Chapter 749: Celestial King Simulation!

The day the agreement was signed.

The Actor and his Pokémon, arranged by the talent agency, shot a series of promotional posters.

They also made the front page of the Pokémon Hollywood Times.

【You can intuitively feel your fame rising】

Hmm…

That star-making process looks awfully familiar.

As a fellow product of star-making, All Baimu watched the simulation and felt an ever-stronger sense of déjà vu, thinking that there really wasn't much new under the sun.

The only difference lay in each person's goal.

The Actor was also well aware that everything he had now came at a price, so once the poster shoot wrapped, he immediately boarded a ferry to Flycloud City.

【You intend to seek out and challenge powerful Trainers. There are still over half a year until the next Indigo Conference, and you plan to raise your strength as much as possible】

Over half a year?

Less than half a year to clear eight Gyms and traverse most of Unova — that's godlike speed!

One had to remember the Actor was starting from scratch, unlike him and Alain, those two Sword Saint wannabes, who took fully-leveled Pokémon into Gym battles.

Truly extraordinary talent.

Baimu rested his chin on his hand, the screen filled with footage of the Actor battling various Trainers.

Real combat was the best way to raise one's strength.

The Actor boldly leveraged his talent agency's connections, having them help him seek out powerful Trainers so he could raise his strength as much as possible before the League Conference.

Had to admit, though.

While this move made him stronger, it also successfully made a name for him in the Trainer world.

Although he hadn't reached the level of overnight fame and universal acclaim, the Actor did manage to shed his former title of box-office poison.

【You are now called 'The Magician.' Although you don't particularly like the nickname, it's still better than 'Box-Office Poison'】

The scene kept shifting.

Some time must have passed.

The Actor once again boarded a ferry, this time to Seigaiha City.

【You feel your strength has hit another bottleneck. You plan to head to the outskirts of the Giant Cave to train】

What nerve!

Baimu thought: the Actor clearly knew Kyurem lurked deep inside the Giant Cave, yet still came here to train — wasn't he afraid Kyurem would freeze him into a popsicle in a fit of anger?

But the narration indicated the Actor was quite confident he wouldn't disturb Kyurem.

What drove him to the Giant Cave was that the wild Pokémon here were stronger than those in the Training Caverns, and there were far fewer distractions than in the city.

He wanted an excellent result at the League Conference, and a good training environment was essential.

"What a madman."

Baimu shook his head.

At this level of simulation, the subject probably wouldn't drop dead midway, but a wise man doesn't stand beneath a crumbling wall — what if he really did annoy Kyurem and got frozen?

Setting aside life and death, missing the League Conference alone would be enough to make the Actor want to die.

Of course, this was also a kind of adventurous spirit born of hunger for strength. In Baimu's era, hearing there was a Kyurem around, who knew how many hotheaded Trainers would go looking for it.

And Baimu, who had a golden finger and didn't need to take such huge risks to improve himself, was strictly speaking talking from a position of privilege — both of them grew up within a year, but he had famous masters to guide him while the Actor did not.

Fortune favors the bold — that was inevitable.

In the footage.

The Actor trained hard with his six Pokémon.

The overall lineup hadn't changed: Mr. Mime for transparent walls, Gothitelle for psychic power, Sigilyph for status moves, Meloetta for close-quarters combat, Beheeyem for false illusions, Metagross for tanking and pure brute force.

All six Pokémon shared the same typing but each had its own specialty.

Finally.

After a full half-year of training, the Actor welcomed the new Indigo Conference.

【You head to Indigo City at your manager's encouragement】

——

In the Actor's era, the Indigo Conference had only just over a hundred participants.

This caused the tournament schedule to be greatly compressed.

The preliminaries.

Just one win was enough to advance to the primary selection.

For the Actor, there was no difficulty at all — Mr. Mime didn't even need to build a maze; simply firing Psybeam through multiple barriers was enough to defeat his opponents' Pokémon.

【You successfully advance to the primary selection】

【You can hardly believe your opponent is also a Trainer who has collected eight Badges】

The first-round opponent was so weak that the Actor doubted where his Badges had come from, but the opponent who arrived in the primary selection made him realize.

It wasn't that the opponent was weak — it was that he was too strong.

The Actor gradually built a fairly solid understanding of his own growth after half a year of special training.

【You successfully advance to the second round of the primary selection】

Second round.

Still no real difficulty — the Actor was steadily gaining confidence.

