Recaps

Shen Qi, Lilligant, and Chansey traveled to Fuchsia City for a Regular Race, hoping to earn prize money while Chansey remained discouraged over her poor cooking. After arriving, they spotted familiar competitors on the entry list, including Maractus and Shan Sheng, and Shen Qi noticed Rose Champagne was competing too.

• Shen Qi and Lilligant worried about the cost of driving practice and planned to enter the Fuchsia City Regular Race.
• Chansey served burnt, overly salty fried chicken; Shen Qi encouraged her, but she recognized that he was trying to hide his disappointment and felt dejected.
• Shen Qi, Lilligant, and Chansey set out for Fuchsia City, leaving Dodo behind as they prepared for the race.
• Shen Qi drove to Fuchsia City while Lilligant and Chansey rode in the Poké Ball Rack, and he listened to reports on the T3 Race preliminaries.
• Lilligant said she was aiming for first place, and the competitor list included Maractus under the codename Mara 01 and Shan Sheng.
• Shen Qi spotted Rose Champagne on the list and recalled its strange performance in the Vermilion City race.

Shen Qi and Lilligant prepared for the Fuchsia City Regular Race from the last starting position, while Shan Sheng revealed he had joined the Perilla Racing Team and would compete in the T3 races. The race began with a crash that trapped cars near the back, and Espeon unexpectedly used Rain Dance as Shen Qi tried to get through.

• Lilligant assessed the Fuchsia City lineup and remained determined to aim for first place despite drawing starting position fifteen.
• Shan Sheng offered Shen Qi a trainee contract with the Perilla Racing Team, but Shen Qi refused because he would not accept a five-year commitment.
• Shan Sheng said he had been approved for this year's T3 races and warned Shen Qi that Janine's car behind him would be difficult to handle.
• At the race start, a collision among cars ahead forced Shen Qi and Lilligant to inch through a narrow gap.
• Espeon used Rain Dance on the track, leaving Shen Qi baffled about why Espeon and Wobbuffet had the move in their setup.

Shen Qi and Lilligant drove Flower Crown from the back of the field to Shan Sheng, overtaking cars with coordinated Pokémon abilities and racing tactics. As they prepared to challenge Shan Sheng on the mountain circuit, Shen Qi sensed a serious problem but had not yet identified it.

• Rose Champagne cleared the pileup with Rain Dance and Protect, while Chansey and Lilligant helped Flower Crown accelerate after the delayed start.
• Shen Qi steadied Lilligant as Flower Crown gained ground, while Janine led the crowded front pack with her Haze tactic.
• Shan Sheng held third place and considered recruiting Maractus, but Rose Champagne overtook him after he failed to block its aggressive pass.
• Flower Crown caught up to Shan Sheng, and he recognized that Tsareena—not Shen Qi—was driving with markedly improved skill.
• Shen Qi used Wild Princess and carefully adjusted Work Up to help Lilligant challenge Shan Sheng, then felt that something serious was wrong.

Shen Qi and Lilligant advanced through the race while Janine and Espeon battled for the lead with tactical moves. Janine used a Shadow Clone and Destiny Bond, leaving the other racers unsure whether her strategy would violate the rules.

• Shen Qi told Lilligant to close in on a Class B Car as they approached the beach section.
• Janine used Haze from the Yuanbao 1st Generation, clearing the racers’ accumulated buffs.
• Espeon used Trick Room to overtake Janine’s car and take first place.
• Shen Qi held Lilligant back while Janine’s car produced a Shadow Clone and then used Destiny Bond.
• The commentators explained that Destiny Bond was not yet a foul because it had not actively harmed another racer or vehicle.

Shen Qi and Lilligant overcame Janine’s tactics and won the race, with Flower Crown finishing first. Afterward, Janine congratulated Shen Qi, while Maractus approached to play with Lilligant.

• Janine used Destiny Bond on her light-and-shadow Yuanbao 1st Generation, frightening another driver and briefly disrupting Lilligant without breaking the rules.
• Shen Qi steadied Lilligant and used Chansey’s Helping Hand and Lilligant’s Sunny Day to help Flower Crown overtake Janine’s car.
• Janine countered with Rain Dance and repeated Haze, but Shen Qi kept boosting Flower Crown and Lilligant widened the gap.
• Flower Crown crossed the finish line 1.3 seconds ahead of Janine’s Yuanbao 1st Generation, while Maractus took third place.
• Janine congratulated Shen Qi and praised his skill, and Maractus arrived to play with Lilligant but hesitated when she saw Janine.

