Chapter Sixty-Four: The Pokémon Within the Fossil

Zhao Fang sat in his tent, gazing at the two fossils before him, lost in thought. He had already prepared himself to return empty-handed this time, but to his surprise, the Unknown Totem had helped him retrieve the fossils. These were two rather large specimens, each adorned with patterns, yet Zhao Fang could not discern what creatures they once belonged to.

After leaving the tower, he received a message from Dr. Otamaki. The doctor had asked an old friend specializing in ancient civilizations to translate the inscriptions Zhao Fang had photographed, and promptly shared the results.

At the entrance to the tower, the inscription read: “Young adventurers enter the Tower of Destiny, a test of mercy and will.” The doorway to the fifth floor bore the words: “Only great strength can conquer the tyrant.”

“Only great strength can conquer the tyrant? What kind of Pokémon could this be? Is it the Tyrant Pokémon—Tyrunt?” Zhao Fang mused, considering the possibility. After all, Tyrunt emerges from fossils, and its evolved form, Tyrantrum, certainly fits the title of tyrant.

Yet it was also possible the tyrant referred to the Crystal Onix inside. Zhao Fang had not seen the inscription on the sixth floor’s door, leaving him with a cat-like curiosity scratching at his heart.

He placed his hands atop one of the fossils, eager for the information he sought. A familiar prompt appeared before him: “A fossil devoid of life’s breath; perhaps suitable only as a collector’s item.” Zhao Fang’s heart tightened. This fossil could no longer be revived; he could only hope the next one proved more promising.

Anxiously, he placed his hand on the second fossil. The familiar text box appeared once again. “Scion of an ancient tyrant, possessing unimaginable talent, awaiting revival within the fossil.” Zhao Fang’s brows shot up, delight flooding his heart. This was a Pokémon that could indeed be revived—descendant of a tyrant—wasn’t this Tyrunt?

As Zhao Fang trembled with joy, another line suddenly appeared in the text box: “If placed in snow and ice before revival, something miraculous may occur.” He paused, surprised. This was the first time his golden finger had produced two prompts; even when handling the teleportation ring, no such messages had appeared.

“In snow and ice? I recall May mentioning that Kanaz City is expecting snowfall soon…” Zhao Fang frowned, gazing toward Kanaz City. Since the day before yesterday, thick clouds had blanketed the skies above both Kanaz City and the mountaintop where Zhao Fang camped. It seemed a heavy snow was imminent. Still, Zhao Fang was more curious about the Pokémon slumbering within the fossil that earned such praise.

Why would it be connected to snow and ice?

Though puzzled, Zhao Fang was exhausted, his mind worn from concentration. He slipped into his sleeping bag and soon drifted off.

The next morning, Zhao Fang tidied his tent, shouldered his backpack, and set off toward Kanaz City. Along the way, he kept rubbing his temples. For some reason, after falling asleep last night, he’d had a strange dream: in it, he became one of the Unknown Totem, living happily among his companions.

“If I were a philosopher, perhaps I could ponder whether I dreamt myself as an Unknown Totem, or whether the Unknown Totem version of me dreamt he was Zhao Fang?” he mused with a smile. His mood was excellent.

He now had fossils to sell, and one that could be revived. However, Zhao Fang was unsure what price these fossils might fetch. If he took them directly to the Devon Corporation, he feared he might encounter trouble. After some hesitation, he opened his Pokédex and sent a message to Dr. Otamaki.

“You rascal, your luck’s truly remarkable! You managed to enter ancient ruins—did you encounter anything else yesterday?” Dr. Otamaki, already briefed on Zhao Fang’s adventure, looked at him as if he were a walking jackpot.

“Hehe, I ran into a group of Unknown Totem, and in the end, they gave me two fossils,” Zhao Fang replied sheepishly, scratching his head as he recounted his findings.

“You wastrel! Didn’t you think to take photos? The arrangement of those Unknown Totem could be invaluable data—possibly linked to how ancient people controlled and utilized them!” Dr. Otamaki’s forehead bulged with veins; were Zhao Fang not still on the mountain, the doctor might have rushed over to give him a piece of his mind.

Zhao Fang laughed awkwardly. He hadn’t considered that at the time, only how to free the Unknown Totem from captivity.

“As for the fossils, I’ve heard Devon Corporation in Kanaz has nearly completed a machine for reviving Pokémon from fossils. I’ll have Steven contact you and help you assess them. When it comes to stones and fossils, I’m no match for Steven.” With his temper cooled, Dr. Otamaki shot Zhao Fang a glare and offered a solution.

Soon after, Zhao Fang’s Pokédex rang. The incoming video call was from a trainer whose profile picture was a stone. Zhao Fang quickly answered, and Steven’s face appeared onscreen.

“So it’s you. Where are you now?” Steven recognized Zhao Fang, recalling their previous meeting outside Unbai Town.

After Zhao Fang explained his location, Steven ended the call. Shortly afterward, an armored bird soared down, landing before Zhao Fang.

“Hello, Zhao Fang. Dr. Otamaki has spoken highly of you—a very capable trainer.” Though Steven was the champion, he carried no intimidating presence, instead exuding a gentle demeanor.

“Mr. Steven, you’re my idol. I’m not strong enough yet,” Zhao Fang replied, recalling the giant Metagross he’d once seen—a Pokémon that could sweep his current team.

“I trust Dr. Otamaki’s judgment. Where are the fossils?” Steven encouraged him, then eagerly asked, true to his reputation as a stone enthusiast. The fact that he maintained polite conversation for so long was probably his limit.

Zhao Fang quickly opened his bag and showed Steven the fossils.

Upon seeing them, Steven immediately crouched down, his face alight with obsession. The way he caressed the fossils, it would have seemed more normal if they had been beautiful women instead.