As soon as the new order was processed, the computer beeped again—there was no downtime at all.

This time, the client was also from Unova!

“If this keeps up, I’ll end up conquering Unova before I even finish establishing myself in Johto. And to think it all started with the Ancient Seeker… The people of Unova are really well-informed. Meanwhile, are Johto residents just… not going outside?”

This new client seemed like a regular one. Their ID was “Volcarona.”

Volcarona—considered a semi-legendary Pokémon in Unova.

“Wait a second, Volcarona… No way, is this Alder? Haha!”

Client: [“Hello, my name is Alder.”]

Hikaru: “…”

An awkward silence filled the air. Doublade and Petilil were both confused.

What was wrong with this person? Were they harder to deal with than that deceitful liar from earlier?

“Oh… this is the Champion of Unova.”

Hikaru finally processed the situation and sent a response:

“What can I help you with?”

[“I saw an item in your shop called Herbal Juice. It seems to enhance a Pokémon’s vitality? To be honest, one of my Pokémon may not have much time left. I am searching for a way to heal it.”]

[“I have asked around and learned that Johto has a Secret Potion capable of instantly restoring any Pokémon that has lost its energy. However, its effects are said to be extremely potent, and I fear my Pokémon might not withstand it. That’s when I found your shop.”]

[“At first, I was skeptical about the idea of juice enhancing vitality. But then I thought—doesn’t the natural world already have miraculous berries capable of restoring health and curing status conditions? Perhaps there is a berry that can save my Pokémon. And since Johto’s Shuckle Juice is renowned worldwide, I realized I should reach out to you.”]

Hikaru added Alder as a friend, and Alder explained his situation in more detail.

As expected—his sick Pokémon was Volcarona.

In Pokémon Black & White, Ghetsis had mocked Alder, saying that he had lost his passion for battling after his long-time partner passed away. This confirmed that Alder’s Volcarona hadn’t died of old age, but rather an illness.

After leaving the Unova League in the care of the Elite Four, Alder wandered across Unova, no longer taking battles seriously.

“Herbal Juice—the kind you need to strengthen vitality—is priced at 50,000 Pokédollars.”

[“50,000? Just 50,000?!”]

Alder seemed shocked. But it made sense—at that price, this medicine was unbelievably cheap. Almost too cheap for something that could potentially save a life.

Hikaru patiently replied:

“I cannot guarantee its effectiveness, so please try it first. If it doesn’t work, I have other medicines that might help. As for the price—medicine that is too expensive loses its purpose as medicine.”

“However, shipping will take some time.”

[“I understand. Johto and Unova are far apart, but as long as it arrives in time, I will find a way to keep my Volcarona going.”]

[“When I was younger, I was too focused on battling… and now my Pokémon has suffered because of it. This is my mistake.”]

[“Thank you for your help!”]

Hikaru hesitated for a moment, then suddenly thought of Rippled Water and quickly sent another message:

“By the way, do you know of a place called the Entree Forest?”

[“Entree Forest? I’ve never heard of it.”]

Alder seemed confused. Hikaru recalled that the Entree Forest could only be accessed using Professor Burnet’s C-Gear technology. Before that invention, the forest would have seemed like a normal part of Unova.

“It should be somewhere in the central Unova region.”

[“Oh! You mean the Central Forest. I know that place. It’s said that people experience mysterious dreams there. A researcher has been studying it for some time and has made some progress. Do you need help with something there?”]

“Yes, I believe a certain Pokémon may appear in that forest. I’m searching for it. It looks like this—” Hikaru sent a description. Alder quickly replied:

[“I see. I’ll keep an eye out for that Pokémon. If it’s connected to the Dreamlike Forest, the researcher studying it might know something.”]

With that, Alder stopped sending messages.

Now, he had been entrusted with two important tasks—finding the Entree Forest and saving Volcarona.

Hikaru let out a deep breath.

“If Volcarona actually survives… then even if Ghetsis manages to gain the recognition of a Legendary Dragon, so what? People call Alder the weakest Champion because he lost his main Pokémon, but if his old Volcarona were still alive, things might have been different.”

Alder actually had two Volcarona. After the older one passed away, he became discouraged and stopped battling seriously.

“This could be a huge shift in the timeline… I hope my Herbal Juice works.”

“As for Johto’s Secret Potion, he must be referring to the ancient medicine from Cianwood City. I should make time to visit that place and buy a sample. If I analyze it, I might be able to recreate an even better version.”

The Cianwood pharmacy was an old establishment and didn’t sell its products online. The only way to obtain the Secret Potion was to travel there personally.

In the games, the Secret Potion was powerful enough to cure the Psyduck’s chronic headaches—a truly miraculous remedy!

But even the most effective medicine could only extend life, not create it. If a Pokémon had strong vitality, it would recover fully after treatment. However, if it was already frail and suffering from hidden ailments, the Secret Potion’s potency might actually worsen its condition.

Hikaru had just finished another order and was preparing to make some glass containers when—

The computer beeped for the third time!

“What is this, a triple order streak?”

[“Your carving skills are quite impressive. This old man was recommended to you. Do you take custom sculpture requests?”]

This time, it was a request for a gym statue, not an individual sculpture like Ghetsis’ order.

Hikaru focused.

“What kind of statue would you like?”

[“Haha, your sculptures are incredibly lifelike. They feel like relics from an ancient era. This old man wants to commission statues of a Pokémon called Urshifu. Have you heard of it?”]

[“If not, don’t worry. I have pictures—just follow these poses.”]

Urshifu?

Wait… recommended by someone… and referring to himself as an old man?

“Could this be Mustard from the Isle of Armor? But I don’t recall his dojo having statues…”

In Pokémon Sword & Shield, Mustard was a former Galar Champion who lived on the Isle of Armor. His son, Hyde, once mentioned that “Mr. Iron” had visited the island years ago to craft special Poké Balls for Mustard.

That was when Hyde saw Iron’s craftsmanship and attempted to replicate it using a machine.

When the player creates an Apricorn Poké Ball, Hyde admits that he had spent years trying to recreate the technique but could never fully replicate Mr. Iron’s skills.

In short—Mr. Iron was the ultimate artisan, crafting Poké Balls by hand even in an era dominated by machines.

As for Mustard, he was an avid gamer. It made sense that he’d try online shopping. However, Mr. Iron was too old-fashioned for the internet, and all his online affairs were handled by his granddaughter, Chihiro.

Hikaru thought for a moment before checking the photos.

As expected—Single Strike Urshifu and Rapid Strike Urshifu!

“Two statues for the dojo entrance?”

In Sword & Shield, the dojo entrance looked oddly empty. Statues would make it feel much grander!

“Large statues range from 200,000 to 400,000 Pokédollars each. Two would cost between 400,000 and 800,000. Is that acceptable?”

[“400,000 is fine.”] The reply came quickly. [“I trust your craftsmanship. The level of detail in your work is simply divine!”]

[“I can’t wait to see the finished statues!”]

“Thank you for your trust. I won’t disappoint you.” Hikaru replied.

However… why did this person add “lu~” at the end of every sentence?

Either way, today had been very profitable!

But just as the messages stopped, the inbox beeped again—this time, from “Mr. Iron.”

And another email…

[“If possible, I’d like to visit your shop soon. I’m looking to purchase rare stones. —Steven Stone?!”]

(End of Chapter)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep