but hides the true reason for its temporary exhaustion from Xia Chen.
• With Guzzlord contained and Mahalo City’s crisis resolved, Xia Chen prepares to help deal with another Legendary-level Ultra Beast: a powerful Xurkitree threatening Poni City.
• Christina and Zapdos arrive as reinforcements. Xia Chen sends them to Ula'ula Island while he, Lusamine, Dragonite, and Zeraora travel to Poni Island.
• Xurkitree is found consuming electricity at a power plant. Xia Chen first evacuates the area rather than attacking immediately.
• Zeraora begins its first official battle as Xia Chen’s partner. It uses Aura Sphere, whose speed is already dramatically enhanced by the Speed Force.
• Zeraora then tests its abilities further by using Speed Force with Power-Up Punch. It moves so quickly that it appears almost instantaneously before Xurkitree and launches it far into the sky, leaving Zeraora shocked by the scale of its newfound power.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen becomes emotionally closer to Zeraora. His public request is framed almost like a romantic confession, emphasizing how deeply he values Pokémon companionship. Although confident, he recognizes that Zeraora might still reject him.
• Zeraora officially abandons its life as a solitary wanderer and accepts Xia Chen as its Trainer and partner. Its acceptance is based on genuine trust and affection rather than merely the need to recover from its injuries.
• Zeraora’s aloof personality remains visible in its deliberate hesitation, but its decision reveals that it had already emotionally accepted Xia Chen before the formal request.
• Zeraora gains an enormous new potential through the Speed Force. It quickly begins experimenting with the power and becomes excited by the possibilities, especially its effects on combat speed and mental processing.
• Christina and Zapdos demonstrate their value as rapid reinforcements, arriving before Zinnia and Rayquaza because of their convenient location and mobility.
• Lusamine continues to support Xia Chen during the Ultra Beast crisis and accompanies him to Poni Island.

Significant Themes

• Partnership and trust: Zeraora’s acceptance shows that a bond between Trainer and Pokémon is based on mutual commitment rather than ownership or a Poké Ball.
• Public spectacle versus private emotion: Millions of viewers treat the scene as entertainment, but Xia Chen and Zeraora experience it as a deeply personal and meaningful moment.
• Loneliness and belonging: Zeraora’s decision marks its transition from an isolated life to one built around companionship and shared purpose.
• Power and responsibility: The Speed Force grants potentially godlike abilities, but Zeraora must learn how to control and understand them. Its first battle serves as an experiment in using this power responsibly.
• Escalating strength: The chapter emphasizes the extraordinary scale of the Speed Force, suggesting that Zeraora may eventually reach a level of power far beyond ordinary Legendary Pokémon.
• Adaptability in crisis: Xia Chen balances emotional developments with practical emergency response, prioritizing evacuation and coordinating reinforcements before engaging the threat.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Zeraora share the chapter’s central emotional interaction. Xia Chen asks Zeraora to become his partner, and Zeraora answers silently by placing its paw in his hand.
• Their relationship is portrayed as affectionate and almost courtship-like, with Xia Chen treating Pokémon he admires as beings he must sincerely win over rather than simply capture.
• Xia Chen notices that Zeraora is hiding something after receiving the Speed Force but chooses not to pressure it, showing growing understanding and trust.
• Xia Chen works with Lusamine to evacuate the Poni City power plant before beginning the battle.
• He coordinates with Christina, dividing the emergency response so that she and Zapdos handle Ula'ula Island while he and Zeraora deal with Xurkitree.
• Zeraora and Xurkitree are natural opposing forces: Xurkitree consumes electricity, while Zeraora’s Volt Absorb ability allows it to use the Electric-type Ultra Beast as a source of energy.
• Zeraora’s first attacks against Xurkitree reveal the immense combat potential of the Speed Force and establish the beginning of its new role as Xia Chen’s extraordinarily powerful partner.

