Chapter Summaries

Summary: “Promotion to Cadre”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Quicksand Team completes its assault on the Rocky Group’s territory. Although the surface districts are secured and the Underground City’s outer perimeter is cleared, the operation causes enormous destruction.
• Rocky refuses to surrender and detonates Voltorb planted throughout the Underground City, choosing mutual destruction with his remaining forces. The resulting collapse traps Quicksand members underground and worsens the disaster on the surface.
• Liu Ge’s original strategy—to provoke conflict among the three invading groups and exploit the chaos—succeeds only partially. The Quicksand Team gains Rocky’s territory but suffers heavy losses and fails to predict Rocky’s determination.
• The operation further destabilizes Pyrite Town. By exaggerating the wealth gained from the Rocky Group, the Quicksand Team encourages other organizations to attack one another, plunging the town deeper into chaos.
• Baimu’s performance in the surface battle earns him considerable publicity. Shan Ren warns that his growing reputation will help future plans but may also attract dangerous enemies.
• Baimu is promoted to cadre of the Sand Group and receives one of Rocky’s former major street districts. Though the district is largely ruined, the appointment gives him significant authority and responsibility.
• He is expected to rebuild his team with former Hound Team members, despite his intense dislike of their criminal pasts. With Liu Ge’s guidance, Baimu accepts that reforming these people is more practical than trying to eliminate everyone with a dark history.
• Baimu recruits more than five hundred people, including former Hound Team members, Rescue Organization personnel, and peripheral members from Azure Iridium Street. However, he has only two potential Squad Leaders: Otsuka and Cheng Hong.

Character Development

• Liu Ge recognizes the limits of relying on schemes. He admits that failing to understand Rocky’s personality and movements allowed the disaster to occur and resolves not to repeat the mistake.
• Rocky is revealed as fiercely determined and willing to sacrifice himself and his entire organization rather than surrender, making him far more unpredictable than Liu Ge anticipated.
• Baimu begins transitioning from a capable subordinate into a leader. He must manage territory, recruit personnel, and balance his personal moral disgust with the practical demands of governing a large organization.
• Shan Ren takes on a mentor-like role, warning Baimu that his reputation brings both opportunity and danger. He suggests that Baimu may eventually become essential to the group’s larger plans.
• Baimu’s original followers remain loyal and obedient but lack education and broader knowledge, limiting their ability to advance quickly.
• Rescue Organization infiltrators prove highly capable, especially at training and controlling newly acquired Pokémon, but their lack of visible achievements prevents Baimu from promoting them immediately.

Significant Themes

• The cost of manipulation: Liu Ge’s schemes produce strategic gains but also unleash consequences no one can fully control.
• Unpredictability and human agency: Rocky’s refusal to surrender demonstrates that individuals’ personalities and convictions can overturn carefully designed plans.
• Pragmatism versus morality: Baimu despises the former Hound Team members, yet accepts that rehabilitation and recruitment are more useful than indiscriminate punishment.
• Power and responsibility: Promotion gives Baimu status, but it also forces him to rebuild a damaged district and command a large, unreliable force.
• Chaos and social collapse: The Rocky Group’s destruction does not restore order; instead, it inspires further wars and accelerates Pyrite Town’s decline.
• Reputation as a double-edged sword: Baimu’s fame can advance future plans while simultaneously making him a target.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Ge and Baimu: Liu Ge’s explanation of the Underground City disaster helps Baimu understand both the success and failure of the operation.
• Shan Ren and Baimu: Shan Ren warns him about the dangers of prominence and urges him to strengthen himself for the struggles ahead.
• Liu Ge and Baimu: Liu Ge persuades Baimu to accept former criminals, arguing that reforming them is more valuable than killing everyone with a guilty past.
• Baimu and Cang Zhilang: Cang Zhilang advises him to recruit former Hound Team members because they are experienced and immediately useful.
• Baimu and his new recruits: His leadership now involves integrating people from sharply different backgrounds—loyal original followers, former criminals, and Rescue Organization operatives—while maintaining authority and earning their respect.

Chapter Summary: “An Unexpected Acquaintance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baimu closes his restaurant to help rebuild Magnetic Barium Street after the conflict with the Hound Team.
• Although Cheng Hong and Otsuka manage the area, they lack the strength to control the former Hound Team members, so Baimu continues personally overseeing the street.
• Baimu discovers that former Hound Team members are forcing civilians to build their homes and entertainment facilities first. He brutally punishes the ringleaders by hanging them from flagpoles and assigns the others to help civilians before rebuilding their own homes.
• His harsh methods establish order and make the former Hound Team members wary of violating his principles, particularly his concern for civilians.
• Reconstruction soon encounters financial problems. The Quicksand Team is reluctant to fund repairs, while Baimu’s own money has been spent compensating injured members and maintaining Aggron and his other Pokémon.
• The Quicksand Team’s apparent victory over the Hound Team proves financially costly, creating tension within its leadership.
• Baimu misses a banquet where the surrendered Jie Mate is assassinated by a supposedly trusted subordinate. The Quicksand Team officially presents the death as an internal betrayal, though other factions suspect it was arranged.
• The Quicksand Team takes over Jie Mate’s territory and gives his son a minor officer position. Its forces expand dramatically by absorbing much of the Hound Team.
• Kojero, frightened by the Quicksand Team’s sudden growth, retreats into his territory but soon dies of an alleged heart attack. His territory is also absorbed, completing the Hound Team’s collapse.
• Baimu is sent to recruit useful members from the former Hound Team, especially hidden Rescue Organization members. There, he unexpectedly encounters Huo Wu, an acquaintance from the Charity Tournament.

Character Developments

• Baimu becomes increasingly influential and feared. He combines ruthless punishment with genuine concern for civilians and injured subordinates, revealing a pragmatic but selective sense of justice.
• Cheng Hong and Otsuka are shown working hard to become stronger and earn authority, though they remain unable to match Baimu’s power.
• Former Hound Team members begin adapting to Baimu’s rule. They do not understand or share his concern for civilians, but fear him enough to imitate his values.
• The Quicksand Team leadership grows more powerful but also more corrupt and profit-driven. Its apparent success hides financial losses and moral decay.
• Jie Mate’s son willingly accepts a position under the faction that absorbed his father’s territory, showing little resistance to the new political order.
• Huo Wu is revealed to have been secretly working within the Rescue Organization while embedded in the Hound Team. Her reunion with Baimu suggests a possible alliance.
• Baimu and Huo Wu recognize each other from the Charity Tournament. Baimu recalls that she may have helped save a Quicksand Team member, while Huo Wu is visibly unsettled by their reunion.

Significant Themes

• Power through fear and control: Baimu establishes stability through severe public punishment, while the Quicksand Team expands through intimidation, assassination, and territorial absorption.
• The hypocrisy of factional politics: The Quicksand Team claims to inherit territory through circumstance while benefiting from suspicious deaths and betrayals.
• Protection versus exploitation: Baimu protects civilians and injured members, contrasting with leaders who treat people as expendable resources.
• The cost of conquest: Despite gaining territory and personnel, the Quicksand Team faces major financial strain, demonstrating that military success does not guarantee prosperity.
• Moral compromise: Characters must cooperate with dangerous organizations to survive or develop, even when their values differ sharply from those of the ruling faction.
• Unexpected alliances: Baimu’s encounter with Huo Wu hints that former opponents or hidden allies may become important partners in the Quicksand Team’s future.

Character Interactions

• Baimu supervises Cheng Hong and Otsuka while pressuring them to gain enough strength to control their subordinates.
• He punishes former Hound Team leaders and forces their families and associates to assist civilians, making his authority unmistakable.
• Baimu repeatedly clashes with the Quicksand Team’s finance department over reconstruction funding.
• The Quicksand Team manipulates the aftermath of Jie Mate’s assassination by taking over his territory and incorporating his son.
• Baimu reunites with Huo Wu, shifting their relationship from a past encounter at the Charity Tournament toward potential cooperation within the Quicksand Team.

