Chapter Summaries

Li Wei and his allies traveled back to Michina a thousand years ago to stop the betrayal that caused Arceus’s anger. They arrived during a solar eclipse and headed for Michina Temple to find Damos and Arceus.

• Giratina interrupted Arceus’s attack, while Li Wei asked Dialga to open a passage to the past so they could change the moment humans betrayed Arceus.
• Darkrai, Zeraora, Palkia, Giratina, Dialga, and the others held Arceus back as Li Wei, Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Sheena entered the time rift.
• Zeraora and the remaining Pokémon stayed behind to fight Arceus while Kevin watched the travelers disappear.
• Dialga carried Li Wei, Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Sheena to Michina a thousand years ago, on the day Arceus and Damos made their agreement.
• Li Wei sent Lucario to search for Damos, but Lucario found no trace of him within its range, so Li Wei led the group toward Michina Temple.

Arceus fought the Pokémon at the Temple atop Mount Michina while Li Wei and the others traveled to the past. In Michina a thousand years earlier, Arceus arrived to exchange the Plates, and Li Wei realized Metagross and Corviknight were missing before he rushed after it.

• Arceus unleashed Judgment against Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Regigigas, Darkrai, Zeraora, Metagross, and the other Pokémon, who defended themselves and coordinated their attacks.
• Zeraora saved Dialga from a fiery blast, while Metagross identified Arceus's Plate-switching moments and directed the others to exploit its weaknesses.
• Giratina and the two Dragapult struck Arceus through Protect with Shadow Force and Phantom Force as the battle intensified.
• In Michina a thousand years earlier, Arceus arrived on the day of the total solar eclipse to exchange the Plates with Damos.
• Li Wei realized Metagross and Corviknight had not come with him, decided not to warn Arceus aloud, and rushed after it.

Li Wei and the others returned to Michina before Arceus was attacked and fought their way into the Temple to find Damos and the Life Jewel. They found Damos imprisoned in the dungeon, where he was still trying to contact Arceus.

• Dialga sent Li Wei, Sheena, Ash, Dawn, and Brock back to an earlier time in Michina, where they defeated Heatran and drove off the guards.
• Li Wei captured a guard, learned that Damos was in the dungeon and Marcus was in charge, then knocked the guard unconscious.
• Meloetta put the Temple entrance guards to sleep, and the group followed Spiky-eared Pichu deeper into the Temple.
• The group subdued an old man in the dungeon and found Damos imprisoned in a cell.
• Damos worried that Michina would become barren again and agonized over how to get word to Arceus.

Li Wei and the others rescued Damos and learned that Marcus had used Hypnosis to make him appear to betray Arceus. They stopped Marcus’s controlled Pokémon and confronted him over the Life Jewel, but Marcus fled with it when Arceus arrived.

• Li Wei and the others freed Damos from the dungeon, and Ash questioned him about the Life Orb; Damos denied betraying Arceus.
• Li Wei, Brock, and Dawn realized Marcus had likely controlled Damos with Hypnosis, and Ash explained that the group had come from the future.
• Marcus gathered Pokémon to intercept them, but Damos led Li Wei’s group to the hall, where Marcus refused to surrender the Life Jewel.
• Lucario attacked Marcus while Diancie and Meloetta fought Heatran, and Meloetta’s song freed the Pokémon from Marcus’s control.
• Sheena told Marcus that Michina had prospered without the Life Orb, and Arceus arrived to collect the Life Jewel.
• Marcus fled with the scepter containing the Life Orb, determined to make one final gamble.

Li Wei and the others returned the real Life Jewel to Arceus, preventing the ancient betrayal from poisoning the future. Arceus regained its clarity and learned why the time travelers had come, but it was still receiving messages from the past.

• Li Wei identified the real Life Jewel, shattered Marcus's fake with Lucario's Power-Up Punch, and led everyone outside to meet Arceus.
• Lucario sent Arceus an Aura message, and the Arceus of the future stopped attacking as its rage and pain over Damos's betrayal vanished.
• Li Wei gave the Life Jewel to Arceus, and it separated into five Plates that merged into Arceus's body.
• Damos confirmed that he had fulfilled their promise, and Arceus thanked him as its eternal friend.
• Li Wei explained how Marcus's deception had led to Arceus's attack in the original timeline and why the group had intervened.

