Chapter Summaries

Xin Mu and the research team studied Mount Chimney’s volcanic Pokémon and found magma-energy fluctuations that could mean the volcano was becoming active. After finishing their survey, they planned to travel to Sootopolis City to investigate its underwater volcano.

• Team Magma’s stored magma energy triggered Magmar’s evolution into Magmortar, while Cozmo left to continue his research after finding another Meteorite fragment.
• Xin Mu’s group camped on Mount Chimney to observe volcanic Pokémon, and Squirtle complained about the heat while Meownei and Lucario endured it in their own ways.
• Squirtle reasoned that Meownei’s Protean Ability might let her change her tastes, prompting Meownei to compare his appetite to Guzzlord’s.
• Xin Mu’s team collected volcanic samples and observed changes in Pokémon habits and migration as their survey neared completion.
• Lü Ming reviewed the results, warned that Mount Chimney’s magma fluctuations might require it to be reclassified as active, and planned the team’s route to Sootopolis City.

After returning from Mt. Chimney, Xin Mu and his Pokémon cleaned the volcanic ash from themselves and their gear. Once everyone was washed and groomed, Squirtle complained that Xin Mu had given the others better treatment.

• Xin Mu and the others returned to Lavaridge Town filthy with volcanic ash and sulfur, then left their camping gear with the hotel staff to wash.
• Xin Mu combed and washed Meownei, while explaining that their eventual trip to Sootopolis City would require travel by sea or air.
• Xin Mu washed Lucario, who had been trying to clean herself with a high-pressure nozzle, while Meownei relaxed in the pool.
• Litten cleaned himself by setting his fur alight, and Xin Mu used a large brush to wash Corviknight's iron feathers.
• Squirtle complained that Xin Mu had cleaned and groomed the others but only rinsed him, so Xin Mu sprayed him with cool water and declared him clean.

Xin Mu and his Pokémon spent the evening in Lilycove City while waiting for the morning ferry to Sootopolis City. After Squirtle embarrassed itself by using a mislearned Octillery phrase, Lucario practiced Meteor Mash and attracted the attention of a local Move Tutor.

• Lü Ming checked the ferry schedule and told the group to meet early for the morning departure to Sootopolis City.
• Xin Mu and Meownei explored the seaside stalls while Litten and Lucario played a game against the waves.
• Squirtle spoke to an Octillery in its dialect, angering it, and learned that a Pokémon had taught it an insulting phrase.
• Xin Mu's group ate Lilycove Hot Pot, and Squirtle took out its frustration on the octopus tentacles.
• Lucario practiced Meteor Mash on the beach, and Jinbei arrived to explain that she needed to control the rhythm of her power.

Xin Mu and Lucario trained with Jinbei, who helped Lucario refine Meteor Mash and explained how to teach Hydro Cannon to Squirtle after he evolved. After shopping in Lilycove City and returning to the Pokémon Center, Xin Mu and Meownei discussed their route to Sootopolis City and the threat of rough weather.

• Xin Mu agreed to visit Jinbei's training ground, where Jinbei demonstrated Aerial Ace and guided Lucario through Meteor Mash practice.
• Meownei asked Jinbei to teach Squirtle Hydro Cannon, but Jinbei said Squirtle's body was not ready and offered to explain the move for after he evolved.
• Xin Mu bought local Berries at Lilycove City's evening market and returned to the Pokémon Center.
• Meownei identified the direction of Sootopolis City and worried that rain and rough seas could trouble Litten.

After a ferry accident led Xin Mu and his companions to an ancient floating altar, Rayquaza Mega Evolved and destroyed the ruins. Elsewhere, Groudon and Kyogre awakened to their Primal forms as their battle intensified.

• Xin Mu noticed unnatural weather at sea before a submarine wreck struck the ferry, forcing the passengers to abandon ship and reach a nearby island.
• Lü Ming recognized an ancient altar, and Xin Mu and Tang Zi used their Key Stones to open a rainbow stairway to a floating island.
• The group found a giant Mega Stone, and Rayquaza appeared, Mega Evolved, and destroyed the ruins with Draco Meteor.
• Team Aqua's Archie lost control while trying to use the Red Orb on Kyogre, and Groudon and Kyogre clashed as Lance tried to help.
• The giant stone's power awakened Groudon and Kyogre's ancient markings, triggering their Primal Reversion.

