Chapter 145 – 145

Another rare stone?! Steven’s eyes lit up instantly. But when he saw Hikaru’s speechless expression, he quickly reined in his enthusiasm and gave an awkward cough.

He couldn’t help it—just hearing about a valuable stone made his instincts as a gemstone collector go wild.

And now there was news about the Steel-type Titan, and even a legendary material: Black Steel. Steven wanted nothing more than to see it with his own eyes. If possible, it’d be best to buy it. All they had to do was defeat Registeel, right?

Steven averted his gaze but quickly zeroed in on the pile of “gift stones” Bloodmoon Ursaluna had brought.

What were those stones? He didn’t recognize them!

Steven was overjoyed—he had harvested more new stones during this one trip to Shinto than he could in six months of digging around Hoenn!

He crouched to study the unfamiliar rocks. Hikaru also glanced over and immediately noticed… despite their plain appearance, now that he had mastered the secrets of rocks and advanced geology, he could tell these stones were anything but ordinary.

He walked over and picked one up.

[Rare Material: Grit Rock]

[Description: A seemingly ordinary rock that possesses mysterious power. It is a miraculous stone capable of raising a Pokémon’s Grit Level.]

Hikaru muttered, “This… this is a Grit Rock?”

Steven blinked. “Huh? You recognize it too?”

“…Again, yeah, I do. It’s a strange kind of stone—its effect is… well, pretty similar to those wood carvings I sell in my shop!”

Steven’s expression turned serious.

“So you’re saying these stones are extremely valuable then?” He frowned, realizing he might not have anything worthy to trade for them.

These Grit Rocks had to be brought back to Devon Corp!

And Hikaru’s knowledge… it was incredible. He always seemed to stumble upon rare stones. Could it be that when it came to digging, Hikaru’s luck stat was maxed out?

Maybe their meeting really was destiny…

Hikaru was also deep in thought.

Grit Rocks enhanced a Pokémon’s Grit Level—which was essentially a boost in effort values and base stats. It was an incredibly powerful special item!

Hikaru clicked his tongue in surprise. Who would’ve thought Bloodmoon Ursaluna could bring something like this from the forest depths? If this was just a gift, then what about that larger, more abstract “stone” Ursaluna had mentioned?

Could it be… a giant Grit Boulder?

Hikaru couldn’t be sure what that big stone was—but he was certain it wasn’t an evolutionary stone.

And it didn’t resemble a Moss Rock or Ice Rock either…

“Alright, just to be safe, we should try talking to Registeel first, see if it’s willing to help,” Hikaru said, turning to Steven. He then glanced at Ursaluna and asked, “Didn’t you tell it the land was in trouble? Or did you leave that part out?”

“Gachi!”

Ursaluna scratched its head.

Of course it said that—but Registeel just tapped its hammer on the ground and said something cryptic like, “If you want it, come and get it.” Basically, it refused to help.

“Regiii—” Regirock began to think.

Rock-types were often thought of as brainless, but Regirock frequently pondered practical matters. Now, it had a theory: perhaps Registeel wasn’t giving up the Earth Plate because… it wanted to create ore and alter the surrounding geological environment.

Long ago, Registeel had done just that. It was the one who taught ancient humans how to enter the Iron Age. But its personality was stubborn—maybe it missed the old settlements, or maybe it simply wanted to forge again.

“High-quality steel?!”

Now it was Hikaru’s turn for his eyes to sparkle!

High-grade steel was essential for raising Steel-type Pokémon. If Registeel really had that intention, then its Black Steel Temple wasn’t just a ruin—it was a natural steel refinery!

It might even be able to create a special new metal—not just Black Steel, but something like Composite Alloy!

“I have to become friends with it!”

Hikaru muttered to himself. If Regirock’s temple could become a stone trading hub, then it could provide various ancient rocks and minerals. Meanwhile, the Black Steel Temple could process those ores quickly and efficiently. So what would the Ice Temple be capable of?

Could Regice be a sculptor? Or maybe… a giant refrigeration unit?

That thought made Hikaru consider the Destruction Crafting technique.

Couldn’t they use it now?

If the Earth Plate could indeed alter geological conditions, then maybe they could even move land and buildings, just like the myth of Regigigas dragging continents with ropes!

Combining various crafting techniques and special items could create miracles. Hikaru was already envisioning the results. Maybe they could even make shortcut paths by using maze-making techniques!

And if he could catch a Melmetal, that would be perfect! That Pokémon was revered for its ability to produce high-grade iron.

