Recaps

Su Han researched Fairy-type Pokémon and was drawn into a strange space filled with Unown after entering a private reading room. As Sara arrived to investigate, Mr. Zimanbo revealed that only Su Han had been pulled into the space.

• Su Han read a book by a French Fairy-type Elite Four member about training Fairy-type Pokémon and improving their sensitivity to Fairy energy.
• Su Han found a historical account of Diancie and entered a private reading room to study it.
• When Su Han pressed the light switch, the room plunged into darkness, and her Great Ball stopped responding.
• Unown appeared around Su Han, and an exclamation-mark-shaped Unown gathered the others to shine brightly.
• Mr. Zimanbo sensed the Unown's spatial disturbance, and Sara came to ask what had happened.
• Mr. Zimanbo told Sara that the space had unfolded and only a girl from China, Su Han, had been drawn inside.

The Unown overwhelmed Su Han with strange energy and gave her the ability to hear them before Sara and the little old man entered the room. When Su Han woke, her Aura resonated with Sara’s, revealing that she possessed Aura too.

• Sara and the little old man went upstairs to investigate the Unown and Su Han.
• The Unown surrounded Su Han with light, causing painful pressure that suddenly burst into blue ripples.
• Su Han heard the Unown speak and learned that they had given her a gift.
• The Unown sensed someone entering and vanished as Sara called Su Han awake.
• Su Han’s blue ripples resonated with Sara’s, and the little old man recognized that she had inherited Aura.

Sara took Su Han to the Quiet Room and taught her about Aura, explaining how to sense it and form an Aura Sphere. Meanwhile, Cheng Tian’s battle against Wen Xu’s Mimikyu left Lairon as his last Pokémon after the Mimikyu defeated four of his team.

• Sara recognized Su Han as an Aura wielder and took her somewhere private to explain their shared experience with the Unown.
• Sara explained that Aura had been passed down through Su Han’s family and that the Unown had only helped awaken it.
• In the Quiet Room, Sara demonstrated Aura-based communication and an Aura Sphere, then guided Su Han as she formed a small, unstable sphere of her own.
• Cheng Tian’s Florges, Gengar, Noibat, and Greninja were defeated by Wen Xu’s Mimikyu during their battle.
• Mimikyu’s attacks left Lairon badly wounded as Cheng Tian realized how thoroughly his team had been outmatched.

Wen Xu’s level 57 Mimikyu easily defeated Cheng Tian’s Lairon, and Cheng Tian agreed to play multiplayer games with her. When he returned to his hotel room, Su Han was still missing, so he went to play with Wen Xu while his Pokémon welcomed Teacher Gengar.

• Wen Xu’s Mimikyu crushed Cheng Tian’s Lairon in battle, forcing Cheng Tian to surrender.
• Cheng Tian promised to play games with Wen Xu, then left to get food and packed a meal for Su Han.
• Cheng Tian noticed Miyamoto Sanya walk away without speaking to him and was relieved she had stopped pursuing him.
• Cheng Tian returned to find the hotel room dark and Su Han unreachable by phone.
• Teacher Gengar arrived to invite Cheng Tian to play games, and Cheng Tian left it with his Pokémon while he went with Gengar.

Cheng Tian spent the evening with Long Weixi and Wen Xu before returning to the hotel, where his Pokémon watched a movie and he fell asleep at the table. Su Han came back late from studying Aura, and Cheng Tian welcomed her as home before his Pokémon helped put him to bed.

• Long Weixi praised Noibat's training and offered to have Noivern teach it X-Scissor.
• Long Weixi told Cheng Tian that Coach Yang wanted to train Lairon and that Nalu could help raise Feebas's level.
• Cheng Tian returned to the hotel and found his Pokémon watching a movie; after it ended, he fell asleep at the table.
• Greninja covered Cheng Tian with a blanket and let Su Han into the room when she arrived.
• Cheng Tian leaned into Su Han's arms and told her that wherever she was, even an unfamiliar place was home.
• Greninja and Florges carried Cheng Tian to bed while Gengar adjusted the air conditioner and helped Su Han prepare food for her Pokémon.

Cheng Tian woke beside Su Han, then learned that the two-time champion Gamino had returned to challenge Yang Yonggang. As the packed crowd waited at the Pokémon League battlefield, Gamino called Yang out to fight, and Yang had yet to appear.

