Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Magic City Academy announces a new duel mode: first-years can challenge fourth-years, and winners receive a month of the senior’s credit resources. Fourth-years must accept at least one duel each semester or lose eligibility for the final assessment; match-fixing will be monitored.
• The announcement sparks resentment and taunting between the two cohorts.
• First-year Liu Shuo publicly declares that he will claim the top spot in the Top 100 Ranking. He is motivated partly by loyalty to Xu Mu and a desire to prove his worth as Xu Mu’s follower.
• A group of fourth-year Top 100 students decides to answer the challenge. They select Wang Hua, ranked ninetieth, to face Liu Shuo, dismissing the first-year as unworthy of their higher-ranked members.
• Liu Shuo goes to the fourth-year dormitory, where Wang Hua confronts him—but refuses to duel, telling him he must first qualify for the Top 100. The onlookers laugh, and online discussion flares up again.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Shuo shows ambition and loyalty to Xu Mu, staking his reputation on challenging the seniors. His confident public boasts contrast with his silence when Wang Hua rejects him.
• Xu Mu is not directly involved in the confrontation, but Liu Shuo’s actions are framed as an attempt to prove himself while following him.
• Wang Hua presents himself as a serious, self-made Top 100 fighter, but his refusal leaves the challenge unresolved.
• The fourth-year group closes ranks, treating Liu Shuo’s challenge as an insult and using Wang Hua’s low ranking to dismiss him. Students on both sides amplify the rivalry through online posts and crowd reactions.

Significant themes

• Generational rivalry and pride: The new policy turns competition between first- and fourth-years into open conflict.
• Status and legitimacy: The characters argue over whether Liu Shuo’s championship record is enough to earn him a place among the ranked fighters.
• Reputation versus proof: Liu Shuo’s bold claims draw attention, but he still needs an actual duel—and a place on the ranking—to validate them.

Key plot points and events

• After Wang Hua refuses to fight him, Liu Shuo publicly challenges Liu Chen, the undefeated first-place student on Magic City Academy’s Top 100 Ranking.
• Liu Shuo stakes 200 million League Coins on the duel. Liu Chen accepts, convinced the money will be an easy win.
• Online spectators mock Liu Shuo and predict Liu Chen will win. Irritated by the insults, Liu Shuo regains his resolve after receiving Xu Mu’s brief message: “Beat him!”
• The next day, Liu Chen waits at the arena. Liu Shuo arrives late, claiming he stopped to help an old woman cross the road, then trades barbs with Liu Chen and ignores the crowd’s taunts.
• Before the duel, Liu Shuo insists they agree on what Liu Chen will owe if he loses. Liu Chen promises to kneel and call Liu Shuo “Dad” three times. Liu Shuo makes him confirm the promise; the fight has not yet begun.

Character developments

• Liu Shuo moves from feeling stung by the online ridicule to focusing on the upcoming duel. Xu Mu’s encouragement helps steady him, and he faces Liu Chen with confidence and defiance.
• Liu Chen is self-assured and dismissive, regarding the wager as guaranteed money and assuming his ranking makes him superior.
• Xu Mu supports Liu Shuo with a short but meaningful message, strengthening his determination.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus proven ability: The crowd treats rankings and Liu Shuo’s first-year status as proof of the outcome, though the duel remains unresolved.
• Public ridicule and resilience: Liu Shuo is hurt by the mockery but chooses to stop dwelling on it and prepare to prove himself.
• Confidence and wagers: The enormous bet intensifies the rivalry, while Liu Chen’s certainty leads him to put his pride on the line too.
• Crowd judgment: Spectators argue and taunt before either fighter has demonstrated anything.

