Chapter Summaries

Tetsuya joined the Azalea Town team preparing to search Ilex Forest for Team Rocket, despite the operations team’s concerns about disturbing the Psychic-type Pokemon. As the search began, news arrived that Team Rocket had been found beneath Slowpoke Well, while Thousand Faces reached Azalea Town and was ordered by Hokage to keep its people occupied.

• Tetsuya reached the Pokemon Center and learned that Officer Jenny’s team and Captain Ajay’s League operations team disagreed over searching Ilex Forest.
• Miss Joy proposed a semi-sweep search and promised that the nurses would calm the forest Pokemon, so Captain Ajay agreed while asking the searchers to avoid Areas 32 and 33.
• Officer Jenny assigned Tetsuya to watch the forest’s flanks and report or confront unusual activity.
• An Officer Jenny reported that the chief and Bugsy had found Team Rocket beneath Slowpoke Well and begun fighting, prompting Officer Jenny to launch the Ilex Forest operation.
• Thousand Faces arrived near Azalea Town, heard the fighting, and complained to Hokage, who ordered him to keep the town’s people occupied and maintain watch.

Hokage ordered Team Magma to proceed with its plan to harness the volcano, while Tetsuya investigated suspicious activity in Ilex Forest and Bugsy captured Team Rocket members in Slowpoke Well. The chapter left Tetsuya baffled by footprints that vanished without explanation as he searched for the Pokémon behind them.

• Hokage directed Team Magma to position its instruments and declared that the volcano's eruption would give them new power.
• Tetsuya learned that Abra and Ralts inhabited the areas he had checked, then followed reports of unusually sparse Bug-type Pokémon and discovered concealed human footprints.
• Tetsuya found that the footprints ended in impossible places and wondered what Pokémon could make them disappear.
• Bugsy and Scyther defeated a Team Rocket squad in Slowpoke Well, and Officer Jenny arrested the members for interrogation.
• Bugsy asked townspeople to watch for suspicious strangers and reflected on the King's Rock and the absent king of the Slowpoke.
• Tetsuya searched with four Absol and Gigalith but could not explain how the intruders' tracks vanished.

Tetsuya discovered a Secret Power base hidden inside a tree and reported the possible Team Magma presence to Officer Jenny. An earthquake drew him toward the volcano, where he confronted Team Magma executive Hokage as the group continued its operation.

• Tetsuya used Serperior to locate a tree that served as an entrance to a Secret Power base, then explored the hidden cave with his Pokémon.
• After finding no markings, Tetsuya left the base and told Officer Jenny he suspected Team Magma had left it behind.
• Officer Jenny redirected the search teams toward the volcano after an earthquake struck, and Tetsuya flew there ahead of them with Blaziken and Pidgeot.
• Tetsuya spotted the Team Rocket members they had been searching for but prioritized stopping Team Magma, whose members were operating equipment on the volcano.
• Tetsuya recognized the leader as Hokage, one of Team Magma's Three Heads of Fire, and judged that the executive's powerful Pokémon made him too dangerous to face alone.

Tetsuya fought Hokage’s Champion-level Swellow in the air while Team Magma prepared to evacuate from the volcano. As Celebi sensed a familiar presence and vanished into a green vortex, green energy surrounded Tetsuya and strengthened Blaziken.

• Hokage sent out Swellow and attacked Tetsuya, who recalled and released Blaziken onto Togekiss so he could stay airborne.
• Tetsuya coordinated Blaziken, Pidgeot, and Togekiss to expose Swellow’s true position and damage it with Rock Tomb.
• Hokage ordered Team Magma members to release Golbat and Zubat, while an operator reported that the energy activation was halfway complete and evacuation would take three more minutes.
• The volcano’s tremors reached Ilex Forest, where Celebi emerged from a green vortex, sensed a familiar presence near the crater, and returned through the vortex.
• Green light covered Tetsuya, and Blaziken sensed that the energy had greatly increased its strength.

Tetsuya and Pidgeot defeated Hokage’s Team Magma squad and destroyed their equipment before Officer Jenny arrested the group. After Pidgeot’s mysterious power surge, Tetsuya suspected Celebi had helped it approach a Champion breakthrough, while Giovanni ordered an investigation into the failed Slowpoke plan and Team Magma’s activity in Johto.

• Tetsuya directed the green light into Pidgeot, which reached Elite Four Peak strength and swept away Team Magma’s Flying-type Pokémon with Tailwind and Air Slash.
• Pidgeot knocked out Swellow and destroyed five machines beside the volcano crater, prompting Hokage to order a retreat.
• Officer Jenny and her fellow officers arrived, arrested Hokage and the Team Magma grunts, and escorted Tetsuya and Ajay back toward Azalea Town.
• Tetsuya checked Pidgeot’s status and saw that it was breaking through, then suspected Celebi had supplied the green energy to protect Ilex Forest.
• Matori told Giovanni that Bugsy and Officer Jenny had arrested everyone involved in the Slowpoke plan, and Giovanni ordered her to investigate while she reported Team Magma’s activity in Johto.

