Chapter 22

Hikaru was momentarily stunned as thoughts flooded his mind.

Gaining experience and Effort Values through battle—was this information also visible?

Regardless, this was a good thing!

"Phew, I thought it was going to get back up and continue fighting."

Hikaru sighed in relief.

That Gible was unbelievably tenacious. Even with its Defense lowered by four stages and taking a critical hit from Psycho Cut, it still managed to stand up, albeit unsteadily.

Luckily, it finally collapsed again—otherwise, it would have been ridiculous.

However, in an informal battle, there were no move restrictions. If necessary, Honedge could still use Rest to recover HP, though sleeping meant it would be vulnerable to attacks.

Of course, mastering more moves meant having more choices during battles. Even in official battles with a four-move limit, there was no such thing as "move preparation."

In other words, if a Pokémon had learned dozens of moves, the Trainer still had options before revealing all four selected moves. They could adjust their strategy based on the situation—unlike in the games, where moves had to be pre-set before entering battle.

At this moment, Volo was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his Gible to lose in such a manner. After recalling Gible into its Poké Ball, he stared at it for a long time before asking Hikaru:

"What happened? How did Sand Tomb fail to trap your Pokémon? And why did its attack speed suddenly increase afterward? My Gible should have been faster than your Pokémon!"

"Even Rough Skin didn't take effect? This is... unbelievable!"

Honedge floated up in celebration, marking the victory for itself and Hikaru. Hikaru reached out and high-fived its blue ribbon-like cloth—though it felt light as a feather—before approaching Volo:

"Looks like I won. My luck wasn't bad. So, according to our agreement, next time I shop at your place, everything's 20% off."

"Wait!" Volo had now taken a strong interest in Hikaru . "What exactly happened just now? I never expected that outcome!"

Hikaru gave a concise explanation:

"Well, Shadow Sneak is a contact move, but Psycho Cut isn't. And while it looks like a special move, Psycho Cut is actually a physical attack."

"Also, Substitute can free a Pokémon from Sand Tomb. As for the increased attack speed, that was because of an item."

"The Lansat Berry—it activates when a Pokémon is in a crisis, allowing it to move first if the priority of the move is the same."

Hikaru pointed at himself. "I'm a craftsman. Even though I haven't battled much myself, many people come to me for battle items."

"Each Pokémon has its own personality, stats, and strengths. Some items enhance their advantages, while others compensate for their weaknesses. In some cases, they can even turn a battle around."

"The key is to save your finishing move for the right moment. You have to create the conditions for victory—revealing your trump card too early just gives the opponent an opening."

In the Pokémon world, many Trainers and even Professors couldn't always distinguish between special and physical moves. This sometimes led to bizarre move sets. Understanding this distinction was just the first step in move research.

However, experienced Trainers naturally learned which moves worked best and what effects they had. It became a battle instinct.

Volo fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, something occurred to Hikaru .

Wait—this guy just battled me using Gible, yet he sold me a Draco Plate, which boosts Dragon-type moves, beforehand?

Did he originally plan to use Togepi instead?

Or did he simply not care about winning this battle? Maybe he doesn't value items that boost move power that much?

"Haha! That was an amazing battle!"

At that moment, Grandpa Yamaji appeared nearby, clapping enthusiastically. His Abra also looked delighted, as if it had enjoyed the fight.

"Even though you say you've never battled before, I could tell that you had already predicted certain developments while preparing. Truly impressive."

Grandpa Yamaji nodded approvingly. "Without that item, the battle's outcome would have been uncertain! That last-second priority attack was incredible—you seized the opening in your opponent's defenses and landed a decisive strike. Your offensive awareness is excellent."

"Thank you for letting me witness such an exciting battle. Here, take this as a token of gratitude for delivering supplies to the mountain and giving me the chance to watch this match."

Grandpa Yamaji took out a dark jade bracelet with strange carvings. Hikaru instinctively wanted to refuse—it looked valuable—but the old man explained:

"Although it's made of jade, it's not some expensive gemstone. What matters is the stone component. So don't worry, just take it."

"This bracelet is an Ancient TM. Long ago, people used artifacts like this to teach Pokémon moves."

Hikaru thanked him before accepting the bracelet, and immediately, an identification message appeared in his vision:

[Artifact: "Ancient Bracelet"—Move Armlet]

Description: An ancient tool once used for teaching Pokémon moves. The bracelet absorbs and stores a move, with the engraved runes detailing its effects and applications. A Pokémon that can learn the move will resonate with it and gain the ability to use it.

