Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Hunter J escapes aboard a concealed airship after Misdreavus destroys her communicator and the captured men’s Poké Balls. Learning that her teams have been thwarted by Pokémon Rangers, she dismisses the setback and redirects the airship toward Kalos for a lucrative job from Team Plasma.
• Dian and Xuehua pursue two fleeing criminals. Dian’s Vibrava disables their armored snow vehicle with Bug Buzz, and Misdreavus knocks the men unconscious. Officer Jenny Chinami arrives to take custody of the criminals and their Pokémon.
• Dian learns that Hunter J had abandoned more than a dozen Ice-type Pokémon. He destroys the remaining Poké Balls, freeing them from their capture.
• Xuehua reveals that the Pokémon meant for Dian has “run away from home,” leaving him only its Poké Ball. Dian sets off toward Cyrus Town, irritated that he must continue traveling on foot.
• At a Pokémon Center, Dian discovers that the promised Pokémon is Blissey, who has been staying with Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy asks him to take Blissey to her trainer in Sootopolis City—and makes him eat the greens Blissey cooked for him.
• Afterward, Dian and Misdreavus encounter an extremely rare Pokémon by a river. The chapter ends with Dian deciding whether to catch it—though he already seems inclined to do so.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian remains capable and practical in the pursuit, but his exasperation shows through his complaints about Hunter J, his colleagues, travel, and Blissey’s cooking. He accepts the responsibility of transporting Blissey despite the unpleasant meal.
• Xuehua proves thrifty, worrying about the destroyed vehicle’s resale value. She also delivers the absurd news about Dian’s runaway “gift.”
• Chinami is revealed to have spent over a month on vacation rather than working, leaving Dian to field daily calls from her father, Inspector Tianjin Lü. Their teasing, familiar exchange hints at closeness; Xuehua jokingly warns them about workplace romance.
• Misdreavus supports Dian in battle and delights in teasing him, especially when he realizes he must eat Blissey’s cooking. Vibrabra, Jumpluff, and Misdreavus share a comic, knowing exchange about their trainers.
• Blissey is affectionate and pleased to see Dian, but her cooking is notorious. Nurse Joy gently but firmly ensures he eats it, while Blissey’s hopeful expression makes refusal impossible.

Significant themes

• Freedom and responsibility: Dian’s destruction of the Poké Balls releases the abandoned Pokémon, while he accepts the duty of bringing Blissey to her trainer.
• Money and motives: Hunter J’s actions are driven by profit, and she treats both her subordinates and Pokémon as expendable.
• Comic misfortune and companionship: Dian’s serious work is continually interrupted by inconveniences, while his Pokémon and friends turn those frustrations into humor.

Key plot points and events

• Dian spots a Ralts happily eating Daifuku by a stream and considers catching her, while Misdreavus hides their presence with a shadow barrier.
• Mewa, a naïve girl with twin ponytails, throws a Poké Ball at Ralts, but Ralts escapes with Teleport. She later follows Dian and learns Ralts’s identity.
• Ralts appears again, speaking telepathically. Dian tries to recruit her by offering a monthly Daifuku allowance, but she reveals she already has an owner, Mimi, so a Poké Ball cannot capture her.
• As they travel toward Cyrus Town, Ralts explains that she went for a walk after Mimi scolded her for eating too many sweets and warned she might get fat. Dian reassures her that she isn’t.
• Dian pretends to Mewa that he is her long-lost brother. Mewa believes him, while Misdreavus recognizes the deception. Mewa continues calling him “big brother,” and Dian jokes about the burdens of domestic responsibility.
• Meanwhile, International Police agents Anabel and a middle-aged colleague suspect Dian’s recent actions disrupted their attempt to use Hunter J’s crew as bait, though they have no evidence beyond Anabel’s “intuition.” Dian remains unaware of their suspicions.

Character developments

• Dian is opportunistic and fond of teasing others, but Ralts’s sweetness softens him. He wants to recruit her—and even imagines winning over her owner—but respects that she already belongs to someone.
• Ralts is cheerful, food-loving, and perceptive enough to detect Dian and Misdreavus despite their concealment. She shows affection once reassured about her weight.
• Mewa is trusting, excitable, and socially unguarded. She mistakes Dian’s teasing claim of kinship for the truth and readily embraces him as her brother.
• Misdreavus acts as Dian’s companion and practical counterpoint, managing concealment and silently judging Mewa’s gullibility.
• Anabel is suspicious and intuitive, while her colleague takes a more evidence-minded approach.

Significant themes

• The chapter plays with trust and deception, especially through Dian’s fake sibling story and Mewa’s easy belief.
• Affection and companionship emerge in Dian’s growing fondness for Ralts and Mewa, even as his motives remain playful and self-serving.
• Ownership and choice matter: Ralts cannot be captured because she already has a trainer, despite Dian’s desire to take her along.
• Food and body image provide a comedic thread, with Ralts’s Daifuku obsession prompting her anxiety and Dian’s gentle reassurance.

Character interactions

• Dian and Misdreavus coordinate quietly, with Misdreavus shielding them and nudging Dian when his attention drifts.
• Dian and Ralts bargain over Daifuku, but their exchange ends when Ralts reveals she already has an owner; they nevertheless bond as they walk.
• Dian jokes with and misleads Mewa, who eagerly accepts him as family. Misdreavus watches the exchange with exasperated disbelief.
• Anabel and her colleague discuss Dian’s interference in their investigation, establishing a parallel thread of suspicion around him.

