Chapter Summaries

Chen Shi explained the League’s corruption to Steven and urged him to become Champion and reform it. The two planned a raid on Team Magma’s base, where Drakloak secretly stole a pile of stones for Chen Shi.

• Chen Shi had Swampert carry Yoshino and his companion away, then told Steven how the League had cheated Yuko out of her promised Pokémon and compensation.
• Chen Shi warned Steven about Team Magma and Team Aqua and urged him to become Champion to clean up the League.
• Chen Shi and Steven decided to raid Team Magma’s base for the strange stones, despite the presence of executive Firetree.
• Drakloak turned invisible and scouted the base, judging Firetree’s Pokémon too strong to fight directly.
• Drakloak packed the stones Team Magma had dismissed as useless into a Space Backpack and left without Firetree noticing.

Chen Shi and Steven recovered three Mega Stones from Team Magma’s digging site and agreed that Steven would later help revive a Fossil Pokémon. They met Ada, a Draconid searching for five missing Bagon, and set out with him for the Team Magma base.

• Drakloak returned with a backpack of stones and reported that Firetree had five Bagon and several powerful Pokémon.
• Chen Shi found Mega Stones for Garchomp, Venusaur, and Glalie, then gave Steven the other stones in exchange for help reviving a Fossil Pokémon.
• Drakloak noticed someone hiding behind a boulder, and Chen Shi and Steven confronted Ada, a Draconid.
• Chen Shi told Ada that Firetree had the missing Bagon and warned that he was a powerful Senior Elite King.
• Ada said he could handle Firetree, and Chen Shi and Steven agreed to take him to the Team Magma base.

Ada, Chen Shi, and Steven raided the Team Magma Base and recovered five stolen Bagon after defeating Firetree and his Pokémon. Ada invited Chen Shi and Steven to his village, and they followed him toward the depths of Meteor Falls with Firetree as their prisoner.

• Chen Shi led Ada and Steven into the Team Magma Base, where Firetree denied stealing the five dragon hatchlings and sent out six Pokémon.
• Ada's Hydreigon, Altaria, and Flygon overwhelmed Firetree's Pokémon, while Drakloak and Steven's Metagross stopped Camerupt from triggering an Earthquake that could collapse the cave.
• Drakloak used Phantom Force to knock Firetree unconscious and bring him back, and Steven and Chen Shi found five Poké Balls containing Bagon in Firetree's backpack.
• Ada reunited with the five Bagon and thanked Chen Shi and Steven for helping him recover them.
• Ada decided to take Firetree to the Grandmother-in-Chief and invited Chen Shi and Steven to visit his village, then led them deeper into Meteor Falls.

Ada brought Chen Shi and Steven to the secluded Draconid village, where Granny asked to meet them and requested their help. She began by asking whether they knew about the disaster from a thousand years ago.

• Ada told Chen Shi and Steven that the Draconids worshipped a Dragon God said to live in the ozone layer and to have stopped a disaster a thousand years earlier.
• Ada led Chen Shi and Steven through a gorge to the hidden village, where they flew in on Altaria and Flygon as she rode Hydreigon.
• Zinnia met the group at the village entrance and said Granny wanted to welcome the guests personally.
• Ada and Zinnia brought Chen Shi and Steven to Granny’s cabin, where Granny thanked them for helping recover five missing dragon youngsters.
• Granny told Chen Shi and Steven that she had invited them because she wanted their help, then asked whether they knew about the disaster a thousand years ago.

The Grandmother-in-Chief told Chen Shi and Steven that an ancient prophecy foretold another disaster and a hero who would awaken the Dragon God. She believed Chen Shi was that hero because he shared the Dragon God's power and had rescued five dragon hatchlings, but Chen Shi tried to nominate Steven instead.

• The Grandmother-in-Chief recounted how a thousand years earlier two terrifying beasts fought until an ancestor summoned the Dragon God to stop the disaster.
• The Grandmother-in-Chief revealed a prophecy that the disaster would return a thousand years later and a hero would awaken the Dragon God.
• Chen Shi asked whether they were expected to find the hero, and the Grandmother-in-Chief suggested that he could be the one.
• Chen Shi denied being a hero and pointed to Steven as a stronger, more righteous candidate.
• The Grandmother-in-Chief said Chen Shi had power similar to the Dragon God's and that rescuing the five dragon hatchlings was no coincidence.
• Chen Shi offered to teach Steven the power so Steven could become the hero, leaving Steven, the Grandmother-in-Chief, and Zinnia astonished.

