Chapter Summaries

Ye Qing returned home before the World Cup, cleaned up, and prepared to travel with his family to the Imperial Capital. Meanwhile, Wang Yao escaped Team R’s island pursuit, and Ye Qing arrived late to a Pokémon League meeting after getting lost in headquarters.

• Ye Qing came home reeking after training in the forest, then washed up and learned his family planned to accompany him to the World Cup in the Imperial Capital.
• Wang Yao hid from Team R’s search party, then escaped the island on his newly evolved Talonflame.
• Ye Qing and his family arrived in the Imperial Capital, where he left them with his relatives to attend a Pokémon League meeting.
• Cynthia and Dragon Tamer waited for Ye Qing as Luo Moyun arrived and noticed that Ye Qing’s seat was still empty.
• Ye Qing got lost inside Pokémon League Headquarters and messaged Dragon Tamer for directions after the meeting was due to begin.

Cynthia explained the World Cup elimination rules, where competitors would fight one-on-one without access to medicinal treatment, and Dragon Tamer challenged them to earn the remaining places. Afterward, Wangchen told Ye Qing that investigators had found no conclusive evidence against Xie Yu and his brothers, prompting Ye Qing to question the Pokémon League's warrants.

• Cynthia announced that five competitors had already qualified for the main competition, leaving five places for the elimination rounds.
• Cynthia explained that the elimination rounds began in three days and barred medicinal treatment for both Trainers and Pokémon until the rounds ended.
• Dragon Tamer challenged the competitors to prove themselves, then left the meeting.
• Ye Qing declined Li Zifan's dinner invitation and met Wangchen and Luo Jiujiu at a café.
• Wangchen told Ye Qing that the Pokémon League lacked conclusive evidence against Xie Yu and his brothers and that he had asked Dragon Elite Four to revoke their warrants.
• Ye Qing questioned whether the Pokémon League could order their arrest without conclusive evidence.

Ye Qing asked Dragon Tamer to help withdraw the arrest warrant in Xie Yu’s case and secured a promise of Exclusive Pokéblocks. He returned to his maternal grandfather’s home and learned that his cousin Ziran was being treated poorly by Zhang Siyu’s powerful family.

• Luo Jiujiu explained that the three suspects had other offenses on their records, which had helped prompt their arrests.
• Ye Qing called Dragon Tamer, invoked the favor Dragon Tamer owed him, and asked him to withdraw the warrant for Xie Yu; Dragon Tamer agreed and also promised Exclusive Pokéblocks.
• Ye Qing returned to the family villa, where his relatives had waited for him before eating.
• Ye Qing’s maternal uncle’s wife said Ziran had gone to care for his sick future mother-in-law, and Old Master grew angry at the Zhang Family’s treatment of him.
• Ye Mom explained that the Zhang Family had two national Champions and a former Champion as its head, while Ye Dad boasted that Ye Qing could surpass them by winning a world championship.

Ye Qing learned that Legendary and Mythical Pokémon had appeared in past World Cups, then promised his family he would do his best in the qualifiers. At the venue, the thirty-two contestants gathered as officials and spectators arrived, and Zhang Sisi brought Zhang Tuzhen to watch Ye Qing compete.

• Ye Qing asked his grandfather about Legendary and Mythical Pokémon in past World Cups, and his grandfather confirmed that they had appeared in nearly every tournament.
• Ye Qing reassured his family that he would do his best, while Ye Menghan cheered him on and recalled a strange dream of him fighting two Legendary Pokémon.
• Ye Qing arrived at the qualifiers, passed inspections, and registered his Pokémon; the competition was held in a forest arena before influential spectators and officials.
• Supervisor Neil welcomed the contestants as Luo Moyun, Jiang Zhe, and Ye Qing were discussed as potential qualifiers for the five main-tournament spots.
• Zhang Sisi arrived with Zhang Tuzhen, who asked whether Ye Qing was there, and Vanilluxe created Light Screen steps up to the floating stands.

Ye Qing arrived at the World Cup regional elimination rounds and was drawn to face Sun Tianlong in the opening match. As the battle began, Sun Tianlong sent out Pidgeot and Ye Qing sent out Garchomp.

• Zhang Tuzhen spotted Ye Qing in the stands and shouted that he and his mother had missed him, embarrassing Zhang Sisi.
• Ye Qing greeted Luo Jiujiu and Jiang Zhe before Supervisor Neil announced the start of the elimination rounds.
• The draw paired Ye Qing with Sun Tianlong, a third-place finisher in the Dragonite Cup.
• Ye Qing and Sun Tianlong put on protective suits and sent out their Pokémon, Pidgeot and Garchomp.

Ye Qing and Sun Tianlong began a dangerous aerial battle between Garchomp and Pidgeot, and Ye Qing revealed that Garchomp’s Draco Meteor had gained a new trick. The Pokémon clashed with Brave Bird and Dragon Rush as both Trainers fell away from their mounts, leaving the outcome obscured by smoke.

• Zhang Tuzhen and Sun Tianlong reacted with astonishment to Garchomp’s evolution and imposing appearance, while Ye Qing assessed Sun Tianlong’s level 55 Pidgeot.
• Sun Tianlong sent Pidgeot skyward with Agility, and Ye Qing ordered Garchomp to use Draco Meteor.
• Draco Meteor exploded into dozens of projectiles, and Pidgeot shielded Sun Tianlong from the attack.
• Ye Qing sent Garchomp charging through the sky with Dragon Rush, and Sun Tianlong ordered Pidgeot to counter with Brave Bird.
• Ye Qing and Sun Tianlong released their Pokémon before the collision, and Garchomp and Pidgeot crashed together as smoke obscured the result.

Ye Qing and Garchomp defeated Sun Tianlong and Pidgeot after a fierce aerial battle. Ye Qing nearly got disqualified for trying to give Garchomp a Pokéblock, while Old Master Luo considered how Ye Qing would fare against his grandson.

• Ye Qing and Sun Tianlong fell from the smoke, and their Pokémon caught them before Garchomp resumed chasing Pidgeot.
• Garchomp tore through Pidgeot’s Steel Wing and slammed him into the ground, but Pidgeot blocked a follow-up attack with Protect.
• Sun Tianlong ordered Pidgeot to dodge Garchomp’s Dragon Claw, but Garchomp struck him in the crotch and knocked him unconscious, deciding the battle.
• Ye Qing nearly gave Garchomp a Pokéblock, but the announcer warned him that using one during the competition was prohibited.
• Old Master Luo analyzed the fight and wondered how Ye Qing would fare against his grandson.

Luo Jiujiu fought Song Yongjian in the tournament, using her sword-controlling technique to coordinate with Doublade and overwhelm Charizard. She cornered Song Yongjian with a barrage of sword strikes, leaving him to defend himself in terror.

• Luo Jiujiu entered the field riding Doublade and faced Song Yongjian, who mounted Charizard.
• Song Yongjian ordered Charizard to intensify Flamethrower, but Luo Jiujiu and Doublade blocked the flames with Swords Dance.
• Luo Jiujiu and Doublade formed a spinning metal sphere and drove Charizard into the sky, then struck with Sacred Sword.
• Charizard blocked Sacred Sword with Protect and charged at Luo Jiujiu as a fireball, but she stopped him with Protect and absorbed the impact.
• Luo Jiujiu and Doublade used Double Team to surround Charizard and Song Yongjian, who called for Protect as sword strikes closed in from every direction.

Luo Jiujiu and Wangchen won their matches, and Ye Qing advised Luo Jiujiu to let her Doublade remain unevolved if that suited them both. Elsewhere, Wang Yao examined a defective Dark Ball he had stolen from Team R, while Jiang Zhe began a battle with his powerful Slowking.

• Luo Jiujiu defeated Song Yongjian and Charizard, though she sprained her wrist in the fight.
• Wangchen used King's Shield, Magnet Rise, and Sacred Sword to defeat a burly man's Mamoswine.
• Ye Qing suggested that Luo Jiujiu equip Doublade with an Eviolite and Everstone instead of evolving it, and Wangchen encouraged her to let her Pokémon choose its form.
• Wang Yao inspected the defective Dark Ball he had stolen from Team R and wondered how Meng Wutong was doing.
• Jiang Zhe entered his match with Slowking, whose psychic barrier stopped his opponent's attacks.

Ye Qing defeated Li Xiangning in the knockout round after Li Xiangning forced his badly injured Empoleon to battle. Ye Qing advanced to the Top Eight as medical staff rushed to treat Empoleon, while Luo Moyun received a call from Team R.

• Yuan Wei told Jiang Zimo that Giovanni had assigned him to capture Wang Yao, then left Jiang Zimo in the Antarctic blizzard.
• Ye Qing prepared to face Li Xiangning, whose Empoleon was still badly injured from an earlier match.
• Ye Qing urged Li Xiangning to surrender, but Li Xiangning refused and ordered Empoleon to use Aqua Ring.
• Garchomp charged into Empoleon, knocking him unconscious, and Ye Qing was declared the winner as the medical team moved in.
• Cynthia criticized the tournament screening for allowing Li Xiangning into the Top Eight, while Ye Qing grieved for Empoleon.
• Luo Moyun received a call on his phone reserved for contact with Team R.

