Hikaru quickly gathered a large amount of old fabric, but in the process, he made an unexpected discovery.

When he picked up an old, tattered martial arts gi and examined it closely, his mind suddenly filled with new insights:

[Rare Material: Aged Orange Martial Arts Gi]

Description: A well-worn garment once worn by a powerful martial artist, tempered through countless battles across mountains and rivers. Though damaged, the wear and tear of time has made the fabric even more resilient.

Crafting Knowledge Unlocked (1):

[Unique Strong-Weave Textile Crafting (C+)]

A technique for processing extremely durable or specialized fabrics. Using this method, one can craft powerful fabric-based items by incorporating materials from Fighting-type Pokémon.

By sewing Fighting-type materials into tough fabric, it is possible to create battle gear that enhances endurance.Fabric infused with Fighting-type energy will gradually develop martial properties, transforming into Combat Cloth.

New Craftable Items:

-Focus Sash

-Focus Band

[If Honedge participates in crafting, something special may happen…]

Focus Sash?!

“This is…?” Hikaru turned to Guru, the herbalist, who sighed.

“Ah… that was my old martial arts gi. I kept it as a memento, unwilling to throw it away. But… I don’t need it anymore.”

Guru admitted that he had once been a powerful martial artist, traveling across the Pokémon world against his family’s wishes. He had even won Fighting-type tournaments.

However, an illness and years of wear and tear eventually forced him to retire. By the time he returned home, his parents had already passed away.

So, he gave up his martial path and opened a herbal shop in the village.

Now, history seemed to repeat itself—his son had left on a journey, refusing to inherit the shop, traveling to distant lands, with no sign of returning anytime soon.

Hikaru couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.

After finishing his collection of old cloth, Guru gifted him a batch of durable, thick fabric.

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do with all this worn-out cloth, but as a craftsman, I trust you’ll put it to good use. Take these as well.”

Silk, linen, cotton—these were common textile materials. But in the Pokémon world, some special plants could also be used to make fabric.

For example, the petals of the Harvest King’s Lightbloom could be woven into glowing fabric that shimmered under sunlight.

Similarly, items included Spell Tag, a cloth imbued with eerie ghostly energy.

Hikaru had previously purchased Power Cloth, which could be used to craft Power Headbands—one of which was still stored in his warehouse.

Thinking back, Focus Sash had never appeared in the Pokémon anime.

Many battle items from the games didn’t exist in the animated world. The same seemed to apply here—trainers didn’t typically use battle items, and there wasn’t a large market for them.

Hard Stones, Silver Powder, Mystic Water—in the games, these were common held items. But here, they were prized tournament rewards, emphasizing their rarity.

As Hikaru prepared to leave, Guru gave one final warning.

“You’re new to this region, so there’s something you need to know.”

“If you ever venture into Shinto Forest, be very careful.”

“That place is divided into territories by powerful Pokémon. If you trespass unknowingly, you will be attacked. The trees there are towering and dense—sunlight barely reaches the ground. Everything is covered in moss and thick vegetation. You never know when something might ambush you.”

“Recently, a Scyther ran out of the forest and caused chaos in the outskirts before disappearing again.”

Hikaru nodded. It was no surprise—powerful creatures always claim their own territories. Even wild Pokémon followed this rule.

Returning to the Workshop

Once back at the workshop, Hikaru wasted no time and began processing the fabric.

[Material: Durable Cloth]

Description: A thick, sturdy fabric perfect for crafting high-quality battle garments.

The main hall of the workshop served as his workspace—since the place had been abandoned for years, there was no need for an organized setup.

“First, let’s let these old rags absorb the residual ghostly energy in the workshop.”

Hikaru piled the old cloth into the fourth room, which was dark and empty—an ideal place to infuse Ghost-type energy.

According to basic spirit knowledge, dark places that never receive sunlight were the most likely to gather spectral energy.

However, this ghostly aura wouldn’t last forever.

Hikaru had learned that abandoned buildings lose their eerie presence over time once renovated and occupied. If no spirits remained, the ghostly atmosphere would eventually fade.

Since the workshop was now his home, the spiritual aura would dissipate sooner or later.

Next, Hikaru began cutting and stitching the martial arts gi, retrieving Fighting-type Pokémon materials from storage.

Mankey fur

Primeape fur

Infernape fur

And of course, Honedge.

The crafting notes hinted that if Honedge participated, something special might happen.

Experience points? A new move? A power-up?

Hikaru pondered.

“If I can use Pokémon to revive this workshop, maybe I can eventually become a world-renowned artisan…”

“Ah… I’m thinking too far ahead. For now, I just need to sell my first products. If I craft high-quality items that satisfy customers, orders will start flowing in.”

“Unique crafting skills must be mastered.”

“Let’s set a small goal—make a name for myself in Johto!”

“Every trainer in Johto will want my gear!”

“Yo!” (ง🔥Д🔥)ง!

