Seeing Bill standing before her, Cynthia was momentarily at a loss for words.
As expected, most researchers tended to have... unconventional thought processes. She'd heard that Professor Oak had been like this in his youth, though apparently his eccentricities were relatively mild. Even so, rumors claimed young Oak had done some pretty wild things—like using his Charizard's tail flame to cook barbecue and accidentally burning down his entire house.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. The fossil revival was what mattered most.
Cynthia's eyes sharpened as she used the interact button to pull the fossil from her inventory and placed it before Bill.
"Is this the active fossil you were talking about?"
The moment Bill's gaze fell on the fossil, he froze completely. Then, without warning, he threw aside the device he was holding and lunged at it.
"This is it! This is exactly what I've been looking for!! Ahahaha!!!"
He sprawled on the ground, clutching the fossil, his excitement erupting in unsettling maniacal laughter—completely unlike his earlier demeanor.
Several dozen seconds passed before Bill seemed to regain his senses. He looked up at Cynthia, cheeks red, scrambled to his feet, and cleared his throat softly.
"Miss... you've really helped me tremendously. I've been searching for this for nearly ten years with no luck! Where did you find it?"
"No, that's not even the important part. This fossil... could you sell it to me? Or I could help you revive it! Please!"
He pressed his palms together and bowed deeply.
Undoubtedly, Bill's request was exactly what Cynthia had been hoping for. She nodded.
"Please help me revive it. I'd also like to see what this ancient Pokémon looks like."
Bill's face flushed red again—this time with pure excitement. Somehow finding the strength, he lifted the half-person-tall fossil with his bare hands and dashed toward town.
"Please follow me!"
Cynthia quickly followed Bill to a dilapidated little hut.
"This is my research lab... though it looks ordinary... uh, but the equipment inside is quite comprehensive."
Bill set the fossil on the ground and pulled out his keys to unlock the door. The interior immediately surprised Cynthia.
Though the wooden hut was small, it was meticulously organized. Seven or eight pieces of equipment were neatly arranged, with stacks of materials and various texts carefully shelved.
Clearly, Bill possessed genuine research capabilities.
While Cynthia marveled at the lab, Bill rushed to a massive ring-shaped machine and placed the fossil inside.
The machine immediately erupted with thunderous sounds, and data rapidly appeared on a nearby screen.
"This is the fossil revival machine I developed. It can extract genes and remaining life essence from active fossils to restore the ancient Pokémon's original form, cultivating a new body for it.
"You might think this is more like creating new life than reviving a fossil. But your fossil is actually alive—I'm just awakening it."
As Bill spoke, hundreds of data points completed their display, and a light projection appeared. His face lit up with excitement.
"Here it comes!"
The projection gradually solidified.
A Pokémon's silhouette became clear—massive, with a fish-like head sporting a terrifying maw, and a lower half resembling an upright Dragon-type Pokémon.
If this was indeed the fossil Pokémon's appearance, its design was certainly unique.
The chat erupted with comments:
[Ugh, what a letdown after all that buildup.]
[Shouldn't say this but it's ugly.]
[Respect—it's often the ugliest Pokémon that's the strongest!]
[So you're saying Jynx is strong too?]
[...]
While everyone focused on the Pokémon's appearance, Cynthia thought about its capabilities.
—Archen, Cradily, and others each had specialized abilities. What about this one?
Its cumbersome body suggested strong defense but limited speed. That massive mouth certainly wasn't herbivorous. Perhaps, like Archen, it relied on powerful physical attacks.
Bill approached.
"Though this is my machine's first use, I have complete confidence we can revive this fossil Pokémon successfully!
"However, the process takes at least two days... Cultivating genes and cells into a complete new body is a major undertaking. You'll need to be patient."
Two in-game days would be only a few real-world hours. Tonight, she would finally see all the fossil Pokémon's information.
"By the way, where did you discover this fossil?"
After operating the machine and pressing a red button, Bill asked. Cynthia recounted her discovery in Granite Cave.