Key plot points and events

• Dian takes Mewa, Misdreavus, and the runaway Ralts toward Sootopolis City, checking reports of missing Pokémon along the way. Ralts gives only vague clues about her home while happily eating daifuku.
• At a Pokémon Center, Dian arranges a health check for Ralts and buys boat tickets. Later, he updates Ranger Union chief Rumi about Hunter J, whose hidden airship and network of wealthy and criminal backers make her difficult to pursue.
• Rumi explains that Anabel, head of the International Police’s Ultra Beasts Task Force, has become involved, likely because of Hunter J’s recent operation.
• After discussing the unusual powers of Alola and Kalos—including Z-Power and Mega Evolution—Dian learns that Rumi has found the Pokémon he was waiting for: a Snubbull doll. Rumi demonstrates that it can move, and admits she bought it with Ranger Union funds.
• Rumi explains that the doll ran away after she called it fat. Just then, Ralts appears on Dian’s head, having returned to tell the Snubbull doll that Rumi had spoken about it.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian remains practical and sardonic, but his thoughts reveal that he fears a future spent alone—even as he pursues becoming Champion. He is also delighted when Ralts returns.
• Rumi is overwhelmed by the growing complications surrounding Hunter J and the International Police, yet remains warm toward Ralts. Her explanation of the moving doll leaves Dian incredulous.
• Ralts is affectionate, food-loving, and surprisingly considerate: despite her limited speech, she sought out Dian and passed along Rumi’s message.
• Dian’s teasing and exasperated reactions contrast with Rumi’s earnestness, while his easy understanding of Ralts highlights their growing bond.

Significant themes

• Connection and loneliness: Dian questions whether ambition is worth a life without close relationships, and Ralts’s return offers a small but meaningful sign of attachment.
• A living, complicated world: Dian reflects that the Pokémon world is real and substantial, not merely an imagined setting—something that brings him comfort.
• Power and its costs: The chapter contrasts Alola’s external Z-Power with Kalos’s Mega Evolution, exploring their benefits, limits, scarcity, and possible risks.
• Humor amid danger: The serious threat posed by Hunter J is punctuated by the absurd revelation that the “Pokémon” Rumi found is a budget-funded, mobile Snubbull plush.

Plot points and events

• In Sootopolis City, Dian reflects on the Ralts prepared for him by the Pokémon Ranger Union. Her carefully chosen moves and protective abilities show that she was trained for the role of his partner from before she hatched.
• Dian is troubled by the thought that Ralts may have been raised with her life already assigned to serving him. He regrets not telling her how he feels, fearing his words might hurt her.
• He resolves that, as her Trainer, he should protect his Pokémon rather than rely on a newborn Ralts to protect him. With his team undergoing examinations, he plans to use the opportunity to review their data and create a training plan.
• Nurse Joy Lisa checks in on Dian and reassures him that his Pokémon are fine. After he leaves, she reflects on how unusual his concern for his Pokémon is and hopes Wallace will go easy on the competitors at the coming Ever Grande Conference.

Character development

• Dian shows growing awareness of the responsibility and power imbalance involved in being a Trainer. His compassion makes him question whether Ralts’s dedication is freely chosen, and he recommits himself to her well-being.
• Lisa recognizes that Dian is different from the Trainers she has encountered. Though she has learned to keep to her medical role, his attitude renews her interest and concern.

Significant themes

• Freedom and duty: Ralts’s upbringing raises questions about whether a Pokémon can freely choose a life of service.
• The bond between humans and Pokémon: Hearts can be close or distant regardless of physical proximity.
• A Trainer’s responsibility: Caring for Pokémon means protecting and understanding them, not simply relying on their loyalty.
• The limits of advice and intervention: Lisa reflects that neither people nor Pokémon can always be changed by outside guidance.

Character interactions

• Dian privately apologizes to Ralts and considers what she might feel, but avoids speaking to her directly because he does not want to cause her pain.
• Lisa offers Dian a drink, reassures him about his Pokémon, and encourages him to trust his own ability as a Trainer.

Key plot points and events

• The morning after arriving at the secluded beach, Dian admires the cabin he built and prepares the Pokémon for a new training schedule. Lisa’s examinations have confirmed that the team is healthy.
• Pupitar receives the most intensive training, focused on adapting to different types. Misdreavus will provide Electric- and Ghost-type practice; Beedrill will handle Bug-type training, aided by an ancient fruit.
• Vibrava is sent into a rocky cavern to study the vibrations of the waves and tides. Its Dragon-type energy has developed unusually quickly and is suppressing its innate Ground-type power, so Dian prioritizes understanding vibration rather than further stimulating its growth.
• Dian reflects on how moves such as Soak, Forest’s Curse, and Trick-or-Treat can alter a Pokémon’s typing and create unexpected battle strategies. He hopes such techniques could eventually help Tyranitar learn Water-type moves or exploit opponents’ weaknesses.
• Ralts and Mawile are assigned gentle foundational training. Dian plans to improve Mawile’s mobility through Magnetic Levitation and Fairy Wind, then introduces the pair to “dodgeball” with a water balloon.

Character developments

• Dian shows himself to be a careful, analytical trainer who plans for both his Pokémon’s present needs and their future evolutions. He recognizes that his advantage lies not in matching powerful institutions’ resources, but in his knowledge of Pokémon, Abilities, and moves.
• Vibrava’s unusually strong Dragon typing is both an advantage and a risk: it may learn more Dragon moves early, but could further suppress its Ground-type abilities.
• Mawile is energetic and eager to play, while Ralts is more uncertain. Their different temperaments shape Dian’s plans for training them together.

Significant themes

• Strategic knowledge as power: Dian believes creative understanding of moves can provide a distinctive edge in a world where other Trainers can access advanced technology and research.
• Adaptation and balance: Training must account for each Pokémon’s strengths, limitations, and developmental needs—not simply maximize intensity.
• Unexpected potential: Moves that change typing or enable off-type techniques can transform a battle by creating new resistances, weaknesses, or tactics.

Character interactions

• Dian coordinates specialized training across the team: Misdreavus and Beedrill work with Pupitar, while Vibrava trains independently in the cavern.
• He considers Ralts’s physical and mental limits alongside Mawile’s weight and low speed, and adapts his methods accordingly.
• Mawile approaches the water balloon enthusiastically, while Ralts watches with confusion—though neither realizes Dian’s game is actually a training challenge.

