Leaving Neon Town, Ash and his friends followed the map to an ancient gorge known as Grandpa Canyon.
The geological structure here was unique, and it was said to contain a vast number of ancient Pokémon fossils. Naturally, this had attracted many trainers and researchers to the site.
As they entered the valley, a familiar and arrogant voice reached them. "Hmph, I wondered who it was. So it's you, Ash. A place filled with such historical depth really needs a trainer like me someone with both strength and knowledge to uncover its true value."
Gary Oak stood there, dressed in sophisticated archaeology gear and surrounded by his usual group of cheerleaders. He was directing his Growlithe to sniff around the area, while a pile of fossil fragments already lay at his feet.
"Gary, you're interested in fossils too?" Ash greeted him.
"Of course! Only by uncovering ancient power can we better look toward the future." Gary was full of confidence. He picked up a strangely shaped, brownish 'fossil' from a recently dug pit and examined it closely. "Look at this unique shape. This might be the core part of some powerful ancient Pokémon! This is a major discovery!"
Ash's Aura Power flickered. Combining it with his memories from his past life, he immediately "saw" the true nature of that "fossil." It wasn't a Pokémon fossil at all; it was a piece of dried ancient Pokémon dung!
His mouth twitched. Seeing Gary treat it like a priceless treasure, Ash decided not to point it out just yet. He simply said meaningfully, "Gary, some 'fossils'... might not be what you imagine them to be. I suggest you have it identified properly before making a conclusion."
"What do you know?" Gary glanced at Ash dismissively. "This is the intuition of a professional archaeologist!"
To show his affection for the "precious fossil," Gary even lowered his head and gave it a kiss.
The cheerleaders around him immediately squealed in admiration.
Ash suppressed his laughter. Waiting until Gary looked up, he said slowly and loud enough for everyone to hear, "Gary, your 'intuition' is... certainly unique. If I'm not mistaken, you just affectionately kissed a perfectly preserved piece of ancient Pokémon dung."
Instantly, the entire excavation site fell into a dead silence.
Gary's smug expression froze. His face turned pale, then transitioned into a deep, humiliated red.
He hurled the "fossil" as far as he could, wiping his mouth frantically as his stomach did somersaults. His cheerleaders looked at one another, wanting to laugh but not daring to.
"Ash!" Gary ground out the name through clenched teeth. The sheer embarrassment of this social death made him wish he could vanish into a hole.
Just then, the familiar shouts of the Team Rocket trio came from the other side of the canyon. They seemed to be using explosives to find fossils, but a mistake in operation had left the fuse burning rapidly. They were about to blow themselves up with their own dynamite!
"Not good! We have to stop them!" Ash's eyes narrowed. This gave him a perfect excuse to move. He immediately sent out Pikachu and Charmeleon. "Quick! Use a small Thundershock and Ember to cut the fuse! Then we chase them. We can't let them destroy the canyon!"
The precision of Pikachu and Charmeleon's attacks extinguished the fuse just as it was about to reach the cache, preventing the explosion.
Team Rocket fled in a panic, and Ash's group pursued them deep into the hidden recesses of the canyon.
During the chase, they accidentally triggered a loose rock wall, revealing a hidden underground entrance. Ash knew this was his true goal. He led the way inside without hesitation.
The interior of the cave was a world of its own, the air moist and filled with an ancient scent. What was more shocking was that in the lakes and on the walls, there lived a vast number of Kabuto and Omanyte! They weren't fossils; they were living ancient Pokémon!
"Oh my god! Living fossil Pokémon!" Misty cried out.
"This... this is a biological miracle!" Brock was equally excited.
Ash knew these Pokémon needed protection. This place would be discovered sooner or later, and the best way was to relocate and protect them.
He moved quickly, using Poké Balls to capture the precious ancient Pokémon.
He specifically chose an Omanyte with good potential and a strong Kabutops to hand over to Misty and Brock.
"Misty, Brock, I'll leave these two to your care. They need trustworthy trainers."
"Thank you, Ash!" Misty and Brock were pleasantly surprised as they took the Poké Balls, promising to raise them well.
[Ding! The host has captured a large number of living fossil Pokémon (Kabuto and Omanyte groups). Reward: 1,500 World Origin Points.]
[Ding! The host has gifted Omanyte and Kabutops to companions. Team cohesion has increased.]
Just as they prepared to explore further, a sharp, piercing cry rang out from the top of the cave!
A massive black shadow dove down it was a fierce Aerodactyl! It seemed to be the overlord of this underground world, and it was full of hostility toward the intruders.
"Watch out!" Ash shielded Misty and Brock. "Charmeleon, get ready for battle!"
Charmeleon roared, charging toward Aerodactyl without fear. Aerodactyl was extremely fast, using Ancient Power to hurl rocks. Charmeleon retaliated with Flamethrower, but Aerodactyl's Wing Attack was incredibly sharp. After a few exchanges, Charmeleon began to lose ground.
"Roar!" After a heavy collision, Charmeleon was struck by Aerodactyl's claws, but the fire of defiance burned in its eyes.
Its strong fighting spirit and desire for victory triggered the power deep within! An Evolution Light more brilliant than ever erupted!
Charmeleon completed its final evolution Charizard! Unlike in the original work, this Charizard hadn't suffered any misfortunes, so its strength actually increased!
The evolved Charizard was massive, its powerful wings spreading wide with an overwhelming aura! It roared toward the sky, releasing its surging power.
"Great! Charizard!" Ash was thrilled. "Show him our new power! Fire Punch!"
Charizard roared, slamming its fist wreathed in white-hot flames into Aerodactyl! Simultaneously, it used its wings to dodge agilely. Its occasional bursts of flame were wider and more powerful than before.
Aerodactyl was caught off guard by the sudden explosion of power and the rapid attacks. For the first time, a look of seriousness and... respect appeared in its sharp eyes.
This new, powerful opponent had sparked its competitive spirit, but it also felt the threat.
Ash saw the opportunity. Instead of forcing a defeat, he used Aura Power to transmit his goodwill. He shouted, "Aerodactyl! You are strong! But trapped down here, you can't fly freely through the sky or fight true experts.
Your power is sleeping, isn't it? Come with me! I can show you the vast world, challenge even stronger opponents, and help you reach your true peak! Even beyond your past!"
These words, combined with Charizard's strength and Ash's convincing Aura, made Aerodactyl fall into thought.
It yearned for battle, for strength, and it felt that this human might be able to fulfill its desires.
Finally, the proud Aerodactyl bowed its head and let out a low cry of submission.
Ash smiled and took out an Ultra Ball, successfully capturing the ancient overlord of the skies.
[Ding! Host's Charmeleon has evolved into Charizard!]
[Ding! Host has captured Aerodactyl. Reward: 800 World Origin Points.]
[Current World Origin Points: 20,500.]
Near the end of their exploration, Ash found a very special egg with red and blue patterns in a warm, hay-filled corner.
"This is... a Togepi egg!" He picked it up carefully, feeling the vibrant life force within.
Without hesitation, he put this precious egg into his bag, intending to hatch it with care.
[Ding! Host has obtained a Togepi egg.]
Laden with their harvest the evolved Charizard, the captured Aerodactyl, the living fossil Pokémon, and the Togepi egg Ash and his friends quietly left Grandpa Canyon. They left behind Gary, who was still fuming and embarrassed over the "dung fossil" incident, completely unaware of the miracles that had occurred beneath the earth.
New power had awakened, an ancient pact had been forged, and Ash's journey had reached a whole new level.
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