And the Price Was… the Entire Exhibition Hall Exploded!
A deafening explosion blasted through the quiet of the night.
Ash—who had been eagerly anticipating what kind of fossil Pokémon would hatch from the amber—happened to look out the window at the billowing smoke rising from the blast.
He didn't know what happened,
but the sight alone said enough:
Something bad had occurred.
Ash didn't hesitate even a second.
He grabbed Pikachu and rushed out the door—so hurried that he was still in pajamas.
The moment he stepped out, he ran straight into Chloe, who had also been awakened.
Their eyes met, and without exchanging any more words, the two dashed toward the scene.
Arriving at the Fossil Revival Center, Ash felt a jolt of dread as he saw it engulfed in black smoke.
But the tightly locked front door barred his and Chloe's way.
There was no time to wait for staff to arrive.
Ash had no choice but to force a way in.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail—break the lock!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu readied itself—
"What's going on!? Ash! Chloe! What are you doing here!?"
A familiar voice sounded.
Ash turned to see Brock—also in pajamas—running toward them.
"It's like this—just now I saw an explosion here from the Pokémon Center, so Chloe and I rushed over!"
"Brock, do you know how to get inside?"
Ash asked seriously. The explosion had just happened, and the building was still smoking. Flickers of fire glowed faintly within the dark haze.
"Leave it to me. I am the Pewter Gym Leader, after all."
Brock pulled out a key and opened the doors.
As Pewter Gym's Leader, Brock had full access to all buildings in the exhibition.
The instant the doors swung open, the three charged inside.
The Revival Center was drowning in smoke—visibility was practically zero.
Still, Ash didn't waver for even a heartbeat.
Covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, he plunged straight into the smoke with Pikachu.
"Brock! Please take care of Chloe—and don't let any suspicious people escape!"
Ash's voice grew farther and farther away until it faded entirely.
Chloe stood trembling, barely able to speak.
"Don't worry," Brock comforted. "Ash is always like this… but every time, he comes out alright."
Ever since they parted in Sinnoh, Brock hadn't seen Ash act this recklessly for a long time. Strangely, he felt nostalgic.
"R-Really?" Chloe's knuckles were white from clenching her fists.
"Of course. Ash is a hero who's saved the world."
…
Inside the choking smoke—even with his unusually resilient body—Ash's eyes were burning and tearing up, unable to remain open.
Unless he stopped being human, he couldn't escape this limitation.
Using Aura, Ash forced his way to the very center of the blast.
The smoke was so thick he could barely see his own hand.
Sensing the smoke rising overhead, Ash summoned Dragonite.
He pointed at the cracked ceiling.
"Dragonite—Hurricane!"
Dragonite flapped its wings, blowing the smoke away.
Only then could Ash finally see the room clearly.
The fossil revival machine was wrecked, and shattered pieces of orange amber were scattered across the floor.
Ash hurried over and picked up the fragments.
The familiar texture gave him a bad feeling.
"What in the world happened…?"
The staff had said the fossil wouldn't revive until tomorrow.
Why did it explode!?
Judging by the shattered amber, the Pokémon that was supposed to revive might have been stillborn—
"Pika!!"
Pikachu's cry pulled Ash back to reality.
Looking up in the direction Pikachu stared—
A figure shot past overhead, disappearing back into the smoke.
In the massive Revival Center, the silhouette was impossible to miss.
And behind its trail, Ash encountered three "familiar faces."
That's right—
It was Team Rocket.
Seeing Ash, the trio instantly changed their target to Pikachu.
The outcome was obvious.
Unprepared, Team Rocket was no match for Pikachu and Dragonite.
Seconds later, three human-shaped holes were added to the already ruined ceiling.
At the same time, the mysterious figure once again glided overhead.
Ash had Dragonite pursue it while he followed behind.
After a short chase, the figure escaped the worst of the smoke and reached the exit.
Brock, who had been waiting outside, immediately commanded Onix to block its path.
Ash and Dragonite arrived as well.
Front and back—no escape.
Only now did everyone see clearly what that figure was:
A savage head.
A gray body.
Purple wing membranes.
The ancient ruler of the skies—
Aerodactyl!
Its eyes were glowing blood-red.
Ash instantly remembered—he had witnessed this exact state once before.
[Professor Oak: An Aerodactyl… An ancient and incredibly ferocious Pokémon! The overlord of prehistoric skies! I can't believe this one was hidden inside amber.]
[Bruno: Speaking of Aerodactyl, I remember someone who has one. Took him a lot of effort to capture it.]
[Lorelei: Don't tell me you're referring to Lance, our Kanto Dragon Master~]
[Lance: Facts. Aerodactyl is a dragon!]
They'd been teasing him for so long that Lance now had resistance.
Such mild jabs couldn't break his defense anymore.
[Steven: Actually, I once dug up a perfect piece of amber containing Aerodactyl DNA. But it was so flawless, I decided not to revive it.]
[Wallace: You cold-blooded brute! Refusing to revive a Pokémon because the amber looked pretty!? Unforgivable!]
[Steven: Say what you want. I still won't take back the Hoenn Champion title.]
[Agatha: Aerodactyl was once a tyrant. Even now it's extremely brutal. Can Ash really handle it?]
[Gardenia: Did you forget? Ash tamed the lord of Mt. Silver. Aerodactyl should be nothing.]
…That was true.
They were worrying for nothing.
No—
they should be worrying for Aerodactyl.
