Once the Lass stepped into the Intermediate Class, her behavior became even more unrestrained.
Someone didn't agree with her?
They weren't allowed to leave until they finished answering a hundred questions!
Oh! You want to throw a punch?
Despite her small frame and lack of a burly physique, almost no one was her match. She would beat her opponents until they begged for mercy, then haul them onto the treadmills by their collars. Men and women alike were tossed around like ragdolls in her grip.
She had the fierce spirit of Misty chasing Ash to Viridian City with her charred bike, or Maylene of the Veilstone Gym holding her own against a Lucario.
Her new friend watched the entire process, wandering around with constant exclamation marks above her head. The simulator also jumped in frequently to assert its presence.
**[You defeated *, and he "agreed" to your battle request.]
The quotes around "agreed" were a nice touch—the simulator clearly wanted everyone to know it was a forced consent.
Seeing the Lass's flair, Kashiwagi finally understood why Clefairy's "Fairy Fist" was so strong and where it had learned those moves. Like Trainer, like Pokémon. You can't have a Clefairy acting like a Boxing King without a combat genius for a Trainer.
To the students of the Intermediate Class, the Lass was a living nightmare. Not only did they get a physical beating, but their Pokémon also had to take a few hooks from her Clefairy. For a while, the class was in a state of absolute misery.
However, as long as she was allowed to battle without restraint, the Lass generally didn't cause trouble for the teachers. Through the screen, Kashiwagi noticed that many teachers expressed relief and admiration toward her for not skipping class anymore, throwing out "white thumbs-up" icons like candy.
[Your law-abiding behavior puts the teachers' minds at ease.]
From the simulator's descriptions, it was clear that the position of "Class Leader" was extraordinary at this school. Much like student councils in typical anime, they held certain powers that even surpassed regular teachers. Consequently, the faculty felt they should hold the Lass in high regard.
As for the students getting beaten up?
Oh? The teachers didn't even seem to notice they existed. The "bully" had simply changed, so why should they intervene? It wasn't as if the Lass lacked family status or wealth.
A few weeks later, the Lass couldn't wait any longer for the Intermediate Class Leader to issue a challenge.
One day, the moment class ended, she charged into the Class Leader's room. She kicked open the door—which was being blocked by the Leader's lackeys—and grandly threw down a challenge letter in front of everyone. The teacher at the podium, packing up their materials, simply displayed a "..." bubble and wisely pretended to see nothing.
[You challenged the Intermediate Class Leader, wagering the position of Leader on the match. The Leader "agreed".]
Kashiwagi laughed out loud seeing the pixelated Leader staring blankly at the challenge letter for ages. He had zero complaints about this simulation subject.
Reflecting on the flashes of training footage from the past few minutes, he knew the Lass had never focused on her peers. From the very beginning, her goal was the Pokémon League Conference! Coming to the Research School was just a small compromise because her parents wouldn't let her travel alone to challenge Gyms.
She had talent, she worked hard, and she had the background.
What was this? This was the Aura of a Champion.
If she didn't win the Conference, who would? If she didn't become the first to "clear" a region for him, who would?
Kashiwagi was brimming with confidence, and the Lass did not disappoint. In her battle against the Intermediate Leader, she fully displayed her unique training style, utilizing her Pokémon's "advantages" to secure victory.
This included, but was not limited to:
Clefairy sitting on a wailing Snorlax's face, grabbing its thick ears, and swinging tiny paws wrapped in reddish-brown energy at its squinty eyes.
"A glutton, are you? Eat this punch first!"
"The Leader is unfit? Here come the hits!"
She spammed Power-Up Punch so much that the orange-red aura of rising Attack power never faded. Snorlax didn't just sit there; it tried to swipe at Clefairy, but those tiny wings—which looked like mere decorations—were incredibly nimble. If it swiped left, she moved right; if it swiped right, she moved left. When it tried to grab with both hands, she flew onto its head and smashed a Brick Break down so hard it almost knocked the snot out of it.
It was hard to imagine this was a Fairy-type and not a Fighting-type. The string of "..." from the onlookers proved they had never seen a Clefairy like this. Whether they went home and tore up their textbooks was another story.
[Your Clefairy defeated Snorlax, but it looks like it wants more.]
"Ash's Primeape should give its P1 Grand Prix belt to you," Kashiwagi remarked with a sigh. He began to wonder if his own Mawile could develop in this direction. Mega Mawile had Huge Power, and even in its base form, it had Sheer Force and could learn the elemental punches. It was just a shame the pixel screen didn't allow him to learn the specific "how-to" of her training.
