Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World

Meanwhile…

Outside the workshop, the Pokémon gathered around to examine the pile of breeding items.

"Yooh?" Doublade lifted two jars, one containing refined iron powder and the other Soul Sand, and a pair of imaginary bubbles popped up near its two sword handles at the same time.

So the way to use these might be… grinding them down!

For a Pokémon without a mouth, simply absorbing the Steel- and Ghost-type energy in these materials would be a huge waste. After that absorption, the iron powder and sand would just become regular stuff, making this a one-time huge expense.

The workshop had only just started to turn a profit, so it could not afford such reckless usage. As a craftsman, one must consider how to maximize the effect of these two jars of breeding materials!

Doublade started pondering!

Although generally speaking, sand can't be used to sharpen blades, this is Soul Sand, which differs from normal sand.

Using a grinding technique should yield impressive results! Doublade set down the iron powder, then waved its ribbon at Hisuian Lilligant.

"Lilli?" Lilligant held two bags of seeds: the Miracle Seed and the Pompom Seeds. She and Turtwig had been inspecting them but turned around when Doublade called. She saw Doublade shaking the jar of sand in front of its blade and understood right away!

So that's it, you want to get polished!

Lilligant set down the seeds, came over to Doublade, and raised a leafy arm to pour out some Soul Sand.

Upon opening the jar, the Ghost-type energy began to diffuse. However, items sold online as breeding aids wouldn't be dangerously cursed.

Though imbued with Ghost energy, they contained no harmful curses.

Doublade's two blades both emerged from the sheath. One of them drifted in front of Lilligant, lying horizontally.

Lilligant looked around, found a roll of cloth, spread it on the ground, and set the sand on top of it to catch any spillage.

Mixing Ghost-infused sand into the soil or grass might cause unpredictable plant growth—if it mutated badly, that would be a problem.

"Lilli~"For some reason, Lilligant felt a surge of excitement.

She had wanted to try polishing for a while. Back when she was still a Petilil, she had demonstrated some skills with her leaves, gaining strange knowledge and abilities.

Now that she had evolved, she could use her arms to carry out the polishing. So…

Green light glowed on Lilligant's leaf arm!

This was a Leaf Blade grind!

Swish—The soft Soul Sand spread across Doublade's blade. Lilligant used her Leaf Blade move to polish Doublade. It was just a simple test, of course, so not all the sand would be used up.

She understood only a Trainer could produce the highest-level creations.

She was just an apprentice after all.

"Yooh~"Doublade found it quite enjoyable. The sand's Ghost power seeped into its blade bit by bit, and the sand on top was gradually diminishing, causing Lilligant to watch in curiosity.

When the first sword was polished, the second sword's turn came quickly. Lilligant was moving swiftly now, and after both blades had been polished, Doublade felt significantly better!

Indeed, using Soul Sand for polishing had a tremendous effect. The Ghost energy in the sand was almost fully drained, leaving the Soul Sand material itself to vanish completely without a trace!

But… that refined iron powder… Doublade looked at the other jar.

The best use for iron powder would be smelting, but Doublade, a Steel-type Pokémon, would take damage from fire!

Is it really time to do a "forge-the-blade" special?

Meanwhile, Lilligant sensed a slight boost to her Fighting-type energy.

The polishing work itself was also a test of strength—a form of training?

[Hisuian Lilligant has trained, and its Fighting-type energy has risen.]

"Oh, you're already studying those items?"

Hikaru came out after finishing the Shinto Secret Medicine and saw the scene, prompting a notification in his mind.

Not far from his feet, Turtwig was staring at the two seed pouches, periodically shaking its shell and turning its head to peek at its back.

Once it saw Hikaru, its eyes lit up, and it came over with the seeds in its mouth, apparently wanting Hikaru to see if there was a place on its back to plant them.

"Those seeds can't sprout. They're nutrient items and battle gear. Plus, the Miracle Seed is way too big for you to carry on your shell."

Turtwig sure wants to try planting everything on its back!

The Pompom Seeds are meant for making powerful Grass-type food, and there are only two Miracle Seeds. Perfect for Lilligant and Turtwig.

Lilligant nestled the Miracle Seed among the floral crown on her head, letting the Grass-type energy fill her up, making her quite happy!

Hikaru watered Lilligant, causing her flower crown to bloom more vibrantly as life energy nourished her.

[You have nurtured Hisuian Lilligant. Her Grass-type energy has increased.]

For Turtwig, Hikaru reconditioned the soil on its back. Turtwig's shell was too small to bury the Miracle Seed inside, since that seed was about half a palm in size. So Turtwig could only bite down on it.

In the soil on Turtwig's back, Hikaru mixed in volcanic ash from the Hoenn region, said to contain traces of the Earth God's power, making the soil more fertile.

However, to the people of Hoenn, volcanic ash can also lead to certain illnesses—it has pros and cons.

Turtwig felt this trickle of energy, perking up considerably.

[You have nurtured Turtwig. It has gained experience and growth, storing nutrients for future development. Its Ground- and Grass-type energies have risen.]

Doublade floated over, holding the jar of iron powder, asking Hikaru how to use it.

"Refined iron powder is indeed best used as a forging material, but I also have another use for it."

Doublade stared at Hikaru, suddenly thinking of something— Could… Could it be… "Steel Power Foods"?!

Wait, can you really treat it as a cooking ingredient?

"It can be used as food, yes. Iron powder can also be considered medicinal."

Hikaru gave Doublade a quick lesson, picking up a dictionary from the pile of books on the ground: "Here's a modern language study book called a dictionary. You can write ancient text, so I bought you this. If you can figure out modern script—"

"Yooh~"Before Hikaru could finish, Doublade got excited!

If it can understand modern script, it can go online and curse those scammers!

Hikaru: "…"

Is there a chance you're learning to read so I can better train you, not so you can verbally assault people online?

Doublade took the dictionary, forgetting about the iron powder and Soul Sand altogether, and began studying intently. It had learned ancient writing in the old kingdom, so it understood the basics of how to learn a new script. It was all the same principle!

Even though the modern written system is different, as a Ghost-type Pokémon, Doublade's memory and learning capacity are formidable!

"Actually, aside from these specialized breeding materials, many other Pokémon materials I've purchased can also be used for breeding…" Hikaru murmured, but Doublade was fully absorbed in the dictionary by then.

Speaking of Steel types, one can't overlook Metal Coat. Hikaru had already produced that item: a sticky gray metallic substance that can be applied to Steel-type Pokémon to enhance their power. Iron powder can also be used to make Metal Coat.

Additionally, there are items shed by various Steel-type Pokémon—feathers from Skarmory or Corviknight; fragments from Magnezone, Metagross, Steelix, and Forretress; brass chunks from Copperajah; even the liquefied iron of the Mythical Pokémon Melmetal. Long ago, that Pokémon was worshipped for its ability to produce iron.

"But I couldn't find a Steel Gem online. If I had one, it would be even better for breeding."

Hikaru muttered. At that moment, the H pattern on Regirock's face flashed.

It made a mysterious sound, indicating that while it didn't have a Steel Gem, a friend of its might have something better.

Once the Rocky Mountain Ruins are restored… shall we go look for the legendary 'Black Gold'?

Hikaru blinked.

"Registeel's Black Gold Ruins?"

(End of Chapter)

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