Fossil Expedition - PW-R-008

Fossil Expedition


To the east of Mt. Chimney rested a vast desert, sandstorms constantly swirling about it with gritty fury. Many wondered exactly why a tropical region like Hoenn would have a desert. Some blamed freak weather patterns; others attributed it to a Legendary Pokémon, either Regirock due to it having been spotted in the area for ages or Arceus simply so that the Cacnea would have a place to roam. Whatever the reason, however, the desert existed, and many a trainer made their way through it either to head onwards to Fallarbor Town, to capture a native Pokémon or two, or to seek something else.

"That'th it!" Her voice barely audible due to the howling sands and the scarf about her mouth, Amelia pointed towards a thin outline of rock in the distance. "That'th the Mirage Tower!"

"About time!" Her voice similarly obscured by the weather and garments, Alex was nonetheless glad for the extra protection of a poncho and wide-brimmed hat. Doubly glad for the Go-Goggles adorning her face, she followed her temporary traveling companion along as they made their way to the tower.

Considered by some to be a story at most, the Mirage Tower was said to periodically rise and fall from the desert sands, its uppermost levels filled with fossils hidden by the shifting sands. Trainers would occasionally brave its terrors in the hopes of finding a fossil before it descended back into the sands, its next appearance unknown.

The two girls quickly found their way inside, and both took a moment to shake loose the sand from their garments. Alex quietly batted her hat against the side of one wall and looked about, surprised at the ample light. "Well. I was expecting it to be darker."

"I'm not complaining." Her hands firmly gripped on the handlebars of her Mach Bike, Amelia started making her way forward, taking a deep breath before coughing. "Ack! Thtale air!"

"Yeah, that's not a surprise. So, how do we get to the top?"

"There thould be a ladder or thomthing on the other end of the tower. It won't take very long to reach…"

"You two won't be reaching for anything!" The two turned to find a lanky man in loose clothing, standing at the corner of the corridor they found themselves in. "I know exactly why you're here – fossils! But no one's getting a fossil here except me, the Fossil Maniac!" With a maniacal laugh, the maniac dashed out of sight.

"Well, here I wath hoping we'd gotten here firtht."

"It never fails. Always competition." Alex shook her head, not at all pleased about this new turn of events. "You'd better get pedaling. I'll be close behind."

And thus the chase was on, Amelia pedaling like the wind through the corridor in an attempt to reach the ladder leading to the next floor before their competition and Alex running behind her, keeping pace all the while. Within a short space, however, they caught up with the Maniac as he was ascending the ladder. It took all of a second for the shorter of the two girls to dismount and pack away her bike before climbing up after him, Alex following.

"I'm impressed that you're keeping pace!" A manic grin was on his face as he called back to the two girls, Amelia remounting her bike. "But you can't keep it up – AAAUGH!"

Alex rushed up and looked down the newly-formed hole to find the Maniac back down on the bottom floor, seemingly unharmed thanks to the short drop. She turned back to Amelia and asked, "Are you sure you want to go through with…?" She was forced to jump aside as the girl sped past on her Mach Bike, the floor barely crumbling as she pedaled across. "Never mind!" She then charged after her companion, the rocks crumbling underneath her feet until she reached solid ground. She took a second to catch her breath, and noticed that Amelia was doing the same. "I sure hope there's a fossil up top. I mean, you are here for the fossils, right?"

"Of courthe!" Between pants, the shorter girl noted, "Having a fothil Pokémon ith a badge of honor, and the firtht thtep to getting one ith getting a fothil! And nothing ith gonna thtop me from getting one!"

"Well, here's hoping you can manage it."

"Wait, you don't want a fothil?"

"Nah. I've got one already. Picked it up in Orre. Don't know what kind it is though; I figured I'd ask about it the next time I saw Professor Birch."

"Can I thee it? I might thave you a trip." A shrug and Alex plucked the strange fossil from her bag. Amelia's eyes immediately lit up as she realized, "That'th a Plume Fothil! Thothe are only found in Unova! How'd you find it in Orre?!"

"Spoils of war, you could say." Tucking the fossil away and hoping that it could be revived in Rustboro, Alex stood up and asked, "So, you ready to get back on the job?"

Pumped now that she'd seen the fossil, Amelia nodded, and began pedaling again with her companion close behind.