As he fantasized, the Lass successfully took the Intermediate Leader's spot. Same three Pokémon, same techniques. The textbook-worshipping honor students had no answer for her because their rules of "level advantage" and "type advantage" didn't apply.
Higher level? Her level was higher. Type advantage? The textbooks clearly state that overwhelming strength can ignore type match-ups!
[You defeated the Intermediate Class Leader and secured the position. You decided to continue skipping grades and head for the Senior Class.]
Through the screen, Kashiwagi could practically hear the wails of the Senior students and the pounding heart of their Class Leader. Anyone would be terrified. The Lass was "reckless," but unlike the "stupid-reckless" of the Bug Catcher, she was methodical. Every time she targeted a top-tier opponent, she performed specialized training first.
Entering the Senior Class was no different. However, a second talent manifested on her second day there.
[You are angry at his act of abandonment, but you do not strike. You know what's done is done.]
[You comfort the Pokémon he abandoned: Seadra (Male). Seadra is grateful and wishes to help you.]
[You agree.]
Classic Lass! Both Kind-hearted and a Social Butterfly! Kashiwagi didn't think her family lacked the means to get a Seadra; she just truly cared and didn't look down on any Pokémon.
Furthermore, because there were many graduating seniors with rapidly growing strength, the Lass's training period extended. Considering the Conference required six Pokémon, she called home for her remaining partners.
[You welcomed back your former partner: Azumarill (Male). Your party has grown.]
[You welcomed back your former partner: Jumpluff (Male). Your party has grown.]
"Hm... no particularly rare Pokémon, huh?" Kashiwagi was surprised by her full roster, yet it felt right. Unlike Trainers who sought inherent power or rarity, the Lass preferred to discover the hidden potential in common Pokémon. Rarity was secondary.
He noted the gender split was perfectly balanced: three males, three females. He took a sip of his drink and watched expectantly.
With a full team, her training became frantic. She even took a leave of absence from classes to focus. Finally, the reason for her refusal to evolve them earlier surfaced.
[Your Clefairy learned a new move: Meteor Mash. Strength increased.]
[Your Jigglypuff learned a new move: Double-Edge. Strength increased.]
[Your Nidorina learned a new move...]
The repeated notifications proved she was waiting for them to master their full movepools before evolving. Once the move learning stopped, she pulled out a pile of stones and scales.
[Your Clefairy evolved into Clefable.]
[Your Jigglypuff evolved into Wigglytuff.]
[Your Nidorina evolved into Nidoqueen.]
[Your Seadra evolved into Kingdra.]
The final, fully evolved team was complete!
Kashiwagi couldn't help but applaud. Each simulation was like watching an intense anime, and he always looked forward to the final roster. The previous subjects had some insane teams, but the Lass was truly impressive.
The day after her team was finalized, the Lass calmly walked into the Senior Class Leader's room and threw down her challenge. The Leader accepted. He had clearly known she was coming and had prepared extensively, choosing Pokémon that specifically countered hers and leveling them to the absolute limit.
Alas, before the fully evolved Clefable and the others, it was all in vain.
When a Nidoking unleashed a massive Sludge Wave, Clefable used a ground-slamming Water Pulse that created a tidal wave comparable to Surf, forcing the sludge back. Then, she flapped her wings, charged forward, and slammed two punches into Nidoking's skull, knocking its horn crooked.
Then came Wigglytuff, inflating ten-fold before launching a terrifying Gyro Ball; Nidoqueen, bulky yet incredibly agile, dancing through the fray with a flurry of Poison Tail and Poison Jab; Kingdra, creating "Pseudo-Super Water Vortices" that were impossible to escape; Azumarill, using Belly Drum then flying across the field with a lethal Aqua Jet; and Jumpluff, exploding with cotton spores that caused Leech Seeds to grow at an insane rate. The Senior Leader was in agony.
As the Senior Leader, he was actually above the level of just following textbooks, so he put up a better fight than the others. But against the Lass, he was still nothing. He was defeated.
After several months of fighting her way from the bottom to the top, clearing out the school's bullying culture and becoming an idol to countless students, the Lass—formally a graduate of the Research School—earned her qualification for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
[You defeated the Senior Class Leader. You have shattered tradition. All students are grateful. You begin your preparations for the Indigo Plateau Conference.]
Finally! The Indigo Plateau Conference was starting!