Chapter 55 Leftovers

[“Your sculptures are truly astonishing! Collecting ancient stone statues of this kind is my absolute favorite hobby!”]

[“What, you say these are replicas? No, no, no, I know these are counterfeits! But even as counterfeits, they are crafted so meticulously that they are virtually indistinguishable from genuine antiquities. This is a precious work of art in its own right! I am willing to buy them at a high price! I’ll take the entire stock!”]

[“Ah... Is that so... You still need to sell some to others? I apologize for my abruptness, then I shall just buy one of each!”]

[“W-What?! Some of them have already been taken off the shelves and are no longer for sale... This, this is such a pity! When will you put those items back on the shelves? I shall wait for your update at any time!”]

[“Then I suppose I’ll just buy one sculpture for today!”]

After sending off the previous customer whose ID was [Mythology Researcher], Guangtai didn't even have a moment to mourn the departure of his old customer before a new one rushed onto the battlefield!

This time, the counterpart's ID was practically laying all its cards on the table: [Bourgeoisie Meier].

"It's Mr. Bourgeoisie Meier from the Unova Region. Seriously, who uses their real name on the internet!"

The Bourgeoisie family was a wealthy household residing in Undella Town within the Unova Region. The family consisted of six members whose shared hobby was spending vast sums of money to collect ancient antiques. This time, they claimed to have been recommended by their "friend," which led them to his shop, and they held boundless admiration for his craftsmanship...

Undella Town in Unova?

Oh right, there was indeed a customer over there—that would be [Seeker of Antiquity], right!

"Customers introduce each other, and through these referrals, my client base is bound to grow larger and larger!"

"However, my initial plan was to conquer the Johto Region first. Why do all the wild customers who keep spawning turn out to be from other regions? Hmm, do the local people of the Johto Region really have no needs regarding battles? Previously, the only orders I got were from a customer in Ecruteak City and two members of the Elite Four."

"And what about the various Gym Leaders from other places as well... Huh?!"

Just as Guangtai was pondering this, he suddenly received an email.

It turned out to be from the previous customer in Ecruteak City, who at that time had made a direct purchase without conversing with him.

[“The Spell Tag I bought from you last time worked exceptionally well for spiritual channeling, so I hope to procure another batch, and the Cursed Cloth as well.”]

[“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Morty, the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City, and I am an ascetic practitioner of spiritual arts. It seems you are also a powerful spiritual medium? If you have some free time, please do come to Ecruteak City to exchange knowledge with me. I will prepare tea and gifts to receive you.”]

Ah, it's Morty!

This character had a very rich storyline across the games, anime, and the Pokémon Adventures manga, bolstered significantly by his dual identity as an ascetic spiritual practitioner and a follower of Ho-Oh. The ascetic practice he spoke of was essentially a form of spiritual mediumship; through rigorous spiritual training, Morty had mastered a miraculous ability known as "Clairvoyance."

"Wait, this guy wouldn't be able to peer into my private life like Will, would he?"

Guangtai involuntarily narrowed his eyes, then scratched his head.

People with these bizarre abilities are truly... making you feel like surveillance cameras have been installed on you at any given moment!

"Alright, if I have the time, I will certainly visit. Probably around after autumn or towards the end of the year."

Guangtai gave his reply, and Morty on the other end was quite delighted:

[“Then I shall await your gracious arrival! By the way, I also recommended your talismans and those occult fabrics to my fellow spiritual medium peers. After using your talismans, they were quite astonished by the effects. I presume they will be coming to your shop to make purchases very soon.”]

"Ah, thank you very much!" Guangtai quickly typed out a reply.

Customers communicating with each other and making recommendations—this was a virtuous cycle!

However, regarding Ecruteak City, Guangtai did indeed harbor plans to visit, primarily concerning the craftsmanship for making the Clear Bell, the materials for which he had almost unknowingly gathered entirely.

The only thing remaining was the net-weaving technique, and this particular craft was by far the most crucial of all.

"Should I visit Mr. Pokémon in Violet City first? But for now, I have no way to leave."

Traveling from Sinjoh Ruins to the Johto Region—just walking to the nearest Blackthorn City or Mahogany Town would take a considerable amount of time, so walking back was simply not feasible.

Therefore, if he wanted to head to Johto, leaving at the end of August or mid-September would be a decent choice. Besides, this place would be covered in heavy snow starting from October anyway, which would also give the land a chance to restore its fertility.

Come to think of it, if he could build a greenhouse, he should be able to continue growing crops even during the winter at the Sinjoh Ruins.

The Johto Region possessed unique "Apricorn Pots." In the video games, players couldn't plant Apricorns directly in the ground in Johto and had to use these pots for cultivation. At first glance, a growing pot looked like a flowerpot fitted with a glass dome, but upon closer inspection, it felt far from simple.

Still, the soil inside those pots undoubtedly originated from either the Sinnoh Region or the Hoenn Region.

Soil from different regions would have an impact on cultivation... Guangtai suddenly thought of the special forests in various locales.

"If I had a large Flying-type Pokémon, I could freely travel in and out of various regions, making things fast and convenient. Right now, it's a bit troublesome."

