Having consecutively cleared Melemele and Akala Islands, only the Grand Trials of the remaining two major islands stood in her way.
Kashiwagi perked up, only to find the schoolgirl on screen beginning a rigorous training regimen.
[Through your trials and Grand Trials on Akala Island, you have fully understood your weaknesses. To ensure the next trial proceeds smoothly, you choose to prioritize improving your physical fitness.]
"Fixing the leaks, huh? The hot-blooded girl can be quite rational sometimes," Kashiwagi noted with approval.
Her battle with Totem Wishiwashi proved she didn't lack quick wit, and with the help of her Pokémon, her observation skills were catching up.
Her only real liability was her stamina.
However, physical fitness is built over time; he didn't expect any massive breakthroughs in the short term.
Confirming his thoughts, the simulator began to fast-forward, playing fragmented clips of her daily life—much like the montage sequences in an anime to bridge time gaps.
Kashiwagi relied on the text and images to piece together the events of this period.
Training, raising Pokémon, practicing Z-Moves, and...
[Using Morelull's Spores, you have successfully developed the High-Potency Sleep Bomb.]
[Your Morelull has evolved into Shiinotic. The flickering spores on its cap leave you deep in thought.]
[Using Shiinotic's flickering spores, you have successfully developed the Lure-Dazzle Bomb.]
Watching the girl turn even the glowing spots on a Shiinotic's cap into weaponry, Kashiwagi was no longer sure if she was a pharmacist or an insurgent.
However, he finally understood where her "Kind-hearted" talent manifested.
Any slightly mischievous child with the ability to manufacture bombs would likely go around causing destruction—intentional or otherwise—making life miserable for victims.
A truly unstable one might even go blow up a toilet.
The girl didn't do that. It wasn't just restraint; she was very clear about her purpose: these tools were for ensuring her safety during adventures and trials.
Moreover, even as her status rose with each cleared Grand Trial, she never became arrogant. she remained warm and welcoming to every classmate who tried to befriend her.
These details showcased the quality of her character far better than any single heroic deed.
Of course, there were more direct manifestations of her kindness.
The scene slowed down.
On her way to school one day, the girl spotted a pack of Salandit with "frenzied" emojis over their heads. They were wreaking havoc in a flower field beneath a cliff, spitting flames and burning the beautiful flora, forcing swarms of Cutiefly and Butterfree to flee in panic.
One Cutiefly was even trapped in a Salandit's jaws, unable to move.
[You decide to intervene and save them.]
Looking at the distant field, the girl decisively ordered Dartrix to fly over. It rained down High-Potency Sleep Bombs along with its feathers, neutralizing the frenzied pack at maximum speed.
She then hitched a ride on Dartrix's wings to descend to the field. Having evolved, Dartrix's flight was much stronger; it no longer had to flap desperately just to slow a fall.
[You begin treating the injured Pokémon, but an unusual, strange scent in the air catches your attention.]
"Is it a Salazzle...?" Kashiwagi guessed the cause of the Salandit's aggression, knowing the males are controlled by a Salazzle's pheromones.
But he didn't expect this Salazzle to be any ordinary one—it was a Totem Pokémon!
As the girl finished treating the wounded and followed the scent, she soon discovered an exceptionally large Salazzle hiding among some rock formations.
[You spot the culprit, Salazzle, but its sheer size gives you an ominous premonition.]
The moment Salazzle saw her, the Totem Aura flared. With a wave of its claws, a swarm of Salandit surrounded the girl.
Unfortunately for them, while such tactics might work on other Trainers, they were useless against her.
All fear stems from a lack of firepower.
The girl, seemingly possessing a 4D-pocket hidden in her plaid skirt like some anime robot raccoon, instantly produced a massive quantity of Sleep and Stun bombs. She wiped out the mob at high speed, forcing the Totem Salazzle into a one-on-one duel.
[You send out Dartrix, determined to defeat this Totem Salazzle and make it acknowledge the error of its ways.]
The Hot-blooded Girl fully displayed her "Ash-like" talent for overcoming type disadvantages. Though she started on the back foot, she utilized the "Three Holy Words" secret technique—"Hang in there!"—combined with the Flyinium Z move, Supersonic Skystrike, to smoothly take down the Totem.
