Recaps

Shen Qi and Lilligant qualified for the T3 Main Race at Quiet Bridge, and Lilligant began recovering her confidence after placing fifth. While Shen Qi and his Pokémon rested before the final race, Chansey went to Vermilion Harbor and considered entering the Cooking Challenge to improve her cooking and earn their praise.

• Chloe's Blastoise won the second qualifying race, Rose Champagne took second, and Lilligant's Flower Crown placed fifth to qualify.
• Shen Qi reassured Lilligant that she could race in the Main Race despite her nerves, while he credited Dodo's successful Magnet Rise uses and luck for their result.
• Wobbuffet teased Espeon about losing again, and the newly qualified racers celebrated as Servine left after failing to qualify.
• Shen Qi and Lilligant returned to the hotel exhausted and fell asleep, while Dodo stayed behind with Shen Qi and Chansey went out to buy food.
• Chansey reached Vermilion Harbor, spotted Florges's food truck near Food Street, and considered entering the Cooking Challenge to improve her cooking and surprise Shen Qi and Lilligant.

Chansey rejected Weezing and Electabuzz’s invitation to join the Dark Cuisine World, insisting she wanted to make nutritious home-cooked meals for Shen Qi. Shuckle encouraged her to enter the Cooking Challenge and experience the gentle power of love, though Chansey doubted one competition could improve her cooking.

• Florges noticed Chansey’s longing while serving customers but kept working at her food truck.
• Electabuzz and Weezing invited Chansey to join their Dark Cuisine World and focus on barbecue and fried food.
• Chansey refused, explaining that she wanted to cook nutritious, delicious meals for Shen Qi.
• Shuckle arrived and defended Chansey’s approach to cooking.
• Shuckle invited Chansey to enter the Cooking Challenge with them, but Chansey worried that one competition would not help her learn.

Chansey competed alongside Shuckle in the Cooking Challenge, where she found a new direction for her cooking but failed to submit a dish. Shuckle’s astonishing stir-fried noodles stunned the spectators, while Shen Qi rested and prepared for the Autumn Race Main Race.

• Shuckle arranged for her and Chansey to compete in the same group as Electabuzz’s team.
• Chansey struggled to decide what to cook, then focused on kneading her love for Shen Qi into the dough and lost track of the timer.
• Shuckle finished a wok of stir-fried noodles despite helping Chansey, and the dish’s aroma overwhelmed the spectators and moved the judges to tears.
• Chansey clarified that the noodles were Shuckle’s creation and wondered who Shuckle was.
• Shen Qi woke after a long rest and planned to aim for around tenth place in the Autumn Race Main Race.

Shen Qi and Lilligant prepared for the Vermilion Harbor Autumn Race, but Lilligant’s mental health suddenly collapsed after she encountered a rose-red Flower Crown connected to her deceased former Trainer, Sayaka. The car’s drivers were two Lurantis sisters, and Shen Qi learned they, too, had once belonged to Sayaka.

• Chansey brought home old dough starter and prize money, while Lilligant’s mental health recovered and her level rose.
• Shen Qi reviewed the harbor course, noted Lilligant’s Sunny Day speed advantage, and set a modest goal for the Main Race.
• A rose-red Flower Crown stopped near Lilligant, and its Pokémon driver said something that caused Lilligant’s Mental Health Index to plunge to 31%.
• Lilligant recognized the car and its occupants as belonging to her former Trainer, Sayaka, who had died in a T3 race.
• Shen Qi saw two Lurantis get out of the car and learned they were sisters who had also been Sayaka’s Pokémon.

After the Lurantis sisters’ harsh criticism left Lilligant shaken, Shen Qi encouraged her to focus on racing well and prove her determination. Lilligant started fifteenth in the Qualifying Race, and the chapter left her and Shen Qi using Dodo’s Magnet Rise to clear a dangerous stretch, though an unstable landing cost them a place.

• The Lurantis sisters scorned Lilligant for her meekness and lack of progress, leaving her deeply distressed.
• Shen Qi helped Lilligant recover, and she finished the Qualifying Race with an average lap time of 8 minutes, 39 seconds, placing fifteenth.
• Shen Qi reminded Lilligant that she had worked hard and urged her to remember the setback as motivation for future races.
• Lilligant began the race calmly, with Shen Qi guiding her through the container checkpoint and telling her to disconnect her Ability Skill Slot before the rough terrain.
• Cacturne used Spiky Shield to break an obstacle and move from eighth to fifth as debris disrupted the other racers.
• Shen Qi and Dodo used Magnet Rise to pass five cars over the unstable stretch, but a poor landing dropped them from tenth to eleventh.

