In the deepest part of the cave, the light was as dim as ever, with only the area around Charizard glowing brightly.
But amid the darkness, there was a small, radiant point of light shimmering with seven colors, its hues shifting mysteriously.
The moment Ash saw the glowing spot, the guiding voice in his mind reached its peak.
There was no doubt, that was something related to MEGA Evolution. Although he couldn't tell whether it was a Key Stone or an Mega stone, it was definitely one of the two.
Ash's expression brightened, and he was about to step forward to retrieve it when he suddenly froze.
His Aura sense had detected an extremely powerful presence near the glowing stone.
Unlike the weakened, frail Fossil Pokémon outside, this Aura, though slightly suppressed, was undeniably strong.
Ash raised his hand slightly, signaling Charizard to follow. As Charizard's flames lit up the darkness, Ash finally saw the Pokémon hidden in the shadows.
It had a gray body, a reptilian face, a pair of broad wings with claws growing from them, sharp fingertips gleaming in the firelight, and a long, pointed tail hanging loosely behind its back.
Ash recognized it immediately, he had seen it in the pictures shared by the veterans in the group.
A Pokémon from ancient times, nearly extinct in the modern world, Aerodactyl!
As Ash approached, Aerodactyl's body twitched slightly. It slowly opened its eyes, a hint of confusion flickering within its gray pupils, as though it had just woken from a long sleep.
After a few seconds, Aerodactyl was fully awake. It opened its wide jaws, let out a massive yawn, then shook its head, glancing around before finally locking its gaze onto Ash.
Its once-dazed eyes instantly sharpened, turning fierce and predatory. That gaze now carried bloodlust and hunger, Aerodactyl had already marked Ash as its next meal.
"So that thing's being guarded by Aerodactyl? Could it be Aerodactyl's Evolutionite? Wait… can Aerodactyl even MEGA Evolve? Probably not, right? It's an ancient Pokémon," Ash muttered to himself, trying to figure out how to retrieve the glowing stone from Aerodactyl's claws.
Aerodactyl, the ancient ruler of the skies, notoriously bloodthirsty, and a true carnivore.
Though almost extinct in modern times, the Dragon Master Lance, one of Kanto's Elites, owned an Aerodactyl whose strength had already reached Champion-level.
However, according to Lance, his Aerodactyl had been revived from amber. The one before Ash, like the other Fossil Pokémon outside, had survived since ancient times by hibernating until now. What an unimaginably long life.
Species: Aerodactyl
Gender: Male
Type: Rock / Flying
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Bite, Ancient Power, Wing Attack, Supersonic, Stone Edge...
Stats: Physical Attack A (S), Special Attack A (A), Defense A (A), Special Defense A (A), Stamina S (S), Speed A (A).
Aerodactyl's data appeared in Ash's mind, making him click his tongue in admiration.
"What incredible talent!"
Double S and four A's, even in ancient times, this Aerodactyl must have been among the strongest of its kind.
In terms of total lifespan, this Aerodactyl might have lived even longer than the millennium-old Gengar, though its active lifespan would be shorter, most of that time had been spent in dormancy. Gengar, in contrast, had truly lived for over two thousand years.
Still, both shared one similarity: S-tier stamina.
"Does that mean the higher the stamina talent, the longer the lifespan?" Ash wondered silently.
"Rooaaar!!"
Just as Ash was still analyzing Aerodactyl's data, the ancient Pokémon suddenly let out a thunderous roar.
Ash immediately understood what it meant, "Be eaten obediently!"
"Heh, you want to eat me?" Ash sneered, utterly unimpressed by Aerodactyl's threat.
If it were a Champion-level Aerodactyl, Ash might have been cautious, but this half-awakened pokemon? Laughable.
"Roar!" "I've never met such an arrogant human before!"
"And I've never met such a weak but arrogant Aerodactyl," Ash shot back calmly.
When it came to verbal sparring, Ash was never one to lose.