Kashiwagi finally understood the trigger for the "Three Holy Words": it was type disadvantage. In other words, this was a talent specifically for matches played "uphill"!
The battle ended. Dartrix, as if its accumulated experience had reached a tipping point, began to glow. It evolved from a Miles Edgeworth-lookalike owl into the Robin Hood—Decidueye.
[Your Dartrix has evolved into Decidueye and learned Spirit Shackle.]
The once-adorable mascot had finally passed through its awkward middle stage and reached its final form.
The defeated Totem Salazzle knelt, surrendering a Poisonium Z with both claws. The girl then dragged the Totem by its tail, leading the Salandit pack to perform a full dogeza apology to the Cutiefly and Butterfree, promising to restore the field.
[You defeated Totem Salazzle and obtained Poisonium Z.]
"Wait, there's a Totem Salazzle on Melemele Island?" Kashiwagi was surprised. He thought it belonged on Akala's Wela Volcano as in the games, but considering Melemele had a Totem Trevenant in the anime, a Salazzle wasn't too far-fetched.
Simultaneously, a heartwarming scene occurred. The Cutiefly the girl had saved from the Salandit's jaws grew fond of her and decided to follow her. She thus gained her fourth Pokémon.
[You have caught Cutiefly. The companions helping to manufacture bombs have increased.]
"Of course! Use the pollen!" Kashiwagi marveled.
Unexpectedly, the perspective shifted to the Totem Salazzle. The bruised and battered Totem returned to the forest, dejected, where a floating, mohawked Pokémon appeared before it.
"Tapu Koko!"
The two Pokémon began to communicate. A pitiful, sobbing emoji appeared over the Totem's head, as if it were complaining to Tapu Koko about its grievances.
Wait... was the destruction of the flower field Tapu Koko's idea?
Why?
Kashiwagi was somewhat puzzled.
However, the simulator did not linger on this scene for long, and the narration provided no answer.
When the screen returned to the schoolgirl's perspective, she and her Decidueye were already inside a police station crowded with Alolan Meowth.
[Under Principal Oak's guidance, you arrive at the Ula'ula Island police station to find the Island Kahuna, Nanu. But when you get there, you find only a pack of Alolan Meowth.]
Nanu is already the Island Kahuna in this era? Kashiwagi was quite surprised; he had thought Nanu was still an International Police officer during the tenure of Kiawe's grandfather.
[You take out a Pollen Puff from Cutiefly, tempting one of the Alolan Meowth to lead you to Nanu. It agrees.]
Guided by the pixelated Alolan Meowth, the girl and Decidueye followed close behind. Before long, they found Nanu taking a lazy afternoon nap in an interrogation room.
[You wake him to ask about the Grand Trial, but he flatly denies it, claiming he isn't Nanu and that the Alolan Meowth tricked you.]
Question marks appeared over the heads of the girl and Decidueye.
Clearly, she didn't realize that Nanu was an incredibly cunning Dark-type Kahuna. She actually walked back out like a fool until she ran into Officer Jenny elsewhere on Ula'ula Island, realizing she hadn't been in the wrong place at all.
[You run back in a rage and find the Kahuna who deceived you. Nanu puts on an innocent face, claiming he thought you were talking about someone else and misheard. You request the Trial and Grand Trial again, and this time, Nanu finally agrees.]
What a mean-spirited Kahuna...
Kashiwagi didn't know what to say. In the anime, Team Rocket and Ash were both toyed with by Nanu; now the schoolgirl had joined the club.
He never gets tired of using the same trick for years.
[The Trial you receive is—Investigate the source of the mysterious noises in the ruins of the Thrifty Megamart.]
Mysterious noises? Mimikyu?
In the anime, the ruins were supposed to be just ruins, not necessarily the home of a Totem Mimikyu like in the games... right? Since this wasn't the same era as Ash, Kashiwagi couldn't say for sure. But he knew he'd find out soon enough.
The scene shifted.
The girl stood before a massive single-story department store. The filthy parking lot, unkempt bushes, shattered floor-to-ceiling windows, and half-fallen signs all proved it had been abandoned for a long time.
The wind whistled through with a sound like a ghostly wail.
However, such a scene was essentially ineffective against her—a literal human arsenal.
