Recaps

Cheng Tian registered for the World Pokémon League to find opponents for training, but his first night using the league app ended when his mother confiscated his phone. He was left unable to study the materials he had just discovered, while Froakie and Aron went back to sleep.

• Cheng Tian saw that registration for the World Pokémon League had reopened and signed up, listing his Pokémon and personal details.
• Cheng Tian let Froakie draw his contestant number, which came out as 54188666, then linked his identity to the league app and started matchmaking.
• Cheng Tian discovered his old study materials in his browser and tried to look through them late at night.
• Cheng Tian's mother revealed that she had been using his Sea Incense as moisturizer, then returned it after he explained its value and purpose.
• Cheng Tian's mother confiscated his phone for the night, and Froakie fell asleep after seeing the Sea Incense safely back in place.

Cheng Tian’s matchmaking app paired him with Song Rongxue, a rebellious senior who rode a flashy scooter and insisted on driving him to school. After a terrifying ride, he arrived at school with her, where Su Han spotted them together.

• Cheng Tian enabled location access, and the matchmaking app matched him with Song Rongxue, a fellow Grade 11 student at Bingzhou No. 1 High School.
• Song Rongxue teased Cheng Tian and persuaded him to ride her scooter after he realized he might be late for school.
• Song Rongxue sped recklessly through traffic while Cheng Tian clung to her waist and begged her to slow down.
• Song Rongxue arrived at school with Cheng Tian and said she would find him at noon to battle, while he refused and tried to avoid her.
• Su Han arrived at school, saw Cheng Tian with Song Rongxue, and wondered who the woman was.

Cheng Tian met Song Rongxue after class to settle their promised battle, while Su Han secretly followed them to Baishui Street. The chapter left Cheng Tian and Song Rongxue at a milk tea shop before their battle, with Su Han watching from nearby.

• Cheng Tian slept through most of the first class, and Su Han forgot to wake him as she worried about the girl he had been with.
• Song Rongxue waited at Cheng Tian’s classroom door and persuaded him to go with her to a battle plaza on Baishui Street.
• Su Han secretly followed Cheng Tian and Song Rongxue in her family’s car, while Uncle Wang recognized Cheng Tian and decided to report him to the master.
• Cheng Tian drove Song Rongxue’s souped-up scooter to Baishui Street, and Song Rongxue hugged him during the ride.
• Song Rongxue convinced Cheng Tian to stop for milk tea before their battle, while Su Han watched them enter the shop.

Cheng Tian defeated Song Rongxue’s Pancham in a recorded one-on-one battle and learned how the World Ranking worked. After Song Rongxue left, Su Han asked Cheng Tian to see a movie with her on Sunday and arranged a ride home, where Uncle Wang watched him from the rearview mirror.

• Cheng Tian and Song Rongxue recorded a one-on-one battle, with Cheng Tian choosing Froakie and Song Rongxue sending out Pancham.
• Song Rongxue’s Pancham initially pressured Froakie, but Cheng Tian used Grass Knot, Water Pulse, Lick, Whirlpool, and Ice Punch to win the match.
• Cheng Tian saw that his World Ranking had risen to 587,221,456, and Song Rongxue explained how rankings carried over between Season Years before giving him a phone stand.
• Song Rongxue left, and Cheng Tian discovered he had accidentally drunk from her pearl milk tea cup before spotting Su Han hiding nearby.
• Su Han invited Cheng Tian to see a movie on Sunday, then offered him a ride home with Uncle Wang, whose gaze made Cheng Tian uneasy.

Cheng Tian trained Froakie and prepared for the start-of-term test, which took the form of a Pokémon battle competition. The king-of-the-hill matches began with Lin Lin and Song Rongxue chosen as arena defenders.

• Cheng Tian turned down Su a Su Su's invitation to see a movie until after the start-of-term test and spent the following days studying and seeking battles.
• Froakie gained a level and improved several moves as Cheng Tian's ranking rose into the middle of the five-hundred-million range.
• Teacher Zhou announced that the test would be an all-day king-of-the-hill competition with five arenas and unlimited challenges.
• Teacher Zhou randomly selected Lin Lin as Class One's first arena defender, while Class Two sent Song Rongxue.