After Janine’s praise helped Shen Qi recognize Lilligant’s dependence on his guidance, he weighed whether to change their racing teamwork before the T3 Preliminary Race and chose to wait until after Vermilion City’s Autumn Race. He celebrated his Fuchsia City Regular Race victory while Lilligant spent time with Maractus, then Shan Sheng approached him and said he seemed unwell.

• Janine praised Shen Qi for supporting Lilligant, prompting him to realize that Lilligant relied too heavily on his emotional reassurance and racing advice.
• Shen Qi considered how that dependence could hinder Lilligant’s development and their performance in higher-level races, while Janine befriended him and added him on a social app.
• Shen Qi weighed addressing the teamwork problem before the T3 Preliminary Race against risking their chances to earn points, and decided to keep things as they were until after the Autumn Race.
• Shen Qi and Lilligant received their Regular Race awards; Lilligant then went with Maractus to get drinks while Shen Qi waited.
• Shan Sheng invited Shen Qi to talk over drinks and told him that he did not seem to be in very good shape.

Chansey reflected on her limits and asked Lopunny to help Shen Qi’s family, while Lopunny worried that Chansey was leaving her. The chapter left Chansey’s request unfinished as Lopunny rushed to reassure her.

• Lopunny struggled through Chansey’s stricter training and feared that Chansey was preparing to leave her.
• Chansey reassured Lopunny that she had only suffered setbacks and explained that she could not help Shen Qi directly with racing.
• Chansey accepted her strengths in healing and massage and resolved to excel in those fields while helping the family indirectly.
• Chansey asked Lopunny to help Shen Qi, and Lopunny protested that she would gladly support her Trainer and family.

Chansey tested Lopunny’s compatibility with several racing moves and began preparing to teach her, while Shen Qi trained to learn Nene Ninja Technique ahead of Vermilion City’s Autumn Race. Principal Gui asked Shen Qi whether he would publicly promote his participation in a T3 event, offering a possible way to secure permission to take Porygon.

• Chansey taught Lopunny to sense Work Up’s move pathways, and Lopunny confirmed her Energy Chakras could learn the move.
• Chansey tested Lopunny’s compatibility with Defense Curl and found it strong; Lopunny had already mastered Helping Hand, but she balked when Chansey proposed Egg Bomb.
• Shen Qi planned to use the Pure White Ring to block out Rock-type perception while learning the Flying and Poison energies needed for Nene Ninja Technique.
• Shen Qi noticed the Desire Rabbit Emotional Script had risen to 83% despite Lopunny’s recent absence, but he focused on preparing for the Autumn Race and wondered whether Dodo could join him.
• After Shen Qi woke from an injury, he read Principal Gui’s message asking whether he would publicly promote his participation in a T3 event, which Shen Qi understood could help obtain Security Bureau permission to take Porygon.

Shen Qi met with Principal Gui, who agreed to publicize Shen Qi’s entry in the T3-class Autumn Race to help him take Porygon from Pokémon High School. After discussing the school’s support with his Pokémon, Shen Qi recognized that he and Lilligant had become too dependent on each other, and the chapter left them preparing to talk about changing their partnership.

• Shen Qi visited Principal Gui, who offered to publicize his race entry as an honor for Pokémon High School and help persuade Officer Jenny to let him take Porygon.
• Shen Qi agreed to the publicity but asked Principal Gui to screen out sponsorship offers from islanders who could not comfortably afford them.
• Shen Qi told Dodo, Lilligant, and Chansey how Principal Gui had supported him, and they resolved to give the race their best effort.
• Shen Qi noticed Lilligant was troubled and realized she had become overly reliant on him for emotional support and racing decisions.
• Shen Qi and Lilligant finished practice by the sea, and Shen Qi prepared to discuss their partnership and reach a preliminary understanding.

Shen Qi and Lilligant acknowledged that they might need to pursue racing separately in the future, but agreed to stay together through the Autumn Race. After learning they were assigned to the sixth group at White Cape, Shen Qi reported the news to Principal Gui, who revealed that Akiho had arranged a 100,000 b sponsorship from the Luxury Resort.