Shen Qi and Lilligant chased the rose-red Flower Crown, discovering that the Lurantis sisters used Contrary to turn stat-lowering moves into racing buffs. After the sisters taunted Lilligant and pulled ahead, her anger helped her comprehend Quiver Dance, and the chapter ended with the Lurantis noticing her car wobbling as she tried to catch up.

• Shen Qi used Lilligant’s Nene Ninja Technique to overtake a car and reclaim tenth place in the sea wind.
• Shen Qi realized the Lurantis sisters alternated Leaf Guard and Contrary, using Sweet Scent and likely Scary Face to lower their own stats and reverse those effects into racing advantages.
• The rose-red Flower Crown overtook another car, taunted Lilligant with flashing taillights, and disappeared around a bend.
• Lilligant grew angry at the sisters, and Shen Qi saw her comprehend Quiver Dance, though her attempts to use it failed.
• The older Lurantis noticed Lilligant’s car wobbling and losing speed, and judged that she had reached her limit.

Lilligant and Shen Qi finished the T3 race in thirteenth after Lilligant exhausted herself learning Quiver Dance, but they had already exceeded their goal by reaching the main race. The chapter ended with Espeon angrily protesting Wobbuffet’s claim that she had peed in her carrier from fear.

• The Lurantis sisters stopped holding back and passed Flower Crown as Lilligant’s fatigue worsened, dropping her to thirteenth place.
• Shen Qi comforted Lilligant after the race, reminding her that she had earned points, advanced to the main race, and learned Quiver Dance.
• Sakura’s Flower in Water won the race, Chloe’s Cerise Castle took second, and Electabuzz’s team finished third; the Lurantis sisters placed fourth and Espeon and Wobbuffet placed fifth.
• Shen Qi praised Espeon for overcoming Ghost-type interference, and Wobbuffet claimed that she had wet her carrier from fear.
• Espeon jumped out and angrily tried to explain that the wetness had come from tears, while Shen Qi misunderstood her protest.

After Lilligant’s race, Cacturne asked Shen Qi and Lilligant to help him win Maractus’s affection. As Shen Qi left the stands, Shinichi spotted Mizuki cheering for the Flower Crown and received an audio recording from her.

• Espeon returned to the car in tears after Lilligant translated Wobbuffet’s message, and Shen Qi noticed the Lurantis sisters had already left.
• Cacturne approached Shen Qi and Lilligant, bowed, and asked them to help him court Maractus.
• Lilligant agreed to help if she got the chance, then returned to her Poké Ball to rest while Shen Qi and Chansey left the venue.
• Shinichi noticed Mizuki in the stands with a cheering flag for the Flower Crown and wondered why she had come to watch.
• Mizuki left the stands and sent Shinichi an audio recording.

Mizuki intercepted Team Rocket’s plan to ambush Shen Qi on his way to Fuchsia City, and the Security Bureaus arranged a decoy operation to catch them. Shen Qi left Vermilion City as planned, then hid with the real Flower Crown while a disguised guard drove the replica onward as bait.

• Mizuki told Shinichi that she had intercepted transmissions she believed came from Apollo and Ariana, revealing Team Rocket planned to ambush Shen Qi on the road to Fuchsia City.
• Mizuki explained the plan to Shen Qi and said the Security Bureaus would use a replica Flower Crown and a disguised guard to lure Team Rocket into an arrest operation.
• Shen Qi agreed to cooperate, packed his belongings, and left Vermilion City as planned with Mizuki and Shinichi following behind.
• After entering the Shallow Leaf Protected Area, Shen Qi turned the real Flower Crown into a concealed hiding spot while the disguised guard continued down the road in the replica.

Team Rocket attacked Shen Qi’s party with Aerodactyl, Loudred, Golbat, Magmar, and Ariana’s Arbok, while the Security Bureau tried to protect him. The battle intensified when a Dragonite intervened and countered Altaria and Noctowl’s Hurricanes, revealing a red-haired Trainer riding it.

• A Security Guard disguised as Shen Qi reported movement in the woods, and Mizuki warned that Team Rocket’s intercepted recording might have been bait.
• Team Rocket attacked the forest with Aerodactyl, and Shen Qi identified the rare Pokémon as the Security Guards began fighting back.
• Mizuki realized Team Rocket had used Loudred and Golbat to distinguish the real Flower Crown from the decoy by its sounds.
• Shinichi sent out Machoke and Stoutland as Magmar appeared, while Mizuki joined the fight with Flareon and Vaporeon against Ariana’s Arbok.
• Altaria and Noctowl trapped Aerodactyl in twin Hurricanes, but Dragonite arrived and countered both attacks with Twister.