Key plot points and events

• Dian runs a dodgeball drill for Ralts and Mawile, motivating them with daifuku and the promise of being lifted. He limits their movement areas and available moves, but his throws hit almost every time.
• After a demanding day, Dian brings his exhausted Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. He treats Pupitar and Beedrill, checks Vibrava’s development, and gives food to the overworked Lisa, Blissey, and trainee Happiny.
• Dian plans further training: Misdreavus is approaching Shadow Ball, Beedrill is close to learning Fell Stinger, and Pupitar may learn Dark Pulse once its Dragon-type energy stops dominating its development.
• A storm arrives over Sootopolis. Dian sees it as a training opportunity, while Beedrill uses its mastery of wind and rain to sharpen its attacks, and Misdreavus practices concealing herself within the downpour.
• Misdreavus reflects on Shadow Ball’s deeper mechanics: the move develops as Ghost-type Pokémon learn to consciously move between the Energy Realm and the physical world. The chapter ends by presenting Shadow Ball as a marker of a Ghost Pokémon’s rank or standing.

Character developments

• Dian shows both playful affection and disciplined concern for his Pokémon. Despite exhaustion, he keeps up their care and training, and helps ease the Pokémon Center’s workload.
• Ralts and Mawile enthusiastically respond to Dian’s rewards, though their limited skills leave them easy targets during the exercise.
• Beedrill demonstrates impressive control of wind and rain, and begins sensing a transformation in its Bug-type energy—signs of growing strength.
• Misdreavus turns her frustration over losing her concealment into focused study, advancing toward a more deliberate understanding of Ghost-type abilities.
• Lisa and Happiny are shown working under pressure as Sootopolis’s growing Trainer population strains the Pokémon Center.

Significant themes

• Training through motivation and limits: Dian uses playful rewards and clear restrictions to make practice productive.
• Growth through hardship: The storm and demanding routines challenge the Pokémon, but also help them refine their abilities.
• Care and responsibility: Dian’s attention to his Pokémon and to the exhausted Center staff balances ambition with compassion.
• Mastery and identity: Shadow Ball’s progression reflects a Ghost-type Pokémon’s increasing control over its nature—and, in the chapter’s final framing, its status among Ghost-types.

Character interactions

• Dian negotiates with Ralts and Mawile through treats and affection, then carries the sleepy Pokémon to the Center.
• He works alongside Lisa and Blissey, gives Happiny a meal and Pokéblocks, and urges Lisa to rest.
• His Pokémon show contrasting responses to training: Beedrill pushes its physical limits, while Misdreavus studies and practices concealment.

Plot points and events

• Dian reflects on research suggesting Ghost-types use Shadow Ball to mark territory and assert status, though Ghost-type society remains poorly understood.
• Misdreavus considers how easily she can affect the physical world, then struggles to build the precise tetrahedral structure Dian has proposed for a more powerful Shadow Ball and defensive barrier.
• In the rain, Pupitar trains with Dark Pulse and Rock Polish while Mawile and Ralts spar by dodging one another’s water attacks. Their skills have improved enough that Dian can no longer land a hit on either of them.
• With the weather clearing, Dian leaves Sootopolis City for Unova. Lisa stays behind to help the newly assigned Nurse Joy, while Mewa joins Dian after a tiring shopping trip.
• On the airship, Dian studies Eindoak Town’s history: it was once the Country of the Earth, whose royal family was associated with Victini and the legendary heroes Zekrom and Reshiram.
• Dian connects the ancient kingdom’s restoration myths to Team Plasma’s goal of separating Pokémon from humans. The airship arrives above the Sword of the Vale and the old Royal Palace.

Character developments and interactions

• Misdreavus is powerful and comfortable manipulating the physical world, but still finds Dian’s exact geometric construction challenging.
• Ralts and Mawile have developed strong defensive habits and coordinated control of their abilities; their sparring frustrates but impresses Dian.
• Dian is practical and dedicated, balancing Pokémon training, care for Ralts, and preparation for his Unova journey. He also thinks critically about the region’s legends and political history.
• Lisa parts ways with Dian reluctantly, choosing to remain and assist the new Nurse Joy. Mewa travels with Dian to Unova.

Significant themes

• Growth through training: The Pokémon’s improved abilities are shown through their increasingly effective sparring and specialized techniques.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: Researchers’ explanations of Ghost-type behavior and the meaning of ancient legends remain tentative.
• History repeating itself: Dian sees Team Plasma’s campaign as a modern attempt to remake Unova’s founding story—this time by breaking the bond between humans and Pokémon rather than celebrating coexistence.

Key events

• Rumi, a busy researcher who grew up in an orphanage, has begun caring for a Ralts. She buys Ralts a custom pink Poké Ball and apologizes for being late, but Ralts comforts her through telepathy, thanking her for her work and welcoming her home. Rumi realizes she has started looking forward to returning to what feels like home.
• Ralts watches a moving Snubbull plush and becomes curious about the wider world. Rumi tells her that, if she passes her checkup, she can soon meet her future owner: Dian, a young Pokémon Ranger.
• Dian sends Rumi a large box of Mauville daifuku, saying Psychic-types and girls might like them. Rumi and Xuehua share the sweets with Ralts and Snubbull; Ralts finds the treat delicious and regards it as a wonderful present.
• Ralts passes her inspection. Though Rumi is lonely at the thought of letting her go, she believes Dian can give Ralts a bigger world. Xuehua encourages the anxious Ralts to see Dian for herself, and they prepare to leave. Ralts enters her pink Poké Ball, hoping her master really is as gentle as everyone says.

Character developments and interactions

• Rumi shifts from cautious, work-focused independence toward a deep sense of attachment to Ralts. She loves having her at home, yet prioritizes Ralts’s opportunities over her own loneliness.
• Ralts grows more curious about life beyond the room and begins forming hopes about her unknown owner. Her gentle exchanges with Rumi—especially welcoming her home—help Rumi feel that she has a family.
• Xuehua acts as a practical, encouraging friend: she notices Ralts’s uncertainty and turns the impending departure into an adventure by proposing they “run away from home.”
• Dian, though absent, is characterized through his generous gift and the affection others express for him; Ralts’s expectations of him become central to her decision.

