Chapter 55

["Your sculptures are truly amazing! I love collecting these ancient statues!"]

["What? You're saying these are replicas? No, no, I already know they're replicas! But even so, these are crafted so well that they're indistinguishable from real antiques! This is also a form of valuable artwork! I'm willing to pay a high price to purchase them all!"]

["Ah, I see. You're selling them to others as well—my apologies for being presumptuous. In that case, I'll just buy one of each!"]

["W-What?! Some of them are already out of stock? That's such a shame! When will you be restocking them? I'll be waiting at any time!"]

["Then I'll take just one sculpture for now!"]

After seeing off the last customer, whose ID was [Mythology Researcher], there was no time to mourn the departure of a loyal customer before a new one arrived!

This time, the customer's ID was practically an open declaration: [Bourgeois Meyer].

"So, it's Mr. Bourgeois Meyer from the Unova region. Seriously, who uses their real name online?"

The Bourgeois family was a wealthy household residing in Undella Town, Unova. The family had six members, all of whom were passionate about collecting ancient antiques. This time, they had found the shop through a "friend's" recommendation and were deeply impressed by the craftsmanship.

Undella Town, Unova?

Oh right, there was indeed a customer from that area—[Ancient Explorer], wasn't it?

"Customers recommending each other—this means my customer base is only going to grow bigger!"

"But my initial goal was to dominate the Johto region, so why do all these 'wild' customers keep coming from other regions? Hmm… Do the people in Johto not have any demand for battle-related items? So far, my only customers from here have been the one from Ecruteak City and two of the Elite Four."

"And what about the other Gym Leaders? Huh?"

As Hikaru was pondering this, a new email arrived.

It was from a previous customer in Ecruteak City—someone who had made a direct purchase without much interaction.

["The Reaper Cloth I bought from you last time worked wonders for channeling spirits, so I'd like to purchase another batch, along with some Spell Tags."]

["Allow me to introduce myself—I am Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City, and a 'Seeker of Truth.' It seems that you, too, are a powerful spirit medium. If you have the time, I'd love for you to visit Ecruteak City. I'll prepare tea and a gift to welcome you."]

Oh, so it's Morty!

This guy has quite a rich background in the games, anime, and manga, especially because of his identity as both a spirit medium and a seeker of Ho-Oh. His title of 'Seeker of Truth' basically makes him a high-level spirit medium. Through rigorous training, he's gained a mysterious ability called Clairvoyance.

"…Wait, does that mean he can spy on me like Nanu?"

Hikaru narrowed his eyes and scratched his head.

People with weird abilities like this… always make you feel like you're being monitored by a hidden camera!

["Alright, if I have the time, I'll definitely visit—probably in the fall or towards the end of the year."]

Morty seemed delighted by the reply:

["Then I'll be eagerly awaiting your visit! Also, I've recommended your charms and spiritual cloths to my fellow spirit mediums. After using them, they were all quite shocked at their effectiveness. I expect they'll be coming to purchase from you soon!"]

["Ah, thank you so much!"] Hikaru quickly typed out his response.

Customers sharing their experiences and recommending products to others—it's a positive cycle!

As for Ecruteak City, Hikaru had already been planning to visit. The main reason was the process of crafting a Clear Bell, and unknowingly, he was close to gathering all the necessary materials.

The only thing missing was the woven net technique, which was the most crucial step in the entire process.

"Should I stop by Azalea Town and visit the Iron Master first? But right now, I still can't leave."

(TL: For the people that don't know, Iron Master is Kurt, the one that made Pokeballs in Johto, his name in Japanese is Gantetsu. That's why people there call him Iron Master, Tetsu=Iron)

Traveling from Sinnoh back to Johto wasn't easy—just reaching the nearest cities, Blackthorn City or Cherrygrove City, would take a lot of time. Walking back wasn't an option.

If he were to head to Johto, leaving around late August or mid-September would be ideal. By October, this place would be covered in snow, giving the land time to recover.

Speaking of which, if he could build a greenhouse, he could continue growing crops even during Sinnoh's harsh winters.