Chen Shi and Steven chose treasures from the Draconids’ cellar, where Chen Shi found the Metagross Mega Stone he had been seeking. After they agreed to return if the ancient disaster struck again, the Grandmother-in-Chief explained her choices to Zinnia and urged her to explore the world.

• The Grandmother-in-Chief offered Chen Shi and Steven two items each from the Draconids’ treasury in exchange for teaching their power, if possible.
• Chen Shi and Steven searched the cellar’s stones and found more than twenty Mega Stones and eight Key Stones.
• Chen Shi chose a Metagross Mega Stone and an Outrage scale from a Champion Peak Salamence, while he and Steven also selected three stones.
• The Grandmother-in-Chief asked Chen Shi and Steven to return if the thousand-year-old disaster came again, and they agreed before leaving with Ada.
• Zinnia questioned the Grandmother-in-Chief about the pair and their power, and the old woman warned her not to judge by appearances or demand secrets.
• The Grandmother-in-Chief urged Zinnia to leave the village and see the world, and Zinnia agreed.

Chen Shi and Steven met the penniless Pheobe outside Lavaridge Town after Steven’s people had scammed her on Chen Shi’s orders. Chen Shi fed her and gave her a Dreepy fossil, and the chapter left Pheobe discovering she needed money to attend the Elite King Exhibition Match.

• Steven and Chen Shi arrived near Lavaridge Town and heard Pheobe calling for Chen Shi.
• Pheobe told Chen Shi that scammers had taken her money and beaten her, while Steven realized his people had carried out Chen Shi’s plan.
• Chen Shi took Pheobe to a hotel, bought her a meal, and argued privately with Steven over their shared responsibility for the scam.
• Chen Shi gave Pheobe a Dreepy fossil and explained that Steven could revive it once the Revival Machine was repaired.
• Pheobe said she had come to see the Elite King Exhibition Match, then learned she needed money to buy a ticket.

While soaking in Lavaridge Town’s hot springs, Chen Shi explained to Steven that the rare stones they had found were tied to a powerful, temporary transformation and had to be kept secret. He encouraged Steven to collect them discreetly and hinted that Mawile was a good choice, leaving Steven ready to search for one while Pheobe agreed to focus on Haunter.

• Chen Shi refused to teach Steven about the power yet, saying they should wait until they were stronger.
• Chen Shi told Steven to secretly collect the rare stones and keep their importance confidential.
• Steven guessed the stones were connected to the Dragon God’s power, and Chen Shi confirmed that they enabled a temporary transformation that could last through a battle.
• Chen Shi hinted that Steven should seek a Mawile, and Steven said he would look for a suitable one when he returned.
• Pheobe asked whether she should catch a Mawile, but Chen Shi told her to focus on raising Haunter.

Cynthia found Chen Shi at Steven’s private hot spring, where she teased him about his indecisiveness and introduced Togepi, Togetic’s newly hatched daughter. Cynthia and her Pokémon reunited with Chen Shi and met Steven and Pheobe.

• A staff member told Chen Shi and Steven that a woman named Cynthia had come to see them, and Chen Shi asked for her to be let in.
• Cynthia joined the hot spring and confronted Chen Shi about calling her “Severe Indecisiveness” on the Researcher Forum.
• Cynthia revealed that Togepi had hatched, and Togetic reacted with shock before smacking Chen Shi on the head.
• Chen Shi introduced Cynthia to Steven and Pheobe, and Steven complimented her beauty by comparing it to a Shiny Stone.
• Cynthia released Garchomp, Lucario, Milotic, Glaceon, and Spiritomb, and Glaceon happily jumped into Chen Shi’s arms for a massage.

Chen Shi revealed that he was the researcher Severe Indecisiveness and gave Cynthia three gifts containing unusual stones. Lucario and Garchomp sensed something significant about two of the stones, and Cynthia suspected they were connected to them.

• Steven asked whether Severe Indecisiveness was the researcher behind recent Pokémon findings, and Chen Shi admitted that he was.
• Chen Shi told Steven that Scyther had another Bug- and Steel-type evolved form, while Pheobe said she had caught a Scyther for him and agreed to look for Sneasel.
• Chen Shi gave Togepi a specially formulated Fairy-type Pokéblock, which Cynthia recognized as unusual.
• Chen Shi gave Cynthia three boxes: one held lipstick with a rainbow-marked stone, and the others held stones that drew Lucario's and Garchomp's attention.
• Cynthia closed the boxes after noticing both Pokémon react and thanked Chen Shi, saying she liked the gifts.

Chen Shi and his companions attended the Elite King Exhibition Match, where the League had seated several prominent young talents together. They realized the gathering was likely arranged to help future regional leaders meet, and Pheobe was introduced to the group.