Luo Moyun agreed to help Yuan Wei enter Dragon Country in exchange for Yuan Wei hunting Wang Yao, who had stolen a Dark Ball. At the tournament, Ye Qing faced Zhao Yunxiong’s Totem Gyarados for a place in the main competition, and their battle continued with Gyarados preparing to use Dragon Dance.

• Yuan Wei told Luo Moyun that Wang Yao had escaped with a Dark Ball and offered to handle the hunt if Luo helped him enter Dragon Country.
• Luo Moyun agreed to arrange Yuan Wei’s entry and asked him to deal with Wang Yao before he returned from preparing for the World Championship.
• Ye Qing entered his third elimination match against Zhao Yunxiong and his Level 53 Totem Gyarados, with a main-competition spot at stake.
• Ye Qing ordered Garchomp to create a Sandstorm, and Gyarados used Hydro Pump while Garchomp tried to attack from underground.
• Garchomp’s turning Draco Meteor struck Gyarados after the two Pokémon traded attacks, and Ye Qing then ordered Garchomp to use Dig.
• Zhao Yunxiong saw that Gyarados had time to use Dragon Dance before landing and gave the command.

Ye Qing used Garchomp’s Dig and Sand Tomb to turn the battlefield into quicksand and defeat Zhao Yunxiong’s Gyarados, securing a place in the main event. Zhao Yunxiong later won the fifth qualifying spot, while Luo Jiujiu, Jiang Zhe, and Wangchen also advanced.

• Zhao Yunxiong’s Gyarados used Surf and Icy Wind to try to trap Garchomp underground, but Ye Qing countered with Sand Tornado and Dragon Rush.
• Gyarados landed Ice Fang on Garchomp, but Garchomp broke free with Iron Tail and used Protect to block a second bite.
• Ye Qing had Garchomp dig tunnels as Gyarados flooded them with Hydro Pump, causing the battlefield to collapse into a vast quicksand trap.
• Garchomp attacked the trapped Gyarados until Zhao Yunxiong conceded, and Ye Qing secured a main-event spot.
• Luo Jiujiu, Jiang Zhe, and Wangchen advanced, and Zhao Yunxiong later won the fifth spot.

After qualifying for the World Cup, Ye Qing and the other nine Dragon Country competitors trained together before traveling to Japan's Champion Island. As they arrived at the Athlete Village, Wang Yao prepared to deal with his own affairs while Team R sent Li Hu to kill him.

• Ye Qing qualified for the World Cup main event, and Wang Yao decided it was time to handle his own business and promised Luo Moyun a surprise.
• In Antarctica, Jiang Zimo ordered Li Hu to travel to Dragon Country and kill Wang Yao, giving him one day to rest before departure.
• The Dragon Tamer told the ten competitors that their World Cup results would help determine which countries gained access to valuable islands and resources.
• The competitors practiced together, but Luo Moyun and Ye Qing's rivalry forced the Dragon Tamer to split them into separate teams.
• Ye Qing and the other competitors flew to Champion Island, where the Dragon Tamer led them to Dragon Country's section of the Athlete Village.

Ye Qing prepared his Pokémon for the World Cup and reflected on gaining enough strength and influence to help Wang Yao if his identity were exposed. Williams, the American National Team captain, visited and proposed trading his Garchomp Mega Stone for Ye Qing’s Salamence Mega Stone after the tournament.

• Ye Qing gathered his nine Pokémon, urged them to prepare for the World Cup, and told Gengar to get enough rest.
• Ye Qing decided to focus on becoming stronger and more influential so he could defend Wang Yao if necessary.
• Williams introduced himself as the American National Team captain and said he had heard of Ye Qing through the Sky Gym Leader.
• Williams revealed that he had a Garchomp Mega Stone and proposed trading it for Ye Qing’s Salamence Mega Stone.
• Ye Qing agreed to make the trade at the awards ceremony after the tournament.

Ye Qing met with Morikawa Minako, who urged him not to hold back in the World Cup and warned him about Mizuno Jeff. After Jeff silently visited Ye Qing, another visitor knocked at the gate, leaving Ye Qing furious as he went to answer.

• Ye Qing welcomed Morikawa Minako and saw Blaziken challenge him to let Infernape out, but Minako recalled Blaziken.
• Ye Qing declined Su Yiqin's invitation to eat and spoke with Minako about the World Cup and its prizes.
• Minako warned Ye Qing that Mizuno Jeff blamed him for her brother's death and might demand an explanation.
• After Minako left, Mizuno Jeff arrived at Ye Qing's gate, stared at him for several minutes, and departed without speaking.
• Ye Qing prepared to go buy food, but another knock came, and he angrily flung open the gate.

Ye Qing joined the other National Team members for the Arceus Cup opening ceremony and learned the main-event rules. The Dragon Tamer chose Ye Qing as captain over Luo Moyun, then began assigning the competitors to squads.