Li Wei and his companions returned to the past, restored Arceus’s memories, and helped reconcile it with Damos before traveling back to the present. Arceus healed Michina and its Pokémon, and the chapter ended with Arceus recognizing that humans and Pokémon had kept the land flourishing through their work together.

• Arceus remembered the past, turned its destructive energy into healing light, and forgave Damos after he apologized.
• Arceus saw Li Wei and Ash off as Dialga returned them and their companions to the future.
• Damos promised to protect Michina, and Arceus agreed to stay and help him rebuild it.
• Li Wei, Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Sheena returned to Michina Temple as Arceus healed the land and their Pokémon.
• Li Wei explained that Michina remained fertile because its people cared for the land, and Arceus affirmed that humans and Pokémon had kept it alive together.

After Arceus’s battle, Li Wei and his Pokémon gained strength, and Michina’s history shifted to honor humans and Pokémon building their future together. Arceus gave Li Wei the power of overcoming before departing, and Li Wei received the rewards for completing the hidden quest.

• Li Wei saw that Zeraora had broken through, Metagross had reached the upper Elite Four tier, and his other Pokémon had also gained strength from the battle.
• Giratina returned to the Distortion World, Dialga and Palkia vanished, Darkrai headed back to Alamos Town, and Li Wei recalled Regigigas.
• Sheena found a new temple tablet about returning the Life Jewel, while new records appeared and Michina’s memories shifted to include Li Wei’s role alongside Damos and Lucario.
• Arceus asked Li Wei and Ash to protect the world, then gave Li Wei the power of overcoming; Arceus explained that Ash relied on the power of bonds instead.
• Arceus flew away, and Li Wei received a Life Orb fragment and an Any Plate for completing the hidden quest.

Li Wei received the Power of Overcoming, a Life Orb fragment, and a Fairy Plate before leaving Michina with Ash’s group. After he parted ways with them, he discovered that the Pokémon League had been trying to reach him during the space-time distortion, while Cynthia had separately investigated Sheena.

• Arceus watched over Michina and remembered Damos, who had died peacefully at the age of one hundred, before returning to the Alternate Dimension.
• Li Wei gained the Power of Overcoming, which let him communicate across space and time with Pokémon that acknowledged him, and received a Life Orb fragment and a Fairy Plate for Diancie.
• Sheena and Kevin saw Li Wei and Ash’s group off, and Li Wei urged them to carry on Damos’s wishes as Michina’s residents worked alongside Pokémon.
• Sheena added a line to Damos’s stone tablet about building the future together with Pokémon partners as Li Wei’s group departed Michina.
• Li Wei said goodbye to Ash, Dawn, and the others, then found numerous messages from the Pokémon League, Lance, and Cynthia waiting on his phone.
• Cynthia had asked Li Wei’s mother, Wen Hui, about his whereabouts and had investigated Sheena as a possible recruit.

Li Wei told Cynthia how he and Ash’s group traveled a thousand years into the past, stopped Marcus, and helped Arceus restore Michina. After Ash and Brock recounted the encounter in the Chat Group, Li Wei joined the conversation.

• While flying home on Metagross, Li Wei told Cynthia that he and Ash’s group had traveled back in time with Dialga and stopped Marcus from betraying Arceus.
• Li Wei explained that Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Darkrai, and Regigigas had helped him hold off Arceus until Arceus came to his senses and restored Michina.
• Cynthia thanked Li Wei and said she would win the Master League championship, while Li Wei urged her to rest and promised to share the full story and a video later.
• After communications returned, Ash announced in the Chat Group that he, Dawn, and Brock had met Arceus and become friends with him.
• Brock explained the Michina incident to the group, and Li Wei joined the conversation after Green asked whether he was with Ash.

Li Wei reported the encounter with Arceus to the Pokémon League and Professor Rowan, then returned home safely. The next morning, he gathered his Pokémon to prepare for the Lily of the Valley Conference and declared that their goal was the championship.

• Li Wei told the Chat Group that returning the Life Jewel had ended the conflict with Arceus's Avatar, and he sent a report about the incident to the Pokémon League Investigator headquarters.
• Professor Rowan thanked Li Wei for his work collecting Pokédex data and was relieved that everyone had returned safely.
• Li Wei arrived home late at night and told his Pokémon to rest before meeting at the training grounds the next morning.
• Li Wei gathered his Pokémon in the backyard, considered his conference lineup, and hoped to meet Ash in the finals.
• Li Wei announced that the team had one goal—the championship—and began special training, personally guiding Haxorus on its moves.

