Chapter 294: Aerodactyl

"By the way, how are Beach and John doing? I wonder what they managed to find."

Professor Sycamore suddenly remembered that he had also sent two trainers on a similar assignment and hurriedly asked.

"Uh, well, they're still inside Meteor Falls. It'll probably take them a few more days to return. Since the discovery of Mega Stones there leaked out, Rex and Mai decided to come back early," Professor Birch quickly explained.

"I see. Well, I'll look forward to seeing what they've found!" Sycamore murmured to himself.

After that, Professor Birch and Professor Sycamore discussed a few academic matters before ending the call.

"Congratulations, Rex! You've pretty much gathered all the conditions for Mega Evolution, aside from the Keystone!" Mai said with a hint of envy.

Noticing the look Mai was giving him—the kind reserved for the insanely lucky—Rex silently withdrew the hand he had been about to use to pull his Keystone out of his bag. He figured it was best not to show it off right now.

"By the way, Mai, are you planning to trade your Mega Stone, or will you try to catch an Aerodactyl?" Rex asked, curious about her decision now that it was confirmed that her Mega Stone belonged to Aerodactyl.

"I'll probably trade it. Ideally, I'd like to exchange it for Sceptile's Mega Stone, though I know that's a long shot," Mai said, spreading her hands in resignation.

Since Sceptile was Mai's starter Pokémon, she shared the deepest bond with it. If she could get Sceptile's Mega Stone, she'd only need to obtain a Keystone to make Mega Evolution possible for her partner.

However, starting from scratch with an Aerodactyl would require an immense amount of time and effort.

Aerodactyl, a Pokémon revived from fossils, was notoriously difficult to bond with. Most Aerodactyls were naturally aggressive, and forging a strong connection with one would take years of dedication.

That said, if she succeeded in bringing Aerodactyl to the level of Mega Evolution, its power as Mega Aerodactyl would unquestionably rank among the top tier.

Sceptile's Mega Stone, on the other hand, was more sought after. Trainers capable of acquiring Mega Stones were generally skilled enough to catch and train a Treecko.

This was why Mai felt conflicted. Although she had crossed the first hurdle by obtaining a Mega Stone, it still seemed like a long road ahead compared to Rex, who had already completed the hardest part.

"Hey, didn't we find a Pokémon fossil earlier? Maybe Professor Birch could help revive it. Who knows? It might even turn out to be an Aerodactyl!"

Seeing Mai looking a bit down, Rex suddenly had an idea and quickly suggested it.

"But that fossil belongs to you, Rex. Are you really okay with giving it to me?"

Mai's eyes lit up with emotion at Rex's suggestion, but she still voiced her concerns.

"Don't worry about it. Aerodactyl doesn't interest me much, and besides, there's no guarantee the fossil will revive into one anyway. We'll only know once it's revived," Rex replied casually.

For Rex, the trip had already been a massive success with the capture of a Bagon and the discovery of a Mega Stone. Anything else was just a bonus.

"Wait, Rex, you found a Pokémon fossil as well? If that's the case, I can start preparations right away. We should be able to revive it in no time," Professor Birch chimed in, walking over.

The last time Professor Birch revived a Lileep, he had prepared plenty of materials for reviving fossil Pokémon. There was still more than enough left over to revive another one.

"Thank you, Professor!"

Rex pulled the Pokémon fossil out of his bag and handed it to Professor Birch, expressing his gratitude.

The three of them worked together to prepare for the revival process. Once everything was ready, they set the fossil in the machine and began the revival procedure.

"Mai, try not to be too nervous. It'll only be a few more minutes before the Pokémon fossil is fully revived," Rex said as the countdown timer ticked away.

By this time, it was already early the next morning. In just a few minutes, they would see what kind of Pokémon would emerge from the fossil.

"How can I not be nervous? If it turns out to be an Aerodactyl, I can start training it right away and work on building the bond needed for Mega Evolution!"

Mai clenched her hands tightly and kept her eyes fixed on the fossil revival machine, not looking away for a second.

Finally, the moment arrived. As Professor Birch pressed a button, the machine's chamber opened, releasing a burst of white steam that enveloped the room.

When the steam cleared, an Aerodactyl stood before them. Likely disoriented from just being revived, it wobbled unsteadily on its feet, using its claws to balance itself on the ground.

Aerodactyl had a gray body, blue eyes, and two horn-like extensions on its head. The inner sides of its wings were purple, and its wings were tipped with sharp claws. Its jagged, saw-like teeth gleamed, hinting at its ancient ferocity.

Aerodactyl had been revived from genetic material extracted from amber fossils. Known as one of the most savage Pokémon of ancient times, it was widely believed to have gone extinct due to a massive meteor impact.

Its temper was even more brutal than people imagined, and historical records suggested it had caused countless casualties. Despite modern technology, scientists still couldn't perfectly recreate its ancient form. In its prime, Aerodactyl soared majestically through the vast prehistoric skies, roaring as it flew—a true king of the ancient heavens.

However, once it landed, Aerodactyl's strength waned, and its movements became slower. It was still imagined as a sky ruler of its era, known for tearing prey apart with its saw-like teeth that could even shred the steel skin of Pokémon with a Steel typing.

"This is amazing, Mai! I can't believe it actually revived into an Aerodactyl!"

Rex turned to Mai with a big smile and congratulated her.

"Thank you, Rex!"

Mai was overwhelmed with emotion. She hadn't expected the fossil to actually yield an Aerodactyl.

Though Aerodactyls were notoriously difficult to tame, Mai was confident that through effort and patience, she could form a strong bond with it.

After a short period of adjustment, the Aerodactyl seemed to grow accustomed to its surroundings. It flapped its wings, attempting to take flight. After all, it was once the ruler of the skies.

Before long, the Aerodactyl, with its wings spanning over three meters, was soaring through the air. Luckily, the revival chamber was located in the research lab's backyard; otherwise, the Aerodactyl might have caused serious damage inside the lab.

As it adjusted to the environment, Aerodactyl's ferocious nature began to surface. It locked its gaze on Rex and the others, clearly mistaking them for prey.

"Go, Altaria!"

As the Aerodactyl swooped toward them, Mai released her Altaria, determined to capture and tame it.

(End of Chapter)