Chapter Summaries

Shen Qi used a Memory Image to uncover Meowstic’s dramatic dream of becoming the Dark Night King, then suspected the dream reflected real memories. As their ship prepared to dock, Meowstic’s regard for Shen Qi rose slightly, bringing conquest progress to 5%.

• Shen Qi viewed the first Memory Image drawings, which showed Espurr’s romance being shattered and him embracing darkness as the Dark Night King.
• The later drawings depicted Meowstic fighting through a war and traveling to confront the mysterious cat who had taken his love.
• The final drawing revealed that Meowstic had woken from the apparent saga as a dream, but Shen Qi doubted it was entirely fantasy because it appeared in a Memory Image.
• As the ship sounded its horn before docking, Meowstic felt a connection with Shen Qi and acknowledged him more, raising conquest progress to 5%.

Shen Qi brought the newly arrived Meowstic to his home, where Meowstic woke and mistook Shen Qi’s care and training for signs of hidden power. As Lopunny challenged Meowstic to a rematch, Meowstic agreed and grew more convinced that Shen Qi was no ordinary Trainer.

• Meowstic woke in Shen Qi’s storeroom and learned from Mime Jr. that Shen Qi had brought him home.
• Shen Qi explained that Meowstic had slept through the journey, while Meowstic privately admired Shen Qi’s driving and assumed he was hiding his strength.
• Shen Qi asked whether Meowstic could communicate telepathically, and Meowstic explained that it required strong mental power and skill.
• Lopunny challenged Meowstic to a rematch using Mega Evolution, and Meowstic eagerly accepted.
• Shen Qi fetched private Barrier Protectors, prompting Meowstic to conclude that Shen Qi was unusually capable and wealthy.

Shen Qi battled Meowstic with Mega Lopunny, then used Shadow Hold and a miraculous detached-arm technique to impress him and raise the Dark Night King script’s progress to 25%. Shen Qi realized Meowstic wanted a powerful, reliable Pokémon Trainer, then headed toward Pokémon High School while Meowstic remained stunned.

• Shen Qi had Mega Lopunny battle Meowstic, whose Reflect was shattered by her Quick Attack and whose Protect and Psyshock could not prevent his defeat.
• Mega Lopunny narrowly won before her Mega Evolution wore off, while Shen Qi wondered why the Dark Night King script’s progress had not increased.
• Meowstic tried to run toward Officer Jenny, but Shen Qi restrained him with Shadow Hold, raising the script’s progress to 17%.
• Shen Qi detached and reattached his arm while holding Meowstic, raising the script’s progress to 25% and realizing Meowstic sought a powerful, reliable Pokémon Trainer.
• Shen Qi returned Meowstic to the courtyard and left to look around Pokémon High School before his appointment with Principal Gui; Mime Jr. rubbed Meowstic’s head, and Meowstic did not resist.

Meowstic tried to learn Mime Jr.'s Divine Blessing Mode, passed out from the dangerous training, then asked Blissey to teach him how to get stronger. Meanwhile, Shen Qi met Xiao Chun's evolved Venomoth, and the chapter left him wondering why it was so familiar with him.

• Meowstic asked Mime Jr. to teach him, then tried combining several types of energy and passed out.
• Meowstic woke in the front hall and decided to learn from Blissey instead.
• Blissey offered Meowstic a therapeutic massage, and he realized too late that her smile seemed ominous.
• Shen Qi stopped feeding the Pokémon when a friendly Venomoth approached him.
• Dodo explained that Venomoth was Xiao Chun's former Venonat, which had evolved after bonding with Xiao Chun.

After Principal Gui proposed that Shen Qi try becoming Pokémon High School’s future principal, Shen Qi discussed the idea with Xiao Chun and weighed the school’s need to grow. He had already recommended Cassidy and Butch as possible teachers, and Principal Gui left the decision to him.

• After the graduation ceremony, Shen Qi asked Principal Gui for an honorary teacher title, but Principal Gui suggested he try becoming the school’s future principal instead.
• Shen Qi discussed the proposal with Xiao Chun, who agreed that Shen Qi was the best candidate to lead Pokémon High School.
• Shen Qi explained that the school needed to expand its staff and improve its teaching to compete with the Yangbeila Branch School on Shamouti Island.
• Shen Qi told Xiao Chun that he had invited Cassidy and Butch to join the staff, and Xiao Chun considered them worth evaluating.
• Shen Qi said Principal Gui would accept Cassidy and Butch if Shen Qi recommended them, and Xiao Chun observed that Shen Qi seemed prepared for the principal role already.

