Early the next morning, Steven Stone practically shook Chen Shi awake, eyes blazing like a man suffering from severe gemstone withdrawal.
"Don't sleep! Hurry up — we need to dig rocks!"
Chen Shi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.Even after leaving home, he still had a personal alarm clock—at least this one didn't lick him awake like Gengar.
He washed up, stretched, and released his Pokémon to hand out their morning energy cubes.
"Chacokii~!"
Togetic puffed up unhappily.Why was she the only one forced to sleep inside a Poké Ball?
Chen Shi immediately swore three guarantees in a row:Tonight, she could sleep outside.
Only then did she accept her cube with dignity restored.
But when Chen Shi turned around—
He froze.
Drakloak wasn't eating.
He was staring fixedly at a cavern wall, eyes dark with emotion.
Chen Shi crouched down.
"What's wrong, Drakloak? Why aren't you eating?"
"Kyah…"
Drakloak pointed at the wall, trembling slightly.
Chen Shi frowned.
"Something there makes you feel sad? Or… uncomfortable?"
"Kyah!"Drakloak nodded firmly.
It was strange—From the moment he emerged today, he'd felt something tugging at him.A faint pull…Heavy grief…Like a memory that wasn't his.
Chen Shi touched his chin.
"Eat first. After breakfast, we'll take a look."
Drakloak finally picked up his cube.
Meanwhile, Steven Stone was already spiraling.
"I'm going ahead! I'll be digging where we stopped yesterday!"
He grabbed his equipment and sprinted off like a man chasing destiny.
Chen Shi sighed.
Some people loved stones more than oxygen.
After breakfast, Drakloak led Chen Shi deep into the cavern.
"Kyah~"(Here.)
He stopped before a stone wall.
Chen Shi released Swampert.
"Swampert, dig here. Go slow — be careful."
"Laaachi!"
Swampert pressed his palms to the wall, channeling Ground-type energy.The rock softened like wet soil, and he began tunneling.
They dug for a long time.Long enough for Chen Shi to start wondering whether Drakloak was mistaken.
Then—
"Kyah!"
Drakloak suddenly lunged forward, grabbing a loosened hunk of stone with trembling claws.
He hugged it to his chest as though clutching a fragile, precious memory.
Even the tiny Dreepy he'd been raising hovered close, slumping in mourning.
Chen Shi approached, confused.
It looked like just a rock.
So why was Drakloak devastated?
"Drakloak… what's special about that stone?"
Drakloak didn't answer with words.
Instead, he gently summoned a soft Dragon Pulse—barely strong enough to remove dust—and carefully peeled away the stone layers.
Fragment by fragment…
Until a small palm-sized fossil emerged.
A triangular skull.Curved head structure.
Chen Shi's eyes widened sharply.
He activated his system.
[Fossil: Drakloak (Dreepy-line) — "Dreepy Fossil"]
Chen Shi nearly cursed.
"This is… a Drakloak fossil!?"
What was a Dreepy-line fossil doing in Meteor Falls?
Bagon fossils? Sure.Dratini fossils? Possible.
But Dragapult-line fossils didn't belong here at all.
Drakloak stared at the fossil, and in that moment, he finally understood the sorrow clawing at his heart.
It was the grief of his fallen kin.
As a species, Dragapult were fiercely protective.They placed Dreepy on their heads, raised them, defended them, carried them into battle.A Dragapult without its Dreepy became restless, anxious, unstable.
Now, seeing a fossilized ancestor—
Drakloak cradled it to his head, as though giving his kin one last rest where a Dreepy belonged.
"Kyah…"A soft, heartbroken cry.
The little Dreepy trembled and drifted onto Chen Shi's hair.
Even Chen Shi felt the ache.
He placed a hand on Drakloak.
"Drakloak… it's alright.""Fossil revival exists. We can bring this Drakloak back."
"…Kyah?"
Drakloak froze.
Then hope burst into his eyes like sunlight breaking clouds.
He had been ready to bury the fossil.
But Chen Shi had just told him—
His kin could live again.
Chen Shi smiled.
"The guy I came here with — his family specializes in fossil revival.""Once we leave Meteor Falls, we'll go to his house and revive this Drakloak."
"KYAH!!"
Drakloak practically vibrated with joy.
He placed the fossil in Chen Shi's hands — gentle, full of trust.
The little Dreepy zipped happily back to hover close beside him.
Swampert scratched his cheek, confused.
"Uh… are we still digging?"
Chen Shi ignored him and stored the fossil in a protective case.
He already knew who would receive this Drakloak:
Furong.
She had once said she wanted a Dragapult.
And he'd… well… arranged for her to get scammed so she'd learn about the world.
So this fossil?
This would be his apology.And a gift.
He wondered how she was doing now.
Was she enjoying her first real journey?
Or had she already run into trouble?
Given her personality…
Probably trouble.
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