Chapter Summaries

Tong Hua realized Team Dim Sun had caused Pokémon across Harbor Town to rampage and set out with his Pokémon to stop them. At the lighthouse, an undercover man destroyed the device controlling the Pokémon, then escaped while taunting Team Dim Sun.

• Harbor Town Rangers failed to control the rampaging Pokémon with Capture Stylers and switched to nets, evacuation, and tranquilizer guns.
• Tong Hua recognized Team Dim Sun's methods, regretted not warning the Rangers sooner, and decided to destroy the Mysterious Devices with his Pokémon.
• Rangers saw Mr. Kagami and Team Dim Sun on the lighthouse, where Kagami declared the group's debut and boasted of controlling Pokémon.
• An undercover man disguised as a Team Dim Sun member smashed the lighthouse's red device, causing the Pokémon below to stop rampaging.
• The man escaped the lighthouse by gliding with a Chatot, removed his Team Dim Sun uniform, and taunted Kagami and his followers.

Tong Hua helped expose Team Dim Sun’s attacks and told the Harbor Town Rangers that Angel Company president Pluck Hall was behind the organization. After Celebi appeared to support him, the captain agreed to contact Ranger Union Headquarters.

• A Sonic Boom from the lighthouse speakers disrupted Kagami and Team Dim Sun, allowing the Rangers to regroup and surround the lighthouse.
• Pokémon Trainers destroyed another Team Dim Sun base by using Electrode to blow up its Mysterious Device.
• Tong Hua learned the Rangers had a base in Harbor Town and went there to report what he knew.
• Tong Hua told the Rangers that Angel Company and its president, Pluck Hall, were behind Team Dim Sun, but the captain demanded evidence.
• Tong Hua summoned two Celebi, convincing the captain to contact Ranger Union Headquarters immediately.

After helping defeat Team Dim Sun’s attack in Harbor Town, Tong Hua brought the captured device wreckage and two Celebi to Ranger Union Headquarters, where he reunited with Riolu and met Chairman Xiaocui. Once the exhausted Pokémon were sent to rest, Professor Xinyuan asked Tong Hua to explain the Celebi and whether they were connected to Pluck Hall’s plot.

• Tong Hua thanked the Rangers, and Professor Xinyuan summoned him and his Pokémon to Headquarters after recognizing Ampharos, Celebi, and Riolu on the video call.
• Kagami and Team Dim Sun’s core members escaped Harbor Town by submarine, while several lackeys were captured and the Sweets Competition was postponed.
• Tong Hua and the Pokémon arrived at Headquarters with the wreckage of the Mysterious Devices, where Ampharos joyfully reunited with Riolu.
• Professor Xinyuan introduced Tong Hua to Chairman Xiaocui, who welcomed the Celebi and ordered the exhausted Pokémon to rest.
• After the others left the Operations Command Room, Professor Xinyuan asked Tong Hua about the two Celebi and their possible connection to Pluck Hall’s plot.

Tong Hua asked Professor Xinyuan about past world events to place himself in the timeline, then revealed future crises he claimed to foresee. He left Professor Xinyuan with warnings about the Ultra Beasts and Eternatus before identifying Team Dim Sun’s hidden backer.

• Professor Xinyuan recounted past threats from Team Rocket, Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, and Team Flare, while Tong Hua recognized that the world combined characters and events from different Pokémon continuities.
• Tong Hua worked out that the story took place after the Kalos incident but before the Alola incident, despite the Almia and Sinnoh timelines not matching the games.
• Tong Hua told Professor Xinyuan that he could foresee future events, including the Ultra Beast crisis in Alola and the Dynamax crisis involving Eternatus in Galar.
• Tong Hua warned Professor Xinyuan about Lusamine and Rose, saying their extreme plans could be prevented and redirected toward good.
• Tong Hua revealed that Angel Company and its third-generation president, Pluck Hall, secretly backed and controlled Team Dim Sun.

Tong Hua told Professor Xinyuan about Team Dim Sun’s Dark Crystals, the Mysterious Device, and the three colored crystals hidden across Almia. After Tong Hua cooked breakfast that restored the professor’s energy, Professor Xinyuan sent Rangers to investigate Angel Company, the Western Mine, Yizhi, and the crystals.

• Tong Hua explained how Pluck Hall mined Dark Crystals and how Team Dim Sun used Yizhi’s inventions to control Pokémon.
• Tong Hua asked Professor Xinyuan to investigate Yizhi and revealed that he knew the locations of the Blue Crystal, the Yellow Crystal, and the Red Crystal.
• Tong Hua and Professor Xinyuan exchanged information through the night, then joined their Pokémon for breakfast after waking.
• Tong Hua prepared Professor Xinyuan a meal whose effects restored his energy and improved his clarity.
• Professor Xinyuan summoned Seven and He Fu and ordered them to investigate Angel Company, the Western Mine, and Yizhi while other Rangers searched for the three crystals.

