Recaps

Zhang Cheng used Toxic and Endeavor to turn his badly poisoned Swampert’s apparent loss into a double knockout against Zhao Kuang’s Swampert. Zhao Kuang recovered his composure and considered how to continue the battle with Toxic Spikes still on the field.

• Zhang Cheng and Zhao Kuang’s Swampert clashed with Waterfall, then traded attacks as Zhang Cheng’s Swampert’s poison steadily drained its HP.
• Zhao Kuang had his Swampert use Protect to block Zhang Cheng’s Toxic, believing Zhang Cheng had no way to win.
• Zhang Cheng revealed he had baited Protect and ordered Endeavor, reducing Zhao Kuang’s Swampert to nearly no HP.
• Zhang Cheng’s Swampert used Water Gun before the poison knocked it out, and the attack also knocked out Zhao Kuang’s Swampert.
• Zhang Cheng recalled his Swampert, while Zhao Kuang regained his composure and considered his remaining advantage from the Toxic Spikes.

Zhang Cheng sent Moltres against Zhao Kuang’s Espeon and pressed the Psychic-type Pokémon with repeated physical attacks. Espeon used Reflect and Morning Sun to endure and recover, while Moltres continued its assault.

• Zhang Cheng sent out Moltres to avoid the Toxic Spikes, and Zhao Kuang sent out his level 74 Espeon.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Moltres to use Brave Bird, but Espeon evaded it with Detect and countered with Psychic.
• Zhang Cheng had Moltres strike Espeon with Wing Attack, while Espeon’s Psychic damaged Moltres.
• Zhang Cheng sent Moltres into another Brave Bird, and Zhao Kuang had Espeon use Reflect to reduce the damage.
• Zhao Kuang ordered Espeon to recover with Morning Sun, but Zhang Cheng immediately told Moltres to attack with Aerial Ace.

Zhang Cheng’s Moltres battled Zhao Kuang’s Espeon, trading attacks and recovery moves as Espeon used Calm Mind and Future Sight. Moltres’s critical Brave Bird left Espeon barely standing behind Reflect, while Moltres also suffered heavy damage.

• Zhang Cheng switched Moltres to Flamethrower, and Zhao Kuang had Espeon answer with Psybeam before boosting it with Calm Mind.
• Moltres healed with Roost as Espeon strengthened its Special Attack and Special Defense, then Zhang Cheng resumed physical attacks with Flame Charge.
• Zhao Kuang had Espeon use Future Sight and Psychic, but Moltres avoided Psychic with Fly before Future Sight struck and badly injured it.
• Moltres plunged down with Fly and hit Espeon, which used Reflect to defend against further physical attacks.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Moltres to use Brave Bird, and its critical hit left Espeon with only a sliver of HP.

Zhang Cheng’s Moltres defeated Zhao Kuang’s Espeon and gained the upper hand in their battle. Zhao Kuang sent out Drampa, whose Berserk ability activated after Moltres’s Brave Bird, and ordered a barrage of Dragon Pulses.

• Moltres landed a critical Brave Bird that made Espeon flinch, then defeated it with Air Slash.
• Zhao Kuang sent out his level 74 Drampa, a Dragon-type Pokémon with A-grade potential and the Berserk ability.
• Drampa attacked Moltres with Dragon Pulse, but Moltres weakened it with Air Slash and blocked Glare with Protect.
• Moltres struck Drampa with Brave Bird before Drampa could escape using Fly, reducing Drampa’s HP to half.
• Drampa’s Berserk ability activated, and Zhao Kuang ordered him to unleash a barrage of Dragon Pulses.

Zhang Cheng recalled Moltres after Drampa defeated it, then sent out Kingdra to battle Zhao Kuang's weakened Drampa. Kingdra's Outrage forced Drampa to block the first strike with Protect and meet the second with Dragon Pulse, leaving the clash unresolved.

• Zhao Kuang ordered Drampa to use Dragon Breath, striking Moltres as it tried to escape with Fly and forcing Zhang Cheng to recall it.
• Zhang Cheng sent out Kingdra, and Zhao Kuang welcomed the Dragon-type matchup, confident that Drampa's activated Ability would give it the advantage.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Kingdra to use Outrage, and Drampa blocked its first strike with Protect.
• After Protect faded, Drampa countered Kingdra's second Outrage strike with Dragon Pulse, and the attacks canceled each other out.

