Half an hour later, Misty and Serena, who had successfully exchanged Crystal for money, arrived in front of Ah Gong's shop.
As soon as they stood at the door, they heard Ah Gong's voice of exclamation from inside: "Yes, that's right, control the heat, then strike... my God, is this truly your first time carving? It looks just like a seasoned veteran."
"It's done, it's already perfect, Ash, you are really impressive! I have spent countless hours to achieve my current skills, yet you learned it all in just half an hour. If you were not a Trainer but a Crystal sculptor, you would certainly make a name for yourself."
Misty and Serena exchanged a glance, then stepped into the shop.
Upon entering the shop, they saw Ash sitting in front of the furnace with Ah Gong standing beside him. The furnace that should have been operated by Ah Gong was now occupied by Ash, and from Ah Gong's previous words, did Ash actually make some glasswork?
Moreover, judging from Ah Gong's tone of amazement, it's not just simple glassworks, but even those that would amaze a skilled craftsman like Ah Gong.
What exactly did Ash create?
Ash heard the commotion behind him, turned his head, and his face made Serena and Misty burst into laughter.
Ash's originally bronze-colored face was now smudged with black patches, looking as though someone had scribbled ink on his face, which was amusing to see.
However, as they saw what was in Ash's hands, their smiles instantly froze.
"Ash, what is that in your hand...?"
"You returned just in time. Here, this is what I just learned to make, using the Crystal from the cave. Since it's my first time, I wasn't able to manage it well, so a lot of it got wasted. My portion of Crystal only made these two. I was initially planning to make one for Pikachu too," Ash said with a smile.
Ash spread out the two Crystal sculptures in his hand. They weren't sculpted in the likeness of any Pokemon, but of Misty and Serena!
Misty's appearance is her classic outfit: a cropped top and ultra-short denim shorts, with a small backpack behind her, Togepi standing on her shoulder, one arm raised high while the other Crystal-like arm hangs down, her face with a bright smile, looking as if she's about to burst with joy.
Serena's outfit is her current ensemble because, till now, Serena has only worn this set of clothes, not that she doesn't change outfits, but even when she does, they are the same set.
Typically, Trainers on a journey, including Ash, would wear the same clothes for several months before changing. Serena might change sooner, but for now, she only has the same set, which is a black sleeveless top with a red short skirt and a pink sun hat.
The pretty Serena had her hands behind her back, with a smile on her face too, but it wasn't as bright and sunny as Misty's. It was a more reserved and shy smile, which represents Serena's distinct personality from Misty.
Despite their short time together, even Ash with his bluntness could easily understand Serena's character. Her timid nature was easily apparent, blending gentleness and shyness with boldness and courage. This was Serena.
Though it was Ash's first attempt at carving, he perfectly captured the two girls' features and aura. However, upon closer inspection, Misty's statue in terms of detail and aura portrayal was a bit more refined than Serena's.
This wasn't Ash's intentional bias. Even though Misty was his girlfriend, he would never show favoritism in such matters – his principle is to always give his best no matter what.
The difference purely stemmed from his varying familiarity with the two. Serena's nature may be easy to grasp, but she's spent less than four days with Ash; Misty, on the other hand, has been by his side long enough for him to know her every feature.
Thus, the disparity in detail between the statues appeared, yet as long as they are not compared side by side, no one would notice such subtle differences.
Both Crystal sculptures were vividly lifelike, as if the two girls' figures were encapsulated within the transparent crystal stones.
"Is this... your carving?" Misty's lips parted slightly, her face full of incredulity. She was incredibly familiar with Ash, yet couldn't believe this was his handiwork - after all, Ash was previously clueless in such crafts!
"Of course, it's me! I learned these skills from Ah Gong, and these two sculptures took a lot of Crystal to create. Just the raw materials alone cost over a hundred thousand!" Ash said with a bright smile, unperturbed by the loss.
Such spending, he could recuperate several hundred times over in just one night's sleep. Now he's a man who earns money easily, so he's not worried about costs!
This is exactly why he initially used Crystal for practice instead of glass, feeling confident about the effect of his Aura Power and thinking it was unnecessary to use cheaper materials.
However, if the materials were down to the last portion, he would certainly practice with glass then. Fortunately, before the materials ran out, he successfully completed the sculptures of the two girls.