Recaps

Cheng Tian and his friends passed the second round of the Pokémon exam, and the results placed him in Class 1 alongside Bai Yun, Lin Lin, and top-ranked Su Han. After oversleeping and arriving late on the first day, Cheng Tian entered the classroom and was greeted by Su Han.

• Bai Yun's Chimchar, Su Han's Sylveon, Lin Lin's Pachirisu, and Cheng Tian's Froakie each won their second-round battles.
• Cheng Tian walked home with Froakie, while Su Han spotted them from her car and took a photo.
• Cheng Tian's parents celebrated his exam performance and gave him money to raise Froakie.
• Cheng Tian learned that he ranked twenty-eighth, Bai Yun ranked twenty-fifth, Lin Lin ranked thirty-seventh, and Su Han ranked first.
• Su Han spoke with her father, Su Mulin, who told Huang Haifeng that he had returned to Bingzhou to retire and spend time with Qianqian.
• Cheng Tian overslept, arrived late at school, found he had been assigned to Pokémon Class 1, and heard Su Han greet him.

Cheng Tian sat beside Su Han on his first day of Pokémon Studies class, where homeroom teacher Sun Yanling introduced the lessons and group system. A brief accidental touch with Su Han led to a misunderstanding when Sun caught Cheng Tian crouching beside her desk, and Su Han had to explain what happened.

• Bai Yun and Lin Lin arranged for Cheng Tian to sit beside Su Han, and Su Han shared bread with him before class.
• Sun Yanling reprimanded Cheng Tian for being noisy, introduced herself as the homeroom teacher, and explained the course schedule and weekly group points.
• Cheng Tian became interested in the combination of Trick Room and Power Trick while Sun taught about Pokémon support roles.
• Su Han created a group chat for herself, Cheng Tian, Bai Yun, and Lin Lin, and Cheng Tian accepted her friend request during class.
• Su Han lent Cheng Tian correction tape; when their fingertips brushed, he dropped it and crouched to retrieve it near her feet.
• Sun Yanling shouted at Cheng Tian, but Su Han explained that he was only picking up her correction tape.

Cheng Tian bought Froakie a Whirlpool TM after seeing him struggle to imitate a Water Formation Wall, then learned Rain Dance TMs were restricted by the Pokémon League. After arranging to train Froakie once the TM arrived, Cheng Tian went to afternoon PE with Lin Lin and Bai Yun.

• Cheng Tian watched Froakie try to imitate Water Formation Wall and promised to help him learn the move.
• Cheng Tian purchased a Whirlpool TM online for 6,700 yuan, then found no Rain Dance TMs available for sale.
• Cheng Tian learned from My Wife Miku that weather-move TMs were rare and monopolized by the Pokémon League.
• Cheng Tian saw that the Whirlpool TM parcel had been collected and decided to rent a training room after school.
• Cheng Tian brought Mizone for Su Han, bantered with Lin Lin and Bai Yun, and headed with them toward the field for PE.

Cheng Tian and his classmates endured a punishing first PE class under teacher Zhou Rongchang, who used Trevenant to chase stragglers during a five-lap run. Afterward, Cheng Tian shared drinks with Su Han and the others and had Froakie cool them down with Water Gun.

• Zhou Rongchang introduced himself as the class's PE and practical battle teacher and appointed Bai Yun temporary sports representative.
• Bai Yun led the class on a five-lap run while Zhou Rongchang sent Trevenant to chase students who slowed down.
• Trevenant caught and tied up four girls and two boys before Zhou Rongchang ordered it to release them.
• Cheng Tian, Bai Yun, Su Han, and Lin Lin rested together in the shade, and Cheng Tian gave Su Han a bottle of Mizone in return for her toast.
• Cheng Tian released Froakie, which sprayed Water Gun into the air to cool the group down.

Chimchar developed a Fighting-type technique inspired by JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, while Froakie and Sylveon grew close during an afternoon outside. The chapter left Froakie flustered by Sylveon's affection as Cheng Tian suspected it had fallen for Sylveon.

• Cheng Tian and the others released their Pokémon, and Chimchar avoided playing with the younger Pokémon to practice Bulk Up.
• Bai Yun explained that Chimchar had combined Focus Energy and Bulk Up after watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, creating a brown Fighting-type aura.
• Sylveon approached Froakie and played with the foam around its neck, while Froakie blushed and let it.
• When a soccer ball flew toward Sylveon, Froakie kicked it away and fell to the ground.
• Sylveon lifted Froakie with its ribbons, then led it to Cheng Tian and kissed it, leaving Froakie embarrassed and Cheng Tian satisfied.