Character interactions

• Liu Shuo first challenges Wang Hua, then turns his attention to Liu Chen when Wang Hua declines.
• Liu Shuo and Liu Chen exchange online challenges and agree to duel for 200 million League Coins.
• Xu Mu encourages Liu Shuo privately, countering the criticism he faces publicly.
• At the arena, Liu Shuo and Liu Chen trade insults before agreeing on the consequences of Liu Chen’s defeat.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Chen, the academy’s top-ranked student, accepts Liu Shuo’s challenge and sends out his Pinsir. Liu Shuo answers with Snorlax.
• Liu Shuo ends the battle almost instantly: Snorlax’s Giga Impact knocks Pinsir out before it can respond. The watching students are shocked, while Liu Shuo’s freshman supporters celebrate.
• Liu Shuo reminds Liu Chen of their bet: the loser must call the winner “Dad” three times. Liu Chen refuses to accept the loss and demands a rematch.
• When Liu Shuo kicks Liu Chen to his knees, Dean of Students Liu Wei intervenes. He scolds Liu Shuo for attacking a Trainer and orders him to leave, while shielding his nephew.
• Liu Shuo silently resists Liu Wei’s pressure. Liu Wei grows angry and threatens to keep him there—until an unidentified voice from below calls out Liu Wei for throwing his weight around.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Shuo confidently backs up his challenge with overwhelming strength. He enjoys proving his critics wrong, but turns physical when Liu Chen refuses to honor the bet. He also appears prepared to confront Liu Wei, drawing confidence from what he learned from Xu Mu.
• Liu Chen goes from smug confidence to shock and humiliation after his first-ever defeat. Unable to accept the result or face the bet, he protests and asks for a rematch.
• Liu Wei uses his authority as dean to intervene, ostensibly enforcing the rule against Trainers attacking one another but also protecting his nephew and asserting control over Liu Shuo.
• The students shift from stunned silence to cheering, especially Liu Shuo’s freshman supporters, who see the victory as vindication.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence and humiliation: Liu Chen underestimates Liu Shuo and then struggles to accept the consequences of losing.
• Strength and reputation: Snorlax’s decisive victory overturns the assumption that the academy’s top-ranked student is unbeatable.
• Fairness and authority: Liu Wei invokes school rules, but his family connection to Liu Chen casts doubt on his impartiality.
• Public accountability: The crowd’s presence intensifies Liu Chen’s embarrassment and makes the bet—and its refusal—impossible to ignore.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Mu arrives during Liu Shuo’s duel and discovers Liu Wei pressuring Liu Shuo after his loss.
• Recognizing Xu Mu’s status, Liu Wei tries to flatter him. Xu Mu answers with pointed sarcasm and makes clear he disapproves of Liu Wei’s conduct.
• Liu Wei slaps his nephew, Liu Chen, apparently hoping to shift the blame and appease Xu Mu. Xu Mu orders Liu Wei to step down as disciplinary director and return home to teach Liu Chen manners.
• Liu Wei falls to the ground and begs to keep his job, but Xu Mu ignores him and addresses the crowd: duels should be settled in the arena, and students must not scheme or retaliate over a loss.
• Liu Shuo follows Xu Mu afterward, eager to hear whether he performed well. Xu Mu first teases him, then reassures him that he is exceptionally talented.
• Xu Mu wanders around the academy after the tournament. A system message announces that he has triggered a dungeon quest.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Mu shows confidence and authority, using his influence to confront unfair conduct and establish expectations for the academy. He also has a playful, encouraging side in his exchange with Liu Shuo.
• Liu Wei shifts from acting powerful to groveling once he realizes Xu Mu can remove him from office. His attempt to sacrifice Liu Chen does not save him.
• Liu Chen is confused and resentful after being slapped, having said nothing during the confrontation.
• Liu Shuo is proud of winning and wants Xu Mu’s approval. Although briefly discouraged by Xu Mu’s teasing, he regains confidence and admires Xu Mu, while wondering when he will have a similar breakthrough.
• Xu Mu and Liu Shuo share a warm mentor-like exchange: Xu Mu praises Liu Shuo’s potential, and Liu Shuo calls himself a genius while describing Xu Mu as a “monster.”

Significant themes

• Fairness and accountability: Victory should be decided by strength in the arena, not intimidation or schemes.
• Power and status: Liu Wei’s authority proves fragile when confronted by someone more influential.
• Talent and ambition: Liu Shuo is proud of his achievement but recognizes the gap between himself and Xu Mu.
• Change and self-discovery: Liu Shuo reflects that Xu Mu seems transformed since taking leave, while wondering when his own moment of growth will come.

• Plot and events: Xu Mu accepts the system’s mission to enter the film world of The Power of One, with three Arceus Plates as the reward. After arriving, he narrowly avoids a lightning strike: Ralts protects him, giving him time to Teleport away. He then sees a flying saucer fighting Zapdos and recognizes the metal rings it launches as capture devices—the same kind that recently caught Moltres. Two rings inexplicably target Xu Mu as well. The excerpt ends before that mystery is explained.
• Character development: Xu Mu remains irreverent and suspicious of the system, teasing it for seeming more conversational than it admits. Despite the danger, he quickly assesses the situation and acts decisively.
• Interactions: The system gives Xu Mu a mission and warns him to prepare. Ralts protects Xu Mu during the surprise attack. Xu Mu watches the saucer’s attempt to capture Zapdos—and finds himself unexpectedly caught up in it.
• Themes: The passage mixes humor with sudden peril, and introduces the uncertainty of entering a fictional world whose rules and events may not behave as Xu Mu expects.

Key plot points and events

• A second Lugia appears, astonishing Silly Thing and the others, who have never seen two together.
• While the Legendary Birds fight overhead, Xu Mu’s Lugia, Luo Feng, challenges the original-world Lugia to a spar. The original Lugia protests that Lugia’s duty is to protect the world, but Luo Feng insists that strength is necessary and attacks until his opponent finally fights back.
• Xu Mu notices Jessie seems confused and suspects she is one of the displaced “lost protagonists” he has been tasked with finding.
• He privately tells Jessie that he, too, is from another world. Jessie breaks down, saying she wants to return and find the real James and Meowth, not the versions with her in this world.
• Xu Mu admits he cannot send her home but offers to take her away. Jessie hesitates, then softens when he mentions that Misty in his world may share her circumstances. She appears to decide to go with him.
• Xu Mu privately frets that bringing home yet another girl will make his partner jealous.

