Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

"I was planning to buy more Curse Talismans this time... Geez, stop fighting me for the merch."

"Are all the people buying Curse Talismans mediums or something?"

...

Unova Region, Undella Town.

A woman with purple hair and dark skin, dressed in jeans, a work shirt, feather accessories, and various ancient pendants, was currently viewing Hikaru's store page. Seeing that the Talismans were once again listed as "unavailable," Raifort irritably scratched her head and turned her attention to the newly listed products.

They were sculptures?

A Gengar sculpture...

"It says it makes it easier to find items hidden in dark corners."

"Hey! This could be really useful for me! When I'm 'excavating' ruins, some things are just hidden too well—it's a real pain."

"Gengaa!"

Next to Raifort was the very Gengar that had once sent Hikaru a cursed email. It stared at the store page, pointing at the 'Gengar Sculpture' with a mischievous grin.

"You want this sculpture too, Gengar?" Raifort gave a light laugh.

"Gengaa!"

Gengar raised its arms and shook its plump body, showing just how eager it was to have it.

"All right, it just so happens this would help us out. Though if there were a sculpture that let you pass through walls, that'd be even better!"

Raifort let her imagination run wild for a moment but then shook her head to dismiss the idea.

"When I'm tomb—er, archaeology—raiding, those maze-like walls are annoying, but that's part of the fun of exploring ruins. If there's no challenge, I won't feel as thrilled when I finally uncover ancient artifacts."

"Oh well, I heard rumors about some 'undersea ruins' in Unova, but I haven't found a thing. Maybe they're just tall tales. I've still got those Cleanse Tags unused. Looks like I'll head back to Paldea. Unova hasn't exactly been peaceful lately; that Plasma group is going around promoting their silly ideology..."

"Speaking of which, if this person is a craftsperson, maybe they'd have some insight in exploring ruins. These faux-ancient sculptures nearly fooled me at first glance—I actually thought they might be genuine relics, but then the page says they're replicas."

"Does an imitation of history count as part of history, too?"

Raifort found herself intrigued by Hikaru.

"If I order now and have it shipped to Paldea, by the time I get back, the sculptures should have arrived. Maybe this artisan can make me more special items in the future. I've also read in some ancient documents about these 'seal stakes.' If I can find them or at least pass the info on, he might be very interested."

"Still, I need to gather more historical data. Those four Pokémon—once considered treasures—were passed around by humans, gradually accumulating curses and desires…"

"This is an ancient Paldean legend about how these Pokémon were sealed away. What item was used for the sealing? If I could crack that mystery… then someday, I might get this craftsperson to help me."

"If I do find the locations of the Treasures of Ruin, I might just ask him to break the seals!"

Pondering all this, Raifort changed her shipping address and placed an order for the Gengar sculpture.

...

Kanto Region, Sevii Islands.

In the Sevii Islands, Lance—the dual Champion of Kanto and Johto, former Dragon-type Elite Four member, and current League Investigator—was having an informal match with Lorelei, the former Ice-type Elite Four. The outcome was Lance's victory.

To outsiders, that might seem normal, since Lance was the Champion and Lorelei was a former Elite Four member.

But as far as Lorelei was concerned, things weren't so simple.

Dragon-types are typically weak to Ice-type moves; so despite Lance being the strongest trainer of the Indigo Plateau, he had often lost to Lorelei in their practice matches. Elite Four members spar with each other regularly to maintain top form. This time, though, things were different!

"Well, how about that! My Gyarados didn't go down even after your Lapras used Thunder, all thanks to the Focus Sash. That's the bond between me and my Dragon Pokémon!"

Lance was positively elated. After purchasing that peculiar item from some unknown artisan and doing a simple test to confirm it worked, he'd flown straight to the Sevii Islands on his Dragonite to have this match.

Lorelei, in order to protect her hometown, had resigned from her position at the Indigo Plateau and was replaced by a new Elite Four member.

From Lance's perspective, now that Lorelei—his "natural counter"—was gone, and Red had also left the Indigo Plateau, Lance's champion title somehow felt… undeserved.

"Just because the threat is gone doesn't mean the weakness has disappeared," he'd told himself.

Dragon-types are weak to Ice. Gyarados can't handle Electric attacks. Those two types were exactly Lorelei's specialties!

"Thank you, Lorelei. Now my Dragon Army no longer fears Ice- or Electric-type moves! Dragon-types are the strongest!"

