Chapter 54: The Myth Researcher, Jasmine

A-grade craft?

Guang Tai found it hard to believe; when he looked up again, Dragonite had already flown far into the sky!

Dragonite used “Quick Attack”!

“Incredible! Whether chasing Charizard or for me personally, this Dragonite was a huge help!”

Weakness Policy and Ingrain Policy are two strange certificates; a Pokémon holding Weakness Policy greatly increases its Attack and Special Attack when targeted by a super-effective move.

Ingrain Policy’s effect is that when a move held by the Pokémon misses due to accuracy issues, its Speed greatly increases.

Although he obtained the craft, Guang Tai remembered that Shiny Leaves seemed to appear in Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver when walking through tall grass, with a chance that a Pokémon beside you would find them; collecting five Shiny Leaves allowed you to weave them into a Shiny Crown, which could be stamped onto a certificate.

But that crown didn’t look like just five leaves!

Gold Leaves and Silver Leaves were precious items in Pokémon Platinum; he hadn’t realized they were the same thing as Shiny Leaves.

He obtained the A-grade craft, but couldn’t craft it yet; as the excitement faded, the computer beeped again with its familiar sound.

Lillipup and Doublade reflexively turned toward the workshop door!

“It’s fine, I’m tired too—everyone rest for now!”

Guang Tai patted Lillipup, then said to Doublade: “I’ll polish your blades for you later, how about that?”

“Ouyu~”

“Oupu~”

Both of Doublade’s consciousnesses were delighted!

Polishing the blades was maintenance—and for Doublade, that meant rest!

Lillipup had felt tired, but hearing about blade polishing, she instantly perked up again!

Huh, so Pokémon can be polished too?

I should try it myself!

“Rest first!” Guang Tai urged Lillipup, who was even more energetic than he was.

If she didn’t rest, he might collapse from exhaustion before she did!

She’s stubborn by nature—why does she act like she’s hardworking?

As Guang Tai prepared to return to the workshop, he suddenly spotted some large mushrooms in a corner.

Mushrooms grow quickly; a single rainstorm can make them sprout rapidly, especially near old wooden-stone structures like this workshop.

【Rare Material: Nunu Mushroom】

【Effect: A large, mature mushroom. Loved by Beast and Dragon-type Pokémon; attracts them to wherever it is placed.】

【Knowledge Gained: Mushrooms at Your Door—mushrooms grow more easily near your home.】

【Craftable: Mushroom Bait Ball】

“Huh? These are unique mushrooms from the Hisui region—grown right outside the workshop?”

This was truly a treasure found at his doorstep; but neither Doublade nor Lillipup liked eating these mushrooms, so Guang Tai harvested them, saw there were still many left, and decided to bring in some pots later to cultivate them.

Still, he hoped this wouldn’t turn into another “Research Lab Incident”—wild growth near the house, yet carefully cultivated ones all died.

Guang Tai returned indoors, lightly processed the mushrooms with food ingredients, then pondered and added a bit of “Soft Sand.”

Beast and Dragon-type moves? His Pokémon couldn’t learn them—but Bait Ball recipes allowed adding various materials, since Pokémon eat everything, unlike humans.

He also added a leaf of Revival Grass.

『A craft has been completed!』

『Crafted Food: Mushroom Bait Ball.』

『Effect: Made by blending special mushrooms, soft sand, berries, Revival Grass leaf, and Bait Ball ingredients. Strongly attracts Ground, Beast, and Dragon-type Pokémon.』

『Extra Effect 1: Earth Power Food—within a certain time, Ground-type energy rises sharply, benefiting Ground-type Pokémon’s growth!』

『Extra Effect 2: Earth Essence—Ground and Beast-type Pokémon that consume it enter an optimal energy state, their condition becomes healthy, and training becomes more effective with higher chances of learning new moves!』

The more ingredients added, the more effects gained?

Compared to the last Grass Power Food, this Earth Power Food had an additional effect—perhaps due to the Revival Grass, creating an incredible effect?

After finishing the new food, Guang Tai heard a mail notification.

“New mail—another wild customer?”

The workshop was thriving, and customers placing orders were increasing.

“About the Pure Pendant?”

Guang Tai saw the customer’s message and paused, startled.

ID: 【Myth Researcher】

A ruin enthusiast?

【“The ornament’s craftsmanship resembles a style I’m familiar with—may I ask about its crafting method?”】

“Sorry, this is a craftsman’s secret,” Guang Tai replied politely; the other didn’t press further:

【“Understood, my mistake. Still, I intended to buy this pendant anyway—‘Prevents stat reduction during battle’—just reading that description feels miraculous, like Pokémon with the Oblivious ability.”】

Guang Tai began promoting: “Price-wise, since this is a unique-style Pure Pendant made from rare materials, it not only prevents stat reduction but also enhances mental focus and eliminates accumulated fatigue—so the price is 500,000 Pokédollars.”