Character developments and interactions

• Luo Feng is eager for a genuine challenge after usually being relegated to the sidelines. His playful teasing and relentless attacks provoke the original Lugia into fighting.
• The original Lugia is earnest and duty-bound, prioritizing peace and the protection of the world. He initially refuses to fight, but eventually loses his temper and defends himself.
• Jessie is revealed to be homesick and emotionally shaken by her displacement. Though wary of Xu Mu, she responds to his understanding and the possibility of meeting someone in a similar situation.
• Xu Mu shows empathy toward Jessie and offers practical help despite not knowing how to return her home. His joking internal commentary contrasts with the seriousness of her distress.
• Silly Thing and the others watch the extraordinary double-Lugia encounter in stunned disbelief.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal choice: The original Lugia sees protecting the world as a solemn responsibility; Luo Feng rejects that obligation as his own and seeks a worthy fight.
• Displacement and belonging: Jessie longs for her real friends and home, while Xu Mu’s offer gives her a possible way out of her unfamiliar world.
• Trust and connection: Jessie must decide whether to trust a stranger, and Xu Mu builds that trust by acknowledging her situation and mentioning Misty.

Plot points and events

• Musashi agrees to leave the Pokémon world with Xu Mu, provided he promises to help her return to her original world. Xu Mu assures her he is also searching for a way there.
• Xu Mu returns to the battlefield, where his three legendary birds are still fighting the local legendary birds and Lugia. Impatient, he berates the combatants and sits down to snack.
• Zapdos charges at Xu Mu, but Greninja intercepts it and knocks it away with one blow, astonishing Ash and the others.
• Xu Mu tells Ash to find the three treasures needed to save the world. Ash and Misty set off, while Xu Mu avoids handling the task himself.
• The local Lugia accuses Xu Mu of interfering with its attempt to stop the fighting. Xu Mu argues that its actions are worsening the damage.
• Xu Mu’s three legendary birds defeat their opponents. Meanwhile, Musashi recites Team Rocket’s motto as a farewell to her teammates, knowing she will soon leave.
• Ash and Misty return with the treasures. They place them at the altar and play the flute, causing spring water to flow and calming the legendary birds. The birds return to their mountains, and the local Lugia withdraws into the sea.

Character developments and interactions

• Musashi chooses to trust Xu Mu and leave with him, but remains emotionally attached to Team Rocket and saddened by the approaching separation.
• Xu Mu stays confident and irreverent, showing off Greninja’s strength and delegating the world-saving task to Ash. He treats the local Lugia’s resentment with contempt.
• Ash is stunned by Greninja’s victory but accepts Xu Mu’s direction and takes responsibility for finding the treasures.
• Greninja demonstrates overwhelming strength by defeating Zapdos in a single strike.
• The local Lugia believes it is protecting the world, but Xu Mu challenges whether its intervention is actually helping. Their conflict remains unresolved.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and belonging: Musashi’s promise to return home contrasts with her affection for the teammates she is leaving behind.
• Responsibility and delegation: Ash takes on the traditional heroic task, while Xu Mu deliberately avoids it.
• Power and humility: Xu Mu’s casual confidence—and Greninja’s incredible strength—upend everyone’s expectations of the legendary Pokémon.
• Disruption of expectations: The chapter repeatedly subverts the familiar story, from the appearance of two Lugia to Greninja overpowering Zapdos.

Key plot points and events

• With the crisis in the movie world resolved, Xu Mu prepares to return to his own world with Jessie.
• James learns that Jessie came from another world and must leave. He breaks down, reminding her of their shared dream and worrying that Team Rocket won’t be the same without her.
• Jessie tearfully says goodbye, then follows Xu Mu through a portal created by the Damn System.
• Back in Xu Mu’s world, Jessie confesses that she feels she has abandoned James and Meowth. Xu Mu comforts her and promises that he may be able to take her back someday by finding a way between worlds.
• The System confirms the mission is complete and rewards Xu Mu with three of Arceus’s stone tablets. It also reveals a new collection mission: find Pokémon-world “Children of Destiny” scattered across other worlds and raise their affinity.
• Serena is teased as a future character, with affinity milestones offering powerful Pokémon upgrades and a final reward tied to Serena.

Character developments

• Jessie chooses to return to her own world despite her attachment to the people she met. Her grief reveals that her farewell is also bound up with uncertainty about what happened to the James and Meowth she remembers from the Pokémon world.
• James is devastated by Jessie’s departure and appeals to their shared purpose, showing how deeply he values their partnership.
• Xu Mu acts as Jessie’s guide and comforter, reassuring her with the possibility of a future return, while privately reflecting on how others seem to misinterpret his relationships.

Significant themes

• Belonging and displacement: Jessie recognizes that the movie world is not truly hers, even though she formed meaningful connections there.
• Farewell and loss: Jessie and James’s parting is painful because it echoes the possibility that she may never reunite with the companions from her original world.
• Memory versus repetition: Jessie knows the movie-world characters repeat the same story, but her feelings are real and connected to the people she remembers.
• Hope across separation: Xu Mu’s promise of interworld travel gives Jessie a reason to look forward rather than remain trapped in regret.