Significant themes

• Home and belonging: Ralts’s welcome helps Rumi recognize that home is not just a place but a bond.
• Care and letting go: Rumi’s affection makes the separation painful, but she supports Ralts’s chance to explore.
• Hope and the unknown: Ralts’s departure is driven by a small, tentative wish that the world—and her future owner—will be kind.
• Everyday kindness: Shared food, thoughtful gifts, and comforting words create happiness and strengthen relationships.

Plot

• In Eindoak Town, Dian meets a Pidove courier at the Sword of the Vale. The clever bird demands a better Pokéblock before its smaller companion delivers a note: “Land of the Earth. Before dawn.” Dian suspects the sender has become engrossed in their Underground Rendezvous Game.
• While Dian waits, Misdreavus takes Mawile and Ralts to the Orchard, hoping to commit mischief and become better at learning Malice. She believes Beedrill and Pupitar improved quickly because they had done more bad deeds.
• Misdreavus persuades Mawile and Ralts to help collect Berries by promising Dian will be pleased and hinting at Berry Daifuku. But the Orchard’s workers welcome wild Pokémon and even offer them food, making “stealing” effortless.
• Ralts senses psychic traces and telepathically reports what is happening to Dian. He instructs the group to return. On the way back, Dian concludes that Victini likely lives in the Orchard, but decides not to investigate because he has more important business that night.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian stays patient when the Pidove bargains with him, then recognizes the bird’s unusual intelligence and leadership potential. He also learns of possible psychic activity in the Orchard but chooses to leave it alone for now.
• The larger Pidove proves shrewd: it uses a subordinate to deliver the note, negotiates for a better reward, and ends the exchange promptly.
• Misdreavus misunderstands how her companions learned their moves and resolves to become “evil” so she can seem cooler rather than cute. Her scheme falters when the Orchard’s generosity removes any challenge.
• Mawile remains protective of Ralts and mostly longs to return to Dian; Ralts is perceptive and serves as the group’s link to Dian through telepathy.

Themes

• The chapter humorously contrasts Pokémon’s personalities: the Pidove is a canny negotiator, while Misdreavus’s grand plans are easily derailed by kindness and good food.
• It plays with the difference between intent and reality: Misdreavus wants to do wrong, but the welcoming Orchard turns her “crime” into an ordinary snack.
• Loyalty, intelligence, and companionship appear in the Pidoves’ coordinated exchange and in Ralts’s communication with Dian.

Plot points and events

• Ralts and Mawile return home with Dian. Ralts falls asleep beside him, and Mawile gives him a huge Oran Berry before nodding off too.
• Curious about Eindoak Town’s unusually large Berries and plentiful, mild wild Pokémon, Dian takes the Oran Berry to study its juice.
• Later, Dian walks through the quiet forest and finds two frightened Deerling cornered by a Scolipede. He offers the Scolipede a Pokéblock in exchange for the Deerling.
• A smug teenage Trainer appears, claiming the Deerling would suit Dian better than the Scolipede. Before the confrontation develops, a much larger Scolipede bursts through the trees, knocks the smaller one aside, and flees. The smaller Scolipede acts terrified and submissive.
• The boy, angered by the humiliation, crushes the smaller Scolipede’s Poké Ball, abandons it, and pursues the larger Pokémon, glaring at Dian as he leaves.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian shows his nurturing side at home, carefully settling Ralts and Mawile into bed, and his curiosity as a researcher by investigating the Oran Berry.
• In the forest, he calmly steps between the Deerling and danger and tries to resolve the situation without violence.
• Misdreavus recognizes the smaller Scolipede and laughs at its unexpected cowardice once the larger one appears. The Deerling also lose their fear of it.
• The teenage Trainer’s contempt for Dian gives way to anger when his own Pokémon is exposed as weak; he abandons it rather than protect it. Dian responds with teasing, inward amusement.

Significant themes

• Contrasts and comic reversal: The intimidating Scolipede becomes meek in front of a larger one.
• Compassion versus arrogance: Dian protects vulnerable Pokémon, while the boy values strength and status.
• Appearance and “cuteness”: Dian humorously judges Pokémon by their looks and finds charm in the Scolipede’s unexpected submissiveness.
• Eindoak’s unusual nature: The oversized Berry and unusually abundant, gentle wild Pokémon hint at something distinctive about the town and its dragon veins.

Key plot points and events

• Dian and Misdreavus rescue two Deerling from a Scolipede. Beedrill frightens off the larger Pokémon, while a hidden Emolga later eats the discarded Pokéblocks and gathers broken Poké Ball pieces.
• Misdreavus senses someone nearby. Dian and Beedrill uncover a figure resembling Courtney, who leads them into the abandoned Land of the Earth.
• Dian discovers that the land is saturated with supernatural malice. At a deep rift, his Capture Styler stops working, and “Courtney” is revealed as Yitiao Kelian, an Earth Clan member whose Zorua can use Illusion.
• Kelian explains that a turbulent node of the Eindoak Dragon Vein lies below the rift. Its raw Earth Power and pervasive malice make it an ideal place for Pupitar to rest and develop its Ground-type power, and for Vibrava to study Earth Power. Kelian and Dian descend into the rift, where they find Black Crystals formed from the malice; the crystals vanish if taken outside the Land of the Earth.
• Dian releases Pupitar and Vibrava and prepares them to sleep in the rift. Pupitar briefly repeats a gesture from its Larvitar days, reminding Dian that their affection and shared memories have endured through its evolution. After Dian offers Larvitar’s favorite Pokéblock, both Pokémon burrow underground, and the rift closes.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian remains wary and practical around Kelian, rejecting her suggestion that he kill a Key Stone holder. Yet his composure gives way to jealousy and self-consciousness after her dramatic, wistful remarks. The separation from Pupitar and Vibrava then brings out his tenderness and grief.
• Yitiao Kelian shifts between gentle, teasing familiarity and cold calculation. She tests Dian with a suggestion that he kill the boy carrying a Key Stone, then shares her knowledge of the rift and the Pokémon below. She admits she envies Dian, while hinting at hidden loyalties and a complicated connection to Team Magma and the Earth Clan.
• Pupitar shows that its bond with Dian remains despite its changed form and personality. Its affectionate lunge echoes Larvitar’s old habit of jumping into Dian’s arms.
• Misdreavus is alert and protective, notices danger, and later hides its face as Dian mourns. Beedrill responds swiftly to threats and stands vigil after the others leave.
• Zorua demonstrates its Illusion and shares an affectionate moment with Kelian, who calls it “Little Black.”