Teacher Zhou challenged the students to defeat virtual Pokémon with type advantages over their own, and Cheng Tian and Su Han became the first students to pass. The weeklong challenge continued for the rest of the class, who were told to train hard before the subject’s final assessment.

• Teacher Zhou introduced a weeklong practical battle challenge against opponents with type advantages, and Wu Qian failed after Wooper’s Damp blocked Geodude’s Self-Destruct.
• Cheng Tian defeated a virtual Manectric with Froakie by avoiding close-range attacks when possible, interrupting its moves, and finishing it with a strengthened Water Pulse.
• Su Han used Sylveon’s Yawn to put Grimer to sleep, then defeated it with repeated Bite attacks.
• Teacher Zhou praised Cheng Tian and Su Han as the first students to pass, while the remaining students lost their battles.
• Teacher Zhou dismissed the class and urged the students who had failed to train and overcome their opponents within the week.

Cheng Tian helped Froakie learn Whirlpool and taught it how to use the move for both defense and offense. After intensive practice, they left the Training Room with all five thousand tennis balls scattered across the floor.

• Cheng Tian used a Whirlpool TM at the Pokémon Center, and Froakie learned the move on its first try.
• Cheng Tian rented a Training Room, where Froakie practiced Whirlpool until it mastered the move.
• Cheng Tian showed Froakie how to use Whirlpool to trap opponents and shield itself from attacks, explaining that the technique could help it use Water Prison Technique.
• Cheng Tian had Froakie train with the tennis ball machine until the balls filled the Training Room floor, then recalled Froakie and left with the startled attendant.

Cheng Tian discovered that claiming his first quest reward unlocked a backlog of quests, then earned a free meal by winning a Pokémon battle at a noodle shop. While exploring the food street afterward, he ran into Su Han, who recognized him and reacted with a scream.

• Cheng Tian claimed the completed First Partner quest, unlocked several quests, and found rewards for evolving Froakie and catching a second Pokémon.
• Cheng Tian went out for lunch, dismissed several girls asking for his contact information, and chose a noodle shop advertising free meals for battle victories.
• Cheng Tian and Froakie defeated a staff member's Beedrill, earning a free meal and raising Froakie's level to fourteen.
• Cheng Tian stayed in the air-conditioned restaurant until Froakie finished eating, then wandered through the food street.
• Su Han visited the food street and bumped into Cheng Tian while eating stinky tofu; she recognized him and screamed.

Cheng Tian met Su Han on the food street, where she used a photo of them together to make him promise not to reveal that she had bought stinky tofu. They explored the shopping center together, and Su Han grew upset when a shop assistant mistook them for a couple before they continued sampling food.

• Cheng Tian ran into Su Han with stinky tofu, and she took a photo that she threatened to post unless he kept her purchase secret.
• Su Han asked Cheng Tian to show her around the food street, and they bought milk tea before heading to the shopping center.
• A sales assistant called Su Han Cheng Tian’s girlfriend, and Cheng Tian denied they were a couple, leaving Su Han angry and confused about her feelings.
• Su Han and Cheng Tian bought fish balls and wandered through the mall, with Cheng Tian eating most of the food she sampled and left over.
• Cheng Tian said he was too full to keep walking, so Su Han suggested they rest on nearby chairs.

Cheng Tian and Su Han spent the day together at the mall, where she gave him a necklace and later twisted her ankle, so he carried her to her driver. When Cheng Tian returned home, his parents mistook the necklace and his outing with Su Han for signs of a romance.

• Cheng Tian and Su Han talked about how Bingzhou felt warmer and more welcoming than Magic City, and agreed they were friends.
• Su Han and Cheng Tian played games and browsed accessories at the mall, where Su Han bought Cheng Tian a black cross necklace as a friendship gift.
• Su Han stumbled into Cheng Tian while they were throwing away their milk tea, then fell and twisted her ankle after stepping on a dropped cup.
• Cheng Tian carried Su Han to Food Street, where Uncle Wang took her home and privately decided to report the incident to her family.
• Cheng Tian returned home wearing Su Han's necklace, and his parents assumed he was dating her.

