Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Nae-chan’s Past, the Witch of Hoenn”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xingye and Lillie defeat Wallace and Winona in a fierce Double Battle. Their strategy involves Koraidon batting Scream Tail through the air, using Scream Tail’s Fairy/Psychic typing to absorb the attacks while Koraidon provides the damage.
• Xingye and Lillie successfully knock Mega Swampert and Mega Altaria into the dried pool, earning victory through clever coordination rather than brute force.
• Xingye publicly declares that he will represent Alola and win the next World Championships. He also reveals that the Alolan Pokémon League is already being established, with its headquarters planned for Mount Lanakila.
• Wallace and Winona award Xingye and Lillie the Rain Badge and Feather Badge, acknowledging their victory despite warning that World Championship battles will be even more difficult.
• Lisia attempts to interview Xingye for a livestream. His declaration and the news about Alola’s League generate widespread public attention.
• After the battle, Xingye is surrounded by fans seeking autographs, photographs, and chances to interact with Koraidon. Meanwhile, Nae-chan leads Lillie toward the Sootopolis Shrine.
• Inside the shrine, Lillie and Nae-chan meet Lisia and Ruri. They discuss Alola, the coming Pokémon League, Pokémon Contests, and rumors about Xingye’s position in the Aether Foundation.
• Lisia explains the history of the Sootopolis People and recounts a disastrous event from twenty years earlier involving the mysterious “Witch of Hoenn.”
• The witch allegedly attacked Sootopolis Shrine to steal a sacred object, defeated Juan—the future Gym Leader and Wallace’s teacher—and later battled the legendary Groudon in the Cave of Origin before escaping badly injured.
• As Lisia describes the witch, Nae-chan reacts with unusual interest. Lillie connects the story with clues from Nae-chan’s past and quietly concludes that Nae-chan was likely the Witch of Hoenn.

Character Developments

• Xingye demonstrates that he has become a genuinely formidable trainer, capable of defeating an Elite-level opponent such as Wallace through tactical planning. His ambition grows more public and confident as he announces his intention to win the World Championships.
• Lillie proves herself a capable battle partner and begins to understand more about Nae-chan’s hidden history. She also becomes more socially comfortable while speaking with Lisia and Ruri.
• Koraidon is shown to be energetic, affectionate, and eager to battle after a long absence. Its playful behavior contrasts with Miraidon’s calmer nature.
• Nae-chan remains mysterious and unusually composed. She guides the others to the shrine, notices a Shiny Clefairy, and shows signs of recognizing or being connected to the shrine’s history.
• Lisia is portrayed as outgoing, curious, and fascinated by both Alola and the legendary Witch of Hoenn. Her lighthearted attitude allows her to discuss a frightening historical tragedy without being overwhelmed by it.
• Wallace and Winona accept their defeat gracefully and recognize Xingye and Lillie’s strategic skill, while Wallace also encourages Xingye to challenge the established World Championship leaders.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over raw power: Xingye’s victory depends on preparation, prediction, and clever use of Pokémon abilities and typings.
• Ambition and public identity: Xingye openly announces his goals, signaling his transition from rising trainer to major public contender.
• The creation of a new era: The coming Alolan Pokémon League represents regional growth and Alola’s increasing importance in the Pokémon world.
• Hidden history and unresolved trauma: Sootopolis still carries the memory of the Witch of Hoenn, whose attack destroyed the shrine and left the city traumatized.
• Identity and buried secrets: The chapter strongly suggests that Nae-chan’s gentle present is connected to a terrifying past as the mysterious witch.
• Myth versus reality: To younger people such as Lisia, the witch has become an intriguing legend, while survivors remember her as a genuine catastrophe.

Character Interactions

• Xingye and Lillie coordinate closely during the battle, with Xingye protecting Lillie afterward and both sharing the victory.
• Wallace and Winona acknowledge the pair’s tactical brilliance and award them their Gym Badges.
• Lisia interviews Xingye and helps publicize both his World Championship declaration and Alola’s upcoming League.
• Xingye interacts awkwardly but patiently with fans while Lillie and Nae-chan explore the shrine.
• Lillie, Lisia, and Ruri quickly become friendly, bonding over Alola, Contests, and the shrine’s history.
• Lisia admires Nae-chan’s extraordinary presence and suggests she would dominate a Pokémon Contest simply by appearing onstage.
• Lisia and Ruri discuss the Witch of Hoenn jokingly, unaware that Lillie suspects the witch is actually Nae-chan.
• The chapter ends with Lillie silently confronting the possibility that Nae-chan’s peaceful identity hides a violent and legendary past.

Plot points and events

• Lillie realizes that Nae-chan is the Witch of Hoenn, blamed for destroying Sootopolis Shrine twenty years earlier. She suspects Nae-chan had a reason, but respects her privacy.
• Nae-chan secretly asks Lillie to keep her away from the arriving Draconid People. Lillie agrees and leaves with her.
• Outside the shrine, Xingye meets Zinnia, the current Lorekeeper of the Draconid People. After a comic encounter in which Koraidon clamps her head in his jaws and she falls asleep, Zinnia gets Xingye’s autograph and asks about his trip to space.
• Nae-chan tells Lillie that the Draconid People worship Rayquaza and choose a Lorekeeper, who is expected to remain confined at Meteor Falls until a prophesied disaster occurs. Nae-chan once opposed this duty, believing it unfair, and admits she made a mistake she could never undo. Before she can explain further, Xingye calls Lillie back to the shrine.
• At the shrine, the group discovers that Zinnia’s Whismur, Aster, is missing. A note claims the “Cosmic Overlord” has kidnapped her and demands that Lillie bring money to an island. Marshadow found the note; Lillie observes that its clumsy handwriting was likely made by a small Pokémon.
• Lillie decides to follow the ransom instructions and act as bait, believing the kidnapper may be connected to her. Zinnia is furious, while Lisia and Ruri try to keep her from acting rashly.

Character developments

• Lillie shows loyalty and trust toward Nae-chan, while also demonstrating sharp observation in identifying the likely author of the ransom note. She willingly takes the risk of meeting the kidnapper.
• Nae-chan reveals the beginnings of her past: she opposed the Lorekeeper’s restrictive life and admits her actions had irreversible consequences. Her reluctance to meet the Draconid People suggests unresolved guilt or conflict.
• Zinnia is introduced as bold, impulsive, and playful, but deeply attached to Aster. Her anger at the kidnapping brings out her protective side.
• Xingye remains practical and protective of Lillie, though he is bemused by the constant trouble surrounding the group.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus duty: The Lorekeeper’s lifelong confinement is challenged as an unjust burden imposed in the name of prophecy.
• Trust and loyalty: Lillie trusts Nae-chan despite her mysterious past and honors her request without demanding an explanation.
• Past actions and consequences: Nae-chan’s admission that she made an irreversible mistake hints that her opposition to Draconid traditions shaped the events of twenty years ago.
• Appearance versus reality: Zinnia’s carefree antics conceal her importance and fierce devotion, while Nae-chan’s calm exterior masks a painful history.

Character interactions

• Lillie and Nae-chan share a private Telepathic exchange, then a more personal conversation beneath the sacred tree.
• Zinnia’s exuberant behavior contrasts with Xingye’s dry humor during their first meeting.
• Xingye, Lillie, Zinnia, Lisia, and Ruri unite around Aster’s disappearance, though they differ in how cautiously to respond.

Plot points and events

• Zinnia’s Whismur is kidnapped by a Pokémon calling itself the “Cosmic Overlord,” which demands that Lillie bring a ransom to a nearby island.
• Lillie goes to the exchange site while Xingye, Zinnia, and others wait nearby. She finds Whismur unconscious in a newly dug cavern, with no kidnapper present.
• A taunting note reveals that the culprit knows Lillie and has teased her before, though she cannot remember who it is.
• The group learns the kidnapping was a diversion: while they were occupied on the island, someone robbed the Cave of Origin. The stolen object is identified as the Green Orb.
• Back at their villa, Nae-chan explains the orbs’ origins and their connection to the ancient conflict between Groudon and Kyogre. Rayquaza ended that disaster by Mega Evolving with the aid of a Rainbow Meteorite and a chosen member of the Draconid People.
• Nae-chan reveals that she holds part of the Rainbow Meteorite’s power inside herself. As a result, Rayquaza cannot Mega Evolve until she returns it. She asks Odd Jobs to help her do so.

