Chapter 357: The Village Elder’s Package

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As soon as Sato returned to Pewter City, he unexpectedly wiped out an elite group of the Black Serpent Gang. For him, this was undeniably great news.

After leaving the restaurant, Sato landed in a deserted alleyway, reverting to his original appearance and changing into a simple outfit. 

He then quickly made his way to a modest inn nearby, relying on his memory.

Tonight, Pewter City was certainly lively, with the southern district, where Sato was staying, bustling throughout the night.

However, the culprit who had stirred up the entire gray underworld of Pewter City—Sato himself—slept soundly, completely undisturbed, until dawn.

The next morning, after washing up and having breakfast, Sato headed straight for the Pokémon Center in downtown Pewter City.

His goal this time wasn't to heal his Pokémon but to collect a package.

Back in White River Village in the Hoenn region, he had made an agreement with the village elder. After successfully rescuing the village's defense team from Team Magma, he was to receive the remaining reward.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Sato hadn't been able to return to White River Village to personally claim his reward. Instead, he had asked the elder's son, Marcus, to have it mailed to the Pokémon Center in downtown Pewter City.

Sato had been eagerly anticipating this second half of his payment. Though almost a week had passed since the mission's completion, he hadn't forgotten about the precious reward.

If the Black Serpent Gang hadn't caused trouble last night, forcing him to lay low, his next move after the late-night meal with his Pokémon would have been to head to the city center to retrieve the package—and perhaps spend the night at the Pokémon Center.

Inside that package was the second half of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits.

Just reading the first half of this valuable Pokémon research book had already benefited Sato greatly. Once he obtained the second half, he could confidently begin raising Ghost- and Dark-type Pokémon.

The first half of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits mainly detailed the habits, abilities, and countermeasures for Ghost- and Dark-type Pokémon. The second half, however, focused on their training methods and the techniques for refining Ghost- and Dark-type moves.

Without a doubt, the latter half was the true essence of this book. The shrewd village elder had used it as leverage, enticing Sato to lend him a helping hand.

Of course, since Sato hadn't collected the package himself, he wasn't entirely certain whether the village elder had truly sent the book in its entirety. He could only hope the man was a man of his word.

Otherwise, if Sato returned to Hoenn only to find that the book was never intended for him, it would all be for nothing—the elder would have likely moved away long before then.

With anticipation in his heart, Sato entered the Pokémon Center. After explaining his purpose to Nurse Joy at the front desk and presenting his Trainer ID, he soon received a package sent from Hoenn.

Although the village elder was a crafty old fox, he turned out to be a man of his word. Not only had he sent the complete second half of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits, but he had also included two unexpected treasures.

Inside a single-occupancy room at the Pokémon Center, Sato unwrapped the package. Three items were neatly packed inside.

The second half of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits was carefully wrapped in an oiled cloth and placed at the bottom of the package. 

Above it lay two fist-sized stones, both gleaming yet distinctly colored—one was a brilliant water blue, while the other was as dark as ink.

Although these radiant stones stood out, Sato's first priority was the second half of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits. He immediately pulled it out and examined it thoroughly.

"I knew it! The Red Orb of Groudon and the Blue Orb of Kyogre were found together at Mt. Pyre. If a Fire Stone could 'accidentally' absorb the Red Orb's energy and mutate, then naturally, a Water Stone exposed to the Blue Orb would undergo a similar transformation."

After verifying the authenticity of The Grimoire of Dark Spirits, Sato turned his attention to the two stones in the package. 

Using his system's appraisal function, he identified them—and his face lit up with excitement as he picked up the water-blue stone.

Yes, this crystal-clear, water-blue stone was indeed a Water Stone—but not an ordinary one. Like the unknown-quality Fire Stone he already possessed, this Water Stone had mutated after absorbing the essence of a Legendary Pokémon's power.

Item: Mutated Water Stone

Quality: Unknown 

Effect: Facilitates evolution for specific Pokémon, significantly enhancing their potential and offering a chance to awaken new Water-type abilities. 

Note: This Water Stone once came into contact with the Blue Orb of Kyogre, absorbing a trace of its primal power. Not only has its quality vastly improved, but it now holds a mysterious power capable of transforming/Enhancing Water-type Pokémon.

Sato already had a top-tier Water Stone capable of enhancing a Pokémon's IV rating. Now, with the addition of this Mutated Water Stone, his Rain Team would gain yet another powerful member.

He had been worrying about how to distribute his limited supply of premium Water Stones. Several Water-type Pokémon in his team required them for evolution.

But now, thanks to the village elder's generosity, this mutated Water Stone perfectly resolved his dilemma.

"Great! With this extra Mutated Water Stone, I have more options now. This represents another Water-type Pokémon with golden-tier potential—I need to think carefully about how to use it."

Grinning, Sato played with the Water Stone for a moment before carefully storing it alongside The Grimoire of Dark Spirits in his specialized storage device for valuable items.

Finally, he turned his attention to the last item in the package.

Compared to The Grimoire of Dark Spirits and the mutated Water Stone, this pitch-black stone didn't seem as valuable. However, it was still a rare and precious treasure.

Perhaps out of gratitude for saving his son, the village elder had been exceptionally generous this time. Not only had he delivered the complete book and gifted a mutated Water Stone, but he had also included one last bonus—a top-quality Dusk Stone.