Shen Qi considered taking over Pokémon High School and joined Xiao Chun in learning the school’s support duties, from feeding and caring for Pokémon to helping withdrawn Pokémon adjust to people. The chapter ended with school life winding down after graduation, as Shen Qi and Xiao Chun watched a friendly beach-ball match.

• Xiao Chun suggested Shen Qi could become principal, and Shen Qi decided to test his suitability during his remaining year at Pokémon High School.
• Xiao Chun showed Shen Qi the Pokémon Living Area and explained how the school cared for 246 registered Pokémon as well as visiting wild Pokémon.
• Shen Qi helped feed the Pokémon and learned how support staff used type energy to help withdrawn Pokémon accept people and guidance.
• Shen Qi thought Cassidy and Butch could bring useful Pokémon-raising and teaching experience to the school.
• Xiao Chun and Shen Qi finished caring for the Pokémon, then watched the school’s clubs wind down as the third-year students graduated.
• Dodo and Whismur played beach ball with Lilligant, whose spike landed on her own side and gave the opposing team a point.

Shen Qi learned that Pokémon High School would face Yangbeila Branch School in a Friendly Match during spring break and decided to compete. After realizing their student lineup was weak without Qiu Yan, he resolved to ask her to join.

• Xiao Chun told Shen Qi about the Friendly Match and explained its individual and team formats.
• Shen Qi decided to enter the Friendly Match, reasoning that losing students would further threaten Pokémon High School.
• Shen Qi learned that Yangbeila Branch School had transferred students from its strong main campus, giving it a significant advantage.
• Xiao Chun listed Pokémon High School’s likely competitors and revealed that Qiu Yan had refused to participate.
• Shen Qi recognized that Qiu Yan’s absence would hurt the school’s showing and decided to talk to her.

Shen Qi asked Qiu Yan why she had declined to represent Pokémon High School in its Friendly Match against the Yangbeila Branch School, and learned she would only help the school if it showed real prospects. He proposed that he could bring in two teachers and field a promising student team, while hinting that the current first-years might be stronger than she assumed.

• Shen Qi considered possible members for Pokémon High School's Friendly Match team, including Little Reporter, whose broad Energy Perception made her promising despite her shortcomings.
• Shen Qi called Qiu Yan and learned she had declined the match because her strength came from outside the school and she did not plan to stay after graduation.
• Qiu Yan explained that Pokémon High School needed to show progress before she could persuade her family to let her teach there in the future.
• Shen Qi proposed bringing in two teachers and forming a student team that might win the Friendly Match, giving Qiu Yan a reason to see hope for the school.
• After the call, Shen Qi recalled Lilligant and Dodo and resolved not to underestimate Pokémon High School's current first-years.

Shen Qi returned home, where Meowstic cried and complained about the Pokémon surrounding him, then left to meet Koji and offer training guidance. At the start of the Friendly Match preparations, two young boys competed for Shen Qi’s attention as his fanboys.

• Meowstic rushed to Shen Qi and wailed, while Shen Qi discovered the “Dark Night King” Emotional Script had reached 25% progress.
• Shen Qi finished dinner, arranged for Blissey to accompany him to Koji’s home, and left Meowstic with Lopunny and Mime Jr.
• After Shen Qi departed, Meowstic tried to learn from Lopunny, then panicked when he remembered Mime Jr. was still there.
• Two young boys greeted Shen Qi and argued over who had spoken first.
• Shen Qi asked the boys whether they were joining Pokémon High School’s Friendly Match against Yangbeila Branch School.

Shen Qi explained why Pokémon High School needed to improve and learned that Yangbeila Branch School’s students were not as formidable as he had feared. He planned to recruit Qiu Yan for the Friendly Match, while Taichi described his three Eevee and their different evolution plans.

• Shen Qi told Koji and Taichi that Principal Gui hoped he would take over Pokémon High School, and Koji explained how outside competition could help the school avoid stagnation.
• Koji clarified that Yangbeila Branch School would send mostly first- and second-year students, and he believed he could compete with them.
• Shen Qi said Qiu Yan might refuse to help because she did not believe her strength belonged to Pokémon High School, so he wanted to show her the school had a future.
• Shen Qi reviewed Koji’s six Pokémon and Taichi’s lineup, including three unevolved Eevee.
• Taichi explained that one Eevee wanted to remain Normal-type, while the other two were preparing to evolve into Leafeon and either Flareon or Umbreon.
• Shen Qi set earning Qiu Yan’s recognition as their first training task.

