Chapter 60: Alder and Volcarona

Hardly had the latest order been processed and the computer given a brief respite when it pinged once again.

To his utter astonishment, this customer was also from Unova!

"At this rate, before I even conquer Johto, I'll have already conquered Unova ahead of schedule. All of this started with that Ancient Explorer. Unovas are remarkably well-informed. By contrast, do people in Johto simply never leave their houses?"

This time, the customer appeared to be entirely normal, operating under the ID [Volcarona].

Volcarona could practically be considered a semi-legendary Pokémon in the Unova region.

"Wait... Volcarona? It couldn't possibly be Alder, could it? Haha."

Customer: ["Hello, my name is Alder."]

Kogane: ["........."]

An eerie, awkward silence descended over the room, leaving the Doublade and the Petilil looking thoroughly puzzled.

What was wrong with this person? Could he possibly be even harder to deal with than that pathological liar from before?

"Ah... This is the Champion of the Unova region."

Regaining his composure bit by bit, Kogane typed out a reply: "How may I help you today?"

["I saw something on your store page called... Herbal Fruit Juice, which supposedly strengthens a Pokémon's vitality? To be frank with you, one of my Pokémon is nearing the end of its days, and I am desperately searching for a remedy to save it."]

["Before this, I inquired through various channels and finally learned that there exists a legendary secret medicine in the Johto region, capable of instantly reviving any Pokémon that has lost its spirit and energy. However, the properties of that medicine are said to be violently potent, and I was afraid my Pokémon might not be able to endure it. Right at that moment, I stumbled upon your shop."]

["To tell the truth, I was somewhat skeptical at first about fruit juice being able to enhance life force... But upon closer reflection, doesn't nature already harbor all sorts of wondrous Berries possessing the power to restore vitality and cure status conditions? Perhaps there is indeed one such Berry out there that can save my Pokémon. Furthermore, the Shuckle juices of the Johto region enjoy a worldwide reputation. Realizing this, I decided to send you this message."]

After adding each other as friends, Alder proceeded to provide a detailed explanation regarding his gravely ill Pokémon.

Unsurprisingly, it was a Volcarona!

In Pokémon Black and White, Ghetsis had once taunted Alder, remarking that ever since his longtime partner Pokémon had passed away from illness years ago, he had lost his passion for serious battles. This also proved that the death of Alder's Volcarona was not due to ordinary, natural old age.

And ever since Alder entrusted the Elite Four with the protection of the Pokémon League, he had been wandering aimlessly across Unova, never truly engaging in serious battles again...

"The Herbal Fruit Juice—the vitality-enhancing juice you are looking for—is priced at 50,000 Pokedollars."

["50K? Only 50K?!"]

Alder seemed utterly incredulous, though that was to be expected. Acquiring such medicine at this price was nothing short of a steal; frankly, it was far too cheap.

Patiently, Kogane replied:

"I cannot offer any absolute guarantees regarding its efficacy. At any rate, try using it first. If it proves ineffective, I have other remedies you can try. As for the pricing, if a medicinal product is excessively expensive, it defeats its very purpose as a medicine."

"However, shipping will take a little while..."

["I understand. The Johto and Unova regions are terribly far apart. Still, it is only a matter of time; I will find a way to help my Volcarona hold on."]

["In my youth, I was utterly obsessed with battling, and as a result, I left my Pokémon with chronic hidden ailments. This is entirely my fault."]

["Thank you once again for your help!"]

Kogane paused in deep thought, suddenly recalling Walking Wake, and quickly typed out another message:

"By the way, allow me to ask you... Are you familiar with a place called the Connecting Cave?"

["Connecting Cave? I've never heard of it."]

Alder clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Kogane reminisced: the Connecting Cave was a location that could only be accessed by using the C-Gear developed by Professor Juniper. In other words, before the invention of the C-Gear, that area appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary forest to the outside world.

"It should be a forest located in the very heart of Unova."

["Oh! You must mean the Pinwheel Forest—ah, the Abundant Shrine? Wait, if you mean the central forest, I am familiar with it. Rumors say you can dream of wondrous things there; it's a fantastical woodland. A certain researcher seems to be studying that forest and has already made some progress. Is there anything you need my help with?"]

"Yes, a certain Pokémon might appear within the central forest. I am currently searching for it. Its appearance is..." Kogane sent the description, and Alder responded promptly:

["I see. I will keep an eye out for this Pokémon. If it has ties to the legendary dream forest... perhaps that researcher might know something."]

With that, Alder ceased sending messages.

He had entrusted Alder with searching for the Connecting Cave, and in return... saved the Volcarona.

"Phew... If that Volcarona genuinely survives, what does it matter if Ghetsis wins the recognition of the legendary dragon? An Alder who lost his primary partner was once considered the weakest Champion, but what would happen if that elderly Volcarona were still alive?"

Alder owned two Volcarona. After the older one passed away, Alder had grown thoroughly disheartened and quit taking battles seriously.

"The timeline is shifting now, it seems. I truly hope my Herbal Fruit Juice does the trick."

"As for Johto's legendary secret medicine, he was likely referring to the oldest herbal medicine shop in Cianwood City. I should carve out some time to purchase a dose of that secret medicine myself. Once I do, I ought to be able to brew the exact same thing—or perhaps even a far more effective version."