Artifact Effect 1: Teaches the move Reflect.

Artifact Effect 2: Can seal Reflect into the bracelet and be used to teach another Pokémon.

"Yo!"

At that moment, Honedge suddenly let out a noise, staring at the jade bracelet in surprise, shifting its blade side to side.

It had seen this before—there was one in the royal palace!

Hikaru , too, recalled similar items.

Ancient Bracelets were known valuable artifacts—they first appeared in the Abyssal Ruins of Pokémon Black & White, where they could be sold for 100,000 Pokédollars each.

In the Pokémon Special manga, there were Ancient Bracelets used to teach ultimate moves, similar in function to this one.

That arc even mentioned how, before TMs existed, Pokémon learned new moves using these artifacts.

During the age of kingdoms, it wouldn't be surprising if skilled craftsmen could forge such tools!

Hikaru also remembered the Ancient Carving Techniques he had recently obtained. It explicitly stated that mastering the craft could allow him to create Ancient Bracelets.

Which meant… in the future, he could manufacture ancient versions of TMs!

Though compared to Silph Co.'s TMs, the Ancient TMs seemed bulkier, and their learning efficiency was uncertain. Still, they might have a market.

After all, some people preferred handcrafted, vintage artifacts.

"Aiya~ I didn't expect to lose this badly." Volo seemed to have finished contemplating. No one knew what he had been thinking about earlier, but now, he was back to his usual cheerful demeanor.

"So, as promised, next time you buy from me, everything will be 20% off. I'll have brand-new stock ready for you—maybe I'll even come to you first."

"Rare people, rare events, rare items… A merchant must see them with their own eyes and experience them firsthand!"

"The day's already late—rest at this hut for tonight. You can leave tomorrow."

Hikaru knew he had piqued Volo's interest, but it didn't matter.

Compared to villains who relied on high-tech methods to capture Legendary Pokémon, Volo's method was downright primitive—find them and challenge them to battle. That was relatively harmless.

"If you visit my place next time, bring me some rare materials, will you?"

Hikaru held the Move Armlet, asking Grandpa Yamaji how to use it, while Volo stood in the open area. Even after Hikaru entered the nearby hut, Volo turned to glance at the ruins.

"I finally met someone interesting. Selling him the Plate was the right choice. But… I know I've seen him before. Why can't I remember?"

"For some reason, I have a feeling… Was this encounter Arceus' guidance?"

...

Inside the mountain hut.

Doduo had been brought in, letting out a contented noise as it fluffed its feathers and curled up to rest.

"Dodo~"

Hikaru stroked Doduo's soft, warm feathers, feeling himself relax.

Doduo's plumage was so soft and warm!

"Man, that was exhausting!"

Real-world Pokémon battles were nothing like in the games. Moves had similarities, but in real-time battles, the opponent wouldn't just stand there waiting for you to act.

Without the turn-based system, certain annoying strategies lost their effectiveness.

Of course, losing some tactics meant gaining new ones—unexpected move combinations emerged, keeping Trainers on high alert.

"Come to think of it, I didn't have to win. Volo only asked for a battle—losing wouldn't have mattered, right?"

Hikaru muttered while stroking Doduo's feathers.

However, Honedge immediately objected.

"Yo!"

What nonsense! A battle must be won!

We are a Knight and a King—the strongest team!

"Well, still… I'm not a registered League Trainer."

Hikaru scratched his head.

Like Mr. Iron, many craftsmen didn't own Pokémon—they relied solely on their craftsmanship to make a living. The original owner of his body was the same.

Without a Pokémon, one wasn't considered a Trainer. Not registering with the League wasn't a big deal—at most, it just meant no free meals at Pokémon Centers.

Of course, battles were the heart of this world. Every region had Pokémon Trainer Schools to train future Trainers—the academy-trained Trainers.

But the ones who shone the most in tournaments were still the "wild-trained Trainers"—like Ash Ketchum.

Textbooks had their limits. Some things could only be learned through real battles. A Trainer could master game battles, but in real-time combat, they might get overwhelmed and lose to someone who had more hands-on experience.

"Yo~"

Honedge squinted its single eye, letting out eerie noises:

Stop lying to yourself. That battle just now proved it—you have the desire to win deep in your blood!

Hikaru: "..."

"Fine, next time, let's practice Sacred Sword Canceling."

?

(End of Chapter)

====

[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]

[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]

[Thank You For Your Support!]