Summary

• Plot points/events: The speaker reports being struck by another severe cold. Although they managed to endure it yesterday, their condition worsened today, leaving them extremely fatigued and mentally foggy.
• Character development: The speaker is portrayed as resilient, having tried to continue despite feeling ill, but ultimately recognizes that their symptoms require rest.
• Themes: Illness, exhaustion, personal limits, and the importance of taking sick leave or prioritizing recovery.
• Character interactions: No interactions with other characters are described; the note is a direct personal account intended to explain the speaker’s absence.

Summary

The speaker apologizes for not completing more work. They explain that they wrote a little over a thousand words but were unable to continue because a fever left them mentally exhausted. They promise to make up for the shortfall the following month.

• Key events: About 1,000 words are written; further progress stops due to illness.
• Character development: The speaker acknowledges their limitation and takes responsibility by promising to compensate later.
• Themes: Illness, creative difficulty, accountability, and perseverance.
• Character interactions: The speaker directly addresses their audience or recipient, apologizing and reassuring them about future progress.

Chapter Summary: A Minute Was Already Great

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zeraora tests its newly acquired Speed Force, using it to enhance a Power-Up Punch and send the Legendary-level Xurkitree flying.
• Xurkitree recovers and retaliates with a devastating Thunderbolt, but Zeraora is unharmed because its Volt Absorb ability converts the electricity into energy—including restoring the Speed Force it had spent.
• Realizing Electric attacks are ineffective, Xurkitree switches to Energy Ball, but Zeraora closes the distance almost instantly and overwhelms it with a Brick Break.
• At Xia Chen’s command to finish the fight quickly, Zeraora unleashes a rapid barrage of Speed Force-enhanced Power-Up Punches. Its attacks become so fast that they are nearly invisible, while Power-Up Punch repeatedly raises its Attack.
• Zeraora reaches the maximum Attack boost in roughly two seconds, demonstrating an overwhelming combination of speed, power, and near-zero margin for the opponent to make mistakes.
• Xurkitree is beaten unconscious in less than a minute. Xia Chen captures it with an Ultra Ball.
• After the battle, Zeraora admits it has exhausted its energy. Xia Chen learns that it had also secretly pushed itself too hard in the previous battle against Guzzlord.

Character Developments

• Zeraora discovers both the extraordinary potential and severe limitations of the Speed Force. It dramatically increases attack speed and strength, but drains energy rapidly.
• Zeraora’s Volt Absorb proves especially valuable, as it can replenish not only stamina but also Speed Force through incoming electricity.
• Zeraora becomes overexcited by its new power, treating the Speed Force like an exciting new toy and recklessly overusing it.
• Xia Chen shifts from detailed tactical commands to brief orders, recognizing that Zeraora moves too quickly for lengthy instructions to be useful.
• Xia Chen also gains a clearer understanding of Zeraora’s combat potential and its need for better energy management.
• Xurkitree changes tactics after discovering that Electric attacks are useless, but it cannot react quickly enough to Zeraora’s overwhelming speed.

Significant Themes

• Power comes with a cost: The Speed Force grants tremendous offensive ability, but its limited sustainability prevents Zeraora from using it carelessly.
• Adaptation and information gaps: Xurkitree initially loses because it does not understand Zeraora’s abilities. Once it recognizes Volt Absorb, it changes moves, showing the importance of learning an opponent’s strengths.
• Speed as overwhelming force: Zeraora’s ability to attack almost instantly gives opponents virtually no room for error.
• Strategic restraint: Xia Chen and Zeraora recognize that the Speed Force is best saved for critical moments until Zeraora has greater energy reserves.
• Humorous power escalation: The chapter exaggerates Zeraora’s battle prowess through comparisons to rapid-fire fighting techniques, while undercutting its victory with its exhaustion and Xia Chen’s awkwardly comforting remark.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen observes and analyzes Zeraora’s battle, gradually realizing how dangerous the Speed Force has made it.
• Zeraora follows Xia Chen’s command to end the fight quickly, but takes the instruction to an extreme and drains itself completely.
• Afterward, Xia Chen supports the exhausted Zeraora and warns it not to overexert itself.
• Zeraora’s brief admission that it is “fine” because it has merely run out of strength reveals that it previously hid its exhaustion from Xia Chen.
• Xia Chen attempts to reassure Zeraora by saying that lasting a minute was impressive, but Zeraora privately finds the phrasing unintentionally insulting.

