Chapter Summaries

After returning home, Shen Qi spent two days relaxing with his Pokémon before heading back to Pokémon High School to discuss his training progress with his teachers. He arrived with snacks for his classmates and prepared to test his progress in Mr. Iron Pipe’s physical fitness class.

• Shen Qi returned home after Officer Jenny took him to the Detention Room, then hosted a barbecue with his Pokémon that evening.
• Shen Qi spent the next two days at home while Lilligant rested, Dodo adjusted Florges’s food cart, and Chansey trained in the mountains.
• Shen Qi decided to visit Pokémon High School to get advice about his training and drove there on his badly worn Little Sheep.
• Shen Qi brought local snacks to First-Year Class A and told his classmates he hoped they would help run the school well in the future.
• Shen Qi gave Mr. Iron Pipe a souvenir and went with Ms. Jixiang to the gymnasium to test his training progress.

Jixiang identified Shen Qi’s dependence on [Pure White Gloves] as a weakness in his energy-control fundamentals, then explained that Principal Gui had promised to guide him if the school’s teachers could no longer help. After choosing to continue his current studies and work, Shen Qi brought Little Sheep to Huzang for an inspection and discovered its condition was worse than he had realized.

• Jixiang praised Shen Qi’s broad energy control but warned that he relied on outside aids to prevent interference between types.
• Shen Qi admitted that using [Pure White Gloves] had become a habit, and Jixiang helped him plan his training.
• Jixiang told Shen Qi that Principal Gui had offered guidance if the teachers could no longer teach him, and Shen Qi chose to stay at Pokémon High School for now.
• Jixiang described Principal Gui’s support for students such as Qiu Yan and Xiao Ming, including lending Xiao Ming 100,000 b.
• Shen Qi took Little Sheep to Huzang for an inspection, and Huzang found that the vehicle’s exhaust pipe was cracked in addition to its other faults.

Shen Qi discovered that Little Sheep had dangerous leaks and ordered Huzang to prioritize a full safety overhaul. On his way home, he learned that Lance was waiting to see him, leaving him hurrying back with Officer Jenny.

• Huzang found serious problems with Little Sheep's intake and exhaust pipes and a possible Type Energy leak, so Shen Qi ordered a comprehensive safety refurbishment.
• Bronzong explained that Huzang had dug him up near Veilstone City decades earlier, and Shen Qi considered Fallarbor Town as a possible destination to investigate meteorites for Florges.
• Shen Qi left Little Sheep with Huzang and learned from Lilligant that Lance had come to visit him.
• Shen Qi met Officer Jenny on the way home, and she gave him a ride after hearing he had an unexpected guest.

Lance returned from the Detention Room and asked Shen Qi to watch for the Dragon Clan’s stolen Dratini. The chapter ended with Lance explaining that Team Rocket had stolen special Dratini capable of learning Extreme Speed, and that some were still missing.

• Officer Jenny arrested Lance after finding her obsessively cuddling her Shiny Dragonair in Shen Qi’s courtyard.
• Dragonite stayed with Shen Qi while Lance spent a day in the Detention Room, and Shen Qi fed him a large meal.
• Lance returned the next day riding Aerodactyl and met Shen Qi’s unusual Pokémon lineup.
• Lance told Shen Qi she had high hopes for him, then asked him to keep an eye out for the Dratini stolen from the Dragon Clan.
• Lance explained that Team Rocket had stolen the Clan’s special Dratini, which knew Extreme Speed from a young age, and that some had not been recovered.

Lance asked Shen Qi to watch for clues about the Dragon Clan’s stolen Dratini and offered payment and information about Team Rocket in return. After discussing Florges’s evolution and Divine Blessing Mode, Lance left Shen Qi wondering why Team Rocket had never targeted Pokémon High School for Porygon.

• Lance explained that he wanted Shen Qi to watch for Dratini clues because he could not investigate publicly while evading his cousin Clair.
• Lance offered Shen Qi 100,000 b for each useful clue, 500,000 b if the Dratini was recovered, and Team Rocket information to help keep him safe.
• Lance told Shen Qi that Divine Blessing Mode came from exceptional effort and training, and said Florges’s unusual evolution was more likely caused by a special meteorite or Evolution stone.
• Lance refused to reveal details of his Pokémon’s Divine Blessing Modes because he was saving them for the Pokémon World Championships.
• After three days at Shen Qi’s house, Lance prepared to leave and questioned why Team Rocket had never tried to retrieve Porygon from Pokémon High School.

