(2)My Orphanage Called Me A Monster For Talking To Pokemon, Until I Made A Level 90 Articuno Bow To

Recap

University, training, and research

At university, Professor Ren Wen tries to embarrass Shikyu with an advanced Pokémon-poisoning question. Shikyu answers perfectly, then counters Ren’s complaint that his treatment is impractical by healing with Champion-level power right in front of the class. The professor still docks him for attendance—but the extra credits make the class worth sticking with.

Back at the cabin, Shikyu’s Pokémon have been training hard, so he stages a full-strength family tournament to settle who’s strongest. The battles are a mix of clever tactics and petty rivalry: Zorua’s dreamlike whale illusion briefly puts Minccino in danger, but Minccino turns the fox’s music against him; Riolu’s fighting style breaks through Gallade’s water-sword defense; and Vulpix freezes Minccino after revealing he’s learned to hide inside the snow.

Riolu takes first place, followed by Vulpix, Minccino, Gallade, and Zorua. Minccino and Vulpix immediately start arguing over whose skills are better.

Shikyu then crashes the university battle-team tryouts, intending to let young Zorua prove himself. Zorua’s illusion-based “cloud sea whale fall” leaves the crowd baffled, while Gallade later defeats the Dark-type specialist Jiang Zai’s Houndoom with an increasingly powerful water-dragon sword technique. Shikyu earns a place on the team—and the crowd’s respect, even if he still considers himself a humble freshman.

His research career takes off too. A paper on Zekrom is accepted by the world’s leading research journal, with N credited as co-author. Shikyu included N’s name as a way of welcoming him into this world, and N is deeply touched. During a TV interview, Shikyu jokes that he thought America was called the “Tianzhu region.” After an awkward pause, he insists it was a joke.

A sea shrine, a legendary baby, and a body-swap disaster

When Shikyu and N explore an underwater realm, wild Chinchou and Lanturn guide them through the dark sea to a hidden shrine. Inside, they find Manaphy’s egg. It hatches in a chaotic tumble—and Manaphy’s first move, Heart Swap, switches Shikyu and N’s bodies.

The two try to keep up appearances, with N attending Shikyu’s classes and contest while Shikyu has to play the part of the usually distant N. The results are predictably disastrous: Shikyu, speaking in N’s gentle voice, is suddenly much friendlier to strangers, while N struggles to imitate Shikyu’s mannerisms.

At the contest, N and Riolu perform a fierce, sword-like routine that earns perfect marks. Their accidental “brotherly” tension when a girl asks Shikyu-for-the-moment for her contact information only makes the situation more confusing to their friends.

Manaphy eventually switches them back after the contest. N keeps the ribbon he won—not because he needs a trophy, but because it represents a connection to the world he now belongs to.

New realms, new partners, and a dangerous prophecy

Shikyu’s simulator opens a new path to a preserved fragment of Saffron City, where he meets Psychic-type Gym Leader Sabrina. She explains that his many powers—Aura, life energy, and his connection to the forest and sea—work together unusually well. Shikyu eagerly agrees to learn psychic powers, imagining the convenience of floating snacks into his mouth. In practice, his powerful but clumsy psychic energy bends spoons and pulverizes beads instead of gently lifting them.

N also shares more of his past: his years under Ghetsis, the journey that changed his beliefs, and a mysterious boy who once visited his world through a ring.

At university, Shikyu adopts Snivy, a proud little powerhouse with the Contrary ability. She can turn Leaf Storm’s usual weakness into a strength, and she quickly announces that she’ll become Shikyu’s trump card. Zorua is less thrilled when Snivy calls him the family’s strongest ace, but Shikyu comforts the upset fox with praise and cake.

A new realm opens early, and Shikyu joins a research team exploring what appears to be a fragment of Kalos. His unusual ability to understand Pokémon turns dangerous encounters into unexpected friendships: a group of Pyroar treat him like a cub and hand over a pile of Mega Stones, which Shikyu theatrically describes as having the power to transform life itself. A wild Greninja then guides him to statues linked to an ancient battle between Groudon and Kyogre.

Shikyu discovers a hidden Carbink kingdom ruled by a young Diancie. Its sacred diamond is dying, and Diancie can’t yet make a replacement. Shikyu helps stabilize it temporarily, but the real solution is for Diancie to understand life for herself.