Chapter Summary: “New Companion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pyrite Town descends further into chaos as victorious factions absorb defeated ones and increasingly declare war on each other.
• Silver Horse’s reformist faction rapidly grows, gaining support from people and groups previously aligned with Silver Ape. The Underground Arena also declares war on the Pyrite Arena and Town Hall.
• Silver Ape confronts Silver Horse, blaming him for the disorder. Silver Horse argues that the existing system is false and that the inevitable upheaval will lead to a new era.
• While the town’s factions clash, the Quicksand Team remains outwardly quiet and stable. Behind the scenes, however, its upper ranks are thrown into turmoil when the team’s boss is placed under house arrest.
• Flobo explains to Baimu that the boss was accused by remnants of the Hound Team of ordering the Hound Team’s destruction. More importantly, League inspectors investigating Ejin’s finances were informed about the Quicksand Team’s activities during the Charity Tournament.
• Ejin, who is attempting to establish the Orre League, fears that the inspectors will see Pyrite Town’s chaos and reject his ambitions. He therefore plans to restore order by force, using the boss as a scapegoat and sending troops from Silicon Beryllium City to suppress Pyrite Town.
• Cang Zhilang reveals that he, Hugo, Chester, and roughly two-thirds of the Quicksand Team intend to attack Silicon Beryllium City and rescue their boss before the International Police become involved.
• Baimu refuses to join what he considers a reckless assault, believing it would amount to suicide. Cang Zhilang agrees that the plan is dangerous but insists they have no time for a safer alternative.
• Before leaving, Cang Zhilang gives Baimu a Luxury Ball containing a difficult-to-tame Steelix, designating it as Baimu’s new companion and a source of protection after the Quicksand Team’s departure.

Character Developments

• Silver Horse emerges as a determined revolutionary who knowingly accepts responsibility for the chaos, believing the old order must collapse before a new era can begin.
• Silver Ape becomes increasingly frustrated and helpless as he fails to contain Pyrite Town’s escalating conflict. His confrontation with Silver Horse also highlights their ideological divide.
• Flobo demonstrates his knowledge of the political situation and explains the larger forces behind the Quicksand Team boss’s arrest.
• Baimu continues to grow rapidly in both physical ability and judgment. Unlike many Quicksand Team members, he immediately considers rescuing the boss but also recognizes that a direct attack on Silicon Beryllium City is strategically unsound.
• Cang Zhilang, despite being seriously injured, remains fiercely loyal to the Quicksand Team’s boss. He accepts the danger of the rescue mission and shows concern for Baimu’s future by keeping him away from the battle and giving him a powerful Pokémon.

Significant Themes

• Revolution and the collapse of order: Silver Horse believes social upheaval is necessary to destroy a corrupt or stagnant system, while the resulting suffering shows the human cost of such change.
• Loyalty versus pragmatism: Cang Zhilang and the rescue party prioritize loyalty to their leader, whereas Baimu emphasizes survival and careful planning.
• Power and political manipulation: Ejin uses the Quicksand Team boss as a scapegoat to protect his ambitions of creating the Orre League.
• The importance of leadership: Cang Zhilang argues that without the boss, the Quicksand Team will fragment just as the Hound Team did after losing its strongest force.
• Growth and inheritance: Baimu’s physical development and acquisition of Steelix symbolize his transition toward independence and the responsibility of carrying on after the older generation leaves.

Character Interactions

• Silver Ape and Silver Horse: Their argument reveals opposing views of stability and revolution. Silver Ape condemns the chaos, while Silver Horse accepts it as the price of progress.
• Flobo and Baimu: Flobo informs Baimu of the political scheme surrounding the boss’s arrest and warns him that the Quicksand Team’s situation directly affects his future.
• Cang Zhilang and Baimu: Their sparring reflects Baimu’s growth and Cang Zhilang’s deteriorating condition. Their conversation contrasts Baimu’s cautious reasoning with Cang Zhilang’s desperate loyalty.
• Cang Zhilang’s gift to Baimu: By giving him Steelix, Cang Zhilang entrusts Baimu with the strength needed to survive and protect himself once the Quicksand Team’s main forces depart.

Chapter Summary: “Alpha Size”

Plot Points and Events

Quicksand Team begins mobilizing a large force to rescue its boss in Silicon Beryllium City. Although the organization is loosely held together by money and loyalty, its leaders persuade members to participate by sacrificing some of their own benefits and promising equal rewards. Former Hound Team members also join, hoping to secure positions in the reorganized force.
The operation, named “Welcome Back the King of Quicksand,” is partly motivated by fear: Quicksand Team’s leaders know that an organization without its boss can collapse, as Hound Team did. However, they conceal important information from the lower ranks.
Baimu is excluded from the initial recruitment list and observes events from the sidelines. Shan Ren explains that Quicksand Team’s movement will delay the secret force from Silicon Beryllium City, giving Baimu time to survive and grow stronger. He warns that Chester may use the chaos to return, meaning Baimu must eventually become strong enough to confront him.
Baimu focuses on the enormous Steelix Cang Zhilang gave him. The Pokémon is an unusually large, level-60 female Steelix, nearly eighteen meters long and possessing exceptional durability. Although it knows many moves, its lack of refined training suggests it developed largely as a wild Pokémon. Baimu realizes that taming it will be extremely difficult, especially since his strongest Pokémon are several levels weaker.
To prepare, Baimu decides to use more than ten stored Simulator reward levels on Aggron, raising it toward Steelix’s level. He worries that such a sudden increase in power might cause Aggron to lose control, but ultimately believes he must strengthen it before rival forces target Quicksand Team’s territory.

Character Development

• Baimu becomes more decisive and strategically minded. Rather than delaying his growth out of fear of possible consequences, he recognizes that the unstable situation demands immediate action.
• Shan Ren continues acting as a calculating guide and planner. Though he has arranged much of the current situation, he admits that events are developing beyond his control and emphasizes Baimu’s need to become stronger.
• Aggron demonstrates unwavering loyalty. It does not fully understand Baimu’s explanation but clearly communicates that it will stand beside him regardless of danger, even death.
• Cang Zhilang’s decision to give Baimu Steelix indirectly benefits his former subordinate, despite Baimu’s betrayal.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and organizational survival: Quicksand Team’s members are motivated by both personal reward and fear of collapse, showing that loyalty is fragile when an organization is held together by money and leadership.
• Power and adaptation: Baimu must constantly grow stronger to survive shifting alliances and threats. The chapter presents power not as a luxury but as a necessity.
• Trust and mutual dependence: Baimu and Aggron’s relationship is based on mutual support rather than simple obedience. Their bond gives Baimu confidence that Aggron can handle a dangerous increase in strength.
• The cost of ambition: Baimu risks unpredictable consequences by rapidly raising Aggron’s level, illustrating the dangers involved in pursuing power too quickly.
• Exceptional “Alpha” Pokémon: Steelix’s extraordinary size and strength introduce the significance of Alpha Pokémon, whose physical traits far exceed normal members of their species.

Character Interactions

• Shan Ren warns Baimu that Chester may return and challenges him to develop enough strength to resist.
• Baimu studies Steelix’s statistics and abilities, considering how its unusual size, level, and wild nature will affect their potential relationship.
• Baimu speaks seriously with Aggron about protecting their home and pursuing their shared goals. Aggron responds with complete devotion.
• Baimu then transfers his stored Simulator levels into Aggron. Aggron remains calm rather than entering a berserk state, and its body visibly grows stronger and larger as the process concludes.

Chapter Summary: “Accumulated Strength, Unleashed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aggron completes its new “divine technique” and proudly demonstrates its increased strength, attracting the other Pokémon.
• Mawile realizes that Aggron’s sudden power boost came from Baimu’s reward system and becomes jealous that it has not received similar treatment.
• Baimu reflects on the dangers of favoritism. He recognizes that the Pokémon’s humanlike intelligence means they may feel neglected, inferior, or unloved if one companion receives special advantages.
• To reassure Mawile, Baimu spends his remaining TMs. After obtaining several Fairy-type moves, he finally gets the [Play Rough] Mawile wanted.
• Mawile immediately tests its new move against Aggron. It dodges Aggron’s charge, circles behind it, and lands two powerful punches, briefly knocking Aggron off balance.
• Baimu also gives Chansey the [Charm] TM so it will not feel excluded. He promises Deino the [Roost] move once it evolves.
• His move reserves are nearly exhausted, leaving only a small number of blind boxes and moves. He jokingly blames Steelix for forcing him to spend so many resources.
• Because Steelix may destroy the backyard before being tamed, Baimu decides not to battle it there. Instead, he travels to an Underground City, hoping to use the same location where he previously subdued Vibrava.
• Despite growing unrest on the surface—including the collapse of one Underground City—merchants continue operating, though prices have risen sharply. Baimu worries about food and water shortages but trusts Liu Ge, Shan Ren, and the others, who have already prepared supplies.

