Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 272 The Swapped Wand and the Ukulele's Voice!
[Rewards: Released Jade x1, Enchanted Forest Badge x1, Sound of Plants x1, Enchanted Branch x1.]

"The Badge of the Enchanted Forest: A badge blessed by the enchanted forest."

Requirements: Defeat the guardians of the Enchanted Forest and gain the forest's approval.

"Effect: You can use natural magic to slightly confuse those around you, disappearing behind a tree or suddenly emerging from a haystack without being noticed. The Ranger class maximizes this effect—this is your badge, and Pokémon cannot use it."

Light Moss: "...Huh?"

Because it was himself, not a Pokémon, that defeated Heracross?!

Hmm. Magic? I don't know magic, and I'm not a ranger!
[Voices of Plants: You can listen to the voices of plants. Listening ability +50%, requesting assistance +50%. Sometimes, the forest will ask for your help, and you can also receive greater rewards from it. The voices of nature are different from the voices of humans and Pokémon. You can sense the spiritual power of nature.]

【The Branch of Illusion: The most crooked branch in the Illusionary Forest, twisting and turning like a small snake. It is very strange, yet very tough. It can be used to craft the special item "Wand," which provides a bonus when using magic/spiritual power.】

[Note: Your sunlight ability will also take effect here, increasing its efficiency by 20%. It comes with the magic "Minor Psychedelic Magic," which allows you to switch other people's items without them noticing.]

[Note 2: After learning magic tricks, you can create special magic/magical props.]

A curved twig appeared in Guangtai's hand, leaving the backpacker beside her dumbfounded once again. He hadn't even noticed where the twig had come from, while Guangtai smiled.
"This is the gift of the forest."

As the moss waved the branch, the backpacker suddenly felt a little dizzy, and then his hand went empty as he discovered that a gem in his pocket had been taken by the moss.

Huh? Stealing items? Isn't that the Dark-type move "Swap"?

However, what made the backpacker a little embarrassed was that although he was indeed Zoroark, Zoroark could not learn the Dark-attribute move "Switcheroo"!
A move that even evil Pokémon can't learn has been mastered by a human! This is outrageous!
"I understand, I understand! The gifts of the forest are truly incredible! I've witnessed them today. Give me back my jewel!"

Lightmoss only wanted to tease the big fox in front of her, so she handed it the gem. It was an evil gem, which could enhance the power of evil-attribute moves.

"Hera."

Heracross didn't even care about the sealing stone; it huddled dejectedly under the tree, and Lightmoss walked over and patted it.
"Don't look so gloomy! Come and eat something good!"

What? Being defeated by humans is shameful enough, and now you want to accept food from them?

What kind of Pokémon do you think I, Heracross, am? Do you think I'm just any Pokémon?

Looking at the magical candy and energy cubes on his paws, Heracross, with a mixture of doubt and frustration, swallowed the food whole.

Then! Its eyes widened suddenly, and a continuous stream of power surged from its body, like a storm coursing through every part of its body!
Full of energy and drive! Although I'm still a bit down!
But this stuff tastes really good!
Wild Pokémon rarely get a chance to eat candy. Just like in the game, painting "Sweet" on a tree might attract Heracross, Ash's Heracross in the anime is always hugging and sucking on the garlic clove on Bulbasaur's back. I wonder if that thing actually produces sweet syrup.

No Bug Pokémon dislikes sweet things, especially candy. Heracross wanted to eat some more, and Glowstilts wasn't stingy; there were plenty of Rare Candies in its bag, so giving it a few more wouldn't hurt.

Heracross's mood immediately improved. It's normal for Pokémon to have fluctuating emotions; sadness comes and goes quickly, and as long as there's something to eat, it will immediately return to a happy state.

Lightmoss picked up the piece of wood that the forest had given her at the beginning, then took out tools from her backpack and quickly whittled and chiseled the wood into the shape of a guitar, and used the Released Jewel to draw out tough, thin threads.

Backpacker: "What are you making, a musical instrument? Wow! How did you finish carving it so quickly? I didn't even see it clearly. What's with your hand speed?"

Lightmoss: "Didn't I tell you? We came to this forest to find good wood, and once we got the wood, of course we'll make a useful tool."

It was already late at night, but there was still some time before midnight. From the outside of the Enchanted Forest, towering cliffs could be seen, and the Enchanted Bridge stood on those cliffs and the sea in between.

The backpacker watched with great interest as the moss worked, while Heracross, after showing off his candy, wanted to eat more, but was stopped by Torterra and Riolu.

Candy is delicious, but you shouldn't eat too much of it!

