Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

A casual flick of the wrist.

Ditto turned back into its original form with a "poof" sound in mid-air.

A pair of innocent, beady eyes looked at her.

"Excuse me."

Imetti looked up at the sky.

She really didn't expect it.

Abstraction... it's contagious!

She glanced down at the Ditto in her hand, then at the other Ditto in the distance that was still in Ash form, grinning foolishly at Charizard, and sighed deeply.

She could already imagine what her upcoming battles would be like.

A person was launched out with a Poké Ball.

It's just so weird!

She'll definitely give those two Dittos a good talking-to when she gets back.

Teach them not to become human... at least not in battle.

......

While the group was chatting, they helped move the fossil pterosaur.

Xiao Mao's pen tip was moving rapidly across the paper, making a dense, rustling sound.

His brows were furrowed, and his lips moved slightly, as if he were silently reciting something.

The notebook was filled with dense writing and some simple diagrams.

Charizard's skills, body proportions, flame shapes, wing membrane color, scale luster...

"You're wrong here." A finger pointed at it. "That move is a throw, not a Rock-type move."

"Pikachu".

"Oh, thank you."

Shigeru subconsciously copied the changes, crossing out "Rock type" and neatly writing "Dark type - Throwing" next to it.

But they quickly realized something was wrong.

He suddenly turned his head—

Suddenly, Xiao Zhi appeared, tilting his head to look at his notebook.

Pikachu was perched on Ash's head, its paws pawing at Ash's hat, looking down at him.

The Charizard also stretched its head over.

A huge black dragon head hung above Xiao Mao's head, casting a shadow.

Its eyes were narrowed to slits, as if it were carefully examining the writing—even though it probably didn't recognize a single word.

"The opponent seems to be incompatible with Fighting-type energy. We can use Rock-type Pokémon to counter it, that should be our priority... Oh—I see! Gary, you're already researching Charizard?"

"What are you looking at!"

Xiao Mao slammed the notebook shut.

The tips of the ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ash sat up straight, his eyes full of genuine admiration. "Gary, you're taking this way way too seriously!"

"I want you to take care of it!"

Xiao Mao stuffed the notebook into his backpack, zipped it up tightly, and turned away from Xiao Zhi.

He knew clearly that there were differences even among gifted individuals.

But Xiao Mao, who was well aware of this, never gave up.

So what if you're talented!

Fighting isn't all about talent; you also need to use your brain!

Just as Xiao Mao was breathing out.

A staff member wearing an orange vest came running up, panting.

The man carefully carried a wooden box in his hands, sweating profusely from running, yet he held the box tightly to his chest without moving.

He ran up to Xiaozhi, bent down to catch his breath, then straightened up with a big smile on his face.

"Congratulations, trainer!"

"Since you won this match, here is your prize—"

He opened the wooden box.

Inside the box lay a fossil the size of a palm.

The grayish-brown stone surface is covered with chaotic patterns, some resembling the skeleton of a dragon and others resembling the fins of a fish.

Two completely different structures were spliced ​​together in an almost crude way, looking like a joke from some ancient era.

“This is…” Xiao Gang frowned, leaned closer, and tried to make out something from the intersecting patterns. “What a strange fossil.”

"It doesn't resemble an ammonite, nor a Kabuto... what is it?"

"this......"

"Actually, we don't know either."

The staff explained.

"This fossil was obtained by our director during an exchange trip to the Galar region. All we know is that it comes from a special fossil layer in the Galar."

"Although it doesn't look big, its shape is extremely rare and its condition is excellent, so it can be revived."

"In short, our zoo director said that this fossil is now yours, trainer!"

The staff member handed the wooden box forward with both hands, looking at Xiaozhi with eager eyes.

"If you're comfortable with that, we can help you cultivate it here, and then hand it over to you once the fossil has been successfully restored."

"Of course, you can also choose to take it with you."

After all, he's such a talented trainer, so investing in him wouldn't hurt.

Besides, didn't you see that Dr. Oak has already invested?

If it doesn't work, we'll just lose a fossil, but at the same time, we'll give Professor Oak face.

But if it succeeds.

That would elevate the reputation of Fossil Paradise to another level!

It's practically a guaranteed profit!

170. I have never asked anyone for help in my entire life!

After weighing the options, Ash decided that the park should conduct the research on revival.

After all, professionals should do professional things.

This is one of the most important lessons he learned on his journey.

And thinking about it carefully, I have indeed been bothering the doctor quite a bit lately.

Ash would feel embarrassed to bother Professor Oak with questions, leave his Pokémon with him, and then disturb him again with the matter of reviving fossils, even if the professor didn't say anything.

After saying goodbye to the staff, Ash took Charizard straight to the park's medical room for a full-body checkup.

The medical room was much larger than they had imagined.

The spacious and bright corridor is lined with various instrument rooms. Through the glass windows, you can see huge scanning equipment and rows of display screens. Various indicator lights are flashing and emitting a slight electronic buzzing sound.

"Wow..." Xiaoxia pressed her face against the glass window, looking inside. "This is so high-class!"

"Ha, you're just ignorant. This place is called a paradise, but it's actually more like a research institute."

Xiao Mao said disdainfully.

"If the equipment is incomplete, and something happens to a fossil Pokémon, no one can bear the responsibility."

Xiao Zhi nodded, thinking about it, and agreed.

This place is not only popular with tourists, but also home to so many ancient Pokémon.

With both income and subsidies, there's no shortage of funds.

Miss Joey, who was in charge of the inspection, wore glasses and looked more serious than usual.

She first gave the Charizard a full body scan.

Then he frowned and stared at the data for a long time.

"Which of you is its trainer?"

"It's me," Xiao Zhi asked nervously. "Miss Joy, is there a problem?"

"Of course there's a problem!"

Xiao Zhi's heart sank.

"What's the problem? Is it serious? Is it important? Do I need to—"

“Your Charizard…” Nurse Joy interrupted Ash, then checked the stats and looked at Ash seriously, “…Can I rent it for a few days?”

"what?"

"Pikachu?"

"Rent...rent a Charizard?"

"That's right!"

"I've never seen anything like your Charizard before!"

Nurse Joy's eyes lit up, a light that Ash knew all too well; Professor Oak always had the same expression when he saw her.