Chapter Summaries

Shen Qi and Lisia fought Bannai and Butler, countering their smoke and Sunny Day tactics before deciding Lisia should Mega Evolve Altaria to break through. As Lisia began the risky transformation, the attackers switched to rotating ambushes, and Poliwrath used Circle Throw to hurl Dodo out of the battle.

• Shen Qi used Global Eye to spot Bannai and Butler through the smoke and guided his Pokémon in counterattacks.
• Butler and Bannai combined Sunny Day tactics, and Torkoal used Solar Beam to knock out Quagsire and badly injure Slowbro.
• Shen Qi urged Lisia to Mega Evolve Altaria, and she began the transformation despite its long, vulnerable casting time.
• Bannai and Butler sent waves of Pokémon to disrupt Mega Evolution, while Shen Qi and Lisia's team defended Lisia and Altaria.
• Poliwrath ambushed Dodo, grabbed it, and threw it out of the battle with Circle Throw.

Shen Qi and Lisia defeated Butler and Banai, then reached Sootopolis Gym to regroup and learn that the battle had centered on Sootopolis Temple. Lisia and Shen Qi set out to support the wounded and investigate the fighting, suspecting Team Rocket had helped destroy the Pokémon Center.

• Shen Qi used Shadow Hold to disrupt Butler and Banai’s Pokémon rotation, while Mega Altaria’s Hyper Voice weakened their forces and Shen Qi spotted their decoy escape.
• Lisia and Shen Qi captured Butler and Banai, then flew from the woods near Sky Pillar to Sootopolis Gym to rest and regroup.
• At Sootopolis Gym, Lisia learned that Wallace, Steven, and Zinnia were among the defenders facing Team Magma and Team Aqua.
• Shen Qi suspected Team Rocket had been involved in the Pokémon Center’s destruction after hearing that black-clad attackers had caused the explosion.
• Lisia and Shen Qi left for Sootopolis Temple to aid the battle, where the two villainous teams were targeting the Ancient Orbs.

Shen Qi and the others learned that the Tulip Squad had launched the Infinity Energy Rocket at Sootopolis City, threatening everyone gathered there. Steven, Wallace, Zinnia, and Drake used the Legendary Titans to contain the rocket, but Infinity Energy continued to leak from the barrier.

• Team Rocket’s Matori Matrix joined Team Magma and Team Aqua, and a Mega Heracross killed Steven before the attackers withdrew from Sootopolis City.
• Winona warned that the Tulip Squad had seized the Infinity Energy Rocket at the Mossdeep Space Center and redirected it toward Sootopolis City.
• Wallace ordered the evacuation to the outer cliffs, and Shen Qi and Lisia carried wounded Trainers to safety as the rocket approached.
• Regirock, Regice, and Registeel formed an energy barrier and sealed the Infinity Energy Rocket before it could strike Sootopolis City.
• Steven, Wallace, Zinnia, and Drake controlled the Legendary Titans, but Infinity Energy kept leaking from the barrier and threatened the surrounding sea.

Shen Qi brought Florges to the Spherical Barrier, where she absorbed some of the leaking Life Infinity Energy, but the effort pushed her to her limit. As Florges sensed something responding to her thoughts near Sootopolis City, a tiny Pokémon with blue, cross-shaped petals appeared in the sky.

• Florges recognized the energy leaking from the barrier as Life Infinity Energy and told Shen Qi she could absorb some of it.
• Shen Qi asked Zinnia to take him toward the barrier, then used Jet Energy to fly there with Florges.
• Florges absorbed leaking Life Infinity Energy while the Legendary Titans contained the chaotic energy inside the Spherical Barrier.
• The crystals in Florges's ruff turned bluish-black, and Shen Qi stopped her when she reached her limit.
• Florges sensed something near Sootopolis City responding to her thoughts, and Shen Qi spotted a tiny Pokémon with blue, cross-shaped petals approaching.