Chapter Summary: The Dragon God Returns

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Chen reunites with Lusamine after Zeraora swiftly defeats and captures the Ultra Beast Xurkitree at the power plant. He jokingly claims Zeraora used “cheats” to become so powerful, but Lusamine assumes he is avoiding the question.
• With the power plant situation stabilized and Zeraora exhausted, Xia Chen and Lusamine return to Aether Paradise so Zeraora can recover.
• During the journey, they encounter Rayquaza, accompanied by Zinnia. Zinnia has visibly matured since Xia Chen last saw her and insists on joining the crisis response, though Xia Chen worries about her safety.
• At Aether Paradise, the group evaluates the situation across Alola. Melemele and Ula’ula remain relatively stable, while Akala and Poni are struggling against waves of frenzied Ultra Beasts.
• Rather than sending Rayquaza and Zeraora to temporarily suppress the outbreaks on Akala or Poni, Xia Chen decides to attack the true source: the massive Ultra Wormhole. He reasons that repeatedly defeating Ultra Beasts will not solve the problem as long as the portal remains open.
• Lusamine agrees to coordinate with the Pokémon League and support the endangered islands until additional Champions arrive.
• Xia Chen assigns Zinnia to stay at Aether Paradise and “protect” Lillie, indirectly ensuring that Zinnia has a responsibility while preventing her from entering the most dangerous battlefield.
• After Zeraora recharges, Xia Chen and Lusamine divide their forces. Xia Chen rides Rayquaza to the Ultra Wormhole, where Koraidon is fighting Celesteela while Milotic, Sylveon, and Gardevoir recover nearby.
• Xia Chen provides Sylveon and Gardevoir with restorative Pokéblocks made using Herba Mystica. Although they want to continue fighting and Mega Evolve, he orders them to rest and summons his other Pokémon to reinforce the battle.
• Zeraora reveals that the Speed Force has given her the ability to fly, greatly increasing her usefulness in the aerial battle. Sylveon and Gardevoir realize that the once-independent Zeraora has become one of Xia Chen’s Pokémon.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen demonstrates strategic maturity by focusing on eliminating the source of the Ultra Beast invasion rather than merely containing its symptoms. He also acts as a protective mentor, prioritizing the recovery of exhausted Pokémon and safeguarding Zinnia.
• Lusamine continues to serve as a practical leader and coordinator. She accepts Xia Chen’s strategic judgment and takes responsibility for stabilizing Alola’s vulnerable islands.
• Zinnia has grown physically and emotionally since her previous appearance. She remains proud, adventurous, and eager to prove herself, but ultimately agrees to stay behind when Xia Chen gives her the responsibility of protecting Lillie.
• Rayquaza returns as Xia Chen’s powerful ally. Despite its aloof, teasing attitude, it clearly values its relationship with him and is eager to face a worthy opponent.
• Lillie shows growing maturity and dedication as she understands Xia Chen’s indirect request and treats caring for Zinnia as an important assignment.
• Sylveon and Gardevoir display strong devotion and determination, wanting to continue fighting despite severe exhaustion. Their willingness to sacrifice themselves contrasts with Xia Chen’s insistence on responsible battle management.
• Zeraora has undergone a major power increase through the Speed Force and can now fly, revealing another dramatic evolution in its abilities and confirming its growing importance to Xia Chen’s team.

