Chapter Summaries

Yong cleared Dahlia’s Battle Roulette challenge, earned his third Silver Commemorative Print, and received a warning about the path ahead. He then traveled with Scott and Kofu to the Battle Chateau, where he met its mistress, Caitlin.

• Dahlia congratulated Yong for clearing the Battle Roulette and praised his grasp of energy origin, hinting that its essence would matter once he reached the Elite Four.
• Luo Jia restored Yong’s Pokémon and recorded 20 points for his two wins, bringing his total to 120, while Dahlia gave him his third Silver Commemorative Print.
• Scott congratulated Yong and warned him that the Battle Chateau and the next facility would be especially wild and challenging.
• Yong, Scott, and Kofu left the Battle Roulette and climbed through a mountain garden of snow cherry blossoms toward the Battle Chateau.
• Caitlin greeted the three at the castle and introduced herself as the mistress of the Battle Chateau.

Yong met Caitlin at the Battle Chateau, where she challenged him after questioning how he had defeated Cynthia. Darach explained that the battle would be a three-on-three match with Yong wagering all his earned points, and Yong accepted as Caitlin prepared to face him.

• Caitlin welcomed Scott, Kofu, and Yong, recited details about Yong's team, and asked what he had relied on to defeat Cynthia.
• Caitlin led them into the Battle Chateau, where Darach greeted Yong and Scott and Kofu went to the spectator stands.
• Darach explained that Yong would battle Caitlin in a three-on-three match and wager all his points, which would determine her Pokémon's levels starting at 60.
• Yong realized the later rounds could pit his Pokémon against level 65 and level 70 opponents, then accepted the wager and approached Caitlin on the battlefield.

Yong and Caitlin began their three-round Battle Chateau match, with Yong sending out Aggron against Caitlin’s Gallade. Their opening exchange ended with both Pokémon still ready to fight and neither gaining a clear advantage.

• Darach announced the first round between challenger Yong and Caitlin, with only Yong allowed to switch Pokémon.
• Caitlin sent out her level 60 Gallade, and Yong answered with Aggron, whom he called Big White.
• Yong opened with Sand Tomb, but Caitlin had Gallade use Swords Dance before it teleported behind Aggron and attacked with Leaf Blade.
• Aggron blocked Gallade’s Leaf Blade with Iron Tail, then clashed with Gallade’s Psycho Cut and endured its repeated strikes.
• Aggron charged with Smart Strike, but Gallade stopped its horn with crossed arms and Psychic energy before retreating from a renewed Sand Tomb.
• Gallade escaped the quicksand, and the two Pokémon faced each other with neither holding a decisive advantage.

Caitlin overwhelmed Yong with her psychic Battle Will as Gallade battered Aggron, but Aggron rallied for a final High Horsepower charge that struck Gallade amid a huge explosion. As dust and energy filled the battlefield, Caitlin recognized the will of Rock Solid.

• Caitlin unleashed her psychic force field across the Battle Chateau, and Yong resisted its pressure with Rock Solid and his newly awakened Battle Will.
• Caitlin ordered Gallade to Teleport behind Aggron and strike it with Sacred Sword, badly damaging Aggron and splitting the battlefield.
• Caitlin sent Gallade in with Psycho Cut, but Yong urged Aggron to endure and unleash High Horsepower.
• Aggron charged Gallade with all its strength, and the collision engulfed the battlefield in an explosion and shock wave.
• Caitlin watched the clash and murmured about the will of Rock Solid.

After Gallade defeated Aggron, Yong sent out his enormous Steelix to face Caitlin’s Reuniclus. Steelix overwhelmed Reuniclus with a single Iron Tail, leaving Caitlin stunned by her miscalculation.

• Gallade defeated Aggron with Sacred Sword, and Darach declared Gallade the winner.
• Yong recalled Aggron and sent out his towering Steelix, astonishing Caitlin, Kofu, and Mr. Scott.
• Caitlin recalled Gallade and sent out Reuniclus for the second round.
• Caitlin ordered Reuniclus to use Psychic, while Yong told Steelix to attack with Iron Tail.
• Caitlin used Wonder Room and ordered Hammer Arm, but Steelix’s Iron Tail crushed Reuniclus’s defense and devastated the battlefield.
• Caitlin stared at the wrecked ground and admitted that she had miscalculated.