Aerodactyl's face stiffened for a moment, then twisted in fury. With a violent flap of its wings, a gale tore through the cavern as it dove straight at Ash, jaws wide open.
Charizard's eyes narrowed sharply, flames gathering in its mouth, ready to blast the insolent ancient dragon that dared threaten its Trainer.
But before Charizard could act, Ash reached out and patted its shoulder lightly, a silent signal to stay calm.
"Leave it to me. It's said that these ancient Pokémon have 'survival of the fittest' carved into their very bones. If we try to win them over through Pokémon battles, it might take a long time to gain their recognition."
The "them" Ash referred to, of course, were all the Fossil Pokémon inhabiting this underground cave.
Misty and the others didn't have the ability to fight directly, so even if they couldn't immediately earn the Fossil Pokémon's respect, they could only rely on battling with their own partners and slowly building trust over time.
But for Ash, things could be handled a little more simply, and much more directly.
Aerodactyl lunged toward Ash, its rancid breath washing over him, jaws wide open as if ready to bite off his head.
In the next instant, Aerodactyl felt an unimaginable impact slam into its chin!
Its gaping mouth instantly snapped shut with a loud crack!
Fortunately, it hadn't stuck its tongue out; otherwise, with teeth that sharp, it would have been bitten clean off.
Not only did its mouth close, but its entire massive body was sent hurtling upward by that overwhelming force!
"Boom!!"
Aerodactyl's huge frame smashed straight into the ceiling of the underground cavern, and the seven-colored orb clutched in its claws slipped free and fell.
Ash swiftly caught the orb and examined it closely.
The orb was only slightly larger than a marble. Aerodactyl had been gripping it by wedging it between its claws, so once its grip loosened, it was bound to drop.
After inspecting it carefully, Ash confirmed that this must be the Evolution Key Stone the veterans in the group had mentioned.
To perform MEGA Evolution, both a Key Stone and a MEGA Evolutionite are essential. But Key Stones are far rarer than Evolutionites, extremely precious items that are difficult to find even in worlds where MEGA Evolution already exists.
In those parallel worlds, a single Key Stone could sell for over a hundred million, and demand always far exceeded supply.
Among Trainers of the same rank, if one side only possessed Dynamax, while the other could use Dynamax, Z-Moves, Terastalization, and MEGA Evolution, the latter would clearly have the upper hand.
Even a single extra system could bring a qualitative leap in strength.
And of all those systems, MEGA Evolution was the hardest to obtain, the most valuable, and the one offering the greatest overall improvement.
Not only are Key Stones almost impossible to locate, but MEGA Evolutionites, needed to pair with them, are just as elusive. Their origins remain unknown, with no stable source or production site. They can only be discovered by sheer luck.
For that reason, MEGA Evolution stands as the rarest and most coveted of all known power systems.
In Ash's world, the concept of MEGA Evolution had yet to emerge. But from subtle conversations with Professor Oak, he'd learned that researchers in the Kalos region were already investigating the possibility of Pokémon evolving beyond their final forms.
Once the MEGA Evolution system became public knowledge, Ash's current advantage would disappear overnight. Every suspected MEGA Evolutionite or Key Stone on the market would be immediately bought up.
Until now, Ash hadn't possessed either item himself, so he couldn't provide Oak with an example to identify. But now that he had a Key Stone in hand, there was a chance he could also find an Evolutionite.
As soon as they reached the next Pokémon Center, he planned to ask Professor Oak to help keep an eye out for both Evolutionites and Key Stones.
He intended to gather several sets before the secret of MEGA Evolution became widely known.
"According to the veterans in the group, I already have quite a few Pokémon capable of evolving further. Out of all species, only a few dozen can actually MEGA Evolve. Surely I can get a MEGA Evolutionite for one of mine, right?" Ash muttered, tucking the Key Stone safely into his jacket.
Now wasn't the time to study it.