After the meteorite crisis, Shen Qi was woken by Zinnia as a small fragment fell toward the forest outside Sootopolis City. Zinnia questioned him about Rayquaza’s summoning, and he wondered whether the Zinnia he had met before came from another world line.

• The Eternal Flower calmed the dangerous life energy and promised to meet Florges privately later.
• Steven and Wallace confirmed the crisis had passed, and the exhausted rescuers returned to Sootopolis City while Trainers salvaged the rocket wreckage.
• A pink Pokémon woke Shen Qi and warned him to leave the forest, whereupon Zinnia flew him away as a meteorite fragment approached.
• Zinnia explained that the fragment was a small leftover piece and asked Shen Qi whether he knew her.
• Shen Qi asked whether Zinnia had summoned Rayquaza two days earlier, but she said she had given her Successor Power to Ruby and Sapphire six months ago.
• Zinnia sensed Shen Qi’s close contact with Rayquaza and pressed him for the truth, while Whismur gently urged her to calm down.

Shen Qi learned that the spirit he encountered at Sky Pillar was the previous Zinnia, who had died protecting the Draconids and watching over the current Zinnia. As a meteorite threatened Sootopolis City, Celebi gave Shen Qi a Miracle Berry and a way to return to the Normal World Line, leaving him with up to three months to use it.

• Shen Qi told Zinnia that a spirit resembling her had summoned Rayquaza at Sky Pillar, and Zinnia realized it was the previous Successor, also named Zinnia.
• Shen Qi recalled the previous Zinnia's transparent body and concluded that she had been a spirit whose soul power was spent helping Rayquaza Mega Evolve.
• As the meteorite fell toward the forest, the Eternal Flower reduced its size, and Shen Qi and Zinnia went to help protect Pokémon from the debris.
• Shen Qi met Celebi, which had crossed from the Normal World Line to heal and protect Pokémon, and Celebi gave him revival energy.
• Celebi gave Shen Qi a Miracle Berry and explained that crushing it within three months would let Celebi bring him back to the Normal World Line.
• Celebi confirmed that Eternal Coordinates could guide Shen Qi through the return passage and said Pokémon with strong Compatibility and a close bond could cross with him.

After the meteorite crisis, Shen Qi celebrated with Hoenn’s leaders and asked them to introduce him to Sabrina so he could discuss a private matter. At the banquet, he noticed an unusually large Caterpie carrying Rayquaza’s familiar aura, and chased it into the woods.

• Wallace, Steven, Zinnia, Drake, Juan, and Chuck praised Shen Qi for helping avert the catastrophe.
• Shen Qi asked the group to introduce him to Sabrina, hoping to arrange a battle and warn her about possible Tulip Squad connections.
• Lisia pulled Shen Qi away from the teasing and gave him a ticket to her upcoming Lilycove City concert.
• Shen Qi spotted an oversized Caterpie among the Pokémon eating food at the banquet and sensed Rayquaza’s aura from it.
• The Caterpie used a Fly halo and fled into the woods, where Shen Qi threatened to expose Rayquaza for hiding and eating Pokémon Rations.

Shen Qi brought the dying Meng Ai to Lavender Town, where Old Man Fuji received her at the Soul House. After she passed away, Shen Qi thanked Fuji and assured him that he had no intention of exposing his past.

• Rayquaza told Shen Qi that Meng Ai’s artificial body was melting and directed him to find her near Sootopolis City.
• Shen Qi recognized Meng Ai as Ai No. 2, created by Dr. Fuji, and chose to accompany her home instead of seeking the White Jade Crystal.
• Shen Qi carried Meng Ai to Lavender Town with Charizard, while Rayquaza returned to the atmosphere to protect the world from falling meteorites.
• Old Man Fuji took Meng Ai into the Soul House, and Shen Qi did not see her again before her death.
• Shen Qi told Old Man Fuji that he knew about Dr. Fuji’s past but had no intention of reporting or arresting him.

