Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

"So, what the hell is going on? I didn't manage to get any of the charms again!"

Deep within some ruins in the Paldea Region, Raifort looked at her Pokédex with frustration. Displayed on the screen was Hikaru's shop, and once again, the Cleanse Tag and Spell Tag were completely sold out!

She had barely managed to snag a dozen before they were all gone!

"Who the hell keeps buying these charms? I finally found a treasure trove of a shop, and now I have to fight off hordes of other buyers for these useful charms! Can't those psychics just make their own?"

"Charms like these should be used properly! People like me, who frequently venture into ruins to claim valuable treasures, constantly face the risk of curses. Tomb raiding is a life-threatening profession—who else could possibly need these charms more than me?"

Beside her, Gengar and Zoroark were snickering. They were Raifort's Pokémon, having accompanied her on countless ruin expeditions, but this was the first time they had seen her this frustrated.

"Gengaa!"

Gengar patted Raifort on the shoulder, as if to say, This happens all the time!

Not being able to grab a popular item was just how things worked… Wait, hold on! She did manage to get some!

"I only got a dozen! That's nowhere near enough! These charms are single-use consumables! Of course, I need to stock up on a few hundred of them—some ruins are absolutely crawling with curses!"

...

Celestic Town

Cynthia held a Pure Incense in her hands and handed it to an elderly woman—her grandmother, Professor Carolina.

"Oh my, this does indeed resemble the craftsmanship of ancient charms! The carving style, the way the outer shell and the core form a complete amulet... Could this be the true nature of ancient protective charms?"

Professor Carolina carefully examined the amulet before looking up at Cynthia.

"So, you're planning to head to the Johto Region for further investigation?"

"Yes… but I need to handle a few matters first. It'll take some time," Cynthia said seriously. "And it's not just the Johto Region—I ultimately aim to reach Shinto."

"The forgotten ancient land… It shares remarkable similarities with the ancient Sinnoh. I confirmed this through discussions with Professor Rowan."

"But before that, I need to conduct research on this amulet. So far, we've discovered that it's made from an unidentified stone and a strange crystal. The amulet emits a constant, faint energy signature—one that closely resembles the ability Clear Body in certain Pokémon."

"Additionally, the peculiar engravings on the amulet seem to be channeling a mysterious energy."

"If I do go to Shinto, I'll return as soon as possible. Team Galactic appears to be up to something. Though they haven't made any obvious moves yet, I have a feeling they're plotting something major… Not to mention, the organization itself has always been strange."

"I came across records in ancient texts—there once existed a group also called 'Team Galactic' in the past. I wonder if there's any connection between them and the current organization."

"Is that so? If you're planning to go, then take this with you," Professor Carolina said, retrieving another amulet.

It bore some resemblance to ancient protective charms, but there was something distinctly different about it.

"This is a Safety Charm, an artifact passed down from ancient Sinnoh. It was crafted as an offering to a deity, and the materials used include the now-rare Sky Blue Jade."

"In terms of carving techniques, it also shares similarities with this Pure Incense."

"If possible, invite the owner of that shop to Celestic Town. Perhaps they can help restore the lost craftsmanship of our ancient protective charms."

Cynthia nodded with a smile. "Understood, I'll extend the invitation."

Professor Carolina suddenly recalled something and added, "Oh, and one more thing!"

"I saw an item called 'Double-Pickled Vegetables' in his shop, but it's sold out! If possible, could you bring some back for me? And if you can get the recipe, even better!"

...

Veilstone City, Sinnoh

"Ohhh! Charcoal that burns hotter than Oak Woods' charcoal?!"

"A special item that enhances Fire-type moves? Every Fire-type expert is after this!"

In Veilstone City, a man with a bright red afro and a yellow jacket was staring at Hikaru's shop interface. He was none other than Flint, one of Sinnoh's Elite Four and a Fire-type specialist.

While he was somewhat interested in items like Shell Bell and Focus Sash, what truly caught his eye was an item called Scorching Charcoal!

"A tool that boosts Fire-type moves, and if carried long-term, even strengthens Fire-type Pokémon themselves?! This is practically tailor-made for me!"

Beside him stood Volkner, the Gym Leader of Sunyshore City. He had yellow hair, wore a blue jacket, and was both Flint's close friend and a powerful trainer in his own right.

"Where did you even find this shop?" Volkner asked, eyeing Flint skeptically.

Flint grinned broadly. "I found it myself! I heard that Johto's Oak Charcoal was famous, so I did some searching on my own!"

"Pretty good find, huh? Don't feel too bad—this shop's owner regularly restocks strange and amazing items. Just look at these Glass Whistles! I had only ever heard about the Hoenn Region's Glass Whistles, but those don't have all these unique effects!"

"If my whole team equips this Scorching Charcoal, I'll finally move up the Elite Four rankings! Maybe I'll even get the chance to challenge Cynthia! Just thinking about it gets me all fired up!"

Volkner rubbed his chin thoughtfully before quickly clicking the purchase button.