Cheng Tian finished his homework at home before his father called and asked him to bring an urgently needed contract and ID card to the mine on the outskirts. Cheng Tian delivered the documents and headed toward the factory with his father.

• Cheng Tian woke early, ate breakfast with his mother, and completed his Pokémon Studies homework while Froakie and Yamper watched Naruto.
• Cheng Tian's father called and asked him to find a contract and his ID card in the bedroom and bring them to the mine.
• Cheng Tian hurried to the Mining Bureau by taxi with the documents, leaving Yamper at home and recalling Froakie.
• Cheng Tian's father met him at the guard booth, confirmed the contract was correct, and walked with him toward the factory.

Cheng Tian visited his father’s mine, where Uncle Ma rescued him from a blasting accident and showed him how people and Pokémon worked. Meanwhile, Cheng Tian’s father signed a technology-for-equity agreement with Mayor Su, and Cheng Tian encountered a mysterious Pokémon pushing a case of water.

• Cheng Tian left his father’s office with Froakie to explore the mine and was nearly caught in a blast before Uncle Ma pulled him to safety.
• Uncle Ma recognized Cheng Tian as Old Cheng’s son, called his father, and agreed to show him around the mine.
• Cheng Tian’s father signed an agreement with Mayor Su for the municipal government to invest technology in the mining company in exchange for equity.
• Uncle Ma explained the mine’s work, including its Dugtrio locating mineral veins and wild Machamp volunteering to mine.
• Cheng Tian noticed a small Pokémon, identified as Roly, emerge from behind a case of mineral water.

Cheng Tian met an Aron who brought water to the Machamp at the mine, and Uncle Ma explained how the badly injured Pokémon had arrived there. Aron had lost his parents to territorial rivals, but the mine workers and Machamp had cared for him, and he had grown close to them.

• Aron brought water to the thirsty Machamp and offered bottles to Uncle Ma and Cheng Tian.
• Cheng Tian learned Aron had the Hidden Ability Heavy Metal and unusually strong potential.
• Uncle Ma recalled finding Aron badly injured at the mine after a heavy rain and taking him to a Pokémon Center for treatment.
• The doctor suspected Aron's parents had been killed by Pokémon fighting over territory, and Aron confirmed the loss through his reaction.
• Uncle Ma said Aron gradually recovered with the Machamp's help and now brought them water after work.

Cheng Tian befriended a wild Aron and decided he wanted to catch it, but a sudden mine collapse left Machamp trapped underground. He joined Aron and the Machamp in clearing the rubble as rescue workers arrived.

• Cheng Tian fed Aron and let it play with Froakie, then told Uncle Ma he wanted to catch Aron.
• Cheng Tian's father arrived and said the mine's investment deal had been settled, but Froakie suddenly tackled Aron aside as the mine began collapsing.
• The Machamp leader rescued Froakie and Aron, and the Machamp used Protect to shield everyone from falling rocks and dust.
• Aron tried to return to the mine to save the Machamp trapped inside, so Cheng Tian ran with Aron and Froakie toward the collapse despite his father's and Uncle Ma's objections.
• Aron sensed the buried mine entrance, and Cheng Tian, the Machamp, his father, and Uncle Ma began clearing rubble as rescue workers arrived with an excavator.

Cheng Tian entered the collapsed mine with Froakie and Aron to find the trapped Machamp, despite his father's fears. After rescuing the injured Pokémon, he escaped a second collapse with them and emerged safely with the group.

• Cheng Tian and the mine workers cleared rocks until they opened a narrow passage, and Cheng Tian volunteered to search the mine for the Machamp.
• Cheng Tian entered the tunnel with Froakie and Aron, then was knocked unconscious and injured when a wooden support beam fell while he protected Aron.
• Cheng Tian treated his shoulder and continued through the mine until Aron sensed movement and led him to the trapped Machamp.
• Cheng Tian treated the three injured Machamp and guided the group back toward the entrance.
• The tunnel began collapsing as Cheng Tian neared the exit, but the Machamp used Protect to shield Cheng Tian, Froakie, and Aron, and they emerged safely.

After rescuing the Machamp, Cheng Tian invited Aron to leave the mine with him and grow stronger so it could seek revenge. Aron joined Cheng Tian as his second Pokémon, and they left the mine after saying goodbye to the Machamp Leader and the others.

