Chapter 1: The Tool Artisan of the Shinzu Ruins

Kanto region, northeast hills of Angry Lake.

Near the Shinzu Ruins.

On the Pokémon world map, this area is described as 【a snow-choked zone where ancient legends intersect, severed by walls of ice】.

June 6, early summer.

Event: Certain locations will experience rainy weather.

On a hill far from any village stands an abandoned workshop.

The building’s structure is a mix of brick and wood; the outer wooden walls have long rotted away, moss clings to the stones, and the hillside around the workshop is littered with scattered rocks and dense weeds.

The old clock inside has stopped, the brick-and-stone hearth is cold, and on the wall hangs a roughly sketched hand-drawn map, marked with many locations—its notes are fresh.

Rain taps against the windows.

Guang Tai woke to the patter of rain, his vision meeting an unfamiliar ceiling.

Memories began sorting themselves in his mind, quickly clarifying the full sequence of events.

This is the Pokémon world.

Pokémon are miraculous creatures living in this world, possessing incredible powers; they exist everywhere, and humans here also possess wondrous technologies, strange beings, and extraordinary people—thus, this world has become wondrous.

With the progress of eras, Pokémon’s type abilities have gradually been applied to human production and daily life, and this has existed since ancient times.

Too many memories gave Guang Tai a headache; he recalled that the original owner had worked in Sinnoh, but inherited a severe psychological illness from his mother. His mother died of the illness long ago, and his father was killed years ago by a wild, aggressive Pokémon.

“Are Pokémon dangerous creatures?”

Because of these reasons, the original owner decided to quit working and returned to his father’s “hometown,” where he found this workshop based on his father’s notes—though it had already been abandoned for many years.

The original owner was a “Tool Artisan.”

In the Pokémon world, Tool Artisans appear in every generation of games: for example, the old man in the Shallow Cave of Hoenn is a Shell Artisan, the Iron Man of Kanto is a Poké Ball Artisan, and the Snow Zhong elder of Northshore is a Mask Artisan.

In common usage, “tools” refer to battle items, but if the concept is broadened, even ordinary household items and work tools can count as tools.

A Tool Artisan naturally gathers materials and crafts new tools—this includes Poké Ball Artisans, Artifact Craftsmen, Wood Carvers, Stone Carvers, Glassmakers, and also Tool Merchants and Material Merchants.

Whether seeking natural tools or raw materials for crafting artificial ones, one must frequently venture into the wild, yet the rewards from such dangers are meager; at least in this era, Tool Artisans are nearly relics of history—perhaps transitioning into Material Merchants is their only future.

The research outcomes of organizations like Devon Corporation, Silver Company, and the Ether Foundation will completely replace this craft with their mass-produced goods.

After waking, he felt a hunger in his stomach.

“A bit hungry. Well then, let’s eat a Sitrus Berry first.”

Sitrus Berry, entirely bright yellow and shaped like a pear, is a tree fruit in the Pokémon world; its effect when carried differs from direct use—when used directly, it restores half the maximum HP of one accompanying Pokémon.

It is also a raw material for crafting the item “Full Restore.”

Seeing the computer still on, Guang Tai browsed the original owner’s digital legacy; most items on the online shop’s product page were antique-style crafts and sculptures.

Carving was the original owner’s family craft; thus, he excelled at making tools related to carving and polishing, though most were decorative—like stone statues at Gym entrances.

While Guang Tai browsed the store page, he suddenly received a new email.

Is this… a client?

The power of science is truly amazing!

One should say this now, right?

Even in this officially hidden region, it still connects to most areas of the Pokémon world—this is the convenience brought by technological advancement.

Perhaps because occasional Ruin Researchers come here, a signal station was established for convenience. Of course, Pokémon world communication methods are somewhat black-tech—like those Rangers, who can communicate with headquarters even from the remotest mountains or across two major regions.

Guang Tai opened the email—it was an inquiry.

“The message seeks a tool that enhances Pokémon durability. Referred by Iron Man. Oh right, my father knew Iron Man.”

