"Ruins carving craftsmanship…?"
Hikaru furrowed his brows in thought.
If it was about carving, then his family's craft was precisely that—sculpting.
But when it came to ruins stones, weren't those just the bricks inside ruins or the rocks outside? And what exactly was a "symbolic stone slab"? He wasn't sure about its function, but that was to be expected. After all, he hadn't truly obtained such materials yet. There was no rush.
The Ruins of Shinto were located on the nearby mountains. Though the journey was long, summer was the best season to explore the ruins.
This land only had four months without snowfall—from early summer to late autumn.
As for sculpting in the Pokémon world, the first person that came to Hikaru's mind was Kosa, the sculptor from the Paldea region.
Each region had its own mysterious sculptures, but few knew who created them. It was one of the world's hidden secrets—stone sculptors never sought fame.
Of course, there were also the frequent Rhyperior sculptures found in ruins, though the sculptors who made them had long since passed away.
As for the Gym statues, Hikaru had already seen through the memories of his predecessor that his family often sculpted statues for Gyms. His father would even travel to Rock-type Gyms to repair and restore relief carvings and stone decorations.
There were still many questions in his mind, but anything involving Pokémon always seemed fascinating, leading him to think deeper.
During this time, Honedge had been quietly waiting by his side, remaining still for a while until Hikaru picked up the glossy-looking stone. That was when he suddenly noticed Honedge staring blankly at him.
"{}?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Speaking of which, this Pokémon's "eyes" were more like the two marks on its scabbard: [ˋˊ].
At this moment, however, Honedge was thinking—
This gemstone looks different from when I wore it before! Now, this actually looks like a gem!
Had I known, I wouldn't have given it to you!
"Oh, are you attracted to it? Here, try wearing it again."
Hikaru handed the Eviolite Stone to Honedge. The Pokémon hesitated for a moment before using its blue ribbon to wrap around the stone, then placed it on its hilt. To Hikari's surprise, a fitting slot appeared automatically on the hilt, and the gem clicked perfectly into place.
Hikaru immediately started analyzing.
As expected, even though Honedge didn't have a mouth for eating and belonged to the Mineral Egg Group, it was a Ghost/Steel-type Pokémon. These two attributes already defined its nature—it was both a spirit and an ancient sword. Manipulating its blade to undergo small transformations was effortless.
Now that he thought about it, in the past anime, there was that Aegislash performing "folded slashes." He had always assumed that was just an exaggerated battle animation meant to create dramatic tension. But now, it seemed surprisingly… realistic.
Even though it belonged to the Mineral Egg Group, Pokémon in this world were still considered living beings. But come on—what kind of living creature folds into three sections?!
"Yo!"
The moment Honedge equipped the Eviolite Stone, it immediately felt a significant increase in the durability of its blade. The sensation was subtle—what was once just an ordinary gemstone now seemed… alive!
Not only did it come to life, but it also resonated with Honedge, slowly activating a certain power within itself, forming a continuous cycle. Although weak, the feeling was incredible!
Honedge blinked its single eye and let out a sound toward Hikaru.
"Yo!"
I've equipped it! Feels amazing!
"Hardness, toughness… you seem to be in great shape," Hikaru chuckled. "You can keep wearing it for now. Hmm… looks like you can use it for a few more days. My client hasn't replied yet, and in the meantime, this stone should gradually enhance your defensive capabilities."
"But I promise I'll find you another Eviolite Stone to replace it."
"As my craftsmanship improves, the stones I refine will only get better! But once you evolve into your final form, you won't need an Eviolite Stone anymore."
Honedge's eye lit up instantly, and it happily twirled its blade.
"Yo!"
Brimming with confidence for the future—this was the attitude its chosen new king should have!
As for the gemstone? It could leave that up to fate!
Hikaru stretched his body and glanced at the time on his computer.
21:00.
Exhaling deeply, he realized that although he felt a little exhausted, today had been quite fulfilling.
Honedge's sudden appearance had completely disrupted his thoughts and, in doing so, had forced him to immerse himself in this world.
That was a good thing.
From the moment he had regained consciousness, he had been working until nightfall without noticing the passage of time. He had only eaten some dried fruits to stave off hunger. Now, he could finally take a break.
"That's enough work for today. Time for dinner."
To celebrate his first encounter with Honedge, he wanted to prepare a proper meal. However, the variety and quantity of ingredients at home were already running low. He could manage some stews, but anything fancier was out of the question.
He would have to buy more from the villagers. Hopefully, his first major client would bring in enough savings soon.
For now, foraging for wild vegetables and Berries in the forests and mountains would have to do.
"Speaking of which, what do you eat? Do you eat Pokémon food?"
Hikaru glanced at Honedge, suddenly curious.
Ghost-type Pokémon were known to sustain themselves by absorbing life energy, but they also seemed capable of eating standard Pokémon food and even human meals. Of course, some special Pokémon truly didn't eat normal food at all.
How did Ghost-types even consume food?
Honedge was a sword with a ghostly essence. Did it actually need to eat conventional meals?
According to its lore, it fed on life force. However, from what Hikaru knew, no Honedge or Aegislash had ever absorbed their trainer's life energy. In contrast, the Litwick evolutionary line, with similar descriptions, had a much darker reputation.
Moreover, Honedge couldn't even learn any "Absorption"-type moves.
Judging by its Egg Group, if he remembered correctly, it was classified under the Mineral Group. But that didn't necessarily mean it only ate rocks, soil, or ice. For example, Sudowoodo was also part of the Mineral Group but could eat regular Pokémon food.
So… what did this ghostly sword prefer?
"Yo~"
Honedge responded matter-of-factly.
Of course, life energy. But it doesn't have to be human.
Human energy was just convenient because humans could recover it quickly through eating. And as a weapon, it naturally coexisted with its wielder… though Hikaru didn't seem to need a weapon for protection.
Honedge: Stare—
It gestured with its blue ribbon while making sounds.
"Yo? Yo!"
Isn't this a common thing? You know, the kind of legendary hero's sword stuck in a forest?
If you place the hero's sword in the right spot, it'll remain untarnished for centuries!
"Oh, you mean a hero's sword? That kind of setting actually exists? You're saying that nature's essence is also a form of life energy? That makes sense, I suppose. Wild Honedge exist, after all… they can't just go around draining wild humans."
Hikaru thought for a moment.
A hero's sword left in a forest… that sounded like something akin to the "Rusted Sword."
What if Zacian wielded an Aegislash—how high would its base stats be?!
Then another thought struck him.
"So, would the energy from Berries count too?"
"Yo!"
Honedge blinked and confirmed enthusiastically.
Of course! How else do you think Berries restore HP?!
"Then… what about a Revive? Even if you're at full health, it'd probably say, 'It won't have any effect.'"
(End of Chapter)
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