Character developments and interactions

• Lillie takes the kidnapping seriously and bravely enters the cavern alone. The note troubles her because it suggests a forgotten history with the prankster. She also grows eager to hear Nae-chan’s story.
• Xingye recognizes that the kidnapping feels suspicious, but initially treats it as a likely prank. He comforts Lillie and cautions her not to share the note, since it could make the group look implicated in the theft.
• Zinnia is deeply protective of Whismur, whom she regards as her most important Pokémon, and joins the response with visible anger.
• Nae-chan appears caring and composed, preparing food for the group, but ultimately reveals a burden she has kept secret and asks for help. Xingye and Lillie trust her rather than suspecting her of the robbery.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Xingye and Lillie commit to helping Nae-chan, even if it brings them into conflict with others.
• Deception and misdirection: The staged kidnapping exploits tensions between the Sootopolis and Draconid peoples to conceal the real theft.
• Power, history, and choice: Groudon and Kyogre’s ancient power caused destruction, while Rayquaza’s bond with a human enabled a different kind of strength.
• Unresolved memory and past ties: The note hints at Lillie’s forgotten connection to the prankster, setting up a mystery beyond the Cave of Origin robbery.

Key plot points and events

• Nae-chan asks Odd Jobs to return the Rainbow Meteorite Fragments to Rayquaza at Sky Pillar. She explains an ancient Draconid prophecy: a disaster will someday come from beyond the sky, and only Rayquaza and the Lorekeeper can stop it.
• Nae-chan warns that Rayquaza will attack her if she approaches. Xingye, Lillie, and their Pokémon readily agree to help, despite the danger. Their trust and support move her deeply.
• The group travels from Sootopolis toward Sky Pillar, while the city remains preoccupied with the theft of the Green Orb. The Sootopolis People quietly suspect Nae-chan but have no proof.
• Using Illusion, Miraidon, and Gengar’s Hypnosis, the group slips past the island’s guards and climbs the ruined tower through violent air currents.
• Murals recount Rayquaza’s ancient battle with Primal Groudon and Kyogre. Nae-chan admits she once tried to claim the Green Orb so she could control the sky and drive Rayquaza away. She also reveals that, twenty years earlier, she fought Groudon for the orb until Kyogre interrupted them.
• At the altar, Nae-chan finally explains her most regretted choice: after abandoning the Green Orb, she came to Sky Pillar intending to steal the Rainbow Meteorite and kill Rayquaza. Rayquaza appears before them, setting up the confrontation.

Character developments and interactions

• Nae-chan begins to face the guilt and painful history she has carried for twenty years. Odd Jobs’ unhesitating willingness to stand by her helps her feel accepted as a trusted companion.
• Xingye and Lillie support Nae-chan while asking questions that gradually uncover her past. Xingye’s humor lightens the mood, while Lillie is especially attentive to Nae-chan’s emotional burden.
• Sprigatito proudly volunteers to take on Rayquaza. Nae-chan reflects that, despite picking up some bad habits, Sprigatito has learned kindness from Odd Jobs and will not repeat Nae-chan’s path.
• Odd Jobs’ Pokémon help the group reach Sky Pillar, underscoring their confidence and teamwork.

Significant themes

• Trust and belonging: Nae-chan’s companions accept the danger of helping her without hesitation.
• Guilt and redemption: She is trying, step by step, to make amends for choices that have haunted her.
• Destiny and responsibility: The Draconid prophecy shapes the Lorekeeper’s role and Nae-chan’s history.
• The past resurfacing: The ancient legends and Nae-chan’s old ambition converge as Rayquaza appears at the altar.

Plot points and events

• At Sky Pillar, Rayquaza attacks Xingye’s group before Lillie can explain their purpose. Odd Jobs fights back as a team: Koraidon, Meowscarada, Diancie, and Zoroark combine their abilities to defeat Rayquaza.
• With Rayquaza subdued, Lillie apologizes and explains that they came to settle what happened twenty years earlier. Nae-chan approaches the dragon and returns the missing Rainbow Meteorite fragments. The pieces reunite with the portion Rayquaza had preserved.
• Just as the group thinks the conflict is over, Nae-chan takes the completed meteorite and absorbs it. She reveals herself as the “Witch,” mocks the group for helping her obtain it, and Mega Evolves. She unleashes overwhelming psychic power, creating miniature black holes and ordering Odd Jobs to escape Sky Pillar alive.
• Xingye and the others flee on Koraidon. Nae-chan remains behind with the unconscious Rayquaza and declares that she will end the legend of the dragon who rules the heavens. Briefly seeming confused and tearful, she soon returns to her manic resolve.
• On the way back to Sootopolis, Xingye and Lillie try to understand Nae-chan’s transformation. They suspect it may be connected to the “Witch of Hoenn” and to Nae-chan’s darkened state, but cannot be sure. They decide to seek answers from the Draconid People, especially Zinnia.
• In Sootopolis, they find Zinnia struggling to barbecue while caring for Whismur, whom she calls Aster. Zinnia explains that the name belonged to someone important from whom she was separated. The group then shares a lighter moment as Xingye agrees to take over the cooking.

Character developments and interactions

• Xingye leads the fight decisively but is deeply shaken by Nae-chan’s betrayal and is determined to save her. He recognizes that her behavior is radically unlike the friend who once helped him.
• Lillie acts as the group’s mediator and healer: she protects Diancie with a Full Restore, urges Xingye to speak gently to Rayquaza, and tries to comfort the group after Nae-chan’s turn.
• Nae-chan shifts from an apologetic friend to a powerful, taunting adversary called the Witch. Her fleeting moment of confusion and tears suggests that her transformation may not be wholly straightforward.
• Rayquaza begins the chapter furious and hostile, but calms when the Rainbow Meteorite is restored—only to be knocked unconscious when Nae-chan uses it.
• Zinnia is introduced as a potential source of information about the Witch. Her affection for Whismur/Aster reveals a personal grief, while her awkward cooking gives the group a brief respite from the crisis.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Nae-chan’s apparent apology becomes a trap, leaving her friends unsure whether she deceived them or was changed by something.
• Identity and hidden selves: The chapter raises the possibility that the Witch is a darker aspect of Nae-chan, though Xingye cannot yet explain the difference.
• Teamwork and loyalty: Odd Jobs defeats Rayquaza through cooperation, and Xingye’s priority after escaping is to rescue Nae-chan.
• Unfinished history: The returned meteorite and references to the events in Sootopolis twenty years earlier show that past wrongdoing continues to shape the present.

Plot and events

• At a barbecue, Xingye tries to comfort Sprigatito, who is heartbroken over Nae-chan’s condition. Sprigatito eventually accepts food and begins to recover a little; Finizen’s attempt to tease it ends with a slap.
• Lillie asks Zinnia about the Witch of Hoenn. Zinnia denies knowing anything, but Whismur’s confused reaction suggests she is hiding something.
• Lillie and Xingye send Marshadow to investigate. At Zinnia’s home, it overhears her admit that the theft of the Green Orb revealed the locations of the other two orbs, which she plans to pursue after the wedding. Whismur tells Marshadow that a Clefairy abducted it and that Zinnia has been acting strangely. Zinnia catches Marshadow before it can learn more.
• Xingye unexpectedly encounters Darkrai in a dream. Darkrai explains that a mysterious, bodiless Negative Energy Aggregate travels through space-time rifts and manipulates people by amplifying their darker impulses. It has appeared in the city, and Giratina has asked Darkrai to investigate.
• Xingye realizes the entity may be responsible for Nae-chan’s condition. Darkrai adds that Volo and an ancient Sinnoh figure created it, leaving Giratina to deal with the consequences. Xingye resolves to seek Giratina’s explanation and save Nae-chan.
• Marshadow reports Zinnia’s plans and Whismur’s story. Xingye checks its status and realizes the same entity may have targeted him.

Character developments and interactions

• Sprigatito remains deeply affected by Nae-chan’s fate, but Xingye’s reassurance and food help it regain some composure. Finizen tries to exploit its low mood and is quickly put in its place.
• Lillie grows more suspicious of Zinnia, while Iron Bundle spots Whismur’s revealing reaction and helps uncover the lie.
• Marshadow shows empathy toward the frightened Whismur, but its investigation ends in danger when Zinnia catches it.
• Zinnia reveals a resentful, secretive side: she mocks the idea of Xingye as a hero and intends to use what she learned about the orbs. Her behavior may be influenced by the Negative Energy Aggregate.
• Darkrai returns as an ally and shares information that gives Xingye a possible explanation for Nae-chan’s condition.

