To be honest, this was the first time Kashiwagi had seen Sketch used in such a way.
Triggering moves by drawing?
If she doesn't draw fast enough, wouldn't the opponent easily seize the initiative?
Regardless, the Calligrapher's Smeargle was significantly stronger than he had anticipated. He came to a realization: it didn't matter if a trainer with Blue Talents was a novice; their Pokémon were definitely not "beginner" level.
Whether it was Clefairy, Psyduck, or this Smeargle, they all packed a punch.
However, as a calligrapher's Pokémon, it was a bit of a shame Smeargle didn't use moves through writing. If, instead of drawing a lightning bolt, it had written the character for "Thunder" (雷), it would have been even more interesting. It would have felt like a Taoist priest drawing a talisman.
Of course, that might be asking too much of the "dog." Perhaps the mechanics of Sketch in this world were fundamentally tied to painting rather than writing.
On the screen:
The Calligrapher saw that she had defeated the wild trainer, and a smiley face appeared over her head. The pressure in her heart seemed to have found a slight release.
It appeared that for her, Pokémon battling had become an excellent outlet for catharsis.
Yet, unlike the goal-oriented Chef, battling, traveling, and even Gym challenges were merely ways for her to pass the time. Having debuted as a prodigy calligrapher and enjoyed constant praise since childhood, she was facing her first major life failure and could no longer see the path ahead.
Thus, the excitement of victory lasted only a moment.
She resumed her journey toward Oreburgh City.
As the background colors faded into a dim, yellowish hue, nightfall approached.
Failing to find a Pokémon Center, the Calligrapher had to figure out how to spend the night on her own. After much stumbling, she managed to pitch a tent and light a campfire, but cooking was clearly not her forte.
Attempting outdoor cooking for the first time, she naturally produced a pot of literal garbage.
[You regret not buying some ready-to-eat rations. The hunger gnawing at your stomach makes your mind a chaotic mess.]
Seeing a tangle of messy black lines floating above the heads of the Calligrapher, Smeargle, and Mime Jr., Kashiwagi's lips couldn't help but twitch.
Before the sky turned completely pitch black, the Calligrapher extinguished the fire and led her two Pokémon into the forest, hoping to find some Berries to cure their hunger.
The forest at dusk was eerie and desolate. The Calligrapher had never experienced such an atmosphere before and found herself momentarily entranced.
But as a novice who hadn't done her homework, she quickly got lost. Time and again, they returned to the original spot Smeargle had marked.
Seeing that half the sky was already dark, she asked Smeargle and Mime Jr. if they had any ideas. Unfortunately, one only knew how to write markers, and the other only knew how to mimic the former's expressions and movements.
This left the Calligrapher incredibly frustrated.
[You are tired and hungry, and you nearly lash out at your two Pokémon. But before the words leave your mouth, you suddenly recall the criticisms of those around you and the words of the appraiser, "Even though you're young, your writing is so rigid it looks exactly like a template, as if written just to win an award. I can't see 'you' in it at all."]
[You realize they are like reflections of your own soul, manifesting your rigid and purely imitative sides. You have no right to blame them.]
[Your intense emotions quickly cool down.]
Suddenly, the screen panned upward.
A little girl in white, squatting under a tree, appeared before Kashiwagi's eyes.
Floating above her head were strings of text like "Wooooo... wooooo...",part moan, part sob. Combined with the hazy forest at sunset, it felt incredibly eerie and ominous, even without background music.
Kashiwagi felt a slight shiver.
Dusk -- the "Hour of Demons" in traditional lore, when all sorts of spirits and monsters emerge.
The Calligrapher and her two Pokémon also noticed the crying girl. Ellipses (...) popped up over their heads as they wavered between fear and hesitation. They were worried she might be a ghost, but also worried she was truly in trouble.
After a moment of inner conflict, the Calligrapher's conscience won out, and she approached.
[You find a mysterious little girl deep in the forest. After some hesitation, you decide to ask if she needs help.]
Both those inside and outside the screen held their breath. In the moment the girl in white turned around, their hearts skipped a beat!
Fortunately, the face revealed was perfectly normal, just a plain, ugly crying face rather than the three bloody holes of a horror story.
[You are immensely relieved that you encountered a human. After talking, you learn she was separated from her parents, got lost, and fell from a tree, spraining her ankle so badly she cannot stand.]
[Seeing her tearful face, you lift her onto your back to go search for her parents.]
Seeing the Calligrapher ignore the girl's dirty clothes to carry her, Kashiwagi was slightly surprised. He had assumed, based on her previous behavior, that she would be the type who remained aloof and arrogant even when being kind. He hadn't expected her to be so down-to-earth.
The screen soon went completely black. Night had fallen.
The Calligrapher carried the girl forward, following her directions. Her two Pokémon followed closely behind, scanning the surroundings nervously. Although she had been tormented by being lost earlier, the Calligrapher was no longer in a rush. She walked slowly and steadily, one step at a time.
[You spot lights in the distance and hear voices calling out.]
She moved toward the light and soon encountered two adults with flashlights and anxious expressions. Unsurprisingly, they were the girl's parents.
[You explain what happened to the parents. They are extremely grateful and invite you to join them for dinner.]
The Calligrapher followed them back to their campsite. A campfire in the center radiated warmth, with a large metal pot hanging over it. Though the bottom was charred black, a savory aroma wafted from the top.
A string of "Grumble" bubbles appeared over the Calligrapher's head. The girl's family all broke into smiles.
[During dinner, you learn they are traveling to Oreburgh City to visit relatives. Upon hearing you plan to challenge the Gym, the girl's father decides to give you a lift.]
[You happily accept.]
While eating, the Calligrapher observed the camp. The parents were clearly much more professional than she was; the campsite was cozy and organized.
Eating the steaming hot food, seeing the smiles of the people and Pokémon around her, and reflecting on the day's events, the Calligrapher's heart suddenly began to itch with inspiration.
She realized her tent and bags were still at their first location, so she asked the girl's mother, who knew the area, to help her find them. This time, they didn't get lost.
Once she had her bags, she looked at her calligraphy tools. She could no longer suppress the overwhelming urge to write.
Immediately upon returning to the camp:
The Calligrapher borrowed the cooking table from the parents, quickly laid out a sheet of rice paper, and had Smeargle help her grind the ink. The newcomer, Mime Jr., knew nothing about the art but excelled at mimicking, so it jumped in to help Smeargle.
And so, under the bewildered gazes of the family of three, the Calligrapher centered her mind and wrote down a single word:
"Forest" (森)
It was a piece that didn't belong to a template; it belonged only to her. Looking at it, the Calligrapher felt a sense of pride for the very first time.
[You reflect on what you saw and heard today. To you, this represents the silent forest at dusk, the wandering forest while lost, the dark forest when you first met the girl, and the forest of the warm campsite illuminated by the fire.]
[You sit on the ground and burst into laughter.]
[Looking at this calligraphy, you recall the appraiser's words again and suddenly find the direction you need to move in.]