Honedge’s eye flashed with determination.

A sword that never cuts was meaningless. It would help build the new king’s legend!

“Yo~ Yo~”

Honedge suddenly shook its hilt, waving its blue ribbon at Hikaru.

It made a dramatic declaration:

“Since this is a sacred moment, you must do it! That thing! Raise me like a great king declaring his oath!”

“…That’s way too dramatic.” Hikaru rolled his eyes.

But Honedge’s gaze was expectant.

(¬_¬)~

“…Fine, fine! I’ll do it!”

Hikaru gripped the hilt, raising Honedge high into the air—though, realistically, only toward the ceiling.

“Yo!” (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧!

Super cool!

Honedge was satisfied.

“If only an artist could draw that moment!”

Finally, it focused on cutting fabric, while Hikaru worked on stitching.

“…Alright, that was actually kinda cool.” Hikaru muttered.

After hours of work…

『Crafting Complete! Focus Sash obtained!』

Effect: If the holder is at full HP, they survive a fatal hit with 1 HP!

Unique Effect: Bonded Endurance—If a Pokémon shares a strong bond with its trainer, they may endure further hits beyond 1 HP!

Crafting Knowledge Unlocked (1): Fabric Processing (+5% efficiency).

This combined the effects of Focus Band and Focus Sash?!

A hybrid survival item?

Would Serene Grace trainers keep proccing survival, making battles endless?!

Meanwhile, Honedge’s data updated:

『Honedge assisted in crafting and gained experience!』

Honedge leveled up!

Learned the move: Endure!

Gained Crafting Knowledge (1): Precision Cutting (Increases fabric-cutting speed and accuracy).

“Yo~!?”

Honedge shuddered as an aura enveloped its blade.

This was Endure!

Just then, a new material surfaced in Hikaru’s mind:

[Rare Material: Mago Berry]

Used to craft Rare Candy.Location: Celebi’s Shrine, Shinto Forest.

Rare Candy?!

“A level-up item?!”

Hikaru was utterly astonished!

This was a rare item that could boost a Pokémon’s level. While levels weren’t something visibly displayed in the real world, nor was there a strict concept of them, it was undeniable that Pokémon became stronger after evolving!

“Muku Berry… the Shrine of Celebi…? Is there really a shrine dedicated to Celebi in the Shinto Forest? Right, Muku Berry was originally called the Miracle Fruit, only found on Celebi and Mew.”

“The Berries I have on hand are Wiki Berry, Leppa Berry, Pecha Berry, Bluk Berry, Sitrus Berry, Chople Berry, Lum Berry, and Custap Berry.”

“The old man at the apothecary also mentioned bringing him a Muku Berry if I ever found one. But now that I think about it, it seems rather difficult to obtain.”

Beep— Beep—

The computer sounded at just the right moment, pulling Hikaru’s thoughts back from his fantasies.

Setting aside the Focus Sash in his hand, Hikaru walked over to check the screen.

It was a new customer email, and the sender’s ID was [Dragon’s Emissary].

“How can I prevent my Pokémon from being exploited for their weaknesses? I’m looking for an item that can help with this. Do you happen to have anything suitable?”

“That’s what the message says.”

A wild customer appeared!

Hikaru quickly typed out a reply, inquiring:

“What type of Pokémon are you referring to? Judging by your ID, I assume…”

[Dragon’s Emissary]: “Dragons! Sacred creatures! However, even the mighty Dragon type struggles against Ice-type attacks. Besides that, Dragon Pokémon like Gyarados are also weak to Electric moves.”

Hikaru: “Wait… isn’t Gyarados not a Dragon type?”

[Dragon’s Emissary]: “You say Gyarados isn’t a Dragon? Haha! Being a Dragon Pokémon isn’t just about having the Dragon type!”

…Wait a minute!

Hikaru suddenly realized who this wild customer was!

So that’s it—it’s Lance, huh?!

“I see! In that case, I do have an item that can help—Focus Sash. Have you heard of it?”

Hikaru sent the reply, and sure enough, the response he received was filled with question marks.

[Dragon’s Emissary]: “Focus Sash? What does it do…?”

Hikaru: “Even if a Pokémon is hit by a move that would knock it out in one shot, it will endure with 1 HP! Moreover, the Focus Sash I crafted personally—if the Pokémon and Trainer share a strong bond—will prevent the Pokémon from fainting no matter how much damage it takes!”

[Dragon’s Emissary]: “???”

“What did you just say?!”

“There’s no way such an item exists! Focus Sash? Are you sure this isn’t just some ordinary sash with a fancy name?”

Hikaru: “I can’t prove it to you, but once you buy it, you’ll see for yourself.”

With that, Hikaru sent Lance a picture of the crafted Focus Sash.

“The price is 50,000 Pokédollars!”

That was the official price at the Paldea item shop—he hadn’t dared to raise it a single cent!

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep