The scene gradually fast-forwarded.
Text flowed across the screen, detailing various events as information flew past Kashiwagi's eyes.
Among the snippets: news of the transfer student resolving the Alolan Raticate and Rattata infestation, participating in the Island Challenge, and passing Kahuna Hala's Grand Trial hit the newspapers that very afternoon.
Though it wasn't clear who leaked the story, within a single day, the news had spread across nearly the entire island of Melemele.
Consequently, when the girl arrived at school the next day, she was greeted with a hero's welcome—instantly transforming from a "strange transfer student" into a local celebrity.
She gained genuine friendships. As for those two pixel sprites with the "Team Skull potential," they vanished entirely, perhaps because they no longer occupied the protagonist's attention.
The reason for such a massive reaction was simple: the Island Challenge requires the recognition of a Kahuna to even begin, and those who successfully pass a Grand Trial to obtain a Z-Ring and Z-Crystal are few and far into between.
In other words, regardless of raw power levels, the prestige was significantly higher than that of Gym challenges in other regions.
"So the fast-forward covers the daily school life..."
Kashiwagi blinked. Even though she had started her Island Challenge, she still had "academic responsibilities" and couldn't just drop out to travel.
Furthermore, she wasn't the only one in her school participating in the challenge.
At this point, he guessed that her final score might be determined by how much of the Island Challenge she completed within a year—though he wasn't sure if clearing all four islands was the requirement for a League entrance or if there was a different metric.
Suddenly, a line of text caught his eye.
[Learning that the school will soon hold an outdoor class on Akala Island, you make it your second goal and begin active preparations. Besides training your two current Pokémon, you use the knowledge inherited from your mother to manufacture various bombs using Berries, herbs, and Pokémon powders/scales.]
Kashiwagi: "Is she doing the Island Challenge or going to war...?"
Speaking of Akala... he remembered that in the games and anime, the current Kahuna was Olivia, but in the anime's backstory, the previous one was Kiawe's grandfather.
The timeline of this simulation would be revealed by whoever held the title of Kahuna.
The scene shifted. The student arrived at a large city with her classmates.
[You arrive in Heahea City with the outdoor class group. This is the gateway to Akala Island, built by many Trainers who have visited Johto and Kanto.]
The outdoor curriculum began.
Kashiwagi watched the fragmented clips, seeing tasks similar to those Ash did—like riding Stoutland to search for hidden items.
Unfortunately, no one was lucky enough to find a Sparkling Stone like Lana did, which was then crafted by Olivia into a Z-Ring.
However, during the cooking class, the fragmented playback stopped.
The girl appeared in a lush jungle with another classmate, searching for something.
[You and your classmate are trekking through Lush Jungle to find ingredients for 'Akala Curry.' You successfully find Mago Berries and Revival Herbs, but the remaining Miracle Seed is missing from the designated spots. You suspect other teams have picked them clean.]
Kashiwagi perked up; the main plot was starting.
As expected, since no seeds could be found on the outskirts, she intended to go deeper. Her teammate refused.
[Hearing your classmate say that the depths of Lush Jungle are dangerous—with rumors of a hidden Totem Pokémon—you find yourself itching with excitement. You know that Totem Pokémon guard Z-Crystals, and defeating them is the way to obtain one.]
[You choose to split up, letting her take the Mago Berries and Revival Herbs back while you head deeper in search of the Miracle Seed.]
The highly proactive girl quickly vanished into the brush. She clearly hadn't convinced her classmate, as the latter paced back and forth anxiously, looking like she wanted to follow but didn't dare.
The scene changed.
The girl advanced through the emerald jungle, her Rowlet and Mimikyu by her side. Clearly she wasn't arrogant enough to wander alone.
Pixelated wild Pokémon popped out from hidden corners, causing "covetous" emojis to appear in her speech bubble.
[Looking at the wild Pokémon, you recall a senior saying that the Grand Trials and beyond will require more Pokémon. You decide to take this opportunity to catch a new partner.]
A new catch! Kashiwagi wondered if Lush Jungle had anything suitable for a bomb-maniac.
The answer was yes.
