『Rare Material: Aged Cloth (Processed)』
『Description: An old cloth imbued with an ominous aura. Prolonged contact may cause loss of life energy.』
『Crafting Proficiency +1』
『Basic Spirit Sewing (C): Utilizing Ghost-type materials, you can create garments for Ghost/Undead entities. These spirit-infused textiles help soothe restless souls and slightly enhance Ghost-type moves.』
This was the compiled information on the newly obtained material.
Hikaru stroked his chin. Just reading the description of anything spirit-related gave off an eerie feeling.
However, Ghost-type textiles would likely sell well among mediums and spirit communicators!
After all, there were quite a few people with supernatural abilities in the Pokémon world!
"Honedge, use Fury Cutter!"
Hikaru commanded, and Honedge swiftly slashed the aged fabric into precise talisman-sized pieces. The sword glowed as it cut through, and in moments, the old cloth had been cleanly sliced into numerous rectangular charms.
"Next…"
Basic knowledge of talisman crafting surfaced in Hikaru's mind. He began preparing the necessary materials:
Aged Spirit Cloth
Ground minerals (preferably cinnabar)
Brush and ink
Salt
A Ghost- or Psychic-type Pokémon
Once everything was ready, Hikaru carefully inscribed the talismanic symbols while using salt to neutralize excess spiritual energy. The mineral dust was mixed into the ink, and each cloth piece was placed on Honedge's blue ribbon for imbuing.
Ordinarily, talismans were made using talisman paper.
So was this why it was considered "unique"?
『Crafting complete: Obtained "Unique Purification Talisman"!』
『Effect: While held, it reduces the chance of encountering wild Pokémon.』
『Unique Effect: Instantly removes any form of "Curse" status upon use, after which the talisman becomes ineffective.』
『Crafting complete: Obtained "Unique Cursed Talisman"!』
『Effect: While held, boosts the power of Ghost-type moves.』
『Unique Effect: Upon use, inflicts "Curse" on the target, after which the talisman becomes ineffective.』
『Knowledge gained: +1』
『Artisan: Drawing efficiency +10%.』
As Hikaru reviewed the item descriptions, he was momentarily taken aback.
"The effects are quite impressive! These should be popular among ruin enthusiasts and explorers."
Then, Honedge's status updated again:
『Honedge assisted in a crafting project and gained experience and growth!』
『Honedge learned the move: Psycho Cut!』
『Honedge gained knowledge: +1.』
『Soul Blade: Can perceive the movement of souls, improving observational ability and accuracy. Critical hit rate +10%.』
"Yo!"
As Hikaru processed this information, Honedge also sensed the changes within itself. Now, when observing objects, it had an odd certainty—a feeling of knowing exactly where to strike.
And more than that, it had just learned a new move.
Just from cutting a few pieces of spirit-infused cloth, it had mastered Psycho Cut? Was it really this easy?
Moreover, it felt as if it had unlocked an entirely new sword technique—like a sudden flash of enlightenment!
Honedge turned its gaze toward Hikaru.
It could see the subtle micro-movements before Hikaru even raised his hand—the soul's intent moving before the body followed.
This realization left Honedge utterly astonished!
Then, without hesitation, it fell into blind excitement!
It had continuously learned multiple new moves and had grown stronger!
As a knight's sword, wasn't it actually a buried genius?!
Watching Honedge revel in its own excitement, Hikaru shook his head.
Ever heard the saying that genius is 99% hard work and 1% inspiration?
Ignoring Honedge's antics, Hikaru turned his attention to the newly unlocked material clue:
『Rare Material: Leaf Stone』
『A mysterious stone found in forests or ancient ruins. It enables certain Pokémon to evolve.』
『Possible Locations: Ruins of Shinto, Deep Forests, Cave Excavations, Traveling Merchants.』
『Related Craft: Moss Cultivation Techniques.』
A Leaf Stone? A clue for an Evolutionary Stone?
Was this also considered a crafting material?
Seeing "Ruins of Shinto" listed as a location, Hikaru figured he'd check it out when he got there anyway.