Significant themes

• Enduring bonds: Evolution changes a Pokémon’s body and behavior, but not the memories and affection it shares with its Trainer.
• Sacrifice and growth: Dian lets Pupitar and Vibrava enter a dangerous, isolated place because it offers the best conditions for their development.
• Isolation and envy: The barren, malice-filled land mirrors Kelian’s desire to disappear with Dian, while Dian’s own envy reveals his insecurity about their unequal lives.
• Appearances and uncertainty: Zorua’s disguise, Kelian’s shifting demeanor, and the unexplained malice leave trust and allegiance uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• After watching the sunrise, Dian parts ways with Yitiao Kelian, who pays him for the fossils and leaves. Misdreavus absorbs a black crystal after it turns to vapor.
• Dian returns to Unova and video-calls Azisa. Her newly hatched Chikorita appears, while Bellossom reunites affectionately with Misdreavus. Dian and Azisa try to arrange a Pokémon transfer, but Dian cannot use the device; Nurse Joy drags him away for a private “discussion.”
• Nurse Joy reveals herself as a League inspector. She tells Dian that Hunter J’s group raided the Polar Research Institute and abducted Amaura Lulu; Professor Fennel was likely taken too.
• Dian reasons that Hunter J wanted Amaura for a client and that the raid was connected to a petrification device she had been developing. Fennel was probably seized because she tried to protect Lulu and might be able to track her.
• Dian asks to contact International Police officer Anabel and learn who hired Hunter J. The Unova League appoints him a temporary inspector, giving him access to the operation’s intelligence.
• While ordinary Trainers prepare for the League tournament, the International Police and other interested groups begin moving. Nurse Joy returns from her assignment and hopes the rescue succeeds.
• Dian meets Anabel, now head of the UB Task Force. Furious that Hunter J has taken Lulu, Fennel, and Truffle, he strikes a bulkhead to release his anger before entering the Council Hall.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian tries not to dwell on his earlier sorrow, but news of the abduction makes his personal investment clear: he considers Lulu family and is determined to help. He channels his anger into action and accepts the inspector appointment as a practical means of gaining information.
• Misdreavus and Bellossom share a joyful reunion. Misdreavus is astonished by Bellossom’s transformation from the shy Gloom she remembers; they exchange flower displays while Misdreavus catches her up on her travels.
• Dian and Azisa resume their cooperative plans, though their attempt to transfer Pokémon is derailed by Dian’s inability to use the machine.
• Dian and Nurse Joy shift from comic confrontation to a serious, confidential briefing. She uses Exploud’s Soundproof ability and reveals her inspector role.
• Dian and Anabel are poised to work together, though the chapter ends before their discussion begins.

Significant themes

• Personal bonds and responsibility: Dian’s attachment to Lulu and Fennel turns the rescue into a deeply personal mission.
• Boundaries and accountability: Hunter J’s usual caution has kept her within the criminal underworld’s unspoken limits; targeting a research institute and abducting a professor brings the League into action.
• Institutions and access: Dian’s temporary inspector status illustrates how official titles and jurisdiction shape who can participate and obtain intelligence.
• Composure versus anger: Dian understands that rage cannot solve the crisis, but briefly vents before forcing himself to focus.

Plot points and events

• Dian meets International Police officer Looker and Anabel to discuss the person who contacted the Pokémon poacher Hunter J.
• Anabel reveals that Team Plasma plans to exchange something—likely Amaura—in the wilderness near Nimbasa City.
• Dian connects Team Plasma’s interest in Amaura to Kyurem: Amaura’s suspected original Ice/Dragon typing could make it useful for research into controlling or countering the legendary Pokémon.
• He identifies Colress, a researcher of Pokémon’s hidden powers who reportedly joined Team Plasma, as a likely figure behind the operation. He refuses to reveal how he learned this.
• Dian questions why Anabel, head of the Ultra Beast task force, is involved, but she likewise withholds her reasons.
• After Dian leaves, Anabel and Looker assess his account. Anabel believes he was mostly truthful but concealed details.
• Anabel reveals her deeper concern: someone may be researching Ultra Beast power. Because Ultra Beasts can absorb Pokémon’s strength and may be hostile toward humans, that research could put the bond between people and Pokémon at grave risk.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian pieces together the connection between Team Plasma, Amaura, Kyurem, and Colress, while carefully protecting his sources. He and Anabel question one another but neither fully trusts or informs the other.
• Anabel appears composed and perceptive, using her unusual empathy to detect that Dian is withholding information. Her concern about Ultra Beasts becomes a fierce resolve to prevent harm to Pokémon and humanity.
• Looker presses for answers about Team Plasma and its leadership, reflecting the International Police’s frustration with the organization’s secrecy. He trusts Anabel’s judgment.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and incomplete trust: Each character shares useful information while guarding their own motives and sources.
• The danger of scientific ambition: Research into Pokémon and Ultra Beast powers could become destructive when pursued without restraint.
• The human–Pokémon bond: Anabel fears that Ultra Beast influence could turn Pokémon against people, threatening a relationship on which both depend.