Shen Qi finished training with Lance, prepared to leave Island 6 for the Winter Race, and tested the newly modified Little Sheep. After ruling out a single-turbo setup, he worked with Huzang to consider a different intake and exhaust arrangement.

• Lance advised Shen Qi to focus on improving his existing Energy Coordination, raising his Normal-type proficiency to 99% and his Flying-type proficiency to 41%.
• The Pelipper family visited Shen Qi, then departed with their grown Wingull.
• Shen Qi learned that Little Sheep’s safety modifications were complete and realized he had only a few days left on Island 6 before traveling for the Winter Race.
• Shen Qi took Little Sheep to Huzang’s shop and asked to adjust its intake and exhaust pipes.
• Shen Qi explained that he had abandoned a single-turbo setup because of Turbo Lag, while Huzang examined a possible new arrangement.

Shen Qi prepared Little Sheep for the Winter Race and set off for Saffron City after saying goodbye to Principal Gui. As he left Pokémon High School, Qiu Yan asked him for a ride.

• Shen Qi chose a Sequential Turbo and installed an Intercooler on Little Sheep, spending over 50,000 b.
• Huzang urged Shen Qi to keep an eye on Ayaka and said he hoped Shen Qi would someday defeat Celadon City University's car with an engine he had improved.
• Shen Qi brought Chansey back from Ruins Canyon and explained Huzang's remarks to Dodo and Chansey.
• Shen Qi told Principal Gui he would enter the Winter Race and declined the principal's offer of personal sponsorship.
• Principal Gui had Growlithe see Shen Qi out, and Shen Qi found Qiu Yan waiting at the school entrance, asking for a ride.

Shen Qi encountered a fugitive being pursued by wild Pokémon in the Shallow Leaf Protected Area and reunited with Xiao Ming, who had become a trainee Pokémon Ranger. Xiao Ming suspected the man of poaching during a protected season and demanded that he surrender the captured Pokémon.

• Shen Qi traveled from Fuchsia City through the Shallow Leaf Protected Area on his way to Saffron City for the Winter Race.
• After hearing a commotion, Shen Qi stopped his vehicle and saw a field-dressed man being chased by Pidgeot and other wild Pokémon.
• The man released Weezing, Onix, and Corphish, causing some of the wild Pokémon to back away, but Pidgeot called more birds to gather.
• Xiao Ming arrived riding Tauros and recognized Shen Qi, then warned the man that the gathering Pokémon made the situation dangerous.
• Xiao Ming identified himself as a trainee Pokémon Ranger, accused the man of poaching during a protected season, and ordered him to hand over the Pokémon he had taken.

Xiao Ming and Shen Qi helped Pidgeot return two stolen Pokémon Eggs to their mother, then Xiao Ming prepared to leave Kanto for Alola to pursue Ranger work and become a top Pokémon Trainer. Before boarding a freighter in Vermilion City, he told Shen Qi he hoped to return someday and run Pokémon High School.

• Pidgeot confirmed that the poacher had returned both undamaged Pokémon Eggs, then the wild Pokémon dispersed and the man fled.
• Xiao Ming and Shen Qi carried the eggs to a cave, where Swinub reunited with them and thanked the boys by nuzzling them.
• Xiao Ming told Shen Qi he planned to travel to Alola for Ranger opportunities, and Pidgeot encouraged him before they parted.
• Shen Qi took Xiao Ming to Vermilion City, where Xiao Ming planned to board a freighter to Alola using Director Baoba's recommendation.
• Xiao Ming told Shen Qi he would become a great Pokémon Trainer and return to run Pokémon High School.

Xiao Ming left for the Other Region after asking Shen Qi to help Pokémon High School if needed, while Shen Qi arrived in Saffron City to prepare for the Winter Race. He met Perilla Racing Team leader Ayumi and her brother Shan Sheng to watch the group draw, which placed Ayumi with T2 Driver Lily.

• Xiao Ming asked Shen Qi to help Pokémon High School if he failed to return with results, then left Vermilion Harbor to find the captain who knew Baoba.
• Shen Qi traveled with Chansey and Dodo to Saffron City and booked a hotel room despite the peak-season prices.
• Maractus offered Shen Qi a place to stay at Imite's home, but Shen Qi declined because he had already booked a room.
• Lurantis invited Shen Qi to stay with Sayaka and the sisters, but he refused to avoid being distracted before the Winter Race.
• Shen Qi met Shan Sheng and Ayumi, who explained that five Perilla Racing Team drivers had entered the Winter Race.
• The group draw placed Ayumi in a group with T2 Driver Lily, while Shan Sheng celebrated that he was not assigned to his sister's group.

