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"Huh? That little one is still here!" Ash heard the familiar voice and glanced over in surprise, realizing it was the same Jigglypuff from their previous encounter. He had almost completely forgotten about the pink Pokemon's presence in all the excitement surrounding the fossil excavation.
"Uh... Haha! Yes! Ever since this little one learned how to sing properly, it has been persistently following us around!" Misty responded with an awkward smile, her voice betraying obvious nervousness as she watched the scene unfold before them.
From her body language and tone, it was clear that Misty had completely abandoned any thoughts of trying to capture Jigglypuff for her team. In fact, she seemed to harbor a genuine fear of the seemingly innocent Pokemon. Ash observed this dramatic change in Misty's attitude and immediately understood what must have happened during his absence.
Misty had obviously discovered the true nature of this particular pink Pokemon and learned firsthand why it might be considered somewhat dangerous despite its cute appearance.
What Misty was actually thinking at that moment was how much she regretted not listening to Ash's original warnings about Jigglypuff. Although her previous attempts to help the Pokemon hadn't resulted in any permanent damage to anyone's hearing, she now realized that if she had truly understood how terrifying Jigglypuff's abilities could be when misused, she would have seriously reconsidered whether she should have offered her assistance in the first place.
"Jiggly! Jiggly-puff!"
Jigglypuff spotted Ash among the group and seemed absolutely delighted by his presence. The pink Pokemon quickly retrieved its signature microphone-shaped marker from somewhere within its fluffy exterior, cleared its throat with obvious preparation, and appeared ready to begin one of its famous singing performances.
Both Brock and Misty immediately tensed up when they witnessed these telltale signs of an impending musical number. However, before Jigglypuff could produce even a single note, Ash quickly grabbed a piece of sushi from his lunch box and smoothly stuffed it directly into Jigglypuff's newly opened mouth.
"Mmph!"
Jigglypuff was caught completely off guard by this unexpected interruption. Its Sing attack had been rudely interrupted just as it was about to begin, and the Pokemon's entire face suddenly inflated like a balloon in response to its growing frustration and anger. The pink Pokemon then turned its attention toward the person who had dared to interrupt its performance, focusing its irritated gaze directly on Ash.
Ash simply narrowed his eyes and offered Jigglypuff the most innocent and friendly smile he could manage. When Jigglypuff saw this particular expression, it suddenly remembered their very first meeting, when Ash had calmly threatened to permanently silence its singing voice. The memory immediately filled the Pokemon with fear and apprehension.
Jigglypuff's inflated cheeks instantly deflated, and it began chewing the sushi in its mouth with an expression of feigned nonchalance, as if it wanted everyone to believe that it had only opened its mouth because it was feeling hungry rather than because it intended to sing.
Both Brock and Misty released sighs of relief when they witnessed this successful intervention. Once again, Ash had managed to save them from a potentially dangerous situation at exactly the right moment.
"By the way, is it really possible to actually dig up ancient Pokemon fossils in a place like this?" Green asked, watching the numerous people around them who continued their relentless excavation work without even bothering to pause for a proper meal.
"Maybe it's possible!" Ash replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "If you manage to dig something up, you'll definitely make a profit, but if you don't find anything, there's really no significant loss involved, right?"
At the same time, Ash noticed that Jigglypuff was gazing longingly at the lunch box he held in his hands. Seeing this, Ash smiled warmly and began taking out the remaining portions of food to share with the hungry Pokemon.
"I found something!" Gary's triumphant voice suddenly rang out from not far away, drawing everyone's attention. The group looked in his direction with curiosity, only to see Gary proudly holding up a stone that appeared distinctly different from the ordinary rocks scattered throughout the excavation area.
The object displayed obvious spiral patterns on its surface, and it genuinely resembled what most people would expect a fossil to look like. Gary's female admirers immediately began offering enthusiastic praise and congratulations for his apparent discovery.
At that moment, an elderly man dressed in professional archaeological attire approached the group. He carefully took the fossil from Gary's hands and began examining it thoroughly with a high-powered magnifying glass, his experienced eyes studying every detail of the specimen.
"Well? How about it?" Gary asked with obvious pride and anticipation. "This is the very first thing I've managed to dig up since arriving here. What kind of Pokemon fossil do you think this is?"
The archaeologist continued his careful examination for several more moments before finally reaching his conclusion. "This... this is definitely a fossilized Pokemon dropping!" the old man announced with complete certainty.
"Ugh! That's absolutely disgusting!"
Upon hearing this unexpected revelation, all of the girls surrounding Gary immediately displayed expressions of revulsion and horror. Gary himself felt his heart sink as he realized that his first major discovery was actually ancient Pokemon waste rather than the valuable fossil he had hoped to find.
