Kashiwagi had wanted to leave as quietly as possible.
However, the members of Team Rainbow didn't give him the chance. They forcibly organized a massive crowd to give him a grand, "eighteen-mile" send-off.
Naruhisa, Otsuka, and the others actually started crying during the farewell, making the atmosphere incredibly awkward and unlucky—to an outsider, it looked less like a boss moving on and more like a funeral procession! Kashiwagi was so annoyed he gave each of them a sharp smack on the head.
On the other side, thanks to her hard work over the past half-month, Chansey had earned the affection of many Nurse Joys and Pokémon nurses. They, too, turned out in force to see her off. Chansey was deeply moved, waving her flippers frantically at her former colleagues.
"Lucky~!"
"Let's go."
Kashiwagi patted Chansey's head, shared a knowing look and a wave with N in the crowd, and finally bid farewell to the people of Pyrite Town.
Aggron's mountain territory had been left in N's care. Aggron had a natural affinity for N, the "Son of Pokémon," and trusted him to look after the land.
Of course, the most important factor was Kashiwagi's approval—if Kashiwagi trusted N, Aggron had no complaints.
Aggron also knew that the deal with N involved caring for the Pokémon Kashiwagi couldn't carry with him. To that, Aggron only had one request: Catch more Grass-types. After the past two weeks, the giant beast viewed Grass Pokémon as gods of fertility—essential for its dream of a lush, green paradise.
Kashiwagi climbed into the transport vehicle, and the driver gave him a surprise.
"Tyra!"
"Yo! I was the one who drove you to the Charity Gala, and I'm the one driving you out of Orre!" the burly female driver, Tyra, laughed heartily. Although she and Ayana were members of Team Rainbow and hadn't committed any major crimes, they were still technically on probation and usually weren't allowed to leave the Pyrite area.
"Well, keep it steady then," Kashiwagi said, taking a seat in the back. The car had been arranged by Frobo; Tyra likely had some business to attend to in Gateon Port as well.
"Don't you worry about my driving skills!" Terry hit the gas, and the vehicle sped toward Gateon Port.
-----
As the crowd at Pyrite's entrance dispersed, Kashiwagi watched the monotonous landscape fly by and opened his simulator.
It had been nearly a month since his last Blue-tier simulation (the Calligrapher with the double-blue talents). During that hectic month, he hadn't had the time to properly watch the stories play out; he had rushed through three Standard simulations just for the rewards.
The results had been mediocre. Only two of the simulated characters managed to collect eight badges, granting him Tier 3 rewards (limited to level 50). The third only gave a Tier 1 level boost (level 30). The moves were slightly better: Thunder Wave, Curse, and Low Kick—enough to call it a "win," barely.
Now, the fourth Blue-tier simulation was ready. With a long drive ahead of him, it was the perfect time to watch. Terry was busy chatting away while she drove; Kashiwagi responded with casual "mhm"s while pretending to read a book so he could focus on the interface.
[Select Birth Region ▽]
He considered his options and chose Johto. He had already done Blue simulations in Sinnoh, Kanto, and Kalos. Instead of repeating, he wanted to collect Blue talents from every region.
[Gender: Male]
[Pokémon Selection]
Kashiwagi knew from experience that the choice of Pokémon influenced the talent pool. Selecting a specific Pokémon narrowed the scope of potential simulated personas. However, the Pokémon column was empty.
Huh? No Pokémon?
He realized why: the last simulation character hadn't even earned eight badges, so there was no reward Pokémon to carry over. This added a huge layer of unpredictability.
He moved on to Talents.
Fixed Talent:
- Maternal Aura (Excellent at caring for infant Pokémon).
Selectable Talents:
- Robust Physique (Very healthy).
- One-Man Army (Will catch a vast number of Pokémon).
- Face Reflects the Heart (More attractive to Pokémon whose "looks" match your own).
- ☆ The Three-Word Truth ("Stand up!" "Hang in there!" "Dodge it!")
Whoa... what kind of combo is this?
Kashiwagi stared at the Fixed Talent and the selectable ones, feeling a bit dazed. A "baby team" taking on the League? He immediately thought of Ash using unevolved Pokémon to beat final evolutions. And that "Three-Word Truth" blue talent... he was clearly simulating some kind of grandmaster of "shouting-based" tactics.
Kashiwagi selected Robust Physique and The Three-Word Truth and started the simulation.
The pixelated light screen expanded.
-----
[Simulation Start]
In the pixel art style, Kashiwagi saw a vast prairie. Numerous Pokémon lived there freely—some grazing, others playing happily. As the camera panned up, buildings appeared. It was a ranch specialized in raising Pokémon.
A pixel-figure of a woman in cowgirl attire burst out of a house with a Ponyta. An "explosion" bubble appeared over her head:
[I HATE DAD!!!]
The text flashed briefly as she rode the Ponyta away, leaving the ranch entirely.
No way... Kashiwagi twitched. First a Chef who fought with family, then a Calligrapher kicked out for reflection, and now a runaway ranch girl? Is the only obstacle to adventure having parents?
Wait, I picked "Male"!
As he was being confused, the camera didn't follow the girl. Instead, it panned into the house. Inside was a cozy, simple interior. Two older-looking pixel figures—one burly, one slender—sat at a dining table, whispering to each other.
The narration appeared:
[At age thirty-seven, you had a massive argument with your younger daughter when she returned from school. She said everyone else's dad has participated in a League Conference, so why haven't you?]
[You wanted to tell her you are a Breeder; that you inherited the ranch from your grandfather and gave up being a Trainer to take care of the family. But your daughter thinks you're a coward who only makes excuses because he's afraid to compete.]
[You watched her storm out in tears, feeling utterly helpless.]
Wait. How old? Thirty-seven?
Kashiwagi rubbed his eyes. He had assumed the protagonist was the girl, but he was wrong—he was simulating a Ranch Uncle!