After coming out of the crystal cave, Sabrina had thought that Natsui would immediately leave the island for their next destination, but instead, she saw him turn around and head back to Sunburst Town!
Puzzled, she couldn't help but ask, "Didn't we already catch the Crystal Onix? Why are we going back there?"
"Do you remember the little girl who was throwing the message bottles?" Natsui said casually. "I plan to find her and help her fulfill her wish of seeing the Crystal Onix!"
"Hm?" Sabrina gave him a surprised look. "Since when did you become such a busybody?"
Before Natsui could answer, she changed the subject and continued, "But from what I know of you, I'm guessing that's not the only reason, is it?"
"You're right!" Natsui laughed. "After all, it was through that message bottle that I remembered... erm... that I learned there was a Crystal Onix here. So she indirectly did me a favor. Helping her fulfill her dream is no trouble at all. But the main reason is that I have a favor to ask of them!"
Sabrina was taken aback. "Them?"
...
In Sunburst Town, walking along the bustling street, Natsui's gaze continuously swept across the shops on both sides.
Most of the island's glass craft shops were concentrated in this area, but after checking more than a dozen of them, he still hadn't seen any sign of the little girl.
Realizing that searching like this was not a good method, he thought for a moment and then turned into a glass shop on the side.
The shop owner saw him and came up with a smile.
"What can I get for you two? We have a complete variety here, whether you're looking for teacups, vases, or all kinds of uniquely shaped glass ornaments, we have it all!"
"Hello," Natsui said politely. "I'd like to ask if there's a little girl around here named Marissa, about five or six years old? She also has an older brother who is a glass-making craftsman."
"Marissa? Her brother?" The owner thought for a moment. "You must mean Mateo, right? Why? Are you going to his place to buy something?"
Before Natsui could speak, the owner shook his head and advised, "It's not that I want to speak ill of him, but the products at Mateo's place really aren't that good, and his selection is too small. There's almost nothing to buy! But it's a different story here. Not only is the quality excellent, but we also happen to have a sale today. If you buy a lot, I can even give you a 15% discount!"
It had to be said, the owner was quite the businessman, not forgetting to promote his own goods even now. But Natsui wasn't interested and could only shake his head. "Sorry, I'm not here to buy anything, I just wanted to pay them a visit."
Hearing that he wasn't a customer, the owner's face fell, his previous enthusiasm clearly gone.
He lazily pointed a finger towards a shop not far ahead and said listlessly, "There, that's the one. That's Mateo's family's shop."
After thanking the owner, Natsui and Sabrina crossed the street and arrived in front of the glass shop.
From the outside, the shop's sign was very old, even faded and damaged in some places. It looked like it had been in business for many years.
And compared to the other glass shops in the area, although it was the busiest time of day, this shop didn't have a single customer out front!
Looking at the products in the display case, they were also few and far between, a pitifully small number, just a few scattered items that were all very common and ordinary!
Natsui couldn't help but wonder, Can a shop like this really fulfill my request?
But since he had already come this far, he didn't hesitate any longer and stepped into the store.
At this moment, the little girl named Marissa, whom they had seen yesterday, was busy behind the counter.
She was holding a cloth, standing on her tiptoes, and struggling to wipe the counter that was taller than her. She wobbled precariously, looking as if she might fall at any moment.
Hearing footsteps, Marissa looked up, gave them a big smile, and said in a clear, childish voice, "Good afternoon, welcome!"
However, when she got a clear look at Natsui's and Sabrina's faces, she couldn't help but let out a small "Ah!"
"It's... it's you!"
Clearly, seeing Natsui and Sabrina again reminded her of their encounter on the beach yesterday. Then, as if remembering something else, she peeked behind Natsui, looking to see if the terrifying-looking Charizard from last night was with them!
Natsui first scanned the area. Compared to the dilapidated exterior, the inside of the shop was spotless, clearly well-maintained by someone every day. Looking towards the workshop in the back, he saw a young man in an apron, firing glass.
Even without getting closer, Natsui could almost feel the waves of heat coming from the furnace.
"Your name is Marissa, right?"
The little girl took a step back and said warily, "How do you know my name?"
Natsui smiled. "Don't be afraid. We actually saw the contents of your message in a bottle, which is why we've come to visit."
"Ah!" Marissa said, pleasantly surprised. "Do you know where the Crystal Onix is?"
Natsui didn't answer her. Instead, he looked towards the workshop and said, "Why don't you ask your brother to come over so we can all talk together?"
Mateo, who had been focused on his glasswork in the workshop, had also heard the conversation in the shop. At first, he had just thought they were customers, but after hearing the words "Crystal Onix," he could no longer remain calm. He put down the half-finished piece in his hand and hurried over.
"My name is Mateo, I'm her older brother. What can I do for you?"
From his backpack, Natsui took out a sealed bag wrapped in many layers of cotton cloth. He opened the bag and took out the Never-Melt Ice he had gotten from the Sevii Islands, presenting it to Mateo.
"Master Mateo, I have a rare piece of Never-Melt Ice. Could I ask you to craft it into an accessory for a Pokémon to wear?"
Mateo glanced at the Never-Melt Ice and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm a glass artisan. I don't work with this kind of material."
"I see..." Natsui feigned a sigh. "What a shame. I was hoping to let you see the Crystal Onix after you finished the work, as payment for the job. But since you won't do it, I guess we'll just forget about it."
"Wait! What did you say?" Mateo's eyes widened, and he said loudly, "You can let me see the Crystal Onix!?"
Natsui took a Poké Ball from his waist and spun it continuously on his finger.
"Of course. But that's nothing to be surprised about. After all, I wouldn't have come all this way just to mess with you."
Staring intently at the Poké Ball, Mateo was dazed for a few seconds, then suddenly shook his head with a smile.
"Sorry, I still can't believe you have the Crystal Onix. It's not just me; all the other glass artisans on this island have been searching for it for many years. I just can't imagine that it would be caught by an outsider!"
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