Chapter Summaries

Lu Chen questioned the Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam about their past and the fall of ancient civilizations, then stored them and the sleeping Pokémon in the stone bell in his shed. Professor Oak suspected Lu Chen’s Gengar had fought the giant Pokémon, while Delia and the Pokémon enjoyed a peaceful day on the flourishing farm.

• Lu Chen learned that Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam could grow giant for only a short time and needed a long recovery, and he revealed that the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire had once used Pokémon like them as single-use weapons.
• Ancient Gengar and Ancient Alakazam admitted they knew nothing about how the Pokémopolis Civilization or the Ten Thousand Beasts Empire had fallen, so Lu Chen put them and the sleeping Pokémon in the storage shed.
• Professor Oak asked whether Lu Chen was involved in the giant Pokémon battle, but Lu Chen denied knowing anything about it, and Oak suspected Gengar had been the giant Pokémon.
• Delia fed Zorua and the other Pokémon as they relaxed around the farm, where the Starf Berry trees had begun to form flower buds.

Lu Chen discovered that his Fossil Pokémon had begun breeding in the farm’s river and considered raising them as a business. Ash arrived with Charizard, announcing that it had finally accepted him, and revealed he had found a Pokémon Egg.

• Lapras led Lu Chen, Delia, and Professor Oak to a weakened Kabutops holding a Pokémon Egg, astonishing them with the Fossil Pokémon’s reproduction.
• Lu Chen fed Kabutops special Pokémon Food and encouraged the river’s Fossil Pokémon to breed, promising that their young could explore the wider world.
• Ash arrived with Charizard following obediently and told Lu Chen that Charizard had finally accepted him.
• Lu Chen wondered how Ash’s improved bond with Charizard and awakened Aura might affect his League performance.
• Ash told Lu Chen that he had also found something on the way, and Lu Chen guessed it was a Pokémon Egg.

Ash showed Lu Chen and the others the Pokémon Egg he had found, then Professor Oak learned that Ash had awakened his Aura. The gathering was interrupted when Oak received news that Gary had been gravely injured challenging the Viridian Gym Leader and was unconscious in the hospital.

• Ash showed Lu Chen the pale cyan Pokémon Egg he had found beside a river and said he felt connected to it.
• Lu Chen explained that an Aura Guardian’s first Pokémon Egg matched their talent, but Ash said he would raise whichever Pokémon hatched from his egg.
• Professor Oak realized Ash had become an Aura Guardian, heard how Lu Chen had helped him awaken his Aura, and urged him to learn from Lu Chen.
• Misty and Brock recognized Lu Chen’s Gengar as the gigantic Gengar they had seen during the earlier disturbance.
• Professor Oak received a call reporting that Gary had been severely injured while challenging the Viridian Gym Leader and was unconscious in the hospital.

Gary told Professor Oak, Ash, and Lu Chen that an armored Pokémon defeated his team at the Viridian Gym, while Lu Chen recognized it as Mewtwo and the Gym Leader as Giovanni. After the Pokémon League discovered Team Rocket’s secret laboratory and exposed Mewtwo, Professor Juniper called Professor Oak to ask about buying fossil Pokémon specimens, and he refused.

• Gary told Professor Oak that an armored Pokémon defeated his Blastoise, Arcanine, and Nidoking with Confusion, leaving him hospitalized.
• Lu Chen recognized the armored Pokémon as Mewtwo and the Viridian Gym Leader as Giovanni, but said the Pokémon League should handle the matter.
• Pokémon League investigators found the Viridian Gym abandoned and uncovered a Team Rocket laboratory beneath it.
• The Pokémon League revealed that Mewtwo was an artificial Legendary Pokémon created using an eyelash from Mew, shocking the Kanto Region.
• Lu Chen told Professor Oak about an ancient empire destroyed by a Legendary Pokémon avatar it had created, and Professor Oak recalled similar human folly.
• Professor Juniper called Professor Oak to ask about buying fossil Pokémon specimens, and he refused.

Professor Oak rejected Professor Juniper’s request to buy Kabuto, while Lu Chen considered using her fossil research to investigate the ancient battlefield. After watching Aaron’s Lucario defeat Blaine’s team, Lu Chen recognized the Aura techniques as part of an old lineage and decided to enter the Kanto League Conference, leaving Ash, Gary, and Professor Oak worried about the competition.

