Morning arrived on the screen.
Upon waking, the Calligrapher called home. She solemnly apologized to the appraiser again—both for shredding the artwork and for accidentally knocking him over.
[You received the appraiser's forgiveness. He tells you that the next calligraphy competition is approaching and hopes to see a refreshing piece from you there.]
[You agree, feeling more excited than ever about your journey.]
With help from the girl's family, the Calligrapher successfully reached Oreburgh City.
Having tasted the power that a new environment can bring, she didn't rush to the Gym. Instead, she wandered around the city and even took the chance to explore the coal mines. Only after she had gathered enough inspiration did she set out to earn her first badge.
Unfortunately, the Oreburgh Gym required challengers to have at least three Pokémon. The Calligrapher, only possessing Smeargle and Mime Jr., didn't meet the requirement.
Usually, a trainer would just go into the wild and catch something. But the Calligrapher headed straight for the suburbs.
[You arrive at your family's luxury villa in Oreburgh City. With the help of the butler, you welcome back your third Pokémon.]
[You received Luxray, your childhood playmate! Your traveling party has grown.]
Wait... a childhood playmate Luxray?
Is she a female version of James from Team Rocket?
Kashiwagi looked at the lion-like Pokémon on the screen. The [Wealthy Family] talent was truly something else. Not only did she own a villa in Oreburgh, but she also had such a powerful Pokémon waiting inside.
Is this how rich people play the game?
The scene shifted back to the Oreburgh Gym.
The Gym Leader, Roark, had just returned from the mines. Without much hesitation, he accepted the Calligrapher's challenge.
As a Rock-type specialist, Roark's first Pokémon was the massive and intimidating Onix. The Calligrapher, unsurprisingly, chose Smeargle.
The "Magic Brush" Smeargle showed off its incredible skills once again. Facing the charging Onix, Smeargle used a few strokes to sketch a tidal wave. The wave surged from the ground like magic, crashing down on Onix.
Being 4x weak to Water, Onix was knocked out instantly.
This unique fighting style stunned Roark. He immediately sent out his second Pokémon, Geodude. Smeargle repeated the trick, using Surf to wash away the Geodude.
The third was Cranidos. It was slightly stronger than the first two, but it still couldn't survive two rounds of Surf.
[You defeated the Oreburgh Gym Leader, Roark, and received the Coal Badge!]
[For the first time, you felt the thrill of a Gym battle. The excitement, combined with your recent experiences, gave you a strong urge to write. You borrowed a desk from Roark and left behind a new piece of calligraphy: "Coal" (炭).]
As the Calligrapher finished writing, a heart icon popped up over Roark's head.
[You aren't fully satisfied with the piece, but seeing how much Roark loves it, you give it to him as a gift.]
The Chef makes food, and the Calligrapher gives away art?
Kashiwagi watched them chat happily. Being a Gym Leader seemed like a great way to network. Even though she was criticized by the curator, the Calligrapher was clearly famous and talented in her own right—it wasn't just her family's money. If she were untalented, the curator wouldn't have bothered criticizing her at all.
Now that she had found her direction, her future work would likely be worth a fortune!
----
After the victory, the Calligrapher prepared to head to Eterna City.
But before she could leave, she overheard someone in the Pokémon Center talking about the legends of Sinnoh—specifically, the Lake Guardians. This sparked her interest.
The characters she wrote were derived from ancient times, the same ones used by ancestors to record myths. She thought that visiting these sacred sites to see what the ancients saw might help her find her own "true meaning." She decided to take a detour toward Canalave City.
Passing through the Oreburgh Gate, she reached Route 203.
The beautiful scenery put her in such a good mood that she decided to set up camp and practice her brushwork. Kashiwagi couldn't read the characters, but a quick search on his phone suggested they were a form of ancient Pokémon script.
Soon, the Calligrapher noticed Mime Jr. trying to mimic her writing.
[You want Mime Jr. to join in, but you see it refuse out of fear. Realizing your angry face from when you were lost yesterday scared it, you apologize and invite it again.]
[Mime Jr. agrees with a smile. You both begin to write together, moving in perfect sync.]
Human and Pokémon were in total harmony on the screen. Their movements and even the pressure of their pens were identical. Kashiwagi got excited—could Mime Jr. perfectly copy her work? Could it replicate famous paintings too?
The Calligrapher clearly had the same thought. She hurried to check Mime Jr.'s work.
It was a total mess.
Seeing the messy black lines over the Calligrapher's head, Kashiwagi realized he had expected too much.
[You realize Mime Jr. can only mimic your movements and expressions, not the art itself. You think to yourself that this kind of mimicry is worthless—]
Kashiwagi raised an eyebrow. The Calligrapher seemed to have entered a state of sudden enlightenment.
[You realize that while your work is prettier than Mime Jr.'s, there is no real difference. Both are just hollow imitations—copying the shape but missing the soul.]
[You finally understand the appraiser's deep intentions.]
[You check the Pokédex and see that Mime Jr. can only evolve into Mr. Mime after learning the move "Mimic." You realize that right now, both you and Mime Jr. can only copy appearances, not the essence.]
[You understand that only when it truly masters "Mimic" will Mime Jr. go from a clumsy imitator to a true master of mime.]
Another enlightenment? And she only has one badge!
Kashiwagi had to reconsider just how much of a genius this girl was. She was barely human.
On screen, the Calligrapher held Mime Jr.'s hand. They made a promise to break free from the chains of imitation and grow into a true artist and a master of mime.
It was a beautiful scene, but then the system dropped a line:
[You make a promise with Mime Jr., but you fail to notice the envious gaze coming from beside you.]
An envious gaze? From who?
Luxray or Smeargle?
Kashiwagi's eyes darted between the other two Pokémon, but he couldn't find the answer in the pixels.