Character Developments

• Baimu: Becomes more thoughtful about his responsibilities as a Trainer. He understands that fairness involves not only practical reasoning but also addressing his Pokémon’s emotional needs. He sacrifices valuable resources to repair his relationship with Mawile.
• Mawile: Shows jealousy and possessiveness toward Baimu, revealing how deeply it values his attention. After receiving [Play Rough], it becomes excited and immediately challenges Aggron, demonstrating both confidence and competitive spirit.
• Aggron: Is extremely proud of its new power and eagerly accepts Mawile’s challenge, though its confidence is briefly shaken when Mawile outmaneuvers it.
• Chansey: Reacts happily but without jealousy when given [Charm]. Its personality is portrayed as more focused on helping and giving than competing for strength.
• Deino: Remains innocent and affectionate, biting Baimu’s hand playfully without understanding the significance of the promised move.
• Steelix: Though absent from the immediate action, its potential destructiveness shapes Baimu’s plans and forces him to relocate the attempted capture or taming.

Significant Themes

• Fairness versus favoritism: Baimu learns that treating companions equally requires considering their feelings, not merely applying rational or strategic standards.
• Jealousy as affection: Mawile’s desire for power is rooted less in ambition than in its wish to receive the same attention and care as Aggron.
• The emotional responsibility of a Trainer: The chapter emphasizes that powerful Pokémon with humanlike intelligence need reassurance, recognition, and emotional security.
• Sacrifice and resource management: Baimu gives up months of accumulated rewards and most of his TMs to strengthen and reassure his companions.
• Social stability amid crisis: The continued operation of the Underground City and the rising prices of necessities show how ordinary people adapt while Pyrite Town descends into unrest.

Important Character Interactions

• Mawile confronts Baimu by grabbing his pant leg and refusing to let him leave until he explains why Aggron received preferential treatment.
• Baimu explains his reasoning while also taking concrete action, ultimately earning Mawile’s trust through [Play Rough].
• Mawile and Aggron engage in a playful but forceful battle, with Mawile using agility and its new move to overcome Aggron’s charge.
• Baimu gives Chansey [Charm] to reassure it that it has not been forgotten.
• Baimu interacts affectionately with Deino, promising it [Roost] after evolution, though Deino responds more to his hand than to the meaning of his words.

Chapter Summary: “Bullying the Alpha”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baimu chooses the largest and strongest Battle Arena available to tame Alpha Steelix, repeatedly confirming that its walls can withstand attacks from extremely powerful Pokémon.
• He releases Aggron and Chansey. Aggron is intended to subdue Steelix, while Chansey is present to heal or protect Baimu if Steelix attacks him.
• Alpha Steelix emerges from its Poké Ball as a gigantic, unusually large specimen with four metal body segments instead of the normal three. Standing around twelve meters tall and extending eighteen meters in length, it nearly reaches the arena’s ceiling.
• Steelix immediately becomes hostile toward Baimu, Aggron, and Chansey. Aggron responds fearlessly, leading to a tense confrontation between the two massive Pokémon.
• Baimu orders Aggron to attack first with Sand Tomb, causing the arena floor to collapse beneath Steelix and trapping half of its body.
• Steelix counters with Dragon Breath, but Aggron’s Sand Tomb overpowers it.
• Aggron uses Surf, not primarily to injure Steelix, but to turn the sand trap into thick mud. This further restricts Steelix’s movements.
• Steelix cleverly attempts to escape by using its head as leverage to pull itself out of the mud. Baimu anticipates the maneuver and orders Stomping Tantrum.
• Aggron repeatedly stomps Steelix’s head, dazing it, then uses Superpower to pull the enormous Steelix from the mud and hurl it into the arena wall.
• Aggron continues violently swinging Steelix by the tail, smashing its head against the ground and walls until Steelix is reduced to weak, mournful groans.
• Baimu finally orders Aggron to stop, though Aggron releases Steelix with enough force to make it crash into the wall one last time.

Character Developments

• Baimu: Demonstrates caution and strategic thinking. He prepares extensively for Steelix’s size and power, prioritizes his own survival by bringing Chansey, and uses battlefield control rather than relying solely on brute force.
• Aggron: Shows immense growth after reaching level sixty. Its power is now sufficient to overpower an enormous Steelix physically. However, its confidence has developed into noticeable arrogance; it proudly boasts after the victory.
• Alpha Steelix: Is introduced as extraordinarily large, powerful, and temperamental. It initially appears dominant and intimidating, but its confidence is undermined by Aggron’s tactics and superior strength. Despite its intelligence and attempted escape, it is ultimately overwhelmed.
• Chansey: Plays a supporting role in this section, remaining ready to protect or heal Baimu but not directly participating in the battle.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus size: Steelix’s enormous body creates an intimidating presence, but size alone does not guarantee victory. Aggron’s training and combat ability prove more important.
• Strategy over brute force: Baimu combines Sand Tomb, Surf, and careful timing to restrict Steelix before allowing Aggron to finish the fight physically.
• Taming through dominance: The battle is presented as a harsh “bullying” session designed to break Steelix’s hostility and establish Aggron and Baimu as stronger figures.
• Growing confidence and arrogance: Aggron’s dramatic increase in strength has improved its combat performance but also encouraged a cocky, boastful attitude.
• Control and preparedness: Baimu’s concern for the arena’s durability and his use of Chansey highlight the dangers of handling exceptionally powerful Pokémon.

Character Interactions

• Baimu coordinates closely with Aggron, issuing rapid commands and exploiting Steelix’s movements.
• Aggron and Steelix communicate through repeated roars, with their exchange establishing a rivalry before the battle begins.
• Baimu successfully predicts Steelix’s escape attempt and turns its own maneuver against it.
• After the fight, Baimu praises Aggron, reinforcing their partnership, while Aggron celebrates its superiority with an exaggerated display of pride.

Chapter Summary: “Family ‘Younger Brother’ Status”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baimu brings the defeated Steelix before Aggron and Chansey. Steelix instinctively reacts fearfully to Aggron, indicating that he recognizes Aggron’s superior strength.
• Rather than relying on a group attack, Baimu defeats Steelix in a one-on-one confrontation, believing this is necessary for Steelix to genuinely submit.
• Baimu softens Steelix’s mood by feeding him Berries and prepared Shining Cuisine while Chansey heals his injuries with Heal Pulse.
• Taking advantage of Steelix’s weakened and receptive state, Baimu formally incorporates him into the team. He designates Aggron as Steelix’s “Big Brother,” himself as “Big Boss,” Mawile as “Big Sis Boss,” and Deino as the younger brother.
• Steelix obediently follows Baimu’s commands, including standing up while Baimu rides on his head. This confirms that Steelix has fully accepted his new master and teammates.
• Baimu reflects on the value of possessing a level-sixty Pokémon but realizes he still lacks the full roster and preparation needed to reliably win tournaments.
• Steelix is recalled along with the other Pokémon, and Baimu leaves the Battle Arena after thanking the owner.
• The arena owner later discovers the extensive damage Steelix caused during the battle. Recognizing Baimu as the notorious “Monster Wood,” he shares photos in the Underground City merchants’ group chat, boosting Baimu’s reputation.
• Back at the villa, Baimu releases Steelix into the open air and feeds him a large quantity of food. He begins worrying about the enormous cost of feeding Aggron, Steelix, and Deino, while joking that he and some of the others are comparatively cheap to maintain.

Character Developments

• Steelix: Moves from being a hostile opponent to a submissive and affectionate team member. His fear of Aggron establishes the power hierarchy, while his willingness to accept food, healing, commands, and physical contact demonstrates genuine surrender. He quickly develops a playful, puppy-like personality.
• Baimu: Shows a blend of strategic thinking and manipulative charm. He understands that Steelix must be defeated personally to gain his respect, then uses food, healing, and family-style titles to secure his loyalty. He also displays growing confidence after acquiring another powerful Pokémon, though he remains aware of his limitations.
• Aggron: Serves as the team’s intimidating senior figure. Once Steelix submits, Aggron withdraws his hostile aura and welcomes him, becoming the clear “big brother.”
• Chansey: Supports Baimu by healing Steelix, helping turn a violent defeat into a successful taming process.
• Arena Owner: Changes from a simple business proprietor into an impressed observer of Baimu’s rising reputation. He eagerly publicizes Baimu’s visit for prestige, though he has no real personal connection to him.

Significant Themes

• Strength and submission: The chapter emphasizes that direct, individual defeat is more effective than overwhelming an opponent through numbers when seeking true recognition and loyalty.
• Taming through care: Baimu combines dominance with kindness, using healing, food, and affection to transform Steelix from an enemy into a devoted companion.
• Family hierarchy: The Pokémon are organized into a humorous “family” structure, with Baimu as the boss, Aggron as the elder brother, Mawile as the big sister, and Deino as the younger sibling.
• Reputation and social influence: The damage left behind by Steelix’s battle strengthens Baimu’s mythic reputation as “Monster Wood,” spreading his influence among Underground City merchants.
• Practical burdens of power: Gaining powerful Pokémon also creates financial and logistical problems, especially the cost of feeding several exceptionally large or resource-consuming creatures.