To distract Heracross, the two Pokémon played games with it and started talking, trying to extract secrets about the other world from it. However, Heracross was quite clever and said, "I won't tell you unless you give me food."

Torterra and Riolu exchanged a glance.

The Earth-type Tortoise shook the small tree on its back, and some strange fruits fell off with a crackling sound. These were small fruits that would grow during the Forest Tortoise's lifespan; they were not tree fruits but rather formed from the essence of the Earth-type Tortoise's plants.

Humans might find the taste mediocre, but Pokémon love it. Torterra had Riolu hand the berries to Heracross, who took a bite, and its eyes lit up as it chewed on them.

Hmm, it tastes good! Perfect as a snack!
Alright, since you're so eager to know about the Rift World, I'll tell you a little bit!
The world we live in is different from the real world. You live on this side of the world, while we live on the other side. In that world, only Pokémon have colors; everything else is black and white.

Then, it was gone.

"Huh?" Riolu stared wide-eyed.

What do you mean by "gone"? It's gone just like that!

“Hera.” Heracross nodded, looking completely innocent.

Otherwise, it's no different from the real world. They live in the forest, eat tree fruits, and live the same way. They are just occasionally called by the forest to do some things, such as guarding the sealing stone this time. What else is there?

You mean the whole world? Ha! I've never even left the forest. How would I know what it's like outside!
Riolu and Torterra shook their heads repeatedly.

The seemingly shrewd Heracross is actually just a simple glutton. Such a guy doesn't have any commendable cunning and doesn't know much about the secrets of the world. But then again, aren't most Pokémon like that?

As long as you live your life well, that's enough. Pokémon that seek to uncover the secrets of the world are still a minority. However, trainers have said that in a certain otherworld where there are only Pokémon, many Pokémon will form expedition teams to explore the secrets of the world.

Torterra loved that world, and so did Riolu.

Curiosity is the driving force of progress and also the driving force of travel. It is because of doubts that we want to find answers, and those answers are the best gifts and treasures.

"it is done."

As the Pokémon talked to each other, the backpacker occasionally listened to their conversations and was amazed by the hidden information revealed in their dialogues. To be honest, after traveling for so long, what he saw tonight was far more amazing than any other strange and wonderful things he had encountered on his trip!

But the sound of the moss pulled the backpacker's thoughts back from Pokémon.

"Huh? It's done already? Wow, that was fast! Something's not right, this production speed is suspicious!"

"What exactly is this? A guitar?"

Lightmoy: "It's an instrument called the ukulele from the Obliban region. It looks similar to a guitar, right? That's normal, actually. So, can you tell the difference between a bass and a guitar?"

Backpacker: "Isn't a bass just a bigger guitar?"

Bass joke of the day 1/1!
Seeing Guangtai's happy expression, the backpacker felt a little annoyed: "Oh dear, I don't know the difference between these instruments, after all, I don't play them!"

"So what exactly is the effect of this bass—I mean, this guitar—no, this ukulele you made?!" Lightmoth tried out the ukulele, replying, "It might not work very well in the forest; it has specific uses. But I'm going to try playing it now."

[Props: Ukulele (musical replica)!]

[Description: This instrument can play the legendary music "Ukulele's Voice - Thunderclap"! It produces a sound when electricity passes through it. The music and the released lightning are unaffected by type matchups. The music has a relaxing effect on both the player and their Pokémon, and can convey the player's emotions! However, since this is a replica, the above effects are greatly diminished, and you cannot use lightning.]

[Effect: Attracts wild Pokémon to listen to the performance, increasing their friendship level. This allows you to summon wild Electric-type Pokémon in locations like Tourmaline Cave.]

Buzzing~

As the wondrous melody began to play, the entire slumbering forest seemed to awaken.

The Pokémon were drawn by the melody and peered over, while the backpacker felt as if struck by lightning, the strange, electric sensation captivating him unconsciously to the music playing before him.

Light, whimsical, and melodious, yet carrying an indescribable ancient charm, it's like an ancient city, with phantoms of people and Pokémon appearing and disappearing right before your eyes.
The bird Pokémon landed silently on the branches, the bug Pokémon peeked out from behind the tree trunks, and the grass Pokémon swayed their heads and danced gently to the music.

The wondrous music was carried by the forest wind, drawing more Pokémon to the hidden cave. Even the Zoroark mother and son, who lived in seclusion in the forest, heard the melody. They curiously followed the wind's guidance, looking in a certain direction, stopping to listen, and unknowingly leaving their original hiding place.

However, they remained vigilant and did not approach the direction from which the music was coming. They discovered that the music was coming from a common hidden cave, and they could also smell the scent of another of their companions nearby.

