Chapter Three: The fairy fossil
Our friends were en route to Pewter City, leaving behind Viridian Forest while riding Holycorn.
-It's been a long time since I last walked here, how all has changed… - said Ash, impressed.
- It's so changed that they even refurbished the Fossil Museum behind the Gym – answered Brock.
- Cool! What are we waiting for to go then? – said Ash.
Without giving it second thoughts, Ash started running towards the museum, with Brock closely behind. Once there, the boys observed exotic fossils from all around the Pokémon world. However a particular one called Ash's attention.
- Which Pokémon could this be? It's weird, yet impressive – said Ash while picking it up.
- Wait, don't you touch that! – said a stranger.
They observed that a man who looked like a scientist was running towards them. Ash panicked and tried to run away, but he then slipped on excrement of a Furfrou and fell to the floor. The fossil was still in mid-air when a kid dressed in a white coat caught it. The scientist didn't see the obstacle he had in front of him and tripped, falling just in top of Ash. Behind them was Brock, who did an acrobatic jump to try to avoid both people on the floor; but it didn't work, because he tripped on a banana peel and slid towards the boy clutching the fossil. Then, the kid threw it to a Persian who caught it as if it was a piece of very fresh fish.
-Ha, that's what happens when you try to make circus-like stunts! – said Ash, laughing.
- And that's what you worry about now? – asked the scientist. +
In that moment Brock saw that a young girl was behind the Persian. He suspected that Team Rocket 2.0 was hiding behind the costumes. The scientific then stood up and walked to the boys to thank them for saving the fossil, but when he went nearer them he saw that they weren't any of the people doing internships in the museum.
- Are you the kids of any of our team members?
The kids were quiet, afraid of being discovered, but Ash said:
- I'm sure you were pretending to be Pokémon archaeologists and that's why you came here, didn't you?
The kids relaxed and asked the scientist to give them a guided tour of the museum. The man also invited Ash and Brock, and they accepted. Then the scientists showed them every inch of the building, explaining the history of each fossil they saw, until arriving to the fossil Team Rocket 2.0 tried to snatch earlier. The scientist said:
- This is the fairy fossil; it's thought to have 800 million years. We don't have much information about it, but some recent studies say that it comes from a Fairy-type Pokémon called Blairy. We've only found three fossils of this old and enigmatic Pokémon.
All of them stood there, impressed, and the costumed kid said to his companion:
- This is the fossil our bossy boss asked for, isn't it?
- Yes, this is the one that old hag wants. It's named exactly as she told us – answered the girl.
The scientists noticed the chitchat of the boys and asked:
- Do you have any questions?
The kids were nervous again because they didn't know what to say, but Ash spoke for them again:
- I'm sure they would like to see the Pokémon for real and me too. Do you have any in "not-stoned" form?
The man, lightly annoyed by Ash's general lack of any type of knowledge, exclaimed:
- Speak properly; you are old enough to speak with sufficiently specific vocabulary!
- What should I say then? That I want the Pokémon to be "defosilized"? – answered Ash.
- Yes, for example… - answered the scientist.
The kids, trying to get an advantage out of the distraction, took the fossil and tried to run, but Brock noticed and went behind them.
- You are Jimmy and Jenny, aren't you?
The boys laughed while taking off their costumes and said:
"To destroy the world's order
And to take full control,
Team Rocket 2.0 is a better version of the old!
Jimmy! Jenny!
Team Rocket takes off to the top
And we won't show any mercy at all.
The elegant Persian says it's OK to go! (Purr!)"
The members of Team Rocket 2.0 ran away while Brock followed them. Ash and the scientist soon followed too. When Ash, Brock and the scientist reached the exit, they saw how the young members of Team Rocket 2.0 went inside a huge Gengar robot.
- We have to do something; I'm sure they want to destroy the museum and to take that fossil with them – said Ash firmly.
Brock took out Holycorn and Ash did the same with Beautyeon, and decided to try and do the same trick they did on Viridian Forest.
Beautyeon ran on top of Holycorn getting closer to the robot's base, while Beautyeon used String Shot to tie its legs. The robot fell down, and Ash and Brock gave themselves a high-five. But the boys laughed and the robot got up on its feet again.
- Do you really though that trick would work again? – asked Jenny.
Brock noticed that Holycorn was tired, so he got him back into his Poké Ball. Ash did the same with his Beautyeon.
-We've got to think something… - said Brock.
- Take out Dralyx, I've got an idea. – answered Ash.
Then Brock took Dralyx out and Ash took out Blastoise, while murmuring Brock the strategy to follow. Meanwhile, both the Team Rocket members got closer to the building and started destroying it. Jimmy said while smiling:
- They are too weak, last time they simply were lucky.
Suddenly a huge impact took them by surprise; it was Dralyx's Iron Tail. The impact let some bolts that were holding an iron plaque loose, so a few cables of the Gengar robot got exposed. Blastoise used Hydro Pump, and the robot exploded due to a short circuit. The boys and the Persian fell off the robot, and they exclaimed:
- You ruined the robot but we still have the fossil!
Then they started running and mocking them, but they slammed into a man, the scientist who made the guided tour of the museum with them. He collected the fossil from the floor and looked the kids in a somewhat sinister way. Then he picked Jimmy and Jenny and started slapping their butts. The boys cried. The scientist then proceeded towards Ash and Brock, still with the sinister gaze in his eyes. Ash and Brock were frightened, but then the man smiled.
- Thanks, you saved the museum. I'll give you Blairy's fossil. Take good care of it! – said the scientist.
The guys were impressed.
- But you still have to clean all this mess up… - said the scientist, while giving them a pair of brooms.
The guys had no other option but to accept, so they started cleaning. When they finished it was dark, so the man offered his house for them to sleep. Before going to sleep, he explained that in order to revive the fossil they had to go visit Bill, who lived in Cerulean Town.
A lot of kilometres away, in an unmapped mansion, a sweet and sensual voice received a phone call.
- And well, do you have any news concerning my love Ash? – asked the voice.
- No ma'am. We failed again. We were distracted by the sales at Pewter City… - answered one of her subordinates, her voice impregnated with fear.
- You're useless! – exclaimed the voice. – I can't let the important affairs in such incompetent hands… Bring me the definitive weapon!
- But ma'am, it is really necessary? – asked the grunt, sounding nervous.
- Your incompetence forces me to – answered the voice.
- Yes, madam! – said the grunt.