The remaining stalls seemed untouched by the looters, leaving vendors no choice but to sell their goods out in the open spaces. This all tied back to the island's history. When people first discovered this place, they were stunned by the striking red rocks scattered across it.
Even though the rocks were covered in volcanic ash, their fiery red color still shone through vividly. Back then, people were so shocked that they thought the island was actually on fire. It wasn't until they got closer and inspected the rocks that they realized it was just an illusion created by the bright hues of the stones. Despite this, the admiration for the red rocks never faded.
Later on, driven by the belief that selling goods on the "red rocks" would bring prosperity, many merchants chose to set up their stalls there. They believed it would boost their business success.
Over time, selling goods on these red rocks became a well-established tradition on Yoshi Island. The larger the rock, the more popular, and expensive, the spot was. It was said that renting a space on a big red rock for a day cost quite a bit.
Because of this, you could often gauge the price and quality of the items just by where the vendor was located. The bigger the rock, the more valuable and high-quality the goods tended to be, and naturally, the prices were higher.
Only then did Larry realize why vendors left their goods out in the open spaces yet aimed to sell on the red rocks specifically. This was a unique local custom, different from other places.
Not only were the vendor spots special, but the products themselves were very local. Many of them were glass items made from volcanic ash, bowls, cups, jars, and even finely crafted figures.
The local people have built several industries around volcanic ash, including cement and glass manufacturing, but the most well-known is the medicinal materials industry. Volcanic ash is packed with nutrients, making it ideal for growing various medicinal plants.
In fact, it's one of the main sources of medicinal materials across the six continents. Many elderly residents dedicate their time to cultivating these plants, which they then sell to tourists or specialized buyers after harvest.
Thanks to Pyon's guidance, Larry's understanding of this "Island of Volcanoes and Fossils" has deepened significantly. Pyon is like a walking encyclopedia, whenever Larry is curious about local customs or anything else, Pyon provides clear and accurate answers.
The combination of volcanoes, elderly farmers, fossils, hot springs, and medicinal plants instantly reminded Larry of Lavaridge town in Pokemon. The similarities are striking, even though there are still some differences; for example, here, fossils aren't found by entering someone's home mine, there's no meteor waterfall nearby, and no Pokemon gym on Yoshi Island.
Still, the resemblance is strong. Since arriving, Larry has noticed two new breeding bars popping up in his mind simultaneously, the second time this has ever happened to him. After learning more about the area, he realized it made perfect sense.
Breeding two Pokemon in such a unique place is completely natural. And which Pokemon could they be? Larry didn't even need to guess. On "Yoshi Island," which holds roughly one-third of all fossils across the six continents, these two Pokemon are almost certainly fossil Pokemon. With so many fossils here, breeding two, or even more, fossil Pokemon is entirely reasonable.
Just a casual look around the market shows almost every stall selling fossils, except for a few that focus solely on medicinal materials. A stall without fossils would barely qualify as a vendor on "Yoshi Island." There are plenty of fossil Pokemon, more than a dozen in fact, some powerful, others less so.
Fossil Pokemon are those species that once thrived in the Pokemon world but later vanished. Today, they can only be brought back to life through advanced science or special techniques that restore them from fossils.
There are strong Pokémon like the fossil pterosaur Aerodactyl, and others like Archeops, which is based on the ancient Archaeopteryx. While Archeops may seem weaker due to its Ability Defeatist, its base stats are actually impressive for its species: 140 Attack, 112 Special Attack, and 110 Speed, with a total base stat of 567.
But Archeops is quite different from most Pokémon because its main weakness comes from its Ability, Defeatist. When its HP drops below half, both its Attack and Special Attack stats are cut in half, making it far less effective in battle. This trait is considered one of the worst, almost on par with Regigigas's Slow Start or the Truant Ability that causes some Pokémon to skip every other turn.
Larry found himself deep in thought, unsure which two Pokémon to choose. The fossil pterosaur, Aerodactyl, was a solid option, especially since it could undergo a powerful Mega Evolution later, showing great potential.
He also considered the Cradle Lily, better known as Lileep, which could be a good fit for his sandstorm team if it had the Storm Drain Ability to absorb Water-type attacks. He even remembered seeing a Rock-type Gym Leader use one in an old Pokémon game in Rustboro City.
Meanwhile, the breeding process involved two progress bars that moved at different speeds, not in sync with each other. One Pokemon would hatch first, while the other lagged a few steps behind before it could be bred.
Shifting his focus from the breeding bars, Larry started exploring the market area. There were many stalls selling various items, but Larry was particularly interested in one of the town's specialty industries: medicine.
Similar to Lavaridge Town in the Pokémon world, many of the medicinal herbs sold here had potent healing properties. But unlike the Pokémon games, which only offer a few types like Energy Powder, Energy Root, Heal Powder, and Revival Herb, mostly used for restoring HP or curing status conditions, this place offered a far wider variety with more diverse effects.
Beyond healing, some herbs here could relieve paralysis, extend lifespan, or even enhance mental focus. If Larry had to describe it, he'd say these medicinal herbs felt like a blend between Pokémon berries and traditional Earth herbal medicine, combining the best of both worlds..
Of course, the effects of these medicinal herbs aren't nearly as strong as those found in the Pokemon world. For instance, in that world, simply taking the Heal Powder can cure any abnormal condition.
Here, the herbs can't achieve that kind of power, it really depends on the specific situation. To reach something close to that level, you'd probably have to bring out something rare, like the vanilla herb, one of the so-called "hopes" they have on hand.