Significant themes

• Hidden darkness and corruption: The entity magnifies suppressed feelings, raising the possibility that characters’ alarming behavior is not entirely their own.
• Heroism and responsibility: Xingye rejects the heroic ideal as a burden, yet continues to take responsibility for protecting others.
• Grief and care: Sprigatito’s response to Nae-chan shows how strongly Pokémon are affected by loss, while companionship and simple kindness offer some comfort.
• The consequences of past actions: Volo’s creation has become a threat others must confront, underscoring how old choices leave new problems behind.

Plot and key events

• On the morning of Wallace and Winona’s wedding, Xingye trains Marshadow, Zoroark, and Finizen. He explains that Marshadow has been mildly corrupted by the Negative Energy Aggregate, which has intensified its ambition and made it more aggressive. He suspects Nae-chan is affected too, more severely, and plans to investigate with Giratina after the wedding.
• Xingye and Lillie discuss the Spirit World and agree that she will accompany him to Mt. Pyre. Lillie also realizes that the Shiny Clefairy she once released may be the “Cosmic Overlord” who stole the Green Orb. She recalls taking Clefairy in as her first Pokémon, then releasing it because she thought it did not want to stay. Xingye suspects Clefairy had manipulated her, though Lillie still hopes to meet it and resolve her lingering guilt.
• At the wedding, Xingye and Lillie mingle with guests, including Zinnia. Zinnia acts absorbed in the free desserts, but privately recognizes their connection to the “little rat” who investigated her the night before. Xingye warns Lillie to watch her, since Zinnia may also be affected by the corruption.
• Wallace and Winona’s elaborate ceremony features a Pokémon performance, Steven as best man, and a bouquet toss. Xingye catches one of the bouquets, which delights Lillie. Wallace later sends word that Steven will support the Alola League’s entry into the Pokémon League Association.
• After the celebration, Xingye and Lillie travel to Lilycove and then Mt. Pyre, where Marshadow opens a passage to the Spirit World. As they approach, a shadow with scarlet eyes appears, and Xingye greets its owner as the “master of the Spirit World.”

Character developments and interactions

• Xingye remains driven and resourceful, treating his ties to Giratina and the Spirit World as practical advantages. He pushes Marshadow to develop a more varied fighting style and keeps moving toward the corruption investigation despite Lillie’s concern for his health.
• Lillie shows greater courage and trust by choosing to enter the Spirit World with Xingye. Her memories of Clefairy reveal both her sheltered nature and her enduring compassion: even after suspecting she was deceived, she wants closure rather than revenge.
• Marshadow is unusually forceful under the corruption’s influence and frustrated by its losses to Zoroark. Its role as guide also confirms that Mt. Pyre offers a direct route to the Spirit World.
• Zinnia appears carefree and food-focused, but her private remark suggests she is alert to Xingye’s scrutiny and may be involved in—or affected by—the growing mystery.
• Xingye and Lillie share affectionate, teasing exchanges and discuss their imagined future wedding. Their closeness contrasts with the dangers and responsibilities shaping their journey.

Significant themes

• Connections and access: Xingye’s relationships with powerful figures let him cross boundaries that others cannot, including the passage into the Spirit World.
• Care, guilt, and forgiveness: Lillie’s conflicted memories of Clefairy show how affection can persist even when trust has been broken.
• Ambition and corruption: The Negative Energy Aggregate amplifies existing desires, raising questions about how power and personality can be distorted.
• Duty versus rest: Xingye’s relentless pursuit of problems worries Lillie, emphasizing the cost of his sense of responsibility.
• Celebration amid danger: The wedding offers joy and romance, while unresolved threats quietly follow the characters into their next journey.

Key plot points

• Giratina lets Xingye and Lillie enter the Spirit World, where the lethal spirit-filled air forces Lillie to protect herself with Aura.
• Spirit World enforcers Dragapult and Annihilape attack Zoroark over a century-old grudge. Gengar and Gholdengo fight them off, while Zoroark confronts the arriving Aegislash.
• Shiny Marshadow—the younger Marshadow’s strict older brother—restrains Zoroark and challenges his sister. With Xingye guiding her through their Aura bond, she learns to fight without relying solely on shadows, drawing on her companions’ techniques.
• When her brother shifts into Full Power Form and attacks Xingye, Marshadow stands between them. Together with Xingye, she uses the Z-Move Seven-Star Soul-Stealing Kick and wins.
• Giratina reveals he arranged the confrontation partly to test the group and resolve Zoroark’s grudge. He appoints Marshadow his representative, granting her authority in the Spirit World, the ability to travel between worlds, and the power to wield Antimatter.
• Xingye receives Giratina’s friendship reward, which grants eligible Ghost-types access to Shadow Force. The group then explains that they came to ask about the Negative Energy Aggregate, or Dark Matter.

Character developments and relationships

• Marshadow moves beyond defining herself by her admiration for her brother. She embraces her identity as part of Odd Jobs, trusts her companions, and proves she can grow through teamwork. Her victory does not mean she believes she has surpassed her brother; she values winning together with Xingye.
• Shiny Marshadow is stern and duty-bound, but takes pride in his sister’s progress. Though he would choose duty over family himself, he accepts that she has chosen a different path.
• Xingye acts as Marshadow’s mentor and partner, using Aura to guide her while insisting that she must develop her own abilities. He supports her without taking the fight away from her.
• Lillie is protective and eager to help, but respects Xingye’s request not to interfere. She also objects to Giratina placing a major responsibility on Marshadow—and, by extension, on Odd Jobs.
• Giratina shows trust in Marshadow and Odd Jobs, while treating the ordeal as both a test and a way to address old conflicts.

Significant themes

• Growth through independence: Marshadow must step out from under her brother’s shadow and find her own direction.
• Teamwork and chosen family: Marshadow’s strength comes from combining her own developing skills with lessons learned from her companions and her bond with Xingye.
• Duty versus personal bonds: The siblings differ over whether an enforcer’s duty should come before family.
• Strength and responsibility: Marshadow’s new authority offers freedom and purpose, but also gives her a difficult role to grow into.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• In the Spirit World, Giratina explains that Dark Matter is a being formed from the negative emotions of humans and Pokémon. The Dark Matter troubling Xingye’s friend came from another universe: Volo and Giratina accidentally drew it into a Space-Time Rift while bringing Akari to Hisui. Trapped there, it grew conscious and learned to influence people through darkness.
• Giratina also reveals that the Dark Matter native to their world was shattered by Almighty Sinnoh at the world’s beginning. Its fragments now absorb negative emotions and cannot awaken.
• Giratina gives Xingye a Rainbow Meteorite Fragment that arrived in the Spirit World with a human soul about twenty years ago. Lillie realizes this connects to Nae-chan’s past and that the Rainbow Meteorite Nae-chan possesses is incomplete. Nae-chan senses the fragment’s return and heads toward Mossdeep City.
• Giratina grants Marshadow authority to travel through the Spirit World. She says goodbye to her brother and commits to moving forward with her new responsibilities.
• At Mt. Pyre, a theft is reported, with a note falsely implicating “Cosmic Overlord.” A post from Cosmic Overlord claims the stolen item came from the Cave of Origin. Xingye and Lillie suspect a frame-up, and Penny traces the post to Mossdeep City.
• The Sootopolis People mobilize after learning the Red and Blue Orbs were stolen. Their removal may draw Groudon and Kyogre out of hiding. Zinnia, influenced by Dark Matter, intends to use the crisis to lure Rayquaza.
• Xingye and Lillie find the Shiny Clefairy in Mossdeep. Clefairy reveals it is an alien prince whose people plan to colonize the planet. It had meant to exploit Lillie, but after becoming disillusioned with humans, it pursued its own plans.
• Zinnia attacks while Xingye’s group confronts Clefairy. She has the Red and Blue Orbs and claims that she alone can resolve the coming crisis and become its hero.
• Groudon erupts into Mossdeep City, bringing intense heat and widespread destruction. Xingye rushes to stop it. Zinnia dismisses Lillie as a mere supporting character, but Lillie declares that she will stop Zinnia.

Character developments and interactions

• Giratina admits its and Volo’s responsibility for the foreign Dark Matter and passes on the Rainbow Meteorite Fragment. Its alliance with Marshadow marks a shift in how it handles the Spirit World.
• Xingye gains crucial information about Dark Matter and Nae-chan’s past. Though he initially avoids unrelated trouble, he chooses to protect Mossdeep and confront Groudon.
• Lillie supports Xingye and takes responsibility for using the fragment to draw Nae-chan out. She also chooses to face Zinnia herself, showing growing confidence and independence.
• Marshadow parts from her brother without chasing him, accepting her new role and choosing to focus on her future. She also demonstrates her newly granted travel power.
• Clefairy is exposed as an ambitious alien invader, but it is also angry that someone has framed it for the Mt. Pyre theft. Its history with Lillie reveals that it once hoped to use her, despite her having treated it kindly.
• Zinnia has become convinced that she is the protagonist of a heroic story. She sees summoning Groudon and Kyogre as a necessary step toward drawing Rayquaza out, despite the danger to civilians.
• Xingye and Lillie remain close: Lillie trusts him with her curiosity about his past, while he is not yet ready to reveal that he, like Akari, came from another world.

