NOVEL WEB Chapter 42: Chapter 42
After purchasing the Arceus sculpture, Professor Rowan also placed an order for a Slugma sculpture.
According to its product description, the Slugma sculpture can make the surrounding area warmer—essentially serving as a fireplace that doesn't require a flame. It sounded quite practical.
"It must have some kind of built-in heating device. But this effect does resemble Slugma's natural trait. Wherever Slugma gathers, the ground temperature rises. In colder regions, some people even raise Slugma and let them move around inside a fireplace to heat their entire house."
"By the way, there's no direct shipping option? It has to go from Johto to Kanto, then from Kanto to Sinnoh? The shipping fee's kinda high…"
Professor Rowan pondered this while reviewing the other sculptures' feature descriptions:
The Slugma sculpture's function is heating.
The Charizard sculpture's function is to make fire burn more fiercely.
The Scyther sculpture can increase the cutting force.
The Charmander sculpture can make the air scorching hot.
The Dragonite sculpture prevents abnormal status more easily.
The Xatu sculpture can foresee one event each day.
The Snorlax sculpture's function is to calm external forces and soothe the mind.
Calm external forces? What does that even mean?
"Ugh, no matter how you look at it, something's off. Could this store be a scam? If these items turn out worthless, I'm going to complain to Oak. He's the one who made me follow this weird shop. If my money is wasted, I'll blame him!"
"That's a full two hundred thousand!"
"And there are Gengar and Lairon sculptures. Wait, the Lairon one is off the shelves? It says 'This product is no longer available… inventory is out?'"
...
Sinnoh region, Battle Castle.
A young man dressed in a butler's uniform—complete with a standard tailcoat on top and purple trousers below, his hair slicked back in a rather odd style—was staring at the screen on his Pokégear.
"It's a very old-looking Snorlax statue. Supposedly, it can calm the mind somewhat."
"Hmm, could the sculptor be a person with psychic powers?"
This was Darach, the Castle Valet of the Battle Castle, one of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier facilities. He served as the attendant of the castle's true owner, the young lady Caitlin.
That girl possessed extremely strong psychic powers, so formidable that whenever her emotions ran too high, her powers would go out of control and rampage. Because of that, she was prohibited from participating in battle.
However, Caitlin had gradually realized her own immaturity and was determined to change herself. She'd been through a period of training and refinement and was about to depart on a journey to the faraway Unova region. Darach believed she would accomplish something extraordinary there.
Perhaps in just a few months, he'd hear news of his mistress's meteoric rise in that land.
With that in mind, Darach had been searching online for ways to help Lady Caitlin master her psychic power more quickly. While browsing on his Pokégear, he came across the Traveling Workshop.
"If this statue truly has the effect of soothing an agitated heart, it might also calm the rampaging psychic power. It could help Lady Caitlin gain better control of her abilities. I'll buy this statue as a parting gift for her."
...
Johto Region, Ecruteak City.
"Though this was recommended by Professor Elm…"
A strange workshop, a strange artisan, and strange yet powerful talismans!
Morty examined the spiritual power radiating from the talismans. It was utterly different from the power he had cultivated himself.
"What an unusual kind of energy—like it comes from another world. Yes, it's like the power of the spirit realm."
"The person who made these talismans must be a formidable 'adept in spiritual training'!"
Such an adept is one type of medium, someone who gains unique abilities through rigorous spiritual discipline. Morty prided himself on his Clairvoyance, using his spiritual power to see what his clients wished to see—no matter how far away, he could behold it.
Morty was also a seeker of Ho-Oh.
Originally, Professor Elm recommended this shop to him, hoping Morty would investigate the shop's items. That was a formal request. Yet after actually purchasing these talismans, Morty discovered that the difference between his spiritual power and the artisan's was quite large.
It wasn't just the total amount of spiritual power but also the method of its use and its source that were different.
"My spiritual power comes from painstaking practice, but the artisan who made these talismans might have been born with this power."
"There really are people like that."
Neither Morty nor other well-known spirit mediums—like Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Four, who gained her strong spiritual power by training at Mt. Pyre—had been born with such abilities.
Some spiritual power users acquire their abilities after near-death experiences that allow them to see ghosts, essentially receiving a summons from the spirit world.
Truly gifted psychics—those born with these abilities—are exceedingly rare, but when they do appear, they display extraordinary spiritual talent.
Morty exhaled lightly. These talismans had already helped him immensely in his training. Even the Curse Talismans he tested on Gengar were extremely potent.
At the same time, the mediums, shrine maidens, and psychics gathered in Ecruteak Gym—people who sought to refine their ghostly or spiritual powers—were all full of praise for these talismans.
"Maybe I should invite the artisan to Ecruteak City."
Morty contemplated that idea. Once it arose, he found it hard to suppress. But inviting someone over—would he ask them to share their spiritual insights, or craft some talismans on-site?
Either way, it might seem presumptuous.
"I need to prepare some gifts. Perhaps I can offer him my personal notes on spiritual training."
Morty glanced at his Pokémon—Misdreavus and Gengar, both of which seemed extremely fond of these talismans.
These unique talismans enhanced their Ghost-type energy, making them highly suitable for training Ghost Pokémon. Furthermore, Gengar and the others sensed that the talismans contained some attribute energy from a Pokémon they'd never encountered before.
Intrigued, Morty used his Clairvoyance—not to spy on the Glow Moss this time, but to search for that mysterious Pokémon.
Eventually, Morty glimpsed a Pokémon shaped like a sword, an extremely lively one, which he had never seen before. In this vision, the Pokémon was very close to its trainer; they shared a strong bond.
"A powerful, naturally gifted spiritual energy… Right. If it's that person, maybe they can see Ho-Oh."
Morty remembered the ancient legend of Ecruteak City. From time immemorial, people here had worshipped Pokémon as deities.
And it was said that the legendary Pokémon would one day appear before a truly worthy trainer.
So the legend goes… Morty had always believed in that beautiful myth. Since birth, he'd engaged in secret and demanding training to fulfill a fragment of that ancient legend.
He once believed that if anyone could summon the legendary Pokémon to this land, it would be him.
But despite all his effort, he still could not call forth Ho-Oh.
Morty understood that he hadn't been chosen by the legendary Pokémon. Yet that didn't mean his path was closed off. Until he witnessed a radiant future, he would continue training!
And this time, perhaps…
"A formidable trainer… This artisan with such a gifted spiritual talent, plus a unique Ghost-type Pokémon…"
"That sort of inborn power often comes with a certain destiny. That's typically how these things go. The more I think about it, the more excited I get!"
(End of Chapter)
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