After all, the Pure Pendant here used ancient crystal; Guang Tai only used a tiny amount as the core, so he set the price higher.

He himself thought it was a bit excessive, but this item came from the Rock Mountain Ruins—a strange crystal left by ancients. Before finding a new vein, ancient crystal was limited; substitutes were Pokémon with Oblivious that shed material or similar minerals—but he had none on hand.

【“No problem—can I buy several?”】

Guang Tai blinked, then answered immediately:

“Sorry, due to rare materials, maximum two per customer.”

【“Two is fine—I’ll place the order.”】

A 1,000,000 Pokédollar transaction was completed effortlessly; Guang Tai hadn’t expected this customer to be so wealthy, but seeing the ID, he must be connected to ruin explorers—those people were indeed rich.

Definitely a ruin enthusiast—he’d used a unique carving style on the Pure Pendant, no doubt attracting this person.

“Do you need anything else? I have more items related to Pokémon breeding and battle,” Guang Tai began promoting.

【“Hmm, I can see many interesting items—but I’m having trouble deciding.”】

Guang Tai: “If you’re unsure about each item’s effects, I can recommend some; buying more also qualifies for discounts.”

“What Pokémon do you breed?”

【“Ghost, Steel, Water, Grass, Ground, Fairy…”】

“A well-rounded team. For Ghost, I recommend Curse Talisman and Spirit Cloth—my Curse Talisman boosts Ghost-type power, and Spirit Cloth further enhances Ghost-type energy. For Grass, I recommend Grass Power Food—it sharply increases Grass-type energy for a time, aiding Grass Pokémon growth.”

“For Ground, I recommend Soft Sand—it boosts Ground-type move power. I also offer Earth Power Food, whose effect is… later I’ll release more Ground-type breeding items. For Steel, Water, and Fairy, I currently have no corresponding breeding items—but I recommend custom ancient wooden carvings. These carvings grant Pokémon special power, compensating for weaknesses and enhancing strengths. Note: each carving works only once, so choose which stat to boost carefully.”

————

In Professor Rowan’s lab, Verdant Town.

A tall woman in a black coat, with yellow hair and a black headpiece, pressed the purchase button.

It was the Sinnoh Champion—“Jasmine”!

“You’re right—this shop has many incredible items. Though I’m puzzled: the descriptions are so powerful. If they’re true, perhaps this craftsman holds some lost mythic techniques.”

Jasmine looked at Professor Rowan, who had previously bought a statue; though it hadn’t arrived yet, Jasmine heard it related to myth and returned immediately.

After viewing the shop’s images, Jasmine confirmed: this was the Pokémon she’d been searching for in myth!

“On the Ruin Wall Painting, a massive light appears; its three corners represent the three Lake Pokémon.”

“Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf.”

“But I have another theory.”

Jasmine smiled slightly, brushing her falling hair.

“The three points arranged in a triangle refer to Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.”

Professor Rowan blinked, tea still steaming in his hand:

“Giratina?”

“Yes. Through recent research, I’ve identified the third Legendary Pokémon, corresponding to Dialga and Palkia—the one that governs the Reverse World. I confirmed this from ancient texts.”

“The massive light at the center of the Ruin Wall Painting is what gave birth to this world.”

“Inscriptions on the Plates scattered across Sinnoh reveal a Pokémon stronger than Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.”

“Details on Giratina remain unclear, but it’s clear the Distorted World stems from instability in time and space.”

“The Ruin Wall Painting seems to convey something—this is my view as a Myth Researcher.”

Professor Rowan glanced at the computer screen: Arceus statue was no longer available.

“You think this Pokémon relates to Dialga and Palkia?”

“Yes. But I’ll study it thoroughly once the shipment arrives.”

Jasmine tilted her head slightly, a smile curling at her lips:

“Finally… I seem to have touched a true corner of myth. Strange people, strange things, stories passed across this land—must be witnessed firsthand.”

“Of course, that pendant is worth studying too—I just sent details to my grandmother. She said its crafting style closely resembles the ancient pendants from Shenhezhen.”

“This craftsman must be closely tied to Shenhezhen’s history! Once the pendant arrives, I’ll study it—and perhaps invite him.”

“Actually, that was my grandmother’s suggestion.”

“Ancient craftsmen?” Professor Rowan suddenly said: “Come to think of it, while researching in Kanto, I once looked into something.”

“Back when Sinnoh was still called Hisui, there were scattered, strange legends.”

“You mean the Shenhe People?” Jasmine immediately replied:

“I’ve found similar tales—many ancient Sinnoh people left Sinnoh, settled in Johto, in a place called Shendu, bringing Sinnoh’s culture with them.”

“The ancient land where Sinnoh and Johto meet… records are scarce. If so, could this craftsman be…? I think I’ll need to visit Johto soon!”

(End of Chapter)