During the school battle challenge, Cheng Tian defended Song Rongxue after her classmates deliberately wore down her Pancham. He defeated one of the girls’ Kecleon and provoked the gathered challengers, leaving his arena surrounded by opponents.

• Lin Lin’s Pachirisu won two matches before losing, and Bai Yun’s Chimchar defeated the Zigzagoon that had beaten it.
• Su Han won a match with Sylveon while Cheng Tian overheard Class 2 girls plotting to exhaust Song Rongxue through repeated battles.
• Song Rongxue’s battered Pancham lost to Kecleon, and Cheng Tian offered to deal with the girls while she took Pancham for treatment.
• Cheng Tian challenged one of the girls and used Froakie to trap and defeat her Kecleon.
• Cheng Tian taunted the crowd, drawing the girls and other spectators into challenging him.

Cheng Tian led Froakie through a string of fierce battles at the gymnasium, including a hard-fought victory over Cacnea and a fifth match against Mankey. As Cheng Tian urged Froakie to break past its limits, brilliant light surrounded it, and Teacher Zhou recognized it as Evolutionary Light.

• Cheng Tian outmaneuvered a girl's Voltorb, avoiding its Aftermath Ability and defeating it with Water Pulse.
• Cheng Tian and Froakie defeated a boy's Cacnea after a grueling exchange of attacks, giving Froakie its third consecutive win.
• Song Rongxue returned to the gymnasium and discovered Cheng Tian had already won four battles in a row.
• An exhausted Froakie fought Mankey, whose Anger Point Ability had triggered after a critical hit, and began trading punches with it.
• Cheng Tian urged Froakie to keep fighting and become stronger, and brilliant white Evolutionary Light suddenly enveloped Froakie.

Cheng Tian’s Froakie evolved into Frogadier after winning five consecutive arena battles, and Teacher Zhou later invited Cheng Tian to represent the class in an upcoming city tournament. The chapter ended with Cheng Tian agreeing to participate, though the tournament would likely require him to raise two Pokémon.

• Froakie reached level sixteen, evolved into Frogadier, and frightened Mankey into losing its will to battle, completing Cheng Tian’s five-win streak.
• Cheng Tian forfeited his remaining matches so he could have Frogadier examined, then exchanged congratulations with Bai Yun, Lin Lin, and Su Han.
• Song Rongxue thanked Cheng Tian for his help, but he left to get Frogadier treated and examined.
• Teacher Zhou told Cheng Tian about a city tournament for second-year Pokémon Studies students planned for mid-December and invited him to compete.
• Cheng Tian accepted the invitation, and Teacher Zhou said participants would probably need to have two Pokémon.

After the arena tournament, Pokémon Class 1 chose a Pokémon-themed restaurant for the school anniversary, and Su Han and Lin Lin arranged weekend outings with Cheng Tian and Bai Yun. Cheng Tian brought home his newly evolved Frogadier, while Lin Lin excitedly planned what to wear.

• Teacher Zhou ended the arena tournament and told the students to return to class for an announcement.
• Sun Yanling told Pokémon Class 1 to prepare an activity for Bingzhou No. 1 High School’s thirty-fifth anniversary, and the class chose a Pokémon-themed restaurant.
• Lin Lin left Cheng Tian and Su Han alone, and Su Han confirmed their Saturday movie date near the Guomao Building.
• Cheng Tian brought Frogadier home, surprising his parents and Aron, and the family sat down to dinner.
• Lin Lin called Bai Yun and persuaded him to go to the amusement park with her, then began choosing an outfit for Sunday.

Cheng Tian received his Pokémon Studies report card and met Su Han at Guomao Mall for a movie outing. Meanwhile, Lin Lin met Bai Yun, and they set off by tram for the amusement park.

• Cheng Tian's father received Cheng Tian's report card, which showed that Cheng Tian ranked second in his year.
• Cheng Tian told his parents he was meeting Su Han, and his father transferred him three hundred yuan.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han met early at Guomao Mall, and Cheng Tian bought her a replacement grilled sausage after she dropped hers.
• Lin Lin waited for Bai Yun, showed him her outfit, and suggested they take the tram to the amusement park for its fountain show.

Lin Lin and Bai Yun traveled toward the amusement park, where a hungry stray Rockruff tried to steal their beggar’s chicken. Bai Yun gave the food to Rockruff, which watched them leave from a dark alley.