After Celebi’s intervention helped Pidgeot break through, Tetsuya and Bugsy discussed the incident and prepared to test Bugsy’s Bug Catching Net in Ilex Forest. Tetsuya’s lingering Legendary aura attracted swarms of Bug-type Pokémon, and even Bugsy’s powerful Pokémon rushed toward him.

• Giovanni learned that Team Magma had appeared in Johto and sent Matori to investigate.
• Bugsy told Tetsuya about the old Celebi shrine near Ilex Forest and advised him to monitor Pidgeot after its temporary power boost.
• Tetsuya realized he had forgotten two Team Rocket members he had seen, while Bugsy said they were less urgent than the Rocket members at Slowpoke Well.
• Tetsuya woke late, hurried to meet Bugsy, and joined him in Ilex Forest to test the Bug Catching Net.
• Bug-type Pokémon swarmed Tetsuya because of the lingering aura from Celebi’s aid, so Bugsy sent out five powerful Pokémon to drive them away.
• Bugsy’s five Pokémon suddenly lunged toward Tetsuya, leaving him and Bugsy stunned.

Thousand Faces fled Azalea Town after hearing Officer Jenny warn residents about a thief, while Tetsuya and Bugsy explored Ilex Forest and discussed Bugsy’s Bug Catching Net reward. A hidden Ralts and Abra watched them, then vanished; Bugsy suspected a Psychic-type Pokémon might have taken an interest in Tetsuya, while a nearby Ralts family observed the encounter.

• Thousand Faces heard Officer Jenny’s warning about a traveling thief and quietly left Azalea Town for the forest.
• Bugsy recalled his Pokémon after they crowded around Tetsuya, then led him toward Area 30 of Ilex Forest.
• Bugsy told Tetsuya that the Charcoal Shop owner could strengthen Blaziken’s Charcoal as part of his reward.
• A hidden Ralts used its Psychic power to restore Abra, and the pair teleported away when Butterfree sensed a Psychic Wave.
• Bugsy guessed that a Psychic-type Pokémon might have chosen Tetsuya, but claimed Butterfree had smelled something delicious to avoid explaining.
• A large Ralts watched the younger Ralts and Abra from nearby as the two humans continued through the forest.

Tetsuya and Bugsy tested Bugsy’s improved Bug Catching Net and planned to manufacture and sell it through the Pidgey Shop. Gardevoir then appeared with its Ralts child and asked Tetsuya to fight a capture battle to prove himself as a potential Trainer.

• Gardevoir watched Tetsuya and considered whether he would be a suitable Trainer for its child.
• Tetsuya and Bugsy tested the Bug Catching Net in Area 30, repeatedly capturing and releasing Bug Type Pokemon until Tetsuya stopped Bugsy from catching a Wurmple again.
• Tetsuya praised the net’s design and raised concerns about manufacturing costs, but Bugsy said Mr. Steel could adapt existing Poke Ball equipment.
• Tetsuya proposed using the Pidgey Shop for sales and transport, with support from two Gyms, and persuaded Bugsy to partner with him.
• Gardevoir and Ralts appeared before Tetsuya and Bugsy, and Gardevoir asked Tetsuya to battle Ralts so it could assess him as a possible Trainer.

Tetsuya caught Ralts after a battle with Blaziken, then returned to Azalea Town and lost a Gym Battle to Bugsy but earned the Bug Badge. Bugsy hinted at news he had heard as the chapter ended.

• Tetsuya agreed to battle Gardevoir's Ralts and sent Blaziken to face it.
• Ralts used Hypnosis, Disarming Voice, Teleport, and Psybeam, but Blaziken defeated it with Fire Punch and Tetsuya caught it in a Luxury Ball.
• Gardevoir healed Ralts with Life Dew, and Tetsuya promised to take care of it while Ralts stayed in Ilex Forest until the next day.
• Bugsy challenged Tetsuya to an early Gym Battle, where Tetsuya's Blaziken, Gigalith, and Togekiss defeated one of Bugsy's Pokémon but lost the 3v3 battle.
• Bugsy awarded Tetsuya the Bug Badge, then asked whether he had heard something.

Tetsuya discussed where to house his Pokémon and arranged for Bugsy to upgrade Blaziken’s Charcoal, then learned Giovanni had reported Team Magma’s crimes to the police. Giovanni ordered Team Rocket to recruit Tetsuya, who later left Azalea Town with new Apricorn Balls and a partnership agreement, while Thousand Faces watched him and considered his next move.