Character interactions

• James pleads with Jessie to stay, invoking their dream of protecting the world; Jessie embraces him, then urges him to keep pursuing that dream.
• Xu Mu explains Jessie’s origins to James and helps her leave, then comforts her after she breaks down.
• Jessie responds to Xu Mu’s promise of a possible return with renewed hope and gratitude.

Key events and premise

• Xu Mu reflects on several women from the Pokémon world through a collection system that tracks affection and unlocks rewards.
• Cynthia is nearly fully collected at 99%. Xu Mu recalls her kindness toward “Silly Thing”: she helped him in Eterna City, shared her knowledge of Pokémon myths, assisted him with the Psyduck near Lake Valor, and gave him an ancient charm for her grandmother. Later, she challenged him as Champion without holding back, accepted her defeat, and still respected him.
• Misty is at 50%. Xu Mu reflects that she left a comfortable life to travel with Silly Thing because she loved him, but he never recognized her feelings.
• Jessie is only at 5%. Xu Mu recounts her painful childhood, her failed attempt to become a Pokémon nurse, and her lasting friendship with Chansey—later Blissey. Jessie joined Team Rocket, but when Blissey wanted to follow her, Jessie tried to protect her by sending her away, even though Blissey remained devoted.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Mu sees Cynthia as an exceptionally kind, sincere, and capable partner, and feels she may be the reason he came to this world.
• Misty is portrayed as self-sacrificing and quietly devoted, while Silly Thing remains oblivious to her affection.
• Jessie’s hardships help explain her later choices. Despite joining Team Rocket, she shows deep care for Blissey, whose loyalty survives Jessie’s attempt to push her away.
• Cynthia, Misty, and Jessie are presented through Xu Mu’s sympathetic reflections rather than through new direct encounters.

Significant themes

• Kindness and sincerity: Cynthia’s generosity and respect define Xu Mu’s admiration for her.
• Unrequited love and sacrifice: Misty gives up comfort to stay near someone who does not understand her feelings.
• Hardship and compassion: Jessie’s difficult life shapes her, while her bond with Blissey shows that affection can endure despite separation.
• Affection as a reward system: The collection mechanic turns emotional closeness into measurable progress and powerful bonuses.

Collection rewards noted

• Cynthia’s 80% reward grants shared-thought synchronization in battle; her 100% reward is a strength-boosting candy.
• Misty’s milestones enhance the strength of Snorlax, Venusaur, and Lugia, with a Water Soul Body at 100%.
• Jessie’s milestones enhance Blaziken, Celebi, and Ralts, with a Fire Soul Body at 100%.

Plot points

• Jessie is introduced as a talented, beauty-loving Pokémon Trainer who repeatedly enters Contests under different identities. Though she loses every time, she persists, and her tough exterior masks insecurity and a good heart.
• Xu Mu brings Jessie back from another world and offers to help her settle in. He worries that the System’s affection-raising mission will complicate his relationship with Cynthia.
• Cynthia calls after being unable to reach Xu Mu. He tells her he has brought Jessie home, explains that nothing romantic has happened, and reassures her of his loyalty.
• Cynthia says she does not mind, then asks to meet Jessie. Immediately afterward, the System announces that Cynthia’s affection has reached 100%, awarding Xu Mu several rewards, including a Supreme Peak Power-Up Candy.
• Xu Mu remains baffled by Cynthia’s reaction but agrees to bring Jessie home. Jessie feels a brief, unexpected disappointment on learning that Xu Mu has a girlfriend.
• As they arrive at Xu Mu’s home, he becomes uneasy about how Cynthia might receive him after his unexplained absence and return with another woman.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Mu tries to be honest with Cynthia and reassure her, while privately recognizing that his behavior could understandably upset her. He is devoted to Cynthia but anxious about the System’s missions and rewards.
• Cynthia appears calm and accepting, but Xu Mu hears hurt in her voice. Her request to meet Jessie—and the System’s sudden affection update—leave Xu Mu uncertain about what she really feels.
• Jessie agrees to go with Xu Mu and meet Cynthia. Her small pang of disappointment suggests she may be developing feelings for him, though she has not said so.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability behind toughness: Jessie’s resilience and guarded manner conceal past hurt and insecurity.
• Honesty, trust, and jealousy: Xu Mu discloses Jessie’s arrival, but his long absence and the situation strain the trust between him and Cynthia.
• Persistence: Jessie continues pursuing her Contest ambitions despite repeated failure.
• Comic irony: Xu Mu expects Cynthia to be angry, yet the System declares her affection complete, leaving him unable to explain the discrepancy.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Mu argues with the system, blaming it for potentially engineering a confrontation between his girlfriends. He decides to take Jessie home to meet Cynthia.
• Cynthia greets Xu Mu affectionately and says she has made dinner. Xu Mu privately worries about her cooking and is relieved Jessie will be there to share the meal.
• Jessie introduces herself politely. Cynthia welcomes her and tells her to feel at home.
• Cynthia notices Jessie’s disappointment when Xu Mu holds her hand and realizes Jessie has feelings for him. Though jealous, she remains outwardly gracious.
• Cynthia pinches Xu Mu’s waist, then reassures him that she loves him regardless. The couple share an affectionate moment until Jessie interrupts to say she is hungry.
• Cynthia apologizes for forgetting Jessie and leads her to the table. Jessie offers to help, and the two women go to the kitchen together.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Mu is anxious about the potential rivalry but assumes Cynthia’s jealousy reflects her love. He also acknowledges he would feel jealous in her place.
• Cynthia balances hospitality toward Jessie with possessiveness toward Xu Mu. She welcomes Jessie warmly but privately resolves to protect her relationship.
• Jessie is nervous and disappointed by Xu Mu and Cynthia’s closeness, yet tries to make a good impression and offers to help.
• The women’s polite introduction gives way to a tentative, cooperative interaction as they head to the kitchen together; Xu Mu and Cynthia’s intimacy makes Jessie’s feelings apparent.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and commitment: Cynthia’s jealousy coexists with her reassurance and devotion.
• Politeness versus private feelings: Both women behave courteously despite romantic tension.
• Misunderstanding and awkwardness: Xu Mu misreads or worries about the situation, while Jessie and Cynthia quietly interpret one another’s reactions.
• Humor and domesticity: Xu Mu’s thoughts about the system and Cynthia’s cooking lighten the tension around meeting the household’s new guest.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Mu worries as Cynthia and Jessie head to the kitchen, anticipating Cynthia’s notoriously awful cooking—and realizing he might be expected to eat it too.
• His aunt Xu Xiaoxiao calls him to the entrance of Magic City Academy, giving him a welcome excuse to leave before dinner.
• Xiaoxiao checks that he is settling in well, praises his efforts to expand the Xu family, and invites him to dinner with herself and Aunt Xu Lu the next day.
• On his way home, Xu Mu remembers Cynthia’s cooking and phones her to say he cannot return for dinner because he has plans with Xiaoxiao.
• Cynthia says Jessie is enjoying the meal. Jessie, visibly close to tears, pretends it is delicious and insists she is grateful.

