Chapter Summaries

Luo Chen’s remote internet cafe gained its first customer when Cynthia and Garchomp took shelter from the rain, and Cynthia recognized a mysterious Pokémon from her research in the cafe’s game trailer. She began livestreaming Pokémon: Ultimate Emerald to learn more, while a viewer on Blue Star discovered her stream.

• Luo Chen waited in his mountain internet cafe for a customer until Cynthia and Garchomp arrived seeking shelter from a rainstorm.
• Cynthia apologized for entering and accepted Luo Chen’s offer of towels and hot water.
• Cynthia watched the Pokémon: Ultimate Emerald trailer and recognized a mysterious figure that matched the Pokémon on her ancient stone tablet.
• Luo Chen told Cynthia the cafe was free to use if she livestreamed, and she agreed to play the game.
• A young man on Blue Star noticed Cynthia’s new livestream and clicked into it.

Cynthia streamed herself playing Ultimate Emerald, mistook the viewers’ disbelief for unfamiliar regional slang, and chose the hidden Insane Mode after learning it could reveal more of the game. The game restarted, and she faced a level 13 Poochyena with her level 8 Torchic.

• Cynthia asked Luo Chen what cosplay meant, then told the viewers she was the real Cynthia, but they assumed she was acting.
• Cynthia began Ultimate Emerald, studied an unfamiliar Rattata, chose Torchic, and defeated her rival.
• Cynthia noticed the game’s Pokémon had detailed animations and Pokédex entries, while the chat urged her to try Insane Mode.
• Cynthia asked Luo Chen what rocket spamming meant and whether Insane Mode would reveal more of the game, then activated the hidden difficulty.
• Cynthia entered a rematch against a Poochyena and saw that it was level 13, far higher than she expected.

Cynthia overcame the Shorts Kid in Insane Mode by grinding Torchic to level 12, then learned about Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes as she explored the game. At the end, an Ultra Wormhole appeared in the forest, and a shadow suddenly burst from it toward her.

• Cynthia repeatedly lost to the Shorts Kid’s Poochyena, trained Torchic to level 12, and then won the battle.
• A viewer named Red's Pikachu gifted Cynthia a Super Rocket, and she thanked the viewer while telling the chat she did not need gifts.
• Cynthia encountered Buzzwole and heard Blue explain that Ultra Beasts came through Ultra Wormholes appearing across Hoenn.
• Cynthia found a Chansey discussing Hidden Abilities, then learned Torchic could not level up further without another Gym Badge.
• Cynthia reached a huge Ultra Wormhole in the forest and began sketching it before a shadow shot out of the opening toward her.

Cynthia explored Petalburg Woods, caught Shroomish, and taught it Bullet Seed before challenging the Rustboro Gym. Her type advantage seemed to secure an easy victory, but Roxanne’s Skiddo absorbed every hit and gained five Attack boosts.

• Gladion rescued Cynthia’s character from an Ultra Beast at an Ultra Wormhole and warned her to stay away.
• Cynthia reached Petalburg City, learned Norman’s battle rules, and helped Wally catch a Ralts.
• Cynthia battled through Petalburg Woods, defeated a Team Aqua Grunt who stole a Devon employee’s package, and caught a rare Shroomish.
• Cynthia obtained Bullet Seed and taught it to Shroomish before heading to Rustboro City.
• Cynthia defeated a Hiker’s Geodude with Shroomish and began her Gym battle against Roxanne.
• Roxanne switched from Carracosta to Skiddo, whose Sap Sipper absorbed Shroomish’s five Bullet Seed hits and raised its Attack five stages.

Cynthia trained Dottler to counter the Rustboro Gym’s overpowered Pokémon, but her livestream ended before she could challenge the Gym. After she left the Origin Internet Cafe, Luo Chen received a new facility and encountered a Litwick in the mountain forest, unaware that a strange shadow was following him.

• After Skiddo defeated Cynthia’s team, chat recommended Blipbug, and Cynthia caught one near Petalburg Woods.
• Blipbug evolved into Dottler at level 10 and learned Light Screen and Reflect, so Cynthia trained Dottler and Shroomish before heading back to the Gym.
• Cynthia’s screen went black as she entered the Gym, and she discovered that her livestream session had ended and earned an archaeology expert Ability.
• Cynthia told Luo Chen she would return tomorrow, and he explained how she could use the Origin Internet Cafe door to travel there from elsewhere.
• Luo Chen completed his first business mission, received a Berry Drink Cooler, and gathered Berries in the forest.
• Luo Chen left a Pecha Berry for a wary Litwick, while a shadow with scarlet eyes appeared and followed him toward the internet cafe.

