After leaving Neon Town, Ash and his companions followed the directions on their map and arrived at an ancient canyon known as Grampa Canyon.
The geological structure here was quite unique. It was said that a large number of ancient Pokémon fossils were buried beneath the ground, attracting many Trainers and researchers to come and excavate.
Just as they entered the valley, a familiar and arrogant voice rang out.
"Hmph. I was wondering who it was. So it's you, Ash. A place filled with historical significance like this obviously requires a Trainer with both strength and knowledge like me to uncover its true value."
Gary stood there wearing a well-tailored archaeological outfit. Surrounded by a group of cheering fans, he was directing his Growlithe to sniff around the area. A pile of fossil fragments he had already dug up lay at his feet.
"Gary, you're interested in fossils too?" Ash greeted him.
"Of course! Only by uncovering the power of ancient times can we better look toward the future." Gary said confidently.
He then picked up a strangely shaped, slightly brownish "fossil" from a pit he had just dug and examined it carefully.
"Look at this unique shape. It might be the core part of some powerful ancient Pokémon! This is an important discovery!"
Ash's Aura stirred slightly. Combined with the memories from his previous life, he immediately "saw" the true nature of the so-called fossil.
It was not a Pokémon fossil at all.
It was a fossilized piece of ancient Pokémon dung.
The corner of Ash's mouth twitched as he watched Gary's expression of delight. He decided not to expose the truth immediately and simply said meaningfully,
"Gary, some 'fossils' might not be quite what you think they are. I suggest examining it carefully before drawing conclusions."
"What do you know?" Gary scoffed, glancing at Ash with disdain. "This is the intuition of a professional archaeologist!"
As he spoke, in order to show his appreciation for the "precious fossil," he even lowered his head and gave it a kiss.
His group of fans immediately let out admiring gasps.
Ash barely managed to hold back his laughter. When Gary raised his head again, Ash slowly spoke in a voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"Gary, your 'intuition'… well, it's certainly unique. If I'm not mistaken, the thing you just kissed so affectionately is actually a perfectly preserved fossilized piece of ancient Pokémon dung."
Instantly, the entire excavation site fell silent.
The proud expression on Gary's face froze. Then, at a visible speed, it turned pale green before flushing red with embarrassment.
He violently threw the "fossil" far away and frantically wiped his mouth, his stomach churning violently.
His cheerleaders exchanged awkward glances, wanting to laugh but not daring to.
"A—Ash—!" Gary practically ground out the name through clenched teeth. The sheer embarrassment and anger made him wish he could crawl into a hole and disappear.
At that moment, the familiar shouting of the Team Rocket trio echoed from the other side of the valley.
They seemed to be trying to blow open the mountain with explosives in order to find fossils, but due to a mistake in handling the detonator, the fuse was rapidly burning down toward a large amount of explosives they had brought with them.
"Not good! We have to stop them!" Ash's expression sharpened.
This also conveniently gave him a legitimate reason to act.
He immediately sent out Pikachu and released Charmeleon.
"Quick! Use a small Thunder Shock and Ember to cut the fuse! Then we chase them. We can't let them keep damaging the valley!"
Pikachu and Charmeleon's attacks precisely extinguished the nearly burned-out fuse, preventing the explosion.
Seeing the situation turn against them, Team Rocket fled in panic, while Ash and his friends chased after them, pursuing them deep into the hidden areas of the valley.
During the chase, they accidentally triggered a loose rock wall, revealing a hidden underground entrance.
Ash felt a sense of certainty. This was exactly the place he had been looking for.
Without hesitation, he took the lead and climbed inside.
The cave interior was astonishing.
The air was humid and filled with an ancient aura. Even more shocking was that deep within the cave, around a hidden lake and along the rock walls, lived a large number of Kabuto and Omanyte, Pokémon believed to have long gone extinct.
They were not fossils.
They were living ancient Pokémon.
"My goodness! Living fossil Pokémon!" Misty exclaimed.
"T-this is practically a biological miracle!" Brock said excitedly.
Ash knew that these Pokémon needed protection. This place would inevitably be discovered sooner or later. The best solution now would be to disperse them and place them in safer care.
He quickly took action, using Poké Balls to capture the precious ancient Pokémon one by one.
At the same time, he deliberately selected a talented Omanyte and a powerful Kabutops, handing them respectively to Misty and Brock.