• Tetsuya considered Oak Research Lab and other places to house his Pokémon, but postponed the decision after Bugsy offered to help.
• Tetsuya gave Bugsy his Charcoal to upgrade, and Bugsy estimated its Fire-type boost could rise from ten percent to fourteen to sixteen percent.
• Bugsy told Tetsuya that Giovanni had provided evidence of Team Magma’s crimes in Johto, and Tetsuya realized Team Rocket was striking back.
• Giovanni ordered Matori to make two people disappear and directed Team Rocket’s recruitment team to contact Tetsuya Tamaki.
• Tetsuya left Azalea Town with several Apricorn Balls and a partnership agreement, then met Ralts and worked on his partners’ training plans.
• Thousand Faces identified Tetsuya as a strong Kanto Trainer and watched him from the forest, unsure how to proceed.

Tetsuya welcomed Ralts onto his team and learned about its unusual moves, origins, and potential. After reaching Leaf Town, he checked into the Pokémon Center and prepared for the town’s Exchange Tournament the next day.

• Tetsuya introduced himself to Ralts, placed it on his shoulder, and watched Ampharos adjust to becoming a senior on the team.
• Tetsuya inspected Ralts’s status panel, noticed its inherited Disable move, and decided to consult Professor Elm about its possible connection to the Alakazam line.
• Ralts told Tetsuya that its clan and the local Alakazam clan had followed Celebi to Ilex Forest, and Tetsuya promised to help it become the strongest in its clan.
• Thousand Faces decided to follow Tetsuya and study his strength before attempting to capture Ralts.
• Tetsuya reached Leaf Town with Ralts, ignored a collector who tried to buy it, and booked a room at the Pokémon Center.
• Miss Joy reminded Tetsuya that Leaf Town’s annual Exchange Tournament would begin the next day.

Tetsuya took Ralts to Leaf Town’s Tauros Chase Event, where they faced a charging Tauros herd and escaped a collision through Ralts’s Psychic power. After landing safely on a rooftop, Ralts found the dangerous experience exciting, while Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie watched them unseen.

• Tetsuya’s Pokémon refused to join him at the Tauros Chase Event, so he took the reluctant Ralts along.
• Tetsuya considered Leaf Town’s Pokemon Exchange Convention and resolved not to trade Ralts, while planning to sell some Rainbow Branches.
• Tetsuya and Ralts watched more than a thousand captured Tauros charge through the streets as participants tried to touch their horns.
• Tetsuya rushed toward a Tauros, swung through the air after touching its horn, and used Ralts’s Psychic power to walk through the air and land on a rooftop.
• Ralts became excited by the experience, and Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie watched Tetsuya and Ralts from an unseen place.

Tetsuya and Ralts returned to the Pokemon Center after watching Tauros battles, where they found their Pokemon had trashed the room and then shared a meal. Later, Tetsuya took Ralts and Blaziken into Leaf Town at night, where a man was offering to trade his Quagsire.

• Tetsuya left the Tauros arena with Ralts and considered catching a Tauros before dismissing the idea.
• Tetsuya found his Pokemon had wrecked the bedroom, threatened them with extra training, and watched Ralts hide behind Togekiss.
• Miss Joy cleaned the room, and Tetsuya prepared Energy Cubes for Ralts and a meal for the other Pokemon.
• Tetsuya took Ralts and Blaziken out into Leaf Town, where a girl asked a man what Pokemon he wanted in exchange for his Quagsire.

Tetsuya visited the Elite-level Pokemon exchange venue, where he refused to trade Ralts and defeated a wealthy trainer’s Feraligatr with Blaziken. He then spotted a familiar silver-gray stone at a stall, and he and another person both offered to buy it.

• Tetsuya entered the Elite-level exchange venue with Ralts and Blaziken and rejected a Gastly Egg after seeing it was only Elite Level.
• Ralts objected to the idea of Pokemon exchanges, and Tetsuya told it that it could seek its own answers when it grew up.
• A wealthy young trainer challenged Tetsuya after he refused to trade Ralts, so Blaziken defeated the young man’s Feraligatr in battle.
• Tetsuya noticed a silver-gray stone resembling one he had found in ruins, and he and another person said they would take it.

Tetsuya met Hoenn Champion Steven Stone at an exchange tournament, where Steven bought a mysterious stone and agreed to tell Tetsuya what it did later. Tetsuya traded two Soothe Bells for training supplies and equipment, then spotted a chance to trade his remaining Rainbow Branches to Steven.

