Chapter Summaries

Ye Qing stopped in Jinxi Forest to train his Pokémon before continuing toward Jushi City, where he planned to challenge the Rock-type Gym. After lunch, he assigned Monferno, Ralts, and Lairon training tasks while Milotic kept watch.

• Ye Qing gave Aggron healing spray, then led his group toward Jushi City and recalled Lairon when he could not keep up.
• Ye Qing found a quiet stream in Jinxi Forest and brought out Milotic and Lairon to rest with the others.
• Ye Qing announced that the group would train there for a day before resuming their journey to meet Aggron.
• Lairon learned from Monferno about Ye Qing's kindness and grew more impressed with his Trainer.
• Ye Qing assigned Monferno to practice Flamethrower Counter Shield and Focus Punch, Ralts to push stream water upstream with Confusion, and Lairon to work on his existing moves while Milotic kept watch.

Ye Qing put his Pokémon through strenuous special training by the stream, then faced a territorial Pangoro gang that challenged his group. Monferno fought Pangoro while Ye Qing let him battle independently, and the outcome remained undecided.

• Ye Qing trained Lairon to charge fearlessly into the stream, while Monferno practiced Focus Punch and Ralts pushed against a Confusion wall in the current.
• Ye Qing ended training at sunset, treated Monferno's swollen fists, and praised the exhausted Pokémon.
• Ralts noticed a group of Pokémon emerging from the forest, led by Pangoro, who demanded that Ye Qing and his Pokémon leave by jumping into the stream.
• Monferno stepped forward to challenge Pangoro, and Ye Qing instructed him to use Quick Guard as Pangoro attacked with Arm Thrust.
• Monferno countered with Mach Punch and Flame Wheel, clashing with Pangoro's Bullet Punch and Karate Chop as Ye Qing watched without directing his moves.

Monferno defeated Pangoro with Focus Punch and reached level 28, while Ralts and Lairon drove off Pangoro’s underlings. As Ye Qing searched for a place to spend the night, he discovered a Pokémon Hunter operation and suspected it might lead him to the Pokémon Hunter who had killed Ralts’s family.

• Monferno exploited Pangoro’s weak lower body, then used Focus Punch to knock him down and break through to level 28.
• Scraggy, Pancham, Nidorino, and the other underlings charged at Ye Qing’s Pokémon, but Ralts and Lairon quickly sent them sprawling.
• Ye Qing recalled Lairon, Milotic, and Monferno before continuing through the dark forest with Ralts on his shoulder.
• Ralts warned Ye Qing of machinery ahead, and he crept through the vines to find a clearing with a transport plane bearing a J-shaped emblem and a cage full of Pokémon.
• Ye Qing recognized the operation as the work of Pokémon Hunters and connected it to his search for the hunter who had killed Ralts’s family.

Ye Qing and Ralts intervened when Pokémon Hunters captured wild Pokémon, rescuing the caged Pokémon and joining a silver-haired Trainer’s fight against the poachers. The battle continued as Milotic clashed with a level 37 Skarmory in the rain.

• Ye Qing and Ralts watched three Pokémon Hunters capture wild Pokémon, but a silver-haired boy appeared and challenged the criminals.
• The boy summoned Snorlax, whose Earthquake devastated the area and left the Hunters’ Houndoom badly injured.
• While the Hunters attacked the boy, Ye Qing and Ralts teleported the caged Pokémon to safety, though the effort exhausted Ralts.
• Ye Qing sent Milotic, Monferno, and Lairon to help the silver-haired boy, while one Hunter rode Skarmory to attack him.
• Milotic used Rain Dance and fought Skarmory, knocking him back with Aqua Tail before their Hydro Pump and Swift attacks collided.

Ye Qing and Zhao Ling defeated Pokémon Hunters who had been capturing Pokémon, then Zhao Ling took charge of the transport plane while Ye Qing left to rest with his Pokémon. The next morning, Ye Qing woke to find Lairon still sleeping and Monferno exhausted from a sleepless night.

• Ye Qing and Milotic defeated Skarmory and Houndoom, while Dusclops helped disable Skarmory.
• Ye Qing and Zhao Ling stopped the fleeing Pokémon Hunters, but one man was engulfed by Monferno’s Flamethrower as Ralts restrained Fearow.
• The rescued Pokémon thanked Ye Qing and Zhao Ling, who gave his name as Zhao Ling and warned Ye Qing that cameras on the transport plane had likely recorded him.
• Zhao Ling stayed behind to handle the transport plane, while Ye Qing left and camped with his Pokémon.
• Ye Qing woke the next morning to find Monferno tired and Lairon still fast asleep.