Luo Chen tested Berry recipes in the cold drink dispenser, then discovered his internet café system had copied and upgraded an ability Cynthia gained during her visit. Cynthia realized the ability let her read ancient writing in reality and decided to return to Mount Coronet to pursue the figure from her childhood memories.

• Luo Chen crafted Oran Berry Juice, Pecha Special Soda, and Scale Berry Hot Drink, each with different effects.
• Luo Chen closed the internet café and received Emotion Points, Building Points, and the Archaeology Master (A) ability copied from Cynthia’s archaeology expert ability.
• Cynthia spoke with Matsumoto Xia, who told her the League had approved her application to explore Mount Coronet’s restricted area.
• Cynthia recalled seeing a mysterious figure rescue her in the ruins when she was seven and connected it to the silhouette from the game and her stone tablet.
• Cynthia discovered she could understand ancient writing in reality and canceled Garchomp’s morning training to return to Mount Coronet.

A mysterious shadow failed to enter Luo Chen’s internet cafe while a world-line event began in the background, and a purple embryo in a Kanto laboratory stirred. The next morning, Cynthia returned to the cafe, where Berry Soda revived her and unexpectedly strengthened her Garchomp.

• A shadow tested the barriers around Luo Chen’s internet cafe, then left as the system reported a world-line shift at 1% progress.
• A researcher marked the eighteenth X-23 Artificial Pokémon cultivation attempt a failure, unaware that the purple embryo had begun to tremble.
• Luo Chen received a quest requiring five hours of customer internet time and two customers, and learned that his business could advance special world events.
• Cynthia returned after traveling through the night, and Luo Chen gave her two hours of computer time and a can of Berry Soda.
• Cynthia drank the Berry Soda and recovered from her fatigue, while Garchomp drank a gifted can and sensed that it had grown stronger.
• Garchomp reacted warily as Luo Chen praised its abilities and muttered about its battle builds and shortcomings.

Cynthia streamed again and battled Roxanne in Rustboro Gym, learning to counter Carracosta’s Shell Smash with a double switch and Reflect. After defeating Skiddo and Carracosta, she faced Roxanne’s Archen and was shocked when its Peck nearly knocked out Torchic.

• Cynthia resumed her livestream, loaded her save, and challenged Roxanne again after Carracosta had swept her team with Shell Smash.
• Cynthia led with Shroomish, then switched to Dottler as Roxanne switched Carracosta for Skiddo, creating a chance to set Reflect and defeat Skiddo with Struggle Bug.
• Cynthia switched Dottler for Shroomish when Roxanne sent Carracosta back in, baited a Shell Smash, and knocked Carracosta out with Bullet Seed despite its Sturdy ability.
• Roxanne sent out Archen, which knocked out the weakened Shroomish with a Choice Band-boosted Peck.
• Cynthia sent out Torchic, but Archen’s next Peck left Torchic with only a sliver of health, leaving Cynthia stunned by its damage.

Cynthia repeatedly challenged Roxanne and used careful damage calculations, status effects, and precise timing to defeat her Insane Mode team with her original three Pokémon. She won the battle by poisoning Archen, surviving its weakened attack with Torchic, and finishing it with a Blaze-boosted Ember.

• Cynthia analyzed Archen’s damage and learned from chat about Choice Band, stats, abilities, and status conditions before deciding to challenge Roxanne again without catching new Pokémon.
• Cynthia gave Dottler’s Oran Berry to Torchic, then used Dottler’s Swarm-boosted Struggle Bug to one-shot Skiddo before Dottler fell to Carracosta.
• Cynthia used Shroomish’s Bullet Seed to defeat Shell Smash-boosted Carracosta, then repeatedly reloaded after Archen knocked Shroomish out until Effect Spore poisoned Archen.
• Cynthia sent in Torchic, whose Oran Berry activated after Peck, and used Ember while poison reduced Archen’s HP below half and triggered Defeatist.
• Torchic survived Archen’s weakened Peck with 3 HP, activated Blaze, and struck Archen with Ember; poison then made Archen faint and Cynthia defeated Roxanne.

Cynthia cleared the Rustboro Gym, evolved Torchic into Combusken, and defeated Paul after learning how to counter his boosted Makuhita. She continued through the story and found a mysterious stone in Petalburg Woods.