• Shen Qi and Lilligant discussed their future partnership and agreed to complete the Autumn Race together before exploring separate paths.
• Shen Qi and Lilligant watched the T3 preliminary group draw, while Chansey declined to watch and went out for her nighttime training.
• The draw placed Lilligant, registered as Tsareena 00, in the sixth group; her preliminary track was White Cape.
• Shen Qi told Principal Gui about the assignment, and Principal Gui explained that the White Cape area suited Lilligant's driving experience.
• Principal Gui revealed that Akiho was sponsoring Shen Qi and Lilligant with 100,000 b in gratitude for Shen Qi's help resolving the Luxury Resort's radio-wave trouble.

Shen Qi learned that he could bring Porygon to the T3 race, but the Security Bureau would escort and monitor him because of Team Rocket’s interest in the Virtual Pokémon. The group finalized plans for the trip to Celadon City, with Ariana’s possible interference still a concern.

• Shen Qi thanked Akiho and Principal Gui for their support and said he wanted to repay Pokémon High School by racing well.
• Officer Jenny explained that Shen Qi had passed the compatibility test to take Porygon, or Dodo, to the competition, but he could only use Porygon privately.
• Officer Shinichi and researcher Mizuki arrived, and the Security Bureau assigned them to accompany Shen Qi throughout the race.
• Shen Qi realized the escort was meant to protect him from Team Rocket and let Mizuki assess Porygon’s condition and capabilities.
• Shinichi confirmed Shen Qi’s hotel and travel plans for the trip to Celadon City, while the group acknowledged Ariana might make a move.

Shen Qi drove toward Celadon City with Mizuki and Porygon, while Lilligant assessed the White Cape race lineup and Shen Qi reconsidered his role as her racing partner. They agreed not to dwell on their partnership’s flaws before the Autumn Race, and Shen Qi asked Mizuki whether she liked racing as they crossed by ferry.

• Officer Jenny and Shinichi declined Principal Gui’s invitation to lunch and left the faculty office with Shen Qi and Mizuki.
• Shen Qi let Dodo out in the car, and Mizuki monitored Porygon’s improved mental state as they traveled toward Celadon City.
• Lilligant identified three T2 drivers and a strong Servine among their White Cape competitors, while Shen Qi realized his outdated racing experience might undermine Lilligant’s reliance on his advice.
• Lilligant reminded Shen Qi that they had agreed to focus on the Autumn Race before addressing flaws in their partnership, and he accepted her reminder.
• After boarding the ferry from Island 6 to Island 2, Shen Qi asked Mizuki whether she liked racing.

Shen Qi and Lilligant practiced for the Celadon City race while Mizuki avoided the racetrack, revealing an unusual dislike of racing. As Mizuki recalled how her former classmates left research for other pursuits, the chapter ended with her seeking comfort from her adviser, Kadabra.

• Shen Qi learned from Shinichi that Mizuki’s blunt dislike of racing was unusual for someone who usually showed little interest in anything outside work.
• Mizuki refused to accompany Shen Qi to the racetrack during his practice sessions, then resumed her mission duties after he finished.
• On the day of the preliminaries, Mizuki stayed in her hotel room while Shen Qi and Shinichi went to the race venue.
• Mizuki watched Celadon City University from her window and recalled how Wude became a Fighting Dojo leader and Li Yizi pursued idol work and racing.
• Distressed by her classmates’ departures from research, Mizuki went to vent to her adviser, Kadabra.

Lilligant and Shen Qi began qualifying at White Cape, where the Flower Crown launched impressively after Lilligant steadied her nerves. The chapter left them racing their first timed lap amid cheers from the stands.

• Shen Qi explained the T3 qualifying format as the drivers prepared to race at White Cape.
• Golett finished with a time of 9 minutes, 31 seconds, and Primeape followed with 8 minutes, 26 seconds.
• Servine recorded 8 minutes, 11 seconds, drawing cheers as a strong T3 driver backed by Erika.
• Lilligant grew tense before her turn, but Shen Qi helped restore her Mental Health Index.
• Lilligant used Growth while Shen Qi coordinated Chansey's Helping Hand with Racing Energy, and the Flower Crown made a fast start.

Shen Qi and Lilligant prepared for the White Cape preliminary race, where Lilligant qualified fourth behind several powerful T2 drivers. The race began with Lilligant defending fourth as Poliwrath quickly built a lead.