• Cheng Tian woke beside Su Han, who recalled Sara's warning to keep her Aura secret and asked him to make shrimp noodles.
• Huang Zequan told Cheng Tian that Gamino and Japan's strongest main-team member had returned, and that Gamino had challenged Yang Yonggang.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han hurried to the Pokémon League battlefield, where Chinese Elite Four members and Sara had gathered to watch.
• Gamino revealed he had come alone and declared that his challenge to Yang Yonggang was personal.
• Gamino praised Yang as a formidable opponent and demanded that he come out and fight.

Yang Yonggang accepted Gamino’s challenge, explaining to Cheng Tian and Su Han that his duty as China’s Steel-type Elite Four member left him no choice. The chapter ended as Yang Yonggang and Gamino prepared for a one-on-one battle with Metagross and Kommo-o.

• Sama Yūichi said Yang Yonggang’s strength must be extraordinary, while Liang Pingfeng tried to challenge Gamino before Long Weixi stopped him.
• Yang Yonggang stepped forward to accept Gamino’s challenge, and Nalu told him to be careful.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han arrived on Togekiss and asked Yang Yonggang whether he would risk revealing his strength; he said his responsibility as an Elite Four member required him to fight.
• Gamino proposed a one-on-one battle, and Sara volunteered to officiate.
• Yang Yonggang sent out Metagross, and Gamino answered with Kommo-o.

Yang Yonggang's Metagross faced Gamino's level-65 Kommo-o in a closely matched battle between pseudo-legendary Pokémon. After trading powerful attacks, both Pokémon pulled away, and Yang Yonggang remained unsure he could win.

• Yang Yonggang and Gamino sent out Metagross and Kommo-o, and Cheng Tian noticed that Kommo-o was level 65 while Metagross was level 62.
• Metagross used Magnet Rise and Agility while Kommo-o boosted itself with Dragon Dance and Swords Dance.
• Kommo-o charged with Dragon Claw, but Metagross dodged and struck it with Bullet Punch before Kommo-o countered with Sky Uppercut.
• Metagross blocked Kommo-o's hammering attack with Hammer Arm and followed with Meteor Mash, but Kommo-o used Flash Cannon's recoil to dodge.
• Kommo-o struck Metagross with Brick Break after taking a hit from Zen Headbutt, and the two Pokémon separated as Yang Yonggang worried about his chances of winning.

Gamino used Kommo-o’s speed and sound-based attacks to disrupt Metagross, then turned the battle into a close-range clash. Yang Yonggang’s Metagross struck back with Zen Headbutt and Earthquake, leaving Kommo-o badly injured before Gamino ordered Belly Drum and Reversal.

• Gamino used Autotomize to speed up Kommo-o, then combined Screech with Clanging Scales to disrupt Metagross’s control.
• Gamino ordered Sky Uppercut, and Kommo-o flipped Metagross over before Metagross countered with Zen Headbutt.
• Kommo-o endured the hit, seized Metagross’s limb, and repeatedly smashed it into the ground.
• Yang Yonggang ordered Metagross to use Earthquake at close range, badly injuring Kommo-o.
• Gamino ordered Kommo-o to use Belly Drum and then Reversal as Yang Yonggang called for another Zen Headbutt.

Gamino's Kommo-o overwhelmed Metagross with a boosted attack, but Yang Yonggang countered with Meteor Mash. Gamino then unleashed Clangorous Soulblaze, and Yang ordered Metagross to charge through it and use Explosion, leaving the battle's outcome hidden by smoke.

• Gamino's battered Kommo-o used Belly Drum and struck Metagross hard enough to gouge its steel body and send it crashing across the ground.
• Yang Yonggang ordered Metagross to use Psyshock, but Gamino protected Kommo-o and advanced before calling for Sky Uppercut.
• Yang Yonggang caught Gamino off guard with Meteor Mash, sending Kommo-o flying and leaving it barely able to stand.
• Gamino activated a crystal on his wrist and linked himself to Kommo-o before unleashing Clangorous Soulblaze.
• Yang Yonggang ordered Metagross to charge through Kommo-o's sonic assault with Meteor Mash and then use Explosion, filling the battlefield with a blinding blast and smoke.

