The screen fades to black, then flickers back to life.
The Ranch Uncle is standing in a field holding a pitchfork. He suddenly blows a whistle: Tweet—!
Across the plains, numerous Pokémon look up in unison. Three of them break away from the herd and trot toward him. Kashiwagi looks closely and identifies them as Tauros, Rapidash, and Ampharos—classic ranch-style Pokémon and clearly the Uncle's long-time partners.
[You learn from a neighbor who came to apologize with their child that yesterday, your daughter was teased at school because you had never participated in a League Conference. You thought about it all day, discussed it at length with your wife, and finally went to the ranch to gather your old comrades.]
[You decide to start from scratch and challenge the Gyms and the League.]
A pixel-figure of a woman walks out of the house, looking worried. A hesitant speech bubble appears over her head: [Honey...]
The Uncle recalls Tauros and the others into their Poké Balls and comforts his wife. Finally, he looks toward the house, where his daughter is hiding.
[You want to say goodbye, but your daughter is either still angry or too emotional to see you; she refuses to come out.]
[Feeling a pang of regret, you take your old partners and head toward the nearest city, Olivine.]
The Uncle drives away from home. Kashiwagi is slightly impressed by the use of modern transportation—people with a clear goal really move differently. But the camera stays fixed on the house. As the car is about to vanish from sight, the ranch girl bursts out of the house, crying and shouting something.
The Uncle's car reverses immediately. Through the narration, Kashiwagi learns the girl apologized to her father and begged him not to leave, saying she didn't care what the people at school said. But the Uncle's mind is made up.
[You tell your daughter that this decision isn't just about making her proud in front of her classmates; it's about realizing you still have the energy to compete. You want to chase the dream of your youth while there's still time and show her that dreams are worth pursuing.]
[You bid farewell to your wife and daughter once more, heading for Olivine City amidst their mix of pride and tears.]
-----
The intro is a bit long, and Kashiwagi finds the backstory surprisingly heavy. Tyra, who had been chatting enthusiastically, notices him "reading" intently and settles down. "Mind if I put on some music?" she asks.
"As long as it's not too loud, sure."
The car stereo turns on. To Kashiwagi's surprise, Tyra listens to soothing, mellow tracks rather than the rock or rap one might expect from a "wild" driver. Noticing his surprise, Tyra grins. "Personal preference. Most people get sleepy listening to this while driving, but it keeps me sharp."
To each their own, Kashiwagi thinks, giving her a thumbs-up before returning to the simulation.
As a "veteran" starting a League journey at thirty-seven, the Uncle is certainly courageous.
However, this age isn't unheard of; even in the games, older Trainers are everywhere. Of course, most veterans have been training since childhood. The Uncle lacks that continuous battle experience, but he has a unique advantage as a Breeder. Aside from his main partners, he has raised thousands of Pokémon over the years.
The system notes that thanks to his technical expertise, his Pokémon all have incredibly high physical foundations. He has won numerous "Most Beautiful Miltank," "Fastest Rapidash," and "Strongest Tauros" competitions. In short, if he gains enough tactical experience, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
On screen, the Uncle arrives in Olivine City. Focused, he immediately heads to the Gym to challenge Jasmine. However, the two seem to know each other and start chatting immediately. Kashiwagi learns that the Olivine Gym has been purchasing Moomoo Milk from the Uncle's ranch for years. They are long-time business partners.
Hearing of his ambition, Jasmine offers her full support. The Gym challenge begins. At the Uncle's insistence, Jasmine uses the strength she would show an eight-badge challenger.
Then... nothing. The Uncle clearly overestimated himself. He is utterly crushed by Jasmine's Steel-types, failing to even trigger his "Three-Word Truth" talent.
[You feel deep regret at how much your skills have regressed. You remember that in your youth, you were a powerful Trainer with seven badges, just one step away from the Conference.]
The system explains that the Uncle had nearly finished his circuit years ago, but family circumstances forced him to quit and take over the ranch. Decades later, his records have expired. He has the physical badges, but no official record, so he must start over. He tried to start at a high level, but Jasmine's strength left him stunned.
Middle-aged pride, shattered.
The Uncle slinks home, pretending everything is fine in front of his daughter, only to show his vulnerability to his wife. Kashiwagi scowls—Even in a simulator, I'm being fed "dog food" (romance)?
The next day, the Uncle returns to the Olivine Gym.
[On Jasmine's advice, you set the challenge difficulty back to 'Beginner.' Though it's a bit embarrassing, you know you need to start from the beginning.]
At beginner level, the Uncle is far more capable. His ace, Rapidash, uses its type advantage to take down Jasmine's Magnemite and Forretress.
[You defeated Jasmine and earned the Mineral Badge.]
Reignited by the joy of victory, he immediately catches a boat to Cianwood City. Surprisingly, the Gym Leader there, Chuck, also knows him well. It turns out the Uncle is proficient in Aikido and met Chuck at a martial arts convention. Plus, Chuck has a massive sweet tooth and is obsessed with Moomoo Milk.
Middle-aged networking is terrifying.
Hearing the Uncle is chasing his dream again, Chuck is moved to tears. He demands they train together. The two middle-aged men begin a grueling regime: single-handed pushups with boulders on their backs and standing under icy waterfalls.
This is where the [Robust Physique] talent shines. While a normal person would be broken by this, the Uncle finds it refreshing. The simulator shows montages of him carrying massive logs and lugging around fifty-pound milk cans. There's even a shot of him wrestling a rampaging Tauros into submission with his bare hands.
Holy crap!
Is this guy the Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) of the Pokémon world?