Chapter Summaries

Xin Mu and his Pokémon endured a heat wave while waiting to learn where their summer trip would take them. Lü Ming chose Alola, and Tang Zi offered to handle their preparations there.

• Meownei drove away the noisy cicadas with an Aura Sphere and retreated to the cool house.
• Lucario and Corviknight returned early to escape the heat, and Lucario demonstrated that the sunlight was hot enough to cook an egg.
• Lü Ming sent the itinerary, revealing that the trip would be to Alola.
• Xin Mu explained Alola's islands, Island Challenge, regional Pokémon, and other points of interest to Meownei.
• Tang Zi told Xin Mu that she would arrange everything for the group in Alola.

Baby Eevee discovered that Sylveon had gone out without him and was left under the watch of two demanding Umbreon, while Xin Mu and the others arrived at Tang Zi's family estate on Poni Island. Gardevoir welcomed them as the temporary housekeeper and showed them to their rooms, where Meownei's attempt to browse a book prompted a startled reaction from Gardevoir.

• Baby Eevee woke to find Sylveon gone and learned from Bellossom that she had left with the neighbors without taking him.
• Baby Eevee celebrated his newfound freedom, but the two Umbreon silently watched him and prepared to impose stricter rules than Sylveon had.
• Xin Mu and the others arrived at Tang Zi's refurbished estate on Poni Island, where Tang Zi pointed out the nearby Seafolk Village and tried to avoid reminders of her childhood.
• Gardevoir welcomed the group, used her psychic power to carry their luggage, and showed them to their rooms.
• Meownei explored the study and picked up a book, but Gardevoir returned and urgently told her to stop.

Meownei discovered Gardevoir’s secret books and notebooks, and the two quickly became friends before Xin Mu’s group headed toward Poni Canyon. There, they found Totem Kommo-o battling the Ultra Beast Buzzwole, which had gained unusual power in this world.

• Meownei read Gardevoir’s intimate-emotions book and teased it until Gardevoir hid the books and flung its embarrassing notebooks out the window.
• Corviknight was struck by a mysterious projectile but could not find what had hit him.
• Xin Mu noticed Meownei and Gardevoir had become close, while Lü Ming explained Poni Island’s guardian deity Tapu Fini on the way to Poni Canyon.
• Corviknight spotted a battle in the canyon, and Xin Mu’s group approached after recalling him.
• Totem Kommo-o fought Buzzwole, whose punch met Kommo-o’s block before Kommo-o retaliated with Scale Shot.

Buzzwole defeated Kommo-o and drained its energy, then became absorbed in a muscle-flexing contest with Lü Ming. Xin Mu and the others captured Buzzwole in a Beast Ball and turned to help Kommo-o.

• Kommo-o unleashed Outrage and charged Buzzwole, but the two Pokémon collided and Buzzwole was thrown into a rock wall.
• When Outrage ended, Kommo-o became confused, and Buzzwole drained its energy until it collapsed.
• Lü Ming explained that the group needed to capture the Ultra Beast and return it to its world, then suggested using matching poses to lower its guard.
• Lü Ming showed off his muscles, and Buzzwole responded by performing difficult one-legged squats.
• Tang Zi threw a Beast Ball while Buzzwole was distracted, and Meownei took charge of the captured Buzzwole as the others went to Kommo-o.

Xin Mu and his companions revived the weakened Kommo-o, then took Buzzwole to Poni Garden so the Aether Foundation could send it back through an Ultra Wormhole. Buzzwole returned to its world after striking one last bodybuilding pose.

• Meownei used Aura to stabilize Kommo-o while Xin Mu fed it Pokéblocks, and the Totem Pokémon began to recover.
• Xin Mu and his companions left Poni Canyon for Poni Garden under the Aether Foundation's instructions, while Squirtle fretted that Buzzwole might escape its Beast Ball.
• At Poni Garden, researcher Lisa prepared the Energy Amplifiers to open a passage to Buzzwole's native world.
• Meownei released Buzzwole, and it watched the Ribombee before the researchers opened the Ultra Wormhole.
• Buzzwole recognized its home world, posed to show off its muscles, and flew through the vortex.