• Lilligant qualified fourth at White Cape, while Poliwrath took first, Servine second, and Primeape third.
• Shen Qi recognized Poliwrath’s owner as Daisy after Lilligant identified its Flower in the Water car as a Cerulean Gym model.
• T2-ranked Cacturne and its Spearow copilot approached Shen Qi and asked whether Lilligant was his partner, then left after hinting they might meet again.
• Shen Qi sent Lilligant to the starting position without telling her about Cacturne, wanting her to focus on the race.
• At the start, Shen Qi had Chansey use Helping Hand, but Lilligant could only keep pace with Primeape and Poliwrath pulled ahead.
• The cars entered the preliminary route, and the commentator announced that Poliwrath was approaching the slippery coastal rock road.

Shen Qi and Lilligant defended fourth place in the White Cape race despite mounting pressure from Cacturne. They crossed the finish line in fourth and qualified, while Poliwrath won, Primeape came second, and Servine came third.

• Poliwrath used Rain Dance over the rocky section to slow the cars behind, and Primeape later overtook Servine with a risky maneuver protected by Protect.
• Shen Qi soothed Lilligant as she held Flower Crown in fourth through the second lap, while Chansey's moves remained steady.
• Cacturne gradually climbed to fifth in Miracle Company's Wind Horse and began closing in on Lilligant.
• Poliwrath, Primeape, and Servine finished in the top three, while Cacturne came close to overtaking Flower Crown at the final corner but did not pass.
• Lilligant crossed the finish line in fourth place, qualifying for the next stage, and Shen Qi told her to stop the car.

Shen Qi and Lilligant advanced from the T3 race, but the pressure left them shaken, while Chansey worried that she had become useless to Shen Qi. After a misunderstanding involving Mizuki, the story shifted to the lively streets of Celadon City, where people discussed the race.

• Lilligant brought the Flower Crown to a stop after qualifying in fourth place, and Shen Qi comforted her as she cried from the pressure.
• Shen Qi reflected on the mental strain of the race while Chansey felt increasingly unnecessary beside his improving Pokémon and training methods.
• Chansey hid her distress and cheerfully followed Shen Qi and Lilligant back to the hotel, but Shen Qi noticed she had not attacked him as usual.
• Chansey threw Shen Qi onto the bed after he asked whether she wanted to do something to him, and Mizuki misunderstood what she saw before leaving.
• At night, Celadon City residents discussed the White Cape race, its standout Pokémon, and the unusual Flower Crown team.

Chansey worried that she could not help Shen Qi or cook well, but a chance encounter with Florges led her to enter Celadon City's Pokémon Cooking Challenge as Florges's partner. They chose to practice healthy home cooking, and Chansey watched the first contestants compete while waiting for her turn.

• Chansey heard about the Pokémon Cooking Challenge and entered after deciding the ingredients and kitchen facilities would be a useful chance to practice.
• Chansey hesitated at the cooking stations, unsure how to handle the unfamiliar ingredients and equipment alone.
• Florges introduced herself, offered to partner with Chansey, and explained that her food truck business had sold out for the day.
• Chansey told Florges she wanted to practice healthy everyday meals for Shen Qi, and Florges agreed to help her cook at home as well.
• Chansey and Florges registered for the challenge and waited as the first fifteen groups began cooking.

Shen Qi’s Chansey struggled through a cooking challenge with Florges’s help, then Shen Qi hurried to Vermilion City for the next preliminary race. He discovered that Chansey’s mental health had fallen and received an unexpected Pokémon Emotional Script prompt.

• Chansey and Florges made home-style stir-fried dishes despite the cooking challenge’s street-food theme, and their food failed to match the competing team’s successful grilled skewers and fried chicken.
• Shen Qi woke exhausted, packed his Pokémon, and set off with Mizuki for Vermilion City ahead of the Quiet Bridge preliminaries.
• Shen Qi noticed Chansey’s Mental Health Index was only 76% and wondered what had upset him.
• Shen Qi switched to the strategy game’s main screen and saw a prompt about a Pokémon Emotional Script, though he had not used the Script Detector.

Shen Qi discovered that Chansey’s emotional script had been triggered by losing a cooking challenge, then tried to help Lilligant manage the pressure before the second round of the Preliminaries. The chapter ended with Lilligant unsure whether to race conservatively or withdraw.

• Shen Qi spoke with Chansey on the way to Vermilion City, and her Mental Health Index recovered as she comforted him, confirming that her troubles were not about racing.
• At the hotel, Chansey told Shen Qi she had lost a cooking challenge after partnering with Florges, who had said Chansey tried too hard.
• Shen Qi realized that Chansey’s cooking may be connected to the “Crazy Quack-Soft Strength” script, but postponed investigating it because the second round was the next morning.
• Shen Qi met Lilligant at a café and told her that her poor mental state would prevent her from learning anything in the race.
• Lilligant considered racing conservatively or withdrawing, unsure how to handle the pressure before the competition.

