The morning sun streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the room. Ash rubbed his sleepy eyes, feeling something furry pressing against his chest.
"Pika!" Pikachu was curled up in a ball, its yellow fur glowing warmly in the morning light.
"Good morning, Pikachu." Ash smiled, stroking his partner's head. Pikachu nuzzled comfortably into his palm.
"Pika Pika! (Good morning, Ash!)"
From the next room, Brock's rhythmic snoring could be heard, indicating that the Rock-type expert was still fast asleep. Ash quietly got out of bed, trying not to wake his companion. He pulled back the curtains, and the scenery of Pallet Town unfolded before his eyes—tree-lined streets, the distant, faintly visible Professor Oak's Laboratory, and several Pidgey soaring freely in the sky.
"Today, we're going to Professor Oak's Laboratory," Ash stretched, and Pikachu agilely jumped onto his shoulder.
The clatter of pots and pans and the aroma of food wafted from downstairs. Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances, their stomachs rumbling simultaneously.
"Pikachu! (Smells good!)"
"It looks like Mom and Xiao You have already started preparing breakfast." Ash smiled as he pushed open the door, "Let's go wake up Brock."
Brock's room door was ajar. Ash gently knocked: "Brock, time to get up!"
"Mmm... five more minutes..." Brock mumbled indistinctly, rolling over.
Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, nimbly darted into the room, and gently poked Brock's cheek with its tail.
"Pika Pika! (Wake up!)"
"Whoa!" Brock suddenly sat up, then sighed in relief when he saw it was Pikachu. "Oh, it's you guys... Good morning."
"Good morning, Brock." Ash said, smiling from the doorway, "Breakfast is almost ready."
After a quick tidy-up, the three went downstairs. Delia and Xiao You were busy in the kitchen. The scent of frying eggs filled the room, and Xiao You was arranging sliced fruit on a plate.
"Good morning, Mom! Good morning, Xiao You!" Ash greeted them with full of energy.
"Good morning, Ash, Brock." Delia turned around, still holding a spatula. "Breakfast will be ready soon, you two go wash up first."
"Pika! (Good morning!)" Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran to Xiao You's feet.
"Ah, Pikachu!" Xiao You squatted down and petted Pikachu's head. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Pika Pika! (Very well!)"
Brock noticed a new Poké Ball at Xiao You's waist: "Huh? Xiao You, did you get a new Pokémon?"
Xiao You smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out later."
After washing up, a sumptuous breakfast was already laid out on the table. Fried eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit, and hot milk—Delia's cooking was, as always, admirable.
"Let's eat!" The four said in unison.
During the meal, Ash, biting into a piece of toast, asked: "Xiao You, what's that new Pokémon you mentioned earlier?"
Xiao You put down her milk cup and took the Poké Ball from her waist: "Actually... the egg Ash gave me hatched last night."
"What?" Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "That Togepi egg?"
"Yes!" Xiao You happily pressed the Poké Ball's button. "Come out, Togepi!"
A flash of white light, and a small, adorable Togepi appeared on the dining table. It had a light blue shell and a plump body, with four small spikes on its head.
"Toge-toge!" Togepi happily spun around, its eyes lit up when it saw Ash, and it bounced towards him.
"Pika Pika! (So cute!)" Pikachu exclaimed excitedly.
Ash extended his hand, and Togepi affectionately nuzzled his finger: "Toge! (Thank you for giving me life)"
"Don't thank me," Ash said gently, "it's because Xiao You took such good care of you that you were able to hatch healthily."
Togepi turned to Xiao You, opening its short arms: "Toge-toge! (Thank you, Xiao You!)"
Xiao You, touched, picked up Togepi: "Welcome to the world, Togepi."
Delia smiled watching the scene: "What a lovely child. Ash, when did you get this egg?"
"It was in Da Sha Valley," Ash recalled, "I found it when I was catching Fossil Pokémon in Da Sha Valley. I thought Xiao You would be better suited to care for it, so I gave it to her."
"I see." Brock nodded, "Togepi is quite a rare Pokémon, Xiao You is really lucky."
Breakfast concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. After cleaning up, the four decided to head to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Mom, we're leaving!" Ash called from the doorway.
"Be careful on the way," Delia waved from the doorway, "Remember to come back for lunch."
"Got it!"
The morning in Pallet Town was quiet and beautiful, with dappled shadows cast by the trees along the road. Ash took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling invigorated.
"Today, we're meeting Gary and Xiao Huo," Ash said as he walked, "I wonder how many Gym Badges they've collected."
Brock chuckled: "With your strength, you shouldn't lose to them, right?"
"Pika Pika! (Of course not!)" Pikachu confidently waved its small paw.
Soon, the iconic building of Professor Oak's Laboratory appeared in their sight. To their surprise, several figures were already standing at the entrance of the Laboratory.
"Isn't that Gary and Xiao Huo?" Brock squinted, "They're really early."
As they got closer, Gary's distinctive red jacket was particularly striking. He stood with his arms crossed, looking impatient. Xiao Huo stood quietly to the side, waving when he saw Ash and his companions.