Character developments

• Xu Mu remains devoted to restoring his family’s fortunes, but feels misunderstood by his aunts, who interpret his actions as an effort to expand the family through romance. He is also desperate to avoid Cynthia’s cooking.
• Xu Xiaoxiao shows a soft, affectionate side toward Xu Mu despite her normally commanding manner. She is proud of him and expects him to take responsibility for the family.
• Jessie discovers why Xu Mu looked at her strangely when she first arrived: Cynthia’s cooking is as dreadful as he feared. Jessie hides her distress rather than offend Cynthia.
• Cynthia appears pleased with her cooking and does not notice how much Jessie is struggling.

Significant themes

• Family duty and legacy: Xu Mu wants to revive the Xu family, while his aunts place expectations on him to carry its future.
• Misunderstanding and comic irony: Xu Mu’s intentions are repeatedly misread, and Jessie’s polite praise sharply contrasts with her suffering.
• Hospitality and social pressure: Jessie feels compelled to compliment food she can barely endure.

Character interactions

• Xiaoxiao affectionately teases and encourages Xu Mu, then arranges a family meal with him and Xu Lu.
• Xu Mu reassures Xiaoxiao that he will support the family, though inwardly he resents the assumptions about his plans.
• Xu Mu gives Cynthia a false-but-plausible excuse to miss dinner.
• Cynthia asks Jessie whether the food is to her taste; Jessie emphatically praises it while barely holding back tears.

Plot points and events

• Jessie is trapped eating Cynthia’s terrible cooking. She privately finds it nearly inedible but lies politely, claiming it reminds her of a better life.
• Xu Mu calls Cynthia, says he has business to handle, and ends the call quickly rather than listen to Jessie suffer and risk going home to help her.
• While eating, Jessie asks about Misty. Cynthia explains that Misty is at school, which Jessie finds absurd and mocks.
• Cynthia tells Jessie she will also start school in a few days. Jessie is horrified, especially at the prospect of enduring Cynthia’s cooking regularly.
• Misty calls Cynthia after school, sees Jessie, and the two resume their old rivalry with insults. Misty laughs when she learns Jessie will attend school too.
• Cynthia stops their teasing and offers to cook for Misty during her next break. Misty immediately panics, revealing she also knows how bad Cynthia’s cooking is.

Character developments

• Jessie remains proud, blunt, and quick to mock others, but she is also overwhelmed by her new circumstances and homesick. Her confidence collapses when she learns she must attend school.
• Cynthia is warm and well-meaning, but firm about Jessie’s schooling. She is oblivious to how dreadful Jessie finds both school and her cooking.
• Misty is excited about making friends at school and enjoys teasing Jessie, though her reaction to Cynthia’s offer shows she shares Jessie’s fear of the cooking.
• Xu Mu avoids hearing Jessie’s complaints, suggesting he knows she is unhappy but chooses to stay away for now.