Plot points and events

• In Nimbasa City, Dian separates from Anabel and Looker, who lead International Police forces toward the nearby wilderness. He ignores the planned operation and waits alone, focused on rescuing Amaura Lulu and the sisters Fennel and Truffle.
• Dian watches the sky with special goggles, betting that Hunter J will have to deactivate her Airship’s cloaking during the exchange—and hoping the Amaura will create an aurora. Misdreavus stands ready to help him strike.
• Hunter J changes the meeting plan, ordering the exchange to happen at high altitude so she can retreat quickly if anything goes wrong. Confident she has covered her risks, she prepares to trade the Amaura and Professor Fennel to Team Plasma.
• Team Plasma’s Colress has a device ready for experimenting on the captured Pokémon. Though Anjie distrusts him, the team agrees to Hunter J’s revised terms and launches its triangular craft.
• The Airships meet under the moon. Hunter J’s ship opens its hatch, revealing two Amaura in a large freezer, and the transfer begins.
• One Amaura wakes, overcomes her fear, and calls out. A magnificent aurora spreads across the sky. Hunter J is shocked as a huge silver sword of light cuts through the clouds, signaling the start of the battle.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian acts independently of the International Police, prioritizing the captives’ rescue over a coordinated mass arrest. He relies on patience, observation, and a risky hope that the Amaura will help create an opening.
• Hunter J appears controlled and prepared, but her confidence is shaken when the aurora and silver blade disrupt her carefully managed exchange.
• Colress is excited by the prospect of experimenting on the captured Pokémon, while Anjie remains suspicious of his obsession and orders her companions to stay prepared.
• The Amaura’s decision to cry out despite her fear becomes the catalyst that changes the situation. Dian and Misdreavus wait poised to act, while Hunter J’s crew and Team Plasma carry out the exchange under growing danger.

Significant themes

• Courage and hope: The Amaura acts despite fear, and Dian’s hope that they will resist becomes central to his plan.
• Control versus uncertainty: Hunter J tries to account for every risk, but the aurora and sword of light overturn her sense of control.
• Rescue and exploitation: Dian seeks to save the captives, while Colress views Pokémon as experimental specimens.
• The turning point: The aurora and silver blade transform a covert trade into the opening of a confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Hunter J’s warship is struck by an immense Sacred Sword, which tears through its flank and devastates the control room. Hunter J identifies the attackers as Unova’s Swords of Justice and orders a retreat, then has Salamence destroy the ship’s valuable records.
• On a nearby airship, Colress is enthralled by the attack, interpreting it as a glimpse of ultimate “Truth.” Anjie, however, focuses on the emergency: the crew must flee with the test subjects, including Lulu and Rose. The aurora fades.
• Dian races through Hunter J’s damaged warship to rescue Fennel and Truffle, while planning to return for the Amaura. A self-destruct announcement gives him only five minutes. He fights and disables armed crew members himself, embracing the Ranger principle that human conflicts are a human’s responsibility.
• Dian reaches Fennel and Truffle, incapacitates their guard with help from Misdreavus’s decoy, and reunites with the sisters. He sends them to safety with Ralts and Mawile, entrusting Fennel with her Pokémon and taking Lulu’s Poké Ball.
• With one minute left before the explosion, Dian prepares to return for Lulu. The aurora has vanished, and he refuses to save the captured guard, who begs to be taken along.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian shifts from reluctant restraint to decisive, dangerous action. He uses his own combat skills against people, explaining that Rangers protect their Pokémon by handling human violence themselves. He comforts the shaken Fennel and Truffle and promises to save Lulu, despite the danger.
• Fennel steadies herself after the rescue and prioritizes getting Truffle to safety. Her reminder that she and Dian still have a date underscores their bond and hope that he will return.
• Truffle breaks down in tears after enduring the ordeal, finding comfort in Dian.
• Misdreavus remains attentive and protective, creating a decoy to help Dian overcome the guard and urging him onward as time runs short.
• Hunter J remains ruthless and calculating, abandoning injured subordinates and destroying her own ship’s data to deny it to the League.
• Colress is exhilarated by the Sacred Sword, while Anjie tries to keep him focused on their immediate escape.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and protection: Dian’s belief that Pokémon battles belong to Pokémon, while human conflicts are for humans, guides his choice to fight the crew himself.
• Sacrifice and difficult choices: Dian risks his life to save Fennel and Truffle, yet cannot rescue everyone; Lulu remains in danger as the countdown continues.
• Loyalty, courage, and hope: The sisters’ trust in Dian and his promise to return contrast with the collapsing ship and disappearing aurora.
• Power and obsession: Colress sees the devastating attack as revelation, while Hunter J treats people and technology as expendable assets.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Outside Nimbasa City, Anabel and Looker lead an International Police search for Team Plasma and Hunter J. A strange aurora, a vast slash of light, and a bloodred crescent moon reveal that the groups have already made their move.
• Believing the Police have been deliberately outmaneuvered—and suspecting Doctor Fennel has been rescued—Anabel uses her specially trained Magneton to detect and shoot down a Team Plasma Airship. A second blast destroys Hunter J’s invisible warship, dealing a major blow to her organization.
• Dian searches the area while Misdreavus shields him from the destruction. The damaged Team Plasma Airship crashes, but Colress activates a device that uses powerful psychic energy to land it safely.
• Anabel and Looker confront the Airship’s occupants. Before the standoff can escalate, Dian’s Pokémon swiftly incapacitates Anjie, Brad, Nero, and Bianco.
• Three of Team Plasma’s Seven Sages then arrive with their Pokémon and attack. While their allies engage Anabel, Looker, and Dian, Sage Yorges uses a crystal made from a fragment of Kyurem’s ice wing to drain life energy from Amaura for Colress’s research.
• The Sages gain the upper hand until a Zebstrika charges onto the battlefield and strikes Jellicent. Its rider, a commanding woman, announces that Nimbasa City is her territory.

