Chapter Seven: The Unique Evolutionary Gemstone

The polishing process took a long time, but with skilled craftsmanship, the progress accelerated considerably. Kuang Tai donned work gloves and a mask, put on an apron stained with dust and grime, and prepared the sharpening tools.

Rust removal, surface treatment, polishing...

Outside, there was no sunlight; the rain gradually ceased, but the world grew increasingly dim, signaling the passage of time.

The rust on the lone sword’s sheath gradually vanished. After prolonged polishing, it became as smooth and reflective as a mirror, appearing brand new, as if fresh from the factory.

The "Polishing Craft" brought excellent results and improved both the efficiency and speed of polishing. This made Kuang Tai reconsider the knowledge he had acquired.

Some effects didn’t seem to manifest within the mental information.

The lone sword looked delighted!

It danced lightly in mid-air, slicing through the air with its newly polished blade. Kuang Tai also perceived another layer of information:

[Craft Bonus: After your exquisite craftsmanship in polishing, the lone sword has undergone some changes. The blade's sharpness and toughness have increased, resulting in a slight improvement in offensive capabilities.]

[This will slightly increase the damage of cutting-type moves.]

Kuang Tai nodded quietly, feeling pleased.

A newly polished weapon should indeed be tougher and sharper.

“Yo!”

The lone sword joyfully twirled in the air, feeling more powerful with every swing!

“Do you know how to use cutting moves? Let’s try now,” Kuang Tai asked, glancing out the window.

The sky was very dark, indicating much time had passed, but near the mountain’s edge, faint light filtered through the gaps in the clouds.

The sword’s single eye blinked, and a faint silver-green energy rose along the blade. On closer inspection, the energy seemed almost illusory, merely a reflection caused by the blade’s extraordinary sharpness and brilliance.

Kuang Tai pushed open the door and stepped outside with the lone sword. The scent of damp earth mingled with the moist air as the sword focused intently.

The lone sword used "Consecutive Slash"!

A sharp slicing sound cut through the air, leaving a clear ringing. Kuang Tai’s eyes lit up, and the sword itself seemed exhilarated. It began slashing the air repeatedly, with the power of the consecutive strikes growing stronger with each attack until the swirling wind generated by the blade seemed to create a miniature whirlwind. The visible sword pressure and air currents sent grass and droplets flying wildly!

---

For the final strike, the lone sword aimed at a distant stone. The moment the tip touched the rock, a straight crack appeared instantly, splitting the stone into two!

“Though it wasn’t used against an enemy, there’s no doubt it looks immensely powerful.”

“Consecutive Slash is a Bug-type move, but many Pokémon can learn it... The one who discovered this move should be the Gym Leader Abi of Hinoki Town. By the way, did you already know this move in your era?”

“Yo? Yo, yo,” the lone sword blinked, shaking its blade side to side, signaling it didn’t know either.

After all, it already knew the move.

If others don’t, it’s probably because they aren’t swords.

For a sword, "Consecutive Slash" is a perfectly normal attack method!

“Hmm, that makes sense,” Kuang Tai mused briefly. The so-called research results were conclusions drawn from careful observation. If no Pokémon in nature mastered this move, then discovering it wouldn’t even be possible.

After removing the rust from the lone sword, the next task was polishing the Evolution Stone.

However, the method for grinding stones and minerals differed from that used for weapons. For softer stones, sandpaper had to be used to prevent them from cracking during hand polishing.

Fortunately, Evolution Stones were quite hard. These stones were items used to boost a Pokémon’s physical and special defense. Kuang Tai recalled the clues he had seen earlier and noted that the origin of Evolution Stones was never explained in any previous games, which naturally led to some speculation.

Perhaps these stones formed from certain minerals influenced by the evolutionary energy released when many Pokémon evolved.

Thus, giving these evolution-affected stones to Pokémon capable of evolving but not yet evolved could significantly enhance their defense and special defense.

Yet, all of this was mere conjecture, as Kuang Tai was no Pokémon researcher.

By the time Kuang Tai finished polishing the Evolution Stone, night had fully fallen, marking the end of the day.

He paused his work and carefully examined the stone, which emitted a faint purple glow. Various thoughts began to gather in his mind:

[Work completed: Obtained a “Unique Evolution Stone”!]

[Evaluation: A highly precise polished Evolution Stone. The stone’s power is fully unleashed and will also partially influence the Pokémon’s status!]

[Craft item effect: Pokémon holding this item that can evolve will have their Defense and Special Defense increased by 50%.]

[Unique bonus: The inherent potential triggered by the Evolution Stone is enhanced. Long-term use will significantly boost the Pokémon’s Defense and Special Defense!]

---

[Knowledge gained: 1]

[Advanced polishing: You have acquired more knowledge about polishing.]

Knowledge converged in Kuang Tai’s mind, gradually settling.

He found the unique bonus of the Evolution Stone quite intriguing.

In the game, total damage taken is calculated by combining physical defense, special defense, HP, and the Pokémon’s effort values, also factoring in type advantages and resistances.

But in the real world, Pokémon training has no upper limit. Even a weak Pokémon can become quite powerful through years of battles, potentially becoming a special individual immune to types it once feared.

“Pokémon wearing this stone will have their potential developed more thoroughly. Long-term use will continuously enhance their defenses... this effect is somewhat like a ‘base stat enhancement item.’ I wonder if it’s the effort values or individual values that grow.”

Kuang Tai gazed contentedly at the Evolution Stone in his hand. Although he had only done the polishing, this product would undoubtedly perform better than a natural Evolution Stone!

Now that he thought about it, in the Pokémon world—whether in games or anime—few trainers skillfully use items in battle. Most, including Gym Leaders and even the Elite Four, do not use them.

“How can the fragile Bug types rise? The Evolution Stone is the perfect item for Scyther!”

Meanwhile, Kuang Tai recalled the unique setting regarding knowledge and craftsmanship—

Each time a new project is completed, new material acquisition clues are randomly obtained.

Kuang Tai’s thoughts gradually assembled:

[Material clue: Relic Stone]

[Ancient rocks processed or excavated by humans, imbued with mystery through the passage of time. They differ from common stones and cannot be used as raw materials for sculptures or buildings. If the corresponding carving technique is mastered, special “Symbolic Stone Tablets” can be crafted from Relic Stones.]

[Acquisition locations: various relic sites—Divine Capital Ruins, Rock Mountain Ruins, Ice Mountain Ruins, Black Gold Ruins.]

[Corresponding craft: Relic carving technique.]