In the footage.
The Mage marched off from the Kaji Gym with her head held high, leading Misdreavus along.
[You return to the main street and start setting up your stall again, but this time you prominently display the Badge you just earned]
It was obvious she was pretty fixated on this whole selling-medicine thing.
Is she really that broke?
Baimu pinched his chin, thinking.
If he had a potion that could temporarily power up a Pokémon without being noticed, he would definitely not sell it openly.
After all, once the League found out about this kind of thing, it would absolutely get banned.
Doping goes against the principle of fairness.
Did the Mage use any of the potions she's selling on Misdreavus during the Gym Battle?
The narration didn't say, so he couldn't be sure.
He was just wondering if the Mage's [Well-trained] talent was actually related to doping, like the Pokémon just got stronger the more it juiced up.
Baimu's attention returned to the Simulator, and he suddenly noticed that the Mage and Misdreavus had already been manning the stall all the way until sunset.
Murkrow circled and wheeled in the air above their heads.
The bleak scene made it clear that the Mage's plan to sell potions had once again fallen through.
Obviously, she was still being treated like a scammer.
[You still fail to sell any potions. The hunger gnawing at your stomach makes you give up complaining. You decide to go into the forest to dig wild greens and pick wild berries to fill your belly]
Uh, what.
Does she not know that the Pokémon Center provides free food and lodging for Trainers, or did Pokémon Centers charge money in this era?
Baimu recalled the Sister Xiangfen from the oldest era he'd simulated so far, and suddenly realized she hadn't really stayed at Pokémon Centers much at all—she simply wasn't strapped for cash!
And the other normal simulations where he'd picked "poor family background" usually took place in timelines very close to the present.
"Porygon II, help me—hmm? Never mind!"
He was just about to check whether Pokémon Centers charged fees in the past when he suddenly saw a few dark figures and several Ariados pop up around the Mage and her two Pokémon on the light screen.
[You are ambushed]
The pixelated dark figures didn't say a word before commanding their Ariados to use String Shot, trying to abduct her.
Baimu originally thought the Mage was about to get taken, but she instantly hurled a few bottles of potions and had Misdreavus and Murkrow smash them; colorful mists spread out at once.
And the Ariados that came into contact with the rainbow fog actually turned tail and left, ignoring even their Trainers.
[Your blended Bug-Repellent Potion successfully drives away your opponent's Pokémon]
Bug-Repellent Potion?
Is this the predecessor of Repel or what.
The thought flashed through his mind, and then he watched in surprise as the Mage handed all kinds of bizarre potions to Misdreavus and Murkrow, who, taking advantage of their aerial superiority, started playing bomber plane, dumping all sorts of weird liquids down on the dark figures' heads.
Ones that made you itch, ones that stank to high heaven, ones that made people fart uncontrollably.
In no time at all.
The dark figures were driven back step by step, wailing for mommy and daddy.
The Mage and the two Pokémon pressed the attack, clearly set on using their hunger and the frustration of wasting a whole day to "go on a killing spree."
This is really a Magic Apprentice?
There sure are way too many tricks in Pokémon Monster Magic!
And was the Johto Region really this chaotic back in the day? Abductions in broad daylight?
The longer he watched the Mage and Misdreavus's teamwork, the more shocked he felt, and he couldn't help thinking that all these female characters he'd simulated really were "overflowing with martial virtue," one after another.
Once the ambush failed, the dark figures quickly tore off their disguises—
It turned out to be those same Ninjas the Mage had tried to sell potions to before.
[You discover the true identity of your attackers]
Baimu was a bit surprised.
What's going on? They didn't even buy any potions and didn't get scammed by her, so why come after her? Did selling potions somehow threaten the Ninjas' interests?
Yeah, no.
The Mage hadn't sold a single bottle.
Do Ninjas in Johto not do intel work? Their whole job is supposed to be intelligence gathering.
Just then.
A bursting speech bubble squeezed into the upper half of the light screen, and right after, a white-haired old man walked in from offscreen.
[You hear them apologize to you, claiming this was a misunderstanding, and they hope you'll stop]
At first the Mage refused.
But once the white-haired old man pulled out something that looked suspiciously like a wad of cash, she decisively put all the potions back into her bag.
When money talks, even Ghosts will push the millstone.
The scene shifted.
The Mage was brought back to the familiar Gym, where the old man greeted her warmly.
[You are informed by the Ninja Master that they've been observing you all day and confirmed you're not a suspicious person. They intend to purchase your Invisibility Potions]
Baimu: "…"
Seriously?
They're buying a potion that can't even hide your head?
The Mage looked quite happy, little smiling-face icons popping up over her forehead nonstop, not even wondering why someone who wanted to buy her potions had specifically kidnapped her here.
[You successfully sell your first batch of potions, which delights you. Your Dean of Students was right: Pokémon Monster Magic really is the easiest profession in the world for finding a job and making money]
This Dean of Students… sounds just like a scammer.
Baimu's mouth twitched as he inevitably thought of the two most famous vocational schools from his previous life—New Oriental and Lanxiang.
Does Magic School also mass-produce Mages and dump them into the job market?
But the Mage didn't look like she was headed for a factory job.
[You make a small profit and feel very pleased. You decide to take Misdreavus and Murkrow out for a big meal]
The Mage left the Gym beaming with joy.
Baimu stared at the light screen, originally thinking the Ninjas had some ulterior motive and that buying Invisibility Potions was just to divert attention.
But when the Mage spent a peaceful night and set off toward the next town, he finally realized these guys really had taken a fancy to that Invisibility Potion that couldn't hide your head.
"It's like they're playing a joke…"
He lay on his side against the Altered-color Gengar, speechless.