Up above, the Aerodactyl that had been slammed into the ceiling had recovered. It was now glaring down at him, its fierce eyes filled with a mix of shock, confusion, and growing hostility.
First things first, capture this Aerodactyl.
It would be an outrage to let such a talented Aerodactyl go free!
"What, still planning to eat me?" Ash waved at Aerodactyl, deliberately taunting it.
Aerodactyl, which had been hesitating whether to flee or fight, was instantly enraged. It let out a furious roar, its massive wings beating violently as a surge of energy built up within its body.
In the next instant, several sharp stones erupted from the ground, shooting toward Ash at lightning speed!
Stone Edge, a powerful Rock-type move!
A faint blue glow enveloped Ash's body as Aura Power surged through him. He brought both hands up and swung them in a swift chopping motion.
Fragile human hands versus razor-sharp stone blades, yet, the result was clear…
Ash shattered every single stone.
Aerodactyl: "???"
Its strongest attack had just been destroyed with one casual strike. Countless question marks filled its mind.
Was this guy even human?!
Charizard, who had been preparing to shield its Trainer, quietly retreated behind him.
After fighting side by side with Ash for so long, it had almost forgotten just how terrifying its Trainer's real strength was.
The last time it managed to defeat that monstrous frog far above its level, it had only been possible thanks to Ash's power.
Now, facing a savage opponent that even it felt pressure from, Ash had simply waved his hand and shattered a move that could have seriously wounded Charizard.
When would it ever be able to catch up to him?
While Charizard reflected on this in silence, Ash stepped closer to Aerodactyl, speaking calmly.
"I've heard that ancient Pokémon like you live by the law of the jungle. If I defeat you here without using any Pokémon, I suppose you'll acknowledge me as your Trainer, right?"
"Roar! Roar, roar!" —"I don't know what you mean by Trainer, but if you can defeat me without using any monsters, I'll recognize you as my master!"
In ancient times, the concept of Trainers didn't exist. Back then, humans called Pokémon "monsters" , magical beasts wielding mysterious power.
Human understanding of Pokémon was still primitive, and their only way to control them was through sheer force and domination. True companionship between human and Pokémon didn't begin until much later, after the invention of the Poké Ball.
Ash wasn't well-versed in ancient history, but he could guess what Aerodactyl meant by "monster."
"The meaning of Trainer and master isn't the same," Ash said evenly. "Becoming your Trainer means being your partner, fighting side by side, growing stronger together… But judging by you, I doubt you'll listen. So I'll just have to make you understand."
Before he could finish, Aerodactyl lunged again, jaws wide, claws gleaming, flying straight toward him at terrifying speed.
Facing the gaping maw, Ash sighed and clenched his fist.
"Still haven't learned your lesson."
As his words fell, he sidestepped Aerodactyl's Bite and drove his fist upward toward its chin.
Just then, three long green energy claws burst out from Aerodactyl's hands, Dragon Claw!
With a swing of its wings, the glowing claws slashed toward Ash's face.
At this distance, Aerodactyl couldn't possibly dodge Ash's strike, but at the same time, its Dragon Claw would also connect.
Ancient Pokémon were like this, trading blow for blow, fighting recklessly even if it meant mutual destruction.
They didn't know the meaning of the word retreat!
A flicker of surprise flashed in Ash's eyes, but he reacted instantly. In his other hand, a bright blue orb condensed in an instant, Aura Sphere!
"Boom!!"
"Bang!!"
The Aura Sphere collided head-on with Dragon Claw, the explosion rocking the entire cave.
Aerodactyl was blasted back by Ash's punch, its body slamming into the cavern ceiling once again.
This time, the impact shook the entire cave three times over!
Ash flexed his hand and glanced upward, a hint of concern crossing his face.
Because of Aerodactyl's desperate counterattack, he'd subconsciously put a bit more force into that punch.
"That hit… probably didn't kill it, right?"
...
Stones Plzzz
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