Shen Qi learned that Ayaka and several skilled drivers were entering the Winter Race, then investigated the unfamiliar trainee Meng Ai and her Cultivation Pod. The chapter ended with Ayumi asking the Perilla Club for information while Shan Sheng dismissed Meng Ai as an unlikely threat.

• Shen Qi, Ayumi, and Shan Sheng discussed their Winter Race group, which included teammates, Lily, and the champion driver Ayaka.
• Shen Qi discovered that his first-round race would take place at Palmpona and reviewed the drivers assigned to his group.
• Shen Qi and Shan Sheng examined a report showing that Shen Qi's Little Sheep had finished ahead of Ayaka's Rainbow Flying Sword in a regular race.
• Shen Qi explained that Meng Ai's Cultivation Pod had held off Ayaka through skillful tactics, including creating a rare Snowscape.
• Ayumi asked the Perilla Club for information about Meng Ai, while Shan Sheng said she was unlikely to threaten Shen Qi's chance of advancing.

At Palmpona Beach, Shen Qi prepared for the T3 qualifying race while his Pokémon played and trained in the sand. Ayaka arrived and shyly offered him lemon soda, leaving Shen Qi delighted by her gesture.

• Shen Qi let Little Sheep, Chansey, and Dodo enjoy themselves before the qualifying race began.
• Shen Qi recognized Duowu, a fellow racer from the previous Saffron City Regular Race, and joked with him about his Pokémon Exeggutor.
• Duowu and Shen Qi laughed together after Duowu pretended Exeggutor was a fierce three-headed Pokémon.
• Ayaka approached Shen Qi at the beach and offered him a bottle of lemon soda.

Ayaka challenged Shen Qi, Duowu, and Meng Ai with Dueling Wine as she faced her past defeat and pursued a third consecutive T3 championship. After Meng Ai accepted the challenge, the Qualifying Race began, and Shen Qi watched the early Drivers' times.

• Ayaka offered Shen Qi and Duowu lemon soda as Dueling Wine, and both accepted her challenges.
• Ayaka explained that she was confronting her loss to Shen Qi's D-class car, then refused Shen Qi's suggestion of a Car Badge Duel.
• Ayaka offered Meng Ai the remaining bottle and challenged her, and Meng Ai accepted before returning to the Service Bay to hug Venusaur.
• Spectators learned that Ayaka's Rainbow Flying Sword had finished sixth in the Saffron City Regular Race and protested the result.
• Drivers began the ten-kilometer Qualifying Race, and Shen Qi noted that Duowu recorded a time of 8 minutes, 10 seconds.

Shen Qi’s Little Sheep placed fourth in the Qualifying Race, while Meng Ai’s Cultivation Pod finished sixth, revealing how much Meng Ai had improved. In the Preliminary’s opening moments, Shen Qi held back Chansey’s Helping Hand until Little Sheep had fallen behind, then used Alliance Attack to release the stored move and retake two positions.

• Shen Qi drove Little Sheep through the Qualifying Race in 8 minutes, 31 seconds, earning fourth place without using its turbo or Dodo’s Agility.
• Meng Ai’s Cultivation Pod finished in 8 minutes, 33 seconds, and Shen Qi noticed that she had become much stronger since the Saffron City Regular Race.
• Shen Qi prepared Little Sheep for the Preliminary, saving its new tires for the race and lining up fourth among twenty drivers.
• At the start, Shen Qi used Racing Energy to keep Little Sheep’s launch measured while Chansey charged Helping Hand and began Work Up.
• After two cars passed Little Sheep, Shen Qi used Alliance Attack to release the stored Helping Hand, overtaking them and reclaiming his positions.

Shen Qi used Little Sheep’s cornering and [Global Eye] to stay near the leading T2 Drivers while conserving his strongest tactics during the Preliminaries. As the race ended, the Cultivation Pod caught up to the front group, surprising Shen Qi with Meng Ai’s apparent improvement.

• Shen Qi used his opening burst and [Global Eye] to challenge the third-place Driver through the first corners, then studied the Z bends for a possible Levitate Tactics maneuver.
• Shen Qi decided not to use [Compatible Turbo] or Levitate Tactics because advancing in the Preliminaries only required a top-five finish and he wanted to save his trump cards.
• A T3 Driver in the number nine slot drifted through a corner, but a crosswind pushed him off the track and mugwort clogged his car’s intake.
• Shen Qi spotted the Cultivation Pod closing on the leading pack and wondered whether Meng Ai had improved substantially in the past twenty-odd days.
• Duowu crossed the finish line in second, followed by the third-place car, while the Cultivation Pod approached the front group.