Zhao Kuang sent out his final ace, Beedrill, and Mega Evolved him into a fearsome opponent for Zhang Cheng’s Diancie. Mega Beedrill then struck the confused Kingdra with X-Scissor, leaving it with less than one-fifth of its HP.

• Kingdra’s third Outrage hit Drampa and knocked it out, though Kingdra fell into confusion afterward.
• Zhang Cheng challenged Zhao Kuang to reveal his final Pokémon, warning that it would need to defeat Diancie for Zhao Kuang to have a chance.
• Zhao Kuang sent out his level 75 Beedrill, whose rare A-grade potential and extensive training surprised Zhang Cheng.
• Zhao Kuang Mega Evolved Beedrill, whose Adaptability, boosted Attack and Speed, and Silver Powder made his Bug-type moves exceptionally powerful.
• Zhao Kuang ordered Mega Beedrill to use X-Scissor, and the attack hit the confused Kingdra, reducing its HP to less than one-fifth.

Zhao Kuang’s Mega Beedrill nearly defeated Zhang Cheng’s Kingdra with a powerful X-Scissor, but Kingdra used Soak before it fell, changing Mega Beedrill into a Water type and weakening its Adaptability. Mega Beedrill gained an Attack boost from Fell Stinger, but Zhao Kuang was left with little hope of challenging Zhang Cheng’s Mythical Pokémon.

• Mega Beedrill struck Kingdra with X-Scissor, nearly knocking it out and astonishing Wang Kun and Fang Lin.
• Zhao Kuang ordered Mega Beedrill to finish Kingdra with Fell Stinger so it could gain a drastic Attack boost.
• Kingdra used Soak to change Mega Beedrill from Bug and Poison types to a single Water type, weakening its attacks.
• Mega Beedrill defeated Kingdra with Fell Stinger and gained the Attack boost, but Zhao Kuang realized it had lost its Bug-type bonus.
• Zhang Cheng recalled Kingdra, while Zhao Kuang faced the prospect that Mega Beedrill could not withstand a Mythical Pokémon’s attacks.

Zhang Cheng sent Zeraora to face Zhao Kuang’s weakened Mega Beedrill, and the two Pokémon exchanged powerful attacks despite Zeraora’s severe poison. The battle reached a decisive clash as Zeraora charged into Giga Impact and Mega Beedrill prepared a final Poison Jab.

• Zhang Cheng sent Zeraora onto the field, where Toxic Spikes badly poisoned it, and Zhao Kuang realized he faced another Mythical Pokémon.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Zeraora to use Plasma Fists while Zhao Kuang sent Mega Beedrill into a head-on X-Scissor clash.
• The clash injured Mega Beedrill severely because Soak had changed it into a Water type, while Mega Beedrill’s counterattack and the poison cut Zeraora’s HP in half.
• Zhang Cheng revealed that Zeraora’s Plasma Fists had charged its next attack and ordered it to use Giga Impact.
• Zhao Kuang ordered Mega Beedrill to stake everything on Poison Jab as Zeraora hurtled toward it surrounded by plasma electricity.

Zhang Cheng defeated Zhao Kuang’s Mega Beedrill, earned fifty million Pokémon Coins for helping the Modu Pokémon Center pass its assessment, and spent six months training until all his Pokémon reached level 80. He arrived at Modu’s Challenge Tower to challenge for the Champion-level title, where Sun Hai checked that he met the requirements.

• Zeraora’s Plasma Giga Impact shattered Mega Beedrill’s stingers and knocked it out, deciding the match in Zhang Cheng’s favor.
• Zhao Kuang congratulated Zhang Cheng and accepted his defeat, while Zhang Cheng reminded Fang Lin of their payment agreement.
• Fang Lin paid Zhang Cheng fifty million Pokémon Coins, and Wang Kun left the battlefield looking grim.
• Zhang Cheng left after his Pokémon recovered, bought a home in Modu for his mother, and trained for half a year until all his Pokémon reached level 80.
• Zhang Cheng rode Moltres to Modu’s Challenge Tower and asked to challenge for the Champion-level title.
• Sun Hai met Zhang Cheng and stated that challengers needed at least six Pokémon at level 80 or above; Zhang Cheng said he met the requirement and asked to be registered.

Zhang Cheng entered the Modu Challenge Tower’s Champion-level assessment, where he had to defeat Sun Hai’s six level 80 Pokémon. His Kingdra faced Sun Hai’s Alakazam, and the battle left Alakazam badly hurt after Kingdra’s Rain Dance-boosted Waterfall.