• Chen Shi, Pheobe, Cynthia, and Steven headed to the Lavaridge Gym and discussed the crowd and the purpose of Sidney and Mura's exhibition match.
• Chen Shi spotted a red-haired Silver Academy prodigy who specialized in Ice-types, and she exchanged a brief nod with the group.
• The four found Lorelei and Lance seated beside them, prompting Chen Shi to point out that their gathering of notable young people was unlikely to be a coincidence.
• Steven, Cynthia, Chen Shi, Lorelei, and Lance introduced themselves, and Lance suggested the League had deliberately arranged their seats.
• Chen Shi introduced Pheobe as an heir to the tradition of Mt. Pyre, and Lorelei and Lance committed her name to memory.

Chen Shi watched the scripted exhibition match between Sidney and Mura, correctly predicting its staged results. After it ended in a draw, Lance invited Chen Shi and the others to a meal, and they agreed to go with him and Lorelei.

• Sidney and Mura entered the arena and began a three-on-three exhibition match as Chen Shi told Pheobe it would likely end in a draw.
• Sidney sent out Incineroar, but Mura's Ninetales confused it and won the first round after losing most of its stamina.
• Sidney's Greninja defeated Ninetales and Blaziken before becoming unable to battle, taking down two of Mura's Pokémon.
• Sidney and Mura's final Pokémon fought for three hundred rounds before both became unable to battle, ending the match in a draw.
• Lance invited Chen Shi and the others to a meal, Lorelei joined the invitation, and Steven agreed to go.

Chen Shi and the other young Trainers discussed the Pokémon World Championships and their plans after leaving Lavaridge Town. As everyone departed, Cynthia asked Chen Shi if he had anything to say, and he gave her a stream of practical advice before they parted.

• Lance told the group that the Pokémon World Championships could affect how the League invested in promising Trainers, and Lorelei confirmed her headmaster had said the same.
• Steven planned to return to Meteor Falls, Lorelei to the academy, Cynthia to Sinnoh, and Chen Shi agreed to join Steven at Meteor Falls; Pheobe planned to travel.
• Lance said he would investigate reports of Team Magma at Meteor Falls, while Chen Shi and Steven realized their earlier report had likely led to his assignment.
• The group parted after agreeing to meet again at the Pokémon World Championships.
• Cynthia walked with Chen Shi through Lavaridge Town and asked if he had anything else to tell her, so he reminded her to care for Togepi and gave her advice about her belongings, training, and health.

Chen Shi questioned his habit of hiding his abilities and resolved to stop letting fear and overthinking define him after Steven reminded him he had friends who would support him. Nearly a month after the Elite King Exhibition Match, Chen Shi prepared to leave Meteor Falls while Steven stayed one more night to keep digging for stones.

• Chen Shi reflected on the confidence of Lance, Lorelei, Cynthia, and Steven, and worried that he had lost his own confidence and failed to fulfill his promise to his Pokémon.
• Steven explained that his family responsibilities limited the time he could spend on his interests, and told Chen Shi he did not need to hide his abilities because his family and friends would support him.
• Chen Shi felt reassured, touched his necklace and Poké Balls, and made a decision.
• On their twenty-fourth day in Meteor Falls, Steven showed Chen Shi a Heracross Mega Stone, the fifth Mega Stone he had found there.
• Chen Shi announced that he was leaving Meteor Falls, and Steven decided to leave the next day after checking one more spot he had been digging.

Chen Shi asked his grandparents to use their hidden treasure to help Salamence reach Champion level, promising that he and Drakloak could rely on their own opportunities. He revealed Giratina’s naturally shed reverse scale for Drakloak, then received a Dragon Blood Crystal that could help both Salamence and Garchomp reach Champion level.

• Chen Shi told his grandparents he planned to work with the Devon Corporation to search for Mega Stones, and they supported his decision.
• Chen Shi offered Salamence the reverse scale from a Champion Peak Salamence and urged his grandparents to use their hidden resource to help her reach Champion level.
• Chen Shi revealed Giratina’s naturally shed reverse scale, and Drakloak reacted eagerly to it.
• Grandpa Chen agreed to give Chen Shi the family’s treasure after seeing the Giratina scale, though he still thought it would have been better saved for Drakloak.
• Chen Shi opened the box and discovered a Dragon Blood Crystal made from a Top-grade Dragon Gem transformed by Rayquaza’s blood, a treasure capable of helping Salamence and Garchomp reach Champion level.

Chen Shi gave Salamence his reverse scale and the Dragon Blood Crystal so she could break through to Champion Level and better protect his family and farm. A terrifying aura erupted from the cave, leaving Chen Shi and his Pokémon shaken as Salamence’s breakthrough began.