Johto had a unique method of growing Berries using Berry Planters. In the games, Berries couldn't be planted directly in Johto's soil; they could only be grown in these planters. They looked like glass-covered flower pots at first glance, but they were actually quite complex.

The soil in these planters likely came from either Sinnoh or Hoenn.

Different regions had different soil qualities, which made Hikaru think about the unique forests of each region.

"If I had a large Flying-type Pokémon, I could travel freely between regions… It would be so much more convenient. Right now, though, it's kind of a hassle."

"Blackthorn City has Charizard flight services. You ride in a hot air balloon while a Charizard pulls you forward…"

Not having a Flying-type Pokémon for transportation was definitely inconvenient. But if he were to choose one, it had to be big and strong enough to carry him over long distances.

Plenty of Pokémon could fly, but only large and sturdy ones—like big Charizard or Dragonite—could carry a person over long distances.

Speaking of large Flying-type Pokémon in Johto, there was, of course, Skarmory.

But compared to Skarmory, Galar's Corviknight was the superior option in every way.

Now that he thought about it, Doublade's evolved form, Aegislash, could technically hover and carry someone at low altitudes… but it didn't exactly seem safe.

After dealing with the two new customers, Hikaru took out some Berries from his latest harvest. Thanks to Celebi's power, these Berries looked even better than naturally grown ones. He handed some to Petilil and called over Doublade, who was still chopping wood.

"Let's all have some Berries! Well… actually, I'm the only one eating."

Petilil and Doublade absorbed nutrients instead of eating in the traditional sense.

"Remember, don't finish them all. Leave some behind."

Though the two Pokémon didn't understand why, they still followed instructions.

Hikaru then bit into an assortment of Berries: Sitrus, Pecha, Oran, Rowap, Lum, Occa, Babiri, Chople… all of them were partially eaten.

Doublade had the most unique way of consuming them—its ribbon-like arms grabbed two Berries at once and absorbed their essence, leaving behind shriveled husks and seeds.

Soon, all that remained was a pile of Berry scraps. Hikaru carefully examined each one.

No reaction. No reaction. No reaction.

"…Strange. Do these not count as 'leftover food'?"

Then, as he picked up the first Berry he had eaten, a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind:

[Material: Leftover Food (High-Quality Sitrus Berry)]

[Description: A partially eaten Berry left untouched for a while. Due to prolonged exposure, its nutrients have begun to deplete, altering its composition. Its taste has worsened, and it only restores 1/16 of a Pokémon's HP.]

[Crafting Unlocked: +1]

[Unique Leftover Cooking (C+): A technique to combine various leftovers, partially eaten, or aged Berries into special dishes. The form of the dish is flexible. When a Pokémon holds and eats it before battle, its HP will gradually recover during combat. The effect also works outside of battle.]

[If a Pokémon with healing moves assists in crafting, the resulting food will have additional special effects.]

"…If a Pokémon with healing moves helps—oh, wait! I remember something."

Back in the Hisui era, Pokémon techniques were used in cooking for flavoring.

Without hesitation, Hikaru grabbed some cookware and set up a campfire, tossing some Berry scraps into a pot.

"Petilil, use Pollen Puff on the food! But gently."

Petilil looked incredulous.

"Pet?"

Despite its curiosity, it followed instructions. A shimmering golden-red puff of pollen drifted into the pot, delicately landing inside.

As soon as it did, the food underwent a mysterious change.

Hikaru ladled out some of the thick Berry stew to observe.

[Crafted Food: Leftover Berry Stew (Floral Soup)]

[Description: A stew made from various leftover or aged Berries. It has a powerful healing effect and attracts nearby Pokémon.]

[Effect: Pokémon that eat it will gradually recover HP during battle.]

[Bonus Effect: Enhanced by Pollen Puff. Eating this permanently boosts a Pokémon's Dexterity (small boost). Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon also receive an energy boost.]

Dexterity? That's a Pokémon's physical attribute!

Speed affects movement speed.

Strength determines impact force.

Dexterity influences precision in special actions.

Endurance affects fatigue levels.

Jumping power affects height.

(End of Chapter)

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