Misty and the others, who had been peacefully enjoying their lunch nearby, were rendered temporarily speechless by this turn of events. The revelation suddenly made everyone lose their appetite completely.
"Damn it! How could this possibly happen to me!"
Gary angrily threw his pickaxe to the ground in frustration and stomped over to where Ash and his companions were sitting. Although everyone in the group had lost interest in finishing their meal, they couldn't help but cover their mouths to hide their amused snickering when they saw Gary's devastated expression.
"Well, at least this discovery proves that there may indeed be fossils of ancient Pokemon somewhere in this area, right?" Ash commented with a diplomatic smile, spreading his hands in a gesture of consolation.
While the fossil Gary had discovered was certainly not what anyone would consider a valuable Pokemon specimen, the fact that any fossilized material had formed in this location meant that the area dated back to ancient times. This suggested that there was a reasonable possibility that actual ancient Pokemon had once lived in this region.
"You're absolutely right about that," Gary admitted, his disappointment beginning to fade as he considered Ash's logical observation. "Forget about this setback. I'll fill my stomach with some proper food now, and then I'll continue digging until I'm completely exhausted. I absolutely must find real Pokemon fossils before I leave this place!"
After listening to Ash's encouraging words, Gary felt that the reasoning made perfect sense, and his fighting spirit was instantly rekindled with renewed determination.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
At that precise moment, a series of powerful explosions suddenly captured everyone's attention throughout the valley. The sounds were unmistakably those of detonations, and the explosions echoed dramatically through the enclosed space. In an instant, the entire valley floor trembled and shook from the tremendous force of the blasts.
"Ah! What's happening?" Misty and the others were immediately startled by the unexpected commotion, their peaceful lunch completely forgotten.
"What could have caused that? Is someone actually using explosives in a place like this?" The valley wasn't only occupied by Pokemon Trainers and archaeologists. Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy were also present at the excavation site.
Because such a large number of people had suddenly converged on this previously quiet location, local authorities had become concerned about potential safety hazards. Officer Jenny had arrived at the scene to maintain order and ensure everyone's security, while Nurse Joy had come to provide medical assistance in case of emergencies.
However, everyone who had come to search for fossils was using only basic hand tools for their excavation work. No one had dared to use dangerous explosives in such a crowded area, yet the explosions they had just heard were obviously caused by some kind of powerful explosive device.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Following the initial explosion, the entire valley began shaking even more violently, and loose rocks started tumbling down from the cliff faces on both sides of the excavation area.
"This is terrible! Everyone needs to evacuate immediately!" Officer Jenny called out in panic when she witnessed the dangerous rockslide beginning to develop.
No one could afford to worry about Pokemon fossils any longer. Personal safety had become the immediate priority. People quickly abandoned their tools and equipment, scrambling to find secure shelter. The violent tremors triggered a massive landslide, and enormous boulders began falling rapidly from the surrounding cliffs.
"Everyone, find cover quickly!" Ash shouted urgently as he jumped to his feet, addressing his companions and anyone else within hearing range.
"Right!" Brock and the others responded immediately, rising from their positions and preparing to seek shelter from the falling debris. Ash quickly moved to follow them, but then suddenly realized that he had forgotten something important. He spun around and spotted Jigglypuff not far away, still sitting in the same spot where they had been sharing lunch.
The ground tremors were causing the small Pokemon's body to shake uncontrollably, and Jigglypuff appeared confused and frightened by the chaotic situation unfolding around it.
At the same moment, a large boulder broke free from the cliff above and began plummeting directly toward Jigglypuff's location.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Upon seeing the immediate danger, Ash shouted his command without hesitation. Pikachu instantly leaped from Ash's shoulder, electricity crackling around its small yellow body. The Electric-type Pokemon released a powerful Thunderbolt attack, sending the brilliant bolt of lightning streaking through the air toward the falling boulder.
The rock shattered into harmless fragments with a tremendous crash. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ash rushed forward and scooped up the startled Jigglypuff in his arms.
"You need to hide too, you silly Pokemon!" he said firmly but kindly, tucking Jigglypuff securely under his arm before hurrying to catch up with Misty and the others who were already seeking shelter.
Jigglypuff looked up at Ash's determined face during this rescue, its large, expressive eyes seeming to shimmer with emotion and gratitude. The pink Pokemon appeared deeply moved by Ash's willingness to risk his own safety to protect it.
However, Ash didn't have time to notice Jigglypuff's emotional response, as the dangerous situation demanded his complete attention and immediate action.