• Cynthia defeated Roxanne using careful switching, Reflect, and poison damage, then received the Stone Badge and Cut TM as her Pokémon gained levels.
• Torchic evolved into Combusken and learned Double Kick, and Cynthia continued the story by recovering Devon Corporation's stolen goods and obtaining an experience-sharing device.
• Paul challenged Cynthia, whose Dottler and Combusken were knocked out by Makuhita's boosted attacks; Cynthia learned about Guts and caught Poochyena and Diglett to counter his team.
• Cynthia evolved Poochyena into Mightyena, used Intimidate, Growl, and Reflect to weaken Makuhita, then defeated Paul's team with Combusken and Diglett.
• Cynthia criticized Paul's treatment of Pokémon, used Cut to enter deeper into Petalburg Woods, and found a transparent stone marked with red and yellow patterns.

While playing Pokémon, Cynthia caught a Shiny Feebas and learned it could evolve into Milotic, prompting her to consider the Feebas she had raised at home. In Granite Cave, she got lost before discovering that she could understand a Braille inscription warning that something lay sealed ahead.

• Cynthia found a Scizorite and learned from the chat about Mega Evolution and the Key Stone needed to use it.
• Cynthia caught a Shiny Feebas while fishing in Dewford Town and learned that Feebas could evolve into Milotic through Beauty.
• Cynthia entered Granite Cave, defeated wild Pokémon, and admitted she had gotten lost before following the chat's directions to reach a deeper level.
• Cynthia read a Braille inscription aloud as a warning not to proceed toward something sealed for eternity, and the chat reacted with disbelief.

Cynthia explored Granite Cave, where a braille warning, Steven, and a Team Rocket Grunt connected a sealed Eternal Being to a legend Steven was investigating. After preparing her team, she challenged Brawly and discovered his Combusken could use Speed Boost, an Ability she had not expected.

• Cynthia found a braille tablet warning that an Eternal Being lay sealed ahead, but she could not reach another tablet above it without a bicycle.
• Cynthia encountered Steven and a Team Rocket Grunt in Granite Cave; the Grunt fled after Steven confronted him about breaking a seal.
• Steven gave Cynthia a Mystery Voucher and said he was investigating ancient ruins and a mineral-bodied being.
• Cynthia trained her team to level 22, healed and arranged her Pokémon, then entered Dewford Gym and defeated two Trainers on the way to Brawly.
• Brawly sent out a level 22 Combusken, which boosted its Attack with Swords Dance and then activated Speed Boost, surprising Cynthia.

Cynthia struggled against Brawly’s Combusken and Hariyama, whose Speed Boost, Swords Dance, Baton Pass, Focus Sash, and Flame Orb overwhelmed her team. After several failed attempts, a viewer’s hint about Baton Pass transferring negative statuses gave her a possible way to turn the battle around.

• Cynthia learned from chat that Brawly’s Combusken had Speed Boost, then watched it pass its Swords Dance and Speed boosts to a Flame Orb Hariyama that swept her team.
• Cynthia reloaded and tried leading with her Combusken’s Aerial Ace, but the opposing Combusken survived with Focus Sash and Baton Passed its boosts to Hariyama, which defeated her Combusken.
• Cynthia reloaded again and led with Diglett, hoping Arena Trap would prevent Baton Pass, but Combusken passed its boosts anyway, and Diglett’s Magnitude 1 barely hurt Hariyama.
• As Cynthia considered giving her Combusken a Quick Claw, Red's Pikachu reminded her that Baton Pass also transferred negative statuses and stat drops.
• Cynthia realized the hint could provide a way to counter Brawly’s strategy.

Cynthia countered Brawly's Baton Pass strategy by repeatedly switching Mightyena in to lower Hariyama's Attack, then defeated Hariyama at the cost of Feebas. Brawly sent out Gurdurr, which struck Mightyena down with Mach Punch and revealed that it also carried a Flame Orb.

• Cynthia switched between Dottler and Mightyena to cancel Combusken's Swords Dance boosts with Intimidate, preventing Hariyama from receiving a dangerous Attack boost.
• Cynthia sacrificed Feebas to bring Mightyena back in and lower Hariyama's Attack again.
• Mightyena endured Hariyama's Force Palm attacks, used Crunch, and defeated it before fainting.
• Brawly sent out Gurdurr, which moved first with Mach Punch and knocked out Mightyena.
• Cynthia saw Gurdurr's Flame Orb activate and realized Brawly's Fighting-types also used Flame Orb and Guts.

Cynthia defeated Brawly in her second Gym battle, earned the Knuckle Badge and a Bulk Up TM, and learned more about Abilities from the viewers. Her two-hour stream then ended, and the settlement awarded her four internet café points and a blue gift blind box.