Significant Themes

• Treating the cause rather than the symptoms: Xia Chen recognizes that defeating individual Ultra Beasts will never end the crisis while the Ultra Wormhole remains open.
• Leadership and responsibility: Characters must divide their roles—some fight, some coordinate defenses, and others protect those who cannot enter the battlefield.
• Trust and friendship with Legendary Pokémon: Rayquaza’s return emphasizes the unusual bonds Xia Chen has formed with powerful Legendary Pokémon, who possess distinct personalities beneath their intimidating status.
• Growth through responsibility: Zinnia and Lillie are both given roles suited to their abilities, allowing them to contribute without recklessly entering combat.
• The cost of battle: The exhaustion of Sylveon, Gardevoir, Milotic, and Zeraora highlights the physical and mental strain of the prolonged Ultra Beast invasion.
• Humor amid crisis: Xia Chen’s jokes about “cheats,” Rayquaza’s pride, and the awkward interactions among the characters lighten the otherwise serious emergency.

Important Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Lusamine discuss Zeraora’s sudden strength and later debate how best to respond to the island crisis.
• Xia Chen reunites warmly with Zinnia, balancing affection with stern concern for her safety.
• Xia Chen and Rayquaza exchange teasing remarks that reveal their longstanding friendship and Rayquaza’s slightly tsundere personality.
• Xia Chen manipulates the situation so Zinnia will willingly remain behind to protect Lillie, while Lillie understands his true intention.
• Xia Chen comforts and cares for the exhausted Sylveon and Gardevoir, but firmly refuses to let them resume fighting before they recover.
• The gathered Pokémon react with surprise to Zeraora’s newfound ability to fly, while Sylveon and Gardevoir realize that she has joined Xia Chen’s team.

Chapter Summary: “Journey to the Ultra World!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Chen assigns Zeraora the main role in stopping the Ultra Beasts, giving it permission to expend as much energy as necessary and recharge by draining electricity from Xurkitree.
• Zeraora immediately proves its strength by punching a Guzzlord back through the Ultra Wormhole, astonishing Sylveon, Gardevoir, and Milotic.
• With Zeraora’s support and Rayquaza’s power, the number of Ultra Beasts entering Alola is drastically reduced. Zeraora becomes especially effective by repeatedly draining Xurkitree for energy and sending multiple Ultra Beasts back through the rift.
• During battle, Zeraora experiments with new Speed Force abilities:
  • It creates highly efficient, localized shields that use less energy than Protect.
  • It develops Kinetic Absorption, a technique that steals an opponent’s kinetic energy, greatly increasing Zeraora’s speed while slowing the target. Zeraora considers combining it with Electro Ball for devastating attacks.
• Zeraora grows increasingly enthusiastic and even joins Rayquaza’s side of the battlefield to fight more opponents.
• As fewer Ultra Beasts emerge, Xia Chen realizes the Ultra Wormhole may be close to disappearing. He decides to enter it before the opportunity is lost.
• Xia Chen sends Koraidon to retrieve Deoxys, then prepares for the journey by recalling his other Pokémon to avoid them being separated during passage through the wormhole. He keeps Koraidon, Deoxys, and Zeraora with him.
• Xia Chen and Koraidon enter the Ultra Wormhole. Rayquaza remains behind to help finish containing the Ultra Beasts in Alola.
• Less than ten minutes later, the wormhole vanishes without warning. Alola is largely brought under control, though the full casualties and economic damage remain unknown. People worldwide celebrate—while several individuals at Aether Paradise are shocked that Xia Chen disappeared with the rift.

Character Developments

• Zeraora gains confidence and demonstrates that it has fully recovered from its injuries. Its battle performance establishes it as one of Xia Chen’s strongest Legendary Pokémon.
• Zeraora advances its mastery of Speed Force, increasing its energy reserves by roughly one-third and discovering powerful new applications for defense and speed manipulation.
• Xia Chen shows strong tactical awareness and confidence in Zeraora. He also makes a decisive choice to prioritize exploring the Ultra World, trusting Rayquaza and other reinforcements to handle the remaining crisis.
• Sylveon remains protective of her status and playfully questions why Zeraora would willingly follow Xia Chen, though she is impressed by Zeraora’s strength.
• Gardevoir acts as a mediator, redirecting Sylveon and Xia Chen’s teasing toward practical concerns about Zeraora’s condition.
• Rayquaza accepts responsibility for defending Alola after Xia Chen leaves. Though it disguises its concern as worry for Milotic, its farewell reveals genuine care for Xia Chen and the group.
• Koraidon continues to serve as Xia Chen’s reliable mount and combat partner, retrieving Deoxys and carrying Xia Chen into the wormhole.
• Deoxys is selected as an essential companion for surviving and navigating the unknown Ultra World.

