Chapter 227: Xiao Fu, We're Coming In
Cinnabar Research Institute.
The trio arrived in front of the Research Institute. It was arguably the only tangible commercial building in all of Cinnabar Town; most of the others were just hotels and hot springs, which weren't considered substantial businesses.
The Cinnabar Research Institute looked quite old on the outside. It was a short and stout, two-story building with yellowish walls.
Without hesitating, the three of them pushed open the main door and walked toward what looked like a reception desk.
There were surprisingly few people inside the Research Institute, just a few Researchers in Lab Coats walking back and forth.
The entrance opened into a spacious hall, flanked by wide corridors. Every few meters along each corridor was a large door, presumably leading to various laboratories and other such places.
"Are you visitors from out of town? The Cinnabar Research Institute's specialty restaurant is to the left, and our specialty hot spring hotel is to the right."
Standing at the front desk was a young man with black, spiky hair that pointed forward. He had a sharp-featured face and spoke in a rather listless tone, playing on his phone without even looking up.
"Xiao Fu, these are my honored guests. I'll take care of them."
A withered but hearty voice came from one of the rooms. Everyone looked up to see a bald head peeking out from the doorway.
It was Blaine, with whom they had just had a major battle.
"Oh, good day, Deputy Director!"
Xiao Fu at the front desk immediately jolted upright and offered a greeting.
Blaine was not only the Cinnabar Gym Leader but also the deputy director of the Cinnabar Research Institute.
As for the director, he was currently away. It could be said that Blaine was in charge of the Cinnabar Research Institute at the moment.
"We meet again, you three."
When it came to Cinnabar Town, there really wasn't much else to do besides visit the Cinnabar Research Institute. He had expected the three of them would come and had already been waiting here for half the day.
Ash and his friends quickly greeted him as well and told him their reason for coming.
"Fossil Restoration, you say? That's quite a rare event."
Hearing this, Blaine's eyes lit up. The vast majority of fossils were in the hands of the League officials, and the few Trainers who found them were more willing to go to Pewter City. It had been a long time since their Cinnabar Research Institute had restored a fossil.
"If I may be so bold as to ask, what kind of fossil is it?" Blaine asked curiously.
There were only three types in Kanto: the Dome Fossil, the Helix Fossil, and the Old Amber. The last one would be interesting.
"Oh, it's a Skull."
Ash took the Skull Fossil out of his Backpack. According to the fossil collector who found it, Hikawa Toyohisa, it came from a bizarre, big-headed creature with a forehead one-third larger than others of its kind.
"A Skull? I wasn't expecting that."
Blaine was slightly stunned. This type of Skull Fossil was supposed to be a specialty of other Regions; they didn't exist in the Kanto Region. He only knew a little about fossils himself and couldn't identify which pokemon it was.
He then took it to examine it closely. After confirming there were no issues, he carefully handed it to the man at the front desk named Xiao Fu.
Nowadays, fossil restoration was a simple operation. It was so straightforward that even a machine operator could master it; it wasn't difficult at all.
"Xiao Fu, take this fossil for aseptic treatment first. Then turn on the switch for the fossil restoration machine and get it ready. Oh, and prepare some small fossils, and bring out all those precious materials. These are my honored guests, so be sure to use the highest-grade restoration materials. Right, let me handle the incubation and restoration today."
"Don't worry, Deputy Director. I know what to do."
Xiao Fu carefully took the Skull. It was surprisingly heavy, so he didn't dare be careless and quickly headed toward a laboratory in the corridor.
"I don't understand, do you need to prepare extra small fossils for restoration?" Ash couldn't help but ask.
"Hehe, normally, you don't. But you saved Cinnabar Island, so of course, I have to add some extra ingredients for you, free of charge. Don't look down on them just because they're small fossils. They contain quite a lot of things and have a chance of increasing the concentration of the prehistoric bloodline, you know."
Their conservative estimate was a 3% increase, but with these extra rare treasures and small fossils, it was enough to raise the concentration to 5%!
"5%? Well, I guess that's how it is."
In the past, Ash might have been very excited, but now he found it rather dull.
His reaction made Blaine feel like he was punching cotton. *Doesn't this kid get it? 5% is very high!*
While they waited, Blaine gave the trio a good tour of the Research Institute. The Cinnabar Research Institute still preserved many rare and curious fossil skeletons, their shapes and forms completely different from what they recognized today, as if they came from a different lineage entirely.
They all looked at a jaw skeleton lined with sharp teeth. Even though it had long been devoid of any trace of life, its genetic information having completely dissipated, it still emitted a dense and unsettling aura that commanded respect.
"This is the Jaw Fossil of an Ancient Fierce Beast called a Husky," Blaine introduced, then pointed to another object that resembled a human cranium.
"This is an Abnormal Variant similar to us humans, the skull fossil of a so-called Upper Caveman."
"Wow..." The three of them clicked their tongues in wonder, thinking it was truly unheard of.
"By the way, can't these be revived?"
Husky?
They had heard of Aerodactyl a few times, but they had never heard the name Husky before.
"No. They're far too old and don't contain a single trace of genetic information. They aren't even products of the prehistoric world. Some experts have analyzed that these might be remnants from a previous era of this planet."
Blaine shook his head, his expression profound.
An expert had once proposed a subversive hypothesis: that in the era before the prehistoric world, pokemon did not exist on this planet. It was inhabited by creatures completely different from those of today.
For some unknown reason, all these creatures disappeared.
What followed was the official history of the Pokemon World: the Creator Deity Arceus, Mew, the ancestor of all...
The Creation Trio...
The three fools of Hoenn...
The prehistoric Aerodactyl, and so on...
Seeing the atmosphere had become a bit oppressive, Blaine couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hehe, it's just for fun. This hypothesis is actually criticized by most historians."
The trio listened, stunned, treating it like a fantasy story and repeatedly clicking their tongues in amazement.
After completing the tour, Blaine estimated the time. It was about time to begin the fossil incubation and restoration, so he led Ash and his friends to a small room at the very end of the corridor.
A sign was posted on the room door.
"Fossil Restoration Chamber."
Blaine knocked on the room door and reminded them softly,
"Xiao Fu, we're coming in."
Reviving an ancient pokemon was a delicate process; one couldn't be careless. Even speaking had to be done softly.
"Come in, Director. Remember to be quiet," a voice replied from within.
The group pushed open the room door and slowly walked inside.
Xiao Fu was hunched over, operating some kind of instrument. In front of him was a transparent tank nearly two meters tall, connected to countless tubes and data cables. The tank was filled with a dark green liquid that, oddly, looked quite delicious.
And the Skull Fossil was currently levitating in the Nutrient Solution Jar.
(end of chapter)