Chapter 144: Childhood Playmate

The scene welcomed the morning.

The awakened calligrapher phoned home and once again solemnly apologized to the museum director—whether for tearing up the painting or for knocking it over.

【You have gained the museum director's forgiveness. The director tells you the next calligraphy competition is coming soon, and hopes to see a work from you there that will refresh his eyes and ears】

【You agreed, and look forward to your future travels even more】

With the help of the girl's family, the calligrapher smoothly arrived at Black Gold City.

Tasting the power the environment gave her, she did not head to challenge the gym first, but wandered all over Black Gold City, even finding a chance to go down into a mine.

Only once she had a certain rough draft in mind did the calligrapher set off to challenge the gym and obtain her first badge.

Unfortunately.

Even for the first time, the Black Gold Gym required challengers to have at least three Pokémon. The calligrapher, who only had a Smeargle and a Ralts, could not meet the condition.

At this point, a normal trainer's usual approach would be to go into the wild and catch one.

But the calligrapher went to the suburbs instead.

Narration appeared.

【You have arrived at your family's villa in Black Gold City, and with the butler's help, welcomed back your third Pokémon】

【You obtained a Luxray, a childhood playmate—your traveling companion has increased】

This...

A childhood playmate Luxray?

A female version of Kojirō?

Baimu looked at the lion-like Pokémon revealed at the very bottom and thought to himself, 【the "wealthy family" talent】 is truly extraordinary as expected—not only does she own a villa in Black Gold City, but she can also obtain such a powerful Pokémon from within it.

Do rich people all play like this?

The scene shifted.

The calligrapher once again arrived at the Black Gold Gym.

It happened that the gym leader Piotr had just returned from the mines, and without much hesitation he accepted the calligrapher's challenge.

And as the leader of a Rock-type gym, Piotr's lead Pokémon was an Onix, whose massive build gave an enormous sense of pressure. The calligrapher's choice was, without question, Smeargle.

The "Divine Brush Ma Liang" Smeargle once again displayed its extraordinary painting skills.

Facing the Onix that came pouncing over with terrifying momentum, Smeargle needed only a few strokes to sketch out a tsunami-like wave. This wave, as if conjured from nothing, rolled up from the ground and crashed down upon the Onix.

How could the Onix, four-times weak to Water, possibly withstand that? It collapsed on the spot.

Such a miraculous battling method also startled gym leader Piotr, who immediately sent out his second Pokémon, a Geodude.

Smeargle used the same trick, painting another wave to defeat the Geodude.

The third was a Cranidos.

It was a bit stronger than the previous two, but it still could not survive two Surfs from Smeargle.

【You have defeated Black Gold Gym leader Piotr and obtained the Coal Badge】

【For the first time you experienced the tension and excitement of a gym challenge, and combined with all you had seen and heard before, a desire to write characters welled up in you. You borrowed a worktable from Piotr and left behind a new character: "Coal"】

After the calligrapher finished writing, a heart suddenly popped up on Piotr's forehead as he watched.

【You weren't especially satisfied with this piece of calligraphy, but hearing that Piotr liked your writing very much, out of friendliness you gave the piece to him】

A chef cooks dishes; does a calligrapher give away calligraphy?

Baimu watched the two of them chatting happily and felt that being a gym trainer was truly great—it was an enormous help for networking.

The calligrapher had indeed been criticized by the museum director, but she was very well known in the calligraphy world and possessed real skill; it wasn't all thanks to her family throwing money around.

Otherwise she would never have had the chance to catch the museum director's eye and receive his criticism.

If he truly looked down on her, even saying two words would feel superfluous.

Moreover, the calligrapher had already found a direction forward. With her talent and ability, she was sure to carve out a place for herself in the calligraphy world.

《Invincibility Starts by Sacrificing the Patriarch》

When that time comes, this painting will surely be worth a fortune!

——

After defeating the Black Gold Gym.

The calligrapher prepared to set out for the next gym's location, Sandgem City.

But just as she was about to leave, she heard from someone at the Pokémon Center part of the Sinnoh region's legend—the legend of the Lake Pokémon.

This piqued the calligrapher's interest somewhat.

The characters she wrote had been passed down from ancient times; they were the script left behind by ancient peoples when they composed myths.

To draw her own true meaning from them and experience what the ancients had seen and heard might be a good method. Especially since, while studying the map, she discovered she could use this to head to Veilstone City as well, sparing herself a later trip, and so she made up her mind.

Passing through the Black Gold Gate, she arrived at Route 203.

The beautiful natural scenery delighted the calligrapher's heart. On a sudden whim, she simply set up camp and stayed for a while, taking up her brush and beginning to write a calligraphy copybook.

Baimu couldn't understand what she was writing. He checked on his phone and found it seemed to be some kind of ancient script from the Pokémon world.

Not long after.

The calligrapher, immersed in writing her copybook, suddenly noticed that Ralts seemed to be imitating her writing, which piqued her curiosity.

【You wanted Ralts to join in, but when you saw Ralts refuse in great panic and fear, you realized that your lost expression from yesterday had frightened it. You apologized to it and once again invited it to join】

【Seeing Ralts agree with a smile, you couldn't help but relax, writing characters while waiting for Ralts to imitate you】

In the scene, one person and one Pokémon faced the xuan paper together; their movements were perfectly in sync, even the force of their brushstrokes carried a sense of synchronization.

This piqued Baimu's interest.

Could Ralts perfectly replicate the calligrapher's writing? If so, couldn't it also replicate the famous paintings of those renowned artists?

In the scene, the calligrapher clearly shared his exact train of thought, and could not wait to go see Ralts's work.

—A complete mess.

Seeing the messy black lines above the calligrapher's head, Baimu realized he had been overthinking.

【You discover that Monini can only mimic your movements and expressions, and cannot successfully mimic your own work; you think such mimicry is utterly worthless—】

Seeing the narrator's words, Baimu raised an eyebrow.

When he looked back at the calligrapher, the man had clearly entered some kind of sudden enlightenment state.

A short while later.

The calligrapher slowly returned to his own platform.

【You realize that although your own work is admittedly more pleasing to the eye than Monini's, in reality there is no difference at all—both are merely clumsy mimicry, capturing only the form and missing the spirit】

【You once again appreciate the curator's good intentions】

【You search the Pokédex and discover that only after learning the "Mimic" move can Monini evolve into Mr. Mime. This makes you understand that the current Monini, like you, can only mimic appearance and cannot mimic spirit】

【You understand that the moment it learns Mimic, Monini will transform from a clumsy imitator into a truly outstanding mime master】

Another enlightenment?

This is only the first gym!

Baimu gained a new appreciation for the calligrapher's genius, and felt somewhat guilty about it.

Inside the scene.

The calligrapher took Monini's hand and made a pact to absolutely break free from the shackles of being an imitator, and truly grow into an outstanding calligrapher and mime master.

Such a scene was beautiful, but Baimu noticed the narrator had delivered this line.

【You made a pact with Monini, yet failed to notice the envious gaze from beside you】

An envious gaze? From whom?

Rencham or Houndour?

Baimu's eyes drifted between the other two Pokémon, but he could not find the answer in the pixels.