Tong Hua and Professor Xinyuan confirmed that special crystals from the Mysterious Device caused Pokémon to go berserk and learned that Angel Company was connected to Team Dim Sun. Tong Hua volunteered to infiltrate Angel Company and demonstrated a stealth ability that made others subconsciously ignore him, earning Professor Xinyuan’s approval for the mission.

• Riolu and the other Pokémon woke up and ate breakfast Tong Hua had prepared.
• Professor Xinyuan’s team found that special mineral crystals in the Mysterious Device emitted radio waves that caused Pokémon to go berserk.
• He Fu reported finding black crystals and Team Dim Sun miners near Line-Drawing Plateau, while Seven discovered that Yizhi had joined Angel Company and kept out of sight.
• Professor Xinyuan concluded that Angel Company controlled Team Dim Sun and discussed infiltrating its building to find evidence.
• Tong Hua volunteered for the mission and used his Maple Hand Saw to activate Stealth, causing everyone to subconsciously overlook him.
• Professor Xinyuan accepted Tong Hua’s offer to infiltrate Angel Company.

Tong Hua infiltrated Angel Company's headquarters to investigate Team Dim Sun and discovered an underground laboratory built around the Dark Crystal Motherlode. He found the Red and Yellow Crystals there and was shocked to see Team Flare researcher Xerosic arrive.

• Professor Xinyuan equipped Tong Hua with spy devices and capsules before he set out, while the other Pokémon stayed behind.
• Tong Hua entered Angel Company's headquarters under Stealth and used the password Ruo Ge to access a hidden underground level.
• Tong Hua followed Team Dim Sun workers carrying Dark Crystal fragments into a large laboratory.
• Tong Hua discovered the Dark Crystal Motherlode connected to machinery, with the Red and Yellow Crystals floating beside it.
• Tong Hua recorded the laboratory and saw Xerosic enter, leaving him wondering why a Team Flare researcher was there.

Tong Hua waited for a chance to steal two Crystals from Xerosic’s underground laboratory, where Team Dim Sun was conducting an experiment. He escaped with the Crystals using Celebi’s power to open a Spacetime Passage.

• Xerosic checked on Yizhi’s experiment and promised to reunite him with his sister if the plan succeeded.
• Malamar sensed something strange, but it failed to detect Tong Hua hiding outside the cameras’ coverage.
• Tong Hua waited for the laboratory to grow quiet and confirmed that Chief Seven was ready to help him escape.
• Tong Hua used a portable mechanical arm to seize both Crystals, revealing himself to the guards.
• Tong Hua called on the two Celebi, who opened a Spacetime Passage and vanished with him and the Crystals.

Tong Hua escaped Angel Company with two Blue Crystals and joined the Rangers’ race to retrieve the last one from Almia Ancient City. After learning an Angel Company convoy had already headed for the ruins, the group flew into the Blizzard to confront them.

• Tong Hua and the two Celebi used time travel to escape Angel Company with two crystals, then met Chief Pokémon Ranger Seven outside and fled on his Staraptor.
• Back at Ranger Union Headquarters, Tong Hua urged the Rangers to recover the last Blue Crystal and raid Angel Company, and Chairman Xiaocui ordered Seven and He Fu to Almia Ancient City.
• Tong Hua insisted on joining because he knew the ruins and its mechanisms, and Chairman Xiaocui agreed after telling him to follow the Rangers’ instructions.
• Tong Hua and his Pokémon geared up for the cold and traveled with Seven and He Fu toward Cold Wind Valley, stopping at the Fierce Research Camp during a Blizzard.
• Captain Juba told them an Angel Company-marked convoy had passed toward the ruins two or three hours earlier, and He Fu led the group onward through the storm.

Tong Hua and his companions reached the room holding the Blue Crystal, but Team Dim Sun ambushed them at the entrance to the underground passage. As Tong Hua descended with Riolu and Celebi, Ampharos, Seven, and He Fu stayed behind to fight Shi and his Pokémon, and Ampharos Mega Evolved.

• Steenee used Grass Whistle to put the searching Team Dim Sun grunts to sleep, and Tong Hua's group tied them up.
• Tong Hua said the Blue Crystal lay in the castle's central room, guarded by a Lucario, and led the group to the ice-blocked entrance.
• Seven summoned Luxray, which shattered the iceberg with Lightning Assault, allowing the group to open the door to the underground stairs.
• Shi and Froslass launched a blizzard ambush, so Tong Hua rushed downstairs with Riolu and Celebi while Seven, He Fu, and Ampharos stayed to hold them off.
• Shi attacked with Froslass as the defenders fought back, and Ampharos Mega Evolved using the stone-set bracelet.

