Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

"Stone?"

Professor Elm quickly received a response from Professor Oak, who suggested that this question regarding the newly discovered Evolution Stone should actually be directed to Professor Solans in the Hoenn region.

However, since Professor Elm wasn't particularly familiar with Professor Solans, and given that Professor Oak was his mentor, he naturally sought out Oak first.

After listening to Professor Elm's account, Professor Oak found himself deeply intrigued by this so-called "Evolution Stone."

"A stone like this exists? It provides defensive benefits to Pokémon that do not evolve, carries the name 'evolution,' yet does not function like an Evolutionary Stone… Hmm, this is an entirely new type of rock never seen before!"

"Perhaps it's a meteorite from space. Indeed, we should inform the experts in Hoenn. In fact, I'll also reach out to my old friend Professor Yamanashi in Sinnoh. Since his main research field is Pokémon evolution, he would definitely be very interested in this stone."

"Oh, by the way, does Bugsy have any more Evolution Stones?"

Professor Elm quickly responded, "No, I don't think so. You want to study it, right? But according to him, he only bought one, and as for the craftsman who sold it to him… Well, that's unknown."

"The craftsman is said to be from a rather remote location."

Professor Oak nodded. "I see. A previously unexplored area or a distant wilderness? It makes sense that such places could still hold many secrets. Discovering unknown mystical objects is not unusual. If we could contact that craftsman… No, let's wait until I discuss this with the others first."

"Different regions, natural terrains, material compositions, Pokémon species, and even ecosystems—there are still countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered. It's truly exciting!"

Hoenn Region, Fallarbor Town

Fallarbor Town was a small agricultural settlement in the northwest of Hoenn, situated close to Mt. Chimney. Due to its proximity to the volcano, ash frequently drifted into the area, but this volcanic ash enriched the soil, making the local vegetation flourish.

One of the more well-known professors in the Pokémon research community, Professor Solans, resided here. He was renowned for his studies on meteorites and rocks, as Fallarbor Town's location provided easy access to both Mt. Chimney and Meteor Falls, making it a prime spot for excavation. Occasionally, Professor Solans would also travel to Mossdeep City, located in the eastern sea, to conduct further meteorite research at the Mossdeep Space Center.

Of course, as someone passionate about meteorites and rock excavation, it was only natural that he had a friend who shared a similar obsession with stones.

Professor Solans had the appearance of a rugged field geologist. He wore an explorer's outfit, glasses, and had a tall, lean frame with sharp, observant eyes.

"An Evolution Stone? I've never heard of such a thing! Where was it discovered?"

Professor Solans was shocked by the message from Professor Oak. Oak was one of the most authoritative figures in Pokémon research, yet even he had never encountered or heard of this stone!

A burning passion for studying new rocks ignited within Professor Solans.

Indeed, this completely unheard-of stone could very well be a new type of meteorite!

However, upon learning that the stone's origins were unclear—that it had been sold to a Gym Leader in Johto by a craftsman from a distant land—his excitement was immediately dampened.

A craftsman from a faraway place… That phrase alone suggested that reaching that location would be difficult.

Perhaps it was from a distant region like Kalos or Galar. But then, how did its logistics reach Johto?

It must have been transported via cargo planes from Unova!

After listening to Professor Oak's brief explanation, Professor Solans couldn't shake his curiosity. Even though evolution, egg groups, and weaker Pokémon were not within his usual research scope, the properties of valuable stones and the reason why this particular one possessed such a unique effect were at the very core of his expertise!

Just like the various Evolutionary Stones that enabled Pokémon evolution!

New Evolutionary Stones were still being discovered one after another!

However, since Professor Solans himself couldn't travel to distant regions at the moment due to his ongoing meteorite research, he thought of someone else—someone he could absolutely entrust this task to!

And that person happened to be right here!

Beep... Beep...

Professor Solans dialed a number. After a brief wait, a deep, magnetic voice of a young man answered from the other end.

"Hello? Professor Solans? It's Steven. What's the matter?"

"It's like this…"

Professor Solans proceeded to pass on the information once again.

Though this "I don't know"—"Ask someone familiar"—"Pass it along to another expert" chain of inquiries seemed somewhat amusing, if this stone's properties were confirmed, it would mark a groundbreaking milestone in the research community!

After all, if a stone that increases defense has now been found, could there be others that boost attack, speed, or even vitality?

How was it formed? What were its geological conditions? What kind of environment did it originate from? And if it was indeed extraterrestrial, it would involve his primary fields of astronomy and meteorite science. All of these were questions worth investigating!

"You're saying… what?"

On the other end of the call, Steven sounded equally stunned.

A peculiar and precious gemstone—this was something he was hearing about for the first time!

And as Hoenn's most renowned and wealthiest gemstone collector, Steven's enthusiasm skyrocketed.

"Professor Solans, this is too complicated to discuss over the phone. I'm riding Metagross straight to Fallarbor Town right now! Don't go anywhere—wait for me!"