Significant themes

• Negative emotions and responsibility: Dark Matter embodies destructive feelings, and the chapter links its influence to the characters’ choices and ambitions.
• Identity and belonging: Xingye’s undisclosed origins echo Akari’s, while Clefairy’s alien identity complicates its relationship with the people it planned to conquer.
• Heroism versus self-mythologizing: Zinnia’s fixation on being the hero contrasts with Xingye’s instinctive decision to help and Lillie’s emerging resolve to act for herself.
• Trust and growth: Lillie respects Xingye’s boundaries, Marshadow accepts her independence, and both take on responsibilities rather than relying entirely on others.
• Consequences of manipulation: Volo and Giratina’s scheme leaves lasting trouble, while Zinnia’s attempt to manufacture a heroic crisis endangers an entire city.

Plot points and events

• Groudon erupts in Mossdeep City, causing extreme heat and widespread casualties. Steven organizes the rescue effort while Xingye and his allies move to confront Groudon; Lillie stays behind to stop Zinnia.
• Zinnia sends the Red Orb toward Groudon and waits for Kyogre, hoping their conflict will summon Rayquaza and fulfill an ancient prophecy. She treats her confrontation with Lillie as a distraction.
• Lillie wins the opening battles: Magearna defeats Tyrantrum despite its Fire attacks, and Scream Tail uses the storm created by Noivern to defeat him. Lillie’s preparation and battle experience compensate for Zinnia’s greater strength against wild Pokémon.
• Under Dark Matter’s influence, Zinnia reveals her resentment of Xingye: she believes she was destined to be the story’s hero and hates that he saved the world instead. She attacks recklessly, even endangering Whismur, whom she calls Aster.
• Lillie rescues Whismur and reassures her, restoring her confidence in Zinnia’s eventual recovery. Zinnia’s distress deepens, and Dark Matter becomes visible as black mist around her.
• Dark Matter corrupts Zinnia’s Mega Evolution, transforming Salamence into a savage, darkened form. Salamence overwhelms Diancie, but Lillie refuses to abandon her companion.
• The Rainbow Meteorite Fragments and Lillie’s Key Stone respond to her determination. They enable Diancie to Mega Evolve, giving her a diamond sword and greatly enhanced powers.
• Lillie and Diancie fight together, using coordinated tactics to contain Zinnia and Salamence. When Zinnia corrupts Salamence further and tries to escape toward Groudon, Magearna ambushes them. Diancie finishes the battle with a powerful Sacred Sword, defeating Salamence, while Magearna catches Zinnia safely.
• Lillie retrieves the Blue Orb. Zinnia, still surrounded by Dark Matter, wonders why she was not the protagonist. Lillie answers that Xingye is simply someone who likes helping people—and that she loves him.

Character developments and interactions

• Lillie steps out of Xingye’s shadow and proves herself as a capable, decisive trainer. Her kindness remains central, but she combines it with strategy and resolve. She protects Whismur, trusts Diancie, and fights to save Zinnia rather than simply defeat her.
• Zinnia shifts from confident Lorekeeper to a vulnerable, unstable opponent. Dark Matter magnifies her jealousy and fixation on being the foretold hero, damaging her bonds with her Pokémon and driving her to endanger Aster.
• Whismur/Aster initially believes Zinnia can recover, then falters when Zinnia rejects her. Lillie’s comfort restores her hope and strengthens her willingness to help.
• Diancie shows fierce loyalty, risking herself to shield Lillie. Their trust culminates in Diancie’s Mega Evolution and a cooperative victory.
• Magearna contributes both in the early battles and the final ambush, helping Lillie overcome Zinnia’s stronger, corrupted Salamence.
• Lillie’s exchanges with Zinnia challenge the idea that the world needs one destined hero: she argues that everyone has a part in the world’s story. Her defense of Xingye comes from knowing the burden he has carried and standing beside him as his partner.

Significant themes

• Shared heroism: The chapter rejects the notion that one person must be the sole hero; everyone can shape the world and their own story.
• Bonds and compassion: Lillie’s care for Whismur, Diancie, and even Zinnia counters Dark Matter’s isolating influence.
• Stepping into one’s own strength: Lillie proves she can act independently while still drawing strength from her relationships.
• Corruption and identity: Dark Matter exploits Zinnia’s insecurity, distorting her ambitions and relationships; the battle is as much about recovering her from that influence as winning.
• Loyalty and partnership: Lillie and Diancie succeed through mutual trust, while Lillie’s love for Xingye informs her determination without making her merely his follower.

Plot and events

• Xingye and Koraidon confront Groudon in ruined Mossdeep City while rescue teams evacuate survivors. Xingye’s Pokémon—Sprigatito and the Treasures of Ruin—work with Koraidon to contain Groudon’s earthquakes, lava, and attacks. Marshadow intercepts the Red Orb before Groudon can undergo Primal Reversion.
• A corrupted, dark Rayquaza arrives carrying Nae-chan. Nae-chan asks the Odd Jobs team to join her, but Xingye refuses and tries to reach the memories Dark Matter has suppressed. His reference to a person who died twenty years earlier briefly unsettles her.
• Koraidon knocks Rayquaza down, and Nae-chan appears to struggle against Dark Matter. She begs for help, but her psychic power surges. Sprigatito evolves into Meowscarada and uses Flower Bombs to interrupt the outburst.
• Meowscarada fights Nae-chan, but Nae-chan exploits their affectionate bond to restrain it, allowing Dark Matter to reach toward Kitty. A rainbow beam from elsewhere distracts Nae-chan, giving Meowscarada a chance to strike her with Night Slash and the Treasures of Ruin’s power.
• The blow connects with Nae-chan’s heart and lets Meowscarada glimpse her buried memories: she was saved from darkness by a girl who later died. Dark Matter has concealed that history, leaving Nae-chan torn between its control and her own feelings. Meowscarada’s attack also exhausts it and the Treasures of Ruin.
• With Rayquaza and Groudon still active, Darkrai arrives to help, while Koraidon, Zoroark, and Marshadow keep the Legendary Pokémon occupied. Xingye realizes they must finish the fight before Kyogre arrives.
• In a seaside cave, Clefairy unveils a weapon made by combining the Green Orb’s energy with a mysterious regenerating purple crystal. The crystal grows into an alien-like Pokémon—apparently a dangerous organism containing Infinite Energy—and immediately captures Clefairy.
• On the beach, Lillie helps Zinnia recover from Dark Matter’s influence using Magearna’s Soul-Heart and her Aura. In Zinnia’s inner world, she finds the young Zinnia trapped by Dark Matter. Zinnia reveals that she grieves for Aster, her beloved older sister, and blames a “witch” for Aster’s death.
• Lillie realizes Aster connects Zinnia’s and Nae-chan’s pasts, and that Zinnia’s belief about Aster’s death may be mistaken. Dark Matter tries to silence Lillie, then tempts her with information about her missing father. As it attacks, Lillie is suddenly pulled back to reality by an unknown force. Her Blue Orb begins glowing.

Character developments and interactions

• Xingye is now far more capable of confronting Legendary Pokémon than he once was, but remains protective and pragmatic. He recognizes Nae-chan’s corruption and coordinates a group assault while trying to keep the battle contained.
• Sprigatito/Meowscarada overcomes its reluctance to hurt Nae-chan, choosing to fight because she asks for help. Their battle is intimate and painful: Nae-chan’s affection for Kitty becomes a means for Dark Matter to attack it, but Kitty’s resolve ultimately lets it strike back and uncover her memories.
• Nae-chan shows signs of her true self breaking through, even as Dark Matter controls her actions. Her bond with Kitty—whom she treats like a younger sister or child—remains emotionally powerful.
• Lillie becomes an active emotional and psychic ally, using empathy rather than force to reach Zinnia. She risks being manipulated by Dark Matter’s offer to reveal her father’s whereabouts.
• Zinnia regains her composure and regrets her actions, though she does not yet know Dark Matter controlled her. Her childhood grief over Aster appears to be the vulnerability Dark Matter has exploited for years.
• Clefairy’s arrogance and desire for revenge lead it to create a potentially catastrophic creature, which promptly turns on it.
• Darkrai joins Xingye’s team against Rayquaza, while Magearna, Whismur, and Lillie support Zinnia’s recovery.

