Polishing required a long time, but with skilled craftsmanship, the process was significantly accelerated. Hikaru donned work gloves and a mask, tied on an apron stained with dust and grime, and prepared the necessary tools for sharpening.
Rust removal, surface treatment, polishing.
The sun was absent outside. Though the rain had gradually stopped, the world was growing darker, marking the passage of time.
The rust on Honedge's body slowly disappeared. After a long session of grinding, its surface became as smooth as a mirror, gleaming as if it had just been freshly forged.
The effect of "Grinding Craftsmanship" was remarkable, significantly enhancing both efficiency and speed. This made Hikaru reconsider the depth of the knowledge he had acquired.
Some effects didn't seem to appear in his conscious thoughts.
Honedge looked delighted!
It twirled in midair with excitement, slashing at the air with its newly polished blade. Hikaru noticed another layer of information:
[Craftsmanship Enhancement: After meticulous grinding with your expert skills, Honedge has undergone some changes. Its blade has become sharper and more durable, slightly enhancing its offensive capabilities.]
[Slightly increases the damage of cutting-type moves.]
Hikaru nodded in satisfaction.
A newly sharpened weapon should, of course, be tougher and sharper.
"Dou!"
Honedge spun joyfully in midair, feeling a newfound ease when swinging its body.
"Can you use a cutting move? Try it now." Hikaru asked, glancing outside.
The sky had grown quite dim, signaling the late hour. However, at the edges of the mountains, faint beams of light filtered through the clouds.
Honedge blinked its lone eye before a faint, silvery-green energy surged along its blade. Upon closer inspection, this energy seemed almost nonexistent, as though it was merely the reflection of light off the exceptionally sharp sword edge.
Hikaru pushed open the door, stepping outside with Honedge . The earthy scent mixed with the damp air as Honedge focused its attention.
Honedge used Fury Cutter!
A sharp cutting sound sliced through the air, leaving behind a crisp sword hum. Hikaru's eyes immediately brightened, and even Honedge itself seemed excited. It continued slashing through the air, with the power of Fury Cutter growing stronger with each successive strike.
By the final slash, a miniature whirlwind seemed to stir up at the sword's edge. The visible air pressure from the strike sent grass and water droplets scattering into the air!
Then, for its final attack, Honedge targeted a distant rock. The moment its tip touched the stone, a clean, straight crack formed—splitting the rock in two!
"Even though this wasn't used in an actual battle, just watching it feels powerful."
"Fury Cutter is a Bug-type move, but many Pokémon can learn it. The one who originally discovered this move was Bugsy, the Gym Leader of Azalea Town. So, you already knew this move back in your time?"
"Yo?" Honedge blinked and shook its blade left and right, indicating it had no idea.
It had always known this move.
If other Pokémon couldn't use it, perhaps it was simply because they weren't swords.
For a sword, using Fury Cutter was just a natural way to attack!
"That makes sense." Hikaru mused. Discovering moves required careful observation, and if no Pokémon in the wild had ever used a certain move, then the idea of 'discovery' wouldn't even exist.
...
After helping Honedge remove its rust, the next task was polishing the Eviolite.
However, the polishing method for stones and minerals differed from that of weapons. For softer stones, sandpaper was necessary to prevent breaking.
Fortunately, Eviolite Stones were exceptionally durable. As items that enhanced a Pokémon's defenses, their resilience was naturally high.
Recalling various clues he had seen earlier, Hikaru pondered. None of the games had ever explicitly stated the origin of Eviolite Stones.
Perhaps these stones were formed when the energy from numerous Pokémon evolutions influenced surrounding minerals over time.
Thus, when an unevolved Pokémon used one, it could significantly boost its Defense and Special Defense.
Of course, this was all just speculation—Hikaru wasn't a Pokémon Professor, after all.
By the time he finished polishing the Eviolite Stone, the sky had turned completely dark. Another day had passed.
Hikaru paused his work, carefully examining the softly glowing, pale-purple Eviolite Stone. His mind began to process the information:
[Task Completed: Obtained "Unique Eviolite Stone"!]
[Evaluation: A highly polished Eviolite Stone with its energy fully released. It can also affect a Pokémon's condition to a certain extent!]
[Item Effect: When held by an unevolved Pokémon, its Defense and Special Defense increase by 50%.]
[Unique Enhancement: The stone draws out a Pokémon's inner potential. If held for an extended period, the Pokémon's Defense and Special Defense will experience significant growth!]
[Gained Knowledge: +1]
[Improved Grinding Technique: You have acquired deeper knowledge about polishing and refining materials.]
Hikaru absorbed this knowledge as it settled into his mind.
The Unique Enhancement of the Eviolite Stone intrigued him.
In games, total damage taken depended on factors like Defense, Special Defense, HP, base stats, effort values, and typing interactions.
However, in the real world, Pokémon training had no upper limits. Even weak Pokémon could grow immensely strong through years of training. Some could even become special individuals capable of negating their natural weaknesses entirely.
"A Pokémon holding this stone will have its potential fully unleashed. If wearing it long-term increases Defense and Special Defense, then this is somewhat similar to an EV-training item. The question is whether it enhances effort values or individual values."
Satisfied, Hikaru gazed at the Eviolite Stone in his hand. Although he had only worked on polishing it, this final product was undoubtedly superior to any natural Eviolite Stone!
Thinking about it, he realized something—whether in games or anime, very few trainers actually used held items in battle. Even Gym Leaders and the Elite Four rarely did.
"How should Bug-types rise to prominence? Eviolite Stones are the perfect accessory for Scyther!"
At the same time, Hikaru recalled a unique rule about Knowledge & Craftsmanship—
After completing a new crafting project, he would always receive clues about new materials.
As thoughts formed in his mind, new information emerged:
[Material Clue: Relic Stone]
[Ancient stones once carved or processed by humans. With the passage of time, they have gained mysterious properties that differentiate them from ordinary rocks. These stones cannot be used for sculptures or buildings, but with the proper carving skills, they can be crafted into special "Symbolic Tablets."]
[Locations: Various ruins, including Sinnoh Ruins, Mt. Coronet Ruins, Ice Ruins, and Black Gold Ruins.]
[Associated Craft: Relic Engraving Technique.]
(End of Chapter)
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