Chapter Summaries

Tetsuya escaped the collapsing underground institute and joined the League’s battle against Team Rocket’s Dark Ball-controlled Pokemon. The League contained most of the attackers, but a Charizard was captured by a Dark Ball, and the Trainer whose Venusaur had been corrupted demanded a way to restore it.

• Tetsuya defeated the remaining Team Rocket guards, then fled the collapsing institute with his Pokemon and two captives.
• Tetsuya reached the surface and helped the League fight Pokemon whose Dark Balls had driven them mad and temporarily raised their strength.
• The League Trainers learned from the Porygon Trainer that the Dark Pokemon’s increased power was consuming their potential or vitality, while the Venusaur Trainer repeatedly failed to reach his Pokemon.
• Two Team Rocket members used their last Dark Balls, but a Kadabra stopped one and seized both spheres while the other captured a Charizard.
• The Venusaur Trainer punched the captured Team Rocket member and demanded a cure, but the minor leader claimed Pyrus had never told him how to reverse the Dark Ball’s effects.

Looker and the trainers discovered that destroying Pyrus’s Dark Balls freed the controlled Pokemon, ending the battle. With the Dark Pokemon restored and Team Rocket members captured, Looker prepared to investigate the research institute below.

• Tetsuya’s group searched the captured Team Rocket underling and found Dark Balls, while testing revealed which devices were real.
• The Dark Venusaur trainer took a Dark Ball from Qiyu and flew away on Skarmory to test whether destroying it would free the controlled Pokemon.
• After the trainer returned and confirmed the method worked, the group smashed the Dark Balls and the eight Dark Pokemon stopped fighting and returned to normal.
• Looker captured a hidden Team Rocket member, smashed the remaining real Dark Balls himself, and freed the other Dark Pokemon.
• Looker learned that Onix, Graveler, and Gigalith were guarding the underground research institute, then said he wanted to inspect Team Rocket’s research there.

Tetsuya and Looker investigated Team Rocket’s underground research institute, where they uncovered disturbing genetic experiments and data pointing toward enhanced Starter Pokémon. After helping League officials secure the site, Tetsuya received a gift from Looker and was summoned by Sinnoh inspectors to verify what he knew about Ueda Katsuto.

• Looker led Tetsuya and the others through the underground institute and showed them rooms filled with experimental Pokémon in vats.
• Tetsuya examined data on black-striped Kanto Starter Pokémon and suspected the experiments were connected to the creation of Mewtwo.
• League officials took charge of the research site, and Looker gave Tetsuya Flying Roller Skates as thanks for helping his childhood friend Hamana.
• At the Viridian City Pokémon Center, Tetsuya received a summons from League Inspector Irima Miho and her assistant Shirai Takenori.
• Irima showed Tetsuya the International Police’s mission recording and asked him to verify information about Ueda Katsuto, the Trainer of the Dark Venusaur.

Tetsuya completed his League inquiry, collected his bounty for Noctowl feathers, and learned that the League had increased the bounties on Team Rocket executives. Team Rocket leaders received new assignments while Pyrus focused on a photograph of the trainers who had fought the Dark Pokemon, and Tetsuya began training with his Pokemon in Viridian City.

• Irima Miho questioned Tetsuya about the mission, and Shirai Takenori recorded his answers before asking him for an autograph.
• Tetsuya asked Shirai Takenori how the League would punish the person involved, and Shirai said the old rules would likely apply.
• Tetsuya recovered his Pokemon, turned in his Noctowl feather bounty quest, and saw the League announce higher bounties for Pyrus and other Team Rocket executives.
• Matori announced Giovanni's assignments for Domino, Lambda, Athena, Lance, Apollo, and Pyrus.
• Pyrus studied a photograph of the trainers who had fought the Dark Pokemon and declared that his plan would succeed.
• Tetsuya returned to Viridian City, greeted familiar residents, and started a training session with five Pokemon.

Tetsuya reviewed the demanding training and expenses facing his Pokémon, then Mareep hatched a day early. He welcomed the newborn and asked Miss Joy to examine it, leaving Mareep's first checkup underway.

• Tetsuya reflected on the training demands of Pidgeot, Gigalith, Blaziken, Servine, and Togepi, and worried about the cost of raising Mareep.
• Tetsuya noticed Mareep's egg glowing after Servine called his attention to it.
• Mareep hatched, and Tetsuya welcomed it before it leaped into his arms.
• Tetsuya explained things to Mareep and recalled it into a Luxury Ball.
• Tetsuya took Mareep's egg to Miss Joy, who hurried to examine it with Chansey.