Xin Mu and the others surveyed Poni Island before Tang Zi used Alola’s Poké Ride system to take them to Exeggutor Island. As they observed the island’s towering Alolan Exeggutor, one of the Pokémon’s heads fell off.

• Xin Mu and the others watched a herd of Mudsdale gather saline soil while Corviknight surveyed Poni Meadow from above.
• The group explored Poni Island’s ancient carvings, Pokémon habitats, and Beyond Ruins.
• Tang Zi summoned wild Lapras with a whistle, and the group rode them across the sea to Exeggutor Island.
• Xin Mu and the others observed the island’s ten-meter-tall Alolan Exeggutor, and one Exeggutor’s head suddenly fell off.

Squirtle witnessed an Exeggutor lose one of its heads, which transformed into an Exeggcute and joined five others. Xin Mu, Lü Ming, and the others searched for the headless Exeggutor to study how it would regrow its head, but they never found it.

• Squirtle panicked when an Exeggutor head fell at his feet and hid behind Meownei and Torracat.
• Meownei called Xin Mu, Lü Ming, and the others over after explaining that a fallen Exeggutor head could become an Exeggcute.
• The head transformed into an Exeggcute, joined five others to form a group of six, and led them to challenge a Crabrawler.
• Lü Ming searched for the headless Exeggutor so they could observe how it regrew a head.
• Squirtle suggested checking the island's Exeggutor one by one, but the group failed to find the one that had lost its head.

Xin Mu and his companions returned to Poni Island after failing to find the Exeggutor missing a head, then shared a farewell dinner at Tang Zi’s mansion. As they reviewed their field notes beneath the stars, they reflected on how much of Alola and the Pokémon world remained unexplored.

• Xin Mu and his companions left Exeggutor Island without discovering what had happened to the headless Exeggutor.
• The group returned to Poni Island by Lapras and saw the village residents feeding the other Lapras.
• Gardevoir welcomed the group to Tang Zi’s mansion and served them an Alolan farewell dinner before their departure the next day.
• Squirtle noticed Gardevoir favoring Meownei and teased her about their closeness, while Meownei brushed him off.
• Xin Mu reviewed his notes in the courtyard and considered how much of Alola and the Pokémon world remained for researchers to explore.

Xin Mu and the others toured Melemele Island, sampled local specialties, and reunited at the airport after the concert. When an Alolan Rattata ruined Wei Heng’s souvenirs, he ran back to the market to buy replacements, leaving the group to wonder whether he would make his flight.

• Xin Mu left the Alolan Dugtrio concert because he could not stand the noise while Tang Zi and the others stayed behind.
• Xin Mu bought Poké Beans and Malasadas at the local market and shared the treats with his Pokémon.
• Xin Mu and the others met Wei Heng at the airport, where a Rattata escaped from his suitcase and stole Squirtle’s Malasada.
• Squirtle kicked the Rattata away, and airport security cornered it while Wei Heng discovered that it had ruined most of his souvenirs.
• Wei Heng ran back to buy replacement souvenirs, and Cui Shiya told Xin Mu that Wei Heng had probably promised gifts to younger female students.

On the flight home, Meownei kept a psychic message from Gardevoir secret while Squirtle teased her and was quickly subdued. After the group returned, Baby Eevee tried to investigate the air-conditioner water again, but Sylveon dragged him back to the burrow.

• Wei Heng made it back to the airport just before boarding closed and avoided changing his flight.
• Xin Mu asked Meownei about the wooden book, and she explained that Gardevoir had left psychic traces only Psychic-type Pokémon could read.
• Squirtle teased Meownei about the secret message, so she pinned him down, but he escaped into his shell and complained to Xin Mu.
• Meownei explained that Squirtle had been listening to stories about an old kingdom, and a blue Poké Bean soon cheered him up.
• Squirtle claimed a long-lived turtle in his family had met Arceus, then went to tidy the kitchen so he could eat.
• Baby Eevee approached the water dripping beneath the air-conditioner, but Sylveon caught him with a ribbon and dragged him back to the burrow.

