Chapter Summaries

Tetsuya met Reiji’s younger brother Shinji and agreed to battle Reiji, who hoped to overcome his past defeats. Tetsuya’s Pidgeot defeated Reiji’s shiny Froslass in one move, while Brock’s battle continued nearby.

• Tetsuya met Shinji in the corridor and used Escavalier to win the boy’s interest.
• Tetsuya accepted Reiji’s challenge to a two-on-two battle and brought Shinji to watch.
• Tetsuya sent out Pidgeot, whose unusual appearance and Elite Four-level aura drew attention from nearby Trainers.
• Reiji sent out his shiny Froslass, and Tetsuya had Pidgeot attack with Flare Blitz.
• Pidgeot overwhelmed Froslass’s Powder Snow and knocked her out in one move, prompting Reiji to end the battle and leave with Shinji.
• Nearby, Brock’s Ninetales sent Aggron flying from the battlefield.

As the Ascension Ceremony approached, Tetsuya and Brock drew attention from powerful Trainers and poachers, while Tetsuya gathered intelligence about the unusually strong field. He left the chapter eager for the competition, with Togekiss nearing Elite Four Level and the Gore Poaching Group secretly preparing a plan.

• Trainers in Blackthorn City discussed Tetsuya and Brock, while the shadowy Gore Poaching Group leaders considered targeting their valuable Pokemon and reviewed a job from Team Rocket.
• Brock praised Tetsuya's atavistic Pidgeot, and the two discussed their recent battles and improved coordination with Ninetales.
• Reiji challenged Tetsuya every morning for seven days, and Tetsuya used Blaziken to repeatedly defeat him before deciding to let his Pokemon rest.
• Tetsuya learned that at least twelve Trainers openly had Elite Four Level Pokemon and suspected several more powerful token holders were hidden.
• Togekiss showed signs of breaking through the Quasi-Elite Four stage, and Tetsuya reviewed information on his rivals before growing excited for the Ascension Ceremony.

Tetsuya, Brock, and Shinji attended Blackthorn City's Selection Ceremony, where Clair purified the Dragon Fang and a chosen Dratini evolved into Dragonair. Clair then led the eligible Trainers away to the next stage, while Tetsuya wondered about the ceremony's apparent connection to Rayquaza.

• Tetsuya explained to Shinji and Brock that the ceremony purified Blackthorn City's inherited Dragon Fang and strengthened a chosen Dratini destined to guard the Dragon's Den.
• Clair welcomed the crowd, warned them against disrupting the ceremony, and presented the worn Dragon Fang at an altar rising from the lake.
• Clair prayed and washed the Dragon Fang, creating a golden Light Dragon as a Dratini emerged from the water.
• The Dratini evolved into Dragonair beneath the falling light, and its cry cleared the sky.
• Clair mounted Dragonite and led the eligible Trainers away, while Tetsuya and Brock followed on Pidgeot and Aerodactyl.

Tetsuya and the other Trainers reached the canyon where the difficult Three Dragon Trial began, after Clair warned that most participants would be eliminated. Tetsuya entered a cave and encountered the first trial, representing the Dragon of the Water.

• The Trainers flew to the canyon with Clair and Dragonite, while Tetsuya observed several powerful Elite Four-level rivals.
• Brock recognized the canyon as the site of the Three Dragon Trial, and Clair explained that participants had to exit a cave to pass.
• Clair revealed that the trial had an expected elimination rate of 85 percent, but promised rewards for every stage cleared.
• Tetsuya entered a cave, and Brock chose another cave after him.
• The Dragon Elder dismissed Clair's concerns about infiltrators and wondered how quickly Tetsuya would finish the trial.
• Tetsuya reached an Underground River, where a burly middle-aged man announced the Dragon of the Water trial and asked if he was ready.

Tetsuya battled the first checkpoint guardian in the Three Dragon Trial, defeating his Kingdra with Ampharos’s powerful Electric attacks. After receiving the blue mark, Tetsuya entered a hidden passage, while the guardian vowed to make the later challengers suffer.

• The first checkpoint guardian summoned Kingdra, and Tetsuya chose his Shiny Ampharos to battle it in the river.
• Ampharos used Dragon Pulse and Electric Terrain to resist Kingdra’s Whirlpool, Surf, and Waterfall combination.
• Tetsuya ordered Ampharos to fire a Railgun-style Zap Cannon, shattering Kingdra’s attack and badly injuring it.
• Ampharos paralyzed Kingdra with Thunder, broke through its Protect, and knocked it unconscious.
• The guardian awarded Tetsuya a blue mark for passing and asked him to hit the later guardians harder.
• Tetsuya followed the guardian into a hidden passage as the guardian vowed that the challengers after him were doomed.