Shen Qi chose to continue the Quiet Bridge competition despite Lilligant’s nerves, aiming to teach her how to face pressure by leading through his own actions. During qualifying, Lilligant’s anxiety made her forget Growth, and she struggled to recover as Shen Qi supported the team without correcting her.

• Shen Qi refused to withdraw and decided to show Lilligant how to handle pressure through his own conduct.
• After practice, Shen Qi took Lilligant back to the hotel early so they could rest before qualifying.
• At the Quiet Bridge course, Shen Qi and Lilligant encountered Wobbuffet and Espeon, who had also been assigned to their group.
• Lilligant tried a school trick for calming herself by tracing a word on her palm and pretending to eat it.
• Espeon and Wobbuffet posted an average qualifying time of seven minutes and fifty-seven seconds before Lilligant’s turn.
• Lilligant started nervously and forgot to use Growth, while Shen Qi supported Chansey’s Work Up and let Lilligant struggle through the mistake.

Shen Qi tried risky tactics to help Lilligant recover ground in the Qualifying Race, using Dodo’s Magnet Rise and Nene Ninja Technique to handle a sharp corner and the dangerous crosswind. Lilligant saw Shen Qi’s fierce enjoyment of competing despite their poor time and resolved to adopt the same mindset.

• Lilligant’s concentration faltered, and the Flower Crown posted a time of 8 minutes and 41 seconds at the end of the first lap.
• Shen Qi told Lilligant not to slow for a sharp corner, then had Dodo use Magnet Rise to carry the Flower Crown across it.
• Lilligant made a small steering correction as the Flower Crown landed on the sandy, rocky ground.
• Shen Qi activated Nene Ninja Technique, briefly preventing the crosswind from affecting the Flower Crown.
• Lilligant noticed Shen Qi’s excitement and determination and wanted to share his mindset.

Shen Qi and Lilligant advanced to the main race in twelfth place, where they faced powerful rivals including Chloe’s heavily modified Cerise Castle. As the race began, Lilligant struggled with pressure but resolved to give the competition everything she had.

• Shen Qi and Lilligant finished qualifying with an average lap time of eight minutes and thirty-six seconds, securing twelfth place among twenty Drivers.
• Shen Qi learned from Wobbuffet that Blastoise’s Cerise Castle was a customized Vermilion Logistics Class A Car owned by Chloe, Professor Cerise’s daughter.
• Espeon vowed to defeat Cerise Castle after learning that Eevee had helped Blastoise take pole position.
• The twenty cars began the main race, and Lilligant recovered her focus after Shen Qi reassured her.
• As Rose Champagne and Cerise Castle pulled ahead, Lilligant fought her discouragement and resolved not to ask Shen Qi for comfort.

Espeon struggled with a sudden fear of a Gastly and lost ground, while Shen Qi and Lilligant fought through their own doubts and used Magnet Rise to climb to sixth. The chapter ended with Cacturne closing in again as Shen Qi focused on the race.

• Espeon panicked after spotting a Gastly, and Wobbuffet took control as Rose Champagne slowed and stopped roadside.
• Blastoise passed Rose Champagne, while Espeon resumed driving despite her fear.
• Lilligant told Shen Qi that he did not want to give up, and Shen Qi urged him to judge the race for himself and keep going.
• Lilligant chose a risky line at a sharp bend, and Shen Qi helped Flower Crown use Magnet Rise to fly across the corner.
• Flower Crown overtook two cars to reach sixth place, but Cacturne steadily moved back toward the front.

Shen Qi and Lilligant used Dodo’s Magnet Rise and Shen Qi’s Nene Ninja Technique to climb into third place, but Espeon’s Rose Champagne overtook them. As Lilligant tried to defend fourth on the rough final stretch, Cacturne used Spiky Shield to smash through a tree and seize fourth.

• Lilligant let Cacturne pass, then Shen Qi summoned Dodo to help Flower Crown fly through the crosswind and overtake into third place.
• Espeon caught up in Rose Champagne and overtook Flower Crown, while Shen Qi realized she had recovered from her fear of the Ghost-type Pokémon.
• Shen Qi and Lilligant tried to hold fourth place against Servine and Cacturne on the Sunken Road.
• Cacturne drove Wind Horse through a tree and over loose stones under Spiky Shield, passing two cars and taking fourth place.