Xin Mu, Tang Zi, and Lü Ming helped register new students at the Graduate School’s welcome tent while their Pokémon got into mischief nearby. After finishing their duties, Wei Heng resumed his unusual attempts to court students at other departments, drawing criticism from Squirtle and Cui Shiya.

• Lü Ming explained that he, Xin Mu, and Tang Zi had drawn the lot to staff the Graduate School’s registration tent.
• Squirtle slipped away to the Breeding Studies Department’s tent and repeatedly queued for free food samples.
• A new student from the Orange Islands registered with a timid Bulbasaur that had hatched three days earlier, and Xin Mu gave them details about the Trainer Welcome Party.
• Cui Shiya explained why Wei Heng was uninterested in courting Graduate School newcomers, then watched him turn his attention to students in other departments.
• Squirtle questioned Wei Heng’s refusal to ask for contact details, and Cui Shiya asked Xin Mu to guess how Wei Heng’s efforts would go this year.

Xin Mu traveled through Tianfu toward Shandu City to challenge the Shandu Gym, while the Gym’s Mismagius and an old Gengar discussed his record and whether he would accept a larger responsibility. The chapter ended with Gengar offering to test Xin Mu.

• Xin Mu flew to Tianfu with his Pokémon and looked back on his previous visit for the Pangoro Academy Cup.
• Xin Mu bought tickets for the Spirit World Bus and rode it along the mountain road toward Shandu City.
• At the Shandu Gym, Mismagius discussed Xin Mu’s abilities and uncertain willingness with an ancient Gengar.
• Gengar found a duty roster and offered to test Xin Mu.

Gengar searched the Shandu Gym for Sayoko and insisted on battling Xin Mu when he arrived for his Gym challenge. The one-on-one battle began with Meownei kicking Gengar before she was ready, and Gengar protested the surprise attack.

• Gengar searched the Shandu Gym and found Sayoko asleep in her dark, plush-filled lounge.
• Gengar told Sayoko she wanted to battle in the Gym and then left with Mismagius.
• Sayoko stayed awake on her phone until the challenge time, then told Xin Mu the battle would be one-on-one.
• Gengar entered the battle and challenged Xin Mu, while Meownei chose to face her.
• Meownei kicked Gengar before she realized Sayoko had signaled the battle’s start, and Gengar complained that she had been ambushed.

Xin Mu and Meownei won their final Gym battle after Gengar gave up, and the group went to a nearby Theme Park. The chapter left Squirtle confronting a Haunted House trick at the exit while Gengar and Mismagius stayed behind to talk.

• Meownei used Night Slash and Quick Attack to overwhelm Gengar, who realized Protean made her attacks ineffective.
• Gengar abandoned the battle and told Mismagius she was done, and the Gym Leader awarded Xin Mu the Badge.
• Xin Mu, Meownei, and Squirtle left the Gym as the lights went out, while Gengar and Mismagius emerged from hiding after they had gone.
• Gengar invited Mismagius to share old liquor and tea, and Mismagius agreed to talk with her.
• Squirtle led the group into the Theme Park Haunted House, then reached an exit that appeared identical to the entrance.

After returning home, Meownei planned Torracat’s training and prepared for the Donghuang Conference while Xin Mu arranged clothes for the next cold-weather expedition. Squirtle tried a prank toy on Sylveon, who barely felt its electric shock and came up with an idea for it.

• Squirtle complained about being tired, and Meownei teased him about his low step count compared with hers.
• Xin Mu discussed a future research expedition with Lü Ming, while Meownei assessed Torracat’s weaknesses and studied the Elite Four and Regional Champion.
• Xin Mu shopped for warm clothes for the expedition and planned different items for each Pokémon based on their needs.
• Meownei noticed Squirtle had disappeared and learned from Lucario that he had gone to the Backyard.
• Squirtle offered Sylveon a prank chewing gum that shocked him when he pulled it, but Sylveon barely felt the current and came up with a new idea for it.