After all, back when she first transferred, she already had the guts to walk through the school at midnight without any Pokémon. When Nanu assigned this task, he probably didn't realize her courage was this immense.
A slightly dark environment wasn't a trial for her at all.
The girl strode inside with Decidueye. The interior was even filthier than the outside; a single step into the thick dust left a clear mark.
[Looking at the floor where there are absolutely no signs of movement, you can't help but wonder what the true identity of the mysterious sound is.]
The screen grew dim as the girl moved deeper into the store. Only a few slivers of sunlight pierced through the grimy glass, providing the minimum visibility.
In Kashiwagi's perspective, several black shadows flitted past spots she and Decidueye hadn't noticed yet.
"Am I watching a simulation or a horror pixel game...?"
Finally unable to contain herself after failing to find any traces—including the noise—the girl pulled out one of her latest achievements:
[Lure-Dazzle Bomb]
These flickering spores from Shiinotic's cap could plunge most Pokémon into hallucinations and draw them toward the light like moths to a flame.
It was perfect for this specific environment.
Pop!
The bomb detonated.
Kashiwagi reflexively went to cover his eyes to avoid being blinded, but the simulator thoughtfully lowered the brightness and effects.
After the explosion, a swarm of shadows rushed toward the girl from all directions—they turned out to be pixelated Haunter and Gastly.
Not a single Gengar in sight; no wonder there weren't any footprints.
Of course, the most striking thing was a gray shadow mixed among them.
[You look at the Shiny Mimikyu floating in the air. You find it hard to believe because you have a Mimikyu partner and know that this Ghost-type Pokémon cannot fly.]
There was no doubt. The Shiny Mimikyu appearing before the girl was Mimikins, Acerola's Mimikyu—a literal "ghost."
However, at this point in time, it wasn't with Acerola yet.
Was it originally a Totem Pokémon?
[You discover the Shiny Mimikyu. Looking at the swarms of Gastly and Haunter, you assume it is the Totem Pokémon.]
Kashiwagi and the girl were clearly thinking along the same lines.
Unfortunately, both were wrong.
Mimikins vanished on the spot, leaving the girl and Decidueye to face the massive swarm of Gastly and Haunter alone. The two weren't intimidated; they were experts at handling multiple enemies.
One threw bombs, the other shot arrows.
They turned a Pokémon battle into a "shooting" game.
"No wonder when Ash and the others came here later, there wasn't a single Gastly or Haunter left," Kashiwagi remarked as he watched the Ghost-types flee in all directions.
Before long, the Ghost-types vanished from her sight. Mimikins reappeared, yet still didn't manifest a Totem Aura. Instead, it "blinked" next to the girl and opened the Poké Ball containing her own Mimikyu.
[Your Mimikyu is released and begins a conversation with the eerie Mimikyu before you.]
Various incomprehensible emojis flew over the heads of the two Mimikyu.
[Through your Mimikyu, you successfully uncover the truth of the noises—it was the restless Gastly and Haunter at night. You can now return to report your success. Furthermore, your Mimikyu receives a gift—a Mimikyu-exclusive Z-Crystal. However, the shape is very strange and cannot be used with your Z-Ring.]
[You want to know why the other can fly. Your Mimikyu tells you it's because the other is a ghost. You are puzzled until the realization hits you on the bus ride back.]
[You have encountered a real 'ghost.']
The screen darkened.
"You can get a Z-Crystal even without it being a Totem... and a Mimikyu Z at that. I think Team Rocket's Mimikyu Z was also given by it," Kashiwagi recalled, feeling his memory was correct.
This little guy is basically a Mimikyu Z distributor.
But he was curious how it eventually met Acerola.
The screen brightened.
The girl returned to the police station and presented her findings to a lazy Nanu, showing him the Mimikyu Z.
[You hear Nanu acknowledge that you passed the trial. You immediately request the Grand Trial, and Nanu agrees. You head to the battlefield behind the station.]
The highlight was beginning!
Kashiwagi's eyes narrowed. Nanu used Dark-types, which meant he had an advantage over the girl's team.
This meant the "Three Holy Words" talent was about to trigger again.
He remembered a previous simulator user with this talent rarely triggered it, nowhere near as frequently as this girl. He wondered if it was the lack of the "Hot-blooded Youth" talent as a pairing.