• Tetsuya competed with Steven for a mysterious silver-gray stone but stepped aside, and Steven bought it for materials worth about 2 million Alliance Coins.
• Steven recognized Tetsuya, invited him to browse the stalls together, and exchanged contact information after learning Tetsuya did not know what the stone was used for.
• As Steven attracted a crowd and bought unusual stones, Tetsuya traded one Soothe Bell for Ice-type training materials and another for a complete set of Power items.
• Tetsuya considered how to get the most value from his seven remaining Rainbow Branches and realized Steven might be interested in them.

Tetsuya sold Steven his Rainbow Branches in exchange for Absol cultivation materials and asked about finding a high-quality Ice Stone for Alolan Vulpix. Steven then revealed that the silver-gray Shining Stone was tied to Alola’s Guardian Deities and Z-Moves, leaving Tetsuya puzzled by its connection to Tapu Fini and an earlier Electric-type mural.

• Steven admired Tetsuya’s Rainbow Branches and learned that Tetsuya had received them from Suicune.
• Tetsuya agreed to sell Steven the Rainbow Branches at a discount in exchange for cultivation materials for his Absol.
• Tetsuya asked Steven for a high-quality Ice Stone, and Steven suggested he ask Lorelei because she might have one.
• Steven explained that Alola’s four islands each had a Guardian Deity that selected an Island King or Island Queen.
• Steven revealed that the silver-gray stone was a Shining Stone containing the power of Alola’s Guardian Deities, used to make Z-Rings and activate Z-Moves.
• Tetsuya questioned whether Tapu Fini had left the Shining Stone, since an earlier mural showed an Electric-type Pokémon.

Steven explained how Z-Moves worked and said their use in battles was still years away, while Tetsuya kept his Shining Stone safe and later received training materials from Steven. Meanwhile, Thousand Faces continued stalking Tetsuya and followed him toward a forest marked as extremely dangerous.

• Steven explained that Z-Moves required Z-Rings and matching Z-Crystals and that the League would need years to study and approve them.
• Tetsuya left Steven's home and returned to the busy Pokemon Center, where Thousand Faces watched him and decided to wait for a chance to attack.
• Tetsuya sent Steven a list of training needs, and Steven arranged for Devon to have the materials ready for pickup in Goldenrod City.
• Tetsuya set off in a good mood and entered the forest along the shortest route to the next town, while Thousand Faces took a detour instead of following him.
• Thousand Faces passed a roadside warning that identified the woods as Ursaring Forest and urged travelers not to enter.

Tetsuya and Blaziken entered Ursaring Forest, where they accidentally disturbed two Ursaring during mating season and fought them. After defeating the pair, they fled from a growing horde of furious Ursaring, with the chase still underway.

• Tetsuya realized an unidentified follower had been tailing him but entered Ursaring Forest after Blaziken confirmed the follower had stopped.
• Tetsuya remembered that May, June, and July were Ursaring mating season just as an angry Ursaring emerged from a cave.
• Blaziken defeated the male Ursaring with Low Kick and the female with Double Kick and Slash.
• Tetsuya and Blaziken fled as numerous Ursaring roared and pursued them through the forest.
• Tetsuya saw seven or eight red-eyed Ursaring closing in, and Blaziken carried him around a bend.

Tetsuya escaped a group of Ursaring by sacrificing Sweet Honey, then found a young Teddiursa near the forest’s edge and took most of its honey before leaving. Teddiursa resolved to become the forest’s bully and use its cuteness to keep others from robbing it.

• Tetsuya threw a jar of Sweet Honey behind him, distracting the pursuing Ursaring while he and Blaziken escaped.
• Tetsuya and Blaziken reached a stream at the edge of Ursaring Forest, where they heard a Teddiursa calling nearby.
• Blaziken found the Teddiursa, and Tetsuya collected most of the honey from its temporary dwelling.
• Tetsuya and Blaziken crossed the stream and left, while Teddiursa decided to become the forest’s bully and protect its honey.

After escaping Ursaring, Tetsuya reached Psychic Town, where Psychic-type Pokémon helped residents deal with nearby Ghost-type Pokémon. He entered the town with Ralts while a Team Magma pair was caught outside by a Mr. Mime.

• Tetsuya admired Tai Lake and explained Psychic Town’s customs, including its entry requirement for Pokémon that could use Psychic-type moves.
• Tetsuya entered Psychic Town with Ralts and noticed that the suspected Team Magma member following him had not come to the entrance.
• Tetsuya guessed the pursuer lacked a Psychic-type Pokémon or a Pokémon that could use Psychic-type moves, and decided to wait for them to approach him.
• Outside Psychic Town, a yellow-haired woman and a green-haired man began their first official mission alongside a scarred Raticate.
• A middle-aged man interrupted their introduction and ordered a Mr. Mime to use Confusion, trapping the pair and Raticate in purple light.