• Lin Lin rested Bai Yun’s sleeping head on her shoulder and secretly took a selfie before a cosplayer caught her in the act.
• After waking Bai Yun from his tram nap, Lin Lin and Bai Yun bought beggar’s chicken and shared it with Chimchar.
• A filthy, hungry Rockruff ambushed them and battled Chimchar and Pachirisu for the chicken.
• Bai Yun stopped Chimchar from chasing Rockruff and gave the Pokémon the chicken, explaining that he could buy another one.
• Bai Yun and Lin Lin continued toward the amusement park while Rockruff watched them from a dark alley.

Bai Yun and Lin Lin visited an amusement park, where Lin Lin befriended a mischievous Minccino and the pair watched a fountain show. The outing ended with Bai Yun discovering that the pink-haired Zero Two cosplayer he admired was a man, leaving him eager to escape.

• Bai Yun and Lin Lin rode the Carousel and explored the Haunted House before stopping to buy popcorn.
• A Minccino emerged from a popcorn machine, shared food with Pachirisu, and joined Lin Lin after she coaxed it into becoming Pachirisu's companion.
• Bai Yun and Lin Lin watched a fountain show featuring Politoed, Golduck, Goldeen, and Milotic.
• Bai Yun ran over to take a photo with the pink-haired Zero Two cosplayer, while Lin Lin objected to his enthusiasm.
• Bai Yun encountered the cosplayer in the men's restroom and learned that the person was a man, then left looking disheartened.

Cheng Tian and Su Han watched a tragic romance at the cinema before parting ways. On the way home, Bai Yun caught a phone thief with help from Chimchar and a stray Rockruff, then caught Rockruff and welcomed it to his team.

• Cheng Tian and Su Han watched Five Feet Apart, cried at its ending, and parted ways after the late screening.
• Bai Yun’s phone was stolen by Purrloin, and he chased it to its owner, a thief waiting nearby.
• The thief threatened Bai Yun with a switchblade, but Rockruff arrived and helped Chimchar defeat Purrloin and subdue the man.
• Lin Lin arrived with police, who arrested the thief, while Bai Yun thanked Rockruff and invited it to join him.
• Rockruff agreed to come with Bai Yun, who caught it in a Poké Ball.

Pokémon Class 1 opened its restaurant for the school anniversary by selling barbecue, while Cheng Tian explored the school and joined a Pokémon battle event. Su Han went looking for him and instead agreed to try Chu Jiaojiao’s fortune-telling.

• Sun Yanling discovered that no one in Pokémon Class 1, including herself, could cook, so Bai Yun suggested selling barbecue instead.
• When the school gates opened, Bai Yun organized the barbecue business, and Rockruff stopped a student from spilling juice on Lin Lin.
• Cheng Tian left the busy classroom to explore the anniversary activities, while Su Han hurried after him after finishing her deliveries.
• Cheng Tian entered a Pokémon battle event, where students recognized him for his five consecutive Arena Tournament wins.
• Su Han met Chu Jiaojiao, who offered to tell her fortune about love, and Su Han agreed to try it.

Cheng Tian won three battles in a row with Aron and chose a Pikachu plush toy as his prize. Meanwhile, Chu Jiaojiao told Su Han that she liked Cheng Tian and urged her to confess, leaving Su Han pushed toward taking action.

• Cheng Tian and Aron defeated a Panpour, blocking its Low Kick with Protect before knocking it out.
• Aron overcame Spoink’s Imprison and Zen Headbutt, then defeated it with Metal Claw.
• Chu Jiaojiao read Su Han’s feelings for Cheng Tian and urged her to confess, though Su Han had not paid for the reading.
• Cheng Tian won three battles, Aron gained a level, and Cheng Tian chose a Pikachu plush toy as his gift.

Su Han realized she loved Cheng Tian and tried to confess, but Bai Yun interrupted when Cheng Tian was called away. Cheng Tian and Bai Yun then helped Teacher Zhou assemble the school's team for the Rookie Tournament, and Su Han's Togepi brought the roster closer to completion.