• Cheng Tian reunited with his father after the Machamp were rescued, and a medic advised him to visit a Pokémon Center for his injuries.
• Cheng Tian told Aron he knew about its past and offered to help it grow stronger so it could take revenge.
• Cheng Tian left a Poké Ball for Aron and walked away, but Aron did not follow before he and his father drove off.
• Aron called out to stop Cheng Tian, then entered the Poké Ball and completed Cheng Tian's mission to catch his second Pokémon.
• Cheng Tian released Aron and introduced it to his father, while the Machamp Leader and other Machamp waved goodbye from the mine.

After returning home with Aron, Cheng Tian claimed a Sea Incense for Froakie and watched a World Pokémon League battle that showed Aron the power of Mega Evolution. The night ended with Aron setting a goal to grow strong and Cheng Tian promising to help both Pokémon become the strongest.

• Cheng Tian received treatment for his shoulder, then returned home with his father and introduced Aron to his mother and Yamper.
• Cheng Tian claimed the Sea Incense quest reward and gave the incense to Froakie, though he realized Froakie could not carry it into battle.
• Cheng Tian watched Yang Yonggang defeat Egypt's Fire-type Elite Four member with Magnezone, Scizor, and Mega Aggron.
• Aron watched Mega Aggron fight and decided it would become just as strong.
• Cheng Tian watched Froakie and Aron fall asleep, set down his cross necklace, and promised to make them the strongest.

Cheng Tian’s classmates teased him after learning Su Han had bought him the necklace he wore, leaving Su Han blushing and Cheng Tian worried she had misunderstood his feelings. While fetching test papers with Su Han to avoid calisthenics, Cheng Tian fell with her on the stairs and was left dazed after hitting his head.

• Bai Yun and Lin Lin questioned Cheng Tian about his necklace during the ride to school, then teased him when Su Han revealed she had bought it for him.
• Sun Yanling collected the class’s homework, and Bai Yun hurriedly copied Lin Lin’s work before handing in his assignments.
• Sun Yanling sent Su Han and Cheng Tian to collect test papers during calisthenics, and Su Han asked whether Bai Yun’s teasing about the necklace was true.
• Su Han and Cheng Tian counted the papers in the Copy Room and carried them downstairs, where a gust of wind blew papers from Su Han’s stack.
• Su Han missed a step and fell into Cheng Tian, sending them tumbling down the stairs and scattering the papers.
• Cheng Tian struck the back of his head and became dazed, while Su Han helped him up and asked whether he needed the Nurse’s Office.

Cheng Tian learned that the school was replacing Wednesday combat lessons with weekly community-service tasks that rewarded points exchangeable for Pokémon supplies and TMs. He and Su Han, Bai Yun, and Lin Lin accepted a task to drive away Poochyena near Jingxi Road, leaving them to prepare before attempting it.

• Sun Yanling announced that students would complete weekly community-service tasks using their Pokémon instead of Wednesday practical combat lessons.
• Cheng Tian reviewed the points-based reward system and bought Protect TMs for his Pokémon, along with Grass Knot and Thunder Wave TMs.
• Teacher Zhou explained the task board, point deposits, and penalties for failing tasks or exceeding their deadlines.
• Cheng Tian looked over the point-shop TMs with Su Han, while Bai Yun found a team task to drive away Poochyena near Jingxi Road.
• Cheng Tian, Su Han, Bai Yun, and Lin Lin pooled 350 points and accepted the task, then Teacher Zhou reminded the class to prepare carefully.

Cheng Tian helped Aron learn Protect after Froakie coached it through the move, then joined his friends in planning a mission to catch a pack of Poochyena on Jingxi Road. The group settled on using Lin Lin and Pachirisu as bait and began preparing supplies for the mission two days later.

• Cheng Tian took Froakie and Aron to the Pokémon Center, where Froakie learned Protect and Grass Knot but Aron initially failed to learn its move from a TM.
• Froakie helped Aron recall the Protect TM’s instructions, allowing Aron to learn Protect and bringing the two Pokémon closer together.
• Cheng Tian read his friends’ group chat about the troublesome Poochyena pack that had been intimidating pedestrians on Jingxi Road.
• Cheng Tian proposed luring the Poochyena between two crossroads while the others blocked the exits, with Lin Lin and Pachirisu drawing the pack out.
• The group agreed to prepare Potions and extra Poké Balls, and Cheng Tian told Aron they would be counting on it for the mission.