Caitlin’s Reuniclus was unable to withstand Steelix’s attacks, and Caitlin welcomed the chance to challenge Yong’s Pokémon with her next partner. Yong faced Caitlin’s level 70 Metagross with Steelix, and the battle began with Steelix charging through Metagross’s force field.

• Steelix defeated Caitlin’s Reuniclus, and Darach declared Reuniclus unable to battle.
• Caitlin recalled Reuniclus and sent out Metagross, a level 70 Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.
• Caitlin asked Yong to show what Steelix could do when giving its all.
• Darach started the Metagross versus Steelix battle.
• Yong ordered Steelix to use Magnet Rise and High Horsepower, and Steelix charged at Metagross.
• Metagross’s Clear Body ability produced a ripple that dispersed the pressure from Steelix’s force domain.

Yong's Steelix battled Caitlin's Metagross, enduring its powerful attacks and answering with Heavy Slam. As Steelix was driven into the ground, its electromagnetic field surged and its fighting spirit flared, leaving Yong reaching toward his chest.

• Caitlin's Metagross overwhelmed Steelix with Bullet Punch, but Steelix accelerated with electromagnetic force and struck back with High Horsepower.
• Caitlin ordered Zen Headbutt, and Yong countered with Heavy Slam as Steelix's steel aura and primal markings intensified.
• Metagross's Psychic Field shifted its attack and knocked Steelix backward, then Caitlin ordered Hammer Arm.
• Metagross drove Steelix partly into the ground, where black electrical arcs gathered into a powerful electromagnetic field.
• Steelix roared defiantly, and Yong felt its resolve before reaching toward his chest.

Yong revealed Mega Evolution to Caitlin and the spectators when Steelix transformed into Mega Steelix during their Battle Chateau match. He explained how Mega Evolution differed from the Bond Phenomenon, leaving everyone to consider the two new powers as the battle continued.

• Yong decided to stop holding back and used his Key Stone to trigger Steelix's Mega Evolution.
• Steelix broke free of Metagross's suppression and transformed into the larger, radiant Mega Steelix, displaying its activated primal markings.
• Yong told Caitlin, Darach, Scott, and Kofu that Mega Evolution was a power beyond ordinary evolution, distinct from Swampert's Bond Phenomenon.
• Yong explained that he had received a second stone from Steven, and that it had resonated with his pendant and drawn Steelix into Mega Evolution.
• Yong compared the advantages and limitations of Mega Evolution and the Bond Phenomenon, saying both could greatly increase a Pokémon's strength.

Yong revealed Mega Evolution to Mr. Scott and defeated Caitlin’s Metagross with Mega Steelix, winning their battle. After explaining that Mega Evolution was temporary, Yong left the match with Steelix at level 65, while Caitlin invited him to join her vacation in Celestic Town.

• Yong told Mr. Scott that he had registered the bond phenomenon with the Hoenn League and asked for three items from the Sinnoh League’s treasury in exchange for revealing Mega Evolution.
• Yong sent Mega Steelix against Caitlin’s Metagross, and Mega Steelix’s Iron Tail overwhelmed Metagross’s attacks and force domain.
• Yong ordered Mega Steelix to use Bulldoze, knocking Metagross unconscious and winning the battle.
• Mega Steelix reverted to Steelix, and Yong explained to Kofu that both the bond phenomenon and Mega Evolution were temporary and consumed extra stamina.
• Darach declared Yong the winner, and Steelix reached level 65.
• Caitlin congratulated Yong, promised to challenge him again, and invited him to join her vacation in Celestic Town.

Yong reached the Battle Tower after earning all four silver prints, while Mr. Scott and Kofu left to report information to their organizations. Palmer greeted Yong and warned that the Battle Tower tested powerful Trainers without considering their feelings, leaving Yong to declare that he would become strong enough.