• Sun Hai introduced himself as the Challenge Tower’s examiner and explained the Champion-level assessment and its benefits and obligations.
• Zhang Cheng and Sun Hai began a six-on-six battle, sending out Kingdra and Alakazam as their leads.
• Sun Hai had Alakazam use Calm Mind while Zhang Cheng ordered Kingdra to set up Rain Dance.
• Alakazam struck Kingdra with Psychic, taking about a third of its HP, but Kingdra reached Alakazam with a rain-boosted Waterfall.
• Kingdra’s Waterfall exploited Alakazam’s weak physical defense, sending him crashing to the ground with half his HP gone.

Zhang Cheng's Kingdra defeated Sun Hai's Alakazam by exploiting Hyper Beam's recovery delay and finishing it with Outrage. Sun Hai then sent out Sylveon, whose Fairy typing left Kingdra's remaining Outrage attacks ineffective.

• Sun Hai ordered Alakazam to use Hyper Beam, but Kingdra used Protect and took only limited damage.
• Zhang Cheng sent Kingdra in with Waterfall, but Alakazam recovered and used Teleport to dodge before striking Kingdra with Psybeam.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Kingdra to use Outrage, and its attack knocked Alakazam out.
• Sun Hai praised Kingdra and chose Sylveon to counter it with Fairy-type moves.
• Zhang Cheng scanned Sylveon's information and recognized that its Fairy typing would make Kingdra's remaining Outrage attacks useless.

Sun Hai defeated Zhang Cheng’s Kingdra with Sylveon, then Sylveon and Swampert exchanged powerful attacks in a head-on battle. Swampert dealt more damage in their first clash, giving Zhang Cheng the advantage.

• Sylveon ignored Kingdra’s Outrage and defeated it with Dazzling Gleam and Moonblast.
• Zhang Cheng sent out Swampert to challenge Sun Hai’s Sylveon, and Sun Hai used Safeguard to block status conditions.
• Swampert attacked with Earthquake, but Sylveon used Protect to avoid damage.
• Sun Hai ordered Dazzling Gleam as Zhang Cheng chose Earth Power for a direct clash.
• Both Pokémon landed their attacks, but Swampert lost a quarter of her HP while Sylveon lost a third.

Zhang Cheng's Swampert defeated Sun Hai's Sylveon after Rain Dance ended, but Sylveon badly poisoned Swampert before falling. Sun Hai then sent out Tropius, whose Grass/Flying typing gave it a major advantage over Swampert.

• Zhang Cheng's Swampert clashed with Sylveon's Hyper Beam using Waterfall, and the moves canceled each other out as the rain stopped.
• Swampert used Bulldoze and left Sylveon with only one-third of its HP, then forced it to defend against Earth Power with Protect.
• Swampert struck Sylveon with Waterfall while Sylveon used Toxic, badly poisoning Swampert before Sylveon was knocked out of the battle.
• Sun Hai recalled Sylveon and sent out Tropius, whose Grass and Flying types countered Swampert's Water- and Ground-type attacks.

Sun Hai’s Tropius defeated Zhang Cheng’s badly poisoned Swampert with Grass-type attacks, leaving Zhang Cheng to send out Moltres. Sun Hai responded by ordering Tropius to attack Moltres with Air Slash.

• Sun Hai ordered Tropius to use Razor Leaf, and Zhang Cheng countered with Swampert’s Hydro Cannon.
• Tropius’s Razor Leaf left Swampert near defeat, while Hydro Cannon took only a quarter of Tropius’s HP.
• Sun Hai had Tropius finish the recharging Swampert with Energy Ball, and Zhang Cheng recalled it after it could no longer battle.
• Zhang Cheng sent out Moltres to exploit Tropius’s weaknesses, surprising Sun Hai with the legendary Pokémon.
• Sun Hai ordered Tropius to use Air Slash against Moltres.

Zhang Cheng’s Moltres overwhelmed Sun Hai’s Tropius with Air Slash and Flamethrower, forcing Sun Hai to recall it. Sun Hai sent out a powerful Aerodactyl with a quadruple type advantage over Moltres, and Aerodactyl launched Stone Edge as their battle began.