Hidden in the cave, Lightmoss finished playing a piece of music and realized that she had been completely immersed in the world of music, and that many more Pokémon had been attracted to her.

They stared at themselves curiously. Although they woke up at night, they were not angry. The wonderful music soothed and relaxed the Pokémon's hearts, and the fatigue of the day gradually subsided, which allowed them to sleep better afterwards.

"A strange emotion welled up inside me," the backpacker said, touching his heart. "It felt like an electric current ran through my body. This is the first time I've heard such unique music, and your emotions."

His words came to an abrupt halt, almost revealing his true identity. The backpacker shut his mouth, but Lightmoss, facing the Pokémon that had been attracted, took out an Energy Cube to entertain them.

"The test results were excellent, so I'll be leaving now."

Among the summoned Pokémon were several Emolga. These Emolga were also Pokémon that lived in this forest. Unlike other Pokémon, Electric-type Pokémon listened with particular focus and looked at Smoky, seemingly waiting for Smoky's command.

However, the moss didn't need them to do anything, so the electric flying squirrels went back to feeding on the energy cubes.

As the moss was about to leave, the backpacker stared at it and suddenly asked:
"You already know what I am, right?"

"Although your strange machine didn't seem to recognize me at first, it seems you don't need the machine to know my true appearance."

Guangtai was speechless. She hadn't expected that Zoroark would reveal its identity on its own initiative. Perhaps the music she had just played had truly conveyed her feelings to the other party, making it understand that she really had no ill intentions.

"Yes, I think I know."

"However, I didn't expose your thoughts. Wouldn't it be better to talk to each other in a human manner? You must have carefully selected this appearance."

The backpacker remained silent, then suddenly burst into laughter:
"There are indeed many strange people in the world, and perhaps some of them have seen through my true form during my previous travels."

Then, a change occurred before his eyes. The illusion faded, and the backpacker's human form transformed into a black Pokémon with red mane, resembling a fox-man.

The traveler Zoroark revealed his true form, but quickly transformed back. Seeing that the Lightmoss showed no surprise, it immediately smiled:
"You, with your special powers, have no greed for me. In your eyes, am I not a rare Pokémon?"

"However, there are indeed quite a few Zoroarks in Unova. There's one guy who follows that ridiculous King of Humans, talking about liberating Pokémon, but in reality, he's still stealing Pokémon and destroying beautiful things in sight. And there are also some guys who live quietly away from humans and don't want to be disturbed, but they're still being watched."

"However they choose to live is their own business. I can only offer advice; whether they listen or not is their choice."

"Now that we've become friends, let me give you something."

The traveler Zoroark took a CD out of his backpack and handed it to Lightmoss.

[Obtained: Move Learning Device (Roar)!]

"This contains the move 'Roar.' It's not a rare learning tool, but you can accept it as a regular gift. This move can weaken your opponent's abilities."

"What a beautiful piece of music I heard! I will remember it forever. Now, I'm off on my journey."

"Wait a moment." Guangtai chuckled, "Since we're friends, I'll give you something too."

"Be careful, there are many ill-intentioned people among humans, so this is for you."

Lightmoss handed Zoroark an orange steel die, which, when activated gently, emitted a yellow electromagnetic barrier.

"The radio wave shield can block some harmful information and radio waves. If you carry it with you, you won't have to worry about those technological gadgets revealing your identity."

The traveler Zoroark was somewhat surprised, then nodded at the light moss:

"I will always remember this kindness."

Goodbye, my friend.

The moss waved to it and went ahead, its next destination being the Fantasy Bridge.

After the Radiant Moss left, the Pokémon dispersed, and the shiny Heracross vanished without a trace, as if from a dream.

The traveler Zoroark turned his gaze toward a certain direction in the forest, where a mother and child Zoroark were silently gazing at him.

“As I’ve already said, your existence has been exposed, and an ambitious person intends to capture you. I’ve already learned of this through certain channels in the human world.”

“If you don’t leave quickly, you may encounter unexpected difficulties. But that person has the ability to foresee the future. Perhaps he already knows everything I’m telling you.”

“Having great power makes you a target for people like that. That person’s hometown is the neighboring city of Raven, and he’s coming soon.”

"However, just as there are ambitious humans, there are also magical and friendly humans like that person. Life is complex and ever-changing, and that is the charm of travel."

"Well then, that concludes my advice. Farewell, my fellow tribesmen."

The traveler Zoroark left, maintaining his backpacker's lifestyle, leaving only Zoroark and his mother hesitating in the forest.

　PS: Taking a day off. Only two updates today. Bodangshui will appear soon.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)