Character Interactions

• Baimu reassures and feeds Steelix while Chansey heals him, creating the first positive bond between them.
• Baimu humorously commands Steelix to address the other Pokémon according to the family hierarchy, and Steelix obediently responds despite seeming not to fully understand.
• Steelix cautiously looks to Aggron for approval, then becomes delighted when Aggron accepts him.
• Baimu rides Steelix’s head, using the act as both a test of submission and a source of personal amusement.
• The arena owner unknowingly benefits from Baimu’s fame by sharing the battle damage with other merchants, who immediately show interest in meeting or contacting him.

Key plot points and events

• Giant Steelix enthusiastically eats three basins of food and then a cartload of ore, ignoring Baimu’s warning that too much metal could make it bulky and slow.
• Baimu observes that Steelix sheds leftover soil and grit as it processes ore, and learns more about its posture and movement. Though usually slow, Steelix can lunge with startling speed.
• Baimu gives Steelix Magnet Rise through Mawile’s Baton Pass. Steelix panics at first, but Aggron’s roar calms it, and it soon takes to the air with ease.
• When the effect starts to fade, Steelix cannot figure out how to descend and drifts toward Aggron’s carefully tended shrubs. Chansey catches it with Telekinesis before it can crash.
• Aggron is alarmed and angry, but forgives the apologetic Steelix. Mawile watches the episode with amused disdain.
• Steelix’s arrival makes Baimu realize his training grounds are too small. He decides to seek more space, eyeing the largely unused land at his neighbor Liu Ge’s house.

Character developments

• Baimu shows curiosity and practical ingenuity, learning Steelix’s habits firsthand and experimenting with Magnet Rise. He is also attentive enough to arrange for Chansey to keep watch.
• Steelix proves unusually comfortable in the air and quickly grows confident, though it is inexperienced at controlling its descent.
• Aggron acts as a calming presence and protector. Its devotion to its garden is clear, but it ultimately chooses to forgive Steelix.
• Mawile remains laid-back and sardonic, serving as Baimu’s Baton Pass helper.
• Chansey provides crucial backup, preventing an accident.

Significant themes

• Learning through experience: Baimu’s observations challenge general information he had read about Steelix.
• Trust and cooperation: The Pokémon work together—Mawile enables the flight, Aggron calms Steelix, and Chansey prevents a crash.
• Care alongside humor: Baimu’s fond attention to the Pokémon’s quirks balances the slapstick danger of Steelix’s first flight.
• Growing needs: Adding a large Pokémon brings practical challenges, especially the need for more space.

Character interactions

Baimu encourages and instructs Steelix during its first flight, while Aggron’s roar steadies it when it panics. Aggron then rushes to protect its shrubs, nearly colliding with the falling Steelix, before Chansey intervenes. Steelix’s apology and Aggron’s forgiveness restore the group’s good humor.

Chapter Summary: “Love and Rescue”

Plot Points and Major Events

• Aggron’s desire to expand its territory leads Baimu to ask his older brother, Liu Ge, for permission to use the neighboring property, including its Battle Arena, trees, flowers, and grass. Liu Ge gives him the key and advises him not to be overly concerned about “taking without asking” in their future revolutionary actions.
• Baimu surveys Pyrite Town from a hillside and reflects on the worsening chaos. Explosions, factional violence, forced mergers, and unstable alliances have left the town deeply damaged.
• Cang Zhilang and the other departing leaders prepare to leave under the King Welcoming Plan. Instead of taking only half of Quicksand Team’s forces as originally intended, they withdraw roughly two-thirds of its personnel, leaving Liu Ge and his allies with fewer defenders but a weaker enemy structure to seize.
• The remaining factions in Pyrite Town are technically larger but militarily disorganized. Many fighters are inexperienced, injured, or unfamiliar with their Pokémon, making their apparent strength misleading.
• Baimu realizes that Pokémon, not only humans, are victims of Pyrite Town’s oppressive system. Many are displaced, controlled by strangers, and forced to fight or commit acts against their will.
• He confronts his own hypocrisy, recognizing that his concern for Pokémon has previously been limited to Aggron and the Pokémon around him. He had unconsciously viewed unfamiliar Pokémon as tools or artificial game-like entities rather than living beings with emotions and rights.
• Baimu discusses these thoughts with Shan Ren. Shan Ren reassures him that recognizing his selfishness proves he is changing and presents this realization as essential to creating a new social order in Orre.
• Shan Ren emphasizes that the movement’s foundation must include both humans and Pokémon. He also argues that many more people genuinely care about Pokémon than Baimu realizes, suggesting that widespread rescue efforts will be possible without an elaborate separate plan.
• The next day, Baimu watches more than 5,000 Quicksand Team members depart, including over 2,100 combat personnel and more than 2,500 logistical and peripheral members.
• Flobo reveals that Liu Ge’s allies will soon take control of the weakened Quicksand Team. Because of their long-term infiltration and support among local residents, the takeover is expected to be peaceful rather than violent.
• Liu Ge’s movement has adopted the name Rescue Organization, presenting itself not merely as a rebellion against old powers but as an effort to save and rebuild Orre.
• The chapter ends with the unexpected return of Awu, who brings an astonishing and unidentified guest.

Character Development

• Baimu becomes more morally self-aware. His understanding of justice expands beyond sympathy for oppressed humans to include Pokémon as independent beings deserving freedom and protection.
• He acknowledges that his previous “love” for Pokémon was selective and centered on personal attachment rather than universal compassion. This honest self-criticism marks an important step in his ideological growth.
• Liu Ge is shown as patient, strategic, and increasingly central to the coming political transformation. His infiltration of Quicksand Team and the creation of the Rescue Organization demonstrate his preference for calculated, peaceful consolidation.
• Shan Ren acts as Baimu’s philosophical guide, helping him interpret his guilt as evidence of growth rather than moral failure. He also reveals confidence in the broader public’s affection for Pokémon.
• Flobo appears excited and relieved that years of planning are nearing completion, especially because the takeover may occur without bloodshed.
• Aggron indirectly drives the opening events, revealing its territorial instincts and continued importance in Baimu’s daily life.

Significant Themes

• Expanding compassion: Baimu’s morality develops from protecting those personally close to him toward recognizing the suffering of all humans and Pokémon.
• Pokémon personhood and oppression: The chapter challenges the idea that Pokémon are merely tools, emphasizing their emotions, autonomy, and right to live freely.
• Revolution and legitimacy: Liu Ge’s group frames its cause as rescue and reconstruction rather than simple rebellion, giving the movement a more ethical and socially acceptable identity.
• Appearance versus reality: The newly enlarged factions of Pyrite Town seem powerful, but internal disorder, inexperience, and poor coordination make them weaker than they appear.
• Peaceful change versus violence: The planned takeover of Quicksand Team represents a shift from direct conflict toward infiltration, organization, and nonviolent transfer of power.
• Personal guilt as a catalyst for change: Baimu’s discomfort with his own selfishness becomes a source of moral progress rather than paralysis.

Character Interactions

• Baimu and Liu Ge: Baimu awkwardly requests access to the neighboring property, while Liu Ge responds with amused exasperation and practical advice about their future actions.
• Baimu and Shan Ren: Their phone conversation centers on Baimu’s realization that he has neglected Pokémon suffering. Shan Ren validates his change and reinforces the movement’s human-and-Pokémon-centered ideology.
• Baimu and Flobo: Flobo explains the scale and peaceful nature of the upcoming takeover, revealing the success of Liu Ge’s internal preparations.
• Baimu and the Rescue Organization: Baimu notices that people he knows have joined the organization, though they do not realize that he is already connected to its leadership.
• Baimu and Awu: Their interaction is only beginning at the chapter’s close, but Awu’s return with an unexpected guest establishes the next major development.

Chapter Summary: “Rescuer ‘N’”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baimu receives an unexpected visit from Awu, N, and N’s two older sisters, Anthea and Concordia.
• N introduces himself as someone committed to helping Pokémon, especially those suffering in Orre. His arrival provides much-needed support for the effort to rescue Pokémon in Pyrite Town.
• Baimu and N quickly establish a cooperative relationship, agreeing to work together toward the same goal.
• Since Baimu is not responsible for strategic planning, he contacts Shan Ren, who speaks with N about the situation and future operations.
• Awu explains that he encountered N during his travels and invited him because N is devoted to rescuing Pokémon worldwide. However, Awu admits he has not yet secured the promised support from the Dragon Tamers. Grandma Dragon has ordered him to investigate the situation carefully and write a detailed report before making any commitments.
• Shan Ren enthusiastically praises N as the “Child of Pokémon,” emphasizing that N can communicate with Pokémon and gain their cooperation without using Poké Balls or battling. Though N may not be a powerful fighter, his ability is considered more valuable than that of many combatants.
• To keep N’s presence secret, Baimu arranges for him and his sisters to stay at Liu Ge’s house rather than revealing them publicly.
• N is instructed to remain hidden and support Liu Ge’s group when their operation begins.
• The broader strategy becomes clearer: turmoil in Pyrite Town is intended to weaken the town internally and lure Ejin’s forces away from Silicon Beryllium City, reducing pressure on Shan Ren’s father’s main force.
• Cang Zhilang and others are rescuing the Quicksand Team’s boss in Silicon Beryllium City, acting as a delaying force to prevent Ejin’s troops from returning quickly.
• Liu Ge plans to use the chaos in Pyrite Town to buy time, while Shan Ren appears to be considering a more aggressive plan to completely destroy Ejin’s forces.

Character Developments

• Baimu remains the practical “muscle” of the group but demonstrates growing awareness of the need for coordination, diplomacy, and strategic planning. He is impressed by N’s reputation yet remains cautious about Awu’s impulsive decisions.
• N is shown after his transformation following Team Plasma’s defeat. He is gentle, polite, and committed to cooperation between humans and Pokémon rather than opposing humanity. His priority is rescuing Pokémon across the world, including those in Orre.
• Anthea and Concordia support N and behave with courtesy, reinforcing their close family bond and their shared commitment to helping Pokémon.
• Awu is revealed to be energetic but impatient and somewhat careless in handling major negotiations. His failure to notify Shan Ren and his lack of progress with the Dragon Tamers highlight his impulsiveness.
• Grandma Dragon appears cautious and responsible, insisting that Awu understand the situation fully before involving the Dragon Tamers.
• Shan Ren displays strong confidence in N’s abilities and sees him as an exceptionally valuable ally. He also appears more ambitious and aggressive than Liu Ge regarding the ultimate treatment of Ejin’s forces.
• Liu Ge remains focused on tactical containment, aiming to hold back Ejin’s army long enough for the larger plan to succeed.

Significant Themes

• Cooperation between humans and Pokémon: N’s presence embodies the possibility of mutual understanding and partnership rather than control or exploitation.
• The value of noncombat abilities: N’s power lies in communication, empathy, and influence over Pokémon, demonstrating that strategic and humanitarian abilities can be more important than raw battle strength.
• Trust and alliance-building: The rescue effort depends on forming alliances among different groups, even when they have different backgrounds and methods.
• Patience versus impulsiveness: Awu’s haste contrasts with Grandma Dragon’s caution, emphasizing that major alliances require investigation and preparation.
• Competing strategies: Liu Ge favors delay and containment, while Shan Ren seems interested in decisive destruction, foreshadowing possible disagreements within the allied forces.
• The aftermath of personal change: N’s attitude reflects his development after learning that humans and Pokémon can coexist peacefully.

Character Interactions

• Baimu welcomes N, Anthea, and Concordia and quickly treats them as trusted partners.
• N and Baimu discuss the crisis, with N asking detailed questions about the condition of Orre’s Pokémon.
• Baimu consults Shan Ren because he lacks the strategic authority to make long-term decisions himself.
• Baimu confronts Awu about bringing N without prior notice and questions the status of the Dragon Tamer alliance.
• Shan Ren speaks warmly of N’s reputation and ability, comparing his potential contribution favorably with powerful fighters.
• N is placed under Liu Ge’s protection and instructed to remain discreet until the main operation begins.

Chapter Summary: “N’s Ideal”

Key plot points and events

• N and his two older sisters arrive with their Pokémon, which they keep outside Poké Balls. One of N’s Pokémon, Zorua, disguises itself as Baimu and attempts to frame him for a prank.
• Baimu quickly catches Zorua as it tries to escape through the window. He and Anthea discuss whether Dark-type Pokémon are naturally mischievous.
• Earlier, Zorua and Deino accidentally damaged the front lawn while playing. N and his sisters apologize, but Baimu reassures them that the damage was unintentional and easily repaired.
• Baimu reflects on Aggron’s excessive possessiveness over the lawn, wondering whether its desire for territory stems from past abandonment, a need for security, or inherited instincts.
• Because Steelix cannot enter the house, Baimu organizes an outdoor meal where the human guests and Pokémon can eat together. This is intended to strengthen bonds between Steelix and the rest of the group.
• N observes Baimu’s relationship with Chansey and questions why it has not evolved despite its strong affection for him. Baimu replies that Chansey should evolve only when it is ready, rather than being forced to do so.
• N praises Baimu as a genuine Trainer who forms deep bonds with Pokémon. He explains his own ideal: creating a future where humans and Pokémon coexist harmoniously, inspired by a Trainer with a Pikachu—clearly Ash.
• Baimu shares this ideal and agrees that Orre must eventually have more Trainers like him. The chapter ends humorously with N realizing everyone is waiting for them to begin eating, while Baimu’s main flaw as a Trainer is revealed: he still refuses to let Steelix use Dig.

Character developments

• Baimu is shown to be patient, compassionate, and attentive to Pokémon emotions. He accepts responsibility for Aggron’s possessiveness and respects Chansey’s autonomy rather than prioritizing evolution or strength.
• N becomes more open about his beliefs and admiration for Baimu. His ideal of human-Pokémon coexistence is reinforced, and he recognizes Baimu as the kind of Trainer he had hoped to find in Orre.
• Anthea acts as a calm, knowledgeable mediator, explaining Pokémon types and apologizing sincerely for Zorua’s behavior.
• Aggron is revealed to be territorial and emotionally attached to its home, possibly because of past trauma or an inherited desire for a secure territory.
• Chansey is deeply attached to Baimu, while Steelix is bonding quickly with him but remains frustrated by his refusal to allow it to dig.
• Zorua is characterized as mischievous and playful rather than malicious.

Significant themes

• True companionship between humans and Pokémon: The chapter emphasizes that a Trainer’s bond with Pokémon should surpass ownership or utility.
• Respect for Pokémon autonomy: Baimu believes Chansey should evolve only when it wants to, rejecting the idea that evolution must be forced for a Trainer’s benefit.
• Healing and the need for home: Aggron’s territorial behavior may reflect insecurity, abandonment, or a longing for a permanent home.
• Coexistence and shared ideals: N and Baimu share the goal of improving relations between humans and Pokémon throughout Orre.
• Individuality within Pokémon species: The chapter notes that Pokémon of the same species can have very different personalities, histories, and emotional needs.
• Humor and domestic bonding: Minor conflicts—such as Zorua’s pranks, the damaged lawn, and Steelix’s desire to dig—help portray the household as a lively, affectionate community.

Character interactions

• Baimu catches Zorua and playfully teases it while speaking with Anthea about its mischievous nature.
• Baimu reassures Anthea and N’s family after the lawn is damaged, while also comforting Aggron.
• N and Baimu discuss Chansey’s evolution, revealing their shared respect for Pokémon choice.
• N evaluates Baimu’s relationships with his Pokémon and openly praises him as an exemplary Trainer.
• Baimu and N discover that they share the same ideal of human-Pokémon harmony.
• The outdoor meal brings the humans and Pokémon together, strengthening the sense of a shared household and community.

Chapter Summary: “Outside Reinforcements”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The day after N’s arrival, Liu Ge begins the peaceful takeover of the Quicksand Team by occupying its headquarters.
• Flobo explains that the operation succeeds quickly because the headquarters staff are eager to become “normal” Pokémon Trainers. They resent being denied Pokémon and trapped in repetitive work under the Quicksand Team’s system.
• The Rescue Organization’s promises give these workers a reason to defect, especially after Cang Zhilang and the Combat Division abandon them in preparation for moving to Silicon Beryllium City.
• By controlling the headquarters, Liu Ge’s faction gains control over the Quicksand Team’s logistics, including utilities, supplies, mines, smelters, and communications.
• The takeover is not yet complete: the Rescue Organization still needs to win over the remaining Combat Division members.
• Flobo reveals that Chester has likely abandoned Cang Zhilang and Hugo and plans to join Ejin’s forces. However, Chester may only be temporarily useful to Ejin and could be discarded once his knowledge of Pyrite Town is no longer needed.
• Baimu reflects that many new supporters are motivated mainly by practical benefits—food, wages, and relief from tribute fees—rather than a genuine commitment to rescuing Orre.
• Baimu encourages Otsuka to take responsibility for bullying people in the past. Otsuka apologizes, pays compensation, and allows some victims to strike him in return.
• Baimu then sends Otsuka to help build houses on Magnetic Barium Street, presenting the work as both punishment and a chance to become part of the wider community.
• The chapter ends with an unnamed visitor returning to Pyrite Town on a hover bike, accompanied by an Espeon and Umbreon.

Character Developments

• Baimu remains cautious and distrustful, particularly toward the Crystal Group, but shows growing awareness of the broader political and social consequences of the Rescue Organization’s actions. He also takes on a moral guiding role with Otsuka.
• Flobo demonstrates strategic insight, explaining why the headquarters staff defected and how logistical control can determine political power. He also reveals the likely fate of Chester with detached pragmatism.
• Liu Ge successfully expands the Rescue Organization’s influence through preparation, negotiation, and promises rather than violence.
• Otsuka begins genuinely reforming himself. He accepts responsibility, compensates his victims, endures retaliation, and agrees to community labor without resistance.
• Chester is revealed to be maneuvering politically, abandoning the Quicksand Team and attempting to secure his survival by joining Ejin.
• The headquarters staff shift from passive and dissatisfied workers to supporters of Liu Ge’s faction, though their commitment is initially based more on self-interest than ideology.
• The unnamed newcomer is introduced as an important future presence, marked by his familiarity with Pyrite Town and his Espeon and Umbreon.

Significant Themes

• Power through logistics: Control of infrastructure, supplies, communications, and resources can be as decisive as military strength.
• The desire for normalcy and freedom: The headquarters workers want the ordinary Trainer lifestyle denied to them by the Quicksand Team’s rigid hierarchy.
• Pragmatic revolution: Many people support the Rescue Organization because it improves their immediate lives, showing that political change may begin through self-interest before developing into genuine conviction.
• Accountability and redemption: Otsuka’s efforts emphasize that personal change requires admitting wrongdoing, making reparations, and accepting consequences.
• Class barriers: Even when victims have the right to retaliate, their fear of a Squad Leader shows how deeply the old social hierarchy remains embedded.
• Betrayal and political opportunism: Chester’s attempt to switch alliances illustrates how unstable and transactional the power struggle in Orre has become.
• Building a new society: The housing project and Otsuka’s assigned labor suggest that overthrowing the old order is only the beginning; a functioning and morally different society must still be constructed.

Important Character Interactions

• Baimu and Flobo: Baimu expresses concern about possible violence and Chester’s motives, while Flobo reassures him and explains the strategic success of the takeover.
• Baimu and Otsuka: Baimu challenges Otsuka to change and guides him toward taking responsibility, balancing stern punishment with an opportunity for rehabilitation.
• Otsuka and his victims: Otsuka apologizes and compensates those he mistreated; some forgive him, while others retaliate physically, allowing both sides to find a degree of closure.
• Chester and Ejin: Though not shown directly, their planned alliance is discussed as a calculated, unstable arrangement in which Chester may eventually be discarded.
• Liu Ge and the headquarters staff: Liu Ge offers them a path toward becoming ordinary Trainers, turning their dissatisfaction into support for the Rescue Organization.

Chapter Summary: “The Game Protagonist”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Baimu meets Leo, a reinforcement sent by the International Police. Leo is revealed to be the former Team Snagem member who later defeated Shadow Team and Eya, the original mayor of Silicon Beryllium City.
• Baimu recognizes Leo as the protagonist of the Pokémon Colosseum games, confirming that the game’s events occurred earlier in this world’s timeline.
• Leo explains that Ejin is Eya’s cousin. After inheriting Eya’s criminal assets, Ejin rebuilt the remnants of Shadow Team and allowed many former criminals to operate openly.
• Leo has come to Orre to eliminate Ejin’s remaining forces. His wife, Mire, is already working with villagers from Agate Village and plans to recruit Silver Ape, another former associate.
• Flobo assigns Baimu to guard the former Hound Team territory and prevent enemy incursions while Leo’s presence remains secret.
• Leo reveals that Ejin’s greatest threat is an incomplete version of Shadow Pokémon manufacturing, a process that suppresses a Pokémon’s emotions and turns it into a mindless weapon.
• Baimu worries about how N might react to Shadow Pokémon, given his history with Team Plasma’s mistreatment of Pokémon. He fears N could become consumed by anger and follow a destructive path like Lysandre.
• Shan Ren reports that Devon Corporation, led by president Stone, has agreed to provide technological assistance and help address Pyrite Town’s food shortages.
• Baimu returns home and begins explaining the Shadow Pokémon crisis to N’s sisters, Anthea and Concordia, hoping they can prepare N to face the truth.

Character Developments

• Baimu: Becomes increasingly aware of how closely the current events align with the Colosseum games. His focus shifts from simply defending Pyrite Town to protecting N emotionally and morally from the danger posed by Shadow Pokémon.
• Leo: Is introduced as a reformed criminal, experienced hero, and International Police agent. His past gives him personal knowledge of Shadow Team and makes him central to the effort against Ejin.
• Mire: Confirmed as Leo’s wife and shown to be actively supporting the resistance alongside Agate Village’s powerful Trainers.
• Ejin: His connection to Eya is confirmed, establishing him as the inheritor of Shadow Team’s legacy and a continuing threat to Orre.
• N: Does not appear directly, but his previous trauma and ideals become important. Baimu fears that seeing Pokémon stripped of emotion could provoke dangerous anger or despair.
• Shan Ren: Demonstrates initiative by securing support from Devon Corporation, expanding the town’s resources beyond its immediate allies.
• Anthea and Concordia: Are positioned as trusted intermediaries who may help Baimu explain the Shadow Pokémon threat to N.

Significant Themes

• Redemption and second chances: Leo’s transformation from Team Snagem member to International Police agent mirrors the possibility that former criminals can change.
• The abuse of Pokémon: Shadow Pokémon represent the extreme dehumanization of Pokémon, reducing living beings to emotionless weapons.
• Moral responsibility: Baimu worries not only about defeating Ejin but also about preventing N from being corrupted by righteous anger.
• Cooperation across regions: Support from Leo, Mire, Agate Village, Silver Ape, and Devon Corporation shows different communities uniting against Orre’s crisis.
• Reality and fiction: Baimu’s recognition of Leo highlights the overlap between the game world he knew and the living reality he now inhabits.

Character Interactions

• Flobo introduces Baimu to Leo and explains Leo’s history and mission.
• Leo clarifies Ejin’s family connection to Eya and describes the plan to destroy Shadow Team’s remnants.
• Flobo assigns Baimu his defensive duties while Leo operates covertly.
• Baimu questions Leo about Ejin’s weapons, prompting the revelation of Shadow Pokémon manufacturing.
• Shan Ren informs Baimu of Devon Corporation’s support, raising hopes for technological and logistical improvements.
• At home, Baimu speaks with Anthea and Concordia about the Shadow Pokémon threat, beginning preparations for N’s reaction.

Chapter Summary: “Ideal Nation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After discussing the dangers of Pokémon-stealing technology, Anthea and Concordia encourage Baimu to speak directly with N about the Shadow Pokémon technology threatening Orre.
• Mawile follows Baimu after bidding farewell to Anthea, Concordia, and the other Pokémon, worried about his safety.
• In the backyard, N cares for the Pokémon rescued from Underground City. Although he dislikes treating Pokémon as commodities, he purchased them to prevent trouble for Baimu and now uses his resources to protect and rehabilitate them.
• Baimu returns home and is enthusiastically mobbed by the rescued Pokémon, who associate him with food and safety. Aggron helps free him, while Mawile claims Aggron’s shoulder as her personal perch.
• Baimu explains the Shadow Pokémon technology to N, including its ability to seal Pokémon’s hearts and turn them into emotionless weapons. N reacts with anger, grief, and renewed hostility toward those who persecute Pokémon.
• The two discuss whether an ideal society for humans and Pokémon can truly exist. Baimu insists that it can, provided people who abuse Pokémon are excluded from it.
• N proposes beginning that ideal society in Orre, a sparsely populated region with large undeveloped areas and no native Pokémon. He believes it could become a sanctuary where rescued Pokémon can recover and build new lives.

Character Developments

• Baimu demonstrates increasing confidence and determination. Though practical and burdened by the realities of rescuing Pokémon, he remains committed to improving Orre and eventually traveling freely once his work is complete.
• N moves from grief and anger toward a concrete vision for the future. His understanding of Pokémon allows him to bond quickly with the rescued Pokémon, and he begins to see Orre as the foundation for his ideal nation.
• Mawile shows strong loyalty and concern for Baimu, following him despite wanting to remain with Anthea and Concordia. Her attachment to Aggron also becomes more pronounced.
• Anthea and Concordia reaffirm their dedication to creating harmony between humans and Pokémon. Seeing the rescued Pokémon’s affection for Baimu reminds them why their cause matters.
• The rescued Pokémon increasingly trust Baimu and N, viewing them as protectors and sources of safety and care.

