Master Craftsman of the Pokémon World-Chapter 86

The moment the Calyrex plush was created, far away in Unova, Caitlin suddenly opened her eyes.

She had foreseen something—something related to that workshop she had been paying close attention to.

As a powerful Psychic, the ability to predict the future was fundamental. In the past, her powers had been too strong for her to control, making it difficult to use her foresight.

However, ever since her butler, Darach, sent her a Snorlax sculpture, her psychic abilities had become more refined and stable.

"The workshop must have released a new item."

Caitlin gazed at the brightening sky. The workshop was located in the Johto region, which was far from Unova. When night fell there, it was dawn here.

She yawned, stretched lazily, revealing her now more mature and graceful figure, and used her telekinesis to pull over her Pokégear, taking the initiative to message Hikaru.

["Hmm? How did you... Oh, right, you asked me about Psychic-type items before. Could it be that you're also a powerful Psychic?"]

["Ah, I see, precognition, huh? Psychic abilities sure are convenient!"]

"Heh, if the shopkeeper can craft items related to Psychic-types, then he must possess some psychic abilities himself, right?"

["I'm just someone with strong mental power; I'm far from having actual psychic abilities. Anyway, the reason I contacted you is that I have some new products that might interest you."]

["The Gravity Bracelet, and this [image]—the effect of the Psychic Glass Whistle. Here's the item you were looking for [image], and..."]

As Hikaru's messages kept coming in, Caitlin's eyes lit up the moment she saw the Gravity Bracelet and Psychic Glass Whistle!

Unlike the previous items, these had been meticulously crafted with intricate and mysterious patterns, making them not just functional but also exquisite works of art.

As for Gravity itself, while rare, it wasn't impossible to obtain a TM for it in Unova.

After all, one of Unova's iconic Pokémon, Sigilyph, could naturally learn it.

"A reusable TM? This is different from the usual ones... It's more like an HM."

"Gravity is indeed a useful move. I was just planning on purchasing a TM for it."

["Right? And the combination of Gravity and Hypnosis is incredibly powerful! If paired with a Prankster ability Spiritomb, the effect is even more outstanding!"]

["However, for Spiritomb's held item, I can't craft the best one for it yet. So for now, you could consider options like Chesto Berry, Focus Sash, or Light Clay..."]

"Gravity Hypnosis?" Caitlin muttered in curiosity. It wasn't that she hadn't heard of this strategy before...

Well, actually, she hadn't seen many people use it. Mainly because Gravity TMs were rare, and most trainers struggled to bond with Psychic-type Pokémon.

"Wait... This is a strategy I had been thinking about. I didn't expect the shopkeeper to come up with the same idea? This is oddly coincidental..."

"The shopkeeper seems to have quite a deep understanding of Pokémon battles."

["I just know a little here and there. Besides, I'm not a League-registered trainer, so if you ever want battle advice, I can offer some suggestions now and then. But this time, I'm just here to promote my products."]

Some suggestions?

Caitlin shook her head slightly.

That was a great recommendation. She had been considering which Pokémon to teach Gravity to, and Hikaru had suggested Spiritomb. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.

Since Spiritomb was a Ghost-type, it wouldn't be affected by moves like Taunt that could shut down support strategies. And with Prankster, it would always go first when using status moves. In Double and Triple Battles, this strategy would be extremely effective!

Spiritomb was actually the perfect user for Gravity!

Wait, could Spiritomb even learn Gravity? She had never realized that before. Probably because Gravity TMs were too rare, and current TMs broke after a single use...

But... she didn't have a Spiritomb. She needed to catch one!

"Shopkeeper, thank you for your advice. It's very helpful. Looks like I'll be bothering you more in the future."

Caitlin's gratitude was sincere. At the same time, Hikaru's shop felt even more mysterious to her.

Johto... No, it should be called Shinto.

The Mysterious Shop of Shinto?

Although she had already foreseen Hikaru's appearance, Psychic abilities could only reveal external details or read thoughts. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see through this person's true abilities!

Then, Caitlin carefully examined the picture of a certain rabbit-like Pokémon.