Shen Qi learned that Meowstic had been arrested after wearing stockings and cutting holes in them while trying to imitate Lopunny’s training method. In detention, Blissey revealed Meowstic’s old crush on an Espurr and his rivalry with a Delcatty, while Shen Qi began explaining the strange images he had seen in Meowstic’s memories.

• Shen Qi watched Koji and Taichi’s Pokémon practice and considered how they could impress Qiu Yan before the Friendly Match.
• Officer Jenny arrested Shen Qi after finding Meowstic wearing stockings and cutting holes in them in a field.
• In the Detention Room, Blissey told Shen Qi she had known Meowstic when they were young Pokémon at Pokémon Paradise.
• Blissey explained that Meowstic had fallen for a female Espurr but lost her to a Delcatty.
• Shen Qi told the others he could see dreamlike images through his ability and described Meowstic as a lonely king amid war and flames.

Shen Qi realized Meowstic’s “Dark Night King” story was a chuunibyou fantasy and encouraged him to pursue strength without dismissing his imagination. The next morning, Shen Qi took Meowstic outside to demonstrate [Dark Rush].

• Blissey explained that Meowstic recognized her because he remembered eating her egg and feared her previous beatings.
• Shen Qi woke from Detention Room confinement, returned home, and confronted Oricorio about the sexy stockings.
• Shen Qi told Meowstic that he could grow stronger by breaking past his species’ limits and acknowledged his Dark Night King fantasies.
• Meowstic’s script walkthrough progress reached 30%, and Shen Qi invited him outside to demonstrate the power of darkness.
• Shen Qi and Meowstic faced off in the wild as Meowstic set up Reflect and Light Screen to defend against Shen Qi’s [Dark Rush].

Shen Qi tested the Opposite-Sex Nullifier by sneaking up on female Pokémon, then tried to use it to train Lopunny’s awareness. Officer Jenny caught him and beat him after he asked whether she was a man.

• Shen Qi explained his Dark Rush training to Meowstic, who admired the technique and made progress on the Dark Night King script.
• Shen Qi checked his rewards and activated the Opposite-Sex Nullifier, discovering that Lilligant and Oricorio failed to notice him until he entered their direct field of vision.
• Shen Qi used the item to sneak up on Lopunny and framed the resulting startled reactions as perception training.
• Officer Jenny interrupted the training and confronted Shen Qi, who asked whether she was a man.
• Officer Jenny stopped the police car, handcuffed Shen Qi to a tree, and beat him with her baton.

Shen Qi visited Little Reporter and met her Pokémon, learning how they supported her work and that she had built a strong lineup since returning to Island 6. He discovered she had gone out to photograph the sunrise, and she returned just as he threatened to punish her for dressing too lightly in the seaside cold.

• Officer Jenny arrested Shen Qi again after his [opposite-sex repellent] failed to affect her, and he set out the next morning to visit Little Reporter.
• Emolga met Shen Qi in the air and explained that he carried photography equipment for Little Reporter while continuing to train.
• Shen Qi met Golduck and Ledian, learned about Ledian's bond with Little Reporter and his efforts to improve his drawing, and heard how he might help with her illustrations.
• Emolga told Shen Qi that Little Reporter had gone out before dawn on Zebstrika, and Shen Qi learned her current lineup included Emolga, Golduck, Ledian, and Zebstrika.
• Shen Qi learned Little Reporter had gone to take sunrise photos in a gauze dress, and she returned to the yard on Zebstrika sneezing.

Shen Qi urged Little Reporter to take the friendly match seriously after explaining that Pokémon High School's future depended on its results. He then focused on strengthening the school's team and training his Pokémon, leaving Golurk's development as a key challenge.

• Little Reporter told Shen Qi she had entered the friendly match but saw little reason to work harder, so he explained that a loss could threaten Pokémon High School's survival and reminded her of the school's importance to her family.
• Shen Qi planned to secure the individual matches with Taichi, Koji, Qiu Yan, and a strong third-year student, while arranging for Cassidy and Butch to join the school after their service ended.
• Taichi and Koji began working to earn Qiu Yan's approval as Shen Qi resumed his Pokémon training routine.
• Shen Qi trained Pelipper to improve moves such as Water Pulse, Surf, and Air Slash, and guided Golurk in using Shadow Punch and developing his broad movepool.

