Chapter 30: Top-Tier Aerodactyl
Although Ryan had captured many Pokémon and had entered their information into the Pokédex, he knew he couldn't find any remaining Aerodactyl anywhere else. He had to try his luck here.
So Ryan had Lillie recall her Pokémon, and then he did the same, leaving only Mewtwo out. He had Mewtwo carefully use its psychic powers to search for any Aerodactyl in the area.
Then, the two of them slowed down their pace and began searching for the ancient Flying-type. After walking for nearly half an hour, they found no Aerodactyl. However, they did see many sleeping fossil Pokémon, but unfortunately, none of them were top-tier quality. Otherwise, Ryan wouldn't have hesitated to capture them.
After walking for a while longer, Mewtwo stopped and telepathically communicated, "Ryan, there's the Pokémon you mentioned beyond this rock wall. Should we break through?"
Ryan hesitated, then looked at Lillie and the sleeping fossil Pokémon nearby. "Lillie, have Clefairy come out and use Sing to put all of them into a deeper sleep. Then we'll break through the rock wall and see if we can find the Aerodactyl."
Lillie nodded and sent Clefairy out. Clefairy began to sing its lullaby. Ryan quickly handed out earplugs to Lillie and himself, while Mewtwo used its psychic powers to block the sound. After Clefairy finished singing, Ryan walked over and gently nudged an Omanyte. Seeing it didn't react, he nodded and said, "Mewtwo, Aura Sphere. Break through the rock wall."
Mewtwo nodded and launched an Aura Sphere into the rock wall, creating a large opening. Suddenly, a swarm of fossil Pokémon began stirring on the other side. With a thunderous roar, a massive creature spread its wings and swooped toward Ryan's group.
The fossil Pokémon that had been approaching Ryan's group suddenly stopped in their tracks. Ryan's eyes narrowed as he saw the Aerodactyl charging toward them. He shouted, "Mewtwo, Protect!"
This Aerodactyl was top-tier quality. Judging by its presence and power, it was definitely over level 80, probably around 90. This was going to be an extremely challenging battle. Mewtwo used Protect to block the Aerodactyl's devastating Ancient Power attack. Then, without Ryan giving a command, it followed up with an Ice Beam aimed at the prehistoric predator. Before the Aerodactyl could fully recover, a Future Sight attack materialized and struck it with psychic energy.
The Aerodactyl screeched in fury, and countless rocks rained down upon Mewtwo—a Rock Slide attack. Ryan concentrated intensely, channeling his bond with Mewtwo to strengthen their connection. Through their training together, he had discovered that their bond could provide additional protection and enhance their synchronization in battle.
"Teleport behind it, then use Psyshock!" Ryan called out.
Mewtwo teleported behind the Aerodactyl, psychic energy condensing in its hands. It struck hard against the Aerodactyl's head with a concentrated psychic blast, successfully dealing significant damage. The disoriented Aerodactyl flew erratically, crashing into the cave wall and inadvertently damaging itself while also clipping Mewtwo with its wing.
"Get some distance and use Recover. Then follow up with Ice Beam!" Ryan wasn't going to give the Aerodactyl time to recover. After all, the level difference was substantial. After this series of attacks, he'd only reduced about a third of its health.
Mewtwo retreated from the Aerodactyl's reach, then used Recover to heal its injuries before firing another Ice Beam at the ancient Pokémon's wings. Mewtwo was strategic enough to target the wings specifically. While hitting other areas would have been effective, damaging the wings would significantly hamper the Aerodactyl's aerial advantage.
"Now use Toxic," Ryan decided to wear the Aerodactyl down. After all, it had been dormant for so long that its movements and battle instincts were somewhat rusty. This was Ryan's best chance to defeat such a powerful opponent.
"Thunder Wave," Ryan commanded. A combination of poison and paralysis—he'd learned this strategy from his battle with Koga—was absolutely devastating. However, the Aerodactyl suddenly charged forward with incredible speed, landing a critical Take Down attack that left Mewtwo barely conscious.
"Recover, quickly!" Ryan felt a moment of fear. The level difference was truly enormous. He had Mewtwo heal immediately, or another attack would have finished it.
Fortunately, while the Aerodactyl had shaken off its confusion, it was now paralyzed and couldn't move freely. The toxic poison was also taking its toll, causing the ancient Pokémon visible distress.
"Ice Beam, full power!" Ryan shouted. The four-times-effective Ice Beam sent the Aerodactyl shuddering with cold, and it cried out with an ear-piercing Supersonic attack.
"Safeguard!" Ryan wouldn't give it any openings. Safeguard immediately protected against status conditions, and then the Aerodactyl tried to use Hyper Beam, but Mewtwo easily avoided it with another Teleport.
"Hail, then Ice Beam!" Ryan commanded.
Taking advantage of the Aerodactyl's paralysis, Mewtwo summoned a Hailstorm to inflict continuous damage. A subsequent Ice Beam was the final blow needed, partially freezing the Aerodactyl's wings and severely limiting its mobility.
Ryan grinned, saying, "Keep up the Ice Beam barrage. This battle is ours."
The Aerodactyl made one last desperate attempt, charging up a Hyper Beam and firing it at Mewtwo. Mewtwo narrowly dodged, and the final Ice Beam successfully struck the weakened Aerodactyl. Between the poison damage and the hail, the ancient predator finally collapsed in defeat.
Ryan quickly took out an poke Ball and captured the Aerodactyl. Then, seeing the other fossil Pokémon beginning to stir restlessly, he called out, "Mewtwo, get us out of here!"
Mewtwo nodded, teleported Ryan and Lillie back to their original entry point, then brought them to the surface. It used its psychic powers to carefully seal the large opening to prevent the fossil Pokémon from escaping and potentially causing problems for the archaeological teams.
Ryan and Lillie sat down, breathing heavily, and grinned at each other: "That was incredible! What a rush!"
Pokémon: Aerodactyl
Level: 90
Gender: Male
Height: 2.3m
Weight: 72.3kg
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Roost (Egg Move), Iron Head, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Ancient Power, Rock Slide, Crunch, Hyper Beam, Take Down
Ryan nodded in satisfaction. This Aerodactyl, like his Charizard, was slightly larger than normal and at an exceptionally high level. With the exception of a few missing moves, it had an impressive moveset. It was fortunate that it was still essentially a wild Pokémon with unrefined battle tactics. Otherwise, even Mewtwo would have struggled against such a formidable opponent.
He used the PC system to send Nidoking back to Professor Oak's lab, keeping Aerodactyl with his active team. He released the newly caught Aerodactyl from its Ultra Ball. It looked at Ryan and ceased any hostile behavior—a sign of acknowledgment that he was now its trainer.
Ryan quickly treated its remaining injuries with Super Potions and Full Heals. Lillie curiously approached and gently touched the Aerodactyl's rocky hide, saying, "Hello, Aerodactyl. I'm Lillie. Nice to meet you—I hope we can all get along during our journey."
The Aerodactyl turned its head away with a proud expression. Ryan patted its head firmly and said, "Don't be stubborn. I'm Ryan, your trainer now. Lillie is my traveling companion, and you should treat her with respect."
The Aerodactyl growled to show it understood. Ryan shook his now-aching hand and thought to himself: "That Rock Head ability really lives up to its name—it's like hitting solid stone!"
(End of Chapter)
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