Significant themes

• Corruption and emotional vulnerability: Dark Matter strengthens its hold by amplifying grief, anger, and other negative feelings, while hiding the fact that it is controlling its victims.
• Memory, grief, and misunderstanding: Zinnia’s belief that Nae-chan caused Aster’s death may be false; uncovering what really happened could help free both women.
• Love as both vulnerability and resistance: Dark Matter uses Nae-chan and Kitty’s affection to approach Meowscarada, but Kitty’s loyalty and determination also drive it to fight for her.
• Growth and cooperation: Xingye’s team handles threats through coordinated effort, reflecting how far they have come since earlier battles.
• Escalating danger: Even as the main battles are being contained, Clefairy’s alien weapon and the Blue Orb’s sudden reaction foreshadow new threats.

Plot points and events

• Xingye enters Nae-chan’s shattered inner world and helps her confront Dark Matter. While Nae-chan restrains it, Xingye attacks its exposed core with Aura, breaking the fragment and freeing her from its influence.
• Nae-chan awakens, but a new crisis erupts: Deoxys appears, carrying the Green Orb and a group of Clefairy. Rayquaza and Groudon attack it, and Groudon is soon possessed by another Dark Matter fragment.
• Dark Matter turns Groudon into a powerful Earth Monster, using its obsession with flight to control it. The corrupted Groudon traps Rayquaza and Deoxys and threatens the city.
• Primal Kyogre arrives with Lillie and Manaphy. Manaphy’s bond with Kyogre helps direct its attacks, briefly checking Groudon’s rampage.
• Xingye negotiates with Deoxys, trading Z-Crystals for the Green Orb. He then gives the orb to Groudon, whose longing to fly overwhelms Dark Matter’s control. Groudon is cleansed and finally flies away.
• Nae-chan tracks the fleeing Dark Matter fragment. With Marshadow, Dolphin Hero, and Giratina’s help, Xingye follows it into the Space-Time Rift to confront Dark Matter’s main body.

Character developments

• Xingye proves resourceful and emotionally perceptive: he supports Nae-chan, resists Dark Matter’s manipulation, and finds solutions through negotiation as well as battle.
• Nae-chan recognizes how regret and fear allowed Dark Matter to regain influence. With Xingye’s help, she faces the past and returns to herself.
• Groudon is revealed to be driven by a deep, painful desire to fly. Fulfilling that wish releases it from Dark Matter and brings it peace.
• Lillie steps into a leadership role beside Kyogre, while her care for Manaphy—and the bond between Manaphy and Kyogre—shapes the battle.
• Deoxys is revealed to be a victim of the Clefairy’s repeated use of its core as a power source. It accepts the Z-Crystals in exchange for the Green Orb.
• Dark Matter shifts from manipulation to direct possession, but its control proves vulnerable when its host’s deepest need is fulfilled.

Significant themes

• Facing trauma: Nae-chan’s unresolved regret gives Dark Matter a foothold; acknowledging the past is part of resisting it.
• Connection and trust: Xingye’s support, Lillie and Manaphy’s bond, and Kyogre’s affection for Manaphy all turn relationships into sources of strength.
• Understanding beneath conflict: Groudon’s rampage stems from a personal longing, not simple malice; meeting that need ends the crisis.
• Hope against negativity: Dark Matter exploits fear and emotion, but resolve, compassion, and practical thinking counter its influence.

Character interactions

• Xingye and Nae-chan cooperate closely: she restrains Dark Matter while he strikes its core, then thanks him and reunites with Sprigatito.
• Lillie guides Kyogre’s attacks through Manaphy, whose playful bond with Kyogre also draws Dolphin Hero to the battlefield.
• Xingye treats Deoxys as a negotiating partner rather than an enemy, exchanging Z-Crystals for the Green Orb.
• Xingye, Nae-chan, Marshadow, and Dolphin Hero pursue Dark Matter together into the Space-Time Rift, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Another Mewtwo? The Witch’s Birth and Past”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xingye, Giratina, and Marshadow confront Dark Matter inside the Space-Time Rift. Dark Matter’s abilities fail against Xingye, and Dolphin Hero destroys its impurity-formed shell with Super Water Shuriken Vortex, crushing its exposed core.
• A mysterious psychic force attacks them during the battle. Giratina suppresses it, but Xingye recognizes the power as belonging to another Mewtwo—one unrelated to the Mewtwo he knows.
• After Dark Matter’s destruction, Xingye’s group returns to Mossdeep City. The disaster has ended, Groudon has vanished, Rayquaza is recovering, and Dark Matter’s influence over Zinnia and Rayquaza is fading.
• An unknown man in a black coat appears briefly in the Space-Time Rift. He reveals that he aided Dark Matter for amusement and has become interested in Xingye, Odd Jobs, and Kabukicho.
• Manaphy reunites with Lillie after more than a century. He calls her “Mommy,” explaining that he believed she had died but sensed her presence again and returned to help her.
• Nae-chan reveals her entire past to Lillie through Telepathy. Her history explains how she became the “Witch of Hoenn,” how Dark Matter manipulated her, and how Aster’s death shaped her current guilt.
• Lillie urges Nae-chan to explain everything to Zinnia. Nae-chan accepts responsibility and goes to face her.
• Lillie learns that she has inherited part of the Rainbow Meteorite and may now be the next Draconid successor, though she does not want the responsibility.
• Lillie also asks Deoxys to release the Clefairy it captured. In exchange for Z-Crystals, Deoxys agrees. The Clefairy are taken back to Alola to help repair equipment.

Character Developments

• Xingye defeats Dark Matter decisively and remains confident, humorously treating its destruction as the disposal of environmental “trash.” His heroic identity as Dolphin Hero reaches a new level through his absolute opposition to evil.
• Nae-chan finally abandons secrecy and confronts the full weight of her past. She recognizes that her crimes were influenced by Dark Matter but does not deny her own responsibility. Her decision to face Zinnia suggests renewed courage and a desire for redemption.
• Lillie demonstrates compassion despite betrayal and recent trauma. She empathizes with Nae-chan, offers emotional support, accepts her possible role as a successor, and even saves the Clefairy despite their earlier attempt to exploit her.
• Manaphy reunites emotionally with Lillie and Xingye, revealing the depth of his attachment to them after more than a hundred years apart. His loyalty and childlike enthusiasm provide comic relief.
• Zinnia remains unconscious, but her suffering is clarified: she believed Nae-chan killed Aster and was consequently consumed by grief, hatred, and Dark Matter’s influence.
• Aster is portrayed as the central figure in Nae-chan’s transformation. Her kindness, imagination, and dream of opening a restaurant gave Nae-chan a reason to abandon revenge.
• Deoxys is shown to be pragmatic rather than purely hostile. It willingly trades the Clefairy for Z-Crystals once convinced that they are no longer a threat.

Nae-chan’s Past

• As a mischievous Shiny Ralts living peacefully in Petalburg Woods, Nae-chan was exposed to humans after being photographed. Pokémon hunters captured her family, and her mother died trying to protect her children.
• Nae-chan was sold, escaped during an International Police raid, and developed intense hatred toward humans. Dark Matter amplified her negative emotions for more than a decade.
• As a powerful Shiny Gardevoir, she began brutally killing Pokémon hunters and people involved in the Pokémon trade. She became wanted by the International Police and was labeled the Witch of Hoenn.
• After finding that only one sibling survived, Nae-chan began to reconsider her path. She was later rescued by Aster, a young Draconid successor confined to Meteor Village.
• Aster’s kindness and Nae-chan’s peaceful time in the village temporarily freed her from Dark Matter’s influence. Nae-chan became Aster’s friend and helped inspire the stories Aster wrote about the outside world.
• When Nae-chan learned that Aster had less than two years to live, Dark Matter exploited her fear and desperation. Nae-chan attacked Rayquaza, believing that stealing the Rainbow Meteorite would allow Aster to escape her duties.
• Aster intervened and used her successor powers to awaken Nae-chan from Dark Matter’s control, but the effort killed her. Nae-chan carried Aster’s body home, apologized to Zinnia, and fled Hoenn rather than face her.
• Eventually, she reached Alola, met Slowking, and established the Smile Restaurant in memory of Aster.