"Strongest? It's clearly that weird tool making the difference," Lorelei muttered, massaging her temples. Lance laughed uproariously: "No way! The artisan told me: as long as there's a strong bond between my Pokémon and me, we can withstand any attack! My Pokémon will never fall!"

"That's our bond! A trainer without that bond might only survive one fatal hit by using the item, but if you're truly in sync with your Pokémon, you can endure more than once!"

Lance was in extremely high spirits, leaving Lorelei rather speechless. Finally, she asked, "You managed to buy that odd item—so why can't I buy one too? Ugh, what are you so smug about? Anyway, it only worked three times. The first was clearly because of the item; the next two times were just luck. By the fourth attack, you went down, didn't you?"

"Also, what's this store called?"

"Hey, Lorelei, thinking of rejoining the League? The Elite Four slots are already full," Lance said, quite serious. "If you really want to return, you'd have to defeat one of the current Elite Four."

"I'm not planning on going back. I'm just a regular Pokémon trainer now. Buying an item shouldn't be a big deal." Lorelei waved him off. "The Sevii Islands still need me. If Team Rocket shows up again, who's going to deal with them? Word is they haven't completely disbanded and are still active."

"That's true…" Lance nodded, then recommended Hikaru's shop to her.

"It's this shop run by a certain artisan who sells amazing items. They say any tool he crafts gives unique enhancements to Pokémon and trainers."

Lorelei raised an eyebrow. "They say. Who exactly is 'they'?"

"A newly appointed Elite Four member who's also psychic. He said he bought a rare item from that place: a Light Clay turned into a 'Light Pot,' which can power up Psychic Pokémon and extend the duration of moves like Light Screen and Reflect."

"Right, let me check if the shop has restocked—huh? Dragonite and Dratini sculptures?!"

Lance's eyes lit up. Upon seeing the description, he immediately placed an order:

"Ha! Sculptures that can prevent abnormal status! Lorelei, your freezing specialty is done for! Meanwhile, my Dragon Army has never resorted to cheap tactics like inflicting status conditions. A true battle relies on raw power!"

"Idiot." Lorelei rolled her eyes. "I can just ask the artisan to custom-make some sculptures for my Pokémon, right? They'd have their own special abilities, wouldn't they?"

"I see in the item descriptions that every sculpture has its own effect, consistent with its type."

"If I purchase Lapras, Dewgong, and Cloyster sculptures—or buy some unique tools—you might be the one losing next time."

At that, Lance momentarily had no retort. He just muttered, "Well, I'm sure that store will sell even more great stuff, and then I'll still win!"

Ignoring him, Lorelei sent an email to Hikaru.

Just as she'd said, she had clearly seen how much Lance's new item had improved his performance. Naturally, she wanted something equally powerful.

...

Paldea Region, Artazon Town.

"This work… it's practically avant-garde!"

A slender man with wisteria-colored curls, wearing a wine-red shirt, was browsing art pieces online when he came across Hikaru's shop. The ancient-style sculptures caught his eye immediately. This man was Brassius, the Gym Leader of Artazon Town, also known for his skill in sculpture art.

While he was getting all excited, the tall man beside him, who had blond hair, a green coat, gray pants, and a bright red bow tie, nodded in agreement. This was the Dragon Tamer Hassel.

"Indeed, Hassel—such masterful faux-ancient workmanship is avant-garde art in its own right!"

"Exactly! Retro-style art can transport people through time. That nostalgic atmosphere draws everyone in. Compared to modern-day chaos, the past feels simpler, more comforting. That illusion of the 'classic and eternal' is the powerful charm of all things vintage!"

"This shop is a treasure trove!"

"Oh! There's a Dratini here… This Dratini… so avant-garde! I want to have an in-depth exchange with this craftsperson—no, this art master!" A light seemed to shimmer in Hassel's eyes.

"There's an art exhibition later this year. I'd love to invite this artist to attend!"

"My inspiration is surging! A retro style…like an ancient ruin's sculpture—mysterious and wondrous!"

Brassius said, "The Dragonite sculpture looks great, too! Plus, the listing says these sculptures have special effects… I can't help being curious. Could it be just a sales pitch? Well, either way, the price for such artwork is worth it!"

"Anyway, shall we place an order? We'll get acquainted first, then invite him!"

(End of Chapter)

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