Significant Themes

• Trust and partnership: Xia Chen’s confidence in Zeraora allows it to operate independently and reach its full potential.
• Growth through experimentation: Zeraora turns a battlefield into an opportunity to study and refine Speed Force, developing abilities beyond conventional Pokémon moves.
• Strategic cooperation: The crisis is controlled not by one Pokémon alone, but through the combined efforts of Zeraora, Rayquaza, Koraidon, trainers, the Alola League, and the Aether Foundation.
• Risk and exploration: Xia Chen chooses to enter the Ultra World despite unresolved dangers in Alola, demonstrating his willingness to pursue knowledge and confront uncertainty.
• Hidden emotional bonds: Characters often mask affection or concern with teasing, sarcasm, or practical excuses, particularly in the exchanges between Xia Chen, Sylveon, Rayquaza, and Milotic.
• Consequences of catastrophe: Although the immediate invasion is contained, the chapter acknowledges the serious human, Pokémon, and economic damage caused by the Ultra Beasts.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chen and Sylveon exchange playful insults over Zeraora’s loyalty and strength, with Sylveon accusing him of being undeserving of Legendary Pokémon.
• Gardevoir interrupts their bickering by asking whether Zeraora is truly ready to fight after recovering from its injuries.
• Xia Chen points out Zeraora’s successful attack on Guzzlord as proof that it is fully capable.
• Zeraora and Rayquaza cooperate effectively, with Zeraora even taking opponents from Rayquaza without causing conflict.
• Xia Chen asks Rayquaza whether it wants to visit the Ultra World; Rayquaza declines because it cannot leave Hoenn for long but promises to protect Alola.
• Rayquaza awkwardly tells Xia Chen to be careful, then claims it is only concerned about Milotic, exposing its concealed affection.
• Xia Chen entrusts the remaining defense of Alola to Rayquaza, Cynthia, Caitlin, and the other reinforcements before departing with Koraidon and Deoxys.