Nanu's battle was a 3-on-3 Single Battle. Although the girl occasionally fought through type disadvantages, she would choose the favorable match-up if possible.
So, her first choice was Mimikyu.
Against Nanu's Krookodile, both types were effective against each other. There was a lot of back-and-forth testing, which Kashiwagi found particularly exciting.
At least they weren't one-shotting each other like before.
Ultimately, Mimikyu emerged victorious, taking down the Krookodile with Play Rough. No matter how many holes the Krookodile dug, Mimikyu's high observation skills allowed it to dodge, making the opponent waste energy.
Of course, this was also due to Mimikyu's sheer strength; under the girl's training, this Pokémon—once mistaken for a ghost—had grown incredibly powerful, barely trailing Decidueye.
Sensing her strength from the Mimikyu, Nanu's next choice, Sableye, showed a massive jump in power and successfully toppled Mimikyu. It was mainly the strong control of Mean Look combined with a fast and fierce Shadow Sneak combo. The girl didn't even have time to shout her "Three Holy Words."
"Prankster ability?" Kashiwagi guessed the reason for the Sableye's speed.
After Mimikyu went down, the girl hesitated before sending out Shiinotic. While Shiinotic was incredibly slow, it was very tanky; it didn't even flinch after taking two Shadow Claws. It used an absurdly wide-range Spore to put Sableye to sleep on the spot. Then, it used Giga Drain to suck the life energy out of Sableye until it fainted.
Seriously, Shiinotic's Spore was a bit ridiculous—it could make a Pokémon sleep until its stamina was completely drained without waking up. Nanu was clearly surprised.
Then came the final Pokémon.
Nanu's choice was undoubtedly his "Big Boss"—or rather, Alolan Persian. Its round, flat face looked incredibly punchable, but its combat power was no joke. It hit the field and immediately used Gunk Shot to take out Shiinotic before it could use Spore.
This brought the girl to the Ace vs. Ace stage.
Decidueye entered the field.
Kashiwagi's heart rate quickened slightly. Since he didn't know exactly how the Island Challenge calculated the final score, it was entirely possible that failing a Grand Trial would trigger an immediate score settlement.
After all, at this point in Alola's timeline, there wasn't even a Pokémon League to aim for.
Fortunately, the "Three Holy Words" triggered just as he expected.
When the Alolan Persian, under Nanu's command, unleashed [Black Hole Eclipse], a realistic black hole manifested on half the screen. It began pulling in Decidueye, who was flapping its wings frantically to escape the gravitational maw.
The girl's "explosive" speech bubble suddenly covered the remaining half of the screen.
"HANG IN THERE!!!"
Decidueye's wings beat with a sudden, violent surge of power, its body shrouded in a vibrant green light.
A power spike! It was the Overgrow ability!
Kashiwagi knew exactly what that mysterious green light signified. The girl, as Decidueye's Trainer, understood better than anyone that there was no better moment to strike than now.
[Bloom Doom]!
A field of flowers and grass instantly overwhelmed the Alolan Persian's black hole. A pillar of green light erupted from the center, swallowing the Persian whole.
The screen was so full of special effects that Kashiwagi couldn't even see the details.
He figured the girl and Nanu were in the same boat.
Soon, the green light faded as the Z-Move ended. The Alolan Persian lay unconscious on the ground, while a panting Decidueye stood on the other side.
Third island, successfully cleared!
[You defeated the Island Kahuna of Ula'ula Island, Nanu, and obtained Darkinium Z.]
Not Decidueye Z or Fairium Z?
Kashiwagi had assumed that Nanu—who in the anime gave Ash the Lycanroc Z—would provide a major upgrade to her Z-Ring or give her a Decidueye Z. He hadn't expected the reward to be another Darkinium Z without any ring upgrades.
Was the girl just naturally suited for Darkinium Z? Kashiwagi shook his head, unable to fathom the enigmatic Kahuna.
...
With only one island remaining, the girl became noticeably impatient.
However, what ultimately calmed her down was a warning from a senior at school.
[You learn from a senior that the more anxious you are, the more likely the Island Kahuna will notice. They might then set a trial that is nearly impossible to pass, forcing you to back down until your mindset stabilizes.]
[You decide the senior makes a lot of sense and throw yourself into preparation.]
She began special training—not only to get stronger but to find a new partner.