After burying Meng Ai in Lavender Town, Shen Qi learned that she might be repaired and reassured the Fighting Dojo that he was safe. He investigated the Tulip Squad’s ties to Team Rocket with Old Man Fuji, then discovered he had missed Lisia’s concert in Lilycove City.

• Shen Qi visited Meng Ai’s resting place with Old Man Fuji, who explained that her damaged digitized soul could still be repaired, though she might not return in humanoid form.
• Shen Qi bought a new phone, read the Fighting Dojo’s messages, and called Wude, who lectured him for leaving without warning.
• Shen Qi asked Old Man Fuji about Team Rocket and told him the Tulip Squad and Matori Matrix had helped Team Magma and Team Aqua escape the rocket’s blast range.
• Old Man Fuji and Shen Qi questioned why the Tulip Squad and Matori Matrix seemed to be cooperating with Ariana’s effort to rebuild Team Rocket, but they could not determine the reason.
• As Shen Qi prepared to leave for the Fighting Dojo, Clefable returned a water-damaged ticket from his clothes, and Shen Qi realized he had missed Lisia’s concert in Lilycove City.

Shen Qi learned that his lingering energy was not from the Ultimate Weapon and received eight million b in rewards for his role in the crises. He spent the money on training supplies, returned to the Fighting Dojo, and began ordering custom Mega Evolution equipment before planning another trip to Sootopolis City.

• Old Man Fuji detected faint, unexplained energy on Shen Qi and ruled out the Ultimate Weapon's energy signature.
• Shen Qi received eight million b in rewards from the Hoenn League, the Ranger Union, and other parties, and Zinnia requested a discussion about the White Jade Crystal.
• Shen Qi bought three Dazzling Gleam Technical Machines and two Technical Machines for Younger Brother.
• Shen Qi returned to the Fighting Dojo, where its members celebrated his safe return and Wude urged him to rest before resuming training.
• Shen Qi visited Battle Item Street and ordered custom beginner Mega Evolution equipment, a Mega Stone for Lopunny, and a Mega Stone for Aerodactyl.

Shen Qi bought an Aerodactyl Mega Stone and ordered all-type Mega Evolution and Dynamax equipment, intending to leave the beginner gear at the Fighting Dojo. Back at the dojo, he trained Golett in Mega Evolution and Lopunny’s proficiency improved as their practice continued.

• Shen Qi visited Silph Commercial Plaza and learned that he had begun to perceive Dragon-type energy after his connection with Mega Rayquaza.
• Shen Qi ordered custom all-type Mega and Dynamax Bands, bought a custom Lopunny Mega Stone and a discounted Aerodactyl Mega Stone, and arranged for delivery in three days.
• Shen Qi returned to the Fighting Dojo, gave the receptionist snacks, and booked a practice room.
• Shen Qi placed the Aerodactyl Mega Stone on Golett and trained him, and Golett showed faint progress despite having only 13% Mega Evolution Form proficiency.
• After two days of intense practice, Lopunny’s Mega Evolution Form proficiency rose to 15%.

Shen Qi met Sabrina to share a lead on the Tulip Squad and asked her to take Wude’s challenge seriously. Sabrina set a one-year condition: if Shen Qi earned the Saffron Badge, she would consider battling Wude.

• Shen Qi received his Mega Evolution and Dynamax training equipment and packed it with the Technical Machines for his trip to Sootopolis City.
• Shen Qi met Sabrina for dinner and told her that Cai Xia, a suspected Tulip Squad member, was coaching Qiu Xi, a Saffron Gym student.
• Sabrina verified that Qiu Xi was a student at the Saffron Gym and recorded Shen Qi’s lead for follow-up.
• Shen Qi asked Sabrina to battle Wude seriously if Wude challenged her, explaining that Wude was unhappy after an injury ended his competitive career.
• Sabrina said she would consider Wude’s challenge if Shen Qi earned the Saffron Badge within one year.

