Master Craftsman of the Pokemon World

Normally, one should not enter the Shindou Forest when dusk is approaching, as it is very dangerous.

But Daigo couldn't contain himself after hearing the clue about thanking Byakuyako!

Excavating rare stones is more important than anything else, and with Daigo as a companion, Kotake felt more confident.

In the Shindou Forest, the most formidable Pokémon in the outer forest are just a Scizor boss and a Pokémon suspected to be an Ursaluna, but these two Pokémon are no match for the champion!

Kotake simply repaired Regirock's body, a skill that amazed Daigo. Subsequently, Daigo and Regirock began chatting, and with Kotake acting as a translator, the person and the Pokémon became more and more congenial!

Daigo was also shocked to discover that the Regirock in front of him could accurately provide the reasons and locations for the formation of various stones, a knowledge reserve that only very skilled stone excavators possess!

"Incredible, Rock-type Pokémon mostly only know which stones are beneficial to their bodies and stay in some mines to prevent outsiders and other Pokémon from entering, but Regirock is different... Is this the result of learning from humans? Or does the Titan inherently possess this knowledge?"

If Regirock wasn't Kotake's friend, and could even be considered Kotake's Pokémon, Daigo would have been tempted to persuade Regirock to be captured by him!

After all, as a gem collector, how could he not want a super assistant who could provide various excavation suggestions and even manually help dig stones!

This is simply a mutual attraction, a dream rock pillar!

The setting sun shone through the gaps in the canopy onto the soil of the Shindou Forest. The Titan led the way, with Kotake and Daigo following behind, along with Doublade, Lilligant, Turtwig, and Metagross.

They were heading towards the Rock Mountain Ruins. After reaching the Rock Mountain Ruins, they continued to delve deeper into the forest, eventually arriving at a secluded valley. There were traces of trees being felled nearby.

"Huh?"

Kotake noticed the large trees with felling marks, but what attracted Kotake the most were the ruins of broken walls and remnants in the valley, as well as a large number of ancient tombstones.

"Regi... Regi Regi..."

Regirock made a strange sound, seemingly in remembrance. Although it sounded no different from its usual voice, Kotake could sense that Regirock's heart was somewhat sorrowful at this moment.

"It's saying that after it awakened, it saw this cemetery—the tombs left by the ancient people of Shindou. After the separation of Shindo, it fell asleep, and when it woke up again, it discovered these tombs."

Everyone quietly looked at this ancient cemetery in the valley. Regirock stopped them because further ahead...

That guy is coming out!

Whoosh—!

A black fist shadow suddenly flew out from the valley and smashed in front of Kotake and Daigo. Following that, a huge, pitch-black figure gradually emerged from the void like a ghost!

A Ghost-type Titan, Dusknoir!

And the black fist shadow that just flew out was the Ghost-type move "Shadow Punch"!

This is a warning!

"Yonō!"

Dusknoir ignored Kotake and Daigo, and directly stared at Regirock!

Legendary Titan...! What brings you here!

Dusknoir guards this ancient cemetery and is responsible for the soul-reception work near Shindou. Within this ancient cemetery lies an ancient soul that is unwilling to leave and sleeps here. Before that soul is ferried away, it will not allow anyone to damage this cemetery!

"Regi—"

Regirock was not polite to Dusknoir either, directly accusing the other party of previously invading its temple. Dusknoir explained that it was not its intention!

It was because that Scizor disturbed the peace of this cemetery and even stole important items here using the move "Thief", so it chased after it!

"Yonō!"

So, if there's nothing else, please leave!

"Regi—"

Regirock said that it came to take those white stones.

White stones... Dusknoir slightly turned its head and glanced at the white stone tablet that was most conspicuous among the tombstones.

There are indeed white stones similar to the white stone tablet nearby, but those are also important items of the cemetery. Except for those strange flowers, nothing else can be taken away!

Those white stones have strange powers. If the layout here is destroyed, it may cause the sleeping soul to be unable to wake up, and its work will not be completed!

"It seems negotiations have failed." Daigo pondered the situation before him. Metagross was beside him, its eyes fixed on Dusknoir, and Dusknoir also sensed the power of this Metagross, and suddenly became highly nervous.

With its power, can it really guard this cemetery?