Thanks to her diligence, her stamina significantly improved. Previously, she couldn't run to school without getting winded; now, she could sprint the whole way without losing her breath. Meanwhile, Cutiefly evolved during the training period.
[Your Cutiefly has evolved into Ribombee. You stare thoughtfully at the Pollen Puffs it collects.]
[You successfully develop Healing Bombs using Ribombee's Pollen Puffs.]
A literal weapons expert!
A normal pharmacist would make potions or salves, but she turned medicine into bombs. It was hilarious, yet perfectly consistent with her established logic.
Kashiwagi wondered if her fifth Pokémon would also be bomb-related; he briefly thought of The Bomb Head Clown, Blacephalon, but she was unlikely to encounter an Ultra Beast in this era.
The scene shifted rapidly.
The pace finally slowed when the girl participated in an outdoor class—the Pokémon Sled Jump competition on Mount Lanakila.
"Is the fifth one coming?" Kashiwagi watched closely.
Predictably, an "accident" occurred. The sled carrying her and Mimikyu veered off course and plummeted into a hidden cave covered by heavy snow.
By the time she stood up with Mimikyu's help, the hole they fell through was completely buried. There was no way out.
[You are trapped in a cave, but you are not panicked. Instead, a sense of adventure wells up within you.]
This hot-blooded girl is something else.
Kashiwagi marveled at her "big heart." When disaster struck, her first thought wasn't to wait for rescue or look for an exit—it was to explore.
He thought to himself that anyone who ends up as a "transfer student" in these simulations is never an ordinary person.
Adventures always lead to incidents.
The girl stumbled upon a turf war between a single wild Pokémon and a group. However, it was the group that was being bullied by the lone wolf.
"Wait, has this guy been bullying Alolan Sandshrew since way back then?"
Kashiwagi watched in surprise as a Pupitar single-handedly beat down a group of Alolan Sandshrew.
If he remembered correctly, this individual would later evolve into a Tyranitar and continue terrorizing the Sandshrew until Lillie, Sophocles, and Mallow helped a Sandshrew evolve into Alolan Sandslash to drive it away.
[You watch the two groups of Pokémon fighting. You have no intention of interfering, as territorial disputes are part of Pokémon ecology. However, you don't expect a 'necessary situation' to arise so quickly.]
The battle grew too fierce. The Pokémon accidentally shattered an ice pillar that was supporting the weight of the cavern ceiling, causing an immediate collapse.
Pupitar took one look and bolted. The Alolan Sandshrew tried to flee as well, but unlike the "lone wolf" Pupitar, they had Pokémon Eggs to protect.
The girl was forced to act. She ordered Mimikyu to use the newly acquired Z-Power through Dark Pulse.
[Black Hole Eclipse]!
The move couldn't stop the collapse entirely, but the gravitational pull caught the falling ice and rocks, suspending them mid-air for a precious moment.
Because she strategically placed the move high up, the Sandshrew weren't affected by the suction.
Ultimately, the Sandshrew saved their eggs and were treated with the girl's Healing Bombs.
[You receive the gratitude of the Alolan Sandshrew. They gift you an Icium Z. As you say your goodbyes and find an exit, you suddenly notice a Pokémon Egg they left behind, but the Sandshrew have already vanished into the tunnels.]
The schoolgirl held the Pokémon Egg, waiting for the Alolan Sandshrew to return, but it never did.
She and Mimikyu stood together in the hollow of the cave, looking somewhat lost.
Just then, perhaps triggered by the earlier tremors, an exit was shaken loose nearby. The girl finally crawled out of the icy cavern, but not before scouting through the collapsed rocks and discovering an Ice Stone.
[You obtained an Ice Stone.]
"What kind of lucky protagonist is this?" Kashiwagi couldn't help but complain.
However, despite her luck stats being nearly maxed out, she didn't escape the wrath of the teacher who arrived to find her.
She was given a thorough scolding and told—yet again—not to wander off and to wait for rescue in place next time.
To Kashiwagi's surprise, the egg hatched that very night, but the creature that emerged was not an Alolan Sandshrew.
[Your Pokémon Egg hatched into an Alolan Vulpix. A companion providing new materials has increased.]
What do you mean 'new materials'...? What kind of bomb can an Alolan Vulpix help make? A Freeze Bomb?