Rayquaza ended the Groudon and Kyogre crisis, leaving Xin Mu and his companions stranded on the Floating Island after the Super Giant Rock and their way down disappeared. After returning to Hoenn, the group continued their expedition, while Lü Ming decided to take a plane home and began tinkering at the Mossdeep City Space Center.

• Rayquaza defeated Groudon and Kyogre, forced the orbs out of Archie and Pikachu, and disappeared after ending the conflict.
• With the Super Giant Rock and Rainbow Light Ladder gone, the group had Corviknight carry the unconscious Lü Ming down from the Floating Island.
• Lü Ming woke to find Wei Heng had forgotten to remove the video camera's lens cap, though the group had some blurry phone footage of Rayquaza.
• Drake's ship took the group from the Isolated Island, and they continued their expedition in Sootopolis City and at the Mossdeep City Space Center.
• Lü Ming chose to buy a plane ticket instead of sailing home and began tinkering with something at the Space Center.

After returning from their long trip, Xin Mu settled back into his home and discovered that Regirock had knocked out three intruders who tried to catch Eevee. Regirock had protected the Pokémon living on Xin Mu’s property, and the intruders lay unconscious in the backyard.

• Lü Ming completed a smooth plane ride without fainting, then dismissed the students for three days before heading home.
• Xin Mu returned to his dusty house, where Squirtle rested and comforted Litten over the melted ice lantern.
• Xin Mu checked on the backyard Pokémon and found Eevee had grown since New Year.
• Xin Mu discovered three unconscious people with lumps on their heads and asked Regirock what had happened.
• Meownei translated that Regirock had knocked out the three people after they tried to catch Eevee with their bare hands.

Xin Mu and his Pokémon caught three men who had trespassed in his backyard and tried to steal Eevee. Officer Jenny questioned the men after they woke in the hospital, where one admitted they had planned to capture and sell Eevee.

• Three intruders entered Xin Mu’s backyard, but Regirock knocked them unconscious before they could catch Eevee.
• Xin Mu told Meownei that his university-registered experimental protected area made the intruders’ trespass clear and that he would wait for Officer Jenny.
• Regirock showed Xin Mu that the three men had arrived one by one, in the order marked by their clothes: fourth, third, then second.
• Officer Jenny arrived before the cleaning company, and Meownei left Xin Mu with Regirock to check on the cleaning crew.
• Officer Jenny questioned the three men at the hospital, and one admitted they had tried to catch Eevee to sell it.

After Officer Jenny arrested the thieves who had targeted Xin Mu’s Regirock, Xin Mu walked through a forest park and watched a Psyduck flock swim in the warming river. Squirtle and Litten discussed training and Pokémon strength as the bewildered Psyduck struggled to swim and catch a Berry.

• Officer Jenny questioned the three suspects, traced their sales channels to a thieves’ hideout, rescued several Ambipom, and arrested the group.
• Xin Mu walked through a nearby forest park with Litten and Squirtle as the March evening breeze carried a chill.
• Litten remembered drifting down the river as an egg, while Squirtle explained that he disliked cold water and told her training was coming.
• A winter swimmer in a Psyduck wetsuit led a flock across the river, while one Psyduck spun in place, hit thin ice, and missed a Berry before diving after it.
• Squirtle judged the Psyduck hopeless because it could not catch food, and he and Litten discussed Psyduck’s psychic strength and Squirtle’s refusal to evolve.

Xin Mu and the others began their Pokémon Ecology Investigator courses and earned money helping with research experiments. As Litten started training, Squirtle worried about her future evolution and Meownei volunteered him to help her practice Fake Out.

• Xin Mu and the others began wilderness-survival courses and took part in paid experiments at Lü Ming's laboratory.
• Litten started training enthusiastically, reminding Squirtle of Riolu's old training habits.
• Squirtle used Meownei's Smartwatch to look up Litten's evolutions and grew alarmed by Incineroar's muscular appearance.
• Meownei reassured Squirtle that Regirock would handle Fire Punch, then suggested Squirtle help Litten practice Fake Out.
• After Meownei showed him the move, Squirtle protested that he did not want to be slapped and accused Meownei of setting him up.