Tetsuya learned that his newly hatched Mareep was healthy and examined its status panel, which revealed Shiny coloring, Champion potential, and strong Electric-type talent. After he gave his Pokémon the afternoon off, Sabrina unexpectedly arrived at his room.

• Miss Joy confirmed that Mareep was healthy, and Tetsuya decided to give his Pokémon half a day off.
• Tetsuya checked Mareep's status panel and found that it had Champion potential, exceptional Electric-type talent, and several inherited moves.
• Tetsuya considered Mareep an excellent partner and noted that his six main Pokémon for the first tournament had assembled, though two could not battle yet.
• Mareep finished its first meal and returned to its Luxury Ball, while Tetsuya struggled to settle into his unexpected time off.
• Sabrina knocked on Tetsuya's door, and he admitted he was surprised to see her.

Sabrina asked Tetsuya to guard an expedition to an ancient ruin, offering him valuable items that Mareep would need as it evolved. After consulting others, Tetsuya accepted the offer, while Sabrina privately resolved to make him hers.

• Sabrina visited Tetsuya and asked him to help guard an expedition to an ancient ruin discovered by the Saffron Gym and several other Gyms.
• Sabrina offered Tetsuya a high-quality Thunder Stone and a Magnet, and then vanished before he could respond.
• Tetsuya called Brock and others for advice, and they encouraged him to accept the Saffron Gym's generous offer.
• Tetsuya messaged Sabrina that he would accept, and she agreed that this would be the only time she offered such a deal.
• Sabrina privately hummed with satisfaction and thought that Tetsuya would eventually be hers.

Tetsuya led the Guard Team and Professor White’s archaeologists into a Pokelantis Empire ruin in Devon Great Rift Valley, where they uncovered a strange mural and fought the two sealed Bronzong. After capturing both Bronzong, the team discovered more writing on the high platform.

• Tetsuya helped prepare the expedition, supervised the camp, and assisted Professor White with translating Ancient Text while the team opened the ruin entrance.
• Inside the ruin, the archaeologists found a mural describing light, darkness, a gate to another world, and a power that returned below the horizon; Tetsuya suspected it was connected to the Primal Pokémon legend he had encountered elsewhere.
• Tetsuya assigned Santai, Qing Li, and Xun Guang to help battle the two Quasi-Elite Four Bronzong, then Rhyperior opened the bronze gate and awakened them.
• The Guard Team focused attacks on the Bronzong, defeated them, and Tetsuya captured both in special Poke Balls.
• Santai hurried to the high platform and asked Professor White to examine writing he could not recognize.

Professor White translated records in the Pokelantis ruins that revealed the royal family had split into factions after the empire’s fall, casting doubt on whether Ho-Oh destroyed it. The discovery pointed to other ruins near the former capital and farther west, while Tetsuya left the next exploration decision to the Gym Leader.

• Professor White translated the text on the high platform and told Tetsuya and Santai that it described the Pokelantis royal family’s escape.
• Santai questioned how anyone could have escaped Ho-Oh’s destruction, and Professor White explained that historians disputed whether Ho-Oh had caused the empire’s fall.
• Professor White said the fleeing royal family had divided between the king’s faction, which sought revenge on Ho-Oh, and the queen’s faction, which believed Ho-Oh had saved them.
• Tetsuya suggested the king’s faction might have pursued evil power, then let Professor White explain that the records pointed to possible ruins near the old capital and in Johto or Hoenn.
• Professor White asked to lead future exploration, and Tetsuya told her to discuss it with the Gym Leader after the current ruin was settled.
• Professor White reflected that Tetsuya’s earlier actions had brought her the opportunity, and Tetsuya privately attributed the discovery to the butterfly effect.

Tetsuya joined Professor White’s team in excavating ruins linked to the Pokelantis Empire, then returned to Viridian City and received advance payment from Sabrina for five missions. He gave Mareep a Magnet, which energized the newborn Pokémon and revealed its unusually assertive personality.

