"You two done catching your Pokémon yet?"
"Yeah, all done! But what about those ones still squirming around?" Misty pointed at a few twitching Kabuto and Omanyte nearby.
"Let 'em wiggle. We've got something much bigger coming," Kazuki said, his eyes locked on the cave wall where his Aura Power pulsed back an ominous signal. Instead of fear, a spark of excitement flashed across his face.
"It's coming!"
The moment he shouted, the rock wall exploded—an Aerodactyl burst through in a storm of shattered stone, perching atop a massive boulder and letting out a deafening roar.
"Ahh! W-what is that monster?!" Misty and Suzie shrieked at the same time, their bodies trembling as they instinctively grabbed Kazuki, ready to bolt.
"Come on, move! Kazuki, you're never this scared! What's wrong, are your legs frozen?!" Misty yelled, tugging at him with all her strength.
"If I let it scare me now, how am I supposed to tame it later?" he said, grinning with pure excitement.
"You're not seriously planning to catch that terrifying dragon, are you?!" Suzie's eyes went wide in disbelief.
She was curious too, sure—but mostly she just wanted to run as far away as possible. That thing looked like it could eat a man whole.
"It's an Aerodactyl—the Sky Overlord of ancient times," Kazuki declared. "And it's exactly what I came here for."
"Go, Charizard!"
He already knew from his Aura scan that this Aerodactyl was only at Quasi Gym level. His Charizard, sitting at level 40, could definitely take it on.
And if things got too intense? He'd ditch the 'fated duel' conditions and tag in Pidgeot and Pikachu as backup.
"You're actually gonna try to catch that thing?!" Misty was speechless. Just a minute ago, she thought he'd lost his courage—turns out he was completely insane instead.
Suzie, seeing his determination, tugged Misty back a few steps. She knew better than to argue when Kazuki had that look in his eyes. The best thing she could do was stay clear and trust him.
Charizard spread its wings wide, letting out a roar that echoed through the cave. Aerodactyl responded instantly, slamming its wings down and charging at full speed.
"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Kazuki ordered.
Charizard opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of blazing fire.
But Aerodactyl was too fast. It swerved through the flames effortlessly and delivered a brutal kick to Charizard's side. Charizard stumbled back, but quickly steadied itself.
"Just as I thought—its speed's insane. I've gotta slow it down somehow."
"Charizard, use Fire Spin!"
Charizard roared again, sending a swirling vortex of fire to trap Aerodactyl. Flames spun into a blazing ring, hemming it in.
Aerodactyl screeched, its movements restricted for a moment—then it shot upward, smashing through the cavern roof and bursting into the open sky.
Freed under the sunlight, it flapped its wings fiercely, regaining its full power.
"Charizard, after it! We'll follow from behind!"
Kazuki recalled Pidgeot, climbed onto its back with Suzie and Misty, and soared out of the cave. Once they reached the surface, he leapt from Pidgeot and mounted Charizard midair.
His Charizard wasn't the same reckless beast it once was—it had matured through disciplined training. Its flight speed now rivaled Aerodactyl's.
Aerodactyl looked back mid-flight and froze for a second. What the hell are these modern punks eating?!
Back in its era, no Pokémon could even keep up with its tail—yet this orange dragon was matching it blow for blow.
It darted another glance behind. The Charizard was gone.
For a brief, triumphant moment, Aerodactyl thought it had outflown him—then Charizard dove from above the clouds, grabbed it by the neck, and locked it in place.
"Nice! Charizard, use Seismic Toss!"
Kazuki's shout rang out. Charizard spun with brutal force, dizzying Aerodactyl before slamming it down toward the ground.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire valley. Dust billowed up like a sandstorm.
When the air finally cleared, Aerodactyl lay sprawled on the ground, completely spent.
Charizard stood over it, one foot pinning down its tail, roaring fire into the sky as if declaring victory to the world—he was the new ruler of the heavens.
Kazuki chuckled, waving a hand. "Easy, big guy. No need to show off—you'll be teammates soon enough."
Charizard snorted but stepped back obediently.
Kazuki pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it. The red light swallowed Aerodactyl whole.
"Got it. The ancient pokemon—Aerodactyl!" he exhaled, grinning in satisfaction.
"Y-you really caught it…" Misty whispered, completely stunned.
