The two stones could feel changes happening within themselves, finding it all quite unbelievable. Meanwhile, Hikaru was checking on the condition of the egg.
After coming into contact with the Light Stone and the statue, the petrification on the egg's surface seemed to be gradually fading. When Hikaru touched the eggshell, he could vaguely feel a warm current, which made him overjoyed.
This sensation was precisely a sign that the Pokémon egg was starting to hatch.
Then, Hikaru carefully polished and wiped the egg.
[Craftsmanship Enhancement: After your meticulous polishing and cleaning, the egg's condition has improved, and its luster has increased. With the help of hatching insights, the flow of life energy within the egg has become smoother, aiding in the hatching process and enhancing the individual value of the hatched Pokémon.]
"This should be fine now."
The egg seemed to be responding to Hikaru's emotions. Waves of warmth surged from its core, filled with a sense of joy. Although it was still weak, there was no doubt—it was awakening from its slumber.
『The egg seems to be waking up. It's observing the outside world... But this is a dream, so it feels curious about everything.』
(Munch, munch)
After using his power earlier, Calyrex was quickly munching on energy cubes to replenish his strength. Seeing the changes in the egg's condition, Calyrex sighed in relief.
If the egg had recovered to this extent, it could definitely be hatched!
He was a benevolent king, and saving the life of a Pokémon was his duty, even if it wasn't a Pokémon from Galar.
However, what attracted Calyrex's attention even more at this moment was the statue Hikaru had carved!
Never mind what Pokémon the statue depicted; just the craftsmanship alone left Calyrex wide-eyed, his expression turning blank again!
Oh, oh, oh! Such craftsmanship could be considered a masterpiece of art!
At the same time, Calyrex couldn't help but recall the wooden carving left in Freezington. That was a statue the people of old had made for him long ago. He once thought that sculpture was quite decent.
But looking at this one now, the difference was way too big!
『My friend, I have a request...』 Calyrex stared unblinkingly at the Arceus statue. 『That statue... Could it be...』
Hikaru proudly introduced his work:
"This is a stone statue of the Creator, Arceus. The art of sculpture is a craft passed down in my family, so my skills are quite good!"
『So this really is Arceus... No! That's not what I wanted to ask. I wish to request that you make a statue of me as well!』
Calyrex's mind was filled with the wooden statue in Freezington. Due to its age and abstractness, it had even been used as a tourist attraction to lure visitors. But no, ancient things could be made beautiful too, couldn't they?
Hikaru had mentioned that his family's craft had been passed down for generations. Could his ancestors have been exclusive artisans who crafted sculptures for the Creator?
How... how amazing!
Calyrex's eyes shone with envy, and even a tear rolled down his cheek.
Hikaru: "Hey, King, why are you crying?"
Calyrex: 『These are tears of joy and admiration... I also want such a statue.』
Creating a sculpture for Calyrex was a simple task, especially within the dream world where such things could be done with minimal effort.
"Well, it's no problem, King. Do you have any specific material requests?"
『I have no particular demands. As long as it perfectly captures my image, it will be fine! Hmm... Riding my steed... Ideally, both of them together. No, let's sculpt Glastrier first, and then Spectrier.』
Calyrex stared eagerly at Hikaru.
Although he had only just arrived at the workshop and hadn't started working, he had already eaten a lot of food for free. He felt a bit embarrassed about it, but all of it was necessary to restore his power (and for eating).
『Oh, marvelous artisan with mystical powers, please help me once more!』
"You're a troublesome one, you know! But this is an easy task!"
Hikaru recalled the events from the games where Calyrex's wooden statue had its appearance restored, and Calyrex's power had returned somewhat. Perhaps the sculpture itself wasn't important, but rather the villagers' renewed understanding of Calyrex's form.
However, while Freezington's wooden sculpture may not have had special powers, Hikaru's sculpture certainly would!
Hikaru quickly came up with a good idea!
He set his sights on the floating island connected to the ancient city.
The floating island's terrain consisted of caverns. The dreamscape's ancient city appeared deep within these caverns, and the stones there were called "Relic Stones."
Using the Relic Stones from the ancient city to craft the sculpture, while also building a new forge and cultivation room beside the Dream Workshop, sounded perfect!
Hikaru explained his plan to Calyrex, who approved of it. They immediately began making a wooden cart to transport the stones. Walking Wake gathered wood from the small forest, and because of the dream's properties, many steps and time were saved.
Once the cart was made, Walking Wake pulled it while Calyrex rode the Turtwig following behind. They all headed towards the floating island connected to the dreamscape's ancient city!
The floating island was swept by yellow sand, with sandstorms attacking the Pokémon. Walking Wake let out a roar towards the sky, using "Sunny Day"!
The weather changed, and the sun drove away the sand, making the temperature rise. As they entered the caves, they found numerous stones, and near the entrance of the ancient city, many large rocks and stone bricks were scattered about.
Calyrex's eyes emitted waves of psychic energy. Even in his weakened state, he could still use a small-scale "Confusion" move!
"Turtwig, use Leaf Blade to precisely cut those stones."
Hikaru commanded Turtwig. He avoided having Walking Wake do it since its power was too great to control precisely. Turtwig had previously learned how to use Leaf Blade to cut stones accurately from Doublade and Lilligant.
"Gna!" Turtwig shook its head, sending out half-moon-shaped leaves that precisely sliced the stones, leaving smooth, flat surfaces!
Hikaru walked to the entrance of the ancient city, examining the ruins and picking up a brick that had fallen to the ground.
[Rare Material: Relic Stone (From the Dreamscape's Ancient City).]
[Description: Debris left behind after the collapse of an ancient ruin. It may have other uses.]
[Gained Style: Ancient City Style.]
[Description: Once glorious and magnificent, buried by the sands of time.]
[Effect: Slightly enhances the artistry and authority of craftsmanship, connecting the hearts of humans and Pokémon.]
With the help of Calyrex's psychic power, the cart's load capacity increased. After several trips, they collected a large amount of stone, piling it next to the Dream Workshop and marking out the general area needed for construction. Hikaru then went to the room representing the Plates of Arceus and brought back a load of cement and mortar.
For now, though, the focus was on making Calyrex's statue using the Relic Stones.
Calyrex stared at Hikaru's actions, his eyes wide open. Though he wanted to replenish his strength with energy cubes, he was too afraid to interfere with Hikaru's work, so he just held the cubes in his hands without daring to eat them.
"King, your statue is done. Working within a dream is much faster than in the real world."
Hikaru had carved a large stone from the ancient city into a statue of Calyrex, depicting him riding Glastrier!
『O-Ohhh... This is... This is me, no doubt! It's even cooler than the real me! The ancient aura pouring out from it—using the Relic Stone really produces this kind of effect!』
『If only this statue could be taken back to the real world, I would surely gather even more faith!』
Calyrex lovingly stroked his stone statue, his eyes filled with emotion and excitement!
He finally had a proper statue!
『For some reason, I can feel a vigorous life force coming from this statue. It's almost like there's a second me within it...』
Meanwhile, Hikaru was checking the statue's information.
(End of Chapter)
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