After returning home from the T3 Race and the Team Rocket ambush, Shen Qi rested, planned his next steps, and examined a new surveillance reward. At Pokémon High School, Lopunny met Dodo and felt hurt that Egg Master had become strict about her efforts to grow closer to Shen Qi.

• Shen Qi returned home after spending two days assisting the Security Bureau’s investigation and found that Lopunny had cleaned the house.
• Shen Qi planned to attend Pokémon High School’s celebration, thank Principal Gui, and report to Officer Jenny about Porygon.
• Shen Qi considered resuming his own Driver training and modifying Little Sheep, while reassuring Dodo that he would apply to take him on future races.
• Shen Qi examined the [Global Eye] reward, which provided omnidirectional surveillance and images directly in his mind.
• At Pokémon High School, Lopunny looked glumly at Dodo, who wondered why she had not visited Shen Qi before the T3 Race.
• Lopunny told Dodo that Egg Master had become very strict after the Fuchsia City Regular Race ended.

Lopunny trained with Chansey and studied infirmary scenarios with Dodo so she could charm Shen Qi. When Shen Qi arrived at Pokémon High School, Porygon guided him to rest in the infirmary, where Lopunny had already prepared to enact one of the scenarios.

• Lopunny recalled a month of diligent training under Chansey and felt encouraged by Dodo's support.
• Dodo took Lopunny to study infirmary scenarios, and Lopunny hurried to memorize the material when Shen Qi called her through her Poké Ball.
• Shen Qi met Dodo at the school and learned that Officer Jenny would take them to the Island 6 Sub-bureau after her meeting with Principal Gui.
• Porygon suggested that Shen Qi rest in the infirmary, and Dodo then sent him there while she claimed she had another Pokémon to visit.
• Shen Qi entered the remote storage building and shut the door, while Lopunny nervously hid and then lay on an infirmary bed under the covers.
• Shen Qi recognized that Lopunny was preparing a conventional school scenario in which a tired male lead entered an empty infirmary.

Shen Qi mistook Officer Jenny’s Herdier for Lopunny while trying to comfort the Pokémon under a blanket, startling her so badly that she evolved into Stoutland. Officer Jenny arrived after Stoutland fled and confronted Shen Qi, while Lopunny remained in the infirmary looking upset.

• Shen Qi used Global Eye to check the infirmary and approached a bed with a Pokémon hidden beneath its blanket.
• Shen Qi jumped onto the bed and hugged the blanket-covered Pokémon, then discovered it was Herdier rather than Lopunny.
• Herdier panicked, evolved into Stoutland, and fled toward the balcony with her Security Bureau armband visible.
• Shen Qi called after Stoutland and urged her not to give Officer Jenny a misleading account of what happened.
• Officer Jenny arrived with Stoutland and Pidgey, confronted Shen Qi, and accused him of teaching himself an improper way to help female Pokémon grow.
• Noctowl spotted Lopunny sitting on the bed with tears at the corners of her eyes.

Shen Qi learned that Team Rocket’s planned approach at the T3 Race had failed and received an Upgrade from Officer Jenny to evolve Porygon. After leaving the Detention Room, he returned home and told Lilligant he had been helping Officer Jenny with an investigation.

• Officer Jenny explained that Team Rocket’s race plan had failed because its member was eliminated in the preliminaries, and that Lance had leaked Ariana and Apollo’s conversation.
• Shen Qi heard that a cargo ship had mysteriously sunk after leaving Vermilion Harbor, leaving the Vermilion City Security Bureau with a costly salvage problem.
• Officer Jenny gave Shen Qi an Upgrade found in the Team Rocket Warehouse ruins so Porygon could evolve into Porygon2.
• Shen Qi left the Island 6 Sub-bureau and returned to the courtyard, where Lilligant asked where he had been.
• Shen Qi told Lilligant he had helped Officer Jenny with an investigation, privately thinking that his stay in the Detention Room counted as helping her.

Shen Qi praised Chansey’s improved cooking and heard how Shuckle helped her discover her strengths. At Pokémon High School, Shen Qi reunited with Dodo and prepared to use an Upgrade to evolve it.