Ye Qing learned that Lairon’s potential had been overdrawn and that he needed rare metals, ores, and Advanced Pokéblocks to recover. He considered trading information about Legendary Pokémon to obtain supplies and asked his grandfather to negotiate with researchers on his behalf.

• Ye Qing left Jinxi Forest with Ralts and asked Wang Yao to collect Aggron and take her to his house.
• At the Pokémon Center, Ye Qing had Lairon examined and learned that Lairon’s foundation was unstable from overdrawn potential.
• Ye Qing considered obtaining Advanced Pokéblocks by sharing information about the ice dragon and the DNA Splicers, and thought about asking the Clefairy on Black Rock Mountain for meteorite.
• Ye Qing called his grandfather to find researchers interested in Legendary Pokémon, and his grandfather offered to negotiate after asking what Ye Qing wanted.

After negotiating with the Old Master over a reward for the DNA Splicers, Ye Qing rested and prepared to challenge the Rock-type Gym. A Dragonite delivered him a letter at the Gym entrance, and Ye Qing opened it privately in a restroom stall.

• Ye Qing asked the Old Master for five years of Advanced Pokéblocks tailored to six Pokémon, and the Old Master agreed to put the request to the higher-ups.
• Ye Qing checked the Rock-type Gym’s roster and decided to give his other Pokémon a chance to train instead of relying on Milotic.
• Monferno watched a movie about Lucario all night and pleaded with Ye Qing afterward, but Ye Qing refused his proposal because Monferno could not write.
• Ye Qing headed to the Rock-type Gym, where a Dragonite identified him from a photograph and delivered him a letter.
• Ye Qing went into an empty restroom stall and opened the letter away from the watching crowd.

Ye Qing received an invitation to a party on New Island, then challenged the Rock-type Gym, where acting Gym Leader Zhang Jialei sent out Rhyhorn. Monferno agreed to battle after Ye Qing promised to consider his request if he defeated all three Pokémon, and the match began with both sides attacking.

• Ye Qing opened a projected invitation asking young Trainers to attend Mewtwo’s party on New Island in two months.
• Ye Qing arrived at the Rock-type Gym and learned that Zhang Jialei was serving as acting Gym Leader while the regular Leader dug for rocks.
• The referee confirmed Ye Qing was a novice Trainer, and Zhang Jialei chose his level 32 Rhyhorn as his first Pokémon.
• Monferno initially refused to fight, but Ye Qing promised to consider his request if he swept all three opponents, prompting Monferno to prepare for battle.
• Monferno used Fake Out and Double Team to evade Rhyhorn’s Drill Run, then Ye Qing ordered Flamethrower as Rhyhorn began Bulldoze.

Ye Qing’s Monferno defeated Zhang Jialei’s Rhyhorn and battled his Golem, using Encore to interrupt Rollout before landing a powerful Low Kick. The fight remained unresolved as Ye Qing tried to help Monferno master Focus Punch, while Zhang Jialei chose to battle fairly as a Gym Leader.

• Monferno dodged Rhyhorn’s Drill Run and defeated him with Low Kick and Mach Punch.
• Zhang Jialei sent out his Level 35 Golem, and Monferno blocked its Mega Punch with Quick Guard before being knocked back by the blow’s force.
• Monferno’s Focus Punch failed to activate, and Golem struck him with Mega Punch and used Defense Curl.
• Ye Qing used Encore to force Golem to repeat Defense Curl, preventing Rollout from activating.
• Monferno knocked Golem down with Low Kick, and Ye Qing ordered another Focus Punch attempt.
• Zhang Jialei realized Monferno had not mastered Focus Punch, but continued the battle fairly rather than using Double Team to disrupt him.

Ye Qing’s Monferno endured Golem’s Self-Destruct and won the Gym battle, after which Zhang Jialei offered a harder challenge with his partner Solrock. Solrock overwhelmed Monferno, and Ye Qing sent out his other Pokémon as Monferno struggled to keep fighting.