Shen Qi asked Oricorio to become Lilligant’s co-driver, explaining how her Dancer ability could amplify Lilligant’s Quiver Dance during races. Oricorio agreed to try, and Shen Qi asked Lilligant what she thought, leaving her concerned that racing might interfere with Oricorio’s drawing.

• Shen Qi finished training Golurk and Pelipper, then continued Dynamax and Mega Evolution training with his Pokémon.
• Shen Qi cornered Oricorio and asked how often she went out for inspiration and whether she enjoyed racing.
• Shen Qi explained that Oricorio could ride with Lilligant and use Dancer to copy her Quiver Dance, potentially boosting the team’s performance.
• Oricorio agreed to try racing with Lilligant, viewing it as a chance to experience real racing.
• Shen Qi asked Lilligant to consider Oricorio as her co-driver, and Lilligant worried that it could disrupt Oricorio’s drawing.

Cassidy and Butch arrived on Island 6 to join Pokémon High School as teachers, giving the struggling school badly needed staff before its Friendly Match with Yangbeila Branch School. Their culinary skills impressed Xiao Chun, though the chapter left their future at the school still uncertain.

• Cassidy and Butch completed their registration procedures and reported to Shen Qi on Island 6.
• Shen Qi explained the school's staffing shortage and took the pair on a tour of Pokémon High School before their meeting with Principal Gui.
• Cassidy recalled that, while working for Team Rocket, they had heard about the attack on the scientific expedition on Island 7 and Ivory Tulip's replacement of Hinako.
• Butch recognized that their arrival could fill the school's five teacher slots for the upcoming Battle Competition.
• Xiao Chun watched Cassidy and Butch prepare Pokémon food and was astonished by their advanced cooking skills and Pokémon lineups.

The BC Duo joined Pokémon High School after Principal Gui accepted their past, and Shen Qi discussed the school’s future direction with him. The chapter ended with the school preparing for the Friendly Match despite its shortage of staff and Mu Ling’s determination to compete.

• Butch and Cassidy told Principal Gui about their Team Rocket past, and he agreed to hire them after noting they had served their sentences and completed community service.
• Principal Gui said Pokémon High School should focus on training Pokémon Workers, while Shen Qi considered becoming the next principal and recruiting more teachers.
• Shen Qi and the BC Duo left Principal Gui to rest, then completed their employment paperwork with Mu Ling in the Archive Room.
• Mu Ling explained that she had been practicing battling with Jixiang and Iron Pipe to prepare for the Friendly Match.
• Shen Qi warned Mu Ling against competing because of her age and health, but she insisted the school had few other people available to battle.

Pokémon High School scrambled to find enough teachers for its friendly match against Yangbeila Branch School, while Shen Qi continued training his Pokémon at home. Meowstic’s resolve to catch up faltered when he discovered Golurk had a powerful new form.

• Mu Ling explained why Pokémon High School had accepted the challenge, and Shen Qi and Butch sought additional teachers so she would not have to compete.
• Cassidy and Butch tested Jixiang and Iron Pipe, while Qian Hui agreed to return to the Sevii Islands and work at Pokémon High School.
• Jixiang volunteered to compete rather than let Mu Ling risk injury, and the teachers began preparing for the match.
• Shen Qi trained for the Spring Race and worked with Golurk while Meowstic’s Emotional Script progress rose through his dramatic reactions.
• Golurk revealed a skeletal combat form, leaving Meowstic stunned that yet another of Shen Qi’s Pokémon had Divine Blessing Mode.
• At dinner, Blissey served steamed egg custard, and she caught Meowstic as he tried to escape it.

Shen Qi learned that Pokémon High School lacked experience with Barrier Protectors and helped Taichi prepare two Eevee for evolution. The chapter ended as the group gathered to attempt evolving one Eevee into Leafeon and another into Flareon.

• Butch reported that the BC Duo had assessed Pokémon High School’s teachers and students, and warned Shen Qi that most competitors lacked experience with Barrier Protectors.
• Shen Qi arranged to use his portable Barrier Protectors and considered borrowing Koji’s equipment to prepare the Friendly Match participants.
• Taichi told Shen Qi that he planned to evolve two Eevee, and Shen Qi asked Cassidy to help with the attempts.
• Shen Qi brought Florges, Dodo, Blissey, and Mime Jr. to assist, and warned Blissey not to treat an Eevee if its evolution failed.
• Koji and Cassidy joined Taichi and Shen Qi in the courtyard, where Taichi chose Leafeon for one Eevee and Flareon for another.