Chapter 2: Bug Catcher

In the screen.

A little figure wearing a straw hat stood amidst the grass, looking around.

[You were born in Viridian City, from an ordinary family]

Suddenly, a green-haired caterpillar emerged from the grass, and the little figure threw a red ball. The ball sucked the caterpillar inside.

[At the age of ten, you encountered your first partner in Viridian Forest: a Caterpie. You embarked on a journey together]

After this line appeared, a pixel animation of Caterpie appeared in the bottom corner of the screen.

Reclining, Bai Mu shifted his position, thinking it's unexpectedly a Bug Catcher's beginning in this first simulation.

The scene switched.

The Bug Catcher faced a large house and encountered a back-combed uncle as they entered. A "fierce" battle began.

The specific process was essentially Caterpie being released and instantly sent flying by the opponent's Rhyhorn.

Although there was no background music, just by the explosion bubbles when Caterpie hit the wall, it was clear how severe the impact was.

[You lost to the Viridian Gym Leader and didn't receive the first badge]

Bai Mu: "?"

Wait a minute!

No level grinding before challenging the Gym? And with a Caterpie?

The screen went black and then lit up again, the Bug Catcher once again at the Viridian Gym in Bai Mu's bewildered gaze.

The previous events replayed exactly, the same text appearing.

The third time, the fourth time, the fifth time...

Wait a minute—!!

Challenging the Gym without leveling up the Caterpie? No lessons learned at all?

This isn't an inexperienced passionate youth; it's clearly an unrepentant reckless youth!

Bai Mu silently watched the repetitive content on the virtual screen.

Failed on the tenth attempt.

Finally, the content changed.

[You lost to the Viridian Gym Leader. Your resilience earned their recognition, and you received the Green Badge]

A green wheat pattern appeared beneath Caterpie.

Bai Mu was speechless, did he get the badge just because the system got tired?

Simultaneously, as the Bug Catcher received the badge, Caterpie's appearance suddenly changed, evolving from a caterpillar into a cocoon.

[Your Caterpie evolved into a Metapod]

Finally evolved...

Despite just starting, Bai Mu felt inexplicably fatigued.

In the scene, the Bug Catcher left Viridian City and arrived at a dense forest. Confronted with a golden-colored worm emerging from the grass, they sent out Metapod.

Just as he wondered how to capture it, the former unexpectedly bumped into the latter, knocking himself out.

[You captured your second Pokémon in Viridian Forest: Weedle. Your journey companions increased]

...Stupid trainer and stupid Pokémon, a perfect match.

Bai Mu suddenly wished for a fast-forward button.

The scene changed.

The Bug Catcher arrived at a colossal rocky mountain at the foot of the Stone City.

[You arrived at Pewter City. The towering stone mountain ignited your passion, so you decided to challenge the Gym]

As expected.

Level grinding?

What's that?

At least Bai Mu had never seen this guy let Pokémon battle wild Pokémon. This was essentially a Gym-battling machine, ignoring the possibility of making Pokémon stronger through training after failing.

While Ash managed to earn several badges through pity, at least he knew to capture more Pokémon!

Can your Metapod and Weedle battle? No, they can't. Don't you understand that?

Similar to the Viridian Gym, the Bug Catcher failed the Pewter Gym for the tenth time, yet gained the Gym Leader's admiration through perseverance.

[You received the Gray Badge]

A hexagonal gray gem design appeared under Weedle. Simultaneously, Metapod and Weedle were enveloped in a white light.

A butterfly and a cocoon-like object transformed.

[Your Metapod evolved into a Butterfree, and your Weedle evolved into a Kakuna. Excited, you decide to depart immediately for the next city]

Finally, one evolved into its final form.

Bai Mu breathed a sigh of relief, more pleased that the Bug Catcher seemed to have woken up.

[You captured your third Pokémon at the base of Mt. Moon: Jigglypuff. Your journey companions increased]

[You captured your fourth Pokémon in Mt. Moon Cave: Paras. Your journey companions increased]

[You lost to a stranger Trainer]

[You defeated a stranger Trainer]

[Your Kakuna evolved into Beedrill]

Pleasant images gradually emerged as the Bug Catcher entered the Mt. Moon area, seemingly transforming from an enthusiastic fool into a normal trainer.