• Chansey served Shen Qi beef noodles and described taking part in a Cooking Challenge while he was away.
• Shen Qi praised Chansey’s braised beef and dough-making, and she explained how Shuckle had guided her during the competition.
• After napping, Shen Qi went to Pokémon High School to discuss energy training, evolve Porygon, and complete the Desire Rabbit Emotional Script.
• Shen Qi told Dodo that the Security Bureau had approved it returning home, and Dodo celebrated the news.
• Shen Qi showed Dodo the Upgrade and asked it to use the item to evolve into Porygon2.

Dodo consumed an Upgrade but remained a Porygon, explaining that she shared her body with two souls who needed separate Upgrades to evolve. Shen Qi then took Lopunny home after their scenario reached 100%, though Officer Jenny repeatedly arrested him and left him setting a new detention record.

• Dodo drank the Upgrade and stabilized as a Porygon instead of evolving.
• Dodo told Shen Qi that an older sister and younger brother shared her body, and each needed an Upgrade to evolve.
• Shen Qi decided to bring Lopunny home, but Officer Jenny arrested him after overhearing his plans.
• The next day, Shen Qi recalled Lopunny into a Poké Ball after making her faint, and her Desire Rabbit scenario reached 100%.
• Officer Jenny took Shen Qi to the Detention Room, where he broke his record with five detentions across four days.

Officer Jenny tested Shen Qi and Lopunny’s compatibility and found it had reached the maximum score, allowing him to bring Lopunny home. Once there, Shen Qi urged Lopunny to value her abilities beyond her looks and asked her to partner with Lilligant, leaving him puzzled by how readily she agreed.

• Officer Jenny questioned Shen Qi’s capture of Lopunny, and he offered to prove their bond with a compatibility test.
• The test showed that Shen Qi and Lopunny had 50% compatibility, satisfying Officer Jenny and allowing Shen Qi to take Lopunny home.
• Lopunny returned to the Farmhouse Courtyard and communicated with Shen Qi through their souls.
• Shen Qi told Lopunny that charm went beyond appearance and praised her potential, moves, and future growth.
• Shen Qi asked Lopunny to partner with Lilligant, and Lopunny immediately agreed, leaving Shen Qi confused.

Shen Qi welcomed Lopunny as a new Pokémon, but Lilligant returned from a disappointing race and revealed why they needed to stop partnering for now. Lilligant found comfort in recognizing how far her racing form had slipped and began working toward regaining it, though mastering Quiver Dance remained difficult.

• Shen Qi told Lopunny she could not partner with him because she would faint, and they agreed she could race with Lilligant instead.
• Lilligant returned from the Fuchsia City Regular Race and reacted tensely to finding Shen Qi with Lopunny before taking him upstairs to talk.
• Lilligant explained that she had finished ninth out of twenty racers and that she and Shen Qi had stopped partnering so they would not reinforce bad habits.
• Shen Qi comforted Lilligant, whose Mental Health Index rose from 91% to 96% as she felt relieved to have recognized her declining form.
• Lilligant discussed the difficulty of practicing Quiver Dance, whose proficiency was only 10%.

Shen Qi discovered that Chansey had secretly trained Lopunny to become a suitable racing partner for Lilligant, and Lilligant thanked Chansey for her help. Chansey explained that she had begun preparing to support the household after overhearing Shen Qi and Shan Sheng before the T3 competition.

• Shen Qi used two [Skill Proficiency Card 1]s to raise Lilligant's Quiver Dance proficiency to 25%.
• Shen Qi concluded that Chansey's forceful, unstable skill use made her a poor copilot for Lilligant, and Lilligant agreed to try partnering with Lopunny.
• Shen Qi checked Lopunny's skills and found that she had unusually high proficiency in racing support skills, including Work Up.
• Shen Qi realized Chansey had likely taught Lopunny those skills, which explained why Chansey's mood had improved after Lopunny arrived.
• Lilligant hugged Chansey to thank her, and Chansey explained that she had started thinking of ways to help the household after overhearing Shen Qi and Shan Sheng before the T3 competition.

Shen Qi received the rewards from the Desire Rabbit scenario and drew Alliance Attack, a demanding skill that let him store and use a Pokémon’s move before recalling that Pokémon. He set his sights on qualifying for T2 races next year and planned to enter regular races while he worked toward eligibility.

• Chansey revealed that she had been teaching Lopunny racing, while Shen Qi examined the Desire Rabbit scenario’s rewards.
• Shen Qi found that Love Savings Bank stored same-sex affection as energy and could replace some mental power, but he left the empty item unused.
• Shen Qi used his Skill Card and drew Alliance Attack, which stored a Pokémon’s move for later use and then recalled that Pokémon to his side.
• Shen Qi called Chansey and Dodo to set a goal of qualifying for T2 races next year, though he first needed to complete regular races during his license trial period.
• Shen Qi planned to seek regular races with good prizes and arranged rear brake calipers for the Little Sheep.

