Chapter 131. Fossil Site—Isn't This a Kind of Talent, Too
Night fell, and everyone regrouped.
Ash had caught as many as thirty Tauros.
Via the transfer system, all those Safari Balls were sent to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Ah—Natsume, when are you all coming back?"
On the screen, Delia Ketchum looked haggard, and behind her, a whole herd of Tauros thundered past.
"Still short two Badges… about twenty days or so," Natsume thought for a moment.
"About twenty days?" Delia blinked.
"In that case, you're making good time.
When you return to Pallet Town, you'll still have two and a half months left."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up, as if she'd thought of something delightful.
"Alright then, wish you all a smooth journey.
Ash, remember to come home early~"
With that, the screen went dark.
"By the way, where's our next Gym?" Ash came over holding a tray of mochi.
"Cinnabar Island's Cinnabar Gym.
It's said to be a training sanctum that every League Trainer yearns for."
"A training sanctum?" Ash's fighting spirit ignited.
Behind him, Natsume rubbed his nose and suddenly closed his mouth.
Under bright sunshine, three days had passed since they'd left the Safari Zone.
"Goodness, how far is Cinnabar Island?
It feels like I can't see the end of the road."
Misty, umbrella up, stared wearily ahead.
"Didn't we just leave the amusement park?
How are you tired again?" Brock glanced back from the front.
"You're hardly any better.
I bet Misty wants to give up and go back to Cerulean City," Ash popped up.
"Take care of your own Charmeleon first!" Misty shouted at full volume.
Hearing that, Ash shrank his neck and looked toward Natsume at the very back.
"Natsume, what's going on with my Charmeleon?"
In Natsume's hand, he held a Master Ball.
Although the Ultra Ball Rotom hadn't been built yet, what Natsume lacked was just a safe laboratory.
Along the way, he'd intentionally had his other Rotom battle other Trainers, and its level had begun to catch up.
By the time they finish the Cinnabar Gym and return to Viridian City, Rotom No. 2 will be ready to take over the motorbike research.
Then they'll head back to Professor Oak's Laboratory to build the Ultra Ball Rotom, and use the more than two months before the League Conference to publish the organized data as a paper.
While waiting for the League to approve the Professor qualification, Natsume can take time to go to the Indigo Plateau and participate in the Pokémon League Conference.
A flawless schedule!
"Natsume, what are you thinking about?"
Seeing Natsume ignore him, Ash waved a hand in front of his face.
"What's wrong?" Natsume looked at Ash.
"Ever since yesterday—after Charmander evolved—Charmeleon hasn't really listened to me.
Why is that?"
Ash looked a bit dejected.
"Oh, that?" Natsume finally remembered.
Yesterday they'd passed an amusement park where a bunch of rampaging Exeggutor got driven off by Charmander with a sweeping blaze.
It was then that Charmander evolved into Charmeleon.
"Pika-pi, pika!"
Before Natsume answered, Pikachu (nicknamed "center-parted") in Honora's arms spoke up first.
"Natsume, what did center-parted say?" Ash asked curiously.
"Oh, it said Charmeleon is owed a jeep ride," Natsume shot a glance at center-parted, and it shut its eyes guiltily.
Right now, center-parted was desperate to find a good comrade to draw fire.
Its dream-defense and evasion were getting stronger and stronger, and the Trainer's dream jeep also vaguely had a trend of upgrading into a semi-trailer.
"Owed a jeep ride?" Ash tilted his head in confusion.
"What center-parted means, I think, is that you and Charmeleon should train more and build your bond," Misty leaned in.
"Is that so…" Ash said, and did it at once.
"Come on out, Charmeleon!"
A red flash, and a fierce-looking, scarlet Pokémon appeared.
"Roar—"
The instant it appeared, a Flamethrower blasted at Ash and left him charred black.
"Charmeleon, let's train!" Ash was full of zeal.
"Snort!"
A puff of heat sprayed from Charmeleon's nostrils as it cocked its head.