"We have no intention of fighting you." Kotake stepped forward and used advanced spirit communication to talk to Dusknoir.

Dusknoir felt the strong spiritual power on Kotake. It carefully sensed it, trying to establish a soul connection with Kotake, but the next moment, its soul seemed to be instantly pulled into another world!

A void storm, distorted buildings, an upside-down world, a huge crystal prism, and that black-winged dragon that looked like a floating centipede!

"Gah!"

The ruler in the shadows cast a glance at it. Giratina sensed Dusknoir's existence through Kotake's soul perception and was very displeased that Dusknoir had interfered with Kotake's soul connection without permission!

This is Shindou, how dare a mere spirit world civil servant try to establish a connection with the descendants of Shindo!

But the next moment, Giratina suddenly sensed something on Dusknoir. It was slightly stunned, and then poured all its ghost energy into the soul connection with Kotake! Dusknoir was frightened by this huge spiritual energy and retreated, its single eye contracting violently, and waving its hands repeatedly!

The power of the spiritist in front of him is too strong!

What it saw after the connection... was it the ruler of the destroyed world?!

Dusknoir broke out in a cold sweat, not knowing what the origin of the human in front of it was. It originally wanted to drive away this group of people with its power, but now it seems it may not be able to do it.

Wait! Dusknoir suddenly realized something, its single eye widening!

The spiritist in front of him, could it be the guy who was said to have been resurrected in the spirit world radio waves earlier?!

The human who won the resurrection match?!

【"That Dusknoir has good stuff on it!"】

Giratina's soul voice came, making Kotake stunned. He didn't expect that Giratina, who was far away in the destroyed world, could still communicate with him on a soul level.

"...Perhaps I can help you ferry the soul that doesn't want to leave." Kotake suggested: "In exchange, please let us take away some white stones."

"Yonō..." Dusknoir extinguished its fighting spirit. The power of the human in front of it was far beyond its imagination. It was the first time it had seen a spiritist who had a close connection with that huge ghost dragon that occupied an entire world! And could be resurrected, even more powerful than itself.

Perhaps, this human in front of it can really help it complete its work!

So Dusknoir nodded, turned around, and led Kotake to the white tombstone.

Kotake squatted down, wiping the white stone tablet with words written on it, and at the same time summoned Doublade, removing the Cleanse Tags from Doublade's body.

Elite Four Siebold once said that his talismans could allow lost souls to go to the spirit world for rebirth, and are very useful items.

Although he doesn't know how to use spiritual power to transcend souls, his crafts can do all of this!

So, Kotake stuck the Cleanse Tags on the white stone tablet, and at the same time observed the information on the stone tablet:

【Precious Material: Stone of Gratitude (Tombstone, Unusable).】

【Description: A very ancient white stone, with a surface as bright as a mirror, made into the shape of a stone tablet. It is said that writing words of gratitude on this stone can accurately convey gratitude to one's friends.】

This stone is...!

Kotake saw this description and finally remembered!

So that's it, the Stone of Gratitude is that stone!

In the Pokémon series "Platinum", if you can get Professor Oak's Letter, then you can go to the Seabreak Path, and at the starting point of the road there is a white boulder!

When you write words of gratitude on the stone, you will see the Gratitude Pokémon "Shaymin", and then enter the Seabreak Path to reach the Flower Paradise! And the end of the road was originally barren, and after Shaymin appears, it will immediately turn into a fertile flower sea!

Kotake vaguely saw some phantasms.

That seemed to be the way the ruins looked when they were still intact, somewhat blurred.

Ancient city-states, houses built of mud and stone, people lived on this land, children chased and played with each other.

Then, a blurred-faced little girl appeared.

From a girl to a young woman, from youth to middle age, and finally gradually aging, her background environment, although blurred, was also constantly changing.

The phantasm disappeared, the settlement gradually disappeared and decayed, leaving only the last stone tablet.

Ancient characters written in Unown were on it.

The setting sun shone down through the leaves of the forest, dappled, like golden rain falling on this ancient inscription.

『I will rest here.』

『I pray to the gods.』

『Forever waiting.』

『I only hope that we will have a day to meet again.』

『The person I am most grateful to is someone named Kotake.』

『Thank you for giving me life.』

The signature is...

『Yulin.』