The herbal shop in Cianwood City was a time-honored establishment with no online storefront; anyone wishing to purchase from them had to make the journey personally. In the games, this remedy was capable of curing even a Psyduck's congenital headache, making it nothing short of miraculous!

Yet, no matter how potent a medicine might be, it could only hold onto a lingering breath of life. For a Pokémon already bursting with vigor, it would naturally recover completely after treatment. But for a Pokémon plagued by severe illness and hidden chronic conditions, the secret medicine might actually backfire due to its overwhelming harshness.

Just as Kogane was thinking that he had done another good deed, completed a new order, and was planning to fire up a few glass containers, the computer pinged once more!

Hey now, this was the third time, wasn't it? A hat-trick!

["Your carving skills are quite impressive, you know. An old man like me was recommended to come here. Can you take custom sculpture commissions here, hmm?"]

This time, the message was a request for a custom statue. Unlike Ghetsis's demanding inquiry, this was an order for a Gym sculpture!

Kogane narrowed his eyes slightly, bringing his full attention to bear.

"What kind of sculpture are you looking for?"

["Hehe, your sculptures are truly lifelike, looking just like authentic relics passed down from the distant past... What an old man like me wants to commission is a sculpture of a Pokémon called Urshifu. Have you ever heard of it, hmm?"]

["If you haven't heard of it, it doesn't matter. I have photographs of them right here; you just need to craft them according to the poses shown."]

Urshifu?

Wait a moment, he was recommended by someone else, and he referred to himself as an old man?

Could this be Mustard from the Isle of Armor? But if memory served, there weren't any sculptures outside his dojo... Didn't Mustard share an old acquaintance with Kurt?

In the games, Mustard, one of the former Champions of the Galar region, operated out of the Isle of Armor. His son, Hyde, had once revealed that several years prior to the start of the game, Kurt had traveled to the Isle of Armor to forge some Apri-balls for Mustard. It was during that exact visit that Hyde had laid eyes on Kurt's craftsmanship and attempted to replicate it using machinery.

When the game's protagonist successfully synthesized an Apri-ball, Hyde would explain that it had taken him a very long time to develop the machine, and reproducing Kurt's ball-crafting techniques was exceedingly difficult, making the probability of manufacturing Apri-balls via machinery exceptionally low.

Without a doubt, within the universe of the games, Kurt was the undisputed pinnacle of artisans, capable of slapping down modern manufacturing machinery even in the age of automation.

As for Mustard, he was a bit of a gaming enthusiast; he would undoubtedly be willing to try out a novelty like online shopping. Kurt, on the other hand, was rather old-fashioned, leaving anything related to the internet to his granddaughter, Maisie.

Kogane pondered for a moment before receiving the photographs sent by the customer.

Sure enough, they depicted Single Strike Style Urshifu and Rapid Strike Style Urshifu!

Two Pokémon to be made into custom sculptures and placed right outside the dojo?

Come to think of it, the front of the dojo in the games *did* look suspiciously empty and strange. Placing two statues there would instantly elevate its dignity and grandeur!

"Large custom sculptures range from 200,000 to 400,000 Pokedollars..." Kogane typed back in reply: "For a pair, that would be 400,000 to 800,000. Is this price acceptable to you?"

["Just 40K? That's not a problem at all, hmm." The customer replied swiftly: ["This old man trusts your craftsmanship. After all, your storefront page has already proven your skill, hmm! The technique behind those sculptures is simply divine!"]

["This old man will eagerly await the day I receive the sculpture. I can hardly wait; that day is bound to be thrilling, hmm!"]

"Thank you for trusting my craftsmanship. I will not let you down..." Kogane typed.

Still... why on earth was the man adding verbal tics to the end of his typed sentences? It left Kogane somewhat baffled.

Be that as it may, his earnings for the day were... genuinely substantial!

Just as the old man, suspected to be Mustard, stopped messaging, Kogane heard the mail notifier chime for a fourth time. This time, however, the incoming message wasn't from a customer, but from Kurt himself.

["Your sculptures are truly remarkable. Upon inspecting them, I found they look precisely like genuine ancient artifacts! If you didn't label them as replicas, I doubt anyone would ever realize they were fakes."]

["Your shop has been drawing a great deal of attention lately. In fact, people have even been asking me how to find you. You're currently living in the mountains far away from Johto, aren't you? If you have the time, come visit Azalea Town before the end of the year."]

["I intend to teach you the craft of crafting Apricorn Poké Balls. Your current level of craftsmanship is fully adequate to inherit this technique. If you wish to learn, come find me."]

The complete Apricorn ball-crafting technique... In other words, the net-weaving skill he lacked could only be acquired from Kurt!

Ordinary modern Poké Balls relied on technology, while Hisuian Poké Balls lacked any kind of inner mesh entirely. This meant that the ball-weaving technique was Kurt's exclusive, proprietary trade secret!

"It looks like I'll have to make a trip to Johto once autumn rolls around."

"Huh? Why is there yet another message?"

["If you permit it, I hope to visit your shop in the near future to earnestly purchase some precious stones—Steven Stone?!"]