• Yong said goodbye to Miss Caitlin and Mr. Darach, then agreed to continue alone as Mr. Scott and Kofu left to share information with the Pokémon League and their organizations.
• Yong reflected that he had withheld crucial details about Mega Evolution and its Mega Stones so he could control what was revealed until he was strong enough to protect himself.
• Yong crossed the bridge to the Battle Tower, where he showed Palmer the four silver prints that qualified him to challenge the Battle Tower Tycoon.
• Palmer said he had watched Yong battle at the Battle Roulette and warned that the Battle Tower welcomed only Trainers courageous enough to challenge their limits.
• Yong admitted he was not strong yet, but declared that he would become strong.

After earning four silver prints in one day, Yong rested at a Pokémon Center and called his mother, Nakamura Aoi, to share his achievement. He learned that his parents might travel to the Kalos Region for its development and began to tell her about matters she should discuss with his father.

• Palmer left after inviting Yong to meet him at the Final Battlefield, and Yong chose to rest before his next challenge.
• Yong took his Pokémon to a Pokémon Center, booked a room, and arranged for their treatment.
• Yong showed Nakamura Aoi his four silver prints and told her he planned to challenge the Battle Tower the next day.
• Nakamura Aoi told Yong that his father had traveled to Rustboro City and that they might visit Kalos after he finished work supporting the region's development.
• Yong wondered whether Kalos's early development was connected to him, then said he had important matters for his mother to discuss with his father.

Yong arrived at the Battle Tower and proved he was qualified to challenge Battle Tower Tycoon Mr. Palmer. As he entered the Final Battlefield, he saw that his new goal was to conquer the Battle Zone.

• Yong reached the Battle Tower and told Guandao he had come to challenge Mr. Palmer.
• Guandao and the Trainers doubted Yong until he showed them the four Silver Prints that qualified him for the challenge.
• Guandao led Yong toward the Final Battlefield as the other Trainers resumed their practice in an uproar.
• Yong checked his Pokémon and training points, then discovered the new goal to conquer the Battle Zone.
• Yong stepped into the Final Battlefield, ready for the final challenge.

Yong began his three-on-three Battle Tower challenge against Palmer, opening with Aggron against Palmer’s Milotic. After Milotic outmaneuvered Aggron and unleashed a massive Surf, Yong ordered Aggron to counter with its still-developing Super Zap Cannon, leaving the clash unresolved.

• Palmer agreed to a standard three-on-three battle with Yong, and Guandao took the role of referee.
• Palmer sent out Milotic while Yong chose Aggron, whom Palmer praised for its training and condition.
• Yong’s Thunder Wave missed as Milotic used Serpentine Movement, then Milotic boosted her stats with Dragon Dance.
• Aggron charged with Double-Edge, but Milotic used Flowing Dance to evade it and dissipate its force.
• Milotic followed with Flowing Dance: Surf, summoning a massive wave that crashed over the battlefield.
• Yong ordered Aggron to unleash Super Zap Cannon, and its golden electricity tore through the wave as Palmer called the move impressive.

Yong’s Aggron defeated Palmer’s Milotic in an official battle after surviving its attacks and exploiting the limits of its Rainbow Spring force domain. Palmer praised Aggron’s unusual abilities, and Aggron reached level 61.

• Aggron’s incomplete fusion technique unleashed a powerful wave of Electric- and Steel-type energy, but Milotic recovered with Rainbow Spring.
• Palmer explained Milotic’s force domain and had it attack Aggron with Twister and Ice Beam.
• Aggron pushed through the storm and struck Milotic with Thunder Punch, paralyzing it.
• Yong ordered Aggron to finish Milotic with Thunderbolt, and Guandao declared Aggron the winner.
• Aggron gained training points and experience, increased its move proficiency, and reached level 61.

Yong’s Aggron faced Palmer’s Noivern in the second round of their battle, but Noivern’s devastating sound-based attacks overwhelmed and defeated him. Palmer’s approach to developing one strength to its limit left Yong considering how Steelix and the others had pursued the same principle.

• Palmer sent out Noivern to face Yong’s Aggron in the second round.
• Noivern’s Supersonic overwhelmed Aggron’s Metal Sound, damaged him, and left him confused.
• Noivern used Dragon Rush while Aggron could not control his movements, and the attack broke through his defenses.
• Guandao declared Aggron unable to battle, and Yong recalled him and praised his effort.
• Palmer explained his belief in developing one aspect to its absolute limit, prompting Yong to reflect on Steelix and the others.