• Su Han admitted to Song Rongxue that she liked Cheng Tian, and Song Rongxue said her own feelings for him were only friendly.
• Cheng Tian gave Su Han a Pikachu plush, but Bai Yun interrupted her attempted confession by calling Cheng Tian to Teacher Zhou's office.
• Teacher Zhou explained that the school needed students with two Pokémon to enter the Rookie Tournament, and Bai Yun revealed his Chimchar and Rockruff while Cheng Tian showed his Frogadier and Aron.
• Bai Yun told Teacher Zhou that Lin Lin also had a second Pokémon, and Cheng Tian learned through QQ that Su Han had a Togepi.
• Teacher Zhou counted Su Han among the eligible students and told the assembled students to train their Pokémon and get to know one another during the National Day break.

Cheng Tian went shopping for TMs with Su Han, Bai Yun, and Lin Lin, and Su Han found chances to grow closer to him. The chapter ended with Cheng Tian’s parents mistaking Su Han for his girlfriend and inviting her to visit their home.

• Su Han invited Cheng Tian, Bai Yun, and Lin Lin to Suning Plaza with a 40% discount card, and brought Togepi along.
• Cheng Tian and Su Han shopped together; he sold a Ghost-type gem, accepted a Hard Stone from Su Han, and bought TMs for Frogadier and Aron.
• Cheng Tian realized he had left his fisherman hat with Togepi, while Su Han sniffed the hat and decided to return it after washing it.
• Su Han video-called Cheng Tian to tell him about the hat, and Cheng Tian’s parents took over the call to meet her and invite her to visit.
• Cheng Tian’s parents teased him about having a girlfriend, and he denied it before retreating to his bedroom.

Cheng Tian battled Wen Zhe in a two-on-two match, losing Aron before Frogadier defeated Heracross and Scyther. Cheng Tian’s ranking improved, while Wen Zhe hoped he would stay out of the Rookie Tournament.

• Cheng Tian accepted a matched battle challenge and met Wen Zhe, agreeing to a two-on-two match because he had only two Pokémon.
• Wen Zhe’s Scyther outmaneuvered Aron, then switched to Heracross, which knocked Aron out despite being paralyzed by Thunder Wave.
• Frogadier tripped Heracross with Grass Knot, then wore it down with Water Pulse, Aerial Ace, and Whirlpool until it fainted.
• Wen Zhe sent Scyther back in, but Frogadier poisoned it with Toxic Spikes and defeated it after paralyzing it with Lick and striking with Ice Punch.
• Cheng Tian’s ranking rose to somewhere past 536 millionth place, and Wen Zhe privately hoped he would not enter the Rookie Tournament.

After the National Day break, Teacher Zhou selected seven students, including Cheng Tian and Su Han, to represent their school in the Rookie Tournament and began their special training. He explained the tournament events and challenged all seven to defeat his level 42 Exploud, leaving them daunted by the task.

• Cheng Tian returned the bucket hat Su Han had washed, and she blushed as he complimented its scent.
• Teacher Zhou gathered Bai Yun, Cheng Tian, Zhao Shimo, Song Rongxue, Qin Rourou, Lin Lin, and Su Han, introduced them as the school's Rookie Tournament candidates, and scheduled extra coaching.
• Teacher Zhou worried that rival schools might have competitors with more Pokémon, then promised the Principal he would train the students and pursue a good result.
• Teacher Zhou brought the seven students to the Gymnasium and explained that the tournament included singles, team, and doubles coordination events, emphasizing the importance of the team competition.
• Teacher Zhou sent out his level 42 Exploud and challenged each student to send out one Pokémon and defeat it.

Teacher Zhou had the seven students battle his Exploud, which defeated all their Pokémon and exposed their lack of teamwork. He assigned them team-battle training and told them to work together more effectively.

• Teacher Zhou challenged the seven students to defeat his Exploud in a team battle, and they sent out their Pokémon.
• Exploud knocked out Metapod, Frogadier, Chimchar, Sylveon, and Pancham despite the students' attacks and attempts to support one another.
• Exploud used Rain Dance to stop Budew from charging Solar Beam, then defeated Pachirisu and Budew to win the battle.
• Teacher Zhou criticized each student’s decisions and explained that poor coordination, not just the level gap, had caused their defeat.
• Teacher Zhou told the students to train in team battles and work together until they could defeat Exploud.

Cheng Tian devised a plan to evolve Zhao Shimo’s Metapod and Kakuna so their flying forms could help the group counter Teacher Zhou’s Exploud. Meanwhile, Teacher Zhou researched rival schools’ top students, unaware that the group had prepared a surprise for him.