Significant Themes

• Good and evil versus moral complexity: Xingye treats Dark Matter as pure evil, but Nae-chan’s history shows how cruelty, grief, exploitation, and manipulation can produce a villain without fully excusing her actions.
• Trauma and guilt: Nae-chan’s revenge is rooted in her mother’s death and her family’s destruction. Her guilt over Aster’s death becomes a second burden that prevents her from returning to Zinnia.
• Redemption and responsibility: Nae-chan cannot undo her crimes, but she begins the process of redemption by telling the truth and agreeing to face Zinnia.
• The power of kindness: Aster’s compassion gives Nae-chan a temporary escape from hatred and provides her with a new purpose that ultimately survives Aster’s death.
• Inherited duty versus personal freedom: Aster and Lillie are both burdened by the role of successor. The chapter questions whether inherited responsibilities should control a person’s life.
• Found family and enduring bonds: Lillie, Manaphy, Xingye, and Nae-chan form a supportive emotional network, while Aster’s influence continues through Nae-chan’s restaurant and stories.
• Forgiveness and reconciliation: The chapter ends with Nae-chan preparing to face Zinnia and Lillie choosing to save the Clefairy despite their betrayal.

Important Character Interactions

• Xingye and Dark Matter: Xingye refuses to hear Dark Matter’s defense and destroys it without hesitation.
• Xingye and Lillie: Their reunion is affectionate and supportive, with Xingye encouraging Lillie not to accept the successor role if she does not want it.
• Lillie and Nae-chan: Lillie receives Nae-chan’s memories, understands the tragedy behind her actions, but still insists that Nae-chan personally explain everything to Zinnia.
• Nae-chan and Aster: Their friendship transforms Nae-chan from a vengeful killer into someone capable of hope, though Dark Matter later twists her desire to help Aster.
• Nae-chan and Zinnia: Their former bond has been destroyed by Aster’s death, but Nae-chan now prepares to seek reconciliation.
• Lillie and Deoxys: Lillie negotiates for the Clefairy’s freedom, showing compassion while using Z-Crystals as practical compensation.
• Lillie and Manaphy: Their reunion emphasizes their long-standing familial bond, while Manaphy’s affection lightens the chapter’s otherwise tragic atmosphere.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Deoxys departs, the captured Clefairy are taken into Lillie’s care for eventual transport to Aether Paradise. Xingye avoids taking credit for the crisis, praising Manaphy and Kyogre instead.
• Zinnia arrives with Nae-chan, who has apologized for her role in the events of twenty years earlier. Zinnia blames herself for the destruction of Mossdeep City and prepares to confess, but Nae-chan stops her and offers to take responsibility.
• Lillie reveals that Dark Matter was behind the disaster. Xingye then gives Steven and Wallace an elaborate, fabricated account that conceals the deeper truth; they accept it after Darkrai appears as a witness.
• Wallace remains suspicious of Nae-chan, but Xingye argues that Groudon stole the Green Orb. Wallace chooses not to pursue the matter and leaves to manage the aftermath.
• Lillie helps Zinnia understand that Dark Matter had influenced her and that her actions did not define her. Xingye encourages her to see her life as a new beginning. Zinnia finds renewed purpose: she will travel as a Trainer and bring happiness to others.
• Zinnia’s change of heart, together with the recovered Rainbow Meteorite fragments, triggers a surge of restorative light. It heals people and Pokémon and repairs much of Mossdeep City. Rayquaza awakens and eventually takes the completed meteorite. The Lorekeeper role can no longer be inherited, and a mysterious voice—possibly the meteorite or Aster—thanks them.
• Nae-chan begins to move on from her past, while Zinnia departs to travel with Whismur. Darkrai also leaves Xingye, who receives the ability to use Dark Void.
• The group visits Manaphy’s restored Temple of the Sea, now lively with Pokémon, including many Phione. They see a statue honoring Finizen as “Dolphin Hero.” Lillie also speaks kindly to the captured Clefairy, asking them to abandon their plans to invade planets.
• Mossdeep begins rebuilding with Devon Corporation’s support. Xingye and Lillie plan to challenge the Gym and help with recovery efforts.
• Anabel tells Xingye that Reshiram, Zekrom, and the hidden third dragon of Unova have all disappeared after Team Plasma’s defeat. She is assigned to investigate the case and brings Gladion with her.
• Xingye and Lillie discuss helping establish the Alola League and supporting Lusamine’s research into Ultra Space. Xingye worries that its changing conditions could allow a powerful being from another world to cross over; Nae-chan reassures them that people in Kabukicho would intervene if necessary.

Character developments

• Zinnia moves from guilt and self-condemnation toward independence. She recognizes that she had been acting under Dark Matter’s influence and chooses to build a life of her own rather than live solely for Aster’s legacy.
• Nae-chan accepts the past but no longer tries to erase it by taking all the blame. Her farewell to the Rainbow Meteorite’s mysterious voice signals emotional closure, and she becomes more cheerful afterward.
• Lillie shows greater confidence and compassion: she openly defends Nae-chan, comforts Zinnia, manages the Clefairy, and looks ahead to helping her mother and building the Alola League.
• Xingye continues to protect others by redirecting attention and concealing dangerous truths. Though weary of being treated as a hero, he admits to Anabel that he helped stop the disaster and remains concerned about threats crossing between worlds.
• Wallace suspects the group is withholding information but pragmatically lets the matter rest amid the city’s urgent recovery.

Significant themes

• Agency and freedom from fate: Zinnia’s recovery centers on recognizing that she can choose her own path rather than remain a pawn of prophecy or Dark Matter.
• Guilt, responsibility, and forgiveness: The chapter distinguishes genuine responsibility from blame imposed by manipulation, while allowing characters to acknowledge harm without being trapped by it.
• Healing and renewal: The Rainbow Meteorite repairs much of Mossdeep City and mirrors the characters’ emotional recovery, though some damage still requires rebuilding.
• Truth versus protection: Xingye’s invented explanation and Wallace’s deliberate silence show how characters conceal or set aside the truth to protect others or focus on more urgent concerns.
• Legacy and memory: Aster’s possible lingering presence, the end of the Lorekeeper tradition, and Finizen’s statue all explore how stories and deeds survive beyond their original heroes.

Character interactions

• Xingye deflects praise toward Manaphy and Kyogre, then later shields Nae-chan and Zinnia from Wallace’s scrutiny.
• Lillie and Xingye work together to reassure Zinnia, though Lillie apologizes for revealing Dark Matter without discussing it first.
• Zinnia’s bond with Whismur supports her recovery; Whismur shares her joy and accompanies her on her travels.
• Manaphy welcomes the group to the Temple of the Sea, where its pride in the restored home and its playful rapport with Lillie contrast with the recent disaster.
• Anabel treats Xingye as a trusted adviser and offers to support the future Alola League, while Gladion joins her Unova assignment.

Chapter Summary: Ceruledge’s Lonely Silhouette

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tate and Liza host Double Battles in the ruins of Mossdeep City after the Gym was destroyed by the Earthquake. Xingye defeats them effortlessly with Marshadow and Gholdengo, while Lillie wins through careful support tactics without losing a Pokémon. Both earn their thirteenth Badge and move within three Badges of qualifying for the World Championships.
• Xingye and Lillie return to Alola aboard the Temple of the Sea with Manaphy. After reaching Kabukicho, Manaphy drunkenly drinks Herba Mystica wine, causing chaos and earning Xingye the bill for the broken glass.
• Nae-chan invites everyone to dinner, leading to a large banquet in Smile Restaurant. The gathering helps show how warmly the residents of Kabukicho have accepted Xingye and Lillie.
• Ceruledge remains isolated during the celebration. Gengar tries to comfort it, but Ceruledge refuses to join the festivities or ask Xingye for help. Gengar later tells Xingye about Ceruledge’s distress.
• Slowking explains that Ceruledge’s past is largely unknown and that it must reveal its troubles voluntarily. Xingye nevertheless promises that Odd Jobs will help if Ceruledge ever comes to them.
• Xingye delivers the extraterrestrial Clefairy to Lusamine at the Aether Foundation. The Clefairy agree to assist with repairing the Ultra Wormhole device, though Tera Crystals from Paldea are still needed.
• The Alola League continues taking shape. Mount Lanakila becomes the site of its headquarters, while Alola’s Gym system is redesigned into captain trials involving Noble Pokémon and Z-Crystals.
• Months pass peacefully. Manaphy returns to the Temple of the Sea but plans to keep circling Alola so it can visit Kabukicho. Mossdeep is rebuilt, and the Alola League and Ultra Wormhole repairs approach completion.
• The chapter ends with a major discovery: an Earthquake in Paldea’s Asado Desert uncovers Mary Geoise, a lost ancient kingdom buried beneath the sand.