And this smooth-sailing rhythm continued all the way to the quarterfinal-to-semifinal full six-on-six showdown. Compared to his powerful individual fighters, the quarterfinal opponent had a complete team system.

Six Pokémon that complemented each other opened the Actor's eyes to a whole new world — in the past, his synergy had only ever extended to two or three.

Fortunately, such an opponent was not beyond handling.

The actor's innate combat instinct allowed him to spot the core Pokémon in his opponent's team; after using the bulky and powerful Metagross to swap it out, he secured victory.

【As you watched this scene of total collapse, you realized that having a system alone was not enough—individual strength mattered just as much.】

【You successfully advanced to the semifinals.】

Semifinals.

Compared to the quarterfinals, the opponent seemed "weaker"—the Light Screen illusion maze consumed three Pokémon, the Dusclops' illusions eliminated two, and finally, Gothita finished them off.

【You successfully advanced to the finals.】

"So fast."

Baimu couldn't help but marvel that this was the fastest-paced League Convention he had ever seen; previous simulation targets had all encountered at least one exceptionally strong opponent, and none had climbed to the top so smoothly—there was always some minor setback.

The actor didn't.

Even the quarterfinalist with the highly structured team only gave the actor slight trouble.

This made Baimu think back to his own competition days.

If his own participation in the League Convention was like fishing for minnows, then the actor's participation was like a Magikarp suddenly evolving into a Gyarados.

Don't ask—ask and you'll be told: innate talent.

As expected, the finalist was extremely powerful, living up to his current ranking.

His flagship Pokémon, the Scizor, which resisted and was immune to Psychic-type moves, used Shadow Sneak to knock out Simisear and Mean Look to eliminate the Artificial Cell Egg.

Yet at this point, the opponent's only remaining Pokémon was Scizor.

Dusclops appeared; Miracle Eye rendered Psychic-type moves effective again, then Phantom Light confused Scizor's vision, creating illusions so numerous it could no longer distinguish reality—

In reality, it was just confusion.

Baimu had always wanted to complain about the narrator's grandiose phrasing—illusions and whatnot.

Inside the screen.

Scizor stood motionless; Dusclops, like an alien, loomed above and fired multicolored beams from its finger instead of a ray gun, successfully defeating it.

The opponent slumped to the ground in despair; above the actor's head, a bubble appeared with an excited expression.

He did it!

He won the convention! He won the betting agreement!

【You defeated your opponent and claimed victory in the Hiyagaki Convention.】

Baimu was also delighted; the actor's power was truly worthy of an Orange-tier innate talent. Whether his future was promising was unknown, but the final outcome of this simulation was certainly assured.

Orange innate talent plus one Blue-tier innate talent…

Huh?

He suddenly remembered the actor had two rare innate talents: Orange and Blue; the Blue one was called 【Beauty and Grace】, which granted him assistance from others.

Where was the assistance?

The agency had helped, but they did so for profit!

The encouragement from the young Hachiku? The guidance from the young Xia Ka?

Neither of their help seemed related to 【Beauty and Grace】—it couldn't possibly be that bar owner at the beginning…

Was there an innate talent that hadn't activated yet?

Or had it already activated, and he just didn't know?

Baimu watched the simulation screen curiously—the story didn't immediately jump to the Champion League after the convention ended.

【You returned to Pokémon Hollywood; having won the convention, you had achieved your goal.】

【You prepared to continue your acting career.】

Huh?

He widened his eyes.

Not entering? No way, bro!

The unexpected twist made Baimu's heart pound—would the Orange talent be misleading? He had assumed its lower limit was winning the convention, and its upper limit was defeating a Legendary Pokémon.

Just as he felt uneasy, an elderly woman approached the actor.

【You met one of the current Unova Four Guardians; she had come to invite you to the Champion League.】

The actor intended to refuse, but the old woman won him over with a single sentence.

【You heard her say that convention champions are soon forgotten, but Four Guardians are not; if one day you find yourself in trouble again, the title of Four Guardian will let you rise again.】

Failing to clear the Champion League didn't matter—as long as you showed enough strength, you'd receive an invitation from a Four Guardian.

Challenge one of the Four Guardians during the Champion League qualifiers; then you could take their place and become the new Four Guardian.

The actor was tempted.

But he wondered why someone of her status as a Four Guardian would personally come to invite him—after all, Four Guardians were permanent, while convention champions came and went; the latter meant nothing.