Chapter Summary: “Ultra Megalopolis!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Xia Chen disappears into an Ultra Wormhole, Steven, Wallace, Lusamine, Cynthia, Caitlin, and others discuss his situation. They learn that the wormhole cannot be reopened from Lusamine’s side for at least six months because of the enormous energy required.
• Lusamine admits that she does not know all the conditions for reopening an Ultra Wormhole, though she believes the Ultra World itself may provide another method.
• Cynthia and Caitlin are especially concerned because of their close relationships with Xia Chen, while Lusamine is frustrated that Xia Chen reached the Ultra World before taking her with him.
• Xia Chen arrives safely in the Ultra World with Koraidon and his Pokémon. He discovers that the world is almost completely dark, barren, and environmentally ruined.
• He decides to search for Ultra Megalopolis, a technologically advanced city that might contain maps, information about the Ultra World, clues about his parents and Lillie’s father, and a way to obtain a Kartana capable of cutting open Ultra Wormholes.
• Volcarona contacts “Light,” who reveals that Volcarona’s projection in the Ultra World has merged with it. As a result, Volcarona has become an incomplete “sun god” and may be connected to restoring light to the world.
• Light guides Xia Chen toward Ultra Megalopolis, located roughly 6,000 kilometers northwest. Xia Chen travels there by riding Koraidon, taking more than half a day while conserving energy.
• Along the journey, Xia Chen observes that many Ultra Beasts are either lifeless and weakened or violently savage. Koraidon theorizes that the aggressive creatures have been mentally corrupted by a powerful force.
• Light explains that this force is “[Dark],” an embodiment of negative emotions that corrupts Pokémon minds. Light insists that darkness cannot be completely destroyed because negative emotions are inevitable, but positive emotions allow Light to endure as well.
• Xia Chen eventually reaches Ultra Megalopolis, a brilliantly illuminated cyberpunk-like city powered by the enormous Ultra Megalopolis Tower. The tower functions as an artificial sun and resembles the Plasma Spark Tower from Ultraman. Xia Chen wonders whether Ultra Necrozma is still imprisoned within it.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen remains practical and goal-oriented. Rather than immediately attempting to save the entire Ultra World, he defines his limited objectives: gather information, find a guide, locate a Kartana, and return home.
• Caitlin shows strong concern for Xia Chen and immediately focuses on whether he can be rescued. Her normally calm demeanor becomes sharper and more urgent.
• Cynthia demonstrates her usual logical composure, organizing the available information and accurately summarizing that Xia Chen may have to find a way back by himself.
• Lusamine becomes more honest after deciding to turn herself in. She reveals the limitations of her knowledge and admits that she may be unable to reopen the wormhole.
• Koraidon displays strong observational and analytical instincts by identifying the savage Ultra Beasts as victims of mental corruption rather than merely naturally violent creatures.
• Volcarona learns that its bond with Light has transformed its role in the Ultra World. It initially feels discouraged by the overwhelming darkness, but Light encourages it by presenting their relationship as one of inherited purpose and shared responsibility.
• Light is revealed to be an active, intelligent presence rather than merely an abstract force. It is sarcastic toward Volcarona but also supportive, encouraging it to believe in its role as an inheritor of light.

Significant Themes

• Isolation and rescue: Xia Chen is stranded in a dangerous alternate world, while his companions are left behind with no immediate way to reach him.
• Light versus darkness: The ruined Ultra World reflects the conflict between Light and Dark, with each tied to the emotional nature of Pokémon and the world itself.
• Positive and negative emotions: Darkness cannot simply be erased because it is born from negative emotions, but Light likewise persists as long as hope and positive emotions remain.
• Practical responsibility versus grand destiny: Xia Chen tries to avoid becoming responsible for saving the entire world, yet his connection to Volcarona and Light gradually places him near a much larger conflict.
• Exploration and survival: The chapter emphasizes discovery, navigation, adaptation, and the struggle to survive in an unfamiliar environment.
• Technological hope: Ultra Megalopolis represents civilization’s attempt to resist environmental collapse through technology, making it a symbol of endurance in a dying world.

Character Interactions

• Caitlin questions Lusamine directly about reaching the Ultra World, while Cynthia calmly interprets Lusamine’s answers and clarifies the apparent lack of options.
• Xia Chen relies on Volcarona for information about the Ultra World, and Volcarona in turn communicates with Light.
• Light teases Volcarona for its lack of understanding but explains its transformation and encourages it emotionally.
• Xia Chen and Koraidon discuss the condition of the Ultra World and the behavior of its Ultra Beasts, with Koraidon providing the key insight about mental corruption.
• The chapter ends with Xia Chen arriving at Ultra Megalopolis, setting up an encounter with the city’s inhabitants, technology, and possibly Ultra Necrozma.