• Tetsuya speculated that the ruins might be connected to the Pokelantis Empire and its hidden power while Professor White led the excavation.
• Professor White’s team uncovered sculptures, clay figurines, and ritual utensils, suggesting the fugitives had lived at the site for a long time.
• Tetsuya returned to the Viridian City Pokemon Center and found Sabrina’s note advancing payment for the current mission and the next four, including an upcoming exploration of King's Ruins.
• Tetsuya gave Mareep the Magnet, and it merged into Mareep as electricity surged around its body.
• Tetsuya checked Mareep and found it unharmed; Mareep returned to its Luxury Ball to discharge electricity.

Tetsuya left the Viridian City Pokemon Center to search for Rush Grass after failing to find any the previous day. As he traveled through Viridian Forest with his Pokemon, a man followed him, unaware that Pidgeot had spotted him.

• Joy Yijun scolded Tetsuya and the other Trainers for their antics in the Pokemon Center and warned them to stop leading rookie Trainers astray.
• Tetsuya explained that he had failed to find Rush Grass for his mission despite searching several river locations the previous day.
• Tetsuya set out with Servine, Mareep, and Togepi, relying on his map and hoping to find the herb near a river.
• Servine drove off a Mankey as Tetsuya continued through Viridian Forest with his Pokemon.
• A middle-aged man followed Tetsuya, eyeing his Shiny Mareep and Togepi, while Pidgeot spotted the man from above.

Tetsuya gathered Rush Grass while Mareep battled wild Pokémon and grew more cautious under his guidance. After a poacher who had followed them for hours finally made a move, Tetsuya prepared for a potentially armed attack.

• Tetsuya found Rush Grass by a river and traded a glass ball with the Meowth leader for information about nearby young Pokémon.
• Tetsuya offered Oran Berries to the Bellsprout group, and they agreed to let a young Bellsprout battle Mareep.
• Mareep defeated Bellsprout with Tackle and Thunder Shock, and Tetsuya decided to arrange harder battles to keep Mareep from becoming arrogant.
• Tetsuya traveled between rivers collecting Rush Grass and selecting opponents for Mareep, whose confidence became more cautious after several tough fights.
• After following Tetsuya for over three hours, the suspected poacher finally made a move, and Tetsuya braced for the possibility that he had a lethal weapon.

Tetsuya captured another poacher in Viridian Forest and turned him over to Officer Jenny, though his Rush Grass collection mission remained unfinished. At the Pokémon Center, Trainers celebrated a bet they had won after Tetsuya admitted his bad luck had delayed the mission again.

• Tetsuya used Gigalith, Pidgeot, Mareep, and Servine to defeat and restrain the poacher, while Blaziken subdued Arbok.
• Tetsuya searched the poacher, found savings cards and a ledger of Pokémon sales, and dragged him toward Viridian City while lamenting his unfinished Rush Grass mission.
• Officer Jenny collected the poacher and reminded Tetsuya that he had caught six poachers in about a month and was straining the department's budget.
• Tetsuya handed his six Luxury Balls to Joy Yijun at the Pokémon Center and told the waiting Trainers that an accident had delayed his mission again.
• The Trainers cheered and collected Alliance Coins after winning their bet that Tetsuya's luck had finally run out.

After Tetsuya’s friends warned him that catching six poachers in a month could attract dangerous groups, Lance invited him to join the Alliance Investigator talent reserve. Tetsuya accepted the no-obligation designation and headed to the training field, where he planned to work with Servine and Gigalith.

• Tetsuya and Kyusaku discussed their recent captures of poachers, and an older Trainer urged Tetsuya to prioritize his safety after catching six in one month.
• Lance arrived at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, praised Tetsuya, and invited him to become an Alliance Investigator.
• Tetsuya declined to join immediately because he wanted to travel, but accepted Lance’s offer to list him as a reserve candidate with no obligations or rights.
• Lance left with Dragonite and called headquarters about adapting Kanto’s Investigator candidate mechanism to the region.
• Tetsuya’s friends demanded a celebratory meal, but he left for the training ground after receiving his Pokemon from Joy Yijun.
• Tetsuya gave most of his Pokemon the night off and focused on Servine’s training while considering whether Gigalith could use moonlight.

Tetsuya trained Gigalith to improve its Earth Power, teaching it to hide its energy and use feints, while Servine helped sense and mark the move. When Servine resisted practicing Double Team because it feared having too many shadows would make it less cute, Tetsuya showed it a video of Wallace performing a shadow dance.