Cheng Tian, Bai Yun, Su Han, and Lin Lin tried to gather Poochyena for their mission on Jingxi Road, but discovered that a Mightyena led the pack. As the Pokémon chased Lin Lin, Pachirisu drew their attention and Bai Yun arrived with Chimchar to strike back.

• Cheng Tian's group took a private car to Jingxi Road and assigned Lin Lin to lure the Poochyena while the others took positions nearby.
• Lin Lin walked down Jingxi Road carrying a Skitty-tail item, and eight Poochyena emerged to confront her.
• A Mightyena appeared and led the pack in a charge after Su Han warned the group that the mission information had been wrong.
• Lin Lin ran as the Poochyena chased her, and Pachirisu taunted the pack before using Follow Me and Quick Attack to draw Mightyena away.
• Bai Yun arrived with Chimchar, which hit Mightyena with Thunder Punch and sent it flying.

A-Tian spent the winter solstice alone in Capital City, exhausted by his programming job and missing his family and friends. After speaking with his mother and Bai Yun, he watched the snow fall from his rented room and said it was cold.

• A-Tian walked home through the snow after a tiring day at work and learned from his mother that it was the winter solstice.
• A-Tian bought liquor, cigarettes, duck, and a cold side dish, then ate alone in his rented room instead of making dumplings.
• Bai Yun called A-Tian, offered him work in Bingzhou, and heard him refuse because he wanted to make a life in Capital City.
• A-Tian asked Bai Yun about his father and Lin Lin, learning that his father still suffered from asthma and Lin Lin was working as a manager in Magic City.
• A-Tian drank and smoked by the window as the snow grew heavier, then said, “It's so cold.”

Bai Yun and Cheng Tian’s Pokémon fought Mightyena and his pack after the Poochyena cornered Lin Lin. With the pack trapped and outnumbered, the trainers defeated the attackers, leaving Mightyena unconscious.

• Chimchar and Pachirisu fought off the Poochyena, but Mightyena badly injured Chimchar with Assurance.
• Pachirisu distracted Mightyena, and Sylveon struck him with Double-Edge while Cheng Tian arrived with Froakie and Aron.
• Cheng Tian gave Bai Yun a Potion and ordered Aron to use Rock Tomb, trapping Mightyena and the Poochyena.
• The trainers and their Pokémon attacked the trapped pack, with Froakie using Whirlpool and Aron blocking Mightyena’s counterattacks.
• Aron used Dragon Rush and Body Slam to knock Mightyena unconscious, ending the threat on Jingxi Road.

Cheng Tian and his teammates completed their mission to capture the Poochyena and Mightyena troubling Jingxi Street, then returned to Bingzhou No. 1 High School to collect their points. After Teacher Zhou secretly gave Cheng Tian and Bai Yun an extra hundred points to keep quiet about the teachers drinking at work, the team left to celebrate at the First-Class Pavilion.

• Cheng Tian and the others captured the fainted Poochyena and Mightyena, then turned them over to Bingzhou's Stray Pokémon Center.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun returned to school, where they surprised Teacher Zhou and two PE teachers drinking beer during work hours.
• Bai Yun showed Teacher Zhou video evidence of the completed mission, and Cheng Tian and Bai Yun collected their team rewards and points.
• Teacher Zhou gave Cheng Tian and Bai Yun an extra hundred points in exchange for their silence about the drinking.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun told Su Han and Lin Lin what had happened, and the team decided to celebrate with a meal at the First-Class Pavilion.

Bai Yun took Cheng Tian, Su Han, and Lin Lin to the First-Class Pavilion, where their affectionate gestures made the girls suspect the two boys were gay. During tea afterward, they learned that beginning-of-term exams were scheduled for the following Thursday, and the friends headed home planning to study.

• Bai Yun led Cheng Tian, Su Han, and Lin Lin to a private room at the First-Class Pavilion and ordered the restaurant’s spicy crab and shrimp combo.
• Lin Lin fed Bai Yun, and Cheng Tian served Su Han some beef, leaving Su Han embarrassed but pleased.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun fed each other shrimp and crab, prompting Su Han to ask whether they were gay; both boys emphatically denied it.
• Su Han noticed the class group chat announcement that beginning-of-term exams would take place next Thursday, and the friends speculated that the Pokémon Studies exam might involve battles.
• The four friends left the restaurant and headed home, saying they would study hard.