[Your Mime Jr. evolved into Mr. Mime]
The birth of Mr. Mime seemed to herald a budding success for the calligrapher. Thus, after gifting "Winter" to the surprised Xiaosong, she rushed back to Hearthome City.
At this moment.
The calligraphy competition had already ended.
The calligrapher arrived just as someone informed her of the result—second place.
Her praise-filled Mesprit poem had lost to a former rival, who possessed beautiful and captivating text akin to templates.
As the Hall Master said, when it comes to winning awards, templates are indeed more convenient.
[You're certainly disappointed at not winning, but you understand that this is a result of your calligraphy journey just beginning]
Indeed.
The calligrapher was not dejected; rather, she was more motivated to move forward.
Because she knew this achievement was uniquely hers, a result of the accumulated experiences from her travels with Pokémon.
What surprised the calligrapher even more was the Hall Master's evaluation.
[You heard the Hall Master say, "I didn't expect you could create such intriguing characters in such a short time; it's truly remarkable. Although your strokes are still immature, they convey a strong sense of gratitude. The emotions expressed, in my opinion, are worthy of an award."]
Not winning the award naturally was due to the fact that the judges were more than just the Hall Master, and mere personal preference wasn't enough to sway the outcome.
However, for the calligrapher, there was no better praise, especially coming from the Hall Master who had once told her that her writing was rather uninteresting.
After the praise, the Hall Master didn't shy away from criticism, mainly targeting the calligrapher's temperament.
Many prominent figures in the calligraphy world possess an overbearing arrogance, but to tear up works publicly and harm respected elders in the field is too much and would be widely protested by many luminaries.
If it weren't for the calligrapher's father mediating, and the Hall Master selflessly forgiving and announcing it to the public, the incident would hardly have faded away peacefully.
In Sinnoh, even globally, a person's character is also a measure of their work.
Perhaps part of the reason for not winning the calligraphy competition lies in this.
Humility is a virtue, and the Hall Master hoped the calligrapher would remember it.
The calligrapher sincerely thanked and apologized once more, acknowledging her responsibility and feeling utterly ashamed for causing the elderly victim such concern and effort.
[Once again, you've received the Hall Master's forgiveness, who expressed eagerness for your future works and reminded you of the upcoming Winter Calligraphy Academy Exhibition]
[You understand this is an event not to be missed and start contemplating a theme]
The calligrapher returned to Hearthome City not only to hear the competition results but also to challenge the Fortree Gym.
Speaking of which.
The calligrapher and the Fortree Gym Leader Melissa had crossed paths numerous times, primarily at high society gatherings; one was a recognized calligraphy prodigy in Sinnoh and the other an expert in the Gorgeous Competition.
Nonetheless, their interaction was limited to just that, as their lives rarely intersected.
Yet due to the sudden craze for calligraphy among Gym Trainers, Melissa, upon meeting the calligrapher, claimed to display Gorgeous Competition techniques as a ruse to obtain her calligraphy work.
The calligrapher was pleased, as she currently sought to experience more new things and wouldn't refuse.
Thus.
After Smeargle, Mr. Mime, and Luxray defeated Melissa's Pokémon, and combining with Melissa's performance, the calligrapher left behind a calligraphy work of extremely unique style.
Why say unique style? It was because the work contained not only traditional ancient Sinnoh characters but also ancient characters from other regions at Melissa's request.
Thanks to the calligrapher's extensive knowledge, she was well-versed in many scripts; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to meet Melissa's requirements.
But what was most remarkable was Melissa's specific request for written content, to which the calligrapher agreed!
Baimu felt that the calligrapher was truly easy-going.
——
Leaving Hearthome City.
Soon.
The calligrapher arrived at Veil City located atop a steep Rock Mountain. Despite past isolation due to terrain challenges, hindering communication with other towns,
as times advanced, the opening of trains across Sinnoh cities and the establishment of highways significantly enhanced external interactions.
[You've arrived at Veil City, and the towering terrain gives you an extraordinary feeling]
In joy, the calligrapher couldn't help but find an open space where she started writing.
Once her creative yearning was fulfilled, she headed to the Veil Gym for a challenge.
Soon.
[You defeated Veil Gym Leader Alee and earned the Paving Stone Badge]
Unlike the previous Gym Leaders, perhaps due to Alee's younger age, she was indeed too shy to request calligraphy from the calligrapher.
The calligrapher thought of it as tending to one Mareep and then to another, so she left the word "Will" for Alee—symbolizing her upcoming journey to Lake Verity for a glimpse at the third great lake's vision and representing Alee's fighting maiden's forward-moving will.
This thrilled Alee immensely as her dojo just happened to lack such a wall-hung piece.
She had often seen online those martial arts dojos with masterful calligraphy pieces such as "Heart," "Ultimate," "Martial Pinnacle," and envied them.
Never imagined she'd have such an honor one day.
Often being looked down upon because of her young age, Alee naturally harbored no bias against the youthful calligrapher, especially since she had already learned of the presence of this emerging calligrapher through other Gym Trainers.
Scene transitions.
After bidding farewell to Alee, the calligrapher soon arrived at Lake Verity.
Unfortunately, unlike the other two lakes, it had lost its original natural landscape and had become a famous scenic spot.
Not only did the lakeside have a large hotel and the most luxurious restaurant in Sinnoh Region, but it was also the venue for the legendary Mikoli Club and Sinnoh's major Gorgeous Competition celebration.
Causing the calligrapher to wander around Lake Verity for a long time before finding a quiet and secluded place.
[You've arrived at Lake Verity; the beautiful scenery leaves you unwilling to leave]
Sadly, as with the Acuity Lake visit, Azelf, symbolizing initial will, did not appear from Lake Verity.
Thus, the calligrapher had to rely on chronicles and natural landscapes to feel the mysterious Lake Trio and the emotions recorded by ancient scripts.
She lingered for a week at the Lake Verity hotel before heading to Wildfield City to challenge the seventh Gym.
Meanwhile, as Smeargle mastered its painting skills, its move execution became more fluid, with the starting gesture increasingly brief; a fierce Thunder could be painted in a single stroke.
Moreover, it could paint on water and, if fast enough, leave artwork in the air.
This undeniably greatly enhanced Smeargle's combat power.
Baimu even felt its strength was exaggerated; could it be that all Smeargle possess such power?
Naturally not possible.
It's merely that the calligrapher's Smeargle is rather unique.
He watched this human-like little dog, composed with its brush, executing strokes in a single breath, suddenly feeling a sense that its art had reached the pinnacle.