As she crawled into a cave searching for the seed, she found a special mushroom emitting a faint glow. It had three caps and a rounded white body.
[You have discovered a Morelull. This happens to be one of the Pokémon you were hoping for. You decisively poke it awake and attempt to catch it.]
"Poking it awake... truly a person with the 'Kind-hearted' talent," Kashiwagi muttered. Though the method of waking it up involved poking its cap seven or eight times until it snapped out of its slumber.
Before it could even react, she declared her intent to catch it.
The Morelull was forced into a bewildered battle with Rowlet, eventually losing and being caught.
She's kind-hearted, sure... but i'm not really sure.
[You have caught Morelull. The team member responsible for providing bomb ingredients has increased.]
Exactly as he suspected. Her desire for Morelull wasn't because it shared a Grass typing with Rowlet; she was after those Spore materials.
Continuing her journey, she soon found an exit into a clearing.
Rowlet had caught the scent of rich fruit and, true to its nature, flew toward it without hesitation.
The girl gave chase and came face-to-face with the Totem Lurantis, which was holding a pile of Berries.
[You have discovered the Totem Pokémon Lurantis. A battle is about to begin.]
Lurantis is a species with strong territorial and aggressive instincts; as a Totem, it had the duty of testing challengers. Since they had made eye contact, there was no turning back.
The girl, however, had come specifically for this. Even as the Totem Aura flared, she didn't flinch, ordering Rowlet forward.
The battle began.
The Totem Lurantis didn't have many moves, but under the aura's buff, every strike was devastating—especially its Solar Blade, a beam-like attack that spanned the screen.
Both Rowlet and the girl had to dodge for their lives.
To make things worse, it summoned an ally: Castform. The Sunny Day it set up greatly reduced the charge time for Solar Blade, turning the intermittent beams into a continuous barrage.
But fortunately the girl was clever. Seeing the tag-team, she also released Mimikyu.
Two-on-two.
This was something the games wouldn't allow, but the simulation followed anime logic.
Kashiwagi didn't expect the tide to turn so instantly. As Rowlet grabbed Mimikyu's "head" to increase its mobility, the Castform looked up and caught a glimpse of what was underneath Mimikyu's rag.
It was so terrified it fell straight out of the sky.
"What a strategy..." Kashiwagi was speechless.
The Totem Lurantis was also momentarily stunned. Seizing the opening, the girl activated her Flyinium Z.
[Supersonic Skystrike]!!
Massive text filled the screen. When it vanished, a giant fiery bird with wings spanning half the display slammed into Lurantis. Boom! When the smoke cleared, the Totem was unconscious.
The Castform, barely recovered from its brush with death, drifted up only to see its boss defeated. It was promptly finished off.
Trial complete.
The girl used her spare Revival Herbs to heal the two fallen Pokémon. The bitter taste snapped them awake instantly.
A teary-eyed Totem Lurantis handed over the Grassium Z.
[You defeated Totem Lurantis and obtained Grassium Z.]
At that moment, Rowlet was enveloped in white light.
"Wait!" Kashiwagi's eyes widened. One of the top three Pokémon on the "Please don't evolve" list was evolving!
If he weren't behind a screen, he would have begged her to stop. She was losing her second "Disguise(disguise-like)" ability![1]
What a pity.
[Your Rowlet evolved into Dartrix.]
Looking at the owl with the hair reminiscent of Miles Edgeworth from Ace Attorney, Kashiwagi felt a pang of regret.
The scene sped up again.
She returned to camp with the Miracle Seed and was promptly scolded by the teacher.
However, since she was polite and apologetic - she kept apologizing without arguing back — and safe—she got off with a light warning.
Back at the dorms, she began "communicating" with her newest member, the unlucky Morelull.
Naturally, it wasn't happy about being caught and started draining her life energy through its roots. She didn't mind.
She just kept collecting its spores until she suddenly passed out halfway.
Stamina was always her weak point. Seeing the ellipsis over the Morelull's head, it was clear the Pokémon was also "stunned" by her behavior.
But through this strange "mutual need," their bond actually began to improve.
It seems, It was only a matter of time before their relationship becomes even closer.
The screen gradually dimmed.