While Kashiwagi was pondering this, the girl on screen snuck out of the dormitory in the middle of the night, heading back to the previous cave to try and find the Vulpix's parents.
Clearly, she didn't assume that just because she found and hatched the egg, it belonged to her.
But fate had tied them too closely; even after staying on Ula'ula Island for an entire week, she couldn't find the parents.
She had no choice but to take it with her and raise it.
As she left Ula'ula, a Pokémon that looked like a bull but consisted only of a head and front hooves appeared quietly, watching her depart.
"It's you! Tapu Bulu!"
Kashiwagi saw the deity and immediately concluded that the "abandoned egg" incident was its handiwork. Only these Island Guardians loved playing matchmaker like this.
Back at school, the girl continued training herself and her Pokémon. She successfully used the Ice Stone to evolve her Vulpix into an Alolan Ninetales.
[Your Alolan Vulpix evolved into Alolan Ninetales. Watching its miraculous power to turn its fur into ice shards, a thoughtful expression crosses your face.]
[You successfully manufactured Frost Bombs.]
"Brilliant!" Kashiwagi gave a light round of applause.
With five Pokémon partners gathered and equipped with Healing and Frost Bombs, a fully prepared schoolgirl boarded the ferry to Poni Island.
[You realize that you are only one step away from completing the final challenge. You are both excited and thrilled.]
[You arrived at Seafolk Village and found the Island Kahuna, Sofu.]
At a modest fishing village pier, she located Sofu—the grandfather of the future Island Queen, Hapu'u.
The old man had already heard of this brilliant challenger from the other three Kahunas. He didn't make things difficult like Nanu did and promptly set her trial.
[You accepted the trial from Kahuna Sofu: Go to Poni Meadow and collect what you consider to be the largest blue-purple flower.]
This trial seemed like the easiest one she had faced.
Kashiwagi was surprised she wasn't sent to Poni Canyon to fight the Totem Kommo-o. Did Sofu see her burning fighting spirit and decide to give her a break?
He soon realized he was wrong—Poni Meadow was not any easier than the canyon.
Waiting for her was a Totem Ribombee. Not only did it have two allies—Blissey and Pelipper—but its Totem Aura was significantly more powerful than any she had encountered before.
[You see the Totem Ribombee. Its presence tells you that it is incredibly powerful.]
The girl sent out Decidueye, but it was nearly one-shot by the Totem's Pollen Puff. The combination of Blissey's assistance and the Totem Aura boosted the move's power to the absolute limit.
Luckily, sensing the sheer scale of the attack, she quickly swapped Decidueye out for Mimikyu, who 4x resisted Bug-type moves.
That was the only reason she survived.
Even then, the Totem Ribombee's strength was the real deal, forcing the girl to use every trick in her book. She first neutralized the Blissey and Pelipper, then finally secured victory with a Z-Move—the Supersonic Skystrike powered by Decidueye's Brave Bird.
[Looking at the fallen Totem Ribombee, you are incredibly grateful that you trained before coming here. If you were in your previous state, you would have surely lost.]
[You received a Fairium Z from the Totem Ribombee.]
The girl threw two Healing Bombs at the three defeated Pokémon, essentially curing their wounds. Not only that, her own Ribombee gained a massive amount of combat experience from the Totem, both in terms of offense and healing.
She then returned to Seafolk Village with the largest blue-purple flower she could find.
But Sofu wasn't there.
[Through talking with the villagers, you learn that Sofu is on Exeggutor Island. You must go there to complete the final Grand Trial. However, everyone's boats have their propellers tangled in seaweed, so they can only lend you a boat with oars.]
Seaweed?
Kashiwagi blinked, then watched as the girl was forced to become a rower. Chanting a rhythmic rowing song, she headed for Exeggutor Island. It was a good thing she had been working out; otherwise, she never would have made it.
Halfway there, a large hole was suddenly punched through the wooden boat from beneath the waves.
[Seeing the hole, you unhesitatingly throw a Frost Bomb. The frozen hull stops leaking, and you breathe a sigh of relief. But you celebrated too early—the culprit behind the ambush angrily reveals its true face—]
Just as Kashiwagi guessed, it was a Dhelmise—a Ghost-type Pokémon that is essentially seaweed possessing shipwreck parts.