"The Charizard mail service in Blackthorn City seems to offer passenger rides, where you sit in a hot air balloon pulled forward by a Charizard..."

It was indeed rather agonizing not having a Flying-type Pokémon to assist, but when it came to choosing a Flying-type capable of carrying a person in flight...

If we're talking purely about taking flight, many Pokémon can accomplish it, but carrying a human for long-distance flight can only be handled by powerful, sturdy Flying-type Pokémon of large stature, such as large-bodied Charizards and large-bodied Dragonites.

Speaking of large Flying-type Pokémon in the Johto Region, especially those of a more substantial size, the first to come to mind was naturally Skarmory.

However, compared to Skarmory, Corviknight from the Galar Region was a much better choice—superior to Skarmory in practically every single aspect.

Come to think of it, Doublade's evolution, Aegislash, supposedly could also manage low-altitude passenger flight, though it just didn't look particularly safe.

After seeing off the two new customers, Guangtai took out a portion of the Apricorns he had harvested not long ago. These Apricorns, accelerated to ripeness by Celebi's power, actually looked considerably better in quality than those grown naturally. Guangtai then handed the fruits to Petilil while calling over Doublade, who was still busy chopping wood.

"Everyone, let's eat Apricorns together! Though I say 'together,' in reality, I'm the only one eating..."

Both Petilil and Doublade absorbed nutrients directly and didn't need to perform the physical action of "eating."

"Remember not to finish them completely; we need to leave a little bit behind."

Although the two Pokémon didn't understand why they weren't allowed to finish them, they followed the instructions anyway.

Oran Berries, Pecha Berries, Sitrus Berries, Razz Berries, Figy Berries, Bluk Berries, Lansat Berries, Chople Berries... These fruits were eaten into tattered remnants by Guangtai.

Among them, Doublade's eating method was the most unique: its two ribbons each gripped a fruit and began absorbing the spiritual essence of the fruits. The fruits withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually leaving behind only tiny pits and outer peels.

Soon, these fruits were reduced to a pile of variously shaped residues. Guangtai sifted through them, picking them up one by one to observe.

No trigger, no trigger, no trigger...

"Strange, are these not considered 'leftovers'?"

It wasn't until Guangtai picked up a tattered fruit that had been eaten earliest that a stream of thoughts welled up in his mind:

[Material: Leftovers (Superior Oran Berry)]

[Description: These are fruits that have been partially eaten and left sitting for a period of time. Due to prolonged exposure without consumption, the nutrients have begun to dissipate, their composition has altered, and their flavor has degraded, capable of restoring only one-sixteenth of vitality.]

[Craft unlocked: 1]

[Unique Leftovers Crafting Technique (C+): A technique for combining numerous leftover, sliced, or long-left-out fruits to create unique Leftovers, with no restriction on the form of preparation. When given to a Pokémon to hold and consumed before battle, the Pokémon's HP will slowly recover during the battle over an extended period, and this is equally effective outside of battle.]

[If a Pokémon possessing healing moves participates in the crafting process, the resulting Leftovers will yield special bonus effects.]

"Having a Pokémon with healing moves participate in the crafting... Wait, I remember now." Guangtai suddenly recalled something.

Back in the Hisui era, did there seem to be practices of using Pokémon moves for "seasoning"?

No sooner said than done, Guangtai returned to the house to retrieve pots and bowls, set up a camping tripod, started a fire underneath, and poured a portion of the leftover fruits into the pot first.

"Petilil, use Pollen Puff on the food! But keep the force gentle."

Guangtai pointed into the pot, while Petilil wore a look of utter disbelief!

Petil!

Despite harboring intense curiosity, Petilil still followed Guangtai's instructions, using Pollen Puff on the food inside the pot. A sparkling golden-red cluster of pollen entered the pot, and the force was controlled remarkably well!

As the Pollen Puff entered the pot, the food within seemed to undergo a marvelous transformation.

Guangtai scooped out the leftover fruit stew from the pot, placed it in a bowl, and observed it.

[Processed Culinary Item: Leftover Fruit Stew (Floral Broth).]

[Description: A thick stew simmered from a large quantity of leftover and sliced/exposed fruits. It possesses powerful recovery effects and will attract nearby Pokémon.]

[Craft Effect: When fed to a Pokémon, the Pokémon's HP will slowly recover during battle over an extended period.]

[Bonus Effect: Seasoned using 'Pollen Puff.' After consumption, the Pokémon's technique stat will permanently increase (minor), and for Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon, their elemental energy will also be enhanced.]

Technique? This was a type of "physical fitness" for Pokémon.

So-called physical fitness was a term used in Pokémon athletic competitions, representing the state a Pokémon exhibited in daily life. Unlike base stats, physical fitness was divided into stamina, power, technique, speed, and jumping ability.

Speed affected how fast a Pokémon moved.

Power affected the consequences generated when a Pokémon collided with other Pokémon.

Technique affected the operational precision of a Pokémon's special movements.

Stamina affected whether a Pokémon easily entered a state of fatigue.

Jumping affected the height of a Pokémon's jump.