The evolution of Blissey meant that the Eviolite she had been holding no longer served its purpose.
Always thoughtful, Blissey knew that keeping the item would be a waste. So, without Kashiwagi even noticing, she quietly passed the Eviolite over to Porygon.
"Happy!"
"Pa-ree...?"
Staring at Blissey's earnest expression and the grey stone in her hand, Porygon—who understood exactly what the Eviolite did—felt a sudden, strange sense of inheritance.
This was a legacy passed down from a respectable and beloved senior.
"Pah-ree!"
I will definitely put this to good use!
Porygon, who already looked up to Blissey, felt a surge of emotion. Its trust level for her spiked instantly, reaching a point that would have made Kashiwagi turn green with envy.
...
By the time Kashiwagi realized the Eviolite had changed hands, it was already time to send Porygon into battle.
Seeing Porygon tank hits with far more durability than expected, he immediately suspected the Eviolite. When he turned to ask Blissey, she confirmed it. This girl had certainly grown bolder; in the past, she would have looked at the floor and nervously rubbed her hands together.
Now, she looked him straight in the eye.
...Though her little hands were still rubbing together out of habit.
Kashiwagi didn't know whether to laugh or be moved. He knew how much Blissey cherished that Eviolite—she saw it as a gift from her Trainer, a symbol of his trust. She used to take it out and polish it whenever she had a spare time.
Yet, knowing it would be more effective for Porygon, she hadn't hesitated to give it away without even consulting him.
Maybe she thought I wouldn't agree?
"You silly girl..." Kashiwagi murmured, stroking Blissey's fluffy, curled pink hair.
At this time, he didn't ask for the Eviolite back, nor did he offer to buy a new one for Porygon instead.
He knew this was Blissey's own choice, and as a Trainer, he had to respect the autonomy of his Pokémon.
From the very beginning, he had told her to do what she felt was right, promising that even he wouldn't interfere.
...
So that afternoon, Kashiwagi headed to the department store and bought various colors of yarn and a pair of knitting needles. Following his memory, he spent the evening knitting a Nurse's Hat.
"Here. This is a gift to celebrate your new life."
He placed the hat on Blissey's head. Seeing her expression shift from disbelief to pure joy, he smiled. "I can't officially make you a Pokémon Nurse, but we can certainly play the part... Hm, looks pretty professional!"
"Happy!!"
Blissey cupped the hat on her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Overwhelmed with emotion, she lunged into his arms.
She never expected such a huge surprise—a nurse's hat, hand-knitted by her Trainer.
"Happy~~"
She was almost afraid to wear it now, terrified it might get dirty or torn. She held it carefully in her arms, happily sniffing the familiar scent of her Trainer that lingered on the wool.
Then... the Knitting "Crisis" began
On the other side of the room, Kashiwagi found himself under "interrogation" by the rest of the team, led by Mawile.
Missing Blissey's evolution had already made some of her teammates grumpy, but now the Trainer was knitting custom hats for her?
The message was clear: WE. WANT. ONE. TOO.
"Zwei!" "Zwei!"
"Maw-ilee!"
"...Pah-ree?"
"Pop~" (Chansey—wait, no, it's a Feebas splash!)
"Guh-ron! Guh-ron!" (Aggron!)
The team suddenly turned to look at Aggron. Why are you shouting twice?
Aggron puffed out his chest righteously. "Guh-hou!"
I'm shouting for Steelix too!
Galarian Corsola, perched on the headboard, opened her eyes slightly before immediately closing them again. She had no interest in such worldly vanity.
Whatever will be, will be. If it's not meant to be, why fight? Corsola had long since reached a state of Zen.
"You guys..." Kashiwagi facepalmed. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and bought extra yarn. But given their sizes, he had to set some boundaries. "Don't expect anything more than a short scarf or a hat."
He patted Zweilous on one of his heads. "You should be glad Hoenn winters aren't that cold."
Zweilous just tilted his heads, a hundred-pound "baby" who didn't yet know the meaning of a winter chill.
...
As for the effects of Blissey's evolution...
Aside from the personality shifts, Blissey's evolution brought another challenge: Size.
She was now wider and taller, making their already cramped living space feel like a game of Tetris—especially when one human and three Pokémon tried to share a single bed.
Thank goodness Galarian Corsola was small.
To ensure no one fell off the bed in the middle of the night, Kashiwagi made a bold executive decision: Sleeping diagonally.
He arranged everyone like puzzle pieces, finding the perfect configuration to prevent midnight tumbles.
The very next day, he upgraded to a room with a King-sized bed.
Phew..Crisis averted... for now.
Heaven only knows how big Zweilous will be when he evolves. His current size was already way above the Pokédex average. If he kept growing, Kashiwagi was worried the next bed might actually collapse.
...
Three days after Blissey's evolution, Kashiwagi's simulator was finally ready for another run.
This was the fourth simulation since the "Aroma Lady" run. Statistically, a Blue Talent was due to appear.
He was buzzing with anticipation. If he could get a run like the "Calligrapher"—no impossible enemies and a tournament win—Zweilous would be inches away from evolving.
After all, a Championship reward meant a +5 Level boost!
Double Blue Talents... please give me Double Blue Talents...
Kashiwagi rubbed his hands together and called Blissey over to act as his lucky charm. She didn't say "Lucky" anymore, but a "Happy~ Happy~" would still be quite good.
He fired up the simulator.
[Select your starting region ▽]
He had already cycled through the first four regions. He quietly selected Unova.
[Select Gender]
The Aroma Lady was female, so it was time for a male protagonist. He wondered what the iconic Unova profession would be. An actor? Pokéstar Studios was a massive deal there. While Kalos had Diantha, Unova was the true heart of the cinematic world.
Kashiwagi clicked on the starter Pokémon with excitement, then blinked in surprise.
Jigglypuff?
He remembered the very first "Miniskirt" run that gave him his first big haul featured a Jigglypuff in her team. To think he'd cross paths with this pink puffball again in this simulation.
...
Hoping for a stroke of good luck, Kashiwagi took a deep breath and tapped the empty air in front of him.
A string of Talents flickered into existence.
______
Fixed Talent:
☆ Soul Connection: (An incredibly deep bond with your Pokémon.)
Optional Talents (Pick 2):
Optimization: (Inclined to choose stronger Pokémon.)
Impoverished: (Raising Pokémon is a financial burden.)
☆ Limit Break: (Pokémon can occasionally "burst" with hidden power.)
Healthy Physique: (Extremely fit and healthy.)
____
"...Holy crap."
Kashiwagi fell into a stunned silence.
He had actually rolled Double Blue Talents! He had only set that "unrealistic flag" for himself as a joke, but reality had decided to deliver.
Is this even legal?
With these options, he didn't even have to think. He smashed the buttons for options three and four. Between a deep bond, a healthy body, and the ability to "burst" in power...
"Ash? Is that you, Unova Ash?" Kashiwagi muttered.
It was a shame the starter was a Jigglypuff. If it were a Pikachu—wait, Unova Ash only made Top 8, didn't he?
I remember he lost to that guy Cameron, who brought a "baby in the team" and managed to win because his Riolu evolved into Lucario at the last second.
On second thought, let's not be Ash.
Kashiwagi quickly locked in [Limit Break] and [Healthy Physique] and hit Start.
[Simulation Start]
The screen bloomed into life.
In a gritty, pixelated style, a dark underground music hall appeared. Countless tiny sprites waved glowsticks back and forth.
On the neon-lit stage at the far end...
A rather familiar white-haired sprite was rocking out with a band.
"Roxie?"
Kashiwagi blinked. He recognized her instantly—Roxie, the Gym Leader of Virbank City, the Poison-type specialist.
Is the simulation subject this time, a member of her band?
He looked toward the only male on stage—a bald drummer—but the camera panned upward.
The noisy venue faded, replaced by a storage room that looked like a warehouse. A blonde-haired sprite was standing on a cardboard box, hugging a round Jigglypuff and shivering with excitement.
Hearts were popping out of the blonde sprite's head.
[At age 14, you and Jigglypuff are hiding in the Virbank Gym warehouse, eavesdropping on your idol Roxie's songs. You desperately wish to become a powerful Gym Leader like her and pursue your musical dreams alongside Jigglypuff.]
Fourteen years old...
Kashiwagi realized this was his simulation this time.
A musician?
Let's go with that for now.
Like the Chef, this kid had a dream and an idol, but being a year younger meant he'd likely set out on his journey soon.