Tetsuya defeated the second gatekeeper’s Flygon with Gigalith and continued to the canyon summit, where the final Dragon Tamers were surprised to see him arrive so quickly. He presented the marks proving he had cleared the first two stages, leaving the final challenge about to begin.

• Tetsuya entered the second trial cave and faced a gatekeeper whose partner was Flygon.
• Tetsuya had Gigalith raise a sandstorm, trap Flygon with coordinated Rock-type moves and Gravity, then knock it out of the air with Heavy Slam.
• The gatekeeper surrendered, gave Tetsuya the second-stage clearance mark, and tended to Flygon as Tetsuya left.
• At the summit, the Dragon Tamers discussed whether anyone had reached the second stage yet.
• Tetsuya asked who he should fight for the third stage, and he silenced a Dragon Tamer’s objection by showing two marks.

Tetsuya passed the third Dragon of the Sky Trial with Togekiss, whose repeated Air Slash flinches overwhelmed Altaria. After forty-three trainers cleared all three trials, Clair led them toward the next venue, where they would compete for the top ten and a chance to obtain a Dragon Type Pokémon.

• The Dragon Tamers recognized Tetsuya’s two trial tokens and marveled at how quickly he had passed the first two stages.
• Tetsuya sent Togekiss to face the refined examiner’s Altaria, and Togekiss repeatedly flinched it with Air Slash before finishing with Fairy Wind.
• The examiner conceded and gave Tetsuya the final token, completing his Ascension Badge.
• Matsumoto Matsushita arrived and battled a Dragon Tamer’s Charizard with a Quasi-Elite Four Level Gengar while Tetsuya observed the trainers gathering at Canyon Peak.
• Forty-three trainers passed all three trials, and Clair arrived on a battered Dragonite to lead them to the next battle venue.

Trainers began the Ascension Ceremony’s elimination battles at Boulder Rock Field, where Tetsuya received a bye in the first round and later drew Aoki Qiancheng. Tetsuya and Aoki entered the rocky battle zone and opened their match with powerful attacks.

• Clair explained the elimination rules and started the draw, while Tetsuya received the number 22 bye.
• The first-round battles took place across Boulder Rock Field, and Dragonite supervised them as Brock planned to surrender against an opponent with an Elite Four Level Pokémon.
• Clair said Dragonite would judge the weakest of the twenty-two remaining Trainers before the next round reduced them to ten.
• Tetsuya drew Aoki Qiancheng, whose team included an Elite Four-level Staraptor, as his opponent.
• Tetsuya and Aoki entered the battle zone, sent out their Pokémon, and ordered attacks including Hyper Beam and Solar Beam.

Tetsuya’s team overwhelmed Aoki Qiancheng’s Pokémon in a prepared wild battle, defeating his main lineup and leaving him with no path to victory. Tetsuya accepted the win as Aoki’s last Pokémon fell.

• Tetsuya used Blaziken and Ampharos to disperse Arbok and Muk’s poison mist while Blaziken hunted the hidden Swampert.
• Serperior and Rhyperior’s Hyper Beam stalemate ended when Gigalith joined Serperior’s Solar Beam and blasted Rhyperior, after which Ampharos struck Staraptor and Crobat with Thunder.
• Pidgeot and Togekiss followed up against the weakened aerial Pokémon as Gigalith’s defenses and Serperior’s Grass Knot helped Tetsuya’s team defeat Rhyperior, Arbok, and Muk.
• Blaziken dragged out the defeated Swampert after beating it, and Pidgeot then knocked out Staraptor and Crobat.
• Tetsuya stepped out from behind a Rock Pillar and accepted victory from Aoki Qiancheng.

After defeating Aoki Qiancheng, Tetsuya learned that his opponent was the adopted son of Uncle Fatty, a restaurant owner he knew from Viridian. Clair briefed the remaining trainers on Dragon's Den and its dangers, then led the ten qualifiers to its entrance.

• Tetsuya and Aoki Qiancheng recognized their connection to Uncle Fatty, exchanged contact information, and parted on friendly terms.
• Tetsuya returned to the other victorious trainers and asked Clair about Dragon-type Pokémon and the flower the Dragon Elder had given him.
• Clair described Dragon's Den's regions and its Dragon-type inhabitants, including Dragonite, Garchomp, Salamence, Haxorus, and Hydreigon.
• Dragonite selected a bespectacled trainer for elimination, and a Dragon Tamer escorted him from the canyon.
• Clair explained the rules and dangers of catching Pokémon in Dragon's Den, then led the ten remaining trainers toward its entrance.
• The trainers followed Clair to a Rock Dragon Head partly submerged in water, the entrance to Dragon's Den.