"Misty, Brock, I'll leave these two in your care. They need trustworthy Trainers."
"Thank you, Ash!" Misty and Brock happily accepted the Poké Balls and solemnly promised to raise them well.
[Ding! The host has captured a large number of living fossil Pokémon (Kabuto and Omanyte clans). Reward: 1500 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 19,700.]
[Ding! The host gifted Omanyte and Kabutops to companions. Team cohesion increased.]
Just as they were preparing to explore deeper, a sharp and piercing screech suddenly echoed from the top of the cave!
A massive shadow dived down from above.
It was the fierce Aerodactyl!
It seemed to be the ruler of this underground world and was full of hostility toward intruders.
"Watch out!" Ash quickly moved to shield Misty and Brock behind him. "Charmeleon, get ready to battle!"
Charmeleon roared and fearlessly rushed toward Aerodactyl.
Aerodactyl was incredibly fast. It used Ancient Power, sending countless rocks crashing toward Charmeleon. Charmeleon retaliated with Flamethrower, but Aerodactyl's wing attacks were incredibly sharp. After several exchanges, Charmeleon gradually began to fall into a disadvantage.
"Roar!"
After a fierce clash, Charmeleon was struck hard by Aerodactyl's claws. Yet the flames in its eyes burned with unyielding determination.
Its intense fighting spirit and desire for victory awakened a deeper power within its body.
A brilliant light of evolution erupted forth, even brighter than before!
Charmeleon completed its final evolution.
Charizard!
Moreover, unlike in the original story, this Charizard had not suffered the unfortunate incident from the original timeline, so its strength had only increased rather than weakened.
The newly evolved Charizard was much larger. Its powerful wings spread wide as an overwhelming aura surged from its body. It threw its head back and let out a mighty roar, venting its surging power.
"Great job, Charizard!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "Show it our new strength! Fire Punch!"
Charizard roared as its fist, blazing with intense flames, slammed toward Aerodactyl.
At the same time, it skillfully used its wings to dodge incoming attacks. The flames it occasionally spewed scattered farther and struck with greater power.
Aerodactyl was momentarily caught off guard by Charizard's sudden surge of strength and ferocious assault. For the first time, its sharp eyes revealed seriousness and even a hint of… recognition.
This newly appeared powerful opponent had stirred its competitive spirit, but it also made Aerodactyl feel threatened.
Ash seized the opportunity. Instead of trying to defeat it by force, he used his Aura power to convey goodwill while speaking loudly.
"Aerodactyl! You're powerful! But trapped in this underground world, unable to soar freely in the sky or battle true strong opponents… your strength must be sleeping too, right?
Come with me! I can show you a wider sky, let you challenge stronger opponents, and restore your strength to its true peak!
You might even surpass what you once were!"
These words, combined with the strength Charizard had just displayed and the unique, convincing aura surrounding Ash, caused Aerodactyl to fall into deep thought.
It longed for battle.
It longed to grow stronger.
And it faintly felt that this human might be able to fulfill that desire.
Finally, Aerodactyl lowered its proud head and let out a low cry of submission.
With a smile, Ash took out an Ultra Ball and successfully captured the ancient ruler of the skies.
[Ding! The host's Charmeleon has evolved into Charizard!]
[Ding! The host captured Aerodactyl. Reward: 800 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 20,500.]
Near the end of their cave exploration, Ash discovered something in a warm corner covered with hay.
It was a special-looking egg with red and blue patterns.
"This is… a Togepi egg!"
He carefully picked it up and could clearly feel the strong life force inside.
Without question, he added the precious egg to his collection, planning to hatch it carefully.
[Ding! The host has obtained a Togepi egg.]
With a bountiful harvest including the evolved Charizard, the captured Aerodactyl, numerous living fossil Pokémon, and the Togepi egg, Ash and his companions quietly left Grampa Canyon.
Behind them, Gary was still outside, overwhelmed with humiliation from the "fossilized dung" incident, completely unaware of the incredible miracle that had just occurred underground.
New power had awakened.
Ancient bonds had been forged.
Ash's journey had reached an entirely new height.
A/N: The Grampa Canyon arc yielded great rewards. But regarding this Togepi, should it follow the original story and be given to Misty, or should Ash keep it himself?
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