• Zhang Jialei ordered Golem to use Self-Destruct, and Monferno protected itself behind Protect while the blast devastated the Rock Terrain.
• The referee declared Golem unable to battle, and Zhang Jialei invited Ye Qing to face a harder challenge.
• Zhang Jialei sent out his level 36 partner Solrock, and Ye Qing realized Jushi City’s meteorites might be what he had been searching for.
• Ye Qing let Monferno battle independently, but Solrock detected the real Monferno among its Double Team copies and struck it with Psychic.
• Monferno charged with Flame Wheel, but Solrock’s Flare Blitz overpowered it and sent it crashing into a rock.
• Ye Qing sent out his other three Pokémon as Monferno panted from the impact.

Ye Qing’s Monferno defeated Zhang Jialei’s Solrock after activating Blaze and unleashing a powerful counterattack, earning Ye Qing his first Boulder Badge. Zhang Gang then welcomed Ye Qing to Jushi City and hinted that influential people were watching him, while Ye Qing later opened the Badge box at his hotel.

• Monferno broke through Solrock’s Confusion defenses, awakened Blaze, and overwhelmed Solrock with a series of attacks.
• The referee declared Monferno the winner, and Ye Qing caught him as he collapsed before accepting the Boulder Badge from Zhang Jialei.
• Zhang Gang entered the battle hall, praised Zhang Jialei, and told Ye Qing that higher-ups were paying close attention to him.
• Ye Qing took Monferno to a Pokémon Center for treatment, then opened the Badge box at the hotel and saw a metal Badge shaped like a brown mountain.

Ye Qing tested a badge that carried a Legendary Pokémon’s aura, then met Professor Qian to exchange information about the Tao Trio for Pokéblocks and Meteoric Iron. After Professor Qian left, Ye Qing decided to explore Jushi City’s unusual stones and fossils before heading to the next Gym.

• Ye Qing showed the badge to his Pokémon, whose reactions confirmed that it carried an oppressive Legendary Pokémon aura.
• Ye Qing spoke with his grandfather and requested three months of Pokéblocks for Lairon, Monferno, and Milotic.
• Professor Qian visited Ye Qing, bringing Pokéblocks and six pieces of Meteoric Iron as a personal gift.
• Ye Qing told Professor Qian more about the Tao Trio, including Kyurem’s Ice- and Dragon-type nature and fierce temperament, but kept the secret of the DNA Splicers to himself.
• Professor Qian told Ye Qing that his graduation paperwork was ready, then left with his notes.
• Ye Qing decided to search Jushi City for unusual stones and fossils before traveling to the next Gym.

Ye Qing took Monferno to the Twin Fossil Mountains and promised to let him catch one Pokémon if he found a fossil containing one. They began searching the crowded mountain, where Pokémon fossils were rare and revivals often failed.

• Ye Qing gave Lairon a golden Pokéblock and a piece of meteoric iron, then recalled him.
• Monferno reminded Ye Qing of his promise to let him catch a Pokémon, and Ye Qing agreed on the condition that Monferno found one himself.
• Ye Qing took Monferno to the taller of the Twin Fossil Mountains, where crowds searched for fossils amid wild Pokémon.
• Ye Qing explained that Monferno could catch a Pokémon if he dug up a fossil containing one, and told him Fossil Pokémon were rare and difficult to revive.

Ye Qing took Monferno to a barren mountain to search for Pokémon fossils, while Wang Yao set out to retrieve Aggron from Jinxi Forest. Wang Yao reached Villa No. 6 with Aggron and a container truck, where Ye Mom opened the gate.

• Ye Qing let Lairon out to help Monferno find fossils, and Lairon tested rocks while Monferno followed him through the afternoon.
• Wang Yao rode Rapidash through Shanhai City, leaped over a Mercedes, and was stopped by a Security Officer who fined him for showing off.
• Wang Yao reached Jinxi Forest and used Rapidash's Flamethrower to summon Aggron, whose Pokédex reading showed level 47.
• Wang Yao arranged a cargo truck for Aggron and rode back to Villa No. 6 with her.
• Ye Mom opened the villa gate and saw Wang Yao, Rapidash, and the container truck outside.

Wang Yao brought Aggron home, while Ye Qing stayed at the mountain as Monferno searched for a fossil and Ralts trained until it neared evolution. The chapter ended when Li Feng and his girlfriend demanded Ye Qing leave their chosen spot, then recognized his Ralts.