Character Developments

• Xingye continues to grow in influence and responsibility. His battle ability is now studied by other elite Trainers, while his work with Odd Jobs and the Alola League makes him increasingly important to the region’s future.
• Lillie demonstrates strong tactical skill in Double Battles and remains a caring, responsible presence, particularly when dealing with Manaphy’s drunken behavior.
• Ceruledge is revealed as deeply lonely and burdened by forgotten history, confused memories, and hatred connected to its past. Though it helps others and remains loyal to Slowking, it struggles to trust people or accept assistance.
• Gengar shows emotional maturity and concern for Ceruledge. Remembering Ceruledge’s help in controlling its spiritual power, it attempts to repay that kindness and seeks Xingye’s aid.
• Slowking acts as a perceptive but nonintrusive mentor. It recognizes Ceruledge’s pain but respects its privacy, while encouraging it to seek help.
• Nae-chan has visibly changed after overcoming her previous burden, becoming more relaxed and socially connected.
• Lusamine becomes enthusiastic about using the Clefairy’s advanced technology, though she still overworks herself in the laboratory. She also shows affection and concern for Xingye and Lillie.
• Manaphy quickly becomes attached to Kabukicho and its lively community, treating it as a second home.

Significant Themes

• Loneliness and the difficulty of opening up: Ceruledge’s isolation contrasts with Kabukicho’s warmth and communal spirit.
• Found family and belonging: Xingye, Lillie, and the Pokémon are treated as members of Kabukicho, while Gengar and the others repeatedly try to include Ceruledge.
• Healing through trust: Nae-chan’s recovery and Ceruledge’s unresolved pain suggest that confronting buried trauma requires both personal courage and support from others.
• Progress and responsibility: Xingye’s achievements are no longer limited to battles; he must build institutions, support regions, and manage the consequences of his growing influence.
• Cooperation between humans and Pokémon: The Alola League’s captain-trial system emphasizes partnership with Pokémon rather than copying the Gym structure of other regions.
• Science, exploration, and ancient history: The Clefairy’s technology, the Ultra Wormhole project, Tera Crystals, and the discovery of Mary Geoise all expand the chapter’s focus toward interregional mysteries and forgotten civilizations.

Important Character Interactions

• Xingye and Lillie work together effectively in their separate battles and return to Alola as a close team.
• Manaphy’s drunken antics prompt Lillie’s stern maternal scolding, while Slowking humorously charges Xingye for the damage.
• Nae-chan, Slowking, Xingye, and the others share a relaxed dinner gathering that highlights their close community.
• Gengar offers Ceruledge cake and invites it to socialize. Ceruledge refuses, but their friendship remains clear because of Ceruledge’s past help.
• Gengar reports Ceruledge’s behavior to Xingye, prompting Xingye to seek Slowking’s advice.
• Xingye acknowledges how much Ceruledge has helped him in the past and offers Odd Jobs’ support, even though Ceruledge has not yet asked for it.
• Wicke and Lusamine both express concern about the health of Xingye and Lillie, while Xingye returns that concern by urging Lusamine to rest.
• Lusamine eagerly accepts the Clefairy as research assistants, beginning a new partnership that may accelerate the Ultra Wormhole project.

Key plot points and events

• Xingye and Lillie learn that a supposed ancient kingdom, Mary Geoise, has been uncovered beneath Asado Desert. Reports also mention enormous footprints, raising the possibility that the Quaking Earth Titan is nearby.
• They decide to travel to Paldea to investigate, seek the final Herba Mystica, and help Cyclizar regain its strength and perhaps its memories. Lillie also hopes to find a Tera Crystal for her mother.
• On their way out, they learn about underground teleporters beneath Kabukicho and use one to reach Porto Marinada. A mysterious Sirfetch’d watches them depart.
• They reunite with Penny and Nemona. Penny explains that the “discovery” of Mary Geoise may be exaggerated: investigators have found only a few characteristic buildings and a national totem. The site is sealed while officials assess its stability.
• Several academy students have been missing since falling into the newly opened Abyss. Director Clavell is overseeing the search, and the group plans to speak with him before descending.
• Near the Abyss, Miraidon senses a powerful stream of high-purity Tera Energy, though something about it seems abnormal.

Character developments and interactions

• Xingye and Lillie are eager to resume traveling after a long break. Their search for the Titan is tied to their commitment to Cyclizar’s recovery.
• Lillie and Nemona joyfully reunite, while Penny fills the group in on the excavation and missing students.
• Penny has graduated and returned to Galar for work, leaving her less in touch with her Paldean friends and Team Star.
• Xingye shows concern for Clavell and the missing students, while Lillie shares the group’s hope that they survived.
• Slowking teases Xingye about his trips causing trouble, then explains how the teleporters work. Ceruledge’s unexplained absence—and the watching Sirfetch’d—hint at events developing elsewhere.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and sensationalism: The Mary Geoise discovery may be a media exaggeration rather than a confirmed lost kingdom.
• Responsibility and danger: The missing students highlight the risks of exploration and Clavell’s concern for their safety.
• Memory and recovery: Xingye’s hope that Cyclizar will regain its memories gives the Titan quest a personal purpose.
• Hidden forces: The strange Tera Energy and unexplained movements of Ceruledge and Sirfetch’d foreshadow mysteries beyond the excavation itself.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xingye, Lillie, Nemona, Penny, and Miraidon arrive at the enormous Abyss in the Asado Desert. Miraidon senses unusually pure Tera Energy coming from below, though Xingye cannot perceive it with Aura.
• At the outpost, they encounter Psyduck, nicknamed “Duck Teacher,” who has brought books about Mary Geoise for the academy. Xingye suspects the Pokémon’s parting glance was directed at him.
• Director Clavell explains that students have gone missing in the Abyss. It is more than 800 meters deep, contains strange wild Pokémon, and prevents Terastalization despite the presence of Tera Energy. He warns the group to be careful and asks them to look for the missing students.
• While the others return to Porto Marinada to gather supplies and a Pokémon with Flash, Xingye stays behind. Miraidon feels something calling from the Abyss, so Xingye decides to descend with it ahead of his friends.
• Below ground, Xingye finds no Tera Crystals at first, and his Tera Orb cannot resonate with its stored energy. After they land, the Abyss briefly shakes. He later discovers huge roots and fragments of buildings believed to be from Mary Geoise.
• Xingye and Miraidon encounter a strangely unsettling wild Chansey. It flees, leaving behind an egg that explodes as an Egg Bomb. The chase leads them away from the marked route and to a dead end.
• Tera Crystals suddenly appear around them, shedding dark-red energy that forms tendrils. Though Xingye’s Aura cannot detect them, the energy attacks and grabs him by the neck.

Character development

• Xingye is curious, bold, and confident—so much so that he leaves for the Abyss alone rather than wait for his companions. His confidence turns into immediate danger when he encounters a force his Aura cannot sense.
• Miraidon is unusually serious and drawn toward something below, apparently connected to forgotten memories. It acts protectively but cannot identify what is calling it.
• Clavell shows his concern for the missing students and balances trust in the experienced Trainers with a firm emphasis on safety.
• Lillie, Nemona, and Penny cooperate in preparing for the descent, prioritizing practical necessities such as lighting and food.
• Psyduck remains mysterious: Xingye suspects it may have a hidden connection to powerful Pokémon, but the chapter offers no confirmation.

Significant themes

• Curiosity versus caution: The Abyss’s mysteries entice Xingye, but his decision to explore alone leaves him vulnerable.
• Limits of knowledge and perception: Neither Aura nor conventional tools can reveal the source of the strange energy, and even Miraidon cannot identify what it senses.
• The unknown beneath familiar places: Ancient ruins, strange roots, missing students, and unusual Pokémon suggest that the Abyss hides a history and ecosystem unlike the surface world.
• Responsibility and care: Clavell’s concern for the missing students contrasts with Xingye’s impulsive exploration, while the group’s preparations reflect the need to protect one another.

Character interactions

• The friends tease and chat about Psyduck, academy staff, and their preparations, establishing an easy, familiar rapport.
• Clavell advises the group, trusts their abilities, and asks them to search for the missing students.
• Xingye responds to Miraidon’s concern by agreeing to investigate, but does so without waiting for the others.
• Xingye and Miraidon work together during the descent and pursue Chansey, though their curiosity leads them away from the safe, marked route—and into the crystal-energy attack.