Significant Themes

• Human–Pokémon coexistence: The chapter explores the possibility of a society founded on mutual respect rather than ownership or exploitation.
• Redemption and restoration: N’s former Team Plasma resources are redirected toward rescuing Pokémon, symbolically transforming wealth once connected to wrongdoing into a force for good.
• The consequences of persecution: Shadow Pokémon technology represents the extreme abuse of Pokémon by humans and reinforces N’s distrust of humanity.
• Belonging and sanctuary: The rescued Pokémon cannot simply return to their former lives. Orre is presented as a place where they can heal, settle, and find a new home.
• Idealism versus practicality: Building an ideal nation requires more than noble intentions; it also requires land, resources, protection, and careful planning.

Character Interactions

• Anthea and Concordia respectfully ask Baimu to speak to N himself, while Mawile silently demonstrates her concern by following him.
• The rescued Pokémon show their affection for Baimu by overwhelming him for food, creating a warm and comedic contrast to the chapter’s darker subject matter.
• Aggron rescues Baimu from the Pokémon crowd, strengthening the impression of a close family-like bond among Baimu and his Pokémon.
• Baimu and N share a serious conversation about Shadow Pokémon and the possibility of an ideal nation. Their discussion reveals both their shared compassion and differing burdens.
• N gently interacts with Chansey, while Baimu’s familiar head-rubbing makes her especially happy, emphasizing the personal bonds between Trainers and Pokémon.
• The chapter ends with N and Baimu aligned around a shared goal: transforming Orre into a refuge where persecuted Pokémon can live safely.

Plot and key events

• N, originally from Unova, decides to remain in Orre. Shan Ren supports him, arguing that N’s knowledge of Pokémon can help the region prosper.
• Shan Ren reveals an ambitious plan to transform southern Orre into a green landscape within five years, backed by modern technology and, he hopes, the Devon Corporation. Baimu doubts the plan’s practicality and suspects Shan Ren is inspired by Rose’s large-scale development ambitions.
• Reconstruction continues on Magnetic Barium Street. Liu Ge repurposes a smelting plant as a brickworks, while Baimu puts former Hound Team members to work together, both to rebuild and to break down the group’s old hierarchy.
• The Quicksand Team’s main force fights the Ejin Force and is routed. Chester is captured, Hugo is confirmed dead, and Cang Zhilang is rescued, though his condition is unknown. The Ejin Force is expected to stay put for two days, leaving the remaining Quicksand members to defend their territory and receive returning survivors.
• News of the defeat throws Pyrite Town’s factions into turmoil. Believing Silicon Beryllium City may be behind the attack, they investigate—but the Quicksand Team refuses to speak with them.
• The Poison Skull Team seizes what looks like a chance to take Quicksand territory. Its advance is stopped when a gigantic Steelix erupts from beneath the street and hurls the attackers aside. A man atop the Steelix warns them that no one will pass.

Character developments and interactions

• Baimu is caught between skepticism about Shan Ren’s grand environmental plans and concern over the Quicksand Team’s defeat. His feelings about Cang Zhilang remain conflicted: he acknowledges his former boss’s role in his rise, but hopes Cang will never return to Pyrite Town.
• Shan Ren displays bold ambition, envisioning not just local repairs but the transformation of southern Orre.
• N chooses to commit to Orre’s future, and Shan Ren presents him as a crucial ally in regional development.
• Liu Ge supports reconstruction through practical measures and keeps Baimu informed about the battle.
• The Poison Skull Team’s attackers shift abruptly from confidence to panic when confronted by the Steelix and its rider.

Significant themes

• Rebuilding and reform: Physical reconstruction is paired with Baimu’s effort to change the former Hound Team’s social structure.
• Ambition versus feasibility: Shan Ren’s sweeping environmental vision inspires hope but also raises questions about resources, authority, and execution.
• Power and instability: The Quicksand Team’s defeat creates a vacuum that invites rival factions to act.
• Complicated loyalty: Baimu’s mixed feelings toward Cang Zhilang show that gratitude and resentment can coexist.
• Protection through strength: The Steelix’s dramatic intervention establishes a formidable barrier against opportunistic violence.

Plot points and events

• The Poison Skull Team, alarmed that their captured Pokémon had joined Pyrite Town’s defenders, recruits neighboring factions and launches a large, coordinated invasion of the former Hound Team’s territory.
• The attackers are stalled by Pokémon fighting independently, residents using improvised weapons, and Baimu’s unpredictable assaults aboard Giant Steelix. After a day of costly street fighting, the invaders prepare to retreat.
• Their headquarters is then attacked from within: unidentified assailants strike the remaining forces, while residents rise up to reclaim their homes and punish the leaders. As Baimu moves to intercept the returning army, the Arena’s fighters block its way.
• The allied invasion collapses. Later, Baimu learns that Silver Ape’s reinforcements had already arrived and acted before reporting in; Leo had persuaded Silver Ape to cooperate, partly by defeating him.

Character developments

• N is revealed as the key influence behind the Pokémon’s defection and unusually effective resistance. Seeing humans and Pokémon stand together inspires him, and he explains that trust helps Pokémon realize their potential.
• Baimu recognizes N’s role and agrees with his belief in trusting Pokémon, drawing on lessons from his own partners. He is also impressed by Leo’s influence and past accomplishments.
• The residents and Pokémon move from fear and obedience to collective resistance, showing newfound courage and solidarity.
• Silver Ape appears independent and acts on his own initiative, while Leo emerges as a forceful negotiator capable of bringing powerful allies into cooperation.

Significant themes

• Trust and partnership: Pokémon fight with greater strength when treated as trusted companions rather than tools.
• Solidarity and resistance: Residents and Pokémon working together can challenge the factions that once controlled them through fear.
• Leadership and influence: N, Baimu, and Leo each shape events through different forms of authority—trust, action, and persuasion.

Character interactions

• N explains his philosophy of trust to Baimu, who readily agrees.
• Baimu identifies the Arena’s fighters and explains their importance to N.
• Flobo and Baimu discuss Silver Ape’s unexpected initiative and Leo’s role in securing his cooperation, including the suggestion that Leo’s persuasion involved more than a Pokémon battle.

Key plot points and events

• With the Rescue Organization’s popularity rising, its leaders convene an emergency meeting to decide whether to reveal themselves. Liu Ge argues they should wait: the Ejin Force is due in Pyrite Town soon, and revealing the organization now could make Ejin concentrate his troops on Quicksand Team territory, disrupting their plan to intervene after the other factions and Ejin have weakened one another.
• Shan Ren proposes creating a prominent “hollow” faction to absorb public attention until Ejin arrives. He unexpectedly presents Baimu as its leader, citing Baimu and Gropius’s success in winning over civilians.
• Dinis and the other leaders endorse the plan. Afterward, Baimu confronts Shan Ren, who explains that Baimu is already a popular figure and needs to establish himself as a leader if he is to help shape Pyrite Town’s future. Shan Ren also says he must travel to Gateon Port to receive high-tech equipment backed by the Devon Corporation.
• That afternoon, the Rainbow Team is announced, with Baimu as its first leader. Rescue Organization operatives spread a mixture of true accounts and rumors to boost his reputation and divert attention from their own group. The Rainbow Team rapidly begins expanding, alarming neighboring factions.

Character developments and interactions

• Baimu is thrust into leadership without warning. Though uncomfortable and surprised, he recognizes that he had anticipated a role in Pyrite Town’s future and does not refuse. He suspects Shan Ren is grooming him to become a figure like Leon, but remains wary of the plan.
• Shan Ren shows strategic ambition and confidence in Baimu, while maintaining his own covert position. He promises not to restrict Baimu’s freedom and frames the role as a first step toward a larger future.
• Dinis, Shan Ren’s father, supports the plan and has previously protected Baimu through his influence. Baimu feels grateful to him.
• Liu Ge and the Rescue Organization’s leaders prioritize secrecy and use Baimu’s public image as a temporary shield. N is also recognized as someone who has earned Pokémon’s trust, complementing Baimu’s connection with people.

Significant themes

• Public image as a political tool: The Rainbow Team is created largely to redirect public attention, and its leader’s reputation is deliberately amplified.
• Leadership and consent: Baimu is pushed into a major role without consultation, raising questions about whether he is ready—and whether he can refuse.
• Strategic restraint: The Rescue Organization chooses timing and misdirection over an immediate confrontation with Ejin.
• Hope amid chaos: The Rainbow Team’s name promises renewal, reflecting civilians’ longing for safety, food, and a place to build their lives.