• Professor Oak refused Professor Juniper’s offer to buy the loaned Kabuto and ended their call.
• Lu Chen considered whether Professor Juniper’s memory-preserving fossil revival research could reveal what happened on the ancient battlefield.
• Aaron’s Lucario defeated Blaine’s Magmar and swept all three of Blaine’s Pokémon at the Cinnabar Gym.
• Aaron planned to compete in the Kanto League Conference to draw the newly emerged Aura Guardian to him.
• Lu Chen recognized Aaron’s battle techniques as a continuation of the skills he had taught the first Aura Guardian and announced that he might enter the Conference.
• Ash, Gary, and Professor Oak worried that Lu Chen’s powerful Pokémon would make the championship difficult to contest.

With only three days left to register for the Pokémon League Conference, Lu Chen began racing through the Gyms and won his first badge in minutes. He headed toward the next city, while Forrest wondered whether Lu Chen could collect all eight badges in time.

• Brock told Lu Chen that registration closed in three days, and Lu Chen said that was more than enough time to collect eight badges.
• Lu Chen flew to Pewter City with Aerodactyl, Gouging Fire, and Gabite, leaving Lapras and Gengar to watch the farm.
• At Pewter Gym, Lu Chen sent out Gabite, which knocked out Forrest's Onix with one Dragon Claw.
• Gabite defeated Forrest's remaining Pokémon, earning Lu Chen the Boulder Badge and a badge case.
• Lu Chen left for the next city, and Forrest wondered whether he was trying to speedrun all eight Gyms in three days.

Lu Chen earned all eight Kanto Gym Badges in a single day, and news of his feat spread ahead of the League Conference. A week later, Brock and Professor Oak recognized the strange fruit growing on Lu Chen’s farm as Starf Berries.

• Lu Chen defeated the Cerulean, Vermilion, Cinnabar, and Saffron Gym Leaders, while Erika and Viridian Gym’s acting Leader conceded, completing his eight Badges in one day.
• Online discussions erupted over Lu Chen’s speedrun, and fans anticipated a Kanto League Conference featuring him, Gary, and Aura Guardian Aaron.
• A week later, Ash and Gary practiced battling at Lu Chen’s farm while Brock noticed the unusual fruit on its trees.
• Brock identified the fruit as Starf Berries, and Professor Oak arrived and realized the trees he had watched growing were Starf Berry trees.

Lu Chen harvested his first crop of Starf Berries and negotiated sales with Brock and Professor Oak. He planned to sell the remaining berries to former Hoenn Champion Steven after the Pokémon League Conference.

• Professor Oak was astonished to find that Lu Chen had cultivated thirty Starf Berry trees, while Brock asked to buy some.
• Lu Chen and Gabite harvested the trees, gathering about a hundred Starf Berries in the first batch.
• Lu Chen realized that three harvests could yield roughly three hundred berries and imagined the profits from selling them.
• Brock explained that flooding the market would lower prices, so Lu Chen agreed to sell each berry for five hundred thousand.
• Brock bought ten berries and Professor Oak bought three, paying Lu Chen seven million five hundred thousand in total.
• Lu Chen considered selling the remaining berries to Steven and decided to approach him in Hoenn after the Pokémon League Conference.

Lu Chen prepared a secret medicine from Dragonite’s reverse scale and other ingredients as a promised gift for Gabite. After Gabite swallowed the foul-smelling pellet, he began to evolve, and Lu Chen expected the medicine to help him surpass other Garchomp.

• Gengar stored the Starf Berries in his alternate dimension, while Misty corrected Ash’s mistaken belief that he had eaten them.
• Gabite quietly started to leave the farm after the harvest, but Lu Chen stopped him and reminded him of his promised surprise gift.
• Lu Chen used Dragonite’s reverse scale, strange ingredients, and one of Gabite’s scales to make a blackish-gray medicine pellet.
• Gabite swallowed the pellet despite its awful taste, and his body began to glow as he started to evolve.
• Ash reacted in astonishment, while Lu Chen said Gabite’s evolution and secret medicine would help him leap ahead of other Garchomp.

Gabite evolved into an Elite Four-level Garchomp at Lu Chen's farm, and Lu Chen challenged Ash and Gary to battle. Gary declined to protect his recovering Pokémon, while Ash accepted and sent out Charizard after Lu Chen promised Garchomp would not use attacking moves.

• Gabite evolved into a powerful Garchomp and broke through to Elite Four level.
• Professor Oak, Ash, and Gary reacted to Garchomp's strength, while Lu Chen recognized that the Secret Medicine had awakened its ability to use Dragon Dance.
• Lu Chen invited Ash and Gary to battle, but Gary declined because his Pokémon were still recovering and the Pokémon League tournament was near.
• Ash accepted Lu Chen's challenge, and Lu Chen said Garchomp would refrain from attacking moves.
• Ash sent out Charizard to face Garchomp.