Themes

• Culture shock and displacement: Jessie struggles to adapt to a world with unfamiliar expectations, especially school.
• Rivalry and familiarity: Jessie and Misty’s insults revive their old relationship and offer a familiar connection in a strange place.
• Comic suffering: Cynthia’s cooking and Jessie’s forced politeness turn an ordinary dinner into an exaggerated ordeal.
• Good intentions versus impact: Cynthia means well, but her efforts to care for Jessie and Misty cause them considerable dread.

Character interactions

• Jessie politely lies to Cynthia about enjoying the meal, while Cynthia watches her expectantly.
• Jessie and Misty trade barbs about school and age, with both enjoying the chance to needle the other.
• Cynthia gently breaks up their teasing and includes both girls in her plans, unaware that her cooking is the real source of their distress.

Key plot points and events

• Jessie endures Cynthia’s cooking, which Misty privately regards as awful. Jessie claims she is full, and Cynthia accepts this but warmly tells her to feel at home.
• Wanting to prove she is useful rather than freeloading, Jessie tries to wash the dishes. Cynthia insists guests shouldn’t do chores and sends her back to the sofa.
• Xu Mu returns earlier than expected and explains that his aunt had something urgent to handle, so he will see her again the next day.
• Xu Mu apologizes for leaving Jessie alone. He assumes her troubled expression comes from having to eat Cynthia’s cooking, though Jessie has actually been brooding about her place in the household.
• Jessie asks whether she must attend school. Xu Mu says she has no choice. She objects that she failed to graduate in her previous world, but he reassures her that school here is different and tells her to study hard.
• Xu Mu then asks Cynthia whether she has eaten.

Character developments

• Jessie reveals her insecurity as a newcomer and outsider. Drawing on her past as a villain and a childhood spent learning to protect herself, she believes she must make herself useful to earn acceptance. She also resists the prospect of being confined to school after a life of adventure.
• Cynthia shows genuine hospitality and care, though her confidence in her cooking is played for humor. She sees Jessie’s attempt to help as a sign that Jessie feels like a stranger, and wants her to relax instead.
• Xu Mu feels guilty for leaving Jessie alone and tries to reassure her, but misunderstands what is really troubling her.

Significant themes

• Belonging and insecurity: Jessie struggles to believe she can truly become part of Xu Mu and Cynthia’s home.
• Hospitality and reciprocity: Cynthia wants Jessie to feel welcome without needing to repay her kindness; Jessie feels compelled to contribute.
• Adjustment and loss of freedom: Jessie’s expected transition to school clashes with her adventurous nature and past experiences.
• Comic misunderstanding: The narration highlights the gap between what Jessie is thinking and what Xu Mu assumes.

Character interactions

• Cynthia gently but firmly stops Jessie from doing the dishes, interpreting her insistence as treating the household like strangers.
• Xu Mu apologizes to Jessie and encourages her to attend school, while Jessie hides her hurt and argues that she has failed at school before.
• Cynthia’s cooking creates an unspoken comic tension: Jessie and Misty dread the food, while Cynthia remains convinced it is delicious.

Summary

Jessie overhears Xu Mu and Cynthia’s affectionate banter and feels miserable watching their closeness. Cynthia asks where Jessie wants to attend school, offering either a school near them or one in the Western Continent, where Jessie could study with Misty. Jessie enthusiastically chooses the Western Continent. Xu Mu realizes her eagerness is less about Misty than about escaping Cynthia’s cooking, and agrees to arrange her departure for the next day.
Cynthia calls her father, Kale, the Western Continent’s chief, to arrange Jessie’s enrollment. Kale readily agrees, but grows suspicious when he learns Jessie is another girl Xu Mu has brought over. He asks to speak privately with Xu Mu and angrily accuses him of collecting girls and risking a harem. Xu Mu retorts that Kale has no right to interfere. Their argument escalates until Kale reminds him that he and Cynthia are not yet married. Xu Mu backs down, disguising an insult as a complaint about a neighborhood dog. Kale ends the call by warning Xu Mu to behave and insisting that Cynthia must be his wife.

Character developments and interactions

• Jessie feels trapped and envious of the couple, but quickly recognizes school in the Western Continent as a way to get away from Cynthia’s cooking. Her excitement is presented as a comic escape.
• Cynthia shows concern for Jessie by helping arrange her education and contacting her father. She also remains affectionate toward Xu Mu, while awkwardly confirming that Jessie is “another” girl.
• Xu Mu understands Jessie’s real motive, supports her choice, and teases Kale when challenged. His bravado falters when Kale points out that he and Cynthia are not married.
• Kale is protective of Cynthia and distrustful of Xu Mu’s growing circle of female companions. Despite his irritation, he agrees to help Jessie and makes his expectation about Xu Mu and Cynthia’s future marriage explicit.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and romantic frustration: Jessie’s loneliness contrasts with Xu Mu and Cynthia’s intimacy.
• Family protection and control: Kale’s anger reflects his concern for his daughter and his insistence on a secure future for her.
• Comic misunderstanding and banter: Jessie’s stated wish to study with Misty conceals her desire to escape Cynthia’s cooking, while Xu Mu and Kale’s argument relies on teasing and veiled insults.
• Marriage and commitment: Kale’s reminder that Xu Mu and Cynthia are unmarried turns the argument into a pointed demand for commitment.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Mu hangs up after a dispiriting conversation with Cynthia’s father, Uncle Kale, whose expectations of him seem low. He decides to prove himself through his actions rather than argue.
• He tells Jessie that he has arranged for someone to take her to school the next day. Cynthia shows Jessie to the guest room.
• Xu Mu prepares dinner for Cynthia and fetches her favorite ice cream. While doing so, he reflects that he wants a quiet life with Cynthia and resents being seen as a womanizer—an impression he blames on the system’s “collection quest.”
• The system responds to his private thoughts despite previously claiming it would not monitor him, prompting Xu Mu to curse it.
• Jessie sees Xu Mu clearing the dinner dishes and rushes to do it herself. Xu Mu realizes she may be acting out of fear that she will not be helped back to the Pokémon World, and resolves to reassure her.