Yang Yonggang and Gamino’s battle ended in a draw after their Pokémon unleashed a devastating final attack, and the trainers discussed the Z-Move that caused it. Su Han learned that Wen Xu’s Gengar had fused with a Z-Crystal after she mistook it for a Ghost Gem, and Sama Yūichi spotted a familiar woman in a qipao.

• Gamino and Yang Yonggang’s Pokémon lost the ability to battle at the same time, so Sara declared the match a draw.
• Gamino praised Yang Yonggang, recalled Kommo-o, and left as the crowd applauded the battle.
• The trainers identified Gamino’s final attack as a Z-Move and discussed the rarity and limits of Z-Crystals.
• Long Weixi revealed that Wen Xu could use a Ghost-type Z-Move because Chong Wensen had given her a Ghost-type Z-Crystal.
• Chong Wensen explained that Wen Xu’s Gengar had accidentally eaten the Z-Crystal, fused with it, and eventually learned to use its power.
• Sama Yūichi spotted a familiar woman in a qipao and met her gaze.

Nalu rejected Sama Yūichi’s plea to forgive his brother, while Cheng Tian learned how tightly the United States had concealed information about Z-Crystals and Exclusive Z-Moves. He continued training Feebas, which finally surpassed level 28 after defeating a group of Magikarp.

• Nalu left the group to meet an old acquaintance, and Cheng Tian realized Gamino’s Kommo-o had used an Exclusive Z-Move that others did not recognize.
• Nalu confronted Sama Yūichi and told him she still remembered the humiliation his brother had caused her.
• Sama Yūichi revealed that his brother had divorced Shujing and asked Nalu to forgive him, but Nalu said his life no longer concerned her.
• Cheng Tian searched for information about Z-Crystals and the Tapu Four Guardians, finding that the United States appeared to have suppressed knowledge of both.
• Cheng Tian trained Feebas against more than twenty Magikarp, and Feebas reached level 29 after defeating the final level 27 opponent.

Cheng Tian and Su Han left Bakia Island after the Pokémon League closing ceremony, with Sara giving Su Han his Aura notes. Back on Training Island, Cheng Tian reunited with his friends and agreed to battle Bai Yun’s newly evolved Infernape with Greninja.

• Cheng Tian noticed Feebas seemed stronger but remained frustrated that it had not evolved, and he and Nalu discussed their progress and upcoming training.
• At the closing ceremony, Sara congratulated Cheng Tian and Su Han, then privately gave Su Han a notebook of Aura notes.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han prepared to leave Bakia Island, and Cheng Tian exchanged contact information with Han Yu before boarding.
• On Training Island, Bai Yun’s Lycanroc defeated Yu Fei’s Snorlax, and Bai Yun looked for another opponent.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han returned to Training Island and reunited with Bai Yun, Song Rongxue, Yu Fei, and Shen Gun.
• Cheng Tian accepted Bai Yun’s challenge, and Greninja faced Bai Yun’s newly evolved Infernape in a friendly battle.

Cheng Tian and Greninja gained the upper hand against Bai Yun’s Infernape until Bai Yun revealed a new power called Evil Fire Possession. The battle continued with Infernape transformed and his attack greatly increased.

• Infernape and Greninja exchanged boosted attacks, and Infernape used Dig to strike Greninja from underground.
• Cheng Tian sensed Infernape’s movements through the ground, then Greninja evaded Mach Punch and countered with Aerial Ace and Water Shuriken.
• Cheng Tian activated Steam Mode, greatly increasing the water vapor Greninja could release.
• Bai Yun had Infernape use Sunny Day and swallow its ball of light, then combine its power with Dark-type Hidden Power.
• Bai Yun revealed that Infernape’s new state was called Evil Fire Possession and ordered him to use Close Combat.

Cheng Tian and Bai Yun’s Greninja and Infernape fought to a mutual knockout, with Greninja secretly pretending to pass out after Cheng Tian’s bond with it unleashed a powerful Waterfall. After returning to Training Camp, Cheng Tian planned to finish his exams, while Bai Yun shared that Lin Lin would enter a local Pokéblock Breeder Competition.

• Greninja and Infernape exchanged attacks until their final moves, Waterfall and Close Combat, left both unable to battle.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun ate with their friends and talked about the Pokémon League, Zeraora, and the battle’s outcome.
• Cheng Tian warned Bai Yun that Malice Possession could affect Infernape too strongly, and Bai Yun explained how it worked.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun vowed to remain rivals for life, while their friends praised their friendship.
• After a month away, Cheng Tian returned to Training Camp and planned to pass the remaining exams and graduate.
• Bai Yun told Cheng Tian and Yu Fei that Lin Lin had been researching Pokéblocks and planned to enter the city’s latest Pokéblock Breeder Competition.