…

The Black Steel Ruins.

Inside the temple, Registeel was organizing various “leftover facilities.” Unlike Regirock’s barebones Rock Mountain Ruins, this place held countless ancient forging tools: anvils, massive hammers, crucibles, files, tongs, fire pits, molds, and even ancient charcoal that had long turned to ash.

The central giant statue had been converted into a massive steel furnace. Despite being a Steel-type Pokémon, Registeel showed no fear of fire—something that would leave any other Steel-type Pokémon stunned.

Beside the furnace lay a palm-sized, light brown slab—the Earth Plate. It was radiating energy. Registeel stared at it, lost in thought.

This item had been passed down since mythic times, originating from the Shinto Temple—which must now be in ruins itself.

With this Plate, it could continuously generate forgeable ore in the temple’s surroundings. Even if the forging-loving humans were long gone… the temple still stood!

Registeel felt a pang of loneliness.

As an immortal Pokémon, its lifespan stretched endlessly. But the humans it once taught were long dead. The friends who learned blacksmithing from it were all gone when it awoke again. The emptiness, the fury, the helplessness—it all weighed on its heart, driving it close to losing control.

Even the steel furnace wouldn’t ignite anymore. The charcoal was all useless. It had to get the temple running again.

If no humans needed it anymore, and it had no work, no purpose…

Then it would burn down the forest and convert the land into layers of mineable iron!

It would wait until humans returned. No Pokémon were allowed near!

“Beep-beep-beep—!”

The symbols on Registeel’s face flashed as it sensed a familiar, powerful aura. It immediately grabbed its hammer and walked out of the temple, only to find that giant bear had returned—this time with backup!

Humans!

Registeel spotted Hikaru and Steven. But its gaze quickly focused on Hikaru—something about him felt… familiar.

Just like those old blacksmiths!

You… are a smith too?

“So that’s Registeel—and it’s really carrying a hammer!” Hikaru muttered, slightly stunned.

That “Titan Hammer” probably wasn’t legal…

“Beep-beep-beep— Re-gi—”

Registeel glared at Regirock beside Bloodmoon Ursaluna, clearly shocked. Was its fellow Titan really consorting with a wild Pokémon to attack its temple?

And what’s with Regirock’s appearance? It looked like it was cosplaying Regigigas with all that glowing moss on its body.

“Registeel, we want to borrow the Earth Plate. We can trade you special tools for it. What do you need?” Hikaru stepped forward to negotiate, with Regirock trying to help persuade.

But after Registeel’s face symbols flashed rapidly, it gripped its hammer even tighter.

If you want it—then earn it!

“Re-gi—” Regirock shrugged.

Welp, negotiations failed. Looks like it still wanted to settle things by force. As expected, its stubborn nature wouldn’t allow compromise.

“Mr. Steven, do you have any advice for battling Steel-types?” Hikaru turned to the Steel-type expert.

“Most people think Steel-types are just defensive,” Steven began. “But if that defensive energy is channeled into offense… it can be terrifying.” He studied the unique Titan before them.

“A Trainer I know has a Registeel. During battles, it concentrates its Steel energy. Its body is extremely tough—no matter how hard you hit, it won’t get hurt. But it’s slow. Steel-types are weak to Ground, Fighting, and Fire—but from what Ursaluna said, this Registeel is no ordinary one. Ground and Fire won’t work.”

“Fighting, then…” Steven glanced at that massive hammer again.

Unarmed versus armed… was a huge gap.

“Boom-boom—” Regirock suddenly stepped forward, showing its will to fight. This was the first time it had shown such intent since meeting Hikaru.

“Rock-type moves won’t do much to Steel-types,” Steven noted. “But wait—Regirock knows Body Slam!”

Hikaru’s eyes lit up too. “Then it’s settled. I’m counting on you, Regirock!”

“Re-gi—!”

Regirock raised its arms. After so many days at the workshop, its strength had grown far beyond what it was a thousand years ago. Now, it was ready to face its fellow Titan in battle!

“Take this,” Steven said, pulling out a special stone from his belt. It looked slightly scorched. Hikaru was confused, and Steven smiled as he explained:

“Regirock can use rock to repair itself by absorbing its energy. I think this stone might help—it’s a Meteorite Fragment. Devon Corp obtained it from Meteor Falls, and it’s a powerful energy source.”

Hikaru took the fragment—it felt slightly warm to the touch. Another rare item from the games.

“And just in case…” Hikaru pulled out a Life Orb.

(End of Chapter)

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