To be honest, although he had never attended Homiga's underground concert, he felt that the current musician's achievements in music shouldn't be any less than Homiga's.
If you had to say where the difference lies, perhaps it would be in originality...
Baimu had watched the simulated content for so long and had searched for over a dozen pieces of music. Excluding that one piece showcased on the stage in Driftveil City, it could be determined that the rest were all others' compositions.
Is it possible that the musician is not a creative pianist, which led to his rejection by the classical music world?
... Not very likely, right?
Having a talent for composition could easily make a pianist famous, but it shouldn't be an absolute requirement, as creating timeless classics isn't that easy.
It was hard to say, as he watched the musician board the ship returning to Liyong City, silently offering blessings for the latter in his heart.
[You have returned to Liyong City, first went home to clean up your instruments, and then began special training to prepare for the Liyong Gym challenge]
The musician once again showcased his hardworking side.
Also, he was one of the rare diligent ones in Baimu's long-term simulations, training terrifyingly numerous times, repeatedly practicing with his Pokémon band to ensure his performance was precise and error-free.
Day after day, month after month.
Finally.
The musician, satisfied with his growth, came to the entrance of the Liyong Gym.
But he was stopped.
The person stopping him was unexpectedly the one who had caught him before.
[You hear the person refuse to let you in because the underground music venue prohibits minors. You quickly declare that you are a challenger and show your badge case to the person. They confirm that all your badges are genuine and can't help but be a bit surprised]
[You tell them that you will definitely achieve your music dream and walk inside boldly]
The musician entered the Gym.
Homiga happened to be there, as if waiting for him for a long time, eagerly accepting his challenge.
And facing his idol.
After much contemplation, the musician decided to play his favorite piece from Homiga's repertoire for her with his worn-out guitar.
Baimu saw an exclamation mark appear above Homiga's head when the old guitar appeared.
[You intended to explain the origin of the old guitar, but heard Homiga shout that person was you. After some conversation, you learned that Homiga's father had already informed her of your existence. Homiga just hadn't expected that the trainer rumored to control Pokémon with music was actually her fan]
[You tell Homiga that you will definitely compete in the Huiyuan Conference to fulfill your dream, and she gives you her support]
After the narration ends.
An intense battle unfolded.
Homiga and the musician faced off with punk rock against punk rock, making the onlookers scream in excitement. While the former couldn't command Pokémon with music alone as the latter could, she still had her strengths.
She habitually used only three Pokémon to defeat all challengers, regardless of how many badges the opponent had.
And each of those three was incredibly formidable.
The musician used the rhythm most familiar to the opponent to challenge them. Frankly, it wasn't a very wise choice, but the former clearly enjoyed it, feeling even closer to his idol and dream.
Moreover.
His Pokémon were strong enough, and the previous special training wasn't in vain, thus accumulating the strength to support his Burst Seed strategy.
[Boundary Breakthrough] played its role for the first time.
Causing Jigglypuff to unleash a Giant Sound far more powerful than usual, scattering Garbodor's clearing smoke and ultimately swaying the match.
[You defeated the Liyong Gym Leader Homiga and obtained the Toxic Badge]
[You earned Homiga's admiration, and she wanted to invite you to join her band—"Gas Bomb Paradise." You were tempted to agree but had to refuse because you had your own music dream and goals. Homiga felt a bit regretful but still gave you her blessing]
The musician bid farewell to Homiga.
It was clear that he was truly tempted, but unfortunately, due to certain influences, he could only decline.
Back at home.
The musician continued to train his Pokémon and develop their combat abilities. Simultaneously, he finally began to perfect the symphony he had started earlier.
[You turned the experiences of your journey and the sights of Unova into music. Attempting to combine it with the relics left by your parents, creating a complete tune named "Heart of Unova", aiming to fulfill your shared musical dream with your family]
Your parents' relics! So the musician's parents had already passed away!
Baimu suddenly realized, which explained why they never appeared, and indeed, this piece was incomplete... needing the musician to finish it.
Thinking this way, why he didn't perform in Castelia City and Leiyun City had an answer. It seems those two places held traces of the musician and his family, and the musician feared sentimental triggers.
Soon, the narration conveyed another piece of information.
The musician's parents wished for him to bring this piece to a grand stage, where all Unovans could hear it.
However, the musician had no real composing talent. He initially wanted to entrust the piece to someone else to complete it, but after his parents passed away, he stayed silent for a long time and lost his former connections. Additionally, the musician felt that if he handed the piece over to someone else, his parents would be disappointed from above.