Suddenly, the warehouse door was kicked open. A mean-looking sprite stormed in and grabbed the Musician, who tried to bolt with Jigglypuff.
[Unfortunately, you are caught red-handed by the Gym staff. Despite your pleas that you weren't there to steal anything, they threaten to take you to the police station.]
[You tell them you admire Roxie and want to be a musician, not a thief. All you get in return is a cold sneer: "Someone who sneaks around picking locks doesn't deserve to play music."]
[Unable to argue, you fall into a deep depression and give up on defending yourself.]
On screen, the Musician and Jigglypuff went from struggling to hanging their heads in defeat. Ellipses (...) floated over their heads. It was a pitiful sight.
However, as the staff member dragged the kid out of the Gym, an older male sprite appeared. The "Old Man" sprite said something to the staffer, and the Musician and Jigglypuff were immediately released.
[You realize someone stood up for you. You look up to find Roxie's father—the famous Virbank City Captain. Word is, he's also quite the actor.]
Ah, the Captain who takes you to Castelia City in the games! Kashiwagi remembered him.
The Captain began to heart-to-heart with the Musician. The kid's mood shifted from rock bottom to high-octane excitement, an expression of gratitude constantly appearing on his forehead.
[You learn from Roxie's father that there is nothing wrong with chasing a dream—only the way you go about it. ]
[He tells you that if you truly want to achieve your goal, you can't let the words of others bring you down.]
[He shares that when he first became an actor, people laughed at him. Even his daughter, though she comforted him, didn't really support his career at first. But he didn't give up. He kept chasing his dream, and now he's starred in several blockbusters and became a very successful actor.]
[You look at him with pure idolization, envious of his ability to achieve his dreams.]
The scene shifted.
The Captain and the Musician went to a dusty corner of the warehouse. After rummaging through some junk, the Captain pulled out a guitar case.
[You receive Roxie's old, discarded guitar. The Captain expresses his support for your dream and tells you that when it's time to leave, you should go.]
[ The world is a big place; go broaden your horizons.]
The Musician nodded frantically, clutching the old guitar. Nothing gets the blood pumping like owning a piece of your idol's gear!
He looked like he wanted to play a tune right then and there.
Unfortunately, the guitar had been neglected for so long that the strings were rusted through. It was unplayable.
[You thank the Captain profusely, bow, and head home with the guitar and Jigglypuff.]
Kashiwagi watched this and wondered: Does this kid actually know how to play?
The simulation had been going for a while, and he hadn't seen the kid perform once. Not even a hum.
Is he starting from zero? If so, the "development phase" might be too long. Can he get famous in just a year like the Chef did?
As Kashiwagi doubted, the Musician sprite suddenly sprinted into a luxurious mansion and burst through a set of double doors.
"..."
Silence.
Kashiwagi's jaw dropped. The room was packed with instruments. From classical harps, violins, and grand pianos to modern keyboards, electric guitars, and drum kits. The walls were lined with trumpets and trombones; a tuba and a cello sat in the corner. There was even a triangle!
"Whoa!"
Unless this was a music store, this kid was loaded.
Kashiwagi stood up from the sofa in shock, drawing curious looks from his Pokémon.
He didn't notice. He was staring at the screen as the Musician carefully set Roxie's guitar down, ran to the grand piano, and began to play like a madman.
The simulator usually had no sound.
Kashiwagi had grown used to watching these "silent films."
But right now...
A beautiful piano melody filled his ears. And as Jigglypuff jumped onto a pedestal, grabbing a microphone with a soulful expression, a gorgeous singing voice rang out.
[You can no longer suppress your emotions. You play with everything you have, letting the music express exactly how you feel.]
"Is... is someone playing music?" Kashiwagi asked his Pokémon.
Looking at their startled faces and slow shakes of their heads, he realized the truth. The music was coming directly from the simulator...
The Sound Card is On!
"Did the system finally get an upgrade?!" Kashiwagi exclaimed.
Though he tried to convince himself it was a technical patch, he knew better. The simulator wasn't just showing images anymore; it was channeling the Musician's piano melodies and Jigglypuff's vocals directly into his ears.
On the screen, the music began to take physical form. Countless musical notes and sheet music fragments shimmered into existence, leaping from the piano keys to swirl around the Musician and Jigglypuff in a glowing vortex.
A classical prodigy... who idolizes punk rock?
