Hisako informs the Polar Star residents that the Advancement Exam will take place in Hokkaido. They will be traveling from the south end of the island to the north as they pass stages of the exam. Erina spends the next week teaching the Polar Star residents, Nikumi, and the Aldini brothers everything she knows about Hokkaido ingredients and cuisine. For the first stage of the Exam, all the students are separated into teams, and Soma is teamed with Megumi, Alice, Kurokiba, and Yuki. For first stage, teams must prepare a single salmon dish, but Soma's team is deliberately given the lowest quality salmon. Since salmon is out of season, there is no way to get one fresh. Thanks to Erina's lessons, Soma's team remembers that salmon can be frozen in brine, preserving their flavor. They manage to procure one such salmon from a local vendor and prepare a delicious Yuan-style Grilled Tokishirazu Salmon dish, and the judge passes. The other rebel teams also manage to overcome Central's interference. The students move onto the second stage of the Exam on a special train. Soma visits Erina during the night, and Erina realizes that she no longer feels annoyed when she's in Soma's presence.