Palmer explained to Yong how trainers and Pokémon progressed from Force Domain power to energy origins and, ultimately, the realm of Champions by approaching the world’s rules. Yong realized that his own path had only begun, while Steelix’s steel origin could one day put him on a collision course with Steven.

• Yong considered his future after Palmer’s advice and learned that his understanding had to grow to match Steelix and Swampert’s strength.
• Palmer explained that trainers pursued energy origins in different ways, while a team’s number of Elite Four-level Pokémon reflected its strength.
• Palmer described the Champions’ realm as the point where Pokémon broke past their limits by approaching the world’s rules, and cited Steven’s mastery of the Steel-type path.
• Palmer warned Yong that Steelix’s steel origin could force a future battle with Steven if Yong failed to forge a different path.
• Palmer urged Yong to keep working toward the Elite Four, and Yong understood how difficult it was to reach the road’s end.

Yong sent Swampert against Mr. Palmer’s Noivern and used Waterfall’s momentum to combine its attacks and overcome Noivern’s aerial advantage. The Pokémon fell after Swampert’s final Ice Punch, leaving the battle’s outcome unclear.

• Yong chose Swampert over Steelix, and Swampert’s Force Domain suppressed Noivern as it charged with Waterfall.
• Noivern evaded the wave and used Supersonic, but Swampert countered with Supersonic and struck it with Icy Wind.
• Swampert’s Ice Punch collided with Noivern’s Dragon Pulse, and Yong followed with another Icy Wind to weaken Noivern.
• Noivern unleashed Boomburst, blasting Swampert into a crater and wiping out the freezing winds.
• Swampert burst from underground with Dig, used Waterfall’s momentum to strike Noivern with a final Ice Punch, and both Pokémon fell to the field.

Yong and Swampert defeated Palmer’s Noivern in the second round, earning Swampert a level-up and Blizzard. Palmer then revealed Heatran as the mandatory final opponent, and Yong prepared to send out Steelix for the Frontier Brain match.

• Swampert used Dig and a Torrent-boosted Waterfall to defeat Noivern, which was four levels higher.
• Guandao declared Swampert the winner, and it leveled up to Lv63 and learned Blizzard.
• Palmer praised Swampert’s adaptability and announced that Yong’s final opponent was mandatory for the silver print level.
• Palmer sent out Heatran, a Lv68 Legendary Pokémon with a Fire-and-Steel typing, a force domain, and a fusion technique skill.
• Yong prepared to send out Steelix as Palmer expressed interest in seeing the Pokémon described in the intelligence report.

Yong sent his enormous Steelix to battle Palmer’s Heatran, and the two clashed with powerful Fire- and Ground-type attacks. As Heatran’s Heat Wave drove Steelix back, Yong urged it to answer with Head Smash, and Steelix gathered its strength to charge.

• Yong sent out Steelix, whose size and Force Domain impressed Palmer.
• Guandao began the battle, and Heatran attacked with Fire Blast as Steelix used High Horsepower.
• Steelix charged through Heatran’s flames and struck it with tremendous force, then slammed it into the ground with its tail.
• Heatran rose and counterattacked with Heat Wave, engulfing the field and heating Steelix’s body red-hot.
• Yong told Steelix to use Head Smash, and Steelix fixed its eyes on Heatran and erupted with force.

Yong's Steelix endured Heatran's earthfire, but Palmer unleashed the fusion technique Earthfire Furnace and pushed it to its limit. Yong answered by beginning Steelix's Mega Evolution, leaving the battle at the moment its transformation started.

• Steelix struck Heatran with a Force Domain-empowered Headbutt, resisting the earthfire and Heat Wave but suffering burns and losing stamina.
• The battlefield settled into a shattered ruin with Heatran buried beneath the rubble, but Palmer revealed that Heatran still had more power.
• Palmer commanded Heatran to unleash Earthfire Furnace, surrounding the battlefield with blue-tinged flames that overwhelmed Steelix.
• Yong took out his Key Stone and called for Steelix's Mega Evolution as it suffered inside the furnace.
• Steelix's energy formed colorful chains linking it to Yong's Key Stone, and a brilliant radiance began to envelop the battlefield.