Route 101.
The path that symbolizes the starting point of it all.
It was here that May sacrificed her bicycle to the gods of fate, subsequently joining Ash's traveling party.
Kashiwagi had assumed that on a road frequented by so many novice Trainers, there would be few wild Pokémon left. As it turned out, he was overthinking things.
While other species might be scarce, there was certainly no shortage of Wurmple. If you looked closely at the trees, you could find Silcoon and Cascoon clinging to the bark. If you ventured a bit deeper into the woods, you might even spot Beautifly and Dustox.
After all, this was one of the migratory resting grounds where Beautifly came to recuperate.
"In search of a more suitable living environment, they travel long distances with their companions, sometimes reaching up to several thousand kilometers..."
Kashiwagi sat on a large rock by the roadside, reading an entry about Beautifly. "They can only be seen once a year. It seems our luck isn't that great," he said regretfully.
He didn't hear a response from Chansey.
Puzzled, he turned his head, only to see Chansey flat on her back. Two Zigzagoon were pinning her down on either side, while a third, larger Zigzagoon was busy stealing—no, mugging the egg from her belly pouch.
Kashiwagi: "..."
The three Zigzagoon, noticing his gaze, turned their heads: "..."
Chansey: "...Lu, Lucky?"
"Psychic!"
He shouted the command. The three Zigzagoon flinched violently, preparing to bolt, but Chansey also jolted. Her mental energy surged forth, instantly snaring them and lifting them into the air.
"You three really have some nerve. You think you can pick on anyone?"
Kashiwagi stepped forward, letting out a cold chuckle at the panicked Zigzagoon. He then looked at Chansey and said helplessly, "When people bully you, why don't you make a sound?"
"Lucky..." Chansey gave an embarrassed smile.
The Zigzagoon only wanted her egg; they weren't trying to hurt her Trainer. She didn't really mind; a Nutritious Egg was meant to be shared, after all.
"Remember to alert me next time. This is dangerous." Kashiwagi knew that because Chansey spent so much time caring for Pokémon, her guard against wild ones had lowered.
But during a journey, wild Pokémon were actually a major source of danger. From the naturally ferocious species to the mischievous pranksters, many were not particularly friendly to Trainers.
"Lucky~" Chansey rubbed her small hands together and nodded, indicating she understood.
Immediately after, Kashiwagi began "processing" the three Zigzagoon. In light of their shameful highway robbery, he decided to sentence these fluffy creatures to the Punishment of the Rub.
Starting with the largest one.
"Having a lot of fur really makes a difference. So soft." He happily "victimized" the Zigzagoon with headpats and belly rubs.
Ever since arriving in the Hoenn region, the peaceful days had allowed Kashiwagi's mood to relax significantly. During the days spent studying breeding at the Pokémon Center, he had rediscovered the love for Pokémon he once felt while playing the games.
This included his fondness for the "cute and fluffy" types.
Back in Pyrite Town, even when he was surrounded by Furret, he hadn't felt a thing, his mind entirely occupied with accumulating power. Looking back now, he truly regretted it.
If he had known better, he would have squeezed them a few more times before leaving.
One finished, next one up. Then the third.
By the time the three Zigzagoon were wide-eyed and trembling, staring at him with expressions that screamed, "How much longer are you going to touch us?!" Kashiwagi was finally satisfied. He tossed down three Pokéblocks as payment.
"Let's go, Chansey."
He brushed off his pants and turned to leave.
Chansey glanced hesitantly at the three Zigzagoon before releasing her hold.
The now-free Zigzagoon scrambled away at top speed, terrified that if they were a second too slow, they'd be snatched back up for more petting. They dove into the nearby thicket and vanished.
A few minutes later.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Three heads poked out from the bushes in sequence, scanning the surroundings warily. Their fluffy ears twitched as they listened to the wind. Seeing the Pokéblocks still on the ground, they couldn't resist scurrying out.
"Zigza!"
"Zigza zagoon!"
The three Zigzagoon munched away enthusiastically. Although getting manhandled for that long for only three Pokéblocks was a bit of a raw deal, it was better than getting nothing at all.
The Pokéblocks were gone in an instant.
Then, they began to curse Kashiwagi in their hearts.
That human is seriously a dog! He rubbed us for that long and only gave us three pieces!
-----
In the distance, Kashiwagi was searching for a stream.
He said to Chansey, "The downside of petting wild Pokémon is the smell. To put it nicely, it's 'wild and earthy.' To put it bluntly..."
"Lucky?"
Chansey clearly didn't catch his drift and was actively helping him look for a place to wash his hands.
Fortunately, they found a shallow creek after a short walk. After washing up, Kashiwagi checked the map.
"Huh? We're already here?"
He led Chansey across the stream and pushed through a line of bushes. Suddenly, Oldale Town came into view at the bottom of the slope.
It had taken barely twenty minutes to get from the starting point to the destination.
Unlike Littleroot Town, which was highly modernized with many buildings, Oldale Town's structures were much sparser. There was vast open space between each house, and hardly anyone could be seen at a glance.
Not far from the town, Kashiwagi spotted a massive natural park. In the park stood the iconic stone circle—eight towering megaliths surrounding some ancient, crumbling ruins.
The Oldale Ruins.
He remembered that beneath these ruins was a massive lake, home to many Relicanth—a Pokémon once thought to be extinct. Of course, even now, they were exceptionally rare.
Unfortunately, even setting aside the fact that he had no interest in poaching Pokémon, the place was surely under guard. Getting in just to "broaden his horizons" was basically impossible.
"Let's keep this momentum going all the way to Petalburg City."
Kashiwagi consulted Chansey.
"Lucky~"
Chansey had no objections. Such a short walk wasn't enough to make her feel like she needed a break.
-----
Route 102.
This was the first route in the games where a player could battle other Trainers.
Kashiwagi was no exception. He was engaged in battle by a Youngster who suddenly leapt out from the bushes.
"Poochyena, use Bite!"
The Youngster shouted excitedly. The Poochyena in front of him looked even more hyped, charging toward Chansey with a chorus of yaps.
"Dodge it. Toxic."
Kashiwagi gave a casual wave of his hand.
Chansey instantly twisted her body, sidestepping the Poochyena's pounce. She reached out with a small paw, leaned down, and gave it a light poke on the back.
A pale purple venom immediately sank into its body.
"Awoo? Awoooo!"
Poochyena didn't react at first, but as the toxin took hold, it began to wail. It hadn't even taken two steps before it let out a whimper, collapsed onto the ground, and started spitting purple bubbles.
Kashiwagi & Chansey: "?"
"Poochyena!"
The Youngster rushed forward, scooping up his Pokémon with a look of pure distress. "Waaaah! Are you okay?!"
"It's fine, it's just poisoned."
Kashiwagi approached, pulling an Antidote from his pocket. He used two fingers to pry Poochyena's mouth open and gave it a few sprays. "It'll be better in a second."
No sooner had he spoken than the purple bubbles at the corner of Poochyena's mouth vanished. It quickly regained its energy.
"Thank you, Big Brother! You're so strong!" The Youngster looked at him and Chansey with pure idolization.
"Uh, I guess. You can get there too."
Kashiwagi gave him a small smile. For some reason, he was reminded of the subject of his second Simulation.
He remembered that guy had been a Youngster, too.
Yeah.
About the same level of weak.
Kind of makes me miss it a little...