Character developments

• Xu Mu remains devoted to Cynthia and wants time to prove she is the only one he loves. He also recognizes Jessie’s insecurity and considers how his behavior might make her feel unwelcome.
• Cynthia is cheerful and affectionate, especially when it comes to ice cream. Her happiness reinforces Xu Mu’s desire to care for her.
• Jessie is guarded and eager to be useful, likely because of her uncertain future and past experiences of displacement and hardship.
• The system intrudes on Xu Mu’s thoughts, aggravating his frustration and reinforcing his sense that it has caused his current troubles.

Significant themes

• Love expressed through care: Xu Mu’s devotion appears in everyday gestures, such as cooking, fetching ice cream, and cleaning up.
• Being misunderstood: Xu Mu feels others misread his intentions and hopes his actions will eventually prove his sincerity.
• Displacement and insecurity: Jessie’s unfamiliar surroundings and uncertain return home leave her anxious and inclined to earn her place.
• Trust and reassurance: Xu Mu recognizes that Jessie needs more than practical arrangements; she needs to feel safe and welcomed.

Character interactions

• Xu Mu and Cynthia share a warm domestic moment, though Cynthia’s focus shifts quickly to her dinner and ice cream.
• Jessie is uncomfortable watching their affectionate behavior and later tries to take over the cleanup.
• Xu Mu interprets Jessie’s helpfulness as fear and decides he should talk with her openly, rather than let her feel she must earn her place in the household.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Mu helps Jessie clean up and reassures her that she does not need to prove herself or fear being a burden. He tells her to treat his home as her own and reminds her that he understands what she has been through.
• Jessie is deeply moved, accepts his reassurance, and returns to her room. She and Misty are due to leave for school in Western Europe the next day.
• Xu Mu privately reflects that Jessie’s painful childhood has made her guarded. He hopes to help her feel safe and eventually return her to her own world.
• The System briefly interrupts to scold Xu Mu for insulting it, then falls silent again.
• Xu Mu and Cynthia go to bed together. The next morning, his aunt Xu Xiaoxiao calls to remind him about lunch with her and Xu Lu.
• Xu Mu makes Cynthia breakfast before leaving. He arrives at the restaurant, where a server escorts him upstairs; he finds his two aunts chatting and drawing attention from other diners. Xu Lu waves to him.

Character developments

• Jessie begins to lower her defenses after Xu Mu’s sincere reassurance, though her fear of being hurt remains central to her character.
• Xu Mu takes on a protective, caring role toward Jessie while continuing to prioritize Cynthia’s comfort and well-being.
• Cynthia shows a growing closeness with Xu Mu, correctly guessing that his aunt called before he tells her.

Significant themes

• Trust and belonging: Xu Mu encourages Jessie to stop treating his household as a temporary refuge and see it as home.
• Healing from past hurt: Jessie’s guardedness is presented as a response to her childhood, and Xu Mu wants to help her recover at her own pace.
• Care and responsibility: Xu Mu supports Jessie emotionally while tending to Cynthia and honoring his family plans.
• Comedy and contrast: The System’s abrupt appearance and Xu Mu’s jokes lighten the chapter’s earnest moments.

Character interactions

• Xu Mu and Jessie share a heartfelt conversation in which he offers reassurance and she responds with gratitude and tears.
• Xu Mu jokingly argues with the System, which admonishes him and then goes quiet.
• Xu Mu and Cynthia share a tender morning exchange; he prepares food for her before leaving.
• Xu Mu meets his aunts, Xu Xiaoxiao and Xu Lu, at the restaurant; Xu Lu recognizes him and waves.

Plot points and events

• Xu Mu arrives to dinner and is greeted by his aunts Xu Xiaoxiao and Xu Lu. Both bring up the idea of him taking over as head of the Xu family, which he finds tiresome.
• Xu Xiaoxiao explains that she needs help rescuing Zeraora, a wounded Mythical Pokémon trapped in a Secret Realm after an attack by the Hunter Guild.
• Xu Lu reveals that Xu Mu is ranked number one on the Heaven Ranking and urges him to join the rescue. Xu Xiaoxiao, who has been too absorbed in her hospital research to follow the news, is surprised by his strength.
• Xu Mu agrees to help and dismisses the Hunter Guild as a threat he can handle. Xu Xiaoxiao worries about his safety and offers to send assistants. He declines, saying they might slow him down.
• Xu Lu volunteers to accompany him. Xu Xiaoxiao accepts, entrusting Xu Mu to her care, though Xu Lu privately suspects Xu Mu will be the one protecting her. Xu Mu asks which Secret Realm they must enter.