——————

Steven Stone, full name Steven Stone of the Devon Corporation.

He was not only the Champion of the Hoenn region but also the heir of the prestigious Devon Corporation—a renowned business tycoon. At the same time, he was an acclaimed collector of rare gemstones.

Although his family's company was headquartered in Rustboro City on Hoenn's western side, Steven himself resided in Mossdeep City, an island city in the eastern sea.

After Professor Solans got in touch with Steven, he resumed discussions with Professor Oak, and Professor Elm also joined the conversation.

They conducted their discussion via a video phone.

Although called a "video phone," in reality, it was more like a specialized machine with multiple functions, with video calling being just one of its standard features. In research labs, these video phones even had the capability to transfer Pokémon remotely over long distances.

On the screen, Professor Oak appeared, wearing his signature red shirt and white lab coat, his gray hair neatly combed.

"About that stone…" Professor Elm spoke first. "I already inquired with Gym Leader Abi and learned the name of the craftsman's shop where the stone was sold."

"It seems that this craftsman has some connection to Mr. Iron. He recently returned from Sinnoh to Johto… No, actually, he's not exactly in Johto. The craftsman is currently somewhere in the northern mountains of Johto. As you said, it's a rather remote location. However, it seems there's still internet access there."

"Iron?" Professor Oak was surprised but quickly expressed his doubts. "That doesn't make sense! Iron specializes in crafting Poké Balls, not in processing stones."

As the foremost authority in Pokémon research, Professor Oak was acquainted with many renowned figures and counted several as close friends. Mr. Iron was one of them.

Professor Elm adjusted his glasses. "That's correct. They seem to be just casual acquaintances. Bugsy was introduced to the craftsman through Mr. Iron, but he didn't mention much about the craftsman himself. It seems he wasn't particularly concerned… or maybe he simply trusted—"

"Trusted that he'd provide something of value, right?" Professor Oak mused over the video call. "It sounds like Iron has a lot of confidence in him."

"Hmm, so, what is the name of this shop?"

Professor Elm immediately responded, "Traveler's Workshop."

"Traveler's Workshop… The name isn't very flashy. I would have expected something a bit more ostentatious," Professor Solans muttered as he opened a browser and conducted a search.

"I found it. This is the one… But there's no mention of the Evolution Stone."

Professor Solans flipped through a few pages, then scratched his head.

"Wait, look at the descriptions of the items being sold in this shop!"

Focus Sash, Focus Band, Black Belt, Cleanse Tag, Spell Tag.

"Oh, there are some rather rare items here!"

On the video call, Professor Oak stroked his chin while browsing the shop's inventory. These special items immediately caught his attention.

Aside from those, the shop also stocked Power Band, Shell Bell, Fire Stone, and other uncommon items.

"Focus Sash? I've never seen one before. It looks like a simple armband or shoulder strap that a martial artist might wear!"

"But Black Belt, Cleanse Tag, and Spell Tag are all rare and valuable items!"

The Cleanse Tag and Spell Tag were highly sought-after mystical items created by mediums, shrine maidens, spirit channelers, and gravekeepers.

In areas abundant with Ghost-type Pokémon or other eerie phenomena, as well as in locations densely populated with weak Pokémon, carrying a Cleanse Tag made it easier to avoid unwanted encounters.

A similar item in the Sinnoh region was the Pure Incense, made from special herbs. It had a comparable effect to the Cleanse Tag and was also associated with the Pokémon Chimecho.

In Hoenn, Chimecho was considered its final evolutionary form. However, in the distant Sinnoh region, researchers discovered its pre-evolution, Chingling. The key reason for this evolutionary discrepancy was that Chimecho needed to hold a Pure Incense when breeding, which would result in its offspring hatching as Chingling instead of another Chimecho.

As for the Black Belt, it was typically just a standard martial artist's belt. However, the store's description stated that it could enhance Fighting-type moves.

"But why is it red if it's called a Black Belt?"

"It looks like leftover material from making Focus Sashes!"

"The description states that this talisman can dispel any curse affecting the user once, but it will be consumed upon use."

"A Spell Tag that can actually inflict curses isn't surprising."

"Focus Sash prevents a Pokémon from being knocked out in one hit. Even against a disadvantageous matchup, it allows them to keep fighting."

"These effects seem slightly different from the ones I've seen before."

"Could this craftsman be a powerful medium?"

Professor Solans scrolled further and discovered another item at the bottom of the shop's listings—an item called "Tattered Cloth."

Although the accompanying photo just showed an ordinary-looking scrap of fabric, even he could sense something eerie about it.

"Could this be the Reaper Cloth used for evolution?"

The three professors continued exchanging their observations, analyzing the unique properties of these items.

Finally, Professor Elm proposed, "I'll buy a few of these, then have them analyzed by experts in the relevant fields!"

(End of Chapter)

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