Key plot points and events

• Ejin dismisses a buried report about the Rescue Organization, assuming organized resistance is impossible. He tries to contain the fallout from the Quicksand Team’s invasion of Pyrite Town by handing Chester and other captured members to the International Police, presenting the matter as settled.
• The Rescue Organization sees Ejin’s attempt at a cover-up as further proof that he can be defeated.
• Before Ejin’s forces arrive, Agate Village sends aid to Pyrite Town. Its Trainers, many former Battle Mountain competitors, hope to protect the civilians and rebuild the long-abandoned mountain—and possibly establish a Pokémon League.
• The returning Quicksand Team remnants are arrested. Leo uses Snag Balls to take control of their Pokémon, while N helps ensure the Pokémon no longer obey their abusive former Trainers. Freed miners are also accounted for, with accused criminals held for later judgment.
• At Gateon Port, the Rescue Organization uses its covert influence to bring in a large shipment of supplies from Devon Corporation. The shipment includes protective gear, communications devices, environmental equipment, vehicles, and provisions.
• Devon’s young master, Champion Steven Stone, is joining the effort, accompanied by Elite Four member Drake. Their arrival brings powerful outside support to Pyrite Town.

Character developments and interactions

• Ejin remains arrogant and dismissive, underestimating the resistance and trying to manipulate public perception by sacrificing a few Quicksand Team members.
• Baimu welcomes the Agate Trainers but is disappointed to learn that Battle Mountain has been abandoned. He hopes it can be restored after Ejin’s rule ends.
• Liu Ge oversees the detention of the returning Quicksand Team members, while Leo and N work together to free Pokémon from their former Trainers’ control.
• Shan Ren is grateful for Devon Corporation’s help but remains cautious: he believes Orre’s people must ultimately save themselves and worries that outside assistance could weaken their resolve.
• The Devon representative explains that Steven and Drake chose to come because they were moved by the reports of Pyrite Town’s suffering. Devon’s staff share their outrage and support the aid effort.

Significant themes

• Resistance and underestimated strength: Ejin’s confidence blinds him to the growing coalition against him.
• Accountability and justice: Captured members are separated from freed miners, with genuine offenders to face judgment rather than being treated as a single group.
• Pokémon welfare: The ease with which the captured Pokémon abandon their former Trainers underscores the abuse they endured.
• Rebuilding and self-determination: Agate Village aims to restore Battle Mountain, while Shan Ren insists that outside help alone cannot liberate Orre.
• Solidarity across regions: Devon Corporation, Steven, and Drake extend support to Orre, though the local resistance remains central to the struggle.

Plot points and events

• Shan Ren abandons plans to host Steven and Drake and rushes back to Pyrite Town after learning the Ejin Force is moving. When communications with Baimu fail, he assumes the force has arrived but steadies himself, trusting Baimu, Leo, and the wider plan.
• The plan is to hold the Ejin Force in Pyrite Town while Dinis and other Orre residents stage a coup in Silicon Beryllium City. Steven’s and Drake’s arrival could help ensure the enemy cannot escape.
• In Pyrite Town, the former Shadow Team has blocked key routes and cut communications. It sends squads to pressure local factions, demanding that the Rainbow Team surrender at least five thousand Pokémon within an hour.
• Baimu refuses. Liu Ge explains that the demand is a loyalty test likely intended to provoke conflict; most factions will resist, making a fight inevitable.
• The Shadow Team attacks with Shadow Pokémon, but Espeon’s psychic blast knocks them back. Leo then uses Snag Balls to capture them. The Rainbow Team subdues the attackers.
• Flobo imitates the captured leader’s voice and uses Ditto to transform into him, revealing the team’s undercover tactics.

Character developments and interactions

• Shan Ren shifts from urgency to composed trust, explaining to Steven and Drake that he must rely on his companions now that the enemy has arrived.
• Baimu stands firm despite being mocked as a child and threatened; he refuses to surrender the team’s Pokémon.
• Liu Ge provides tactical insight, while Baimu consults him and then accepts that open conflict is unavoidable.
• Leo demonstrates his value as the plan’s centerpiece by identifying the moment to use Snag Balls against the Shadow Pokémon.
• Steven becomes curious about the person Shan Ren trusts. Flobo shows resourcefulness through impersonation.

Significant themes

• Trust and resilience: Shan Ren and the Rainbow Team rely on one another under pressure.
• Resistance to coercion: Baimu refuses an impossible demand meant to test loyalty and intimidate the town.
• Strategy over brute force: The team combines Espeon’s power, Leo’s Snag Balls, and Flobo’s disguise skills to turn the attack against their opponents.
• The cost of uprising: The plan depends on coordinated action across Orre, while Pyrite Town’s isolation makes the local resistance especially dangerous.

Summary: “War Breaks Out Everywhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Most Pyrite Town factions reject Shadow Team’s demand to surrender large numbers of their strongest Pokémon, recognizing that doing so would leave their leaders powerless and defenseless.
• Attempts to deceive Shadow Team with substitute Pokémon fail because Shadow Team possesses highly detailed intelligence on each faction’s Pokémon. This information comes from a local traitor who previously managed Pyrite Town’s underground intelligence and external communications.
• The factions become united after Shadow Team messengers are found publicly hanged in their territories. Since the messengers’ deaths make peaceful explanations impossible, Pyrite Town’s leaders decide to resist rather than surrender.
• Hoping to secure favorable treatment similar to Silver Ape’s, the factions ask him for help. Silver Ape refuses, but his younger brother Silver Horse agrees to lead the temporary alliance.
• Shadow Team’s commander becomes enraged when only one badly injured messenger returns. He decides to launch a full military assault, especially after Ejin’s original mission—to stabilize Pyrite Town and suppress Quicksand Team—evolves into an order to forcibly subdue every faction.
• Shadow Team surrounds Pyrite Town with six advancing units, blocking all exits.
• Silver Horse organizes the town’s factions into six groups and instructs them to use urban terrain and guerrilla tactics to delay Shadow Team until its supplies run low. He warns that the local fighters must participate personally because Shadow Team is far stronger.
• Baimu confirms that most civilians near the outskirts have been evacuated, then returns to Rainbow Team’s territory, where Liu Ge has prepared resistance forces.
• Baimu reunites with Ayana and Terry. Ayana, once a prominent figure who joined the resistance after suffering severe injuries, now serves under Baimu and jokes about how much he has grown.

Character Developments

• Shadow Team’s commander reveals his increasingly authoritarian nature. He is no longer focused merely on completing Ejin’s original orders; he wants total control over Pyrite Town and is willing to use overwhelming force even if the factions surrender.
• Silver Horse takes on the role of alliance leader. Though he appears confident and inspiring, he privately distrusts the other faction leaders, believing they are cowardly bullies who will likely abandon the fight when confronted with real danger.
• Silver Ape maintains his influence despite refusing direct assistance. The factions still rely on the possibility that he will intervene if Silver Horse is threatened.
• Baimu demonstrates growing authority and strength. Former allies and older acquaintances now recognize him as a leader rather than the inexperienced figure he once was.
• Ayana has fully moved away from her former life in darkness. After recovering from the mine battle and feeling abandoned by Cang Zhilang, she joins Liu Ge’s side and helps facilitate Pyrite Town’s peaceful internal transition.
• Liu Ge acts as a capable organizer, preparing Rainbow Team and coordinating resistance efforts while civilian evacuation proceeds.

Significant Themes

• Resistance against oppression: The factions unite only when Shadow Team’s demands and intimidation make submission impossible.
• The abuse of power: Shadow Team’s mission shifts from stabilization to domination, showing how authority can become driven by control rather than necessity.
• Information as power: The traitor’s intelligence allows Shadow Team to expose hidden weaknesses and eliminate the possibility of deception.
• Fragile alliances: Pyrite Town’s factions cooperate out of fear and necessity, but their leaders remain selfish and unreliable.
• Transformation and redemption: Ayana’s decision to join Liu Ge’s side reflects the chapter’s broader movement away from criminal power structures toward cooperation and resistance.
• Warfare and strategy: The coming conflict contrasts Shadow Team’s superior strength with Pyrite Town’s intended use of terrain, delay tactics, and local knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Shadow Team’s messengers confront Pyrite Town’s leaders with precise information about their Pokémon, causing shock and fear.
• The faction leaders turn to Silver Horse after Silver Ape refuses to assist; Silver Horse uses his connection to Silver Ape to secure their cooperation.
• Silver Horse gives the faction leaders tactical instructions while privately mocking their lack of courage.
• Baimu silently confirms the civilian evacuation with Silver Horse, showing coordination between the alliance’s public military effort and its hidden protective measures.
• Baimu warmly greets Ayana and Terry. Ayana responds familiarly by striking his shoulder and teasing him about becoming her superior, highlighting both their past relationship and Baimu’s dramatic growth.