After qualifying for the next round, Shen Qi explained to Meng Ai that he had let her overtake for strategic reasons, not friendship, but offered to get to know her. Their conversation revealed her unusual innocence and her interest in Faraway Island, leaving Shen Qi wondering how she knew of it and worrying about her trusting nature.

• Shen Qi confirmed that he and Meng Ai had qualified for the second round and reflected on the tougher competition ahead.
• Meng Ai thanked Shen Qi, believing he had let her pass as a friendly gesture, and Shen Qi explained his racing strategy.
• Shen Qi told Meng Ai about a past racing misunderstanding, helping lift her spirits before offering to become friends.
• Meng Ai eagerly accepted and asked whether Island 6 was near Faraway Island, astonishing Shen Qi with her knowledge of the lost island.
• Meng Ai tentatively took out her phone to add Shen Qi as a friend, while he worried that her trusting nature made her vulnerable.

Shen Qi met Meng Ai after the preliminaries and later visited Sayaka at Emerald Gold Manor, where he learned more about her limited mobility. The chapter ended with Sayaka welcoming him and Dodo to dinner and congratulating him on advancing.

• Shen Qi befriended Meng Ai, warned her to be careful around strangers, and defended her from Ayaka's rude fans without escalating the confrontation.
• Meng Ai explained that she walked stiffly because she had spent much of her life recuperating, then left in her Cultivation Pod.
• Shen Qi read messages congratulating him and accepted an invitation from Sayaka, driving to Emerald Gold Manor with Chansey and Dodo.
• At the manor, Chansey toured the kitchen with the pastry chef and Leavanny while the Lurantis sisters tried to get Dodo out of the room with Shen Qi.
• Shen Qi met Sayaka, who explained that she had little contact with outsiders, and she toasted his advancement with tea.

Shen Qi encouraged Sayaka to consider returning to the track, and she said she might try if she found the courage. After escaping the Lurantis sisters’ affectionate teasing, he met Florges and waited for Lilligant to arrive in Saffron City.

• Shen Qi told Sayaka about Meng Ai’s illness and racing, prompting Sayaka to compare their experiences and admit she might return to the track as Lurantis’s assistant.
• The Lurantis sisters told Shen Qi that Sayaka had long refused to consider returning, and he credited Meng Ai’s example and his own charm for changing her mind.
• Shen Qi escaped the Lurantis sisters, changed and washed his orchid-scented clothes, then headed out to meet Lilligant and Lopunny.
• Shen Qi arrived at Florges’s chosen lounge, greeted her, and waited beside the Flower Crown for Lilligant.
• Lilligant stepped out of the Flower Crown as Shen Qi welcomed her with a hug, while Lopunny eagerly awaited her turn.

Shen Qi reassured Lilligant about the Lurantis Sisters and received a Wish Necklace reward, then questioned how Shan Sheng had earned T3 certification after seeing him advance in the Winter Race. Xia Yang explained that Shan Sheng, like him, had likely benefited from a season with weaker competition and good luck.

• Lilligant confronted Shen Qi about the Lurantis Sisters, and Dodo and Chansey confirmed that he had stayed still when they hugged him.
• Shen Qi comforted Lilligant, who learned Ingrain and clung to him during their late-night snack.
• Shen Qi claimed the Wish Necklace, which could spend extra mental power to enhance another game item's effect, and considered using it for racing upgrades or move proficiency.
• Ayaka's Rainbow Flying Sword advanced first at Yūmachi Pier, Ayumi advanced third, and Shan Sheng also advanced in his group.
• Shen Qi messaged Xia Yang to ask how Shan Sheng had reached T3 level, and Xia Yang said both of them had benefited from weak competition and good luck in some seasons.

Shen Qi watched the Winter Race group draws and was relieved to avoid several familiar competitors, but he recognized that a driver registered as Lizao was likely Saffron Gym Leader Sabrina. He ended the chapter considering why Sabrina might have entered the racing event under an alias.

• Shen Qi explained that summer races offered weaker drivers better odds of earning T3 certification, then watched the draw for the Trainer division’s second round.
• Ayaka and Meng Ai were placed in Group Three, while Shan Sheng and his older sister were drawn together in another group.
• Shen Qi’s name appeared in Group Fifteen, which Lilligant judged to be a fairly ordinary group with six T2 Drivers and a few favorable circumstances.
• Shen Qi spotted Lizao’s name on his roster and suspected the driver was Sabrina, based on her alias, car, and connection to Saffron City.
• Shen Qi reasoned that Sabrina’s exceptional battling strength made the racing event a more plausible competition for her than a T3 Pokémon battle tournament.