The cavern had grown quiet once more after the thunderous clash.
Faint steam curled from the rocks where lightning had struck, and the faint hum of energy slowly faded into calm silence.
Alex knelt beside the slumbering Aerodactyl's Poké Ball, feeling the faint pulse of energy within. "You've slept for centuries… but now, you'll fly again," he murmured softly.
Delia approached with a small smile. "You really plan to train him?"
"Not just train," Alex replied. "Guide him. He's a relic of a lost world—his instincts belong to an era long before ours. If he's going to live again, he deserves a chance to belong."
He took out a portable healing capsule from his bag—advanced tech powered by Aether Energy—and placed the Poké Ball inside. The capsule emitted a faint blue glow as it began restoring Aerodactyl's strength.
Rena stood nearby, eyes closed, her divine energy softly resonating with the healing field. Misty and Delia both watched in silence, the moment feeling almost sacred.
After a few minutes, the light dimmed. Alex removed the ball and pressed the release.
With a flash of white, Aerodactyl appeared once more—still tired but calm, its wings folded as it observed its new surroundings.
There was no anger this time—only quiet understanding.
Alex stepped forward slowly, meeting its gaze. "You're no longer alone here. From now on, you fly under open skies again."
The ancient dragon tilted its head slightly, as if studying the young man before it. Then, with a low rumble that echoed through the cavern, it lowered its head—a silent show of respect.
Delia's smile softened. "He accepted you."
Alex placed a hand on Aerodactyl's rocky snout. "Good. Because I intend to make sure your kind doesn't fade into myth again."
He looked deeper into the cave. Through the mist and shadows, several faint glows shimmered—other fossilized Pokémon, lying dormant within the rock walls. Omanyte shells half-buried in crystal, Kabuto fossil clusters gleaming faintly, even what looked like an incomplete Shieldon fossil.
Rena's voice broke the silence. "So many… lost to time."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "They survived this long. Maybe it's time someone gave them a chance to live again."
He stood up and took out several empty Poké Balls from his satchel—but soon realized he didn't have enough.
"Misty," he said, glancing at her. "How far is the next PokéMart from here?"
"Hmm… not far. Pewter's supply depot is still connected through that upper tunnel," she replied. "You can access it through the terminal near the exit."
Alex smiled faintly. "Good."
—
An hour later, after returning to the surface and restocking, he descended again—this time with dozens of Poké Balls.
Delia watched him move from fossil to fossil, gently using energy scanners and preservation tools to confirm which ones contained dormant life. Rena used her psychic control to carefully extract the living ones from the stone.
One by one, faint glows of ancient energy began to fill the cavern—Omanyte, Kabuto, Lileep, Anorith—all creatures of ancient eras, resting once more within Poké Balls now glowing with faint primal light.
Misty stared in awe. "You're… collecting fossils like they're old friends."
Alex smiled faintly, placing the last Poké Ball into a capsule. "They are old friends—of this world. Forgotten, but not gone."
He tapped a button on his wrist device, opening a communication line.
> Professor Oak (Hologram): "Ah, Alex! What a pleasant surprise. You seem… underground?"
Alex: "You could say that. Found a fossil chamber under Mt. Moon. Several ancient Pokémon, all still biologically viable."
Professor Oak (stunned): "By Arceus… You mean living fossils?"
Alex: "Exactly. I'm sending them to you. Please find a suitable sanctuary—a place where they can live and rebuild their kind."
Professor Oak: "You never cease to amaze me, my boy. Don't worry—I'll see they're cared for properly."
Alex smiled as he transmitted the Poké Balls through the Poké-transfer device . Beams of light carried the ancient Pokémon to Oak's laboratory.
Delia watched him silently—admiration clear in her eyes. " Alex… You're preserving history itself."
He chuckled softly. "A world can't move forward if it forgets its past."
As the last light faded from the transfer pad, Aerodactyl gave a low rumble—less of aggression, more of pride.
Misty laughed nervously. "I think he approves."
"Good," Alex said, smirking. "Because soon, we'll show the sky what ancient power really looks like."
Rena stood beside him, her voice soft yet clear. "The ancients are with us now. Their journey begins again."
The group turned back toward the exit of Mt. Moon—light spilling through the tunnel ahead, a new day waiting.
Alex placed his hand briefly on Aerodactyl's Poké Ball and whispered,
"Rest for now. The sky awaits."