Squirtle accepted the loss of his broken gadget and helped prepare for a winter survey trip to the Great Snow Mountain. Xin Mu, Meownei, Lü Ming, Tang Zi, and their new teenage student arrived by train beneath a shimmering aurora.

• Sylveon returned Squirtle's gadget with a bite mark, and Squirtle reassured Sylveon while asking for help with chores instead.
• Special winter clothes arrived, and Squirtle planned to eat extra food before hibernating during the coming trip.
• Xin Mu and Meownei packed for the remote Great Snow Mountain expedition, which required a train journey and a hike.
• Lü Ming set out with his students, including a new fifteen-year-old student from the Orange Islands, and asked Xin Mu and Tang Zi to look out for them.
• The group traveled north by Green Train and reached the mountain region late at night, where they saw an aurora through the frosted windows.

Xin Mu and his companions discovered an ancient Arceus temple buried beneath a glacier, then lost contact with their electronic equipment after a blizzard. When a hostile ancient Pokémon resembling Scyther appeared outside their cave, Xin Mu recognized that their surroundings had changed in a mysterious way.

• Xin Mu and his companions found a jade statue of Arceus and symbols that led Lucario to project a buried temple with eighteen pillars.
• Lü Ming chose not to explore the dangerous ruins beneath the glacier, and the group spent the night in their cave.
• The next morning, the group found that their electronic maps and satellite phones no longer worked, while Squirtle reported that a nearby tree had vanished.
• A hostile, axe-armed Pokémon attacked the cave, and Squirtle knocked down its rock spikes with bursts of water.
• Xin Mu recognized the attacker as Scyther's ancient form from Hisui and connected its appearance to the strange changes around them.

After Kleavor attacked them, Lü Ming concluded that he and his companions had traveled through time and space, possibly because of the temple of Arceus. Lucario located the temple ruins on a mountain across a gorge and lake, and the group set out to reach them.

• Squirtle defeated Kleavor with Hydro Pump, and Kleavor retreated after recovering.
• Lü Ming reasoned that the group had traveled through time and space, with the temple of Arceus likely holding the key to returning home.
• Lucario sensed that the temple ruins were on the mountaintop across from them, requiring the group to cross a gorge and a lake.
• The group avoided the circling Braviary and used Xiao Luo's Venusaur to carry them across cliffs.
• After reaching a frozen lake, the group checked the ice, put on anti-slip covers, and stepped onto it.

Xin Mu, Lü Ming, and the others crossed a frozen lake inhabited by hostile ancient Avalugg and reached a deserted Temple, where the Statue of Arceus sent them back to their original time. They learned that two months had passed and that they had missed the Donghuang Conference registration deadline.

• Xin Mu and the others encountered a group of ancient Avalugg beneath the lake ice and fought their way safely to shore.
• Lü Ming recorded observations about the ancient Avalugg after confirming that everyone was safe.
• The group reached the deserted Temple, and the Statue of Arceus returned them to the cave where their journey began.
• A Pokémon League rescue team found Xin Mu and the others, and they learned that two months had passed in their original time.
• Tang Zi reminded Xin Mu that the Donghuang Conference registration deadline had passed the previous week.

Squirtle discovered an ancient Sliggoo had eaten his emergency food, and Meownei caught it before Xin Mu and Lü Ming discussed the missed tournament. Lü Ming offered Xin Mu a chance to enter the Lily of the Valley Conference, whose registration closed in two days.

• Squirtle found an ancient Sliggoo in Xin Mu’s luggage, where it had dissolved and eaten the Pokémon food.
• Meownei caught the sluggish Sliggoo in a Poké Ball and planned to raise it into an ancient Goodra.
• Xin Mu planned to ask Pokémon High School for help protecting the rare ancient Pokémon from interested organizations.
• Lü Ming told Xin Mu he had missed the preliminaries and could either prepare for another year or enter the Lily of the Valley Conference.
• Lü Ming explained that an exchange policy allowed experienced trainers to enter another League’s tournament without its badges and forwarded Xin Mu the registration information.