• Chen Shi told Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen that he was going to Back Mountain to find Salamence, while his grandparents worried but agreed to support him.
• Chen Shi explained to Salamence that he needed her strength and offered her the reverse scale and the Dragon Blood Crystal, which Garchomp could also use.
• Salamence tried to give the Dragon Blood Crystal to Drakloak, but Chen Shi persuaded her to accept it by reminding her that he needed her to protect his family and farm.
• Salamence entered her cave with the treasures, while Chen Shi and Garchomp waited outside and discussed her reaching Champion Level.
• A powerful aura surged from the cave and immobilized Chen Shi, until Garchomp shielded him; Drakloak and the other Pokémon also appeared and struggled against the pressure.

Salamence broke through to early champion level, and Chen Shi brought the Dragon Blood Crystal she gave him to Garchomp. Back at home, he prepared his Pokémon for a major tournament in a little over a month and sent some of them to seek special training.

• Salamence reached level 80 and gave Chen Shi the faded Dragon Blood Crystal, which he passed to Garchomp before leaving the cave.
• Chen Shi reviewed his Pokémon’s progress at the family training grounds and said he planned to have Drakloak train before evolving and Charmeleon adjust to his new body.
• Chen Shi told his Pokémon about the upcoming tournament for talented trainers under twenty and urged them to train hard so they could compete against strong opponents such as Cynthia.
• Swampert went to ask his parents for special training, and Drakloak left to learn from his mentors.
• Leafeon chose to stay and train in the backyard, while Chen Shi promised Togetic two ice creams a day if she trained hard.

Chen Shi published three papers proposing new Pokémon evolutions, then used Professor Oak’s response to open a private discussion about friendship-based evolution. Oak invited him to visit his laboratory in Pallet Town, giving Chen Shi a chance to meet a powerful League figure.

• Chen Shi decided to publish research on Scyther, Poliwhirl, and Slowpoke, and asked Grandpa Chen to find him a Scyther and a Poliwhirl.
• Chen Shi stayed up writing three papers about Scyther evolving into Scizor, Poliwhirl evolving into Politoed, and Slowpoke evolving into Slowking.
• The three papers sparked discussion on the Researcher Forum, and Professor Oak praised Chen Shi’s Slowpoke hypothesis.
• Chen Shi messaged Professor Oak about Pokémon evolving through friendship, citing Riolu and his Togetic as examples.
• Professor Oak found Chen Shi’s idea interesting and invited him to discuss it in person at his laboratory in Pallet Town.

After sleeping through the day, Chen Shi told his grandparents he planned to travel to Professor Oak’s Laboratory in Pallet Town after Drakloak evolved and asked them to prepare resources for a serious Pokémon World Championships run. His grandparents agreed to support him, then teased him about his relationship with Pheobe, though Chen Shi insisted they were just friends.

• Togetic woke Chen Shi in the evening, and Gardevoir brought him dinner after he went downstairs.
• Chen Shi told Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen he planned to visit Professor Oak in Kanto and leave once Drakloak evolved; Grandma Chen insisted he take Salamence or Garchomp for safety.
• Chen Shi said he intended to compete seriously in the Pokémon World Championships, and Grandpa Chen promised to prepare resources for his Pokémon.
• Chen Shi told his grandparents that Pheobe had been scammed out of her money and gone hungry for two days, but he had given her a Dreepy fossil.
• Grandma Chen asked about Chen Shi’s relationship with Pheobe, and Chen Shi insisted they were just friends before heading upstairs to rest.
• Grandma Chen and Grandpa Chen privately agreed that Chen Shi and Pheobe had not admitted their feelings yet and decided not to push them.

Chen Shi brought his Pokémon to Salamence’s nest to witness Drakloak’s evolution, and Drakloak became a shiny Dragapult after absorbing gems and Giratina’s reverse scale. Chen Shi discovered Dragapult had Second-Class Deity potential and knew Shadow Force, while a pair of crimson eyes watched from a puddle and vanished unnoticed.

• Chen Shi gathered his Pokémon and went to Salamence’s nest, where Drakloak, Salamence, Garchomp, and Swampert awaited him.
• Chen Shi gave Drakloak a Recovery Potion, and Drakloak absorbed the Dragon Gems and Ghost Gems.
• Chen Shi tossed Drakloak Giratina’s reverse scale, and Drakloak evolved into a shiny Dragapult.
• Chen Shi checked Dragapult’s stats and discovered his Second-Class Deity potential and Shadow Force move.
• A pair of crimson eyes appeared in a distant puddle, watched Dragapult, and then vanished unnoticed.