The narrator explained that the old woman found the actor sufficiently handsome, his team's types matched hers closely, and she needed someone to inherit her legacy.

"Aren't you the sister of a woman in Galar named Popola…?"

Baimu's lip twitched.

So 【Beauty and Grace】 had activated at last.

But the Champion League was about to begin—was this teacher arriving a little too late?

As Baimu thought this, the screen flashed scenes of the actor and his Pokémon, including Dusclops, undergoing intensive training.

The old woman's representative Pokémon was Gothita, and her entire team overlapped significantly with the actor's—she was indeed an excellent successor.

Too bad the gap between the convention and the Champion League was too short.

Could the actor really defeat a Four Guardian?

Baimu began to worry; previously, he had been confident in the actor, but now he was becoming anxious and uncertain.

【You joined the Champion League】

A slightly familiar scene: four current Pokémon Champions, excluding the old woman, were a young boy and a middle-aged couple.

Regional Champion—

【You met Champion Adack, a fourteen-year-old hailed as the brightest new star in Hoenn's history】

Adack is already Champion!

Baimu had never looked into Adack's record; he never expected him to become Hoenn's Champion at fourteen, though Alice was even younger…

But the times are different!

The basic rule of the Champion League: the tournament victor challenges the four Champions in sequence; only after defeating them all may he challenge the Champion.

【Following your teacher's instructions, you first challenged the young man; you recognized him—he was the winner of the previous tournament】

Huh? Is the Champion League's format in this era selection-based?

Baimu paused; in the Hoenn region, the tournament victor couldn't choose who to challenge.

So he pulled out his phone and checked—it was a Hoenn specialty, like in the game where you could actively select which Champion to fight.

On-screen, both sides launched a fierce battle.

Unexpectedly,

The young Champion's specialty Pokémon type was Poison, which was weak against Psychic-type actors—no wonder he was chosen first.

The format was three-on-three.

The actor opened with Mr. Mime; the classic maze tactic, refined by the old woman, became even more terrifying, and its formation speed increased.

The opponent's Centiskorch had the Speed Boost ability, but in the winding maze, its speed couldn't be fully utilized, leaving it chased in circles by Mr. Mime; it barely shattered the glass barrier before Mr. Mime with a Super Horn.

Eh, fake.

This was enough to give someone a stroke.

Baimu didn't know if the opponent was furious, but he definitely felt sorry for him.

In the end, Centiskorch fell, as expected, to Psychic Terrain.

"Not much of a match… This Champion isn't much more reliable than the actor." Baimu knew this man was among the weakest of the Champions.

And such Champions existed in his own era too.

After defeating Centiskorch, the actor pressed his advantage, using Gothita and Cellion to defeat the young Champion's Dustox and Shroomish.

His cost was Mr. Mime and Gothita losing combat capability.

【You defeated the first Champion】

"Won't even give a name—have to look it up myself."

Baimu saw the simulator wouldn't even reveal the name; he sighed and shook his head.

Rested through the noon.

The actor began challenging the second Champion.

This time, he chose his teacher—whom he'd known for less than a week.

【You feel nervous; your teacher only told you to challenge her, but you don't believe you can win】

It was clear the actor was flustered; this emotion even affected his Pokémon—until the old woman unveiled a tactic both familiar and strange.

Familiar because he'd practiced this tactic countless times in the past week; strange because the same tactic produced vastly different results when used by each side.

But.

【You realize you can win】

Familiarity with the tactic meant familiarity with its flaws; the old woman was indeed powerful—even in pixel form, her Pokémon radiated overwhelming pressure.

But weaknesses didn't vanish because of it.

To seize those weaknesses, the actor and his Pokémon unleashed one hundred and twenty percent of their strength.

When Mr. Mime locked down Cellion, Dusclops confused Symbol Bird, and Gothita and Gothita's immense psychic power conjured a sky full of stars.

This teacher-student battle, which made the actor realize the old woman was deliberately pushing him to unleash his full potential, ended.

The actor won by a narrow margin.

【You defeated the second Champion, but due to severe injuries to Mr. Mime and other Pokémon, you no longer have a full team of six】

On the next day's Champion League, the under-strength actor stood no chance against the third Champion.

He was a classic veteran Champion, utterly unlike the young man at the start.

【Your Champion League challenge ended in the third round, but you felt no regret—indeed, you were very happy】

For the first time in a long while, the actor felt genuine care from the old woman; it moved him deeply, for he had lost parental love after his parents' divorce.

