Chapter 87: Hot, Hot Product?

In the instant the Rellor Crown doll was created, Gardevoir, far away in Unova, suddenly opened her eyes.

She foresaw something—coming from the workshop she had recently been concerned with. As a powerful psychic, precognition was her most basic ability; in the past, her psychic power had been too overwhelming to control, so she rarely used precognition. But since her butler Shilan sent her a Vulpix sculpture, her control over her psychic abilities had grown increasingly refined and stable.

“The workshop must have launched something new.”

Gardevoir gazed at the brightening horizon; the workshop’s location should be in the Sinnoh region, far from Unova, so while night fell there, dawn arrived here.

She yawned, stretched, revealing her newly developed graceful curves, then used telekinesis to summon her Poké Device and sent a message to Guang Tai.

“Shopkeeper… did you create something related to psychic powers? Are you trying to tell me something?”

Gardevoir rarely initiated messages; due to her psychic abilities, she had once been reclusive. But since coming to Unova, this tendency had gradually faded—though occasionally, she still dreamed of losing control of her powers and childhood memories.

Those who possess great power are always lonely. Ordinary people fear such power and try to avoid it. This is the way of life for those with great power—Gardevoir had once believed this.

【“.Huh? How did you… Oh right, you asked about psychic powers—are you also a powerful psychic?”】

【“Oh my, so it’s precognition! Psychic abilities are really convenient!”】

“Hehe, if the shopkeeper can craft psychic-type items, you must possess some psychic ability yourself, right?”

【“I’m just mentally strong—that’s all. I’m far from being a true psychic. By the way, I have a new product you might like.”】

【“Gravity Bracelet, its [image] effect is Psychic Glass Whistle—this is what you wanted [image], and also…”】

Messages from Guang Tai kept arriving. When Gardevoir saw the Gravity Bracelet and Psychic Glass Whistle, her eyes instantly brightened!

Unlike previous items, these two had clearly been meticulously crafted, adorned with strange, mysterious patterns—artistically, they were flawless.

As for the move Gravity, though rare, it wasn’t impossible to obtain a TM in Unova.

Among Pokémon capable of learning it naturally was the symbol bird of Unova.

“A reusable TM? It’s quite different from the ones on the market… more like a Hidden TM.”

“Gravity is indeed a useful move. I was actually planning to buy a TM for it.”

【“Exactly! And combining Gravity with Hypnosis is incredibly powerful! Pair it with a Gengar with the Prankster ability—it’s perfect!”】

【“But I can’t currently manufacture the ideal item for Gengar to hold. For now, consider carrying a Sitrus Berry, a Focus Sash, or Light Clay…”】

“Gravity and Hypnosis?” Gardevoir frowned slightly, but not because she hadn’t heard of this…

Well, few trainers used this tactic—mainly because Gravity TMs were scarce, and most trainers struggled to bond with Psychic-type Pokémon!

“But this was a strategy I’d thought of myself… I didn’t expect the shopkeeper would think of it too? That’s oddly unsettling…”

“The shopkeeper seems to understand Pokémon battles quite well?”

【“I only know a little. And I’m not a registered Trainer. If you want advice on battling, feel free to ask—I can occasionally offer suggestions. This time, I’m just trying to sell.”】

Some advice?

Gardevoir shook her head slightly.

The suggestion had been excellent. She’d been considering who should learn Gravity—and now the shopkeeper recommended Gengar. Upon reflection, a Dark-type Gengar wouldn’t fear move-locking, and Prankster guaranteed priority for status moves—making it strategically invaluable in Double and Triple Battles!

This was truly the best user for Gravity!

Wait—could Gengar even learn Gravity? She’d never known that. It must be because Gravity TMs were so rare; current TMs break after one use…

But she didn’t have a Gengar… she needed to catch one!

“Shopkeeper, thank you for the advice—it’s extremely useful. I may bother you more often in the future.”

Gardevoir’s gratitude was sincere. At the same time, Guang Tai’s shop felt increasingly mysterious to her.

Sinnoh… no, it was called Shen Du.

The mysterious shop of Shen Du?

Though she had seen Guang Tai’s appearance through precognition, psychic powers could only perceive appearances or read thoughts—but his true ability remained utterly impenetrable!

Then Gardevoir carefully examined the rabbit photo again.

“What Pokémon is this? I foresaw this thing. Its name is…”

As she thought, the text appeared automatically on her Poké Device and was sent.

【“Rellor Crown is a Legendary Pokémon from Galar, though not yet widely known.”】

“Hmm… so its legend has been lost?”

【“Ah, that’s exactly it. The doll’s effect is…”】

“It heals mental and psychological disorders?”

Gardevoir’s eyes grew brighter, yet childhood memories surfaced again in her mind.

“If… it’s a terrible memory from long ago, can it heal that too?”

【“Perhaps. If you believe it has that power, it will have that power. This Pokémon is simply that miraculous—after all, it’s a Psychic-type.”】

A Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon whose legend had been lost—Gardevoir tilted her head slightly as she stared at the Rellor Crown image.

Like a rabbit wearing a cauliflower.

It looked silly—but strangely… also cute? Why?

As she stared, Gardevoir couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

Why did it keep getting cuter the longer she looked?

【“The idea to make the doll came from another customer. But since this doll enhances psychic powers, I decided to… ah, wait, someone—”】

Gardevoir: “?”

By instinct as a psychic, Gardevoir sensed something unfavorable was about to happen—someone was coming to snatch the item!

“Shopkeeper, I want to buy the remaining dolls too. No matter who tries to compete with you, I’ll pay double.”

Gardevoir sent the message swiftly!

…………

“Precognition really is…”

Guang Tai was still chatting with the Unova customer when his client list suddenly pinged—a message from Elite Four Itsu!

【“I foresaw the creation of an important item: the Rellor Crown doll. Shopkeeper, please reserve a few for me!”】

Is this a flash sale?!

Guang Tai hadn’t expected the Rellor Crown doll to be this popular… were all these psychics…?

Of course!

Though the games never said so, the anime and manga hinted that psychics have minds unlike ordinary people, making them reclusive—essentially, they suffer from psychological disorders.

The stronger they are, the more reclusive they become; the more reclusive, the stronger they become?

But as they age, meet more people, and experience more, their personality and psychological issues gradually resolve. After all, in the Pokémon world, those with special abilities are everywhere—just a little exposure reveals everyone here is a monster.

Psychics, Wave Riders, Telekinetics, Everstone Users, Dragon Hearts… forget major figures—even random NPCs include people who swam from Kalos to Hoenn barehanded!

Even without any ability, humans in the Pokémon world can’t be judged by normal standards. Psychics feel isolated because they think they’re different—but once you meet enough people, you realize: when everyone’s abnormal, society is normal!

“Sorry, Mr. Itsu, this item is already… you’ll need to wait in line, and I’ve only made one…”

【“I foresaw this item’s creation. It wasn’t pre-ordered—it was actively promoted by you. And if I don’t reserve it now, I won’t be able to buy it later!”】

Itsu’s words initially confused Guang Tai—until he saw Gardevoir’s message and fell silent.

After several breaths, Guang Tai finally replied.

“I think precognition shouldn’t be used this way. She foresaw your future and bought everything; you foresaw hers and came to snatch it—so this mess happened.”

Trying to prevent a prophecy by acting on it becomes part of the prophecy itself!

Guang Tai replied to Gardevoir, then remembered—he only knew this client was a young lady, not her name.

“This Rellor Crown doll is just a prototype. I plan to make new ones with plush fabric. There’s no need to rush…”

【“This item is vital to me. I have psychological disorders, and I love the doll’s design. I’ll pay double the price for any future similar items—please sell me this one first.”】

【“Besides, shouldn’t later buyers wait in line? I don’t mean to compete—but the psychic you’re speaking with now? I know him. Let me speak with him directly.”】

Guang Tai: “?”

Can psychic powers be used like this?

Communicating across such vast distances—could this even be possible…?

Gardevoir: 【“Of course not! I just foresaw his account and ID—oh, now I’ve added him as a friend!”】

Guang Tai: “…”

He’d overthought it.

Meanwhile, Gardevoir and Itsu’s exchange was far simpler.

Gardevoir: “Mr. Itsu, I’ve heard of you. I didn’t expect your psychic power had advanced to the point where you could foresee me.”

Itsu, equally surprised, had also foreseen her identity: “Miss Gardevoir… I never expected it to be you. But aren’t you in Unova…?”

“I’m in Unova. Through training, I’ve gradually mastered my psychic powers. So, I won’t give up the Rellor Crown doll.”

Gardevoir was determined to get the Rellor Crown doll.

“This is troublesome… Young Lady, you shouldn’t be so selfish… at least let me buy a few.”

Itsu was exasperated—he’d heard of Gardevoir. Before becoming Elite Four, he knew of her Battle Castle in Sinnoh; this young lady was incredibly wealthy!

“…If you’re willing to pay double, I can let you have a few.”

Gardevoir refused to lose out. Itsu instantly understood why—and let out a wry smile.

“Oh dear, this precognition result is terrible. I guess I still have a long way to go.”

Gardevoir replied with a smiling emoji:

“Why did you suddenly try to snatch my item? If you hadn’t used precognition, none of this would’ve happened. The shopkeeper was chatting with me.”

Itsu felt embarrassed: “Sorry. It really is my fault.”

But immediately after, both their accounts received a notification—they’d been added to a small group.

Guang Tai had created a merchant group and added both of them.

Guang Tai: “This is the Merchant Group. If you want to preorder a Reuniclus doll, you can say so here… Oh, by the way, I’ll invite the person who reminded me to make the doll.”

“Oh, I know.” Gardevoir foresaw the future and learned the true identity of that person:

“So that’s why. She loves dolls so much—I wouldn’t have been able to buy the Reuniclus doll without her. If it’s her, I’ll give up part of my preorder slot.”

Yi Shu: “Ah, it’s her! She really does love dolls. This new product is all thanks to her!”

Guang Tai: “?”

Riddle Man, get out of the Merchant Group…

These psychics are constantly abusing their future-seeing powers!

But doesn’t overusing psychic powers cause fatigue?

Just as Guang Tai was operating, a new ID suddenly appeared in the group chat.

【Psychic Girl.】

【“I foresaw that this shop has unique psychic dolls, so I found this merchant group… I want to buy one.”】

Again with the future-seeing…

Guang Tai was about to type something when the Psychic Girl sent another message ahead of time:

【“Those two already foresaw who I am, so it’s fine—they’ll give me their preorder slot.”】

Yi Shu: 【“That’s true. You deserve to buy a Reuniclus doll more than we do.”】

Gardevoir: 【“So it’s you! Have you been feeling better lately? A Reuniclus doll will suit you perfectly!”】

Guang Tai watched the group chat and felt that here, he was the one with the psychological issue!

Why does it feel like he’s being excluded…

Guang Tai quietly added the Ice Doll to the merchant group—he figured this Ice-type Trainer wouldn’t play riddles…

【Ice Doll】: 【“So this is the doll group? Hey, you’re here too! @Psychic Girl!”】

Guang Tai: “?!”

…………

Kanto Region, Vermilion City, Vermilion Gym.

A girl with short black hair and a serious expression watched the two “kindred spirits” in the chat group, as well as her conversation with Ice Queen Koga, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.

Though she wasn’t skilled at showing smiles, she sometimes smiled when happy.

Since receiving an invitation from the Unova region, the future had become unpredictable.

Even this strange doll—she’d tried using future-seeing on the shopkeeper, only to find his future constantly shifting. Such people occasionally appear; they carry unimaginable potential.

How many such people had she met now? The one from Pallet Town, the one from Viridian City, and now this one…

“If I accept the invitation, will my abilities as a Pokémon Trainer stagnate? Before leaving Vermilion Gym, I should appoint an acting Gym Leader… The shop still has many psychic items—perhaps they could help other psychics in the Gym…”

“…I must meet the new future with a renewed spirit. Koga isn’t a Champion anymore, Red went to Mt. Silver—time really flies.”

(End of Chapter)