Xin Mu planted rare leek-like stalks for Farfetch'd in his backyard while Meownei and Squirtle helped. Corviknight returned with a flock of Taillow that had repeatedly challenged him, and the Taillow promised to come back again.

• Xin Mu returned home with Steven's contact details after discussing rocks and Rayquaza research with him.
• Xin Mu planted rare leek-like seedlings in the backyard and asked Squirtle to water them.
• Xin Mu reminded Bellossom and the Eevee family to keep away from the newly planted patch.
• Corviknight came back to the roof, followed by Taillow that challenged him again before fleeing.
• Meownei explained that the Taillow planned to return and challenge Corviknight once more.

Corviknight fended off Taillow that had been challenging him for days, then watched their flock depart after its leader evolved into Swellow. The flock left behind gifts, and Corviknight kept a tail feather as a memento.

• Lucario found Corviknight grooming his feathers instead of preparing for their usual morning training, and he said he would be busy for the next few days.
• A Taillow attacked Corviknight, who easily blocked it and continued facing challenges from the flock that had been testing his defenses.
• More than twenty Taillow arrived, and their leader evolved into Swellow before acknowledging Corviknight and leading the flock into the sky.
• The other Taillow left gifts for Corviknight, then the flock continued north, leaving down feathers and a tail feather behind.
• Corviknight tucked the tail feather into his nest, keeping it in case the Taillow returned when the weather turned cold.

Corviknight resumed taking Lucario out to train after the Taillow left, while Xin Mu and Meownei crafted candles and fire sticks from Litten’s shed fur. Lucario returned with a strange green creature that Xin Mu recognized as a Zygarde Cell.

• Corviknight began seeking a stronger Spearow flock, including multiple Fearow, as training opponents for Lucario.
• Meownei suggested using Litten’s accumulated shed fur to make fire sticks and candles for Xin Mu to give away on his livestream.
• Xin Mu and Meownei made candles and fire sticks from Litten’s fur, and the first candle burned cleanly while the fire sticks lasted longer than ordinary tinder.
• Lucario returned carrying a dazed green blob that he mistook for a mutant Ditto.
• Xin Mu identified the blob as a Zygarde Cell and reassured Lucario that bringing it back had not caused trouble.

Xin Mu learned that Zygarde Cells had found a cave on a mountain before heading to a School Team outing at a cat café with Meownei. The Meowstic greeters eyed Meownei suspiciously after she blocked their psychic assistance.

• Xin Mu chatted with Lucario while loosening the scallion patch with a miniature excavator, and Lucario took a turn operating it.
• Squirtle proposed building waterslides between his resting spot and the Hot Spring, but Xin Mu refused and told him to clean the footprints by the back door.
• Xin Mu went with Meownei to the School Team's cat café outing after confirming the venue with Coach Jia Qiong.
• Meownei took the café's welcome materials from the two Meowstic greeters and shut out their psychic powers.
• The Meowstic whispered to each other that Meownei seemed suspicious and that they disliked Meowscarada.

Jia Qiong discussed the upcoming Academy Cup with Xin Mu at the cat café, where Xin Mu warned that Meownei might resent the outing. After leaving, Xin Mu took Litten to a local Little Cup so she could gain battle experience, and she began warming up for the tournament.

• Jia Qiong checked a young Skitty's development as Meownei entered the café and made the little Pokémon wary.
• Jia Qiong told Xin Mu that the Academy Cup would be held in Baiyun City and named the Baiyun Snorlax Cup.
• Xin Mu said the team was relying on him, then warned that Meownei might not compete after being brought to a cat café.
• Xin Mu left the café and took Litten to a privately organized Little Cup for ordinary trainers and young Pokémon.
• Litten surveyed the competitors backstage and warmed up while trying to enter her Blaze state.

Xin Mu and Litten entered an amateur Little Cup tournament, where they faced superhero actor Zhang Wei and his Corphish. Litten used the mist from their opening exchange to activate Blaze and deceive Zhang Wei, who ordered Corphish to close in with Vise Grip.

