The greatest beneficiary of this year's Full Restore Competition was undoubtedly the Sasaki clan. Their main business was real estate development, and whether they profited depended heavily on Ash's decision.
The eight great families of Kanto were on good terms socially, but family interests always came first.
A patriarch's duty was to protect their clan's strength and influence. If Full Restore Capsules could simply be bought with money, then none of them would give Agatha anything. After all, the Blackstone family's situation was already dire.
And if the Blackstone family fell, the remaining seven clans would quickly divide its resources. When that time came, any so-called friendships would vanish. No clan could exist for the sake of its patriarch alone.
While the eight great families were busy scouring an island for Full Restore Capsules and Ash's influence was shaking their plans, Ash himself was traveling leisurely, chatting and laughing with three beautiful companions.
"Ash, the Dark City Gym has been disbanded, and the gemstone badge has been revoked by the League. What will you do now?" Cynthia asked worriedly as they walked down the road.
"It doesn't matter," Ash smiled.
"Since the Dark City Gym is gone, I'll just challenge the remaining two. Besides, there's still the Pokémon Appraisal Test. Once I pass that, I'll be eligible for the Indigo Plateau Conference. Losing one badge is unfortunate, but not something I can't overcome."
Though Cynthia's concern was genuine, Ash wasn't bothered. His current strength was already on par with a Champion. The gyms were more about making his journey enjoyable. What truly interested him now was the Celadon Gym challenge ahead.
"Then where do we head next?" Suzie asked, flipping through the map as she walked beside him.
"Of course we'll head for the Cinnabar Gym," Ash replied. "I heard that Blaine, the Gym Leader, is Lorelei's uncle. His strength is already Champion level, but he's chosen to stay as a Gym Leader. It's said that challenging him is tougher than reaching Celadon."
"Cinnabar Gym, huh? I wonder how strong his Fire-type Pokémon are now…"
Ash muttered, thinking fondly of the Charmander he once raised. In Kanto, when it came to Fire-types, his favorites were Arcanine and Charizard.
"Ash, I think you should go to the Pokémon Appraisal Test first," Suzie suggested. "If we head to Cinnabar Island right now, we'd have to circle back to Pallet Town afterward."
Ash frowned slightly. He had originally wanted to clear the gym battles first and take the test afterward, but things seemed to be shifting. "How long will it take to get to the appraisal site at our current pace?"
"If we move quickly, we can make it by tomorrow afternoon. There's still time to register, but we'll have to hurry," Suzie answered, scanning the appraisal test information.
Just then, Ash noticed a group of people up ahead carrying large sacks, shovels in hand. He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What are those people doing?"
"Let me check…" Suzie glanced around before answering. "Oh! We've reached Grampa Canyon. I heard many Pokémon fossils have been found here, so lots of people come hoping to get lucky."
Pokémon fossils had immense value. The first one was famously researched by Dr. Bill at his lighthouse. While fossils weren't living Pokémon by themselves, they carried great research significance. On the market, a single fossil could sell for tens of millions of Pokédollars. In places like Blackstone, rare ones could even fetch hundreds of millions.
"Grampa Canyon… wait, really?!" Ash's eyes widened. Memories from the anime flooded his mind.
"Yes," Suzie nodded. "This was one of the places where ancient Pokémon first appeared."
Ancient Pokémon might not be as rare as the super-ancients, but they were still incredibly valuable.
Fossils could even be revived. According to what Ash remembered, the sudden discovery of ancient Pokémon in Grampa Canyon once pushed researchers to invent fossil revival technology, leading to laboratories capable of resurrecting them.
"Ash, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're also fossil hunting?" A familiar voice called out. It was Gary, dressed in a full mountaineering suit, looking ready for exploration.
Ash ignored him for the moment, extending his Aura in a single direction. He quickly sensed something extraordinary—life energy buried nearly 2,500 meters underground.
That was why he focused his Aura in one direction only. Spreading it too thin would have drastically reduced its range.
"Gary, come with me," Ash said firmly. Then he turned to Cynthia. "Cynthia, take Sabrina and Suzie to set up camp. We won't be leaving today."
"But Ash, if we don't leave today, you'll miss the Pokémon Appraisal Test!"
Suzie exclaimed, her voice filled with worry. She wasn't even sure why the thought unsettled her so much, but the feeling lingered.
Ash smiled reassuringly.
"It's fine. If I miss it, I can always have Gary drive us tomorrow. And honestly, it doesn't matter if I can't challenge those second-rate gyms right now. I'll have another chance later. For now, just set up the tent."
With that, Ash turned and gave her a confident smile before pulling Gary aside, leading him behind a large rock.
"Hey, Ash, what's going on? I was about to start digging for fossils!" Gary asked suspiciously, brushing some dirt from his gloves.
As a member of the Oak family, he was determined to prove himself as a Pokémon Trainer—but he also knew that, in the end, research was in his blood. Still, he wasn't about to let his battling strength fall behind.
...
TN:
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