For a trainer with no Water-types, this was a nightmare opponent—or it would have been, before she had Frost Bombs.
[Using your Frost Bombs, you successfully create a platform for you and your Pokémon to stand on.]
Good grief. Every single bomb she made seemed to find a critical use at the perfect moment.
A mere wild Pokémon couldn't stop her. She ended the fight using Alolan Ninetales' Ice-type Z-Move, Subzero Slammer, defeating the Dhelmise and catching it.
[You caught Dhelmise. A "handy weapon" has been added to your collection.]
Wait, what!? "Handy weapon"?
Kashiwagi re-read the narration twice to make sure he hadn't misidentified it. How is a giant ship's anchor "handy"?
As he pondered, the girl on screen grabbed the Dhelmise and started spinning it like a hammer thrower. With a violent release, she smashed the ice surrounding the boat without damaging the vessel itself, then used a bomb to clear a path for the boat to proceed.
Whether it was her aim or her raw strength...
"I underestimated her," Kashiwagi thought, rubbing his face. He was genuinely curious how a girl who used to get winded running at school had transformed into this "Ultimate Lifeform" hot-blooded maiden.
With Dhelmise towing the boat, she arrived smoothly at Exeggutor Island and presented the flower to Kahuna Sofu.
[You realize the final Grand Trial is right before your eyes. You are extremely excited. Sofu acknowledges your success in the trial and agrees to begin the Grand Trial with you.]
The final Grand Trial began.
Sofu, much like his granddaughter Hapu'u, was a Master of Ground-type Pokémon, and the duel was a 4-on-4 Single Battle.
For the schoolgirl, this was technically a type advantage, meaning her "Three Holy Words" talent was unlikely to trigger.
As expected, without the talent's "buff," the battle was a grueling grind. However, her foundation was rock-solid. Even without the divine intervention of her "Hang in there!" shouts, she managed to claw her way back from a disadvantage.
First, Mimikyu took down Palossand and Flygon, claiming two quick knockouts. Then, when Mimikyu was finally taken out by Gastrodon, she sent in Shiinotic for a tactical mutual-knockout, taking down the third opponent with it.
This led to the final clash: Decidueye vs. Sofu's Mudsdale.
Sofu didn't hesitate. The moment Mudsdale hit the field, he unleashed the Ground-type Z-Move—[Tectonic Rage]. A massive slab of earth, taking up half the screen like a falling meteor, slammed toward Decidueye.
The girl responded with her most practiced move: [Bloom Doom].
The two Z-Moves collided, turning Kashiwagi's screen completely white for a full ten seconds. When the light faded, Decidueye appeared first, its body glowing with the green light of Overgrow.
Using its favorite Grass-type move, Seed Bomb, it fired feathers like artillery to finally bring Mudsdale down.
[You defeated the Island Kahuna of Poni Island, Sofu. You obtained Decidueye Z. You have completed all the Grand Trials and are about to begin the Great Grand Trial.]
There really is a Great Grand Trial!
Kashiwagi was surprised, and he hadn't expected Sofu to be the one to give her the Decidueye Z. Unlike the Mimikyu Z, Decidueye Z didn't require a Z-Power Ring to function.
The news that the girl had cleared all four islands and was about to face the Great Grand Trial spread like wildfire.
Many people came looking for her, but she chose to avoid the crowds and find a secluded spot to further hone her strength.
[You learn from a senior that the Great Grand Trial requires you to fight the four Island Kahunas in succession without interruption. Although you can try again if you fail, you only get one challenge attempt per year.]
I see. It looks like the Great Grand Trial is the real final exam.
Kashiwagi nodded. A gauntlet-style battle put extreme pressure on a Pokémon's stamina and mental state. Beating one Kahuna was one thing, but a second or third back-to-back? That was a different story.
On screen, Tapu Koko appeared again. This Guardian Deity, who had previously scripted a "villain arc" for Totem Salazzle, didn't show its face openly. Instead, while the girl was sleeping, it secretly upgraded her Z-Ring into a Z-Power Ring.
The girl woke up the next morning completely baffled.
[Looking at the transformed Z-Power Ring that can now fit the Mimikyu Z, you have no idea what happened. After consulting Kahuna Hala, you realize this is likely a gift from Tapu Koko. You happily offer your thanks to its shrine.]
