In ancient stories, heroes could fell a mountain with three punches; today, a Clefairy knocks out a Gloom with two...
It doesn't quite rhyme.
But Kashiwagi felt it was the most accurate summary of his current mood.
A Clefairy following the Physical Attack route... and more importantly, with such effective move coverage. Gloom, a Grass/Poison type, should have held the advantage, yet it didn't even last three rounds.
It was a pity the screen was pure pixels; otherwise, he would have loved to see the "extremely colorful" expression on the rival girl's face.
Blue talents are seriously overpowered, Kashiwagi marveled. This Lass's Clefairy had to be at a high level. No wonder the intro mentioned them being long-time partners; she likely raised it from a Cleffa, and it had already evolved once.
But why didn't she evolve it again? He found it hard to believe someone with her family background couldn't afford a simple Moon Stone.
On the screen, the bullies lost all will to fight after seeing such a crushing defeat. They didn't even attempt a gauntlet match; instead, they slinked away, apologized to the girl they'd been "training," and fled the scene.
[You defeated the girls bullying students in the name of special training. You gained a friend.]
The writing makes it sound like I just beat a Gym, Kashiwagi thought, shifting his weight against Chansey's soft back to get comfortable.
After saving her classmate, the Lass inevitably faced her punishment: writing a self-reflection essay. Interestingly, she didn't even get her parents called in. It seemed the rule of "respecting teachers" was a bit flexible in this elite school—or perhaps it was just the perks of being high-class.
The twist was that the Lass didn't even write the essay herself; her new friend did it for her.
A lackey? Not quite. The Lass never treated her like a servant—no snack runs, no borrowing money. They just chatted frequently and had the occasional battle to break the monotony of theory classes.
But this peace was short-lived.
One day in the simulation, a crowd flooded the classroom after hours. They slammed a challenge letter down in front of the Lass. The girls she'd beaten a few days prior were among them, looking smug.
Ah, bringing in the big guns to settle the score? Kashiwagi's eyes tracked the leader of the group.
[You accepted the 3-on-3 challenge from the Primary Class Leader. You proposed a condition: if you win, you become the new Primary Class Leader. The opponent agreed.]
Giselle? He looked closely at the lead girl but couldn't be sure. Between 2D anime and pixel art, the resemblance was hard to pinpoint. But if it was her, he could potentially figure out the timeline—whether this was before or after Ash started his journey.
Heck, maybe this Lass would even compete in the Indigo Plateau Conference alongside Ash. Though, Ash's performance back then was "green," to say the least.
The crowd dispersed, and the new friend approached the Lass, looking anxious. The Lass, ever the optimist, told her to relax.
[You comforted your friend and told her not to worry. Though hesitant, she chose to trust you.]
[To live up to that trust, you made a call home.]
On the virtual screen, the Lass went to the school gate and retrieved two Poké Balls from a luxury sedan, tucking them into her pocket.
Wait, getting new Pokémon from home? No... they must be Pokémon she raised previously. Kashiwagi realized that for students at this school, acquiring "new" Pokémon was very different from a traditional Trainer catching them in the wild.
The scene shifted to the dorms, where the Lass released the two Pokémon.
[You welcomed back your former partner: Jigglypuff. Your party has grown.]
[You welcomed back your former partner: Nidorina. Your party has grown.]
Another two Pokémon that evolve via Moon Stone? Kashiwagi was genuinely baffled. Why the refusal to evolve? Maybe it was a rich person's quirk—thinking Clefable, Wigglytuff, and Nidoqueen were too big and not "cute" enough.
He watched the Lass begin special training with her trio. Since it was pixelated and time-skipped rapidly, he couldn't glean any actual training "experience," which was a shame.
Time flew. Soon, the day of the match arrived. The Lass and her friend arrived at the battlefield to find a massive crowd, including students from the Intermediate and Senior classes, and even teachers.
[You suddenly realize that this match and the position of Primary Class Leader are more significant than you thought. You feel no fear; instead, you grow more excited.]
The pixel representing the friend began to tremble, while the Lass's sprite vibrated in rhythm with her excitement as she stood before the Class Leader.
The battle was about to begin. Kashiwagi wasn't sure of the outcome, but he was dying to know if the opponent was Giselle.
When the Pokémon were sent out, he felt a twinge of disappointment. The Class Leader sent out a Fire-type Rapidash, not the Graveler or Cubone Giselle was known for. Then again, she could just be using a different part of her collection.
The pixels for Rapidash and Clefairy stood opposite each other. Even in low-res, the majestic horse dwarfed the tiny pink fairy.
Rapidash began racing across the field. Surrounded by "five-cent" fire effects like snakes coiling around its body, it picked up speed until white lines appeared to signify extreme velocity.
But Clefairy had a one-move solution.
She leaped directly at the charging Rapidash, grabbed its horn with one hand, and gathered a swirling blue orb of water in her right fist. Then, she smashed it down!
Thump! Thump!
The entire screen shook with the force of the punch. Water splashed everywhere like a broken hydrant.
[Your Clefairy used Water Pulse. It's super effective! Rapidash's condition is plummeting.]
[Your Clefairy used Water Pulse again. It's super effective! Rapidash can't shake you off and looks like it's about to cry.]
The power gap is that big? Kashiwagi knew exactly how much raw strength was needed for a Clefairy to do that. Catching a charging Rapidash by the horn wasn't just a move; it was a feat of pure power.
The battle turned into a one-sided beatdown. It was hard to imagine how those tiny paws held on so tight. Rapidash collapsed after the third "punch." The spectators all had "..." bubbles over their heads.
The Lass had stunned everyone.
The Class Leader's next two Pokémon fared no better against Jigglypuff and Nidorina. Kashiwagi watched as the pixels displayed some truly unconventional tactics.
Jigglypuff inhaled sharply, inflating to an enormous size before unleashing a Hyper Voice that looked more like a Boomburst. Nidorina acted like a venomous assassin, coating the ground in toxic traps before lunging to smear poison all over the opponent.
The "nonsense" fighting style had the students screaming:
"That's not in the textbook!"
[Your performance has shocked the faculty and student body. You are now the Primary Class Leader and have earned the right to skip a grade.]
Without hesitation, the Lass chose to skip ahead, entering the world of the Intermediate Class. Her goal: graduate from the Senior Class and qualify for the League Conference within a single semester.
Kashiwagi watched with growing confidence. "It's in the bag!"
At this rate, qualifying for the League was a certainty. Surely she wouldn't lose to the Senior Class before the season ended?
Right?