Chapter 2: Bug Catcher
On the screen.
A small figure wearing a straw hat stood in the grass, looking around.
[You were born in Viridian City, from an ordinary family]
Suddenly, a Caterpie emerged from the grass, and the little figure in the straw hat threw a red Poké Ball, capturing the Caterpie inside.
[At the age of ten, you encountered your first partner in the Viridian Forest: Caterpie. Together, you embarked on a journey]
After this line appeared, a pixel animation of Caterpie appeared in the bottom corner of the screen.
Kashiwagi adjusted his posture while lying down and thought, "This first simulation is unexpectedly starting as a Bug Catcher."
The screen changed.
The Bug Catcher appeared in front of a large house, and upon entering, he encountered an uncle with a back-combed hairstyle.
A "fierce" battle began.
The specific process was almost the same as before: Caterpie was sent out and was instantly defeated by the opponent's Rhyhorn.
Although there was no background music, the explosion bubbles that appeared when Caterpie hit the wall were enough to show how serious the impact was.
[You lost to the Viridian Gym Leader and failed to obtain your first Badge]
Kashiwagi: "?"
Wait!
Going to challenge the Gym without leveling up? And with Caterpie?
The screen went black and then lit up again, showing the Bug Catcher entering the Viridian Gym in Kashiwagi's bewildered vision.
The events that happened just now replayed, and the same text appeared.
Third time, fourth time, fifth time...
Wait, wait, wait--!!
Caterpie challenging the Gym without leveling up, not learning from the lesson of Absorb?
This isn't an inexperienced, hot-blooded youth; it's an unrepentant, brainless youngster!
Kashiwagi watched in silence as the repetitive content unfolded on the virtual screen.
Tenth challenge failed.
Finally, the content changed.
[You lost to the Viridian Gym Leader, but your tenacious perseverance gained his recognition, and you obtained the Earth Badge]
An azure wheat pattern appeared below Caterpie.
Kashiwagi was speechless. Wasn't this Badge given by Giovanni just to get rid of him?
At the same time the Bug Catcher obtained the Badge, Caterpie's appearance suddenly changed, evolving into a Metapod.
[Your Caterpie has evolved into Metapod]
It finally evolved.
Although it had just started, Kashiwagi already felt exhausted.
On the screen, the Bug Catcher left Viridian City and arrived in a dense forest. Confronted with a golden Caterpie emerging from the grass, he sent out Metapod.
Just when he was wondering how to capture it, the golden Caterpie suddenly used Tackle and knocked himself out.
[You have captured your second Pokémon in Viridian Forest: Weedle. Your journey now has another companion]
A stupid trainer with a stupid Pokémon. They were just perfect for each other.
Kashiwagi suddenly wished there was a fast-forward button.
The screen changed.
The Bug Catcher arrived at a massive stone city at the foot of a rock mountain.
[You have arrived at Pewter City. The towering stone mountain ignites your passion, and you decide to challenge the Gym]
As expected.
Leveling up?
What's that?
At least Kashiwagi had never seen this guy let his Pokémon battle against wild Pokémon. He was like a machine programmed solely to challenge Gyms, completely ignoring the possibility of making his Pokémon stronger through training after a defeat.
Although Ash sometimes relied on handouts to get several Badges, at least he knew he had to catch more Pokémon!
Can your Metapod and Weedle handle anything? No, they can't, don't you know?
Similar to the Viridian Gym, the Bug Catcher failed ten times but won the Gym Leader's recognition through perseverance.
[You obtained the Boulder Badge]
A hexagonal gray gem pattern appeared below Weedle, and at the same time, Metapod and Weedle were engulfed in white light.
A large butterfly and a golden cocoon-shaped creature transformed.
[Your Metapod has evolved into Butterfree. Your Weedle has evolved into Kakuna. Joyfully, you decide to set off immediately for the next city]
Finally, one of them reached its final evolution.
Kashiwagi relaxed. What pleased him, even more, was that the Bug Catcher seemed to have improved.
[You have captured your third Pokémon at the foot of Mt. Moon: Venonat. Your journey now has another companion]
[You have captured your fourth Pokémon in Mt. Moon's cave: Paras. Your journey now has another companion]
[You lost to an unknown trainer]
[You defeated an unknown trainer]
[Your Kakuna has evolved into Beedrill]
Scene after scene of pleasant images appeared as the Bug Catcher entered the range of Mt. Moon, and the hot-blooded youth seemed to be turning into a normal trainer.
Until--
[The Indigo Plateau Conference has officially begun, and with only three Badges, you missed the Indigo Plateau Conference]
[Simulation ends]
The virtual screen froze on the Bug Catcher's fifteenth defeat.
"This simulation is about a Conference, huh?"
Kashiwagi's expression was like someone who had just finished watching a bad movie. Who would have thought that a perfectly good, hot-blooded Bug Catcher would suddenly become a romance-minded boy?
Challenging Gyms so many times was already a waste of time, and now having a girlfriend would waste even more time. If having a girlfriend made the Bug Catcher stronger, it would be understandable, but he became weaker instead.
Love should empower people, right? What kind of simulation is this?
As he thought this, several lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Reward Option 1: Level up any Pokémon by 1 (below level 30)]
[Reward Option 2: Obtain clues about Pokémon]
[Reward Option 3: Move: String Shot (choose a Pokémon to learn)]
[Reward Option 4: Keep the [Love Charmer] innate talent for the next simulation]
Indeed, there were rewards.
Kashiwagi tried and found that he could choose two options.
Four options and two choices were quite good.
But if he didn't choose any, he wouldn't be able to start the second simulation, and he wasn't sure if Reward Options 1 and 3 could be carried over.
Let's try it.
He selected Reward Options 2 and 3 without even looking at the fourth one.
Fortunately, the reward for learning the move could be carried over.
The number of simulations also seemed to accumulate; the countdown was continuously progressing and not stopping because there was one simulation left.
Kashiwagi felt that the reward for leveling up might also be accumulated.
But at this moment, his attention was mainly on the clue.
[Please carry a wrought iron ingot weighing not less than 1 kg]
What kind of clue was this? At best, it was a hint.
Kashiwagi glanced at the time and the darkness outside the window. Yellow Iron Town had already sunk into the night, but the noises from the mine and the smelting factory continued without stopping.
Still early.
He washed his face and went out to find a way to obtain the wrought iron ingot.
After obtaining the ingot, he would come back to start the second simulation.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ethanma
Ethanma Don't hesitate to tell me in the paragraph comments if you see any grammar mistakes.
I'm translating two others chinese fanfics, so go check them out if you have nothing else to read : Magneto of Hyuga, In Kuroko no Basket as Shōgo Haizaki
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