Li Wei trained his Pokémon and watched the Master League quarterfinal between Leon and Norman. Norman’s Slaking showed that it had overcome Truant, and the battle stood at 2–4 with Norman down to two Pokémon as Leon prepared to send out his final challenge.

• Li Wei put Lucario, Zeraora, Dragapult, Sirfetch'd, and the others through move training in the morning, then had them battle without his commands in the afternoon.
• Li Wei and his Pokémon watched the Master League quarterfinal draw and learned the matchups, including Leon against Norman.
• Leon opened with Cinderace and Norman with Linoone; Linoone used Belly Drum and Double-Edge to knock out Cinderace before falling to Dragapult.
• Norman sent out Slaking, which knocked Dragapult from the air and struck it with Bulldoze, then took Aegislash’s Sacred Sword and retaliated with Payback.
• As the score reached 2–4 and Norman had only two Pokémon left, Norman sent Slaking back out while Leon recalled Charizard and activated his Dynamax Band.

Leon defeated Norman in the first quarterfinal after Charizard overcame Slaking, and the chapter then began Lorelei and Cynthia’s match. Cynthia opened by using Roserade to set Toxic Spikes on Lorelei’s side of the field.

• Leon Dynamaxed Charizard, which defeated Norman’s Dynamaxed Slaking after three rounds of Max Moves.
• Norman sent out Glameow, but Leon’s Charizard won the match 6-3 and advanced.
• Li Wei asked Lucario and his other Pokémon what they thought of the battle, and they expressed excitement about facing strong opponents.
• After a fifteen-minute break, Lorelei and Cynthia began their quarterfinal match at Wyndon Stadium.
• Lorelei opened with Alolan Ninetales, which summoned hail and raised Aurora Veil, while Cynthia sent out Roserade to lay two layers of Toxic Spikes.
• Lorelei commanded Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard against Roserade.

Cynthia and Lorelei’s battle reached its final stage after Gigantamax Lapras and Dynamax Togekiss knocked each other out. With the score tied at 4-4, Cynthia’s Garchomp evaded Articuno’s Blizzard and launched a surprise attack from underground.

• Leon commentated as Lorelei’s Ice-type team pressured Cynthia’s Pokémon, but Cynthia’s switches and tactics kept the battle close.
• Cynthia’s Lucario and Togekiss challenged Lorelei’s team, while Lorelei’s Lapras used Gigantamax and G-Max Resonance against them.
• Cynthia had Togekiss Dynamax and counter Lapras with Max Airstream and Max Overgrowth, leaving both Pokémon unable to battle and tying the score at 4-4.
• Lucario defeated Lorelei’s Jynx, and Lorelei sent out Articuno to face Cynthia’s Garchomp alongside Lucario.
• Articuno’s Blizzard missed after Garchomp used Dig, and Garchomp burst from beneath Articuno with Stone Edge.

Cynthia defeated Lorelei’s Articuno with Garchomp and advanced to the Master League semifinals, leaving her focused on finally beating Leon. Meanwhile, Li Wei told Professor Oak that he had met Arceus and received a power from it.

• Cynthia’s Garchomp used Dig to set up a supereffective Stone Edge, then overwhelmed Articuno and won the quarterfinal match.
• Cynthia and Lorelei shook hands, and Cynthia said she would keep pursuing her goal of defeating Leon.
• Cynthia told Li Wei she would leave Garchomp and her other Pokémon in his care the next day, and he promised to look after them.
• Professor Oak called Li Wei after Blue described the battle with Arceus, and Li Wei clarified that it had been an avatar of Arceus.
• Li Wei told Professor Oak that Arceus might visit Michina again and had granted him the Power of Overcoming, astonishing the professor.

Li Wei spoke with Professor Oak about meeting Arceus and studying the power of overcoming, then spent the day caring for his Pokémon. At Wyndon Stadium, Bruno and Lance fought a fierce battle that escalated into Gigantamax Machamp facing Dynamax Red Gyarados.

• Li Wei agreed to give Professor Oak a backup of the footage and introduce him to Arceus, and he also agreed to let Oak study his power of overcoming.
• Li Wei skipped training to care for his Pokémon, tending to their different recovery needs after their recent battles.
• Bruno and Lance began their Master League match with Machamp and Salamence, then traded attacks with their other Pokémon in a fierce stalemate.
• Lance sent out Red Gyarados and Dynamaxed it, prompting Bruno to Gigantamax Machamp.
• Bruno ordered G-Max Chi Strike as Lance commanded Max Airstream, and the two attacks raced toward each other.