• After the group struggled to find a way past Exploud, Qin Rourou’s suggestion about flying Pokémon inspired Cheng Tian to focus on Zhao Shimo’s near-evolving Metapod and Kakuna.
• Cheng Tian proposed evolving the two Pokémon through Double Battles, then using Beedrill to carry close-range attackers above Exploud’s ground attacks while the others harassed it.
• Teacher Zhou visited the administration building and reviewed rival schools’ top students, including Huang Zequan, whose Drilbur had won first place at Yishan Middle School.
• Teacher Zhou returned to find the students having their Pokémon treated after more battles and praised them for working hard, missing their mischievous plans for him.

After Zhao Shimo’s Kakuna evolved into Beedrill during a team battle, the group challenged Teacher Zhou again. Teacher Zhou sent out Exploud to test how much they had improved.

• The group paired up to battle and train their Pokémon, while Lin Lin reluctantly stayed behind to watch.
• Cheng Tian and Bai Yun’s teams battled, with Aron and Kakuna coordinating against Rockruff and Oddish.
• Aron defeated Oddish, while Zhao Shimo’s Kakuna helped poison and defeat Rockruff.
• Kakuna evolved into Beedrill, helping Zhao Shimo feel more integrated with the group.
• Teacher Zhou brought out Exploud and invited the group to show their progress.

The seven students coordinated their Pokémon to defeat Teacher Zhou’s Exploud, though the battle ended with Exploud blasting a hole through the Gymnasium roof. Teacher Zhou praised their teamwork, named Cheng Tian team captain, and stayed behind to deal with the damage.

• Cheng Tian and the others combined their Pokémon’s attacks while Zhao Shimo had Beedrill build speed, and Pancham’s Taunt restricted Exploud to attacking moves.
• Beedrill rescued Chimchar and Pancham from Exploud’s Earthquake, allowing Budew to land a fully charged Solar Beam.
• The students overwhelmed Exploud with follow-up attacks and stopped its Hyper Voice by having Frogadier plug its intake holes with Bubble.
• Exploud lost control and charged Hyper Beam, but Teacher Zhou redirected the blast into the sky, where it tore through the Gymnasium roof.
• Teacher Zhou halved Exploud’s food allowance, praised the students’ teamwork, and appointed Cheng Tian team captain.
• After the seven students left, Teacher Zhou sent out Trevenant to help Exploud clean up the Gymnasium.

Cheng Tian’s team continued training for the Rookie Tournament, and the principal summoned him to offer school support and two TMs in exchange for strong results. The chapter left Cheng Tian committed to leading the team while Teacher Zhou and the principal discussed the team’s prospects and a rival connected to Mayor Huang.

• Cheng Tian and Su Han’s team used Togepi’s Metronome to create Trick Room, letting Aron defeat Song Rongxue’s Sandile and Minccino; Aron reached level 16 and learned Headbutt.
• Teacher Zhou brought Cheng Tian to meet the principal, who praised his leadership and asked how confident he was about the tournament.
• The principal promised Cheng Tian prize money and a free TM if the team achieved good results, then personally gave him Scald and Iron Defense TMs.
• Cheng Tian accepted the TMs and promised to lead the team to a good result before leaving to train.
• Teacher Zhou told the principal that the seven students had grown more united and could reach level twenty before the competition, while the principal warned that Mayor Huang’s son would be a formidable rival.

After training, Cheng Tian shared a quiet evening with Frogadier and Aron and met Xu Xinmeng, a shy girl who dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Trainer. He encouraged her and made a pinky promise with her before they parted, unaware of what the promise would lead to.

• Cheng Tian relaxed with Frogadier and Aron in his residential complex and offered them Weilong, which they refused.
• Children gathered around Frogadier and Aron, and Cheng Tian answered their questions about the Pokémon.
• Cheng Tian noticed Xu Xinmeng watching from beside the fountain and invited her to meet the Pokémon.
• Frogadier shared its foam with Xu Xinmeng, and Aron let her pet him, helping her feel welcome.
• Xu Xinmeng showed Cheng Tian her notebook and revealed that she dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Trainer but feared Pokémon would not like her.
• Cheng Tian reassured Xu Xinmeng, made a pinky promise that she would pursue her dream, and said goodbye as she watched him leave.