Chapter Summary: “Get Rid of Ultra Necrozma!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Chen and Koraidon approach Ultra Megalopolis. An alarm sounds, and an Ultra Defense Team surrounds them on flying motorcycle-like vehicles.
• Because of the language barrier, Xia initially cannot communicate with the Metropolis residents. The squad’s captain, Mi Ling, suspects he may be a human from another world.
• Mi Ling uses an Alolan greeting, “Aloha,” to establish goodwill. Xia responds and then uses Telepathy to explain that he is searching for a relative who came to this world.
• Xia offers to help the people of Ultra Megalopolis with their Ultra Beast problem. Mi Ling escorts him into a building on the city’s outskirts.
• Inside, Xia discovers that the Metropolis contains very few Pokémon. The Poipole he sees are calm but weak, leading him to wonder whether stronger Ultra Beasts suffer more severe mental corruption.
• Mi Ling brings Xia into the Origin Realm, a virtual world created by Ultra Megalopolis’s technology. The system removes the communication barrier and recreates the beautiful world that existed before its light disappeared.
• Mi Ling explains that Necrozma once depended on light as an energy source. After a mysterious “Sun-Eating Hound” event over a century earlier, the world’s light began vanishing, Necrozma became increasingly violent, and even normally gentle Ultra Beasts were corrupted.
• Humanity was forced into the increasingly isolated Ultra Megalopolis, which became their final refuge.
• Mi Ling strongly implies that Xia should help defeat or cure Ultra Necrozma. Xia privately considers this absurd and insists on discussing more practical matters.
• Xia requests a map of the Ultra World, information about where Kartana gather, and details about several people from his own world.
• In exchange, he offers Ultra Balls, explaining that they can help capture and control Ultra Beasts. Mi Ling recognizes their importance and promises to report the offer to the Metropolis council.
• The two leave the virtual world, with Mi Ling preparing to take Xia to Megalopolis Tower.

Character Developments

• Xia Chen remains calm and observant under threat. Rather than surrendering or provoking the Ultra Defense Team, he studies their behavior and looks for a mutually beneficial solution.
• He demonstrates diplomatic skill by using Telepathy, responding to Mi Ling’s greeting, and offering help instead of demanding assistance.
• Xia shows practical judgment: although he sympathizes with Ultra Megalopolis, he refuses to accept the unrealistic expectation that he should immediately defeat Ultra Necrozma.
• His curiosity about technology, Pokémon behavior, and the Metropolis’s history becomes more prominent.
• Mi Ling develops from a suspicious military captain into a cooperative intermediary. She recognizes Xia’s unusual origins, tests his intentions, and begins treating him as a potential ally.
• Mi Ling also reveals her personal investment in restoring her world, showing disappointment when Xia does not immediately agree to confront Necrozma.

Significant Themes

• Communication and diplomacy: Despite the language barrier, gestures, shared greetings, Telepathy, and advanced technology allow Xia and Mi Ling to form a tentative alliance.
• Mutual exchange rather than charity: Xia seeks information and assistance but offers Ultra Balls in return, establishing cooperation based on shared interests.
• Environmental and societal collapse: The loss of light has transformed the Ultra World, corrupted Pokémon, weakened humanity’s position, and reduced a once-beautiful world to a single surviving city.
• Technology as both preservation and adaptation: Ultra Megalopolis uses advanced technology to recreate its lost environment and communicate across languages, while Xia’s simpler Ultra Balls may provide a new way to manage Ultra Beasts.
• The contrast between humans and Pokémon: The Metropolis views Ultra Beasts largely as enemies or tools, unlike Xia’s world, where humans and Pokémon are increasingly associated with partnership and coexistence.
• Mystery and responsibility: The Sun-Eating Hound event and Necrozma’s transformation remain unexplained, suggesting that restoring the world’s light will require uncovering the past as well as confronting its consequences.

Character Interactions

• Xia and the Ultra Defense Team initially face one another warily, but Mi Ling’s “Aloha” and Xia’s response reduce the tension.
• Through Telepathy, Xia explains his mission and offers assistance; Mi Ling responds by inviting him into the city rather than treating him as a threat.
• In the Origin Realm, Mi Ling acts as both guide and historian, explaining Ultra Megalopolis’s tragedy while hoping Xia may solve it.
• Xia challenges Mi Ling’s expectations by redirecting the conversation from defeating Necrozma to concrete requests.
• Their negotiation over the Ultra Balls marks the beginning of a practical alliance: Xia receives access to information, while Mi Ling gains a potentially valuable tool for defending the Metropolis.