Among the Great Trees of Fortree City.
The pixelated Ninja Boy darted across the thick branches like a Vigoroth, moving at astonishing speed.
His nimble movements made Baimu exclaim—
"Is this kid seriously eight?"
With a physique like that, setting out at eight to challenge the League Conference no longer seemed quite so extraordinary.
No, wait.
More important than his physical ability was whether the Ninja Boy could take care of himself.
Traveling at ten was already ridiculous.
But eight...
Baimu narrowed his eyes. In the simulation, the Ninja Boy rushed into a Pokémon Center and told Miss Joy at the front desk that he wanted to do something big.
[Your shouting drew everyone's attention. You ignored them and eagerly asked Joy for advice.]
Miss Joy looked troubled by his barrage of questions. She raised an arm and summoned two Blissey nurses from nearby.
They seized the Ninja Boy from either side like a pair of burly guards.
Poof!
A cloud of smoke suddenly billowed up.
The Ninja Boy in the Blissey nurses' grasp turned into a log that clattered to the floor, while the real boy appeared on the other side of the room.
[You used the Substitute Technique to break free of the Blissey nurses' hold.]
The Substitute Technique!
Baimu's eyes lit up. The requirements for advancing in the Ninja's Book had looked dubious, but what it taught the Ninja Boy seemed to be the real deal.
He was starting to look forward to the simulation's final reward.
Once free, the Ninja Boy pestered Miss Joy again. His persistence made Baimu wonder why he did not ask his family instead.
Unless...
Was this the Pokémon version of Naruto Uzumaki?
Remembering the Hot-Blooded Youth talent from the earlier choices, he fell silent. Then, rather uncharitably, he began to suspect