Ash awakened his Aura during a battle with Lu Chen's Garchomp, strengthening his bond with Charizard but still losing the match. The Elite Four then decided to send Lorelei and Bruno to investigate Lu Chen, while an egg in Ash's backpack began to crack.

• Ash ordered Charizard to battle Garchomp, but Garchomp blocked Flamethrower and knocked Charizard out of the air.
• Ash's determination awakened his Aura, which linked him to Charizard and increased Charizard's strength.
• Ash and Charizard used Dragon Pulse, but Garchomp pushed through the attack and knocked Charizard unconscious.
• Ash accepted the loss and promised to face Lu Chen again at the Pokémon League Conference, while Professor Oak announced a farewell feast.
• Ash's Pokémon Egg trembled after sensing his Aura, and a small crack appeared in its shell.
• Lance assigned Lorelei and Bruno to investigate Lu Chen, and Lorelei eagerly prepared to return to Pallet Town to see Lu Chen's Ancient Lapras.

Ash's Pokémon Egg hatched into Froakie, surprising Lu Chen with the Pokémon's connection to Ash's Aura. Lorelei visited Lu Chen and coyly asked whether they could try her earlier suggestion, leaving the others stunned.

• Ash rushed to Lu Chen's farm and revealed that his Pokémon Egg had hatched into Froakie.
• Lu Chen recognized Froakie and recalled that it would one day form the Bond Phenomenon with Ash.
• Ash eagerly welcomed Froakie as his new partner and promised they would grow stronger together.
• Aerodactyl initially blocked Lorelei and Professor Oak from entering, but let them pass after Lu Chen gave permission.
• Lorelei asked Lu Chen why he had not replied to her messages, and he said he had accidentally blocked her.
• Lorelei leaned close to Lu Chen and asked whether they could try her earlier suggestion, shocking Ash, Misty, Brock, and Professor Oak.

Lorelei tried to pair her Lapras with Lu Chen’s, but his scarred ancient Lapras rejected it. Bruno arrived at the farm and challenged Lu Chen to a spar, leaving Ash and Misty wondering whether Lu Chen could match him in hand-to-hand combat.

• Lorelei persuaded Lu Chen to let her Lapras meet his, and he agreed on the condition that his Lapras’s wishes came first.
• Lu Chen’s ancient Lapras ignored Lorelei’s Lapras, which retreated sadly while Lorelei comforted it and privately vowed to bring an aphrodisiac next time.
• A giant Onix approached the farm with Bruno riding atop it, but it stopped before reaching the property.
• Bruno introduced his newly caught Onix, sensed that Lu Chen was dangerous, and asked to spar with him.
• Professor Oak and Lorelei objected to Bruno’s challenge, while Ash and Misty recalled Lu Chen’s strength and scars and suspected he could hold his own.

Lu Chen defeated Elite Four member Bruno in a barehanded sparring match, astonishing Professor Oak and Lorelei with his skill and strength. After returning to his tea, Lu Chen asked Bruno and Lorelei why they had come to his farm.

• Bruno challenged Lu Chen to a hand-to-hand sparring match, and Lu Chen accepted.
• Lu Chen matched Bruno's attacks, then used Bruno's momentum to throw him to the ground.
• Bruno admitted defeat and praised Lu Chen's fighting skills, while Professor Oak and Lorelei watched in shock.
• Lorelei stared at Lu Chen's scarred, muscular body before he covered himself with a spare set of clothes.
• Lu Chen returned to his seat and asked Bruno and Lorelei what had brought the two Elite Four members to his farm.

Bruno and Lorelei discovered that Lu Chen was raising the supposedly extinct Kabuto and Kabutops on his farm, deepening their appreciation of his abilities. As they prepared to leave, Lu Chen revealed that he had entered the Pokémon League Conference, leaving them stunned.

• Bruno and Lorelei explained that Lance had sent them to investigate whether Lu Chen was connected to the newly appeared super-giant Pokémon, and Lu Chen calmly denied it.
• Lorelei spotted a newborn Kabuto by her feet and recognized it as a supposedly extinct Fossil Pokémon.
• Kabutops burst from the farm's river, scooped up the mischievous Kabuto, and disappeared back into the water, astonishing the visitors.
• Lorelei realized Lu Chen was breeding Fossil Pokémon, while Bruno recognized that Lu Chen's value extended beyond his strength.
• Bruno and Lorelei prepared to leave for the Pokémon League Conference, and Lorelei gave Lu Chen her private number again.
• Lu Chen told Bruno and Lorelei that he had entered the Pokémon League Conference, shocking them.