Tong Hua and his Pokémon found the Blue Crystal beneath an underground ice lake, where its guardian Lucario demanded they prove their strength in battle. As Riolu and Tong Hua discovered their Auras were identical, they joined minds and shared each other’s memories.

• Tong Hua and his Pokémon crossed the frozen lake and found the Blue Crystal, where a Lucario statue awakened and challenged them to prove their Aura through battle.
• Lucario attacked Riolu, and Tong Hua’s team fought back; the Celebi’s attempt to take the crystal failed against its Aura barrier.
• Riolu immobilized Lucario with a Pause Orb, but the effect quickly ended, and Lucario drove back Steenee and Purrloin while condemning their reliance on outside power.
• Lucario sensed that Tong Hua and Riolu shared an identical Aura, and the two began hearing each other’s thoughts and feeling each other’s pain.
• Tong Hua and Riolu touched hands and paws, merging their minds and sharing the memories of their two worlds.

Tong Hua and Riolu shared their memories, and Lucario gave them the Blue Crystal before joining their fight against Team Dim Sun. After Ai Shi escaped and the grunts were arrested, Tong Hua discovered that his new Aura let him understand Pokémon, a skill Seven said could earn him special recruitment as a Ranger.

• Tong Hua and Riolu exchanged memories and recognized that they had both come from other worlds.
• Lucario judged their bond worthy of the Prince's Tears, gave them the Blue Crystal, and joined them to fight Team Dim Sun.
• Ai Shi fled the indoor battlefield while Seven and He Fu defeated and arrested the remaining Team Dim Sun grunts.
• Tong Hua returned with Lucario and the Blue Crystal, then showed Seven and He Fu that he could understand Pokémon through Aura.
• Seven said Tong Hua's ability could earn him special recruitment as a Ranger, and the group left Almia Ancient City with the arrested grunts.

After returning to Ranger Union Headquarters, Tong Hua learned that the three crystals could purify the Dark Crystal and agreed to use his Invisibility in the operation against Team Dim Sun. Riolu shared hope for saving the future with the others, while Tong Hua and Lucario prepared for the confrontation the next day.

• Grotle counted the days until Tong Hua returned as Tong Hua's group arrived at Headquarters with Team Dim Sun grunts in custody.
• Professor Xinyuan and Chairwoman Xiaocui planned to act against Team Dim Sun once the Chief Pokémon Rangers returned, and Tong Hua handed over the Blue Crystal.
• Riolu told Lucario about his world and encouraged Celebi by saying they could save the future and find Grovyle.
• Lucario and Tong Hua visited the rooftop crystals, where Lucario recalled that Cresselia and Heatran had guarded the other two.
• Professor Xinyuan confirmed the three crystals had to touch the Dark Crystal simultaneously and asked Tong Hua to use his Invisibility in the operation.

Tong Hua cooked breakfast for the Rangers and Pokémon, then joined a briefing on the plan to stop Angel Company from using the Dark Crystal to control Pokémon across Almia. The team launched Operation Light, with Tong Hua tasked with rescuing the hostages and bringing the three crystals to the Dark Crystal.

• Riolu woke up and found Tong Hua and Lucario cooking pancakes for the Rangers and Pokémon.
• Lucario praised Tong Hua’s pancakes, and the food refreshed those who ate it.
• Professor Xinyuan and Chairwoman Xiaocui revealed that Angel Company had transformed its building into Angel Tower to control Pokémon using the Dark Crystal.
• Professor Xinyuan assigned He Fu to lead the aerial assault and Seven to lead the ground team, while Tong Hua was tasked with rescuing the hostages and bringing the three crystals to the Dark Crystal.
• Professor Xinyuan named the mission Operation Light, and the operation began.

The International Police and Pokémon Rangers launched an assault on Angel Tower after learning Team Dim Sun was working with Xerosic, but the building’s traps split the forces and Ai Shi attacked with three Mega-Evolved Pokémon. Tong Hua’s group divided between searching for Yizhi below and advancing toward the tower’s upper floors.

• International Police officers evacuated Angel Company employees, and Looker and Emma arrived after disrupting a Team Dim Sun base and cruise ship in Harbor Town.
• The Rangers and International Police breached Angel Tower, where a trap split the lobby with barriers, sound devices, smoke, and sealed exits.
• Ai Shi appeared with Mega Froslass, Mega Abomasnow, and Mega Glalie, forcing Seven and the assault team to battle while breaking the barriers.
• Tong Hua’s group used Lucario and Riolu’s senses to find the emergency stairs and split up to investigate upstairs and downstairs.
• Looker and Emma led a team toward the basement to search for Yizhi, while Tong Hua and the remaining team began climbing the tower.

Looker’s squad stormed Xerosic’s underground control room, where Emma fought Mega Malamar and helped free the researchers from hypnosis. After Yizhi shut down the control system and the team defeated Crobat, they headed upstairs to support the others.