"What Pokémon is this? This is what I foresaw... Its name is..."

As she thought about it, her Pokégear automatically transcribed her words into a message.

["Calyrex. It's a Legendary Pokémon from the Galar region, though not very well-known yet."]

"Hmm, has its legend been lost?"

["Ah, yeah, that's what I meant. The effect of its plush is..."]

"Able to heal the mind and cure psychological ailments?"

Caitlin's eyes gleamed even brighter, though old childhood memories suddenly surfaced in her mind.

"If... If it's an old, painful memory... can it heal that too?"

["Perhaps. As long as you believe in its power, it will have that power. That's the magic of this Pokémon—it's a Psychic-type, after all."]

A Psychic-type Pokémon tied to lost legends?

Caitlin tilted her head slightly as she gazed at the image of Calyrex.

It looked like a rabbit with a broccoli head.

Somewhat ridiculous-looking, yet oddly... adorable?

The more she stared at it, the more she found it cute.

Unknowingly, she let out a small chuckle.

Why was it getting cuter the more she looked at it?!

["The idea to make a plush of it actually came from another customer. But since the plush enhances psychic abilities, I decided to—Ah, wait a second, someone's here."]

Caitlin: "?"

With her Psychic intuition, Caitlin immediately sensed something unfavorable to her—a competitor for the plush!

"Shopkeeper, I also want to purchase future batches of the plush. No matter who's competing with me, I'll pay double the price."

She sent the message immediately!

...

"Precognition is really...!"

Hikaru was still chatting with his Unovan customer when suddenly, another notification popped up. Checking the sender—

It was none other than the Elite Four member, Shauntal!

["I foresaw the creation of an important item—the plush of a Pokémon called Calyrex. Shopkeeper, please reserve some for me!"]

Another competitor?!

Hikaru hadn't expected the Calyrex plush to be this popular... Were all these Psychics...

Oh!

Now that he thought about it, while the games never explicitly stated it, the anime and manga hinted at it—Psychics had different mental states from normal people, making them more socially withdrawn. In a way, they all struggled with psychological barriers.

The stronger they were, the lonelier they became. The lonelier they were, the stronger they became?

But as they grew older, met more people, and gained more experiences, their personality issues and mental blocks would gradually resolve.

After all, the Pokémon world was filled with extraordinary individuals. Even random NPCs could be ridiculously powerful—like the guy who swam from Kalos to Hoenn!

Even ordinary people in the Pokémon world defied logic! So the root of Psychic-types' isolation was their belief that they were different. But once they met others, they would realize—

When everyone was abnormal, then society itself was normal!

"Sorry, Shauntal, but... You'll have to wait in line. I only made one for now..."

["I foresaw its creation. It wasn't pre-ordered, but rather, something you decided to promote. And if I don't order it now, I won't be able to get one later!"]

At first, Hikaru was confused by Shauntal's message, but when he saw Caitlin's message, he fell into silence.

After a few deep breaths, Hikaru finally replied.

"I think... precognition shouldn't be used like this. So, she foresaw your future and bought everything, then you foresaw her future and came to compete, and in the end, this is what happened."

Trying to prevent a prophecy from happening only to end up being a part of its fulfillment—it was a classic paradox.

Hikaru sent Caitlin a message, and at the same time, he realized that while he knew she was a wealthy lady, he had never actually asked for her name.

"This Calyrex plush is just a prototype. I'm planning to make a new version with plush fabric, so there's no need to fight over it..."

["This is a very important item to me. I have psychological barriers, and I really like the look of this plush. For any future similar products, I will pay double the price. Please sell it to me first."]

["And besides, shouldn't later buyers wait in line? I'm not trying to compete, but I know the Psychic-type trainer you're talking to. Let me speak to him directly."]

Hikaru: "?"

Wait... Psychic abilities could be used like this?

Communicating across different regions through Psychic powers—was that really possible?

Caitlin: ["Of course not! I just foresaw his account and ID... Oh, now I've added him as a friend!"]

Hikaru: "..."

So he was overthinking it!

On the other end, Caitlin and Shauntal's conversation was much more straightforward.