Lance defeated Bruno in a grueling quarterfinal, and Steven beat Diantha with Mega Metagross to advance. The chapter ended with the Master League semifinals approaching, including the highly anticipated Lance versus Leon match.

• Lance and Bruno traded their Dynamax and Gigantamax aces, leaving Lance's Dragonite as his last Pokémon and deciding the match 6-5 in Lance's favor.
• Lance and Bruno congratulated each other after their battle, while Zeraora grew eager to challenge their aces.
• After a fifteen-minute break, Steven and Diantha began their quarterfinal, using tactics and Mega Evolution to battle for an advantage.
• Steven exposed Mega Gardevoir with Flash Cannon, then knocked it out with Meteor Mash, winning the match.
• The commentator announced that Lance would face Leon and Cynthia would face Steven after a day's rest, with the winners advancing to the finals.
• Li Wei considered Lance, Steven, and Cynthia capable of challenging Leon, and the chapter ended as Lance versus Leon was about to begin.

Cynthia and Steven began their six-on-six semifinal at Wyndon Stadium, with Steven's Corviknight facing Cynthia's Togekiss. Corviknight dodged Togekiss's Sweet Kiss as their opening exchange continued.

• Cynthia and Steven entered Wyndon Stadium to cheers before the commentator announced their full six-on-six Single Battle and its battle-system rules.
• Li Wei watched with his Pokémon as the Chat Group discussed the match and debated who would win.
• Steven sent out Corviknight, and Cynthia opened with Togekiss.
• Steven used Tailwind while Cynthia's Togekiss landed three Air Slashes, briefly flinching Corviknight before it raised its defenses with Iron Defense.
• Cynthia's Aura Sphere struck Corviknight as it countered with a Tailwind-boosted Brave Bird, and Corviknight then dodged Togekiss's Sweet Kiss.

Steven and Cynthia traded Pokémon in their full battle at Wyndon Stadium, as Steven used entry hazards and careful switches to wear down Cynthia’s team. The battle continued with Steven having four Pokémon remaining and Cynthia five, though her Pokémon faced Spikes and Stealth Rock whenever they entered.

• Steven switched between Metagross and Corviknight against Cynthia’s Lucario, which dodged Brave Bird and knocked Corviknight out with Power-Up Punch and Aura Sphere.
• Steven sent out Armaldo and set Stealth Rock before Cynthia’s Milotic froze it with Ice Beam.
• Steven’s Skarmory laid two layers of Spikes but was knocked out alongside Milotic after their final exchange.
• Steven’s Cradily endured Spiritomb’s attacks, recovered its stamina, and defeated Spiritomb after Ancient Power raised its stats.
• Steven sent out Aggron after Cradily and Spiritomb were both unable to battle.

Cynthia and Steven’s battle reached its final stage as their last standing Pokémon, Garchomp and Metagross, Mega Evolved and fought in a brutal showdown. Their final attacks collided, leaving the result undecided.

• Lucario and Aggron knocked each other out, leaving Cynthia with Kommo-o and Garchomp against Steven’s Metagross and frozen Armaldo.
• Steven’s Metagross defeated Kommo-o with Psychic Fangs after enduring its attacks.
• Cynthia sent out Garchomp, and both Trainers Mega Evolved their Pokémon.
• Mega Garchomp and Mega Metagross traded powerful blows, with Metagross proving faster and Garchomp fighting through Outrage’s confusion.
• Cynthia ordered Dragon Rush while Steven commanded Meteor Mash, and the attacks collided.

Cynthia defeated Steven in a hard-fought semifinal, and the stadium prepared for Leon and Lance to battle for a place in the final. Leon opened with Mr. Rime against Lance’s Gyarados, leaving Li Wei to suspect that Leon had misjudged Lance’s choice of lead Pokémon.

• Garchomp outlasted Metagross, giving Cynthia the victory over Steven.
• Steven congratulated Cynthia and wished her luck in the final, and the two Champions shook hands before the cheering crowd.
• After a fifteen-minute break, Leon and Lance entered Wyndon Stadium and declared their intentions to battle without regrets.
• Leon sent out Mr. Rime while Lance chose Gyarados, and Li Wei guessed Leon had expected Lance to lead with Salamence.