Bill stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"A cave in... Dewford Town? Given that location's geology, active fossils are possible, but extremely rare... You're incredibly lucky!"
He cleared his throat and blushed again.
"Uh, about what you saw earlier... could you not tell anyone?"
"Don't worry. I'll keep the fossil revival technology completely confidential."
Bill waved his hands quickly.
"No no, I meant how I looked when I first saw the fossil. I was just too excited. I'm usually gentle!"
Gentle? Really?
Cynthia recalled the child's description of Bill at the Glass Workshop entrance:
[That big brother is scary—he randomly starts laughing maniacally. Big sister, be careful.]
Faced with Bill's sincere gaze, she could only say helplessly,
"All right, I believe you."
With the fossil now in the machine, Cynthia remembered her other reason for visiting Bill.
"I heard you research ancient artifacts too?"
A red exclamation mark appeared above Bill's head.
"You know about that? Yes. Before fossils, I collected ancient objects and studied their history.
"Do you happen to have some treasure?"
Without hesitation, Cynthia pulled the "Rusted Sword" from her inventory.
"I got this from someone else. Could you examine it?"
Bill picked it up carefully, eyes lighting with excitement.
"If I'm not mistaken, this sword can't be melted, right?"
Cynthia was stunned. —How did he know?
Bill adjusted his glasses.
"That's because it's forged not from iron, but from a mineral called 'Galar Particles,' extremely rare, from the snowy mountains of the Galar region."
Cynthia paused at the unfamiliar region name, but Bill continued:
"It's incredibly durable, with a melting point so high that only special methods can forge it. And its second characteristic..."
Bill swung the tattered blade several times. It emitted a faint, audible humming sound.
"Objects forged from Galar Particles can serve as a conduit, forming a space to seal Pokémon inside. That sound came from the seal! I've only read about this stone in ancient texts—I never imagined I'd see it!"
Bill's explanation carried weight. It took Cynthia a moment to process.
"So there's a Pokémon sealed inside this sword??"
Bill nodded, photographed the sword, then handed it back.
"Yes, though other possibilities exist—dangerous items, or something else. Breaking the seal requires repairing the sword and unlocking the ancient seal. The techniques are lost, and the contents could be dangerous. Treat it as a collectible."
But the moment Bill finished, the sword leapt from her hands and smacked him on the head!
"Ow!!"
Bill cried, eyes wide in terror.
"Holy crap, this thing's alive!! There's a ghost!!"
The sword slapped him again, and he stumbled. It performed a triumphant loop in the air before returning to Cynthia's hands.
Suddenly, a dazzling blue light blazed across the screen. The screen went black.
—Another cutscene was coming.
This time, it opened with an apocalyptic vision: a crimson sky torn by ominous purple light.
A massive skeletal dragon Pokémon loomed over a ruined city, hundreds of meters tall. Its deep purple and red body radiated black energy, devouring light. Twisted claws tore the void; the earth groaned under its pressure. Purple mist corroded everything it touched. Cries and screams rose, then were silenced by its roars.
Even Cynthia froze, eyes wide.
—What... what is that thing??
Then, a point of azure light pierced the darkness. A Pokémon clad in ancient armor, resembling a majestic lion, held a golden giant sword in its jaws. Facing the dragon, its black eyes held only resolve.
"ROAAAAAR!!!!"
The dragon unleashed a mountain-piercing beam. The blue Pokémon charged straight through it, sword glowing, splitting the beam in two. Golden and blue light intertwined, purifying darkness.
The cutscene froze at that climactic moment.
The light faded. The stream chat was silent, the comments blank.
Cynthia sat frozen, her rapid breathing reminding her of reality. Cold sweat soaked her back.
She realized what she had witnessed: a battle between two legendary Pokémon. And these were no ordinary legendaries. Their power and presence were immense.
Then she noticed the crucial detail—the golden giant sword the blue Pokémon wielded looked exactly like the Rusted Sword in her hands.