The next day.
The sunlight was brilliant.
Outside the house, Aggron was playing with water alongside Chansey and Mawile.
Ever since evolving, this massive monster—who was technically weak to Water—had become increasingly bold. Originally, it only enjoyed being misted like light rain, but now it didn't care if a whole bucket was dumped over its head. It truly lived up to its status as a Pokémon capable of learning moves like Surf.
Kashiwagi lay sideways on the sofa, the sounds of laughter drifting in from outside. He fixed his gaze on the Simulator icon in the lower-right corner of his vision.
Following the feedback from the past two days of tournament matches, the cooldown was nearly over. However, since the last three simulations hadn't yielded much interesting content, he felt a bit indifferent.
Might as well get a simulation out of the way while taking a noon nap.
He let out a yawn and waited for the countdown to hit zero.
A moment later:
[Choose your starting region ▽]
Kashiwagi couldn't be bothered to overthink it. He closed his eyes, scrolled up and down randomly, and tapped. When he opened his eyes—
Kalos?
To be fair, this was the first time he'd rolled this region. His interest piqued slightly.
He clicked on gender. Without much hesitation, he chose male. The odds of rolling a previous simulation subject were minuscule, so Kashiwagi had abandoned the idea of "being biased" for specific gender and decided to just alternate between male and female. The last subject, the Bird Keeper, was female, so this time it was a guy's turn.
Opening the Pokémon selection tab, there was indeed one choice available: the Water-type Psyduck.
Should he take it?
Kashiwagi understood that the starter Pokémon largely determined the identity of the simulation subject—just as choosing Onix led to the Hiker, and Pidgeotto led to the Bird Keeper. What kind of trainer owned a Psyduck? A Tube Slider? A Diver?
...Is it too late to go back and pick female? Maybe I could have rolled a Bikini Sister.
Searching for a while and finding no "back" button, Kashiwagi sighed. His finger, however, obediently tapped on Psyduck. He moved on to selecting Traits.
[Please draw your Traits]
Click.
Fixed Trait:
[Physically Fit (The Trainer is very healthy)]
Optional Traits:
[Sentimental (Mindset is easily shaken)]
[Kind-Hearted (Enjoys helping others)]
[☆ Divine Intervention (Always finds a way through hardships)]
[Elite System (Will not catch too many Pokémon)]
Holy crap! A Blue Trait!
Another Blue Trait appeared!
Kashiwagi suddenly realized that it had been exactly three simulations since the last Blue Trait appeared (with the Miniskirt girl). Was it a fixed occurrence every three rounds?
No, he couldn't be sure yet. It might just be good luck, especially since this Blue Trait was an option rather than a fixed one.
Regardless, Divine Intervention was a mandatory pick. As for the second choice... both Kind-Hearted and Elite System were good. Considering he considered himself a kind person, and being "Kind-Hearted" was a massive plus in the Pokémon world, there was no need to hesitate.
[Simulation Start]
The massive light screen unfurled. The buildings and characters were still in the classic pixel-art style. It seemed that even if he traveled to the 8th Generation, the Simulator's graphics weren't going to upgrade to 3D.
However, the setting on the screen...
"A culinary school?" Kashiwagi scratched his head.
On the screen:
The scene showed a bright, airy, massive kitchen. Numerous figures in white uniforms and aprons stood at cooking stations, either tossing frying pans or skillfully wielding knives to prep ingredients.
But the scene quickly shifted to the entrance of the white building. A chef carrying an oversized backpack walked out, looking back every few steps with deep longing.
[At fifteen, because you were unable to gain your teacher's approval, you were expelled from the Western Culinary Training School.]
Huh?
The new simulation subject was a chef? Specifically, a Western-style chef?
Kashiwagi rubbed his chin. He never expected Psyduck's partner to be a cook. Though, not a very successful one, apparently, since he got kicked out of school...
No wonder the fixed trait was Physically Fit. Chefs had to be healthy; even Western cuisine required a strong "lower base" since you were on your feet all day.
But where was the Psyduck?
He checked the Pokémon bar at the bottom. The chubby yellow silhouette was right there. Was it inside its Poké Ball?
Just as he thought that, a round, yellow head popped out of the chef's backpack, looking around blankly.
"Psy~"
When the text appeared above Psyduck's head, Kashiwagi could almost hear its goofy cry through the screen. A smile tugged at his lips.
The narration continued:
[You are devastated. However, to become a great chef like your idol—Elite Four member Siebold—you decide to set out on a journey with Psyduck. You aim to hone your culinary skills while heading toward the Pokémon League.]
The chef carried Psyduck out of the school gates. The moment he stepped onto the street, a bustling thoroughfare filled the screen. Even in pixels, the atmosphere of classic romance and elegance was unmistakable.
There was no doubt. This was the premiere city of the Kalos Region—Lumiose City, the metropolis known as the "City of Light."
[You cross Estival Avenue and arrive at the base of Prism Tower in the Central Plaza.]
[You intend to challenge the Lumiose Gym, but are rejected by the gate's AI program. The AI states that the Lumiose Gym requires four Badges and at least three Pokémon to challenge.]
Is Clemont already the Gym Leader? Or is this the rule set by his robot, or maybe his father?
Kashiwagi watched the chef turn away, looking even more dejected. This felt a bit off—where was that Divine Intervention? The guy was running into walls left and right.
[You decide to head toward Santalune City. Many rookie trainers gather there, making it perfect for someone just starting their journey.]
The chef left the bustling Lumiose City with Psyduck on his back and entered the vast wilderness.
Unlike a normal trainer, the chef's first priority in the wild wasn't to look for strong or rare Pokémon, nor was it to rush to the next town. Instead, he dove straight into the forest, crouching down and rummaging through the brush. He ignored the Pokémon passing by entirely—he was essentially a "mushroom-picking, wild-veg-gathering boy."
[Using your knowledge, you collect a large amount of ingredients. You decide to turn your sorrow into an appetite and prepare a delicious meal to reward yourself.]
The chef arrived at a riverside with his hoard of ingredients. He plucked Psyduck out of his bag and tossed it into the water, then quickly set up a cooking station and a simple stove. From his fluid, practiced movements, it was clear he had done this a thousand times.
Kashiwagi watched with interest. He figured that if the guy had been kicked out of school, his cooking probably wasn't great. How bad was it? Maybe "lethal dish" level?
As he was speculating, the chef suddenly pulled a massive wok and a long-handled ladle out of his backpack.
Kashiwagi lost it.
WTF!?
You're—you're a Chinese-style chef!?
Wait, the Pokémon world didn't technically have "Chinese cuisine," just mixed elements that resembled it... but regardless, if you walk into a Western culinary school full of frying pans while wielding a wok, it's a miracle they didn't kick you out sooner. It would be weirder if they did approve of you!
So it wasn't that his skills were bad, or that he was being bullied. He was just in the wrong building!