When it brightened again, the student had arrived at a sprawling ranch filled with Miltank and Mudbray. Standing there was an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair.
Undoubtedly, this was Kiawe's grandfather—the Island Kahuna of Akala Island before Olivia took over.
[On your free day, you visit Paniola Ranch to meet the Island Kahuna of Akala Island and request a trial. The Kahuna agrees. Your task: head to Brooklet Hill and uncover the true identity of the "Lord of the Ocean."]
Brooklet Hill? Lord of the Ocean?
In the anime, wasn't it the Totem of the pond?
Regardless of the title, it clearly referred to the Totem Wishiwashi in its School Form.
Kashiwagi had expected a trial at Wela Volcano against a Totem Salazzle or Marowak, so this was a bit of a curveball.
In the simulation:
The girl happily arrived at Brooklet Hill. Holding a fishing rod, she was still completely in the dark—perhaps she truly believed she could just "fish up" the Lord of the Ocean?
Using a title like "Lord" usually implied something massive, after all.
Just as Kashiwagi expected, though she fished diligently, she caught nothing but Magikarp after Magikarp. She even pulled up a lone Wishiwashi once but didn't give it a second thought, tossing it right back into the pond.
Without Lana's legendary fishing skills, attracting the School Form was practically impossible.
After realizing she was getting nowhere, the girl fell into deep thought and pulled out a bomb.
[You decide to resort to your ultimate method—throwing bombs.]
"She's going to blast-fish?! Hey, hey! Does that really fit the 'Kind-hearted' talent?" Kashiwagi inhaled sharply, worried she was about to feed her remaining scraps of kindness to the fishes.
Fortunately, the narration clarified: she only let the bombs detonate above the water surface. She intended to use the vibrations to provoke the "Lord of the Ocean" hiding at the bottom and force it out.
The tactic was surprisingly effective.
While it did no direct damage, it scored a perfect ten in terms of Taunt. The previously calm pond suddenly churned as a massive, pitch-black shadow surfaced.
[You decide to strike while the iron is hot and use Ultimate Method II—using a naturally shed cap from Morelull as bait to hook it.]
What the heck is "Ultimate Method II"? And she's actually using a Morelull cap?
Are those things even tasty?
As Kashiwagi puzzled over this, the giant shadow took the bait. However, the girl lacked the "superhuman" strength of someone like Lana—who could pull up even a Kyogre—so she had to ask Mimikyu to help by extending its ghost-claws from under its rag.
Mimikyu's strength was genuinely frightening. Though the girl was initially holding the rod, Mimikyu quickly went from "assist" to "main force," successfully hauling the giant shadow out of the water.
On screen:
An impossibly large Wishiwashi in School Form soared through the air. Its size, further magnified by the Totem Aura, was as breathtaking as a humpback whale. It hit the pond with a massive splash.
The girl and Mimikyu stood frozen in place, seemingly stunned.
Then, they erupted with excitement.
[You have discovered another Totem Pokémon, and you believe you have glimpsed the true identity of the Lord of the Ocean. You decide to defeat it and bring back the Waterium Z as proof.]
"Never change, Hot-blooded Bomb Girl!" Kashiwagi admired her. Instead of being afraid, her first instinct was to wonder if she could take it down.
But that was easier said than done. The Totem Wishiwashi stayed submerged, and since she didn't have a Water-type, she had to bait it out to attack.
The conditions were strict.
[After careful consideration, you decide to settle the match with Grassium Z the moment the Lord of the Ocean leaps from the water.]
Good plan.
But Kashiwagi wasn't optimistic. It wasn't that he doubted her timing; it was that Totem Wishiwashi, like Lurantis, had an ally.
Specifically, Alomomola, which possessed healing abilities. Wishiwashi's weakness is that it loses its School Form once its HP drops too low.
If Alomomola kept its health topped up, the girl would never see its true form.
Kashiwagi already saw the key to the fight—whether she would notice the hidden Alomomola.
For now, she clearly hadn't.
The Akala Trial officially began.
She repeated her previous operation: bombs for vibrations and a mushroom cap for bait. It worked; the Totem Wishiwashi took the hook again.
[You watch the Totem Pokémon about to leap, focusing part of your attention on your Z-Ring.]
