Chapter 3: Shadow Sneak, but the effect is not good

In front of the computer, Guang Tai uses the computer's camera to scan the rough Eviolite and then sends the picture to the other party.

"Eh, is it this stone?"

Bugsy is very surprised after looking at Guang Tai's description and picture, and confirms again that he has researched many artifacts and has never found any information about this stone.

In the anime worldview, this stone has never even appeared.

Guang Tai recalls that if it were according to the progress of the game era, the first researchers to discover this stone were in the Unova region.

When describing the effect of the Eviolite, Guang Tai doesn't use the overly strange statement of increasing double defense by 50%. After all, in the real worldview, no Professor has yet tested the various base stats of Pokémon; this is quite normal.

"That's right, just as I said, Eviolite can only be used by Pokémon that can evolve but haven't yet. It is the miracle stone for weak Pokémon and also the most powerful aid for some Pokémon that are already quite powerful. With this stone, they can even be stronger than their evolved forms!"

"If you need it, pay a deposit, and I can help you polish it. And after my craft processing, the effect of this stone after polishing will be better than the current effect."

Guang Tai sends the message, and the other side doesn't reply immediately.

They must be weighing and thinking. After all, they are facing something completely unknown. Most people would want to think about whether they are being scammed.

"Hmm... I agree." Bugsy's thinking doesn't last long. He sends a new message: "You are an acquaintance of Mr. Kurt, and I am here seeking special artifacts. If I don't buy it just because I doubt the effect of the artifact, that would be putting the cart before the horse... I am a researcher; I will confirm the effect of the stone with my own eyes."

Phew!

Got it!

Guang Tai breathes a sigh of relief!

The first business deal since arriving in the new region is negotiated just like that; it can be considered a good start.

The agreed delivery time is one week later. As for the mailing method, unexpectedly, he can apply for flight delivery from Blackthorn City. It is estimated that Pokémon like Dragonite or Delibird will perform remote pickup.

Then the deposit needs...

"10,000 Poké Dollars."

The deposit is 20% of the total price. Since Eviolite is almost impossible to buy in the game world of past generations and can only be picked up on the road or given by others, it wasn't until the ninth generation Scarlet/Violet era that Eviolite became an item that could be normally purchased, and its purchase price is 50,000 Poké Dollars.

Guang Tai is selling it completely according to the pricing in the game; he doesn't intend to be a black-hearted merchant for his first order.

It would be terrible if he scared the customer away.

Knock... knock knock.

A strange knocking sound comes from the air. Guang Tai raises his head and looks suspiciously in the direction of the door.

"Someone knocking?"

A cold atmosphere gradually rises in the depths of the house.

He gets up, crosses the counter, and opens the door of the small house, finding no one outside.

The rain is still pattering, dark clouds cover the hills, and the distant forests, valleys, and snow-capped mountains are obscured by mist. The sky is dark, and things are blurry and unclear.

Knock knock knock—

The knocking sound appears again. Guang Tai repeatedly confirms that there are no wild Pokémon passing by to take shelter from the rain near the door. There is only some cooking smoke in the nearby village, no one is active, and only the wild grass is blown crookedly by the rain, shaking miserably.

Guang Tai listens carefully for a while and finds that it is not from outside the house, but from...

Following the sound, he walks into the house and comes to the door of the basement.

Suspicion and vigilance gradually rise in Guang Tai's eyes.

He just came out of the basement and didn't find anything inside!

Could it be... haunted? Ah, in the Pokémon world, this is really a common thing. He didn't expect to encounter it right away.

Rainy weather and a haunted house; the atmosphere is quite well set.

Indeed, there is a Spirit Realm within the Pokémon worldview, and every generation has supernatural subplots. Being haunted is too normal in this world, plus he has possessed the dead original owner; maybe it's the original owner's soul still here.

"If you are some kind of ghost... anyway, just rest in peace."

"... Although I haven't exorcised ghosts, the ghosts of the Pokémon world also possess the Ghost type. Since they possess a type, there is a way to solve it."