• Zhang Cheng ordered Moltres to counter Tropius’s Air Slash, and her stronger attack badly injured Tropius.
• Zhang Cheng commanded Moltres to use Flamethrower, but Tropius’s Protect failed and Tropius lost the ability to battle.
• Sun Hai recalled Tropius and sent out Aerodactyl, a Rock- and Flying-type Pokémon with a quadruple type advantage against Moltres.
• Zhang Cheng used the Detection System to learn that Aerodactyl had A+ potential, a Hard Stone, and a broad range of moves.
• Sun Hai ordered Aerodactyl to use Stone Edge, and Aerodactyl formed and launched sharp stones toward Moltres.

Zhang Cheng and Moltres battled Sun Hai and Aerodactyl, trading powerful attacks while Moltres’s Rock weakness put it under severe pressure. After Ancient Power boosted Moltres’s stats, Zhang Cheng ordered it to use Burn Up to shed its Fire typing and reduce Aerodactyl’s Rock attacks from quadruple to double damage.

• Moltres blocked Aerodactyl’s Stone Edge with Protect, then seized it with Sky Drop and slammed it into the battlefield.
• Sun Hai steadied Aerodactyl and ordered Rock Slide, while Zhang Cheng countered with Ancient Power; both Pokémon took heavy damage, and Ancient Power boosted Moltres’s stats.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Moltres to use Burn Up, planning to remove its Fire typing and lessen Aerodactyl’s type advantage.

Zhang Cheng used Moltres’s Burn Up to shed its Fire typing after Aerodactyl defended against the attack. Moltres then endured Aerodactyl’s Rock Tomb and struck back with Sky Attack, leaving Aerodactyl close to defeat and unable to move.

• Zhang Cheng ordered Moltres to use Burn Up, and Sun Hai had Aerodactyl defend with Wide Guard; the attack broke through and reduced Aerodactyl to half HP.
• Burn Up exhausted Moltres’s Fire energy, leaving it as a pure Flying-type Pokémon, and Sun Hai praised Zhang Cheng’s unexpected tactic.
• Sun Hai ordered Aerodactyl to use Rock Tomb, and Zhang Cheng told Moltres to take the hit while charging Sky Attack.
• Rock Tomb drove Moltres to critical HP, but Moltres struck Aerodactyl with Sky Attack, triggering a critical hit and flinching it.
• Moltres’s attack removed two-fifths of Aerodactyl’s HP, leaving it near defeat and unable to act.

Zhang Cheng’s Moltres defeated Sun Hai’s Aerodactyl before falling to Sun Hai’s Zapdos after weakening it with Fire Spin. Zhang Cheng sent out Zeraora to face Zapdos, setting up a battle between two powerful Electric-type Pokémon.

• Moltres seized the flinching Aerodactyl and dropped it, knocking it out, and Sun Hai recalled it.
• Sun Hai sent out his Level 80 Zapdos, and Zhang Cheng examined its data with the Detection System.
• Sun Hai ordered Zapdos to use Thunderbolt while Zhang Cheng had Moltres counter with Fire Spin.
• Moltres’s Fire Spin damaged Zapdos before Thunderbolt knocked Moltres out, and Zhang Cheng recalled it.
• Zhang Cheng sent out Zeraora to battle Zapdos.

Zhang Cheng’s Zeraora battled Sun Hai’s Zapdos, using its Volt Absorb ability and a charged attack to seize control of the fight. The chapter ended with Zeraora’s Plasma-powered Giga Impact shattering Zapdos’s Protect barrier, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Sun Hai and Zhang Cheng began their battle, with Zapdos facing Zeraora.
• Zeraora broke through Zapdos’s Thunder with Plasma Fists and struck it hard, while Volt Absorb let Zeraora recover from the Electric-type attack.
• Sun Hai recognized that Electric-type moves would not work and sent Zapdos to attack with Fly.
• Zhang Cheng had Zeraora use Charge; Zapdos’s Flying-type attack dealt only minor damage.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Zeraora to unleash a charged, Electric-type Giga Impact, and the attack shattered Zapdos’s Protect barrier.

Zhang Cheng’s Zeraora defeated Sun Hai’s Zapdos, leaving Zeraora at a third of its HP. Sun Hai then sent out Latios as his final Pokémon, and Zhang Cheng realized the Champion-level assessment would be far more difficult than his earlier tests.