Long Lan reviewed China’s improved World Pokémon Championships results but warned that six Elite Four members were retiring, leaving the country’s future performance uncertain. As Yang Yonggang and Nalu packed up after the tournament, Training Island students continued preparing for their graduation assessments, with the university arc approaching.

• Yu Xiao reported China’s World Pokémon Championships results to Long Lan and the League officials.
• Long Lan noted that Yang Yonggang, Nalu, Chong Wensen, and three other Elite Four members were retiring, and questioned whether China could maintain its results next year.
• Yang Yonggang packed his belongings with Nalu and said he planned to return to Training Island before the September assessments, then become a Steel-type Gym Leader after retiring.
• Cheng Tian ended a call with his mother to help Florges during a training battle against Bai Yun’s Breloom.
• He Xisong and Ji Huabian discussed the upcoming Training Island graduation assessments, where departments would select promising students.

After graduating from Training Island, Cheng Tian and his friends exchanged farewells and boarded separate flights home. As Cheng Tian watched the sea and sky from the plane, he believed they would meet again.

• He Xisong congratulated the surviving trainees and introduced representatives from various departments and industries who had reviewed their records.
• Cheng Tian told Bai Yun and Su Han that Greninja had handled his graduation battle against Psychic-type Elite Four member Ji Huabian smoothly.
• Cheng Tian exchanged his remaining points for Rain Dance and Earthquake TMs and blue Pokéblocks.
• At South China Sea Airport East Station, Cheng Tian and the other trainees said goodbye, and Shen Gun promised to challenge him in the future.
• Song Rongxue boarded her flight in tears, while Su Han leaned against Cheng Tian as his plane departed.

After returning to Bingzhou from a year of trials, Cheng Tian and his friends reunited with their families and received a warm welcome at school. Su Han joined Cheng Tian’s family for dumplings, where their lively home gave her a renewed sense of belonging.

• Bai Yun, Cheng Tian, Su Han, and Song Rongxue returned to Bingzhou, and Huang Zequan went back to Yishan Middle School.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun reunited with their parents at Bingzhou No. 1 High School, where the principal and teachers welcomed the students and announced a ceremony for the following Monday.
• Cheng Tian’s Mother invited Su Han to eat with the Cheng family, and Su Han accepted instead of asking Uncle Wang to pick her up immediately.
• At home, Cheng Tian and his family shared dumplings with Su Han and their Pokémon, while Cheng Tian’s parents warmly included her in the meal.
• Su Han asked Uncle Wang to pick her up that evening and felt at home with Cheng Tian’s family.

As graduation neared, Teacher Sun explained the reformed Pokémon Studies entrance exam to Cheng Tian’s class. After Gengar startled everyone by saving Cheng Tian from a fall, Cheng Tian began devising a tactical system and asked Su Han for help.

• Teacher Sun sent Cheng Tian to fetch the exam instructions booklets, and Gengar caught him and the booklets when he tripped.
• Cheng Tian introduced Gengar to the class, while Teacher Sun reassured everyone and explained the exam subjects and rules.
• Teacher Sun warned the class that cheating could bring severe criminal sentences and said the exam might test Pokémon development and tactical systems.
• Cheng Tian considered how Greninja, Lairon, and Florges could work together, then asked Su Han for a favor.

With the college entrance exam approaching, Cheng Tian studied while his Pokémon kept him company, and he and Su Han confirmed they would attend the same exam venue. On exam day, they wished each other luck and entered their separate rooms as the written test began.

• Cheng Tian studied at home while Florges made him a bubbling blue drink that he forced himself to swallow.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han exchanged exam venue details and planned a date after the exam.
• On July 2, Su Han arrived at Yishan Middle School and met Cheng Tian before they entered the exam venue together.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han wished each other luck, then separated for their written exams.
• A Kadabra blocked signals and monitored the classroom as the invigilator announced the start of the test.

Cheng Tian took the Pokémon college entrance exam and demonstrated Greninja’s custom Steam Mode and overwhelming strength. After Greninja knocked out the examiner’s Shuckle and smashed a crater into the battlefield wall, Cheng Tian worried about the damage bill.

