Chapter 29: The Battle of Grampa Canyon
"Mega Beedrill, Pin Missile," Ryan commanded.
The Mega Beedrill, having recently achieved its Mega Evolution, brandished its four stingers, launching countless Pin Missiles at the opponent's Machamp. Its incredible speed prevented the opponent's Machamp from reacting, instantly rendering it unable to battle.
"Damn it, I lost. I'll remember this!" the rough-looking trainer on the other side said reluctantly, recalling his Machamp and walking away without a backward glance.
"Why are the people in this town like this?" Lillie approached and asked.
"This is Neon Town—it never sleeps. With less sleep, everyone's naturally irritable. Okay, let's buy some supplies and head to Grandpa Canyon. There are Pokémon fossils there," Ryan explained.
He then took Lillie to buy some supplies and left the town. As for the town's problems, Ash would handle them, just like he had done in Dark City before.
It had been a week since leaving the mansion of the four Eevee brothers. Ryan had used his prize money to purchase some items, including a Beedrill Mega Stone. He then switched out Greninja for Beedrill at the Pokémon Center and began practicing Mega Evolution.
The Mega Stone had cost him a substantial amount of his winnings, but it was worth it. He'd also purchased several TMs to expand his team's movesets: Dig, Earthquake, Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Solar Beam, Surf, Fly, Toxic, Rock Slide, Ice Beam, Dragon Claw, and Shadow Claw.
His training regimen had also intensified over the past week. Constant travel and bonding with his Pokémon had sharpened both his physical abilities and his understanding of Pokémon battles. The bond phenomenon, in particular, seemed to enhance his intuitive connection with his team.
After another day of walking, Ryan and his companions finally reached Grampa Canyon. How did Ryan know this? Because of the vast crowd of people digging for fossils in the archaeological site.
Seeing the group of fossil hunters digging in the deep excavation site of Grampa Canyon, Lillie couldn't help but exclaim, "Ryan, let's go dig too. See if we can find any fossils."
Ryan grabbed the excited Lillie and pulled her away, saying, "What's so interesting about fossils? I'll take you to see some living fossil Pokémon."
"Really?" Lillie looked incredulous.
"Just follow me," Ryan said.
He then released Mewtwo and Alakazam, saying, "Mewtwo, use your psychic powers to sense if there are any caverns underground. If you find any, take us there. Alakazam, be ready to teleport us out if needed."
Mewtwo nodded and began to search. Alakazam looked at Ryan questioningly, wondering what exactly they were looking for.
A moment later, Mewtwo telepathically informed Ryan and Lillie that it had found something. Using its psychic powers, it flew them to an empty section of the canyon and communicated telepathically, "There's a vast cavern system underground. It's enormous. And I sense signs of life. The rock layer is thinnest here. Allow me to create an entrance."
With that, Mewtwo raised its hands, and psychic energy gathered. It directed the power toward the ground, creating a controlled explosion that revealed a massive opening. Then, using its psychic abilities, Mewtwo carefully moved the debris aside, creating a safe passage.
Ryan was impressed, thinking, "Mewtwo's control has improved significantly. That was perfectly executed." Lillie stared in awe, thinking, "Is this the power of a Legendary Pokémon? Incredible!"
Mewtwo used its psychic powers to safely lower everyone underground. With natural light filtering in from above, Ryan immediately had a clear view of the entire underground cavern.
This was a limestone cave system, likely formed by water erosion over millennia, providing these ancient Pokémon with a safe haven, undisturbed by the outside world.
However, Ryan and his companions' arrival today disrupted the underground Pokémon's peaceful existence. They stirred from their slumber, each one staring at Ryan's group with glowing eyes, ready to defend their territory.
Ryan assessed the situation. These fossil Pokémon were truly living relics, each one around level 60-70. Unfortunately, they were mostly Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops; there were no Aerodactyl. However, Ryan still intended to capture some of these fossil Pokémon. After all, they were very high-level and had excellent potential. Most were premium quality, though none appeared to be top-tier.
Lillie took two steps back, somewhat nervous. She tugged on Ryan's sleeve and said, "Ryan, maybe we should leave? It seems like we're disturbing them."
"It's okay, I can handle this." Ryan patted Lillie's shoulder to reassure her. "There are only about 25 Pokémon. We can manage them. Everyone, come out! Nidoking, use Thunderbolt! Dratini, Thunder Wave! Alakazam, Psychic. Charizard, use Dragon Claw! Beedrill, Toxic Spikes. Mewtwo, coordinate our defense and protect everyone."
These Pokémon were dual Water/Rock-types, so Electric and Grass moves would be highly effective. Although these fossil Pokémon were high-level, their sheltered lives had indeed reduced their battle instincts. After the opening barrage, they only began to organize a counterattack.
Ancient Power and Water Gun attacks came sporadically. Some Omanyte used Withdraw while the Kabutops attempted Slash attacks. But these scattered attacks were manageable against Mewtwo's protective barriers and the team's coordinated strategy.
"Clefairy, Metronome! Alolan Vulpix, Powder Snow! Butterfree, Sleep Powder! Pidgeotto, Gust! Psyduck, Water Gun!" Lillie overcame her initial fear and sent out her Pokémon to help Ryan.
Soon, all 25 fossil Pokémon were defeated. Ryan, having used most of his Poké Balls, purchased additional ones from his portable gear and captured several of the strongest specimens. The Poké Balls were then transmitted to Professor Oak via the PC system. Ryan turned and said, "Thank you, Lillie, for helping me. These are rare discoveries. Since you helped capture them, you should choose one if you'd like."
Lillie thought for a moment and decided she'd like an Omanyte, which would serve as a memento of their adventure. However, since the Pokémon had already been transferred to Oak's lab, they could discuss it later.
At the Oak Research Laboratory, Professor Oak examined the newly arrived Poké Balls and smiled with delight. "Although Ryan doesn't send back many Pokémon, they're always exceptional specimens. I didn't expect him to discover living fossil Pokémon. This will provide invaluable research opportunities."
With that, he immediately began cataloging their data. Some of the fossil Pokémon initially showed resistance, but his dratini appeared and calmly established order among the new arrivals.
(End of Chapter)
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