With the upgraded ring, she trained even harder.
Finally, the moment of the Great Grand Trial arrived at the peak of Mount Lanakila.
The order of battle followed her journey. It started with Hala of Melemele Island, but his team was far stronger than during the first trial.
This time, it was a full team of six.
Despite her growth, she found herself on the back foot against Hala's full roster. And since she wasn't at a type disadvantage, her "Three Holy Words" didn't trigger.
She barely won, relying on Supersonic Skystrike to clutch the final round, but she was worried—she had already burned her Z-Move in the first match.
However, after the first round, Tapu Bulu suddenly appeared. It recharged her Z-Power Ring and healed her Pokémon.
[You learn from the Kahunas that for every match of the Great Grand Trial, you are allowed one Z-Move use, and the Guardian Deities will do their best to restore your team's condition.]
This was massive news. Kashiwagi breathed a sigh of relief alongside the girl.
She couldn't imagine how she could win if she continued fighting in her current state.
Kashiwagi felt the same way; he almost thought the Grand Challenge was even more intense than the League Conference, thankfully it wasn't.
Round Two was against Kiawe's grandfather. In a state of type disadvantage, the "Three Holy Words" triggered perfectly. Even though the fights were dangerous, the team's momentum only grew.
The "Three Holy Words" were used with masterful precision, and the Kahuna's Charizard finally fell to Decidueye's Ghost-type Z-Move—[Never-Ending Nightmare].
Round Three: Nanu.
Another uphill battle. Though their physical health was restored, their mental fatigue was setting in.
The girl let Decidueye rest and made Mimikyu the star of this round. She unleashed its exclusive Z-Move on Nanu's ace, Alolan Persian:
[Let's Snuggle Forever]!
The move had no flashy light beams. Instead, Mimikyu's rag expanded to swallow the Persian whole, followed by a violent, unseen beatdown inside the cloth.
It was a narrow, shaky victory.
Why narrow?
Because her team had reached their mental limit. Only Decidueye and Mimikyu had any fighting spirit left; the others were nodding off on the field, their stats plummeting from exhaustion.
[You realize that your preparation was still insufficient—or rather, you relied too heavily on Decidueye and Mimikyu, failing to bring the rest of the team up to their level.]
Talk about a death flag.
Kashiwagi agreed. Without the talent trigger on neutral matchups and with the clear power gap in the rest of her team, the outcome was becoming obvious.
Knowing she couldn't win the fourth round, the girl used Decidueye's signature Z-Move—[Sinister Arrow Raid]—to bring her first Great Grand Trial to a spectacular, if final, conclusion.
Kashiwagi sighed and watched the closing narration.
[You lost to Kahuna Sofu, but you are not discouraged. You now know exactly where you need to improve.]
[News of your victory over three Island Kahunas reaches Melemele Island. Principal Oak considers you an outstanding student worthy of being recorded in the school's history.]
[Looking at the partners you met during your challenge and thinking of the Z-Crystals you have yet to obtain, you break into a wide, happy smile.]
[Simulation Complete]
The screen disappeared.
...
...
"So it really was just one year of content. A shame..."
Kashiwagi searched his phone for records of Alolan Island Challenge champions from that era, but Alola's records were notoriously private. Even Porygon came up empty.
Still no results.
Was this the only Blue-tier simulation subject whose real identity he would never uncover?
Regret, regret.
He turned to the rewards.
...
Fixed Rewards:
- TM ×3 (Selectable Type)
- The Schoolgirl's Multi-purpose Bomb Crafting Guide – Covers all types seen in the simulation (Referenceable)
Optional Rewards(Pick any three):
1: Level up any Pokémon by 3 levels (Below Lv. 70)
2: Lead to a catchable Pokémon (Selectable Type, Excellent potential)
3: TM – Brave Bird (Teach to a selected Pokémon)
4: Carry over the [Hot-blooded Youth] talent to the next simulation
...
Kashiwagi was pleasantly surprised that he could learn to make all those bombs. T
hough he wondered... would he actually use them?
"Actually, back in Pyrite Town, I always loved using Flashbangs and Smoke Grenades..."
Hmm..
"Maybe this actually suits me perfectly!"
He nodded with a strange expression.