Kashiwagi's expression twitched with a mix of confusion and awe. He soon realized this "Musician" wasn't just a one-trick pony. After finishing a breathtaking piano piece, the sprite darted to a harp, then grabbed a violin, then a cello.
By the time the protagonist had cycled through nearly every instrument in the room, both he and Jigglypuff were sprawled on the floor, gasping for air. Jigglypuff's highly elastic body was expanding and contracting like a pink bellows.
"Is this kid... some kind of musical genius? Does he have Perfect Pitch?" Kashiwagi muttered under his breath.
It turned out he had rolled another "underappreciated talent" archetype, just like the Chef.
Kashiwagi wasn't exactly a music critic, so he couldn't tell if those beautiful melodies were original compositions or classics. He also couldn't tell if the kid was a "jack of all trades" or a master of all of them.
However, seeing the boy skillfully refurbish Roxie's old guitar—turning it from a rusted relic into a gleaming masterpiece—Kashiwagi leaned toward the latter.
In his previous life, such a person might not exist, but in the Pokémon world? Anything is possible.
[Looking at the refurbished guitar, you make a firm resolution to begin your journey. You and Jigglypuff aim to reach the highest stage for Unova Trainers: the Vertress Conference. There, you will perform your music and fulfill your dream.]
[Out of all your luxurious instruments, you choose this old guitar. You know that your true story begins at this very moment.]
"Wait, what?"
Fulfill a musical dream at the League Conference? How?
Kashiwagi was baffled. Did the Musician want to win the tournament, or was he aiming to play the opening and closing ceremonies? Surely he wasn't planning to shred a guitar solo while commanding Pokémon to attack?
That wouldn't make sense. The stadium would be too loud. Unless he could play a guitar riff so loud it triggered Boomburst, how would the audience even hear him?
"Maybe he's like Nando," Kashiwagi mused.
He remembered the Pokémon Bard from the Diamond & Pearl anime. Nando was a rival to both Ash and Dawn, competing in both Gyms and Contests. He traveled the world with a harp-shaped like a Mew, battling alongside a team of music-themed Pokémon.
Nando had reached the Top 64, only losing because he ran into Ash while the latter was in peak form.
Kashiwagi watched the Musician pack his guitar case and backpack, with Jigglypuff bouncing along beside him. Considering Unova is based on the United States, he wondered if the kid was about to invent Country Music. Does the Pokémon world even have Country Music?
He almost reached for his phone to search for it, then froze.
If the Musician is the one inventing it in this simulation, searching for it now would be a spoiler... or useless.
Never mind.
He turned his attention back to the screen.
...
In the scene, the Musician and Jigglypuff left Virbank City and headed toward Route 20.
[You decide to set your sights on the Aspertia city east to the Floccesy Town, aiming to earn your very first Gym Badge.]
If Kashiwagi remembered correctly, the Aspertia Gym Leader was Cheren—the rival from the Black & White games. In the anime, he appeared as a teacher at the Trainers' School and a formidable Gym Leader. He wouldn't be an easy win.
As he contemplated the match-up, music began to flow from the simulator once again.
The Musician was strolling down the forest path, strumming his guitar and singing with Jigglypuff. It looked less like a grueling journey and more like a carefree picnic.
[You arrive in a secluded, silent forest. The sight of sunlight filtering through the leaves stirs your soul. You immediately begin to play, and your cheerful song quickly draws a crowd of wild Pokémon.]
[You aren't startled. Instead, you wave to them and keep singing.]
Even through the screen, Kashiwagi could feel the infectious joy of the song. It was bright, airy, and undeniably "happy."
The wild Pokémon in the simulation were mesmerized. They wore blissful smiles, and some even began to chirp and cry out, attempting to harmonize with the melody. The Musician sat on a large rock and leaned into the performance.
However, not everyone was a fan of the arts.
As the forest dwellers were lost in the music, a furious Scolipede charged out of the brush, aggressively chasing away the other Pokémon.
But the Musician and Jigglypuff didn't panic. They maintained their rhythm. Shimmering musical notes materialized, dancing around the angry Scolipede.
A moment later...
The Scolipede collapsed onto the grass and fell fast asleep.
"He really is fighting with music!" Kashiwagi laughed, unable to resist a meme reference. "What is this, Macross Delta? Is he going to sing 'Giri Giri Ai' next?"