Character development and interactions

• Xu Mu remains reluctant to take on family leadership and would rather avoid extra obligations, but he readily agrees to help rescue Zeraora. His confidence reflects his exceptional strength, while his aunts’ concern reminds him that his family cares for him.
• Xu Xiaoxiao is revealed as a dedicated researcher who is unaware of current events. She is impressed by Xu Mu’s standing but remains protective and anxious about the dangerous mission.
• Xu Lu acts as the link between them: she brings Xu Mu’s achievements to Xu Xiaoxiao’s attention and offers to accompany him, while privately recognizing how capable he is.
• The exchange shows the family’s warmth and trust, alongside the recurring pressure on Xu Mu to become the Xu family’s leader.

Significant themes

• Family duty versus personal preference: Xu Mu resists being made family head, even as he accepts responsibility for helping others.
• Care and trust: Xu Xiaoxiao’s concern and Xu Lu’s practical support show the aunts’ affection for Xu Mu.
• Power and responsibility: Xu Mu’s reputation makes him the obvious choice for a perilous rescue mission, though his strength does not ease his family’s worries.
• A looming threat: The Hunter Guild’s plan to capture powerful Pokémon and rule the world sets up the mission’s danger.

• Xu Mu learns from Xu Xiaoxiao that the Thunderclap Secret Realm needs his attention. He abandons his plans to spend time with Cynthia and sets out with Xu Lu.
• At the entrance, Xu Mu tells Xu Lu to stay behind, acknowledging that he is now far stronger than she is. Concerned for him, she lets him go alone. Xu Mu enters with Arceus, then rides Lugia deeper into the realm after Arceus detects a major battle.
• They find a Hunter Guild force—hundreds of people and thousands of Pokémon—trying to capture a bloodied, berserk Zeraora. Zeraora attacks everyone indiscriminately but is becoming exhausted under the relentless assault.
• The system offers Xu Mu a mission to capture Zeraora, with a Seven Injury Fist training manual as the reward. Xu Mu accepts but watches without intervening for now.
• A masked commander urges his followers on, promising rewards and boasting that capturing the Mythical Pokémon will make him the Hunter Guild’s thirteenth guild master. Xu Mu regards the group as foolish and overconfident.
  Character developments and interactions: Xu Mu’s confidence in his strength is clear: he protects Xu Lu by leaving her behind and believes the battle poses little threat to him. Xu Lu shows genuine affection and worry for him, while Xu Mu privately jokes about missing Cynthia. Arceus is eager to explore and serves as Xu Mu’s guide. The commander’s ambition and vanity are reinforced by his followers’ flattery; their mutual promises of future rewards contrast with Xu Mu’s contempt for them.
  Themes: The chapter emphasizes power and confidence, the risks of ambition, and the contrast between loyalty and exploitation. Zeraora’s rampage and injuries also frame the coming capture attempt as a chaotic, potentially dangerous conflict.

Plot points and events

• A masked man’s group traps Zeraora, hoping to capture him as part of a larger scheme. Xu Mu realizes the ambush may also target Magic City’s leaders, though he doesn’t know why.
• Zeraora, exhausted and badly wounded, continues fighting because he refuses to give up the Electric-type fruit he found.
• Xu Mu sends Celebi to heal him. Restored to full strength, Zeraora quickly overwhelms his attackers.
• Xu Mu has Arceus reassure Zeraora that help is nearby. But Zeraora, caught up in his fighting frenzy, mistakes Xu Mu for an enemy and charges at him.
• Xu Mu knocks Zeraora out with one slap. The masked man then recognizes Lugia and decides to seize both Pokémon, threatening Xu Mu. Xu Mu refuses and dares him to try.

Character development and interactions

• Zeraora shows fierce pride and determination, fighting on despite severe injuries. Once healed, his instincts take over, and he attacks Xu Mu even after receiving Arceus’s message.
• Xu Mu remains calm and confident, using Celebi’s healing to support Zeraora and dismissing the masked man’s threats.
• The masked man shifts from mocking Zeraora to panicking when the battle turns, then grows greedy and overconfident after spotting Lugia.
• Arceus wants to intervene but follows Xu Mu’s decision to let Zeraora fight. He relays Xu Mu’s message to Zeraora.
• Celebi heals Zeraora at Xu Mu’s command, dramatically changing the fight’s balance.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and determination: Zeraora refuses to surrender the fruit or back down.
• The power of support: Celebi’s healing lets Zeraora recover and keep fighting.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: The masked man mistakes numbers and opportunity for control, while underestimating Xu Mu.
• Comic contrast: Zeraora’s sudden frenzy and the masked man’s boastful schemes contrast with Xu Mu’s unruffled confidence.