• Wang Yao brought Aggron to Ye Qing’s home, where Ye Mom welcomed her and Wang Yao reassured Gardevoir that she was safe.
• Ye Qing told Ye Mom to treat Aggron normally and try to win her over, while Lairon rested after eating too much.
• Ye Qing stayed at the mountain as Monferno and Lairon continued digging, and Ralts reached level nineteen after practicing Calm Mind.
• Ye Qing sent Ralts to deliver a Pokéblock to Monferno, but Ralts sensed hostile feelings from a man and a woman approaching with Prinplup.
• Li Feng demanded that Ye Qing give up the spot for his girlfriend, then his girlfriend noticed Ralts and Li Feng realized its Trainer might not be ordinary.

Ye Qing challenged Li Feng to raise the stakes for the fossil-digging spot, then accepted a one-million wager and sent Ralts against Li Feng’s Larvitar. Ralts used Misty Terrain to conceal the battlefield, and Ye Qing ordered Encore as Larvitar began Sandstorm.

• Ye Qing refused Li Feng’s initial challenge terms and demanded a higher stake for the spot he had claimed first.
• Li Feng offered one million if he lost, and Ye Qing accepted the wager.
• Li Feng sent out his level-18 Larvitar, a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, while Ye Qing chose Ralts to battle him.
• Larvitar used Rock Slide, but Ralts’s Double Team left him striking copies instead of the real Pokémon.
• Ralts created Misty Terrain, Li Feng ordered Larvitar to use Sandstorm, and Ye Qing responded with Encore.

Larvitar and Ralts battled while Larvitar’s Sandstorm and attacks were countered by Ralts’s powerful Psychic moves and Teleport. Under pressure, Ralts evolved into Kirlia, who then attacked Larvitar with Magical Leaf.

• Larvitar summoned a Sandstorm, but Ralts repeatedly struck him with Confusion while he tried to dodge.
• Li Feng had Larvitar use Chip Away and Rock Slide, while Ye Qing countered with Teleport and Protect.
• As the Sandstorm faded, Larvitar landed Dark Pulse on Ralts and tried to hit her with Rock Slide, but she slowed the rock with Confusion.
• Ralts’s power surged, and she evolved into a level 20 shiny Kirlia.
• Ye Qing ordered Kirlia to use Magical Leaf against Larvitar.

Ye Qing defeated Li Feng, collected the promised million Pokémon Coins, and spent the night at the fossil site while Monferno kept digging. As Ye Qing was woken by Monferno’s excited discovery, Monferno presented him with a large rock.

• Kirlia’s Magical Leaf defeated Li Feng’s Larvitar after Larvitar’s Protect failed, and Li Feng accepted his loss and paid Ye Qing.
• Ye Qing added Li Feng as a friend and received the transfer, then told him he was in the area to challenge the Gym.
• Monferno persuaded Kirlia to help him dig for fossils while Ye Qing chatted with Li Feng.
• Li Feng had a lackey watch Ye Qing’s camp, and he planned to send people to dig in shifts after Ye Qing left.
• Monferno ripped open Ye Qing’s tent and excitedly showed him a rock the size of a washbasin.

Ye Qing discovered amber containing the remains of an ancient Pokémon after Monferno shattered a damaged Kabuto fossil. Professor Qian directed him to researcher Jin Yan on Coral Island to have it revived, and Ye Qing began arranging a Poké Ball for Monferno.

• Monferno broke the damaged Kabuto fossil, revealing amber with an ancient Pokémon’s claw inside.
• Ye Qing suspected the amber might contain Aerodactyl or another prehistoric Pokémon and praised Monferno for finding it.
• Ye Qing called Professor Qian, who told him to take the amber to Jin Yan on Coral Island for revival.
• Monferno clutched the amber, while Ye Qing messaged his grandfather about finding someone to make a Poké Ball.
• Ye Qing and his exhausted Pokémon returned to the hotel, where he searched for people who owned ancient Pokémon.

Ye Qing traveled to Caiyun City to meet Master Sun about having a private Poké Ball made. Master Sun agreed to make one for a hundred thousand, while Li Feng’s group began looking for Ye Qing.

• Ye Qing’s grandfather gave him Master Sun’s address and told him to say that he had been referred by Zhao.
• Ye Qing rented a Pidgeot to reach Caiyun City, then went to Master Sun’s craft studio with Monferno’s amber.
• Ye Qing waited for more than two hours before Master Sun woke and greeted him.
• Li Feng told his group to find out where Ye Qing was before deciding how to recruit him.
• Master Sun agreed to make Ye Qing a Poké Ball for a hundred thousand.