Shen Qi secured Sabrina’s promise to assess Wude’s teaching through a Saffron Badge challenge, then prepared to travel to Hoenn and speak with the Draconids. Meanwhile, Wingull continued searching for Shen Qi, and the chapter ended with Golett staring at the plane’s wing as they flew toward Lilycove City.

• Sabrina offered Shen Qi a chance to practice at Saffron Gym, and Shen Qi agreed to work toward the Badge assessment for Wude’s sake.
• Shen Qi discovered Sabrina had charged 1,500b for a bottle of wine, then returned to Wude and said he planned to visit Sootopolis City to speak with the Draconids.
• Wingull flew toward Saffron City again, while Pidgeot told him to rest and promised to search Island 6 later.
• Shen Qi boarded a first-class flight to Lilycove City with his Pokémon after donating five million b to Island 6’s Disaster Prevention Fund.
• Golett pressed against the airplane window and stared toward the wing, puzzling Shen Qi.

Shen Qi arrived in Sootopolis City with Florges and found Eternal Flower, hoping she could remove the effect preventing Flabébé from evolving. While Eternal Flower examined Florges, Shen Qi discovered a new expansion-pack script tied to the evolution problem.

• Golett evolved into Golurk aboard the plane after watching its engine and awakening its potential to fly with jet energy.
• Shen Qi bought two Fly Technical Machines in Lilycove City and traveled to Sootopolis City, then flew to an island in its inner sea with Florges.
• Florges asked Eternal Flower to help free the Flabébé of another world line from the effect that prevented them from evolving.
• Eternal Flower studied Florges's condition and the residual aura of Imprison while Shen Qi moved to a nearby island to avoid disturbing her.
• Shen Qi confirmed the script "Madam, Please Behave Yourself-Evolution," which could reward him with ten targeted card draws if he solved the evolution problem.

Shen Qi investigated the unexplained Emotional Script “Not a Clue” and used its [Memory Image], discovering that it showed a Pokémon struggling through darkness and included sounds from an audience. The images remained pitch-black as the memory continued.

• Shen Qi realized the script had consumed an active [Script Detector] and concluded he had likely accepted it by accident while dazed after the meteorite crisis.
• Shen Qi guessed that his accidental confirmation had happened when he mistakenly clicked items on his phone during the flight back from Sootopolis City.
• Shen Qi fed his Pokémon, gave Dodo the Technical Machine for “Fly,” and had Dodo help Golurk learn the move.
• Shen Qi considered Rayquaza and Mime Jr. as possible Pokémon connected to “Not a Clue,” but found that neither fit the script-exclusive item, [Severed Limb].
• Shen Qi opened the [Memory Image] and experienced a Pokémon feeling its way through a pitch-black cave before falling into a shallow pit.
• Shen Qi opened the second group of images, which was also black, and heard people commenting on a Pokémon performing the robot dance.

Shen Qi learned that the Pokémon behind the black memory images was a Mime Jr. who traveled between regions and repeatedly predicted a world crisis. The images then revealed that Native Shen Qi had taken Mime Jr. in and cared for him, before Native Shen Qi graduated and prepared to begin dangerous training.

• Shen Qi identified the fortune-telling Pokémon as Mime Jr. and learned that he predicted a world crisis within five to ten years.
• The memories placed Mime Jr. in Galar, Alola, and eventually near Johto's Bell Tower, but offered no details about his prophecy.
• Shen Qi recognized his own voice in the next set of memories and realized Native Shen Qi had invited Mime Jr. to stay with him.
• Native Shen Qi cared for the withdrawn Mime Jr. and offered him a place in the house or a separate nest, without taking his prediction seriously.
• Native Shen Qi announced that he had graduated and planned to enter an assessment for the Fighting Dojo, while Pidgeotto had already left to lead a flock in the Shallow Leaf Protected Area.