Shen Qi collected the modified Little Sheep and prepared it to meet racing safety standards while searching for a Regular Race. After setting off for Saffron City, he aimed to place in the top three and win prize money.

• Shen Qi collected the Little Sheep from Huzang and paid for the modifications, then explained why he and Lilligant had stopped partnering in races.
• Huzang told Shen Qi that the Little Sheep needed a Roll Cage and Energy Circuit to meet Regular Race safety requirements, adding two days and over 20,000 b to the work.
• Shen Qi found a Regular Race in Saffron City with registration newly open and prize money for the top three.
• After the Little Sheep was made race-ready, Shen Qi set off for Saffron City with Dodo and Chansey, determined to compete for a top-three finish.
• Lilligant sneezed while practicing with Lopunny and wondered whether someone was talking about her.

Shen Qi tested the Little Sheep’s upgraded suspension, onboard software, and racing items during his journey to Saffron City, where he arrived and explored the city with Chansey and Dodo. He later drove into the disorganized settlements outside the city to practice, while preparing to master his new racing tools.

• Shen Qi used Adaptive Suspension to improve the Little Sheep’s handling and had Dodo remove the car’s software limits, increasing its power response.
• Shen Qi tested Global Eye and other racing items on his journey, but found it difficult to manage them all while driving.
• Shen Qi reached Saffron City, admired its infrastructure, and booked a hotel on the outer ring.
• Chansey mistook a Wailord cushion in a shop window for a punching bag, and Shen Qi corrected her.
• Shen Qi drove beyond Saffron City to practice and saw the irregular villages and unfinished buildings where people priced out of the city lived.

Shen Qi mistook a pair of visitors delivering fruit to Imite’s house for burglars, then cleared up the misunderstanding and reunited with Imite and Maractus. He told them he and his Pokémon were entering Saffron City’s Regular Race, and Maractus planned to compete as well.

• Shen Qi spotted a masked figure outside Imite’s cottage, then saw another figure drop a plastic bag by the window and hurried away when the resident opened it.
• Imite’s Doduo stopped Shen Qi, and Imite accused him of peeping at Maractus while she bathed.
• Shen Qi explained that he had seen the figures leave bags, and Imite and Maractus discovered that the bags contained fruit delivered to their household.
• Imite apologized and welcomed Shen Qi inside, where he explained that he and Lilligant were pursuing careers as Drivers separately.
• Shen Qi introduced Chansey and Porygon and confirmed that they would enter Saffron City’s Regular Race in two days; Maractus said she would compete too.

Shen Qi learned how Imite’s hardships had left her chronically ill and discovered that Cacturne had been secretly bringing fruit to Maractus’s family. He asked Maractus about romance and joining a Racing Team, but she explained that her family responsibilities left no room for dating and that joining a team would not work.

• Chansey used a Massage to help Imite fall asleep, and Maractus told Shen Qi how Imite’s overwork and loss of her childhood home had led to her illness.
• Maractus shared her hope that Imite would recover and their family could eventually build a new home from the materials they had kept.
• Shen Qi recognized Cacturne as the Pokémon secretly delivering fruit and messaged him about his feelings for Maractus.
• Maractus told Shen Qi she had no romantic interest in anyone and did not dare pursue a relationship while carrying her family’s burdens.
• Shen Qi asked whether Maractus had considered joining a Racing Team, and Chansey translated that it would not work.

Shen Qi declined to join the Club and focused on preparing for the Regular Race, arriving at the venue in his low-spec Little Sheep. As the other drivers and spectators questioned his choice of car, he insisted he was serious about competing and was best suited to driving it.

• Shen Qi left Shaling's home after declining her offer to stay, then told Cacturne that Shaling's financial pressures kept her from dating.
• Shen Qi declined Cacturne's invitation and drove to the Regular Race venue in his Little Sheep.
• The staff checked Shen Qi's registration and directed him to service bay seven, where he learned the race would run two laps through Saffron Tunnel.
• Spectators criticized Shen Qi for bringing a D-class Little Sheep to compete, and a karate-uniformed driver accused him of disrespecting the sport.
• Maractus asked why Shen Qi had brought a Little Sheep, and he explained that it was all he could afford and the car he knew how to drive.