If it couldn't withstand Ash…
it might as well surrender now.
He'd feed it well anyway.
…
Back to the scene—
Cornered from both sides,
Aerodactyl didn't panic.
If anything, the pressure made it even more ferocious.
"ROOOOAR!!"
Its raspy cry echoed through the center.
It dove—target locked.
Among the humans present—
Brock was big and sturdy.
Ash had literally chased it down.
The physically weakest?
Chloe.
Its eyes flashed red.
Aerodactyl dove straight toward her.
"Danger! Onix—Dragon Tail!"
Brock ordered, but Aerodactyl was too fast.
Onix couldn't make it in time.
BOOM!
Yet—the expected impact never happened.
A blue aura barrier stopped Aerodactyl cold.
Ash!
Ash had blocked its strike with Aura—
and slammed a heavy punch into its skull.
Thankfully Aerodactyl was a Flying-type, not weak to Fighting.
Otherwise, that blow alone might've knocked it out instantly.
Aerodactyl was stunned.
How could a human possess such overwhelming strength!?
"Chloe, are you alright?"
Ash's voice came from in front of her.
Even in pajamas, the masculine presence was unmistakable.
He… protected her with his own body.
Chloe's face flushed instantly.
[Sabrina: I WAS HERE FIRST.]
That line would've been more convincing if she dyed her hair blonde.
[Gardenia: Did you guys see Ash's back just now!? The IMPACT!!]
[Professor Sycamore: Ahh, Chloe, no one can blame you for falling for that. Ash really is manly.]
[Diantha: In such a dangerous moment, he still rushed in without hesitation… If it were me, I might fall for him too.]
[Caitlin: Same. But unfortunately I'm already a devoted Ash × Lillie shipper. Otherwise I'd ship Ash × Chloe too.]
Suddenly, Caitlin shivered.
What…
what was that killing intent!?
Knock knock knock.
Her door rattled.
"Come in…"
Her butler entered.
"Lady Caitlin, Miss Cynthia has arrived."
Caitlin shot up from her seat.
Oh no.
The CP I shipped has come to kill me.
"J-Just tell her I'm not home!"
"Miss Cynthia is already at the door," the butler said helplessly.
"I heard someone isn't home."
Cynthia's icy voice sounded right behind him.
Thinking of the whip Cynthia sometimes carried—
Caitlin mentally collapsed.
…
Back to the scene—
Aerodactyl staggered, shaking its head, trying to regain control.
But Ash didn't give it the chance.
"Dragonite—Ice Punch!"
Before Aerodactyl could take off, Dragonite smashed an icy fist into its skull.
Frost surged across its body.
The frozen Aerodactyl fell from the air.
CRACK—
The ice shattered.
Aerodactyl lay limp.
Having just revived and not yet eaten, it had little stamina to begin with.
Ash and Dragonite's chain assault left it barely conscious.
But its eyes were still red, filled with fear and hostility toward the unfamiliar world.
Everyone—humans and Pokémon—surrounded it.
Dragonite and Onix stared down with crushing pressure.
One wrong move, and they would strike instantly.
Seeing Aerodactyl like this, Ash quietly stepped forward.
Under Aerodactyl's wary gaze—
Ash reached out and placed a hand on its head.
His palm was soft and warm—the kind that looked particularly… edible.
The starving Aerodactyl reflexively wanted to bite down—
But then—
A gentle blue light flowed from Ash's hand.
Aura.
Even the deity Palkia couldn't ignore this power.
For Aerodactyl, it was overwhelming.
The warmth softened the ferocity in its eyes.
"Please don't be like this. Pokémon must not harm humans."
Hungryyyy!!
That was the only emotion Ash sensed via Aura—
Hunger.
It hadn't had a single bite since revival.
Starvation was driving it mad.
Ash understood instantly.
He searched his pocket—he had grabbed a Pecha Berry before leaving.
He placed the berry into Aerodactyl's mouth.
In the Pokémon world, Berries were extremely filling.
Most Pokémon relied on them as a staple.
Aerodactyl was no exception.
It devoured the berry without hesitation.
Warmth spread through its entire body.
The red faded from its eyes.
"I know you're terrified after suddenly waking up in a strange world. Everything you remember—your home, your flock, your forests—those things are now history.
They're gone.
And even I can't change that."
Aerodactyl fell silent.
Even though it hatched early, the revival machine had still injected basic modern knowledge into its mind.
It understood Ash's words.
Its past was dust.
Its home, its companions, its prey—
all vanished.
An unbearable pressure surged in its chest.
"I know it's hard to accept.
But there's something I want to ask you."
Ash's gaze shone like a beacon in the night.
Aerodactyl lifted its head, waiting.
"My goal is to become a Pokémon Master. And to do that—I need strong partners. You're powerful.
So…
will you become my partner?"
Aerodactyl froze.
Partner?
In its memories, a partner meant its own kind.
This human… wanted it?
Ash's Aura continued to radiate.
Aerodactyl could feel Ash's sincerity clearly.
No lies.
No manipulation.
Just truth.
Slowly—
Aerodactyl leaned forward…
And gently nuzzled Ash's glowing hand.
A gesture with unquestionable meaning.
It had lost the battle.
Ash sparing its life was already mercy.
What more could it ask for?
Just like that—
Ash took out a Poké Ball and tapped it lightly against Aerodactyl.
Click.
Ash finally exhaled in relief.
And from this moment on—
Ash gained another mighty ally in his team!
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