• Zhang Cheng had Zeraora wear Zapdos down with Wild Charge until Zapdos entered Giga Impact’s knockout range.
• Zeraora and Zapdos exchanged final attacks, and Zapdos fainted while Zeraora was left with a third of its HP.
• Sun Hai reassured Zapdos before recalling it, then sent out his final Pokémon, Latios.
• Zhang Cheng recognized that Latios could Mega Evolve and reflected that passing the assessment required exceptional Pokémon and rare opportunities.

Zhang Cheng examined Sun Hai’s Latios as Sun Hai Mega Evolved it, then sent his weakened Zeraora to fight Mega Latios. Zeraora paralyzed Mega Latios with Thunder Wave before fainting, leaving Zhang Cheng with two Pokémon to finish the battle and claim Champion-level recognition.

• Zhang Cheng used the Detection System to examine Sun Hai’s level 80 Latios and its Soul Dew.
• Sun Hai Mega Evolved Latios, increasing its power and confidence in the battle.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Zeraora to use Plasma Fists, but Mega Latios countered with Zen Headbutt and left Zeraora near defeat.
• Zeraora struck Mega Latios with Thunder Wave, paralyzing him and reducing his speed.
• Mega Latios used Dragon Claw to faint Zeraora, and Zhang Cheng recalled him, saying his two remaining Pokémon would continue the fight.

Zhang Cheng sent out Diancie to face Sun Hai’s Mega Latios and Mega Evolved her to counter its Dragon-type moves. Mega Diancie defeated Mega Latios with Light of Ruin, leaving Zhang Cheng victorious in the battle.

• Zhang Cheng sent Diancie into battle instead of Poliwrath, and Sun Hai recognized her as a Fairy-type Mythical Pokémon.
• Zhang Cheng Mega Evolved Diancie into Mega Diancie, while Sun Hai ordered Mega Latios to attack with Psychic.
• Mega Diancie hit Mega Latios with Moonblast, dealing nearly half its HP in damage.
• Zhang Cheng ordered Light of Ruin, and Sun Hai tried to evade it by sending Mega Latios upward with Fly.
• Mega Diancie unleashed Light of Ruin across the battlefield, exhausting Mega Latios’s HP and sending it crashing from the sky.

Zhang Cheng passed the Champion-level Trainer assessment and spent six months strengthening his Pokémon. After learning that Shaymin had appeared in Sky City, he traveled there to search for it but found no trace after a day of searching.

• Zhang Cheng defeated Sun Hai’s Latios, passed the assessment, and officially received his Champion-level Trainer title.
• Zhang Cheng rested while his injured Pokémon received treatment, then left the Challenge Tower on Moltres.
• Zhang Cheng returned to Modu and trained for six months, raising his three Legendary and Mythical Pokémon to level 85.
• Bai Yuling told Zhang Cheng that her family had discovered Shaymin in Sky City, so he bought supplies and set out to find it.
• Zhang Cheng reached Sky City on Moltres and searched the floating city with his Pokémon, but found no sign of Shaymin after a full day.

Zhang Cheng found Shaymin hidden in a garden behind a wall in Sky City and accepted her demand for a battle before she would join him. Their fight began with Diancie and Shaymin trading super-effective attacks, leaving Shaymin preparing a powerful Grass-type strike.

• Diancie detected a powerful Pokémon behind a wall in Sky City's Main Hall, and Zhang Cheng had her break through it with Moonblast.
• Zhang Cheng found Shaymin in Land Forme and asked her to join him; Shaymin agreed on the condition that he defeat her in battle.
• Shaymin changed into Sky Forme, and Zhang Cheng scanned her stats before choosing Diancie to fight her without Mega Evolution.
• Shaymin hit Diancie with Energy Ball for a quarter of her HP, while Diancie struck Shaymin with Diamond Storm for a third of hers.
• Shaymin gathered Grass-type energy from across the battle area to prepare a powerful attack.

Zhang Cheng weakened Shaymin and caught her after forty-five Poké Ball attempts. He had Shaymin and Diancie heal their injuries afterward, leaving his team recovered and ready for danger in the City in the Sky.

• Shaymin attacked Diancie with Seed Flare, but Diancie used Protect and countered with Stone Edge, critically injuring Shaymin.
• Shaymin tried to recover with Synthesis, but Diancie blocked her healing with Heal Block.
• Shaymin and Diancie clashed with Seed Flare and Diamond Storm, leaving Shaymin barely able to move.
• Zhang Cheng repeatedly threw Poké Balls until the forty-fifth one caught Shaymin.
• Zhang Cheng released Shaymin to heal with Synthesis and told Diancie to restore her own HP.