Chapter 130: The Fossil Zone—A Natural Talent
At night, everyone regrouped.
Ash had caught a full thirty Tauros. Using a teleportation device, all the Safari Balls were sent straight to Professor Oak's lab.
"Ah—Natsume, when will you be back?"
On the other side of the screen, Delia looked exhausted, a herd of Tauros running behind her.
"Just two more badges… probably about twenty days," Natsume replied after thinking for a moment.
"Twenty days?" Delia blinked.
"That's pretty fast. By the time you get back to Pallet Town, you'll still have two and a half months left," she said, eyes twinkling as if she'd thought of something fun.
"Alright then, safe travels! Ash, remember to come home early~" She ended the call, and the screen went dark.
"So, where's our next Gym?" Ash asked, holding a tray of mochi and leaning over.
"Cinnabar Island's Cinnabar Gym. It's said to be a training paradise that every League Trainer dreams of visiting."
"Training paradise?" Ash's enthusiasm surged.
Natsume rubbed his nose and suddenly fell silent.
The sun shone brightly, and three days had passed since they left the Safari Zone.
"Wow… Cinnabar Island is so far, it feels like it never ends," Misty said wearily, shading herself with an umbrella.
"Weren't we just at the amusement park? How are you tired again?" Brock looked back from the front.
"After a hundred steps, you feel like fifty… I think Misty might be ready to give up on returning to Cerulean City," Ash interjected.
"First, take care of your Charmeleon!" Misty shouted loudly.
Ash shrank his neck and looked toward Natsume at the back.
"Natsume, what's wrong with my Charmeleon?"
In Natsume's hand was a Master Ball.
Although the Ultra Ball Rotom hadn't been made yet, the only thing missing was a safe lab. Another Rotom had been battling other trainers along the way and was now catching up in level.
By the time they will finish the Cinnabar Gym challenge and return to Pallet Town, the second Rotom could take over the Mecha Rotom research. Then, back at Oak's lab, the Ultra Ball Rotom could be produced. Over the next two months before the League tournament, Natsume could publish his collected research.
During the League approval process, Natsume could even attend the tournament at the Indigo Plateau. Perfect timing.
"Natsume, what are you thinking about?" Ash waved his hand, trying to get Natsume's attention.
"What's up?" Natsume looked at Ash.
"Since yesterday, after Charmander evolved, it hasn't been listening to me. Why?" Ash seemed frustrated.
"Oh, that…" Natsume remembered.
Yesterday, they passed an amusement park where a group of wild Exeggutor had gone berserk. Charmander had defeated them all with a single Flamethrower sweep. It was also then that it evolved into a Charmeleon.
Pikapi, Pika!
Natsume didn't answer, but Midchu in Giselle's arms spoke first.
"Natsume, what did it say?" Ash asked curiously.
"Oh, it said Charmeleon needs the Jeep," Natsume glanced at the Pikachu, which shyly closed its eyes.
Midchu now desperately needed a strong ally to draw attention. Its Dream Armor and evasive abilities had grown stronger, and Natsume's Jeep was subtly upgrading into a semi-truck.
"Needs the Jeep?" Ash tilted his head in confusion.
"I think it means you should train more with Charmeleon to strengthen your bond," Giselle suggested.
"Really?" Ash said, immediately taking action.
"Come out, Charmeleon!"
A red flash appeared, revealing a slightly fierce-looking, bright red Pokémon.
Roar! the moment Charmeleon appeared, a jet of flame shot toward Ash, singeing him black from head to toe.
"Charmeleon, let's train!" Ash shouted, full of energy.
Char! A puff of heat escaped Charmeleon's nostrils as it tilted its head.
"I heard some Pokémon change personality a lot after evolving," Misty said, shaking her head.
Pikapi pika!
Midchu shouted from the side, desperately trying to secure Ash a spot in the Jeep.
"I don't need it," Natsume said, glaring at Midchu. It sulkily attached two wires to its electrical sacs and stayed silent.
On Giselle's back was a backpack-like battery device—Natsume's upgraded eighth-tier Enhancement Chair.
Seeing Charmeleon completely ignore him and training going nowhere, Ash hung his head in disappointment.
"Natsume, do you have any other way to strengthen bonds with Pokémon?"
"Sure," Natsume replied, handing Ash a book.
"Eight Hundred Pokémon Lyrical Poems?" Ash blinked, feeling he'd heard the name somewhere.
"Ah~ the name of your Pokémon, my beloved~ Years of Wind and Snow," Ash began reciting word for word.
"Idiot! At least say Charmeleon!" Misty punched him lightly.
Before Misty or Charmeleon could react, a strong jet of water hit, drenching and ruining the book in Ash's hands.
"Ugh, who's there?"
Ash looked up and saw a Wartortle.
Wartortle
"Is that the same as Gary's Wartortle?"
"Same as Gary? This is my Wartortle!"
From behind a large rock, Gary and his cheering squad emerged.
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked curiously.
"This is a famous fossil site in Kanto. Why wouldn't I be here?" Gary replied, giving him a puzzled look.
"Everyone, there's a research site up ahead!" Brock called from a distance.
"It's open—trainers can come in and dig for fossils," Gary said, acting important. "I've been here several days, and one tent isn't even enough for all the fossils I collected!"
He leaned toward Natsume.
"So, Natsume, want to check if my sense of smell is good?"
Natsume raised an eyebrow, realizing Gary wanted him to examine the fossils.
"No problem," Natsume agreed. Soon, they followed Gary up a hillside.
On the other side, trainers in hiking gear carefully dug with shovels and picks.
"Come, everyone, take a look!" Gary clapped, drawing their attention.
Behind him was a large green tent.
"Whoa!" he lifted the flap, revealing it packed with small rocks.
After rummaging inside, Gary emerged holding a fist-sized stone.
"Natsume, look! This spiral pattern—it has to be an Ammonite, right?"
Gary proudly handed over his prized find.
"Hmph, see? Others have been here several days with little luck, and I found this much in just two days!" His nose practically hovered over Ash's head.
Ammonite?
Natsume blinked—there's no fist-sized Ammonite. Could it be a new discovery?
Looking at the fossil Gary handed him, Natsume's expression darkened.
"This is a coprolite."
"W-what?" Gary froze in shock.
"Puhahaha—" Ash finally couldn't hold it in, clutching his stomach as he laughed out loud.
"W-what about this one!" Gary, refusing to give up, handed Natsume another relatively intact fossil.
"This has to be some kind of prehistoric Caterpie, huge in size!" Gary declared confidently.
"This is a cylindrical coprolite," Natsume said, nodding.
"Ah!" Gary collapsed in despair, clutching his head.
"Shouldn't you be happy?" Natsume asked, puzzled.
"Coprolites are actually pretty rare among fossils, and you found two at once."
"So what good is that!!"
Gary remained despondent.
"It's useful! Coprolites can tell you a lot—diet analysis, behavior patterns, food chain niches," Natsume listed a dozen examples in one breath. The more he spoke, the more Gary felt his own sense of scientific intuition was extraordinary.
"Natsume, I have a few more here!"
Excitedly, Gary dug out several more complete fossils from the tent.
Looking at the pile of coprolites, Natsume fell silent.
In a way, this really was a kind of talent.
You can read more (around 150+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https://ravenarchives.com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.