Next, he turned on his computer and browsed his artisan shop page—which was still quite basic.
The shop primarily featured:
Woodcarving and stonecraft
Antique restoration and historical reproductions
These were the skills Hikaru's father had excelled in, earning a solid reputation among craftsmen. Of course, none of these were related to Pokémon battles.
However, Hikaru himself was capable of crafting Shell Bells, Muscle Bands, and other common held items.
For non-battle items, he could make:
Soothe Bell (to increase friendship)
Power Items (Bracer, Belt, Anklet, etc.) for Pokémon training
Looking at the simple shop interface, Hikaru uploaded the Purification Talismans and Cursed Talismans, carefully labeling their unique effects.
As for inventory… He glanced at the pile of old cloth in the corner and the neatly cut talisman strips Honedge had prepared.
"Let's start with 20 units. That should be manageable for Honedge without overworking it."
...
June 12th
The weather remained sunny, and the temperature was gradually warming up.
Early in the morning, Hikaru was greeted by the beeping of his computer.
Opening his inbox, he found a new message:
『About the talismans in your shop… Do they really work as described?』
The sender's ID was "Ancient Explorer".
"Huh, so a ruin enthusiast saw my listing?"
Hikaru was surprised. Lance had reached out almost immediately last time, and now, within a day, another customer had appeared.
Maybe this was a passive perk of his abilities?
Just making high-quality crafts and waiting for customers to come?
Hikaru replied: "I am a spiritual practitioner."
That wasn't a lie—he did possess basic knowledge of spirit communication.
Ancient Explorer: "To my knowledge, only exceptionally powerful mystics and exorcists can remove curses. Your talisman claims it can dispel any curse. Could you demonstrate it for me?"
Hikaru frowned. Demonstrate? How?
Ancient Explorer: "It's simple. I will send you a cursed email. If you can remove the curse from the email, I'll know whether your product works."
Wait… This guy talks like a tomb raider.
"Alright, no problem," Hikaru agreed.
Ancient Explorer: "I used my Gengar to attach the curse. Be careful—Gengar's curses are mischievous and frightening in nature."
A moment later, an email filled with complete gibberish arrived.
The instant Hikaru looked at it, his vision was swallowed by darkness.
A grotesque, oversized Gengar face seemed to stretch out from the screen, lunging toward him!
Its wide, toothy grin expanded unnaturally, laughing in eerie echoes.
"Gengaa!"
Gengar had used Night Shade! A chilling, ghostly presence filled the air.
It was said that Gengar steals body heat from its prey. When one's shadow stretches unnaturally under a streetlamp, it's because a Gengar has merged with it.
If you suddenly feel an eerie chill… a Gengar might be cursing you.
"Yo!"
Honedge saw the phenomenon and instinctively drew itself, charging forward!
A swift Shadow Sneak slashed into the Night Shade!
Ghost vs. Ghost—Super Effective!
"Wait, don't attack! Honedge, stop! This is a customer!"
Hikaru hurriedly stopped it. Honedge froze midair, utterly confused.
"Yo? Yo?!"
This thing just attacked you, and you're calling it a customer?!
"It's just their way of verifying the product," Hikaru explained, completely unfazed by the Night Shade.
On the other side of the screen, Gengar wore an odd expression. Its wide grin twisted in confusion.
Hikaru retrieved a Purification Talisman while Gengar activated Curse!
—Whoosh!—
The talisman's glow enveloped Gengar's shadow, wiping away the Curse.
"Yiih! Gengaa!"
As the talisman disintegrated, the Night Shade dissipated, and the email returned to normal.
A moment later, Hikaru received another message:
"Amazing. My Gengar just told me what happened. Your talisman is truly effective—I've never seen Gengar react like that."
"Curse completely removed."
Ancient Explorer: "How many Purification Talismans do you have in stock? I'll buy them all."
"…All of them?"
Ancient Explorer: "Yes. I explore ancient ruins frequently and encounter dangerous curses. Oh, and… does shipping include free delivery?"
Hikaru: "…Seriously?"
(End of Chapter)
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