• Cynthia used Diglett to defeat Gurdurr and Combusken, winning her battle against Brawly.
• Brawly awarded Cynthia the Knuckle Badge and TM08 Bulk Up, prompting her to complain to the viewers about the move.
• Cynthia asked the viewers how to obtain Hidden Abilities, learned about Dream Balls and Ability Capsules, and recorded their advice in her notebook.
• Cynthia left the Gym to continue toward the next city, but her screen went black when her two-hour session ended.
• Cynthia received a session rating of C, four internet café points, and a blue internet café gift blind box.

Cynthia received a Rare Candy and a Damaged Treasure Map Fragment after her online session, and learned that livestream viewers and interaction influenced her rating and online time. Back at the internet café, she found Garchomp comfortably letting Luo Chen groom his scales.

• Cynthia opened a Blue Blind Box and received a Rare Candy, which she put away for Roserade.
• Cynthia learned that her rating depended on game progress, gifts, and comments, with livestream viewers carrying the greatest weight.
• Cynthia received a Damaged Treasure Map Fragment and learned that collecting three fragments would reveal a treasure's location.
• Cynthia returned from her session and saw Garchomp relaxing while Luo Chen groomed his scales with a plastic comb.

After Cynthia finished her session, Luo Chen asked her to recommend the internet cafe to her friends, and she agreed. Back home, Cynthia considered whom to invite and settled on Lance, who was dealing with Team Rocket.

• Cynthia told Luo Chen she had enjoyed the internet cafe and asked him to thank the game’s creator.
• Luo Chen asked Cynthia to recommend the cafe to her friends, and she agreed to introduce it to them.
• Luo Chen teased Garchomp about returning to tell him of his later success at the Paldea Conference, and Garchomp tried to hide his excitement.
• Cynthia returned to her villa at Little Wave Bay and considered which friends might have a reason to visit the cafe.
• When Lance messaged her, Cynthia remembered he was troubled by the effort to clear out Team Rocket and saw him as a suitable candidate.

Cynthia told Lance that an internet café had revealed extraordinary information about Team Rocket, Team Aqua, and other threats, so he set out for its location on Mount Coronet. Back at her villa, Roserade’s candy from the café dramatically increased his strength, leaving Glaceon protesting as Roserade ate the rest.

• Lance complained to Cynthia that his investigation of Team Rocket had stalled and said Team Aqua was also emerging in Hoenn.
• Cynthia told Lance the internet café had given her the ability to read ancient writing and had shown her information about Team Rocket, Team Aqua, Ultra Wormholes, and Ultra Beasts.
• After hearing that Cynthia had encountered Team Aqua in the game, Lance decided to travel to the café’s coordinates in the Sinnoh region.
• Cynthia returned to her villa, greeted Glaceon and Roserade, and offered Roserade the blue candy she had brought back.
• Roserade ate half the candy and surged toward the upper ranks of the Champion tier, then teased Glaceon by eating the other half as Glaceon protested.

Cynthia considered the candy that had boosted Roserade and wondered about returning to the internet café, then reflected on whether Feebas wanted to evolve and join her. Meanwhile, Luo Chen gathered Berries on Mount Coronet and met Litwick again, but Litwick fled in fear as a terrifying shadow appeared behind him.

• Cynthia promised Glaceon she would try to get him a candy after Roserade's half candy had pushed Roserade to the uppermost Champion tier.
• Cynthia visited the pond and asked Feebas whether he wanted to become beautiful and strong, then left without realizing he longed to join her.
• After Cynthia left, Feebas endured the other Pokémon's rejection and repeatedly struck himself against a rock to practice becoming stronger.
• Luo Chen gathered unfamiliar Berries on Mount Coronet and encountered the Litwick he had fed the previous day.
• Litwick dropped the Berry and fled into the bushes, and Luo Chen turned to find a terrifying black shadow behind him.

Luo Chen used a vision of a black shadow’s past to discover that returning a stolen gold coin could free it from a seal’s pressure, then made several drinks with unusual effects. The chapter ended when a white Thunder Sprite Mega Gengar appeared outside his internet café.

• Luo Chen saw a vision of an old man and a Gardevoir sealing a cave with a gold coin, then realized the black shadow had taken that coin.
• Luo Chen told the shadow to return the coin, and it vanished with the coin after recognizing it.
• Luo Chen returned to his internet café and made drinks that included one that improved vision and another that let a human hear thoughts and understand any language.
• Luo Chen went to answer a disturbance outside and found a white Thunder Sprite Mega Gengar instead of the people Cynthia had called.