Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

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As time passed, a package from a distant land successfully arrived at the Pokémon Center in Azalea Town.

"An Evolutionary Stone..." (TL:Eviolite or Evolution Stone, both are correct)

Recalling the conversation he had with the craftsman, Bugsy carefully took out a smooth, pale-purple stone from the package. Without hesitation, he immediately called out his Scyther.

"Cha!"

Bugsy's Scyther was a Pokémon he had worked incredibly hard to capture, and it was his favorite Pokémon. This time, he had specifically purchased a durability-enhancing item to further strengthen it.

For Bug-type Pokémon, the most commonly used enhancement item was Silver Powder, making it the preferred choice for most Bug-type trainers. Silver Powder was composed of the scales from Butterfree and Dustox, and when held, it could boost the power of Bug-type moves.

Since Bug-types generally had lower offensive power, increasing their attack potential was crucial. However, as a Bug-type researcher, Bugsy understood that raw power alone was not always the answer. If an attack couldn't hit the opponent, or if his Pokémon couldn't withstand super-effective moves, then raw strength would be meaningless.

"Cha?"

Scyther stared at the pale-purple stone. To humans, an Evolutionary Stone was just a stone—they couldn't perceive the strange energy within it. But to Pokémon, they could sense its unique energy and resonate with it.

Curious, Scyther reached out and tapped the Evolutionary Stone with the tip of its scythe. The moment it made contact, a peculiar warmth surged through its body. Its eyes instantly sharpened!

What was this surging feeling?

Scyther could tell that the stone was truly beneficial to its strength. At the same time, it began to understand what this strange sensation was!

Although it had never experienced this state before, Pokémon were born with an instinctive understanding of evolution. Most Pokémon simply didn't know what they would evolve into, or whether they could evolve at all.

There was no doubt—this feeling was evolution!

"Cha!"

Excited, Scyther raised both of its scythe-like arms, but after a long while, it glanced down at its body in confusion.

Nothing had changed!

"Cha?"

Scyther turned to its trainer, staring at him with a puzzled expression.

Was this stone a fake? Did you get scammed?!

Bugsy, who had been observing the entire process closely, chuckled.

"An Evolutionary Stone doesn't actually cause evolution—it resonates with the latent evolutionary energy within Pokémon that can evolve," Bugsy explained, confirming that what Hikaru had told him was true.

Seeing Scyther's perplexed expression, he patted its shoulder.

"This isn't an evolution item, but it seems like it enhances your defenses and helps you grow stronger in battle. I don't know the exact effects yet, so let's test it out."

"Cha!" Scyther responded with determination.

Bugsy secured a sturdy leather strap around Scyther's waist and placed the Evolutionary Stone inside it, effectively equipping it.

Almost immediately, Scyther could feel a subtle energy circulating within its body. Although the sensation was faint, it could tell that its scythes and body had grown tougher and stronger.

Was it just an illusion? Scyther wasn't sure, but it felt great.

At that moment, a challenger arrived at the Gym. Bugsy glanced at Scyther, who was currently slashing at the air.

It's in peak condition—perfect timing to test out this new item!

Although Bugsy only intended to conduct a simple trial, the outcome completely exceeded his expectations!

The challenger was a Bird Keeper, who had already earned two Gym Badges.

Since different trainers had different starting points, the order in which they challenged Gyms also varied.

As a Bird Keeper specialized in Flying-type Pokémon. He seemed extremely confident in his abilities and wasted no time sending out his Pokémon.

"Go, Fearow!"

"Flying-types are the best choice against Bug-types!"

A large bird Pokémon took to the battlefield, its feathers a striking orange, crowned with red plumage on its head. It had a sharp, pink beak and broad wings that stretched wide.

Bugsy , of course, sent out Scyther!

"Cha!"

Scyther felt like it was in its best form. Locking eyes with the airborne Fearow, it let out a threatening cry, flashing its twin scythes in anticipation.

Like most trainers, Bird Keeper firmly believed in the principle of "Whoever strikes first, wins!"

"Use Peck!"

Fearow's long, pointed beak was its greatest weapon, perfect for attacking small Bug-types!

Bugsy acted swiftly.

"Double Team!"

Whoosh! In an instant, multiple illusions of Scyther materialized, causing Fearow's attack to miss.

Bird Keeper clicked his tongue in annoyance and immediately commanded, "Use Wing Attack to clear those illusions!"

Fearow flapped its powerful wings, sweeping through the afterimages. But in that split second, Bugsy gave the next command—

"Fury Cutter!"

You're absolutely right! Apen should be Bugsy, as he is the Azalea Town Gym Leader, and the opponent's name is unclear. I'll make the corrections and ensure all names are accurate in future translations. Here is the corrected version:

Scyther's illusions were swiftly shattered as its massive scythe struck Fearow, unleashing a barrage of consecutive slashes!

However, Bug-type moves had naturally low base power. Even though Fury Cutter increased in strength with each consecutive hit, it was still not enough to significantly threaten a Flying-type Pokémon!

"Fearow, use Fury Attack!"

Fearow's sharp beak clashed against Scyther's rapidly swinging scythes, sparks flying as they collided in midair. At that moment, the Bird Keeper issued a new command—"Wing Attack!"

Caught off guard, Scyther was struck directly and sent flying!

