Shalai's Acolyte

To determine a spell's total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card's effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The spell's mana value remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

If a spell's kicker cost was paid, the spell is "kicked."

If a card or token enters as a copy of a permanent, the new permanent isn't kicked, even if the original was.