Misty traded the Cerulean Gym’s Water-type Pokémon raising program for the chance to raise Kabuto, and Lu Chen also lent her an Omanyte. Misty left with both Pokémon and promised to return them when they could breed.

• Bruno and Lorelei were stunned when Lu Chen said he would enter the Pokémon League Conference, then left to report back to Lance.
• After Bruno and Lorelei left, Misty asked Lu Chen to let her catch Kabuto and offered the Cerulean Gym’s Water-type raising program in exchange.
• Lu Chen accepted Misty’s offer and agreed to lend her both Kabuto and Omanyte, requiring her to return them once they could breed.
• Lu Chen introduced Misty to Kabuto and Omanyte, and she captured both Pokémon with Poké Balls.
• Misty gave Lu Chen the Cerulean Gym’s raising program and asked him to keep it confidential; Lu Chen agreed.

Lu Chen joined the group traveling to the Kanto League Conference, then slipped away from its opening speeches and encountered the young Aura Guardian Aaron. Recognizing Aaron as the son of an old friend, Lu Chen was confronted over his remarks about Aura Guardian clothing.

• Misty celebrated after Lu Chen agreed to let her help raise two Water-type fossil Pokémon, while he refused Ash's offer because Ash had not properly cared for Froakie.
• Professor Oak asked Lu Chen to carry the sacred flame at the League opening ceremony, but Lu Chen declined because it was Moltres's flame rather than Ho-Oh's.
• Lu Chen brought his Pokémon to the Indigo Plateau for the Kanto League Conference and asked a Steelix in Viridian Forest to guard his farm.
• Lu Chen grew bored during the opening speeches, left the venue, and spotted a young Aura Guardian accompanied by Lucario.
• Aaron defended the Aura Guardians' capes and hats after Lu Chen called their outfit dated, and Lu Chen recognized Aaron as the son of an old friend.

Lu Chen met Aaron and unsettled him with questions about the Aura Clan before leaving, while Aaron focused on the Pokémon League qualifiers. Lu Chen then recruited Zorua for a mission involving Garchomp’s Poké Ball, though the details remained unfinished.

• Lu Chen questioned Aaron about his Aura Guardian heritage, leaving Aaron and Lucario wary and confused.
• Lu Chen left, and Lucario sensed that he felt strangely trustworthy because of a deep, inherited connection.
• Aaron received his assignment to Zone D and set off excitedly for the qualifiers with Lucario.
• Lu Chen received his own preliminary qualifier assignment and lamented missing the food street at Indigo Plateau.
• Lu Chen threatened to make Zorua lose weight if he failed a mission, prompting Zorua to eagerly accept.
• Lu Chen began instructing Zorua to take Garchomp’s Poké Ball, but the chapter ended before he explained the full mission.

Ash, Misty, and Brock encountered someone they believed was Lu Chen at the Rocket Fried Noodles stall, then saw a report showing the real Lu Chen battling elsewhere at the same time. Lu Chen revealed that the lookalike was a Zorua, while Aaron watched from hiding and learned the truth.

• Ash led Misty and Brock to the Indigo Plateau food street, where they found Lu Chen eating Rocket Fried Noodles beside Gengar.
• The Team Rocket Trio nervously served Ash, Misty, and Brock, then wondered whether Lu Chen’s praise meant they should change careers.
• Ash and his friends saw a report of Lu Chen’s Garchomp winning three battles in Arena A and realized the Lu Chen at the food stall could not have been real.
• Lu Chen met the lookalike in a grove, where it transformed into Zorua and explained through telepathy that it could not speak human language.
• Lu Chen rewarded Zorua with a spicy giant squid skewer, while Aaron watched from hiding and recognized the transformation.

Aaron grew determined to defeat Lu Chen after condemning him for having Zorua battle in his place, while Lu Chen enjoyed a feast with his Pokémon. The next day, Aaron mistook Gary’s cheerleading entourage and Pallet Town roots for more evidence of the town’s trainers’ behavior, and his match with Gary began.

• Aaron resolved to defeat Lu Chen and gripped the rainbow-colored gemstone his clan elder had given him before leaving into the woods.
• Lu Chen returned to the hotel, brought out Aerodactyl, Lapras, and Gouging Fire, and shared the food he had bought with them.
• Aaron faced Gary in Zone D and bristled when he saw Gary’s matching cheerleaders cheering for him.
• After learning Gary also came from Pallet Town, Aaron blamed him for Lu Chen’s behavior and demanded they battle.
• Gary accepted the challenge and sent out Blastoise.