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Chapter 163: Fossil Revival
🕑 Added 2025-08-27 15:44:57 +0000 UTCChapter 163: Fossil Revival
In an abandoned, corrugated iron shack on the outskirts of Centralis City, Dr. Martin paced back and forth, his face flushed with excitement. A few moments ago, Basalt had called him again, telling him he had the fossil and to get the machine ready.
"You... you really got a fossil?" When the call had come through, Dr. Martin had been stunned. To him, Basalt had just been a long shot, a random variable he hadn't put much stock in. He had been on the verge of trying his luck on the international black market.
But when Basalt had turned on his video feed, Dr. Martin knew he had underestimated him. It was a genuine Root Fossil. There was no faking it.
So, he had given Basalt the address.
"ROOOAR!"
A draconic roar suddenly echoed from outside, making Dr. Martin jump. He knew the Pokémon that made that sound was incredibly powerful. Far more powerful than his own.
After having his research credentials revoked, the work he was doing now was, to put it nicely, fringe science. To put it bluntly, it was illegal research, the kind that couldn't see the light of day.
"Crap! Is this a sting operation?" he thought, a tremor running through him. He had been careless. Basalt was a League informant!
"Musharna, prepare for battle!" After a frantic internal debate, he chose to fight. This shack contained years of his life's work, priceless research and equipment. If he abandoned it now, it would take him years to rebuild.
Musharna was a Pokémon with a pale pink, fairy-like head and a light purple back. Its eyes were usually closed, framed by three short, black eyelashes and rosy pink cheeks. Its body was curled into a ball, its tapir-like snout and limbs tucked in. The mist that emanated from its forehead, the Dream Mist, was its most notable feature, soft and beautiful as it floated in the air.
"Mushaa~" As a Psychic-type, Musharna's mental power was strong. It quickly sensed the "guests" outside. But in its perception, they bore no ill will. People could lie, but their psychic auras could not.
"Mushaa~ Mushaa~" It quickly relayed its findings to Dr. Martin, who visibly relaxed.
"Dr. Martin, it's Basalt! I'm here!" Basalt's voice called out from outside.
With a deep breath, Dr. Martin slowly opened the rusty iron door. He glanced at Agent Zhou, then at the Charizard with its tail flame burning brightly, and finally settled his disapproving gaze on Basalt. "Why did you bring an outsider?"
"Hmm? You didn't say I couldn't," Basalt replied with a smile. "Besides, this place is so remote, I wouldn't have been able to get here without a flying Pokémon. I have the fossil, Dr. Martin. Are you really going to make us stand out here?"
The fossil. The one thing he had desired for so many years. If Basalt really had it, Dr. Martin was willing to walk into a trap. All he wanted now was to prove his theory was correct. Nothing else mattered. He was a man of science, a fanatic who had been cast out for pushing the boundaries too far.
"Come in," he said, stepping aside.
The inside of the shack was another world. In contrast to its rusty exterior, it was filled with scientific instruments and computers. Papers and notes were scattered everywhere.
"It's got the feel of a real lab, just a bit messy," Agent Zhou commented, looking around. When Basalt had first told him he wanted to revive a fossil, Zhou had thought he was crazy. Even as an important member of the Weather Bureau, he knew nothing of the League's top-secret revival project. It sounded like something out of a science fiction novel.
But when Basalt had shown him the fossil and explained that he had given up a chance to catch the descendant of a Master's Pokémon for it, Zhou had wanted to strangle him. He'd wanted to crack open Basalt's skull to see if there was anything inside. But the deed was done. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and "see for himself."
"Let's see how you revive a fossil," he thought, crossing his arms and watching from the side with his Charizard.
"Quick! Let me see the fossil. I need to examine it," Dr. Martin said, his previous caution gone.
"Here it is. See for yourself," Basalt said, pulling the Root Fossil from his spatial bag.
"The shape of the stem, the texture of the rock, the feel of it... it's real! A perfectly preserved, high-quality specimen. It's perfect for the revival experiment!" Dr. Martin's fingers trembled as he caressed the fossil like a long-lost lover, his breathing heavy, his face flushed.
"Is this what a nerdgasm looks like?" Basalt thought, his mouth twitching. Mad scientists really were a different breed.
"Dr. Martin, is the machine ready? If so, let's get started," Basalt urged. He couldn't stand to watch the man fondle the rock any longer.
"Sorry, sorry, I lost my composure," Dr. Martin said, snapping out of his trance. He hurried over to a large, boxy machine and flipped a switch. It looked something like an MRI scanner, about two meters high, and hummed to life with a soft glow. A small platform extended from its front.
"Allow me to introduce you to my invention," Dr. Martin said, his demeanor shifting from creepy fanatic to proud scientist, "the Dream Fossil Revival System!" He began to explain its incredible features.
Basalt couldn't have cared less, and he wouldn't have understood anyway. "Hurry up," he prompted.
Dr. Martin sighed at Basalt's lack of appreciation for his genius and placed the fossil on the platform.
"Genetic data analysis, begin!" The machine scanned the fossil with a green light, and long strings of numbers began to scroll rapidly across a large screen.
"Genetic analysis complete," Dr. Martin announced, his face beaming. "Now, it's up to you, Musharna!"
The Musharna floated into the air, closed its eyes, and a pink mist began to emanate from the hole on its forehead. This was the Dream Mist, the power source for the machine, the key to the entire process.
Dr. Martin attached a tube to Musharna's head, and the mist was siphoned into the machine. A battery icon on the screen began to charge rapidly.
"Energy fill complete!" The machine whirred to life, and Dr. Martin's excitement grew. So far, so good. His machine was working perfectly. Now, for the final step.
"And now, we will witness a moment of—"
"Miracles!" Basalt blurted out, stealing his line.
Dr. Martin, though annoyed, had to admit that "miracle" sounded better than "history." He pressed the final button. The numbers on the screen began to change again.
"System stable, all readings are within normal parameters," he muttered, his excitement building as he frantically operated the machine. The energy from Musharna was being consumed at an incredible rate.
Basalt watched with bated breath. Zhou remained skeptical.
"Musharna, I need more power!" Dr. Martin urged. "Resurrection requires a massive amount of energy."
"Don't mess this up," Basalt thought, his heart pounding. The process was exactly like he'd seen in the anime, and his confidence was soaring. But now... he had a bad feeling.
The energy gauge on the screen was fluctuating wildly. The machine was consuming far more power than Dr. Martin had anticipated. It was all up to Musharna now. If it couldn't supply enough power, the experiment would fail.
"It has to work," both Basalt and Dr. Martin thought, their tension palpable.
BEEP!
Suddenly, a green light flashed on the machine.
"The experiment is complete!" Dr. Martin shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm detecting vital signs inside the machine... My theory... it was correct!" He threw his head back and let out a triumphant cry, years of suppressed frustration released in that single moment. Tears streamed down his face.
"Really? That's amazing!" Basalt was ecstatic. He had bet right.
But before he could celebrate, the green light on the machine turned red.
"Dr. Martin, the machine has stopped, but it's still drawing power from Musharna!" Basalt yelled.
But it was too late.
BOOM!
The machine overloaded and exploded, sending sparks flying everywhere.
"Oh, crap," Basalt thought, a cold dread washing over him. "Did my newly revived Lileep just get blown up?"