Guang Tai’s memories surged. Iron Man of Kanto was a famed Poké Ball Artisan, his skill worthy of master status; it was no surprise the original owner’s parents had known him—Iron Man had acquaintances across many regions, likely the network of a true master.

Recommending clients was a favor extended out of respect for an old friend.

As a Tool Artisan, his work naturally involved custom-making tools for clients, appraising tool quality, and repairing damaged items; the rise of the internet made offline customization far easier.

Since business was poor, online consultations became an essential service.

“For durability, is the Pokémon evolved or not?”

“If it’s unevolved, I recommend the Evolution Stone.”

Guang Tai quickly replied, but the client’s response stunned him: “?”

“What’s an Evolution Stone?” the client replied, clearly baffled.

Huh? Doesn’t know the Evolution Stone?

Guang Tai blinked, then typed: “It’s a stone that greatly boosts the defense of unevolved Pokémon. Pale purple in color.”

“?”

“There’s such a stone? I’ve never heard of it.”

The client’s reaction made Guang Tai pause; he asked the client’s profession, whether they were a competitive battler, a registered Trainer—yet the reply shocked him.

“Ah, since saying it directly in an email feels impolite, I’m actually the Bug-type Gym Leader.”

“Since Bug-types have many weaknesses, I’ve been researching tools to make them stronger.”

Bug-type Gym Leader… wait—in Kanto, Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh combined, there’s only one Bug-type Gym Leader!

It’s… the Gym Leader of Violet City, Bugsy! The youngest genius Gym Leader!

“Hmm… a Gym Leader doesn’t know the Evolution Stone? What era is this?”

Guang Tai was surprised, then recalled—the original owner had one!

But the original owner… right, he didn’t recognize the Evolution Stone either—he thought it was jade.

Old, neglected memories surfaced; Guang Tai gave Bugsy a detailed description of the Evolution Stone’s function, then asked him to wait a moment.

Guang Tai walked to the deepest part of the workshop, where a sturdy oak door led to the shed’s storage room and basement.

The original owner had returned only recently; many tools were piled haphazardly on the old shelves in the basement, still unsorted.

Inside the basement, materials, stone, and wood were stacked everywhere; besides common Pokémon-dropped materials, there were many antique-style crafts and relics gathered from various places.

Guang Tai rummaged through the relics and soon found his target: a dull pale-purple stone embedded in an ancient sword, labeled with a tag reading “Ancient Sword with Inlaid Jade.”

The gem’s surface was slightly rough.

As for the sword holding the jade, soil seemed fused to it—unknown how many years it had lain underground; the blade was stuck in its scabbard, possibly rusted shut, and its engraved patterns were blurred beyond recognition.

Memory surfaced: this sword was discovered years ago in an ancient ruin, likely in the northwest region of Mt. Moon, near the Quartz Plateau—once home to many small kingdoms, now reduced to ruins and dust, with only one nation still standing.

Guang Tai reached out, removed the sword, and examined the jade closely.

As this thought arose, a flood of ideas suddenly surged into Guang Tai’s mind!

Chaotic, overwhelming thoughts disrupted his original reasoning and reorganized into incredible information.

【Precious Material: “Rough Natural Wonder Stone”!】

【Acquired Knowledge: 1】

【Ancient Treasure Hunter: Can more easily locate, contact hidden rare minerals, fossils, relics, and materials; upon contact, their information becomes visible.】

【Acquired Craftsmanship: 1】

【Unique Polishing Craft (C-). Evaluation: Years of practice have honed excellent polishing skills. Any rock, mineral, relic, or tool you polish or repair will have improved appearance and utility, with enhanced performance.】

【By crafting, you may obtain the item “Evolution Stone.”】

“Huh? This is…!”

Guang Tai froze for a moment, then realized—this might be his cheat ability!

After crossing over, he hadn’t noticed the cheat ability—was it unlocked only through “work”?

(End of Chapter)