• Looker’s squad reached the underground control room and found Xerosic, Yizhi, and the other researchers under Mega Malamar’s control.
• Looker ordered the team to attack the control consoles, but Mega Malamar blocked their shots and struck back with Psychic.
• Emma used her E Combat Suit to dodge Mega Malamar’s attacks and land a punch that weakened his control over the researchers.
• Mega Ampharos struck Mega Malamar with Thunder, and Emma knocked him out of Mega Evolution, sending him into Xerosic.
• Riolu warned Emma of Crobat’s sneak attack, while Looker and Yizhi stayed behind as the others withdrew with Xerosic and the researchers.
• Yizhi destroyed the underground control system, and Looker, Emma, and their Pokémon hurried toward the tower’s upper floors.

Tong Hua and the International Police fought Rong Yan’s forces on Angel Tower’s fifth floor, while Tong Hua used a stolen Key Stone to draw Emboar away from the stairs. After the battle, Huang Mo retreated to the sixth floor, and Tong Hua’s group pursued him toward the tower’s top.

• Rong Yan attacked the International Police with Magmortar and Infernape, while Tong Hua slipped toward the stairs and found Emboar blocking the way.
• Mega Ampharos and other reinforcements joined the fight, and Purrloin stole Rong Yan’s Key Stone so Steenee and Delibird could lure Emboar away.
• Tong Hua raced for the sixth floor, but Huang Mo arrived and blocked the stairs as his Electric-type Pokémon joined the battle.
• Steenee helped Lucario defeat Infernape, and the combined forces knocked out Magmortar, Emboar, and Electivire while protecting the International Police.
• Huang Mo retreated to the sixth floor, Rong Yan was subdued, and Tong Hua’s group advanced toward the top of the tower.

Tong Hua reached Angel Tower’s summit and disrupted Pluck Hall’s attempt to charge the Dark Crystal while Rangers attacked the tower and Team Dim Sun’s forces were arrested. When the sixth floor fell and the protective barrier shattered, Tong Hua leaped toward the Dark Crystal with three crystals in hand.

• Tong Hua found Pluck Hall and Huiler charging the Dark Crystal, whose energy had corrupted Pluck’s family for generations.
• Tong Hua waited in hiding with Minccino and Purrloin, planning to use three crystals once the barrier fell, while the sixth-floor battle and the crackdown outside continued.
• The International Police commander learned that Team Dim Sun had cut power across northern Almia and ordered emergency power supplies for essential services.
• He Fu and another Chief Pokémon Ranger sent their Staraptor to attack the summit’s defenses, but automatic turrets forced them to retreat.
• Tong Hua secretly tampered with the summit console, causing the charging progress to fall and distracting Pluck and Dusknoir.
• The sixth floor fell and the barrier shattered, so Tong Hua leaped toward the Dark Crystal with the three crystals as Pluck and Huiler noticed him.

Tong Hua and his Pokémon purified the Dark Crystal, freeing Darkrai and restoring the Light Crystal, and Operation Light ended in success. The Almia Union honored Tong Hua and his companions with the title Friend of the Almia Union and a promise to grant one just request, which they chose to save for a shared wish to go home.

• Tong Hua, Minccino, and Purrloin joined the three crystals with the Dark Crystal, purifying it and freeing Darkrai from its corruption.
• International Police officers and Rangers reached the tower, took Pluck Hall and Huiler into custody, and watched Darkrai return to Pluck’s shadow.
• Tong Hua and his companions celebrated Operation Light’s success, and the restored Light Crystal was left in Angel Tower as a historical landmark.
• Looker escorted Tong Hua’s group to Headquarters, where Chairwoman Xiaocui granted them the permanent title Friend of the Almia Union and promised to fulfill one just request.
• Tong Hua and his companions agreed to share the promised favor and told Chairwoman Xiaocui their wish was to go home.

Tong Hua returned to Fairy Tale Ranch with Riolu, Lucario, Ampharos, and the others after the crisis in Almia. Ampharos planned to investigate Arceus and Dark Dialga, while the reunited ranch residents celebrated their safe return over dinner.

• Ampharos asked Tong Hua what he knew about Arceus and Dark Dialga, and Tong Hua described the Arceus statue at Destiny Tower.
• Ampharos said he would have an Exploration Team investigate and promised Tong Hua they would meet again after finding Grovyle and restoring Celebi's power.
• Tong Hua and the others arrived at Fairy Tale Ranch, where the Pokémon gathered around him and celebrated his return.
• Minccino recounted how Tong Hua and his companions restored the Light Crystal and saved Almia, impressing the ranch Pokémon.
• Tong Hua served a celebratory dinner, and Riolu and Lucario enjoyed his cooking.