Then her shock melted into adoration. "Kazuki, you're incredible! My man's so cool—I love you!"
Suzie poked her cheek, laughing. "Is this really the proud, fiery water-type gym girl talking?"
"Eheh… m-maybe?" Misty stammered, face burning. "Anyway—let's go check on Kazuki! Make sure he's not hurt!"
Trying to hide her fluster, she dragged Suzie along toward him.
Kazuki was already checking Aerodactyl's stats panel.
[Pokémon]: Aerodactyl
[Base Stats]: 515
[Level]: 46 (Quasi Gym)
[Potential]: Elite Four
[Ability]: Rock Head — prevents recoil damage from moves that normally cause it.
[Moves]: Ancient Power, Rock Slide, Take Down, Stone Edge, etc.
"Rock Head, huh?" Kazuki grinned. "No wonder you kept slamming into walls without slowing down. Guess it never hurt you at all."
A Base Stat of 515—no joke. Even basic attacks from this thing would hit like a truck.
Good thing it had just woken up; otherwise, Charizard might not have pulled off that win.
Level 46, Elite Four potential—definitely worth adding to the main team. With some training items, it could easily reach Champion level.
Not bad for a day's work.
[Congratulations, Host! You've captured Aerodactyl!]
[Pokémon Party Slots Expanded: You may now carry up to eight Pokémon.]
[Fated Duel Completed! Charizard's Level Increased!]
[Charizard: Lv. 40 → Lv. 43]
Thanks to the system rewards, Charizard now stood as the strongest on the team.
His current lineup had Pikachu, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Charizard, and Aerodactyl—all Quasi Gym level. Practically a full elite team already.
That would give him a huge edge against the next two advanced gyms.
"Kazuki!" Misty and Suzie called out, hurrying toward him.
He turned to greet them—but then something caught his eye near the cliff's edge.
A small, shimmering egg rested atop a rock, its shell gleaming with rainbow-colored stars.
"Well, well… isn't that a Togepi egg?" His lips curved upward.
He'd been planning to look for it later, but fate had delivered it right to him.
Still… if I just hand it to Misty, that'd be too boring. Her Perfect Romance Mission won't progress that way.
A sly idea formed in his mind.
When Misty reached him, he subtly shifted his stance so she'd notice the egg.
"Hey, hey, Kazuki! Look over there!" she gasped, spotting it immediately.
He turned as if surprised. "Huh? A Pokémon egg? Wonder which species it belongs to."
"Wow, it's so pretty!" Misty's eyes sparkled, completely entranced.
"You like it? I'll go get it for you," he offered.
"What? No, that's too risky!" she protested, glancing at the unstable cliff. "That rock looks loose. You just fought that whole aerial battle—don't push yourself."
Her desire for the egg was clear, but her worry for him outweighed it.
Perfect—that was exactly what he wanted.
"Come on, it's rare for my girlfriend to fall for a Pokémon at first sight. I can't just ignore that, can I?"
Before she could argue, he was already walking toward the edge.
"Be careful, Kazuki!" both girls shouted, their hearts pounding.
Kazuki moved cautiously, secretly using his Psychic Power to stabilize himself—not that he was actually in danger.
He reached the egg safely. The cliff didn't even tremble.
What, no dramatic collapse? That's not the story I wanted.
He glanced at the unmoving rock beneath his feet, sighed inwardly, and then discreetly used his psychic energy to loosen it himself.
Moments later, the edge crumbled away.
"Kazuki!" Misty and Suzie screamed as the ground gave way beneath him.
He let himself fall with the tumbling rocks, vanishing into the mist below.
"Kazuki, no!" Misty cried, her whole body shaking as tears streamed down her face. "It's not supposed to be like this…"
She was about to dive after him, but Suzie grabbed her tightly.
"Misty, don't! Kazuki's incredible—he might still be fine!"
Suzie's own heart raced with fear, remembering the last time he'd carried her across a cliff. But she forced herself to stay calm.
"But… but it's so high! He—he did it for me…" Misty sobbed, guilt and panic twisting her voice.
"Hey, don't worry. Kazuki's tougher than anyone I know," Suzie said gently, pulling her into a hug. "Come on, no more crying. Look—there's a path down. Let's go find him."
Misty wiped her eyes, nodding shakily. Together, the two girls began making their way down the cliff toward the misty valley below.