• Xin Mu explained that he and Meownei had been training Litten to reach her Blaze state without secretly stacking battle buffs.
• Xin Mu and Meownei saw the large, varied crowd at the tournament and heard the call for Xin Mu and Zhang Wei to report to the Area E battlefield.
• Zhang Wei appeared in a lobster-inspired superhero costume with his Corphish, and the announcer promoted his upcoming show, Eco-Guardians.
• Meownei suspected the organizers had arranged favorable matchups for sponsors, while Xin Mu told Litten to treat the match as experience and fight her best.
• Corphish opened with Bubble Beam, and Litten used needles formed from her oily fur to block it, creating mist that concealed her entry into Blaze.
• Zhang Wei mistook Litten's Blaze state for near exhaustion and ordered Corphish to attack with Vise Grip.

Litten defeated Corphish by pinning its pincers and attacking with Blaze-boosted Embers, then Xin Mu took her home after she tired of the tournament. At home, Squirtle showed off a new training method for Zen Headbutt, and Meownei reminded him that he and Regirock were the only Pokémon in their household caught after being beaten in battle.

• Litten pinned Corphish's pincers with Fury Swipes and knocked it out with repeated full-power Ember attacks.
• Xin Mu withdrew Litten from the tournament when she grew tired and took her home.
• Xin Mu found Squirtle spinning upside down as he practiced Zen Headbutt using force from Lucario's staff strikes.
• Squirtle claimed he was training Double Battle coordination, but Meownei accused him of finding another way to slack off.
• Meownei pointed out that Squirtle and Regirock were the only household Pokémon caught after being beaten in battle.
• Squirtle forgot his grievance when Xin Mu promised extra food for dinner.

Squirtle performed a peculiar void offering while Meownei checked flower seeds for the front yard. In the Backyard, Xin Mu pruned the Fast-Growing Tree and discovered that the little Eevee had evolved into Sylveon, who calmed the Gloom and helped with chores.

• Squirtle asked Litten to light a mosquito coil, bowed to the empty space, and extinguished the candles and coil while explaining his ritual to Meownei.
• Meownei inspected the flower seeds and found most of them capable of sprouting.
• Xin Mu pruned the rapidly growing tree as Bellossom and the newly evolved Gloom watched nervously.
• Xin Mu realized the little Eevee had evolved into Sylveon, who soothed the Gloom with her calming aura.
• Sylveon greeted Bellossom, handed Xin Mu the watering can, and returned to her family's burrow.
• Xin Mu tended his healthy leeks while Squirtle remained available for other watering tasks.

Xin Mu and his Pokémon left for the capital to challenge the Jade Dragon Gym, while Meownei worried that Litten was struggling to master Parting Shot. On the train, they met another rookie trainer headed for the same gym and discussed how its young Dragon-type Pokémon could be challenged by Fairy types.

• Meownei told Xin Mu that Sylveon had evolved and learned Baby-Doll Eyes, and that Litten was having trouble mastering Parting Shot.
• Xin Mu decided to leave after the holiday and traveled by train with Meownei and the others toward the Donghuang League capital to challenge the Jade Dragon Gym.
• Litten and Lucario watched an introduction to the gym, which often used Bagon and Dratini against beginner trainers.
• A teenage boy traveling to the same gym explained that Dratini and Bagon were late bloomers and that his Togepi could counter Dragon-type Pokémon with its Fairy typing.

Xin Mu watched an Elite Four exhibition match before challenging the Jade Dragon Gym, where Gym Leader Long Mingming sent out Dratini against his Litten. The battle began with Dratini knocking Litten back into its Poké Ball.

• Xin Mu watched Elite Four members Long Xiao and Ye Wen battle at the Donghuang Arena with Meownei and the other Pokémon.
• Xin Mu traveled to the Jade Dragon Gym and faced its leader, Long Mingming, under the rules of a three-Pokémon battle.
• Xin Mu sent out Litten first, and Long Mingming chose Dratini after recognizing his plan to gauge her strength.
• Litten charged with Fury Swipes, but Dratini struck with its tail and sent Litten back into its Poké Ball.