What an artifact master is best at is not subduing people with force, but subduing them with artifacts. As the saying goes, there is a high wall between bare hands and holding weapons.

Guang Tai doesn't enter the basement directly but rushes back to his room to make "pre-battle preparations."

The warehouse contains materials, while the finished artifacts are outside.

First, he takes out a box of pink-purple dried fruit and puts it in his mouth to chew:

"Colbur Berry, activates when hit by a super-effective Ghost-type move, halving the damage of the Ghost-type move once."

This is a Berry from the Sinnoh region. Blurred memories indicate that these Berries also exist in some nearby forests. After all, this type of Berry was brought to northern Johto by the Sinjoh people a thousand years ago.

This type of Berry has possessed incredible power since ancient times. It is shaped like a flower and has a heavy sweet taste; it is the best choice for making snacks. At the same time, some people dry it as an amulet. If living in a supernatural area, the family needs to keep this type of Berry product in stock.

Following that, Guang Tai puts on protective gloves and opens the locked cabinet in the corner, which contains some important materials and exclusive artifacts.

Guang Tai first takes out a pale white incense. Cleanse Incense. The effect of this item is that after the Pokémon at the front of the party holds it, wild Pokémon will not appear easily; some Pokémon dislike this fragrance.

After taking out the Cleanse Incense and lighting it, a pleasant fragrance gradually drifts out from the holes of the incense burner. Then, Guang Tai takes out a dog tooth necklace from the second layer of the cabinet.

"Houndour's dog tooth, not a battle item, but a Pokémon material. It still retains the Dark-type energy of the Dark-type Pokémon, and because Houndour also has the Fire type, there is also residual Fire-type energy in the tooth."

Guang Tai puts on the dog tooth necklace and takes out the Rage Candy Bar, a specialty of the Johto region. This local snack can eliminate most of the status conditions one receives.

Following that, he gropes to the bottom layer of the cabinet, which contains several mud balls wrapped in green leaves; these are items called Sticky Balls.

Afterward, Guang Tai takes out a voice recorder placed on the inner side of the lower layer, which records the content of the Dark-type move 【Snarl】.

Of course, this is just a voice recorder; it cannot cause sonic energy attacks on others, only generate extreme noise to make the other party feel irritable. The source of the recording is the low-quality Murkrow seen everywhere in the forest.

Finally, he needs to bring a few Poké Balls.

Fully armed, finished eating and drinking, Guang Tai, prepared, opens the basement.

When the electric light turns on, the light suddenly fills all the shelf areas. Guang Tai wedges the door to ensure it won't be blown open and walks in.

A cold aura rushes toward him. Guang Tai shivers slightly; this is the body's instinctive reaction, and Guang Tai can be sure that he didn't have this feeling when he left the basement before.

One step, two steps. Guang Tai feels that there is something in the basement looking at him, and the fragrance of the Cleanse Incense in his hand, those wisps of smoke, gradually drift to every corner of the basement.

"Carvings, Stardust, imitation antique crafts, Fire Stone, Power Band, Shell Bell, Geodude's stone skin fragments..."

Creak... creak.

The basement door suddenly makes a sound.

Guang Tai immediately turns to look in the direction of the door, and just at this moment, a black shadow climbs up from behind Guang Tai!

In the pitch-black basement space, a blue eye lights up!

"Yo—!"

Honedge's heart is happy!

The person outside really fell for it!

Anyway, take this "Shadow Sneak" from me first!

This is the knight's way of saying hello!

That extremely fast black shadow accurately hits Guang Tai!

Effect!

The effect doesn't seem good?!

Honedge's eye is filled with confusion, and Guang Tai, who was hit by a Shadow Sneak, just stumbles and immediately stands firm. Guang Tai turns his head and sees the ancient sword floating in mid-air, seemingly stunned, and reveals an "as expected" expression:

"Looks like the effect isn't good!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 4 =====