Boom!
Wishiwashi breached!
The massive shadow swept over the pond like a storm cloud, covering half the screen.
Just as Kashiwagi saw the green light of the Grassium Z flare up, the text popups intervened.
[As you prepare to release the Z-Move, Mimikyu suddenly tugs at your ankle. Your concentration is broken, causing the Z-Move to fail.]
Wishiwashi disappeared back into the depths.
[You are confused by Mimikyu's actions, but you soon spot a smaller shadow beside the Totem—an Alomomola. Remembering the Castform from before, you immediately realize why Mimikyu stopped you.]
[You decide to ask Mimikyu to distract the Alomomola.]
"Take out the support first, nice,"
Kashiwagi sighed with relief. At least she was willing to listen to her Pokémon; a more arrogant trainer might have scolded Mimikyu.
She used the same baiting tactic again, but this time, Mimikyu joined the fray.
The haul was a success.
As Wishiwashi soared for the third time, Mimikyu lunged toward the water with reckless abandon, striking the Alomomola's head with a spinning Wood Hammer. This left the Totem Wishiwashi completely exposed to Dartrix's Grassium Z.
[Bloom Doom]!
Green stylized text filled the screen, followed by a sky-filling explosion of illusory flowers and grass. A pillar of green light slammed into Wishiwashi.
In an instant, the pixelated Totem was enveloped in brilliant green light and appeared to disintegrate in mid-air.
The smiles on the girl and Dartrix's faces turned to horror. They hadn't intended to "destroy" the Lord of the Ocean; disintegration was definitely not what they wanted to see.
Fortunately, as the light faded, the "Lord" revealed its true form—dozens of tiny Wishiwashi falling into the water like dumplings. The girl had caught these palm-sized fish before but ignored them.
Seeing the true identity now, she was shocked—and relieved she hadn't left after just seeing the big fish.
The Kahuna asked for the "true identity," and the school form alone wouldn't have satisfied him.
[You see one of the Wishiwashi approach, carrying a Waterium Z in its mouth, while the others carry Mimikyu back to shore. You breathe a deep sigh of relief.]
[You obtained the Waterium Z and happily returned to report your success.]
"Good thing she didn't get stuck there," Kashiwagi thought.
She could have easily failed by not discovering the individual fish or the Alomomola. Mimikyu was truly the MVP of Akala Island.
The scene shifted.
The girl returned to the ranch to see Kiawe's grandfather.
[You present the Waterium Z to the Kahuna and explain that the Lord of the Ocean is actually a school of Wishiwashi. The Kahuna is very satisfied, acknowledges your success, and schedules the Grand Trial for the next day.]
The screen skipped to the following morning. The girl marched out with her head held high, ready for the 3-on-3 Single Battle Grand Trial.
Since the Kahuna used Fire-types, she was at a disadvantage, but this was where the Blue Talent kicked in. When Dartrix was cornered, she used "Dodge it!" to weave through Charizard's Flamethrower. Then, she used "Hang in there!" to let it tank a Z-Move—Inferno Overdrive—before using a combination of Supersonic Skystrike and Shadow Sneak to take Charizard down with it. It was a classic, "Ash-style" disregard for type effectiveness.
When the Kahuna sent out Alolan Marowak, Mimikyu's easily defeated it with its raw power and "Stand up!" allowed it to clutch a win at sliver-thin health against Magmortar.
Morelull didn't even get a chance to show off.
Kashiwagi was stunned. This was his first time seeing a trainer "cheat" this blatantly in a simulation.
Did the previous "Three Holy Words" user have this much plot armor?
Why not?
Was it because he didn't have a starter?
[You passed the Akala Island Grand Trial. The Island Kahuna presents you with a specially chosen Ghostium Z, hoping you will make the most of it.]
The girl held up the Ghostium Z in celebration. It seemed the anime Kahunas weren't as rigid as the game versions—they didn't just give out their own specialty type; they gave what suited the challenger.
Not bad, not bad at all.
[1] In anime, Ash's Rowlet used Feather Dance to like substitute to take solar beam from professor Kukui's Venusaur. Plus... Rowlet is cute.