Shen Qi pieced together that Mime Jr.'s prophecy concerned the approaching giant meteorite, then examined Mime Jr.'s memories and found that the Pokémon had left the courtyard. He tested the [Severed Limb] item, discovered its limits, and fainted after considering detaching Rayquaza during a race.

• Shen Qi realized Mime Jr.'s warning about a world crisis referred to the giant meteorite Zinnia had guarded against.
• Mime Jr.'s memories showed Native Shen Qi leaving for Ruins Valley, Mime Jr. sensing something terrible, and later leaving the courtyard.
• Shen Qi concluded that dealing with the meteorite and helping during the crisis had raised Mime Jr.'s script completion to 63%, but he did not know where Mime Jr. had gone.
• Shen Qi activated [Severed Limb] and tested detaching and controlling his thumb, arm, and leg, finding that control weakened with distance and consumed mental energy.
• Shen Qi considered detaching Rayquaza during a race, but the game reported that Rayquaza could no longer battle, and Shen Qi fainted.

Shen Qi tricked Lilligant into massaging him after pretending to injure himself, but Blissey interrupted with a painful healing session. He later recharged his Energy Comprehension Card, drew the Explosion Button skill, and began assessing its power and tactical uses.

• Shen Qi pretended that his arm had come loose during Style Techniques practice and persuaded Lilligant to let him rest on her lap and massage his shoulder and back.
• Lilligant called for Blissey, who struck Shen Qi with Body Slam, Brick Break, and Bomb, leaving him unconscious until nightfall.
• Shen Qi used the Love Savings Bank to recharge Energy Comprehension Card 1 and consolidated his Dragon-type energy training.
• Shen Qi used a Skill Card and obtained Explosion Button at 10% proficiency.
• Shen Qi examined Explosion Button's power and noted that, unlike Explosion, it consumed half the user's HP but could be used flexibly alongside healing skills.

Shen Qi learned that Florges could pursue an Eternal Flower form with Eternal Flower’s guidance and the Final Key Stone, and he agreed to help with her training. With only two and a half months before returning to the Normal World Line, he turned to Dodo to help him learn Dynamax while balancing Florges’s training.

• Shen Qi inspected the Explosion Button skill and considered how its variable energy types and repeated uses could make it powerful, though its long startup and training demands made it difficult to master.
• Florges and Eternal Flower discovered that Shen Qi’s Florges could gain an Eternal Flower form, using her repaired petal, life-energy adaptation, and the Final Key Stone as a foundation.
• Eternal Flower explained that Florges needed to build control over life energy and then attempt a transformation with Shen Qi’s cooperation, and Shen Qi promised to help.
• Shen Qi calculated that he had two and a half months left in the Mega Evolution World Line and decided Florges’s training took priority over learning Dynamax.
• After letting Florges rest, Shen Qi quietly asked Dodo to help him learn Dynamax, while keeping their plan from the sleeping Lilligant.

Shen Qi began learning Dynamax with Dodo and Lilligant at the Sootopolis Gym while Florges worked to neutralize residual life infinity energy near Sootopolis City. After two days of training, Shen Qi met Zinnia, who asked him to share everything he knew about the previous Successor.

• Shen Qi asked Juan to cordon off the island and nearby waters where Florges was neutralizing life infinity energy, and Juan arranged a discreet security response.
• Juan tested Shen Qi and Dodo, then assigned Morita to teach them Dynamax; Morita demonstrated Dynamax with Gorebyss and Dynamax Form with Shiftry.
• Dodo sensed a possible path toward Dynamax, while Lilligant joined the training and Florges continued learning to use life infinity energy.
• After two days of training left him exhausted, Shen Qi met Zinnia at a beverage shop near Sootopolis High School.
• Zinnia asked Shen Qi to tell her everything about the previous Successor, and Shen Qi said he would not charge her or the Draconids for the information.