Plot and key events

• Xingye goes alone into the Abyss beneath Asado Desert, where dark-red Tera Energy tendrils attack him and Sprigatito by turning a Chansey-like Pokémon into a living trap. Miraidon’s electricity destroys the tendrils, and the apparent Chansey dissolves into Tera Energy—only to re-form after Xingye leaves.
• Xingye continues exploring instead of seeking the archaeological camp or the Quaking Earth Titan. He reaches a vast, buried city about three thousand meters underground and recognizes a familiar emblem, suggesting it is the lost city of Mary Geoise.
• The city is filled with eerie Pokémon apparently made from Tera Energy. Xingye finds evidence that another, real Pokémon has fought its way through the ruins, then discovers a deep pit beyond the city.
• A roar from below awakens the Tera-made Pokémon, which transform into tendrils and attack. A Shiny Koraidon intervenes, destroying them—but then turns on Xingye’s team with overwhelming force.
• Koraidon swiftly defeats Miraidon, Meowscarada, and Zoroark. Marshadow ambushes it, but Koraidon breaks free and pursues the group. Xingye tries to use a Z-Move, but the concentrated Tera Energy reacts violently with the Z-Power, causing an explosion that destroys the ground and sends everyone falling deeper into the Abyss.
• Marshadow and a badly injured Zoroark briefly delay Koraidon. Xingye, injured but rapidly healed by the sunlight, continues falling with no clear idea where he will land.

Character developments and interactions

• Lillie’s frustration at Xingye’s solo departure is rooted in worry; Nemona tries to reassure her, while Penny helps direct the group toward the expedition camp.
• At the camp, Nemona, Lillie, and Penny encounter Carmine and Kieran. The siblings explain that Mary Geoise’s disappearance may be linked to the Paldean Empire’s thousand-year search for treasure in the Great Crater. They have come to investigate, partly hoping to find another route to Area Zero’s treasure.
• Xingye’s curiosity repeatedly overrides caution: he abandons the original Titan search to investigate the ruins and the mystery of Miraidon’s memories. The Chansey encounter also teaches him that Aura may not reveal the truth about Tera-made beings, so he must rely on observation.
• Miraidon’s instinctive fear of Koraidon reveals a deep connection between the two Paradox Pokémon. Xingye responds protectively when Koraidon frightens Miraidon, but quickly realizes that Koraidon is a far more dangerous opponent than expected.
• Xingye’s Pokémon act together under pressure: Sprigatito becomes Meowscarada to fight, Zoroark uses Illusion and Grudge Energy, and Marshadow repeatedly intervenes to protect Xingye. Their defeat underscores the gulf between them and Koraidon’s power.

Significant themes

• Curiosity versus caution: Xingye’s adventurous drive uncovers Mary Geoise but repeatedly draws him into danger.
• The uncanny and unreliable: Tera Energy can imitate living Pokémon, evade Aura, and re-form after being destroyed.
• The limits of power and control: Combining Z-Power with dense Tera Energy causes a catastrophic reaction, while Koraidon’s raw strength overwhelms Xingye’s team.
• Loyalty and protection: Xingye’s concern for Miraidon and Kitty, and Marshadow’s timely interventions, show the team’s strong bonds even when they are outmatched.

Key plot points and events

• Xingye falls into the Abyss after Koraidon attacks Miraidon and Sprigatito. He slows his descent with Iron Bundle and lands more than eight kilometers underground.
• With Miraidon and Sprigatito badly injured and Zoroark left above, Xingye explores the ruined remains of Mary Geoise with Iron Bundle, Gengar, and Gholdengo, hoping to learn why Koraidon attacked.
• He discovers that a human has been nearby and finds a fire-protected area beneath a ruined altar. Inside an unusually intact stone sanctuary, he records ancient murals and notices that its central design resembles the modern Terastalization symbol.
• Iron Bundle recognizes the design from a hazy memory connected to its creation in Area Zero, suggesting the emblem may be tied to the Paradox Pokémon or the origins of Terastallization.
• On the altar, Xingye finds a dull green hexagonal crystal that matches the ancient emblem. When he picks it up, the sanctuary’s bonfires flare and a sleeping Volcarona awakens.
• Volcarona, guardian of the sanctuary, fills the sealed room with fiery Shield Dust. The flames consume oxygen, incapacitating Xingye. As Gholdengo and Iron Bundle tend to him, a purple hand—apparently belonging to another Gengar—steals the crystal.

Character developments

• Xingye remains determined and resourceful despite being injured, far underground, and separated from much of his team. His curiosity about the ruins leads him to take a dangerous risk by claiming the crystal.
• His confidence in surviving harm proves insufficient against environmental danger: Volcarona’s oxygen-consuming dust defeats him without directly injuring him.
• Iron Bundle shows initiative and a remarkable link to its own mysterious past, recovering a memory of the emblem through its upgraded system.
• Gholdengo and Iron Bundle remain loyal and protective, immediately responding when Xingye collapses. Volcarona is revealed as a powerful, ancient guardian rather than a lifeless relic.

Significant themes

• Ancient mysteries and lost history: The ruins, murals, and emblem connect the fallen empire to unresolved questions about Terastallization and Area Zero.
• Curiosity versus caution: Xingye’s search for answers and treasure brings him into direct conflict with the sanctuary’s guardian.
• Limits of strength: Even a resilient trainer can be overcome by circumstances—here, lack of oxygen rather than a conventional attack.
• Bonds and loyalty: Xingye’s concern for his injured Pokémon, and his companions’ efforts to protect him, underscore their strong connections.

Character interactions

• Xingye worries about Zoroark holding off Koraidon and plans to ask Miraidon about the attacker once it recovers.
• He and his Pokémon proceed cautiously through the ruins, avoiding Tera Energy creatures and preparing for possible combat.
• Iron Bundle communicates its recognition of the emblem, prompting Xingye to consider its significance.
• Volcarona attacks when Xingye takes the crystal; Iron Bundle pulls him from the flames while Gholdengo shields them.
• As Xingye loses consciousness, Gholdengo and Iron Bundle try to help him, leaving an unknown Gengar-like figure free to steal the crystal.

Plot points and events

• Deep beneath Asado Desert, Lillie, Nemona, and Penny camp while tracking enormous footprints. Lillie worries about Xingye, and Nemona remains uneasy about the eerie Wild Pokémon they encountered.
• Zoroark arrives at the camp badly wounded, with Xingye nowhere in sight. Nemona spots a huge Donphan nearby and goes to investigate.
• At the Marijoa Empire’s sealed Sacrificial Grounds, Volcarona traps Xingye and his Pokémon in an oxygen-consuming blaze. A mysterious voice speaks to the dying Xingye, asks whether he truly loves this world, and tells him to find the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero with Cyclizar. A small blue-green, turtle-like Pokémon appears in the vision before he loses consciousness.
• Ceruledge arrives, breaks through the flames, and saves Xingye. It confronts Volcarona alone, which transforms first into the Ancient Paradox Pokémon Slither Wing and then into the Future Paradox Pokémon Iron Moth.
• Ceruledge fights fiercely, but Iron Moth uses Stun Spore to paralyze it. Iron Bundle, Gholdengo, and Marshadow join the battle; Iron Moth resists their attacks, Terastalizes, and targets Xingye with its detached wing-cannons.
• The chapter ends with Xingye offering Ceruledge a Full Heal and asking it to fight alongside them as a companion.

Character developments and interactions

• Lillie is increasingly anxious about Xingye, but prioritizes treating the gravely injured Zoroark.
• Nemona trusts her battle instincts and impulsively investigates a suspicious figure, finding the giant Donphan.
• Xingye faces apparent death calmly and affirms his love for the world and the people in it. After Ceruledge saves him, he remains concerned for his Pokémon and tries to help Ceruledge, even when it refuses.
• Ceruledge proves both powerful and fiercely independent, insisting on facing Slither Wing alone and refusing treatment. Its protective loyalty to Xingye and the others is clear, but its reluctance to accept human help becomes a point of tension.
• The group’s concern for one another is evident: Ceruledge repeatedly shields them, while Gholdengo, Iron Bundle, and Marshadow intervene when it is incapacitated.

Significant themes

• Belonging and love: Xingye’s answer to the mysterious voice confirms that he considers this world—and its people—his home.
• Companionship and trust: Xingye challenges Ceruledge’s refusal of help, inviting it to fight as an equal companion rather than a solitary protector.
• Mystery and transformation: The voice, the turtle-like Pokémon, the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, and Volcarona’s ability to become both Slither Wing and Iron Moth hint at deeper links between the world’s secrets and Paradox Pokémon.
• Protection and sacrifice: Ceruledge risks itself to save Xingye, while the others rally when Ceruledge can no longer fight.