• Two Pokémon League Center examiners questioned Cheng Tian and discovered that he had six Pokémon, including a fully evolved Greninja.
• Cheng Tian drew the Pokémon Personal Development Test and chose tactical systems as his other exam section.
• Cheng Tian demonstrated Greninja’s Steam Mode, which used its Fire-type Hidden Power to give Water-type moves an additional steam Burn effect.
• Cheng Tian explained that Steam Mode prevented Greninja from using Ice-type moves, but it could use Aerial Ace against Grass-types.
• An examiner sent out his level-40 Shuckle, and Greninja’s Liquidation struck it into a wall and knocked it out.
• Cheng Tian asked whether he had to pay for the damage, while the examiner awarded him an A+.

Cheng Tian passed the tactical system test with his powerful Rain Dance team, while Su Han also completed her exams and the two looked forward to the random battles. Nalu then received word that she might be sent to the Sea Ruins when they opened again.

• Cheng Tian unleashed a torrential-rain strategy with his Pokémon and impressed the examiners enough to receive full marks without taking the battle test.
• Cheng Tian met Su Han after her exams, and she told him she had swept the battles and earned an A+ on the strength test with Tinkatuff.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han agreed that they were well positioned for the next day's random battles and hoped to enter good universities.
• Nalu wondered how Cheng Tian's exams had gone, then received Long Lan's message saying China had secured a slot in the Sea Ruins and the higher-ups had decided to send her.

During his Pokémon Studies final, Cheng Tian faced Ji Ba and easily overwhelmed his Raichu with Noibat, though a lucky miss was mistaken by the examiners for a deliberate strategy. The chapter ended with an examiner praising Cheng Tian’s supposed tactics while Cheng Tian privately knew the Hurricane had simply missed.

• Cheng Tian and Ji Ba were assigned to battle in the final Pokémon Studies exam, and Ji Ba tried to intimidate Cheng Tian into surrendering.
• Cheng Tian sent out Noibat after inspecting his six Poké Balls, while Ji Ba chose his level 28 Raichu.
• Ji Ba had Raichu use Fake Out, Electric Terrain, and Thunderbolt, but Noibat barely reacted to the electric attack.
• Cheng Tian ordered a Hurricane, which missed Raichu and carved deep slashes into the wall.
• Noibat charged Raichu with Wild Charge and Dragon Claw, knocking it into the wall and defeating it.
• An examiner praised Cheng Tian’s supposed plan to bait Raichu’s Protect, while Cheng Tian realized the Hurricane had missed by accident.

Cheng Tian defeated He Xiahe’s Nidoqueen in the examination battle after switching from Noibat to Florges and using Psychic. The examiners argued over Cheng Tian’s attempt to give Florges an item during the battle, while one examiner remained captivated by Florges’s elegance.

• He Xiahe entered the examination field with her level 29 Nidoqueen, Nini, and warned Cheng Tian not to get too close.
• Cheng Tian used Noibat’s U-turn to switch in Florges, which avoided Nidoqueen’s attacks and struck her with Petal Dance.
• An examiner praised Florges’s elegant moves, while Cheng Tian offered her a Miracle Seed that Florges transformed into Leftovers.
• The examiners objected that Cheng Tian could not give Florges an item during battle, so he made Florges discard it.
• Cheng Tian ordered Florges to use Psychic, and Nidoqueen was knocked out.

Cheng Tian defeated Zheng Fan in the college entrance examination battle and received a recruitment pitch from an examiner, though he already had another university in mind. After the exams ended, Bai Yun invited Cheng Tian and their friends to celebrate at the First-Class Pavilion.

• Cheng Tian pretended to be mute, making Zheng Fan feel guilty before their battle began.
• Zheng Fan sent out an Alolan Form Marowak, and Cheng Tian answered with Lairon.
• Cheng Tian ordered Lairon to use Dragon Rush and Earthquake, quickly defeating Marowak.
• An examiner praised Cheng Tian and urged him to apply to Bingzhou University of Technology, but Cheng Tian gave a noncommittal reply.
• After the college entrance examination ended, Bai Yun invited Cheng Tian and their friends to dinner at the First-Class Pavilion.
• The proprietor welcomed Bai Yun and led the group toward their reserved Heaven-class private room.