Tetsuya and Blaziken explored the Dragon's Den, searching for Pokemon with exceptional potential while passing through habitats of varied species. They reached the middle of the Den, where Tetsuya charmed a group of young Pokemon with his homemade snacks and assessed their potential before continuing deeper.

• The ten Trainers entered the Dragon's Den and soon split up to search for Pokemon, while Tetsuya summoned Blaziken to accompany him.
• Blaziken used Aura to locate nearby Pokemon, and Tetsuya chose to travel deeper after finding only common species in the outer area.
• As they reached the middle of the Den, Tetsuya encountered many young Pokemon and attracted them with his homemade snacks.
• Tetsuya watched a male Chikorita try to stop two female Totodile from fighting, while other young Pokemon shared his snacks.
• After Zero assessed the young Pokemon's potential, Tetsuya stood up and prepared to continue deeper into the Den.

Tetsuya passed over several promising Pokemon as he searched Dragon's Den for an exceptional Dragon Type partner. He discovered an unfamiliar Duraludon in a cave and prepared to face it.

• Tetsuya said goodbye to the young Pokemon, while Blazer failed to befriend a Treecko and ended up battling its Sceptile parent.
• Tetsuya considered catching a powerful Aron with Hidden Ability Heavy Metal but declined because he still hoped to find an exceptional Dragon Type Pokemon.
• Blaziken detected an unfamiliar, powerful Pokemon near Aggron's territory, and Tetsuya followed the signal to a cave.
• Tetsuya identified the cave's inhabitant as Duraludon and had Prinplup send water inside to draw it out.
• Duraludon charged out of the cave and collided with Blaziken, revealing itself as a Steel-and-Dragon Pokemon from Galar.

Tetsuya and Blaziken defeated Duraludon after a fierce battle in its cave. After Duraludon woke, Tetsuya learned it had recently been driven from the deeper area by a Garchomp clan.

• Duraludon attacked Tetsuya’s group after Prinplup flooded its cave, and Blaziken battled it while Tetsuya directed a series of attacks and boosts.
• Blaziken overwhelmed Duraludon with close-range Fighting-type attacks and finished it with Blast Burn.
• Prinplup admired Blaziken’s strength, while Blaziken exaggerated how easily it had won.
• Tetsuya questioned the recovering Duraludon and learned it had moved to the cave less than a month earlier.
• Duraludon explained that a Garchomp clan backed by a Champion-level ancestor had forced it out of the deeper area.

Tetsuya persuaded Duraludon to lead him to the Garchomp clan that had driven it from its home, using the clan’s mistreatment as a reason to intervene. He set out with Blaziken and Gallade, hoping to find a promising Gible, and arrived at the clan’s desert habitat.

• Tetsuya called Duraludon weak, while Prinplup repeatedly knocked it unconscious and Tetsuya stopped the interruptions.
• Tetsuya offered to help Duraludon get even with the Garchomp clan, and Duraludon agreed after noticing the flower on Tetsuya’s chest.
• Tetsuya recalled Prinplup and traveled with Duraludon, Blaziken, and Gallade toward the deepest part of Dragon’s Den.
• Duraludon led Tetsuya’s group to the desert where the Garchomp clan lived, and Tetsuya prepared to enter.

Tetsuya persuaded a Garchomp to lead him into the Garchomp clan’s desert home by trading it a Dragon Scale. He arrived among dozens of Gible, Gabite, and Garchomp, where the clan’s massive leader rose to meet him.

• Blaziken lured a Garchomp out by burning Duraludon, and Tetsuya stopped the Garchomp from attacking by explaining he had come to meet the strongest clan.
• Garchomp refused to let Tetsuya see the clan’s young, so Tetsuya offered it a Dragon Scale in exchange for taking him inside.
• Garchomp accepted the Dragon Scale, swallowed it, and led Tetsuya and Blaziken deeper into the desert while Duraludon stayed behind to wait for them.
• Tetsuya found dozens of Gible, Gabite, and Garchomp gathered among the dunes, including at least forty or fifty pseudo-legendary Pokemon.
• A much larger Garchomp rose from the sand and answered the call of the Garchomp leading Tetsuya.

Tetsuya sought a Gible from the Garchomp clan, but the Garchomp Leader initially refused to let its hatchlings leave. After consulting the Dragon Holy Land, the leader allowed him to choose one willing Gible, and Tetsuya asked whether he could take a newly laid egg instead.

