After leaving Ecruteak City, the Ranch Uncle continued his journey eastward.
Unlike previous simulated characters who traveled on foot, the car-driving Ranch Uncle could haul a massive amount of gear, making his camping setups borderline ridiculous. Kashiwagi had rarely seen a tent large enough to comfortably house a bull, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, and a gorilla... err, no, a burly middle-aged man, while still feeling spacious inside.
Not only that, the Uncle carried professional kitchenware, a stove, tables, chairs, and even a portable generator. His campsite was always brightly lit, and he even brought a laptop to video-call his family.
Turning on the burner, setting the pot, stir-frying a small dish, and having a little drink—it was the peak of luxury. In his spare time, he'd fish for Magikarp and Goldeen in the creek, feed passing wild Pokémon, or ride his Rapidash across the plains when the mood struck—announcing to all traveling Trainers that the world didn't just have Charming Princes on white horses, but also Burly Men on white horses.
Then, he'd use Pokémon battles to teach any young brat who looked down on middle-aged "uncles" a lesson in humility.
What a pleasant camping trip. It was almost too comfortable. Kashiwagi began to doubt the Uncle's true motivations.
Are you doing this for your daughter and your dreams, or did you just want a mid-life crisis getaway to dodge your responsibilities at the ranch?
Hard to say, really hard to say.
-----
During this time, the luckily obtained Pokémon Egg hatched, and the result left Kashiwagi quite surprised.
[Your egg hatched.]
[You obtained Swinub. Your party for the Gym circuit has grown.]
A group of Psyduck left behind an egg that hatched into a Swinub? Are they even in the same Egg Group? Did Mother Duck stray, or did Father Duck grow a third leg? It was as miraculous as the time Ash fought Aerodactyl and suddenly ended up holding a Togepi egg.
Regardless, the arrival of Swinub filled this iron-willed man with joy. His [Maternal Aura] talent went into overdrive; he constantly showed Swinub to his daughter via video calls, and the time he used to spend fishing was now dedicated entirely to the little pig. Under the care of a top-tier Breeder, Swinub grew at an explosive rate.
Simultaneously, they reached Mahogany Town, home of the fifth Gym.
Even though it was only his fifth badge, the Uncle—having faced Pryce in his youth—knew exactly how powerful the man was. He gave it 120% effort.
Fortunately, his aces Rapidash and Ampharos had a type advantage against many of Pryce's Pokémon, and the blue talent [The Three-Word Truth] finally triggered for the first time.
Tough as it was, the Uncle won.
[You defeated Mahogany Gym Leader Pryce and earned the Glacier Badge.]
With the biggest hurdle cleared, Kashiwagi breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't help but recall a certain "Camping Boy" from a previous simulation who went astray after failing to beat Pryce.
Victory didn't just bring a badge; it saw Aipom learn Double Hit.
[Your Aipom evolved into Ambipom.]
Ambipom, who adored the Uncle's raw arm strength, received a massive power-up. Its two thick tails were like a dual-wielding version of the Uncle's own "Big Slaps," increasing both its striking power and frequency.
After the battle, the Uncle didn't leave immediately but stayed to chat with Pryce.
[You are curious about the shift in Pryce's personality. In your memory, the Mahogany Leader was cold and ruthless, earning the formidable title "Pryce of Forever Winter." Years later, his strength has increased, but his personality has undergone a radical change.]
Ah! This is it! Kashiwagi remembered the reason from the anime. Pryce had a Piloswine that went missing in a blizzard while searching for herbs to heal him. The injured Pryce mistakenly thought his partner had abandoned him, leading him to close his heart to Pokémon until Ash and the others cleared up the misunderstanding.
To be a renowned Leader with a closed heart was a testament to Pryce's terrifying talent. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, Pryce had reclaimed his love for Ice-types and was no longer strictly "Forever Winter."
During their talk, Pryce learned why the Uncle was challenging Gyms at his age and noticed his newborn Swinub. He warmly offered to mentor the Uncle on how to raise that specific line of Pokémon.
[Hearing Pryce's suggestion, you are overjoyed and immediately accept.]
"The 'Pryce of Forever Winter' has turned into the 'Pryce of Eternal Summer'..." Kashiwagi felt a pang of jealousy.
-----
The Uncle stayed in Mahogany Town for a long time. Under the guidance of Pryce's Mamoswine, Swinub successfully evolved into Piloswine. His overall combat power skyrocketed.
Kashiwagi began to wonder about the sixth Pokémon. Bull, horse, monkey, pig, sheep—except for the monkey, it was a standard "Ranch" set. Would the last one be a Grass-type? Or maybe a Miltank from home?
Soon, the Uncle gave him the answer. He arrived at a town not found in the games and picked up a Pokémon from a daycare—Arcanine.
A dog! Of course! How could a "Ranch Team" be complete without a canine?
[You picked up your boarded Pokémon at the Daycare in Saffron/Thunder Town.]
[Your Arcanine successfully won the "Most Handsome Arcanine" competition. You shared the good news with your wife and daughter.]
It turned out Arcanine was a three-time defending champion of the "Most Handsome Arcanine" pageant, and this was its fourth victory. Kashiwagi realized how gifted this family was at breeding. To stand out among an entire region's worth of the same species proved the quality of his work.
Maybe the Uncle's decision to "trade the sword for the plow" years ago was the right life choice after all.
With Arcanine back, his team was complete. He picked up the pace toward the final Gyms.
Blackthorn City. Once a mysterious valley surrounded by mountains, it was now connected to the world via high-speed rail.
[You arrived at Blackthorn City. To return home sooner, you decided to challenge the Gym.]
Clair, the Leader, used Dragon-types—which happened to be the perfect target for the Uncle's newly acquired Ice-type skills from Pryce. During the battle, Piloswine became the MVP, working alongside Arcanine, Tauros, and Rapidash to secure victory.
The blue talent triggered twice: "Stand up!" and "Hang in there!" This allowed Piloswine to endure a devastating blow and counter-kill Clair's Dragonair.
[You defeated Blackthorn Gym Leader Clair and earned the Rising Badge.]