Character developments and interactions

• Anabel appears markedly colder and more ruthless than the gentle Frontier Brain others might expect. Feeling humiliated by Team Plasma’s escape, she responds with force, ordering an attack on an aircraft despite Looker’s warnings.
• Looker tries to restrain Anabel and later seeks a peaceful surrender, but repeatedly finds himself caught between escalating threats and opponents who refuse to yield.
• Dian remains focused on locating the enemy and protecting Amaura. He is briefly able to take down the four Team Plasma members, but is then forced onto the defensive when the Sages arrive.
• Colress remains absorbed in experimentation even as the Airship nears destruction. He saves the vessel to protect his “organic specimens,” then willingly lets Yorges continue collecting data from Amaura.
• Anjie, Brad, Nero, and Bianco are frightened by the failing Airship but respond defiantly when confronted by Anabel and Looker; Dian’s intervention ends their resistance.
• Yorges, Vio, and Gero reveal that the Sages are pursuing Colress’s research and are willing to drain Amaura’s life energy. Their coordinated attack overwhelms the heroes until the new arrival shifts the battle.

Significant themes

• Power and humiliation: Anabel’s anger at being outmaneuvered drives her toward harsh, decisive action.
• Science without compassion: Colress treats living Pokémon as research material, while Yorges uses Amaura’s life energy to advance the experiment.
• Escalation and collateral damage: Airships are destroyed and battles spread across the wasteland, even as the International Police attempt to contain the situation.
• A sudden shift in the balance of power: Just as the Sages seem to have control, the arrival of a new trainer and Zebstrika opens the possibility of a reversal.

Key plot points and events

• Elesa, Anabel, Looker, and International Police reinforcements arrive, disrupting Team Plasma’s escape. As the attackers press in, Dian reaches the airship’s cabin and finds Yorges gone, Colress controlling a blackened Reuniclus, and both Amaura collapsed.
• Lulu’s life has been almost completely drained by the Pike. Misdreavus tries Pain Split but senses that Lulu has been emptied of her life, vitality, essence, and soul. Lulu nevertheless saves Dian and the others from Gero’s attack with a final Blizzard, then dies.
• Misdreavus’s grief transforms the red orb at her neck and unleashes Perish Song. Its sorrow stops Pokémon on both sides from fighting. Colress is briefly moved by a memory and directs Dian northeast.
• Elesa and Zebstrika carry Dian after Yorges. Dian uses Skiploom to trip Yorges’s Stoutland, while Elesa and Skiploom hold off the two Stoutland. Dian corners Yorges at a cliff and takes the Pike. Yorges falls, but Dian catches him, then tells him he intends to make him experience loss before breaking his body.
• The Sword of Royal Authority appears, asking whether Dian has steeled himself to bear a king’s sin. Dian accepts its power. The Pike is used to draw Yorges into the wedge, which then breaks apart and merges with Amaura. Color returns to Amaura’s crest.
• Dian declines Latias’s offer to pursue someone nearby and heads back. Yitiao Kelian and Courtney observe that he is now “just like us,” then disappear. Lunala’s moonlight fades as dawn breaks.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian shifts from pursuing Yorges to making a deliberate, morally troubling choice: he condemns Yorges, then uses him as a sacrifice to restore Amaura. His actions satisfy the Sword’s demand for resolve, though his remark about making Yorges suffer reveals anger and vengeance alongside duty.
• Lulu shows extraordinary compassion, sacrificing her final strength to protect others. Her death devastates Dian and Misdreavus.
• Misdreavus experiences profound grief, and that grief becomes the source of Perish Song. Its effect reaches even Colress’s controlled Reuniclus.
• Colress briefly shows an emotional response to the song and gives Dian a cryptic direction, hinting at buried memories or unresolved feelings.
• Elesa joins the chase and supports Dian, while Skiploom returns to help him stop Yorges. Anabel, Looker, and the International Police fight to prevent Team Plasma’s escape.
• Yorges, cornered and frightened, appeals to Dian for mercy. Dian’s apparent rescue turns into a threat and then a sacrifice, exposing the gap between Yorges’s ideology and his willingness to face its cost.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and responsibility: The Sword frames kingship as the willingness to bear sin; Dian’s decision tests that principle.
• Grief and compassion: Lulu’s selfless final act and Misdreavus’s mourning drive the chapter’s most powerful supernatural event.
• Power and moral cost: Restoring Amaura requires Yorges’s life, leaving open whether Dian’s choice is justice, vengeance, or both.
• Ideology versus courage: Yorges speaks of Ghetsis’s grand plan but falters when faced with danger himself.
• Dawn after loss: The arrival of morning marks a transition, but Perish Song’s echo suggests the conflict is only beginning.

Key events

• Dian reflects bleakly on being hospitalized, then discovers that Nimbasa City’s hospital is as chaotic as ever: its burly nurse is responsible for both his care and security, and the complaints box was recently blown up by a patient.
• Dian’s Pokémon visit him with food and gifts. Fennel and Truffle arrive to check on him and ask after Lulu, Fennel’s Amaura.
• Lulu appears to be healthy, but she still cannot control the cold inside her. Her arrival freezes the ward, and a sneeze blasts the tree outside into an ice sculpture. Fennel recalls her before she causes more damage.
• Dian reflects on the danger and political turmoil in Unova after the Team Plasma incident. He wants to recover and leave the region, while several Pokémon Leagues compete to recruit Fennel and urge Dian to help.
• Skiploom restores the ward with a gentle glow. Dian appreciates its usefulness and decides he should choose a Grass-type Pokémon as his reward from the Unova League.
• As the visit winds down, Dian spends a peaceful evening with his Pokémon: Mawile brings him a berry, Ralts shares daifuku, and the others settle around him. He asks Skiploom about the garden Pokémon and shares a quiet moment of affection with it.

Character developments and interactions

• Dian remains irreverent and self-serving in his humor, but beneath it he is grateful for his Pokémon’s company and protective of them. He is eager to leave Unova and wary of political obligations.
• Fennel is relieved Dian is recovering, but her concern shifts to Lulu’s dangerous, uncontrolled cold.
• Lulu (Amaura) is excited to see Dian but becomes ashamed when her powers accidentally endanger the ward and its occupants.
• The Pokémon show their distinct personalities: Misdreavus is indulgent and independent, Ralts affectionate and eager to share, Mawile protective and helpful, and Skiploom gentle and nurturing.
• Dian and Skiploom share the chapter’s most tender interaction: although Dian cannot understand Skiploom’s words, he feels its affection through their closeness.