• Tetsuya gave up trying to make Gigalith absorb moonlight for a powerful attack after it learned Weather Ball instead.
• Tetsuya explained how Gigalith could conceal Earth Power with feints and refine its Ground-type moves.
• Tetsuya asked Servine to use Grassy Terrain and Double Team to sense and mark Gigalith’s Earth Power.
• Servine admitted it disliked making more doubles because it thought they would make it seem less cute.
• Tetsuya searched his computer and showed Servine Wallace’s shadow dance performance.

Tetsuya used Wallace’s Contest performance to persuade Servine to take Double Team training seriously, then coached Servine and Gigalith through coordinated practice. The chapter ended with Servine blushing as it told Tetsuya it had taken a liking to Milotic.

• Tetsuya showed Servine videos of Wallace and Milotic performing elegant Contest moves, inspiring Servine to train Double Team.
• Servine and Gigalith practiced using Double Team and Earth Power together, and Servine improved its ability to create convincing duplicates.
• Tetsuya recorded the Pokémon’s training problems and explained to Gigalith how Earth Power’s depth, timing, and position could guide or damage an opponent.
• Tetsuya reviewed Servine’s energy control and other training issues after explaining Gigalith’s tactics.
• At eleven that night, Tetsuya noticed Servine blushing and asked whether it had taken a liking to Milotic.

Tetsuya encouraged Servine to grow stronger so it could win Milotic’s attention, then continued tracking Blaziken’s training progress at a private Viridian City facility. The chapter left Tetsuya preparing for the upcoming Indigo Plateau Conference while Nobuhiro wondered how well he would do.

• Servine declared its interest in Milotic, and Tetsuya convinced it that it needed to become stronger to earn Milotic’s notice.
• Tetsuya promised Servine stricter training, sealed the promise with its Vine Whip, and offered Togepi an extra ice cream for the next day.
• Tetsuya checked Blaziken’s training data and confirmed that its flame temperature had stabilized near five thousand degrees.
• Tetsuya thanked Nobuhiro for letting him train privately at the Viridian City facility and left for the day.
• Nobuhiro deleted the training room’s data as Asuka had requested, then wondered what results Tetsuya would achieve at the Indigo Plateau Conference.

Tetsuya assessed his team’s progress and prepared his Pokémon for the upcoming Indigo Plateau Conference, focusing especially on Mareep’s rapid development. He continued their routine training at his renovated grounds, leaving them to work through his repetitive corrections.

• Tetsuya reviewed his Pokémon’s levels and potential, noting Blaziken and Gigalith were nearing Quasi-Elite Four strength while Togepi remained difficult to assess.
• Tetsuya traded for a Thunder Stone and obtained an Electirizer from Hamana to accelerate Mareep’s training and evolution.
• Tetsuya returned to the Pokémon Center, restored his partners, ate lunch, and headed to his familiar suburban Training Ground.
• Tetsuya trained under Gigalith’s Gravity Field while monitoring his Pokémon and observed that Mareep was close to evolving.
• Tetsuya caught Togepi slacking briefly, then corrected his Pokémon’s techniques as they continued their repetitive training.

Tetsuya celebrated the New Year with his Pokemon and friends, then resumed training in snowy Viridian City. Mareep evolved into Shiny Flaaffy, and after Togepi worried about going bald, Tetsuya reassured it and it began to evolve.

• At midnight, Tetsuya exchanged New Year greetings with his Pokemon and friends and told his team to gather early for training.
• Tetsuya admired the rare snowfall in Viridian City before taking his six Pokemon to train at the expanded Training Base.
• Mareep evolved into Shiny Flaaffy, which gained Thunderbolt and retained its Shiny coloration.
• Togepi cried after learning Flaaffy had lost most of its wool, fearing it would go bald when it evolved.
• Tetsuya reassured Togepi that it would not go bald and promised it could keep sleeping in his bed, and Togepi began evolving.

Togepi evolved into Togetic, and Tetsuya assigned it flying lessons while planning its future training. He also set Flaaffy to practice Charge Beam, leaving the Pokemon to begin their training.

• Togepi evolved into Togetic, which flew around happily and shared its Happy Dust with Tetsuya and the other Pokemon.
• Tetsuya checked Togetic's stats and training plan, then asked Pidgeot to teach it basic flying techniques and moves.
• Tetsuya sent Blaziken and Gigalith away for combat practice and warned them not to damage too many trees.
• Tetsuya told Flaaffy to improve its control of Electric Energy and work toward mastering Charge Beam.
• Blaziken returned from its task, and Tetsuya sent Pidgeot and Togetic to begin flying practice.