-

After several more minutes of charging through the ruins, the two found their way to the top of the tower. Amelia squealed with joy as she caught sight of the two Fossils lying on the ground, one looking like a stone plant bulb and the other a long claw. "Thith is perfect! You know what thothe are, right?"

"Yeah, a Root Fossil and a Claw Fossil. Just because I'm not versed on Unovan fossils doesn't mean I don't recognize native Hoennite ones. Anyway, you'd best grab them before our competition catches up."

"Right! Good point!"

Amelia immediately charged towards the fossils, even as loud cries of frustration sounded up the ladder behind them. "Those fossils will be mine! Don't you dare touch them or…!" He went wide-eyed with shock as he saw both fossils in the girl's arms. "Aw shoot."

The teen girl grinned with her success, but soon found the grin fading as the ground began to shake beneath her feet. "Oh, that'th not a good thound."

"No, no it isn't." Alex looked to the Fossil Maniac. "I think you'd better get back down that ladder now."

The Maniac opted to go with her suggestion.

-

Just as it had mysteriously rose from the sands, the tower descended back into the dunes, its descent watched by the three trainers that had just exited it.

"I'd still like to know how that happens. I mean, something's gotta cause that thing to rise and fall out of the ground like that."

"Who cares how it happens! Now I'm gonna have to wait until the next time it surfaces to get more fossils!" The Maniac rounded on Amelia and called, "You! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! The winner gets both fossils!"

Amelia looked down at her arms and asked, "Why don't I jutht give you one of them? I mean, that'th fair, ithn't it?"

"No way! It's all or nothing!"

Amelia sighed. "Okay, fine." She then handed the fossils off to Alex and readied her one Poké Ball. "Let'th do thith."

"Wait, I didn't just mean you!" He pointed at Alex as well and noted, "You too! This will be a double battle!"

Alex considered protesting that she didn't even want the fossils in the first place, but opted against it. She set the two down beside her and readied a Poké Ball herself. "Okay then. I can use the battle practice."

"Alright! You'll pay for robbing me of my fossil glory! Go, my Fossil Pokémon!" Two Poké Balls were tossed and produced a Cranidos and a Shieldon. "Start the battle already!"

"Okay then! Strike from below, Strika!"

"Onward, Marthtomp!"

The Fossil Maniac found himself briefly shocked by the presence of the bipedal amphibian and the land shark, but quickly recovered. "Cranidos, Headbutt against Marshtomp! Shieldon, Protect!"

"Marthtomp, Mud Thot!"

"Strika, Dig!"

As a force field found itself going up around Shieldon, Strika dove into the sand. Cranidos, meanwhile, charged upon his chosen opponent, only to end up bombarded with mud from the Mud Fish Pokémon's mouth. While it still landed its hit, it was horribly weakened in the process.

"Same as before! Headbutt and Protect!"

"Marthtomp, Water Gun!"

Shieldon's attempt at putting its shield back up failed, and it quickly found Strika bursting out beneath it underground, the attack doing considerable damage and knocking it out immediately. Marshtomp, meanwhile, found himself quickly defeating his opponent, the Cranidos going down with just one more attack.

"Gah! How…?!" Hanging his head in shame, the Fossil Maniac recalled his Pokémon. "Fine. Fossils are yours. But the next time we meet, you'll rue defeating me! I'll be back with more Fossil Pokémon, stronger than before!" He then dashed off into the desert, cackling as he disappeared into the sandstorms.

Both girls stared after him, but not a word was said until Strika noted, "<He was weird.>"

"Yeah, no kidding." Alex took a moment to get her hat back in place, then hand off the fossils to Amelia. "Here. You don't want to lose these."

"Nope!" Tucking them into her own bag, the shorter girl gleefully looked up and said, "Are you thure you don't want one?"

"I'm happy with the Plume Fossil, don't worry." She then gently rubbed her Gabite upon the head with a smile. "Nicely done, Strika. Battle like that in Lavaridge, and we'll get the Heat Badge easy."

Strika grinned, glad that she'd done well and looking forward to proving her trainer proud.

"Tho Lavaridge then? Thweet!" Amelia grinned from ear to ear, eager to see her idol battle and win in person. "Thith ith gonna be awethome!"