Significant themes

• Companionship and emotional understanding: The Pokémon’s care gives Dian comfort, and the closing moment suggests affection can be felt without words.
• Power and responsibility: Lulu’s immense ability brings danger when she cannot control it, despite her good intentions.
• Cynicism about institutions: Dian mocks the hospital, the competing Leagues, and the political chaos surrounding Team Plasma.
• The comfort of everyday affection: Amid danger and politics, food, grooming, playful banter, and quiet company make life feel worthwhile.

Key plot points and events

• Skiploom evolves into Jumpluff in Dian’s hospital room. Dian checks her new abilities and moves, gives her an unpleasant ancient Berry to test, then offers the pink Berry she loves.
• The Red Feather heats up, bringing Director Anabel to the room. She explains that the International Police suspect Colress has been researching Ultra Beast power, based on the strange presence in the Reuniclus he controlled.
• Anabel then asks Dian where he found Celebi. Dian realizes she senses Celebi’s lingering presence on him and Lorelai. He tells her he met Celebi nearly two years ago in a Johto forest.
• Anabel reveals that she once tried to help a jellyfish-like creature being pursued by a green light. She then became trapped in darkness and woke with Ultra energy on her—making her a faller. Her memories and former life were damaged, and she has worked for the UB Task Force ever since.
• Dian offers to take Anabel to the place where he met Celebi if he gets the chance. She thanks him but warns that getting involved in others’ troubles can be dangerous.
• Left alone, Dian reflects on the risks of Ultra Space and concludes that Kanto and Johto feel much safer.

Character developments

• Jumpluff begins a new stage of life after evolving. She remains affectionate and a little bewildered, and her fondness for the pink Berry persists.
• Dian shows care for his Pokémon through remembering their food preferences. His initial hostility toward Anabel eases when he understands that her Ultra Space presence—not Anabel herself—was causing his aversion. He also responds to her painful story with sympathy and an offer of help.
• Anabel reveals the personal cost of her work: she has lost her old life and relationships, and her memories are hazy. Despite her guarded manner, she shows gratitude toward Dian.

Significant themes

• Care and connection: Dian’s attention to each Pokémon’s preferences reflects his affection and the trust built through everyday care.
• The cost of curiosity: Ultra Space may fascinate researchers, but its effects can destroy lives and endanger people close to those affected.
• Memory and loss: Anabel’s uncertain memories and broken past underscore how deeply Ultra energy can alter a person’s life.
• Intervening in others’ troubles: Anabel’s warning contrasts with Dian’s instinct to help, leaving open whether compassion is worth the risks.

Character interactions

• Jumpluff responds warmly to Dian after evolving, and he welcomes her new form with food and encouragement.
• Anabel confronts Dian about Celebi, then shares her history as a faller. Their exchange shifts from wary questioning to mutual understanding: Dian offers practical help, and Anabel thanks him while urging caution.
• Misdreavus, Ralts, and Mawile react to Jumpluff’s evolution; later, Ralts and Mawile fall asleep beside Dian while Misdreavus agrees with his relief at being home.

Key plot points and events

• Dian is discharged after the Unova League finishes reviewing the incident that kept him confined in a hospital-like facility. He retains temporary inspector credentials and is told to collect his assigned starter Pokémon at the Aspertia City Pokémon Center.
• He travels there by airship, arriving in the early morning. With the Center and hotels closed and the streets occupied, he sleeps outside the Center’s entrance.
• Nurse Joy mistakes the sleeping Dian for a corpse and faints when he answers her. After she wakes, Dian registers and jokes with her while waiting for his Pokémon.
• Dian eagerly chooses Snivy, only to discover she is domineering: she has Oshawott fan her and uses Tepig as a living seat. She binds Dian with vines and bites his neck before he can escape.
• Dian manages to recall Snivy into her Poké Ball, which he locks. Nurse Joy explains that Snivy escaped Pokémon Hunters, was rescued, and was placed in protective care before being assigned as a starter. Her behavior has frightened off other potential Trainers.
• Dian leaves the Center to shop, still nursing the bite mark, and hears a girl call him “Big brother!”

Character developments

• Dian remains irreverent, opportunistic, and quick with jokes. He is pleased to retain an official position, but his confidence about getting an easy-to-raise starter collapses once he meets Snivy.
• Nurse Joy is initially startled and flustered, then proves playful and forceful. Her teasing and unusual affection-score jokes hint at a mischievous, somewhat sadistic streak.
• Snivy is revealed as confident, predatory, and accustomed to commanding others. Her past as a Pokémon Hunters’ target helps explain why she is unusual, though the chapter gives little insight into her motives.
• Oshawott and Tepig appear as Snivy’s submissive helpers—one eager to please, the other made to serve as her seat.

Significant themes

• The cost of expectations: Dian expects a straightforward starter Pokémon but instead receives a difficult, potentially dangerous partner.
• Power and control: Snivy’s treatment of Tepig and Oshawott, and her attack on Dian, establish a hierarchy in which she expects obedience.
• Comedy through contrast: Dian’s confident banter clashes with his vulnerable circumstances, from sleeping outside to being dragged into Snivy’s room.
• Protection and responsibility: Snivy’s history with Pokémon Hunters complicates the League’s decision to give her to a new Trainer; her assignment may be less a reward than a challenge.

Character interactions

• Dian and Nurse Joy trade jokes and flirtatious-sounding threats, but her cheerful manner accompanies a decidedly rough approach to handling Snivy’s introduction.
• Snivy asserts control over Dian physically, just as she does over Tepig and Oshawott. Dian tries to deflect danger by suggesting she bite Nurse Joy instead.
• Nurse Joy sympathizes with Dian after seeing his matching neck mark, explaining Snivy’s background and why the League assigned her to him.
• The chapter ends by introducing an unidentified girl who recognizes Dian as her “big brother,” setting up a new encounter.