However, the anticipated instant victory did not occur. Scyther merely shook itself off and quickly regained its stance, letting out a confused "Cha?"

It had been hit by Wing Attack, yet it barely felt any damage?

Bugsy, having studied Bug-type Pokémon for years, could easily gauge the extent of damage his Pokémon sustained. Scyther had been caught off guard, and Fearow's large wings made it difficult to dodge in close combat.

Yet, the lack of significant damage could only mean one thing—the Evolutionary Stone was working!

The craftsman had claimed that it could "significantly enhance both of a Pokémon's defenses"… and that appeared to be true!

"What's going on?!" The Bird Keeper, now visibly unsettled, couldn't understand what was happening. A Flying-type Pokémon should have had a clear advantage over a Bug-type, and unless there was a massive strength gap, there was no reason for it to be ineffective!

"Use Steel Wing!"

Fearow's wings gleamed with a metallic sheen as powerful gusts of wind stirred up the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Bugsy gave a calm command: "Swords Dance!"

Scyther endured the impact of Steel Wing head-on—yet once again, the attack barely fazed it!

Since Steel Wing was not a Flying-type move, it lacked the super-effective advantage, making it far less effective against Scyther's newly reinforced defenses!

After tanking the hit, Scyther remained poised, a smirk forming on its face as it provocatively twirled its scythes.

Up in the air, Fearow was beginning to grow nervous.

It was supposed to dominate this battle effortlessly… yet this bug was different!

"Again, Fearow! Use Wing Attack!"

The Bird Keeper refused to back down. Fearow responded to its trainer's command, diving in for another attack.

But Bugsy was ready.

"Scyther, use Brick Break!"

Just as Fearow swooped down for another strike, Scyther lunged forward, a feral grin on its face. Raising its scythe high, it slashed downward—striking Fearow and sending it crashing into the ground!

As the dust settled, Fearow's eyes had turned into spirals—it had fainted!

The battle continued with two more rounds, but the outcome remained the same. The Gym battle was a 3-on-3 match, yet Bugsy's Scyther alone defeated all three Flying-type Pokémon, sweeping the challenger's entire team!

It was evident that Fearow was the Bird Keeper's strongest Pokémon. The next two Pokémon—Hoothoot and Pidgeotto—stood no chance at all.

"Cha!"

Scyther raised its scythes high, absolutely exhilarated!

It had never experienced such a satisfying battle before—a one-against-three sweep, completely obliterating an opponent's entire team!

And more importantly, the opponent used Flying-type Pokémon!

For a Bug-type Pokémon, nothing was more thrilling than defeating its natural predator in a head-on fight!

If this had been a battle in the wild, Scyther was convinced that it would have become the leader of all Bug-type Pokémon. The mere sound of its scythes alone would send the local bird Pokémon scattering in fear!

"Ugh… I lost!"

The Bird Keeper, disheartened, left the Gym in disappointment, vowing to train harder and return for a rematch.

Meanwhile, Bugsy approached Scyther, placing a hand on its shoulder. His expression was one of complete astonishment.

"The Evolutionary Stone… that stone actually made a Bug-type Pokémon completely unfazed by Flying-types?!"

The sheer power of this revelation left Bugsy stunned. He carefully removed the Evolutionary Stone from Scyther's belt and returned to the Gym's rest area. Without wasting time, he powered on his computer and sent a detailed message to a special contact—someone who might have more knowledge about the stone.

The recipient?

Professor Elm.

...

New Bark Town, Johto Region

"A stone? That's not really my field of study."

In Professor Elm's lab in New Bark Town, the renowned researcher scratched his head as he read Bugsy's message.

As a professor specializing in Pokémon breeding and egg groups, Evolutionary Stones weren't exactly within his area of expertise.

Professor Elm had the classic appearance of a scientist—tall, wearing oval glasses, a white research coat, and a greenish-blue shirt paired with grass-green pants. His coat pockets were always stuffed with notebooks and pens, filled with endless research notes. The only thing that stood out about his otherwise tidy appearance was a nest-like tuft of messy hair on his forehead.

However, after reading Bugsy's message—particularly the claim that "holding an Evolutionary Stone greatly increased the defenses of unevolved Pokémon"—his expression turned serious.

This could have major implications for Pokémon egg groups and juvenile-stage Pokémon.

Although Scyther wasn't considered a weak Pokémon, it was still classified as "unevolved."

Professor Elm's primary research focused on Pokémon breeding and eggs.

For example, Togepi's egg had only recently been discovered, previously labeled a "mystery egg."

Many pre-evolutions of Pokémon had been identified through his research, and from the way the Evolutionary Stone was described, it seemed that unevolved Pokémon—particularly juvenile forms—were its ideal users.

However, the fact that Scyther could also use it made perfect sense—it did have an evolution.

Professor Elm sighed, shaking his head.

The concept of Pokémon evolution was truly profound.

Weak Pokémon struggled to evolve, only to realize that even stronger Pokémon could continue evolving beyond them.

Unfortunately, evolution itself was not his area of expertise. His research was only adjacent to it, serving as a foundation for breeding studies.

If anyone could answer this question properly, it would be someone from Sinnoh Region—Professor Rowan.

Thus, after some thought and a bit of research, Professor Elm forwarded the inquiry to another expert.

None other than Professor Oak—the foremost authority in the Pokémon world.

(End of Chapter)

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