Until—

[You arrived at Cerulean City, known for its abundant water resources surrounded by water routes]

The Bug Catcher, as usual, headed to Cerulean Gym, only to find out the Gym Leader was out performing as a mermaid.

Performing?

Is this part of the animation background?

Bai Mu was astonished; he always thought it was based on the game background since only cities from the games appeared, while the animation had many original towns.

He suddenly had a foreboding feeling, and this feeling was quickly confirmed.

When the Bug Catcher reached where the Gym Leaders were performing, an unexpected encounter happened.

[You accidentally bumped into a girl, mutual apologies led to cheerful moods. You exchanged contact information]

[You contacted that girl, had a pleasant conversation, and decided to travel together]

[You started dating]

Wait, what?

Isn't this overflowing with dog food coming out of the screen? What's going on? The Trainer simulator turned into a love simulator!

It was supposed to be possible to interact with the opposite sex, but does it have to lead to dating?

Bai Mu abruptly sat up.

The Bug Catcher was originally a passionate fool of a trainer. After getting a girlfriend, his fighting spirit remained unchanged, but the scenes of them alone together noticeably increased.

The rough battle details were also out of sync.

Before, after about seven or eight times, you could understand some tricks, go back and forth a couple of times.

But here at the Cerulean Gym, it changed from initially being able to go a few rounds to being beaten in one move.

By the tenth time, completely degraded to a noob.

Pokémon weren't even evolving.

Seeing the two figures holding hands in the scene, arriving in Goldenrod City without encountering any wild battles or capturing the fifth Pokémon, Bai Mu's heart sank continuously.

The Gym Leader, Natsu, a strict Psychic-type Trainer, unlike the previous three, even if the Bug Catcher lost ten times, refused to give the Gold Badge.

As he contemplated how the Bug Catcher would break through, the ending abruptly arrived.

The screen suddenly turned dark.

[The Quartz Tournament has officially commenced. With only three badges, you missed the Quartz Tournament]

[Simulation ends]

The virtual screen froze at the Bug Catcher's fifteenth defeat.

"...This simulation is about a tournament's story."

Bai Mu's expression at this moment was like having finished watching a terrible movie. Who would have thought a perfectly good enthusiastic Bug Catcher would suddenly turn into a lovesick youth?

It was already a waste of time battling the Gym so many times; adding a girlfriend wasted even more time. If having a girlfriend made the Bug Catcher stronger, that would be one thing.

But getting weaker? What's that about?

Isn't love supposed to make people feel empowered? What kind of simulator is this?

Thinking like this, a few lines of text popped up before him.

[Reward Choice 1: Boost any Pokémon by one level (lv. 30 or below)]

[Reward Choice 2: Clues for obtainable Pokémon]

[Reward Choice 3: Move - String Shot (can be taught to a Pokémon)]

[Reward Choice 4: Retain the [Charm] talent for the next round of simulation]

As expected, there were rewards.

Bai Mu tried it out and found he could select two.

Four options to choose from, not bad at all.

But if he didn't choose, he wouldn't be able to start the second round, and he wasn't sure if Reward Choices 1 and 3 could be retained.

Let's try it.

Got to try it.

Bai Mu lit up Options 2 and 3, not even looking at the fourth one.

Luckily, the reward for the move could be retained.

The number of simulator uses could accumulate as well, with a countdown constantly ongoing, not stopping when there was one use left.

Bai Mu thought maybe the level-up reward could also be accumulated.

But at this moment, his attention was mostly on the clue—

[Please carry a piece of iron ingot weighing not less than 1kg]

What kind of clue was this? At most, it was a hint.

Bai Mu glanced at the time and the darkness outside; Yellow Iron Town had already sunk into the night, yet the noises from the mines and smelting factories continued unabated.

Still early.

He tidied up his appearance and went out to figure out how to get an iron ingot.

After getting the ingot, he would come back to start the second simulation.

ps: Seeking more reads, everyone!

(End of this chapter)