"Yo, Ash," Gary raised an eyebrow, "Finally here? We've been waiting for ages."
"Sorry, sorry," Ash scratched his head, "I didn't expect you guys to be so early."
Professor Oak walked out of the Laboratory, his white lab coat gently swaying in the breeze: "Ah, everyone's here! Come on in, I have some new discoveries I'd like to share with you."
The group followed Professor Oak into the Laboratory. The spacious lab was filled with various instruments and Pokémon-related equipment, and several Electabuzz in the corner curiously observed the new arrivals.
"First," Professor Oak said, "let me see how many Gym Badges you've all collected."
Gary confidently showed his Gym Badge case: "Ten, I collected two extra."
Xiao Huo also displayed his Gym Badges: "I also have eight."
"I also have eight," Ash said, taking out another Gym Badge from his pocket, "plus this Appraisal Badge."
"Appraisal Badge?" Xiao Huo frowned, "What's that?"
"It's a special Gym Badge from the Pokémon Appraisal Exam," Professor Oak explained, "Only those who win the Pokémon Appraisal Exam can obtain it. With an Appraisal Badge, you can participate in the Indigo League without collecting eight Gym Badges."
Professor Oak nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, it seems you are all ready to participate in the Indigo League. Now, let me see your Pokémon!"
Xiao Huo was the first to release his team: "Come out, everyone!"
Six flashes of white light, and Charizard, Scizor, Rhyperior, Electabuzz, Pidgeot, and Nidoking appeared in the open space. Each Pokémon was full of spirit, clearly well-trained.
"A great team," Professor Oak praised, "The type combination is also very reasonable."
Gary was not to be outdone: "Mine aren't bad either! Come out, my partners!"
Blastoise, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Pidgeot, Golem, and Arcanine appeared in sequence. Especially the Blastoise, which was a size larger than average, with its cannons on its back gleaming with metallic luster.
"Excellently raised," Professor Oak carefully examined each Pokémon, "Especially this Blastoise, the hardness and luster of its shell have reached top-tier standards."
Gary glanced at Ash smugly: "How about it, my Blastoise is pretty good, right?"
"It's truly amazing," Ash genuinely praised, "It seems you put a lot of effort into it."
"It's my turn," Xiao You said softly, "although my team isn't quite complete yet..."
Venusaur, Sylveon, and the newly hatched Togepi appeared before everyone. Venusaur gently lowered its head, the flower on its back emitting a faint fragrance; Sylveon elegantly flicked its ribbon-like fur; and Togepi curiously looked around.
"Togepi!" Professor Oak, surprised, squatted down, "This is quite a rare Pokémon!"
"The egg Ash gave me hatched," Xiao You said, glancing gratefully at Ash. "It hatched just last night."
"I see," Professor Oak stood up. "Then, Ash, it's your turn."
Ash took a deep breath, unclipped a Poké Ball from his waist: "Everyone, come on out!"
A series of white flashes later, the open space in Professor Oak's Laboratory instantly became crowded. Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Ceruledge, Millennial Ghastly, Gardevoir, Metagross, Lucario, Kabutops, Omastar, two Aerodactyls, Rainbow Eevee, Pidgeot, Dratini, Tentacruel, Zapdos, and finally—Ho-Oh.
The entire Professor Oak's Laboratory fell into a brief silence, followed by gasps of astonishment.
"Th-that's... Ho-Oh?!" Xiao Huo's eyes widened, his voice trembling slightly.
Gary's jaw almost dropped to the floor: "And Kabutops, Omastar... these are all Fossil Pokémon! Wait, the color of that Metagross and Dratini... they're Shinny Pokémon!"
"Pika Pika! (Isn't that awesome!)" Pikachu proudly puffed out his chest.
Professor Oak's voice trembled slightly: "Ash... these Pokémon... how did you..."
Rainbow Eevee lightly jumped onto Ash's shoulder, affectionately rubbing against his cheek. Ash gently stroked its fur: "They are all partners I met on my journey. Each one has a special story."
"Pika Pikachu! (Ash is the best Trainer!)"
Millennial Ghastly floated in front of everyone, showing an exaggerated smile: "Guheheh, hello everyone, this old man is a Gastly who has lived for over a thousand years!"
"A-a talking Pokémon?!" Xiao Huo took a step back.
"Don't be nervous," Brock reassured, "This is Millennial Ghastly, and it has a special bond with Ash."
Gary circled Ho-Oh, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Is this really the legendary Ho-Oh? Not some special Pokémon in disguise?"
Ho-Oh elegantly spread its brilliant wings, letting out a clear cry, and the entire Professor Oak's Laboratory was instantly filled with warm light.
"It is indeed Ho-Oh," Ash explained, "Its father entrusted it to me. And this Ceruledge," he pointed to the black and gold Pokémon, "was caught in the Safari Zone when we encountered a spacetime distortion."
Gary and Xiao Huo exchanged glances, both seeing envy and a hint of jealousy in each other's eyes.