• Tetsuya used Zero to scan the Champion Level Garchomp Leader while Blaziken communicated with the curious Gible and Gabite.
• The Garchomp Leader explained that its clan’s hatchlings could not be raised by outsiders, but offered to send Tetsuya to two other Garchomp groups if he earned their approval.
• Tetsuya argued that the clan’s Crown Prince had not warned him about the restriction, and the Garchomp Leader took his flower to seek permission.
• The Crown Prince asked Tetsuya for another Dragon Scale, but Tetsuya refused and learned the leader would return in about three minutes.
• The Garchomp Leader returned and allowed Tetsuya to choose one willing Gible, but Tetsuya asked for a newly laid egg instead.
• The Garchomp Leader called out, and a petite Garchomp went into a nearby cave.

Tetsuya chose a Champion Potential Gible Egg from Crown Prince Garchomp and Gabite, despite initially selecting a different egg. Crown Prince Garchomp accepted the trade after Tetsuya offered valuable Dragon Type growth materials.

• Crown Prince Garchomp pursued a newly evolved Gabite while the Garchomp Leader watched disapprovingly.
• A female Garchomp scattered several Gible Eggs onto the sand, and Tetsuya used Zero to assess their potential.
• Tetsuya picked up a Quasi-Champion Potential egg, but Blaziken announced that Gabite had just laid another egg.
• Tetsuya learned that Crown Prince Garchomp was the new egg's father and chose that egg as his future partner after Zero revealed its Champion Potential.
• Crown Prince Garchomp objected until Tetsuya offered Dragon Type growth materials, then gave him the new egg and shared some materials with Gabite.

Tetsuya secured a Champion-potential Gible egg from the Garchomp clan and used the Garchomp Leader’s advice to prepare a special Dragon-type cultivation mixture for it. A deafening roar from the depths of Dragon’s Den interrupted the peaceful visit, and Tetsuya realized something had happened at the Dragon Holy Land.

• Tetsuya and Garchomp and Gabite agreed that he would take their Champion-potential Gible egg, while he gave the Garchomp Leader the Quasi-Champion-potential egg.
• Tetsuya placed the Gible egg in an incubator and told the Garchomp Leader he would stay in Blackthorn City until it hatched, then try to bring Gible back for a visit.
• The Garchomp Leader taught Tetsuya how to combine Dragon Fang and other materials into a cultivation mixture, which Tetsuya applied to the egg.
• A deafening Dragon Roar sounded from the depths of Dragon’s Den, and the Garchomp Leader rushed toward the Dragon Holy Land as Tetsuya sensed trouble.

Clair and the Dragon Elder continued the ceremony outside the Dragon's Den as the Elder rode Salamence inside to investigate possible intruders. Meanwhile, Tetsuya persuaded Crown Prince Garchomp to lead him toward the Dragon Holy Land, where Gallade located its hidden entrance behind a waterfall.

• Clair noticed a flash of blue-purple light as the Dragon Tamers opened their eyes, and the Dragon Elder set off on Salamence to investigate inside the Dragon's Den.
• Tetsuya asked Crown Prince Garchomp to take him to the Dragon Holy Land, but Garchomp refused because outsiders were not allowed in.
• Tetsuya flew off with Pidgeot and Gallade toward the direction the Garchomp Leader had gone, prompting Crown Prince Garchomp to chase after them.
• Pidgeot carried Tetsuya for over two minutes to a river and waterfalls roughly fifty kilometers away, while Blaziken ran after the group across the sand.
• Gallade sensed the hidden entrance to the Dragon Holy Land behind one waterfall, leaving Crown Prince Garchomp shocked that it had found the passage.

Tetsuya reached the hidden entrance to Dragon Holy Land and persuaded Garchomp to let him pass. He encountered poachers Hunter R and Hunter K escaping with stolen test tubes, and the chapter ended as their Pokemon faced off.

• Tetsuya convinced Garchomp to pretend Blaziken and Pidgeot had knocked it out so he could enter the waterfall.
• As Tetsuya approached the waterfall, Hunter R and Hunter K burst out carrying a bundle of test tubes, while a third accomplice remained inside or covered their retreat.
• Hunter R and Hunter K sent out five Champion-level Pokemon and revealed an experimental Alakazam beside them.
• Tetsuya assigned Garchomp to fight Rapidash and Magmortar while Blaziken and Pidgeot faced Hunter R and Hunter K's other Pokemon.
• Hunter R ordered Venusaur to use Grassy Terrain, Victreebel to use Sleep Powder, and Exeggutor to use Seed Bomb; Tetsuya answered with Pidgeot's Hurricane and Blaziken's Flamethrower.