These unusual items were definitely worth getting. While Magnet was still the best pure damage booster for Electric moves, this Lightning Glass Whistle had two additional effects.

"Lightning Glass Whistle—when blown by a Trainer or Pokémon, it enhances electrical energy perception, making it easier to train Electric-type Pokémon. While in this heightened state, the user is immune to critical hits."

"Electrical energy… Could this be referring to free electrons in the natural environment? If this whistle helps concentrate and harness electrical power, then it really might surpass the Magnet in certain ways."

"This could be great for training Electric Pokémon."

Just as Flint dreamed of challenging Cynthia and becoming Sinnoh's new Champion, Volkner had his own ambition—to take down an Elite Four member and rise in the rankings.

Unfortunately, recent challengers had been too weak, leaving him feeling uninspired.

But now, with this new equipment… things might get interesting again.

But that didn't matter—recently, a few young challengers had arrived, and with their battles, Volkner had found new motivation.

As a Gym Leader, he had to accept the reality that challengers would have varying levels of skill. He needed to set his sights on greater goals!

...

Galar Region, Outside Motostoke City, Second Mine

A slightly graying man was breathing heavily, standing beside a Pokémon with a long, centipede-like body that blazed with flames.

He was Kabu, the Gym Leader of Motostoke City, and the Pokémon at his side was his partner, Centiskorch.

Centiskorch, a Fire/Bug-type Pokémon, had a body segmented into twelve parts, glowing red with a dark brown dorsal side. Flames burned from both ends of its body, and its underbelly housed yellow heating elements. It had ten pairs of legs that gave it a formidable appearance.

Since the Second Mine was home to many Water-type Pokémon, Kabu often trained his team here. However, lately, he had been experiencing too many losses in battles, leading to a shift in his mindset.

Despite undergoing intense training, he continued to lose to challengers. While part of it was due to him holding back on purpose, his Pokémon shouldn't have been this weak, even with that consideration.

"Ku..."

Beside him, Centiskorch also seemed to be feeling down, which Kabu immediately noticed. He comforted it at once.

"It's alright, my friend. We will continue to grow stronger. This defeat is only temporary. Next time, we'll work even harder."

"Ku!" Centiskorch nodded firmly. It would keep going, always believing in Kabu.

However, after reassuring his Pokémon, Kabu himself felt uncertain.

Could it be that his training methods were flawed? Maybe the problem wasn't his Pokémon, but himself?

"Training Fire-type Pokémon..."

Holding onto a glimmer of hope, Kabu opened his Pokédex and searched for training resources.

Back when he was a trainer in the Hoenn Region, he had learned many Fire-type Pokémon training techniques from a Fire-type Elite Four member who had mentored him.

Later, in pursuit of becoming stronger, he had left Hoenn and traveled to the distant Galar Region for intensive training. Eventually, he became the Motostoke Gym Leader—but many years had passed since then.

Had he grown too old? Were his training methods outdated?

Kabu chuckled bitterly as he browsed through Fire-type training items on his Pokédex. Maybe he should start purchasing more Charcoal to strengthen his Pokémon.

"Hm? What's this?"

"Scorching Charcoal?"

He had stumbled upon an unusual online shop. The number of products wasn't vast, but the descriptions were strange—so much so that they almost felt unreal.

One particular item, Scorching Charcoal, caught Kabu's attention.

"Charcoal from Oak Woods? Right, now that I think about it, the most famous charcoal comes from the Johto Region's Oak Woods."

"Hoenn's Lavaridge Town also has a well-known charcoal-making technique, but due to differences in materials, the effectiveness varies significantly."

"Boosts the power of Fire-type moves significantly. When held for long periods, it increases the Fire-type energy of Pokémon and enhances their potential...?"

"Is Oak Woods' Charcoal really this powerful?"

Kabu hesitated and searched for more information about Oak Woods' Charcoal, but unfortunately, the charcoal shop there didn't offer online purchases, only selling in physical stores.

After careful consideration, Kabu placed an order, deciding to test it out.

The price was a bit steep, but if it truly had the effects described, it might be exactly what he needed.

...

Johto Region – Blackthorn City, Dragon's Den

Deep inside Dragon's Den, a red-haired youth was also browsing through Hikaru's shop on his Pokédex.

He had been training alongside his Pokémon when, by chance, he came across this battle equipment shop during a search.

After scanning through the inventory, he made a thoughtful decision and purchased the "Double-Pickled Vegetables."

...

Unova Region – Mistralton City, Fashion Street High-Rise

Battle Company, 55th Floor

A man, dressed like a janitor, was scrolling through his Pokédex. He was no ordinary janitor—he was actually the CEO of Battle Company, known as Geoff.

Initially, he had only intended to look up battle-related data to gather public feedback for updating a virtual battle simulator.

However, instead, he had stumbled upon something far more interesting.

"What a fascinating discovery..."

This online shop's items… what exactly are they?!

(End of Chapter)

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