Caitlin: "Miss Shauntal, I've heard of you. I didn't expect your Psychic powers to be so refined that even I would be foreseen."

Shauntal, who had also foreseen her identity, was surprised: "Miss Caitlin... I didn't expect it to be you. But aren't you supposed to be in Unova...?"

"I am in Unova. Through training, I've gradually gained full control over my Psychic abilities. So, I'm not going to give up on the Calyrex plush."

Caitlin was determined.

"This is quite difficult... Young lady, you shouldn't be so willful... At least let me buy a few."

Shauntal sighed. She had heard of Caitlin before. Back when she wasn't even part of the Elite Four, Caitlin already owned her Battle Castle in Johto. This wealthy young lady had a lot of money!

"...If you're willing to pay double, I might consider letting you have a few."

Caitlin didn't seem willing to lose out. Shauntal immediately understood why and sent a bitter smile emoji.

"Ahh, my precognition didn't work out so well this time. I guess I still need more training."

Caitlin replied with a smiling emoji:

"Well, that's what you get for suddenly trying to snatch my item. If you hadn't used precognition, none of this would've happened. The shopkeeper was chatting with me, after all."

Shauntal was clearly embarrassed: "Apologies, it really was my fault."

But before they could continue, a system notification popped up—both of their accounts had been added to a new group chat.

Hikaru had created a customer group and added the two of them.

Hikaru: "This is a customer group. If you want to pre-order Calyrex plushies, you can make reservations here... Oh, and I should add the person who suggested making the plush in the first place."

Caitlin: "Oh, I know who that is." She used her precognition and immediately realized the person's identity. "I see... She really loves plushies. Thanks to her, I was able to get one. If it's her, I don't mind giving up some of my pre-order spots."

Shauntal: "Oh, it's her? Yeah, she's really into plushies. We owe this new product to her!"

Hikaru: "?"

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Stop speaking in riddles, you psychics!

Were they just casually using precognition all the time?!

Though... overusing Psychic abilities could cause fatigue, right?

As Hikaru was organizing the group, another notification popped up.

[Psychic Girl has joined the chat.]

["I foresaw that this store has a unique Psychic-type plush, so I found this customer group... I want to buy one."]

Another one using precognition...

Just as Hikaru was about to type a response, the Psychic Girl preemptively sent another message:

["Those two already foresaw who I am, so it's fine. They'll give up some of their spots for me."]

Shauntal: ["That's true. Compared to us, you should be the one getting a Calyrex plush."]

Caitlin: ["Oh, it's you! How have you been feeling lately? The Calyrex plush should be perfect for you!"]

Hikaru stared at the chat, feeling like he was the one with psychological issues here.

Why did it feel like he was the outsider in this Psychic club?!

Silently, he added the Ice-type trainer to the group, hoping that at least they wouldn't start speaking in riddles.

[Ice Plushie]: ["So this is the plushie group... Hey, you're here too! @Psychic Girl"]

Hikaru: "?!"

...

Saffron City, Kanto – Saffron Gym

A girl with short black hair and an emotionless expression sat inside the Saffron Gym, staring at the customer group chat.

Looking at her two fellow Psychic-types and at Lorelei, the former Ice-type Elite Four member, she couldn't help but let a faint smile creep onto her face.

Though she wasn't great at expressing emotions, sometimes—just sometimes—when she was happy, she smiled.

Ever since she received an invitation from Unova, the future seemed to be changing unpredictably.

Even this strange plushie...

She had tried using precognition on the shopkeeper, but his future kept shifting. Occasionally, she encountered people like that—individuals whose fates were constantly changing because of the infinite possibilities they held.

How many such people had she met? One from Pallet Town, another from New Bark Town... and now, this one.

"If I accept the invitation, will my progress as a Pokémon Trainer stagnate? Before leaving Saffron Gym, I should appoint a temporary Gym Leader... There are many Psychic-related items in the shop, perhaps they could benefit the other Psychic trainers in the gym."

"...I should face the future with a new mindset. Lorelei is no longer an Elite Four member, and Red has gone to Mt. Silver. Time passes so quickly."

(End of Chapter)

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