"Wait," Xiao Huo suddenly thought of something, "These Fossil Pokémon... were they caught in Da Sha Valley?"
Ash nodded: "Yes. We discovered a well-preserved Fossil Pokémon habitat there. Besides these partners, my little world also has more Fossil Pokémon living in it, but they are just residents there, I haven't caught them."
With Professor Oak's permission, Ash opened the entrance to his little world. Everyone saw the scene inside through a special projection device: groups of Kabuto and Kabutops active in the shallows, Omanyte and Omastar swimming in the deep water, and various Water-type Pokémon coexisting harmoniously.
"This is incredible..." Professor Oak murmured, his eyes glued to the screen, "This is simply a treasure trove of paleontology!"
Ash then recounted the origin of Rainbow Eevee, and when they heard that many Pokémon had died due to Team Rockets' cruel experiments, everyone's expressions became somber.
"Those bastards..." Gary clenched his fists, "How could they do such things to Pokémon."
Xiao Huo wanted to stroke Rainbow Eevee's fur but it dodged away: "It must have gone through a lot of suffering..."
Rainbow Eevee, however, shook its head, letting out a soft sound: "Booyibooyee (It's okay, now that Ash and everyone are here, I'm very happy~)"
"Alright," Professor Oak clapped his hands, breaking the heavy atmosphere, "Since everyone has shown their Pokémon, I have something special to show you."
He led everyone to a room deep within Professor Oak's Laboratory, where a huge machine was placed.
"This is the latest improved Fossil Revival Machine," Professor Oak proudly introduced, "The revival success rate has increased by 15%, and the revived Pokémon are in a more stable condition."
Ash's eyes lit up: "Professor, I happen to have a fossil I'd like your help to revive."
He carefully took out a metallic-glowing fossil from his backpack: "This is a Scyther fossil, I found it in Da Sha Valley."
Professor Oak took the fossil, examined it carefully, and nodded: "It's in excellent preservation, it should be successfully revived. Everyone, step back a little."
After placing the fossil into the machine, Professor Oak started the program. The machine hummed, and various indicator lights flashed alternately. Everyone waited with bated breath.
An hour later, the machine made a "ding" sound. The hatch slowly opened, and a ball of white light floated in the air, gradually taking shape.
When the light dissipated, a never-before-seen Pokémon appeared before everyone. It had a mantis-like body, but its arms were sharp metal blades, and it had translucent wings on its back. Its entire body was covered in a bluish-black shell, its eyes were deep red, and its head was like that of a Dragon-type Pokémon.
"This is... Scyther?" Ash exclaimed.
Scyther looked around, then suddenly let out a sharp cry, its blade-like forelimbs violently swinging towards the nearest equipment.
"Watch out!" Professor Oak shouted, "Newly revived Pokémon might attack due to Confusion!"
"Charizard, stop it!" Ash reacted quickly.
Charizard charged out from the group, blocking Scyther's attack with its strong arms. But Scyther's strength was beyond imagination, and Charizard was pushed back several steps.
"Such powerful strength..." Ash frowned, "Gardevoir, Blastoise, go together!"
Gardevoir used Confusion to try and control Scyther's movements, while Blastoise fired Hydro Pump from behind. But Scyther deftly dodged, its wings vibrating at high speed, instantly Teleporting behind Blastoise.
"Look out!" Brock shouted.
In the nick of time, Ceruledge blocked in front of Blastoise, clashing with Scyther's blades, sending sparks flying.
"Everyone, go!" Ash commanded, "Be careful not to hurt it!"
The ensuing battle was fierce and brief. Although Scyther's strength was astonishing, under the combined efforts of almost all of Ash's Pokémon, it eventually collapsed from exhaustion. Ash seized the opportunity and threw a Poké Ball.
The Poké Ball shook a few times, then made a "ding" sound.
"Success!" Xiao You cheered.
Ash picked up the Poké Ball and gently pressed the button: "Come out, Scyther." A flash of white light, and Scyther reappeared, but this time its eyes were much calmer. Ash slowly approached, extending his hand: "It's okay, you're safe now."
Scyther looked at Ash warily, but did not attack. Ash closed his eyes, using the special ability Arceus had granted him to communicate telepathically with Scyther.
A moment later, Scyther's attitude visibly softened. It lowered its head and gently touched Ash's hand with its forelimb.
"It says... it remembers the world from a long time ago, and it was scared when it woke up," Ash opened his eyes and translated, "But it's willing to trust me now."
"That's amazing..." Professor Oak recorded the process, "Ash, your affinity with Pokémon is truly unprecedented."
Gary and Xiao Huo watched the scene, their jealousy replaced by genuine admiration.
"Alright, Ash," Gary sighed, "You win this round. But in the Indigo League, I won't hold back."
Xiao Huo also nodded: "I look forward to battling you."
Ash smiled in response: "Me too. Let's do our best together!"
Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder: "Pikachu! (Go for it!)"
Rainbow Eevee and Togepi also cheered happily, and Professor Oak's Laboratory was filled with the sounds of Pokémon and the laughter of Trainers. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on this heartwarming scene.