• Su Yiqin brought Ye Qing takeout, and he later visited the Glory Stele with Gardevoir.
• Ye Qing and the team entered the World Cup venue as spectators watched the national teams arrive.
• The host explained that teams would compete in 3v3 matches and that captains would fight in triple battles for bonus points, with only the top seven teams advancing.
• Ye Qing and Luo Moyun both sought the captaincy, while Jiang Zhe and the other competitors held back.
• The Dragon Tamer appointed Ye Qing captain and assigned Luo Moyun to lead a squad, then started dividing the team into squads.

The Dragon Tamer divided Dragon Country’s nine contestants into three squads, and the first two rounds of the competition began. After Zhao Ling’s squad drew once, Luo Moyun’s squad swept both matches and Zhao Yunxiong’s squad earned three points, leaving Dragon Country in twenty-seventh place with ten points and three rounds remaining.

• The Dragon Tamer assigned Luo Moyun, Jiang Zhe, and Wangchen to the first squad; Zhao Yunxiong, Li Zifan, and Long Zinuo to the second; and Wu Zhaoling, Luo Jiujiu, and Su Yiqin to the third.
• Meloetta sang as the battle platforms rose, and the contestants drew lots while Ye Qing watched from the stands.
• Zhao Ling’s squad faced Egypt’s team, lost control of the match, and used Gengar’s Perish Song to force a draw with zero points for both sides.
• Luo Moyun’s squad swept America’s third team for three points, while Zhao Yunxiong’s squad earned two points against Eagle Country’s third team.
• In the second round, Zhao Ling’s squad earned one point, Luo Moyun’s squad swept again for three, and Zhao Yunxiong’s squad earned one point against Eagle Country’s second team.
• Dragon Country reached ten points and ranked twenty-seventh after two rounds, with three rounds still to go.

Luo Moyun’s team faced America’s second team in a crucial match, and both sides Mega Evolved their Pokémon. The battle between Mega Charizard X and Mega Aggron remained unresolved as the teams clashed across Battle Ring Six.

• Luo Moyun, Wangchen, and Jiang Zhe entered the match needing points to secure Dragon Country’s place in the finals.
• Luo Moyun Mega Evolved Charizard as the match began, revealing the competition’s first Mega-Evolved Pokémon.
• The bald captain of America’s second team Mega Evolved Aggron in response.
• Gardevoir built up Calm Mind while Lucario covered her, and Gardevoir struck at Braviary with Stored Power.
• Mega Aggron bombarded Mega Charizard X with rocks, and Charizard fought back with Dragon Claw as the decisive clash continued.

Jiang Zhe revealed Lucario’s Brilliant Stone and Mega Evolved him, turning the Dragon Country team’s near defeat into a victory. The team rose to seventh place with 32 points, but Ye Qing watched Japan’s ongoing match as their ranking remained uncertain.

• Mega Aggron overpowered Luo Moyun’s Mega Charizard X, while Gardevoir and Lucario failed to stop his advance.
• As Mega Aggron prepared to attack, Jiang Zhe threw Lucario a Brilliant Stone and began his Mega Evolution.
• Wangchen ordered Gardevoir to shield the evolving Lucario and Mega Charizard X from the Americans’ combined attacks, and Gardevoir fell unconscious.
• Mega Lucario finished evolving, caught Gardevoir, knocked down Mega Aggron and Braviary, and survived Magnezone’s Explosion as the only Pokémon left standing.
• Dragon Country gained one point to reach 32 and seventh place, while Ye Qing watched Morikawa Minako’s match because Japan was only one point behind.

Japan’s Mega Blaziken secured a clean sweep and lifted the team to sixth, while Dragon Country fell to eighth and needed Ye Qing to win the next day’s captain battles to reach the finals. Ye Qing suspected Jiang Zhe’s Lucario Mega Stone might be the one stolen from the Pokémon League, then went to a dinner arranged by his family and the Zhang Family.

• Morikawa Minako Mega-Evolved Blaziken, which defeated all three opponents in under a minute and moved Japan into sixth place as the first stage ended.
• Li Zifan questioned Jiang Zhe for withholding his Mega-Evolution, while Ye Qing defended him and privately suspected Jiang Zhe’s Lucario Mega Stone was stolen from the Pokémon League.
• The Dragon Tamer and Zhao Ling explained that Dragon Country was eighth and needed Ye Qing to perform well in the upcoming captain battles; Ye Qing promised to give it everything he had.
• Ye Mom arranged for Ye Qing to dine with the Zhang Family, and Zhao Ziran asked her to bring him so he could meet Zhang Siyu’s family.
• Ye Qing noticed Mizuno Jeff watching him beneath a streetlight, then continued to the restaurant, where Old Master Zhang welcomed him to dinner.