After leaving the League office, Xinhai carried Eevee and Axew toward a row of stone buildings at the very center of Fallarbor Town. Today, he was heading to a rather famous blacksmith shop in town.
According to the local information in the Pokédex, the master of that blacksmith shop was highly skilled. He could process all kinds of ores, forge or repair various Trainer equipment, and even "coat" certain Steel type Pokémon.
As he walked down the street, a faint, distinctive scent drifted through the Qi, a mixture of coal and freshly forged metal.
Before long, a stone building with smoke-blackened outer walls and a huge hammer emblem hanging above the entrance came into view.
The wide shop entrance stood open, and rhythmic clanging from forging, along with the faint roar of a furnace, could be heard from inside.
In an open area beside the entrance, piles of ore awaiting processing and partially finished metal ingots were stacked together. Several Geodude and Machop, under the direction of a Machoke, were helping carry the heavier materials.
"This is the place." Xinhai stopped, set Eevee and Axew on the ground, and walked into the blacksmith shop.
The shop was dimmer than outside, but noticeably hotter.
At its center stood a massive forge blazing with fierce flames, its heat rushing straight at him.
Beside the forge, a burly middle-aged man with a bare upper body, knotted muscles, skin flushed red by the firelight, and a thick beard was swinging a heavy hammer. He rhythmically struck a piece of red-hot metal on an anvil, sending sparks flying everywhere.
At his side, a sturdily built Machoke with steady eyes skillfully operated the bellows and tongs. Man and Pokémon worked together flawlessly.
The walls on both sides of the shop were covered with finished products of