Thus, even without seeking fame, he began striving to inherit the old woman's position as one of the Four Champions.

The screen froze.

Immediately after, fragments began flashing.

【Your acting career rapidly revived with your rising fame; more and more directors handed you scripts】

【You fulfilled your wish by starring in a musical with Gothita, in a sci-fi film with Dusclops and Metagross, and even in a stage play with Mr. Mime; Cellion and Symbol Bird became your loyal bodyguards】

【In the following year, you received an invitation to the Four Champions】

【You entered the Champion League Midseason Tournament and successfully inherited your teacher's position, becoming the new Four Champion】

【Both your careers flourished; the title "The Magician" spread ever wider】

【You drew closer to your dream of becoming a Superstar and winning the Golden Trophy】

【Simulation ended】

The final image showed the actor returning to the red carpet, gazing with Mr. Mime at the glittering movie theater.

The posters on both sides of the cinema were all films he had starred in, forming a stark contrast to his once desolate, down-and-out image.

The actor had made it.

All Baimu's gaze shifted away as the light screen faded; he let out a breath and thought, "A good ending, not bad at all — just feels like something's missing…"

Missing something… Right! Why didn't the simulation mention the box-office results of the actor's films? Logically, with the actor as the main focus, shouldn't it have at least mentioned his career achievements?

How could it just brush past with a single line about things going from strength to strength?

All Baimu couldn't be bothered with the simulation rewards he'd been looking forward to; he went online to search for the Federation's previous-generation superpower king, the "Magician," and quickly found the actor's information.

"Solon Stanley, former Federation Four Heavenly Kings, nicknamed the Magician. The biggest box-office poison in Federation film history, an excellent Trainer held back by his identity as an actor, a film actor rebuked by fans for not focusing on his proper job…"

He was dumbfounded.

B-box-office poison?

It seemed the entire simulation really hadn't mentioned why the actor became box-office poison, nor much about how his acting was.

It only mentioned in passing that he'd practiced imitating those stars alongside Mime Jr. since childhood, never finding his own acting style.

So after all that, his Trainer talent was extraordinary, but his acting talent was just average, huh?

All Baimu continued scrolling down and found that the actor Solon was still appearing in films — just no longer as a lead, switching to supporting roles and cameos.

As a result, none of the films were rated very highly.

He saw comments like — "No matter what Solon plays, he just looks like himself, not the character," "One mime act and he'll brag about it for a lifetime," "Old man, come back as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, acting doesn't suit you," "Hachikou suits you way better," and so on.

In short, all of it was ribbing.

"This is just too…" All Baimu, used to simulation subjects with very smooth careers, was seeing this kind of situation for the first time and felt a bit unaccustomed to it.

At the same time.

He also had a bad premonition.

All Baimu opened the rewards with a slight sense of unease.

【Fixed Reward: TM ×9 (attribute can be specified)】

【Fixed Reward: The Actor's Acting Study — Expression Management Volume (can be re-read)】

【Fixed Reward: Mr. Mime's Barrier Move Memory — Maze Creation Process (can be re-read)】

……

【Choice Reward One: Any Pokémon raised by seven levels (below Lv. 90)】

【Choice Reward Two: Obtainable clue to a Legendary Pokémon (600 base stats and below only)】

【Choice Reward Three: Move — Psychic (can choose a Pokémon to learn it)】

【Choice Reward Four: Carry over the 【Elite System】 talent to the next simulation】

Looking at the top, All Baimu was dumbfounded.

Looking at the bottom, All Baimu had already happily rushed over and was hugging the shiny Gengar, Blissey, and other Pokémon nearby!

"Hahahahaha!"

He excitedly lifted Gengar and Blissey up high in turn, not even minding when his forehead got flicked by an embarrassed Mawile, and immediately after hugged the jealous Hydreigon that had run over demanding cuddles.

The overly enthusiastic move momentarily stunned even Hydreigon, who hurriedly looked at its other companions with its eyes, asking what had happened.

Normally the Trainer would occasionally act a little crazy, but never like this.

All the Pokémon shook their heads, indicating they didn't know.

Seeing All Baimu leap onto Hydreigon's back and sing at the top of his lungs, they couldn't help but look at Porygon2, who had sworn up and down that the Trainer was fine.

Porygon2: "……"

Maybe… drag the Trainer to the hospital's neurology department to get checked out?

Is the pre-process for the Immortal's Pat on the Head this intense this time? It couldn't have fried the Trainer's brain, could it?