During this journey, the villainous Joker and his allies try to capture Shikyu, believing a prophecy says he can save—or reshape—the world. Shikyu escapes with help from a wild Greninja, Zoroark’s illusions, Zekrom, and eventually Sabrina, who turns the Joker into a doll. Shikyu leaves him behind in the grass, where he’s later discovered and stuffed into the simulator bag.

The secret realm’s troubles continue when Vulpix absorbs a dangerous surge of fairy energy from the sacred diamond. Shikyu rushes him to Articuno’s icy realm, where Articuno donates one of her own tail feathers to help him survive the evolution. Vulpix becomes an Alolan Ninetales with both Ice and Fairy power, while Minccino immediately resumes teasing him. Articuno’s sacrifice also finally settles Shikyu’s old grudge against her.

Gallade later Mega Evolves using Galladite, which Riolu finds. Her new strength puts her among the family’s top contenders, prompting Ninetales and Minccino to worry about their rankings. Shikyu reassures Minccino that he’s planning something bigger for him: a whole musical army.

Shikyu’s birthday brings a new mystery

On Shikyu’s sixteenth birthday, his Pokémon surprise him with a party, a handmade cake, and a pink diamond from Diancie. The forest itself appears to join in, writing him a birthday message. The simulator then offers Shikyu a mysterious, one-time quest and rewards him with Smeargle.

Smeargle seems emotionally blank, unable to find anything inside himself worth painting. Yet during a battle, his Sketch produces Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire—an extraordinarily powerful move. Later, he makes Shikyu a cup of icy shaved ice, and the brush leaves a faint mark on his otherwise empty page.

N suspects Smeargle has trouble recognizing his own feelings, but Shikyu insists on treating him as a normal Pokémon and giving him time.

The Magic City Contest

Shikyu enters the prestigious Magic City Contest, where he faces top coordinators from China and abroad. The qualifiers are spectacular: Master Yu Bai makes a forest appear with a single move, and French coordinator Eiler’s Milotic turns Water Pulse into a musical, suspended storm. Shikyu’s Gallade ties for second with Luo Shanyu by performing a water-dragon sword dance.

For the main performance, Shikyu and Gallade perform a fire ritual inspired by Hinokami Kagura. Their synchronized dance seems to awaken the natural world around them, filling the venue with the sounds and colors of life. The performance is especially meaningful to Smeargle: for the first time, he cries with joy. Gallade also Mega Evolves on stage without the usual stone, powered by their bond and the life energy surrounding them. Shikyu’s performance receives a perfect score.

The contest’s battles are just as dramatic. Gallade defeats Hathaway’s Tyranitar with a lightning-fast sword style, then overcomes Mismagius by using a gentle water technique that washes away the resentment fueling Destiny Bond. Shikyu’s longtime rival Chen Liu pushes Gallade with Beautifly’s web of conductive silk, but Shikyu baits out Protect and breaks it with Feint.

The organizers then redraw the semifinal bracket to force a showdown between the two famous top coordinators. The move backfires: Eiler defeats Luo Shanyu, setting up a final against Shikyu instead. Gallade’s Mega Evolution and fire-based sword techniques overwhelm Eiler’s Milotic, and Shikyu wins the Magic City ribbon.

In his victory speech, Shikyu explains Mega Evolution to the world. When asked why Gallade appeared to evolve without a Mega Stone, he smiles and claims the audience must have seen it wrong.

After the contest, Smeargle finally tells Shikyu he wants to be “together.” Shikyu welcomes him to the team. Riolu, who had quietly wanted a ribbon of his own, admits he wants to win one alongside Shikyu. Soon after, he evolves into Lucario, ready for that promise to become reality.

Shikyu’s life is now crowded with university, research, contests, his growing Pokémon family, and a prophecy that calls him the world’s savior. He still has Sabrina’s psychic flying test to face—and a Wallace Cup promise to keep with Lucario.

Personalities and Pokémon featured

Human characters: Shikyu, N, Professor Ren Wen, Professor Song, Professor Hongshen, Sabrina, Rong Dao, Rong Yue, Lu Qing, Jiang Zai, Versace, Master Yu Bai, Chen Liu, Yilin, Luo Shanyu, Eiler, and the Joker.

Notable Pokémon: Riolu/Lucario, Gallade, Minccino, Vulpix/Alolan Ninetales, Zorua/Zoroark, Snivy, Zeraora, Manaphy, Phione, Diancie, Smeargle, Articuno, Zekrom, and Greninja.