This section is dedicated to someone who reached out to me while writing this book, a Hoppip who goes by the name Bluesidra, and requested that I write about tumblestones.
While traveling, you may have come across a few strange rocks of various colors jutting out of the ground. Orange, black, blue, yellow, and green. These are deposits of tumblestones, smooth stones that, while not as useful or valuable as evolution stones, still have a variety of uses.
While tumblestones may seem like ordinary rocks, they're actually very similar to evolutionary stones! You can even sometimes find evolutionary stones in tumblestone deposits! This is because tumblestones are a step in the process that makes evolutionary stones!
Tumblestones are a type of metamorphic rock, as they start as ordinary rocks, and after absorbing elemental energy, become tumblestones. If they absorb more elemental energy, they become evolutionary stones!
It's rather easy to obtain tumblestones from deposits. If they absorb too much elemental energy in a very short time, they break apart, so smack them with a move, and the deposit will fall right apart into chunks approximately the size of a Tynamo, allowing you to easily grab the tumblestones. Evolutionary stones are much stronger, so you don't have to worry about accidentally shattering any that might be in the deposit, though you'll likely need to carve off any tumblestone chunks stuck to the evolutionary stones.
Common tumblestones, the red variety, are the most, well, common type of tumblestone. They can be found just about anywhere, and are formed when granite is exposed to fire-type energy. If exposed to further fire-type energy, they become fire stones, or sun stones if exposed to enough direct sunlight.
Black tumblestones, the, well, black variety, are also rather common. They tend to form deeper underground than most other types of tumblestones, and are formed when obsidian is exposed to dark-type energy. If exposed to further dark-type energy, they become dusk stones, or moon stones if exposed to enough direct moonlight.
Sky tumblestones, the blue variety, are a bit rarer. They're often found atop mountains or cliffs, or rarely in glacial caves, and are formed when pumice is exposed to flying-type energy. Strangely, further flying energy doesn't affect them, rather they need water or ice energy to completely turn into evolutionary stones, becoming water and ice stones respectively. The fact that flying, water, and ice energy all impact these stones is a sticking point in the theory that those three types were once one and the same.
Static tumblestones, the yellow variety, are rather rare, as they form from fulgurite. They often form along shores or in areas with frequent storms. As the name of the place may suggest, they can be found in abundance along the Fulgurite Range in the Thunder Continent. Due to the elemental energy required to create fulgurite at all, it only takes a bit of extra electric energy to turn it into static tumblestones. If exposed to further electric energy, they become thunder stones, or if they're exposed to normal energy, they become shiny stones.
Fern tumblestones, the green variety, are the rarest. They're found in forests, grasslands, jungles, pretty much anywhere with lots of plant life, but require agate to form. If agate is exposed to enough grass energy, it becomes fern tumblestones. With further exposure to grass energy, they become leaf stones, or dawn stones if exposed to fairy energy.
All varieties of tumblestones make excellent jewelry! While they might not be as pretty as evolutionary stone jewelry, they still look nice, in my opinion, and tumblestones have their own unique meanings when used as jewelry.
In general, tumblestone jewelry is seen as a sort of "reservoir" of power, absorbing ambient elemental energy that can be used later, though if it can actually impart that power onto the Pokemon wearing the jewelry has yet to be proven.
Common tumblestones are said to store determination and passion, and are said to help you hold onto hope. Black tumblestones are said to store truth and patience, and supposedly help with aggression as well. Sky tumblestones supposedly harbor calmness and serene freedom, keeping you feeling alright even when times are tough. Static tumblestones supposedly harbor enlightenment and excitement, and it is said that some great philosophers wore static tumblestone jewelry. Fern tumblestones are said to store wonder and harmony, and supposedly help one get in touch with nature more.
My partner and I have made tumblestone jewelry for each other. I made her a sky and common tumblestone bracelet with a shiny stone centerpiece, and she made me a static and fern tumblestone necklace with a dawn stone centerpiece. I can't attest to any special powers the jewelry has, but it does look nice around my petals.
If you're going to polish tumblestones into jewelry, or any other sort of decoration, be aware that due to their properties of being brittle to quick bursts of elemental energy, using the move Rock Polish on them won't work, and will instead shatter the tumblestone. I recommend using sandpaper or liquid rock polish.
All varieties of tumblestones make for excellent fertilizer when ground up. The potent power within them infuses the soil with evolutionary energy, causing plants to grow faster and plain seeds to grow rarer plants. If you have any extra shavings or shards from making jewelry out of tumblestones, try using it for your garden if you have one!
And that's all I have to say about tumblestones! An interesting in-between of regular rocks and evolutionary stones.