"Mm, I've heard some Pokémon undergo a big personality shift after evolving," Misty shook her head.
"Pika-pika-pi!"
At the side, center-parted clamored, doing its utmost to secure a jeep slot for Charmeleon.
"It doesn't need that," Natsume glared at center-parted.
Aggrieved, it pressed its two little wires onto its electric sacs and fell silent.
On Honora's back was a battery rig that looked like a backpack.
It was Natsume's upgraded Eighth-Tier Revelry Chair.
Seeing that Charmeleon wouldn't respond at all and training couldn't even start, Ash lowered his head, crestfallen.
"Natsume, do you have any other ways to improve a Pokémon's relationship with its Trainer?"
"Sure."
Natsume said, handing Ash a book.
"Eight Hundred Pokémon Lyric Poems?" Ash froze, feeling like he'd heard that name somewhere.
"Ah~ 'O Pokémon of mine, my beloved—through years of wind and snow—'" Ash recited verbatim.
"Idiot, at least say 'Charmeleon'!" Misty punched Ash.
Before Misty or Charmeleon could act, a strong water stream hit, soaking the book in Ash's hands into mush.
"Hey, who was that?"
Ash looked up, only to see a Wartortle ahead.
"Wartortle—"
"That's the same as Gary's Wartortle?"
"What do you mean 'the same as Gary's'?
This is my Wartortle!"
From behind a boulder, Gary Oak strode out with his cheerleaders.
"What are you doing here?"
Ash looked at Gary, puzzled.
"This is a famous fossil-producing area in Kanto.
Why wouldn't I be here?"
Gary gave him a strange look.
"Everyone, there's a research site up ahead!"
From the front, Brock's voice carried over.
"It's open, and Trainers can go in to dig for fossils," Gary said solemnly.
"I've been here for days.
I've collected so many fossils I can't even fit them in a single tent!"
As he spoke, Gary sidled up to Natsume.
"Well? Natsume, think I've got the nose for research?"
Natsume raised an eyebrow, realizing Gary wanted him to appraise the finds.
"No problem."
Natsume agreed, and soon they followed Gary up a slope.
Crossing it, on the other side of the mountain, Trainers in mountaineering gear were carefully digging with shovels or picks.
"Come, come, eyes over here."
Gary clapped, drawing everyone's attention.
Behind him stood a big green tent.
"Whoosh—"
With a sharp flip, the tent flap flew up, revealing heaps of small stones crammed inside.
Gary rummaged for a bit and came out holding a fist-sized stone.
"Natsume, how about this—this spiral pattern's definitely Omanyte, right?"
Gary proudly handed over his prized find.
"Heh, how about it?
Some folks haven't found anything for days, but I got this many in just two!"
Gary's nose was practically pointing over Ash's head.
Omanyte?
Natsume blinked.
How could an Omanyte be fist-sized—some new discovery?
One look at the fossil Gary was holding, and Natsume's face went odd.
"This is a coprolite."
"W-what?" Gary jolted.
"Pff—hahahaha!"
Ash couldn't hold it in anymore and doubled over laughing.
"Th-then what about this one!"
Unconvinced, Gary handed Natsume another fairly intact fossil.
"This one has to be some kind of prehistoric Caterpie, huge in size!" Gary declared.
"That's a long, rod-shaped coprolite," Natsume nodded.
"Aaah—" Gary clutched his head in despair.
"Shouldn't you be happy?" Natsume looked at him, puzzled.
"Coprolites are relatively rare among fossils.
You found two in one go."
"What good is rare—"
Gary was still in despair.
"Of course it's useful.
Coprolites can reveal lots of things, like diet analysis, behavior analysis, and ecological niche in the food chain…"
Natsume rattled off a dozen uses in one breath, and the more Gary listened, the more supercharged he felt about his research sense.
"Natsume, I've got a few more!"
With that, Gary excitedly dug out several intact fossils from the tent.
Looking at a ground full of coprolites, Natsume fell silent.
Isn't this a kind of talent, too?
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