Meanwhile, deep within the coal mine on the outskirts of Iron Island City.
Roark, wearing a safety helmet and holding a geological hammer, was carefully examining a newly discovered fossil stratum.
Several museum staff members assisted with recording nearby, the crisp sound of rock chiseling echoing within the mine.
Elsewhere, Ash and Brock were also training in the coal mine, building up strength for their rematch at the Steel Gym.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from a distance. A staff member in a museum uniform ran in, panting heavily, his face etched with anxiety.
"M-Mr. Roark, something terrible has happened!"
Hearing this, Roark looked up, his brow furrowed slightly. "What is it? Why the panic?"
"It's... it's Aerodactyl," the staff member gasped, struggling for breath. "The revival device at the museum was stolen, and the successfully revived Aerodactyl was released. It's now wreaking havoc in the skies above the city."
"What?!" Roark's expression changed drastically as he stood up abruptly. "Are there any casualties?"
"No reports of injuries so far... everyone evacuated in time... but many buildings have been hit by its Hyper Beam. We must stop it quickly."
"I understand," Roark said decisively, immediately removing his safety helmet. "You're in charge here. I'm heading back to the city right away."
Just as Roark was about to depart, a voice filled with fighting spirit came from beside him.
"Mr. Roark, please let us help too."
Roark turned to see Ash and Brock running over quickly.
Ash's face was full of urgency, his fists clenched tightly. Pikachu stood on his shoulder, cheeks crackling with electricity, crying out, "Pika pika!"
"Ash, Brock? How did you..." Roark was somewhat surprised.
"We were training over there and heard everything," Ash said firmly. "Trainers have a responsibility to protect the city's safety. And Pikachu and I can definitely stop it."
Brock also nodded calmly. "Many hands make light work, Mr. Roark. Please let us lend you a hand."
Seeing the unwavering determination in Ash's eyes and Brock's sincere gaze, Roark felt a warmth in his heart and nodded. "Alright. No time to waste. Let's go immediately."
The group quickly left the coal mine and hurried towards the city.
...
Meanwhile, Shinji and Dawn were chasing after the direction Aerodactyl had flown.
The sights along the way were shocking.
The exterior walls of some buildings were grazed by energy beams, leaving charred burn marks. Shattered glass and bricks littered the ground, showing the destructive power of that ancient Pokémon.
Fortunately, the streets seemed to have undergone an emergency evacuation. There were no panicked crowds in sight, only the faint sound of sirens in the distance, indicating the situation was being brought under control.
"Thank goodness everyone's okay..." Dawn said, relieved as she looked at the surrounding scene, but her pace didn't slow in the slightest.
After running for about ten minutes, the view before them suddenly opened up.
Ahead lay an open wasteland area, far from the city's buildings. The ground was firm yellow earth, with only sparse, low shrubs and scattered rocks around. The wide-open field of vision made it an ideal location for a Pokémon battle.
And in the sky, Murkrow was nimbly weaving and taunting, successfully keeping the enraged Aerodactyl restrained in the air above this area.
"Now," Shinji said steadily, stopping beside Dawn. His dark purple eyes were sharp like a hawk's, tightly locked onto the Aerodactyl in the sky, his tone cold and decisive. "Shadow Sneak."
"Caw—!"
High in the air, Murkrow obeyed the command. With a swift hover and turn to face the Aerodactyl charging at it again, it unhesitatingly opened its beak. Dark shadow energy rapidly gathered, instantly forming a purple-black Energy Ball entwined with a sinister aura. With a hissing sound, it shot straight towards Aerodactyl!
Aerodactyl's wild instincts also sensed the threat. Almost simultaneously with the Shadow Sneak's launch, it opened its massive maw again. Orange-yellow destructive energy rapidly condensed, and another thick Hyper Beam surged forth!
The two powerful energies, one purple and one yellow, traced straight trajectories through the air and collided violently!
"BOOM—!!!"
An intense explosion resounded across the wasteland. Purple-black and orange-yellow energy wildly intertwined, eroding and tearing at each other, forming a brief, dazzling sphere of light that then expanded and exploded violently.
A powerful shockwave spread outwards in a ring, whipping up clouds of yellow dust from the ground, pressing the shrubs almost flat, and sending scattered rocks rolling.
Dawn was forced back half a step by the sudden gust, raising her hand to shield her face from the oncoming sand.
Shinji beside her, however, remained as immovable as if rooted to the spot. He let the wind and sand brush past his stern face, his eyes still unblinkingly fixed on the center of the explosion.
The dust gradually cleared, and the figures of the two Pokémon became distinct again.
Murkrow's condition was still stable, just flapping its wings slightly and breathing lightly. Its feathers remained neat, clearly showing the explosion hadn't affected it much.
In contrast, Aerodactyl's situation was much worse. It bore multiple charred wounds from the explosion, the frequency of its bone-wing flaps had noticeably decreased, and it let out heavy, ragged breaths.
Shinji's eyes flashed with understanding as he instantly grasped the key point.
This Aerodactyl had just been revived from its long fossilized state, so its stamina wasn't fully recovered. Combined with the continuous use of Hyper Beam, a highly draining move, it was now at the end of its rope.
More crucially, Aerodactyl was currently suffering from the side effect of using Hyper Beam, its body locked in a brief state of paralysis, hovering in mid-air, unable to move.
Shinji wouldn't miss such a perfect opportunity. A gleam flashed in his eyes as the command left his lips. "Aerial Ace."
"Caw—!!!"
Murkrow let out a high-pitched, sharp cry. Its entire body instantly erupted with a white light more dazzling than before. The surrounding air currents were compressed to the extreme, forming a visible spiral of energy.
It sharply folded its wings, transforming into a white meteor. With a shriek that tore through the air, it dove from high above towards the paralyzed Aerodactyl!
"Thud!"
A heavy, dull impact sound was heard as Aerial Ace struck Aerodactyl's body squarely.
"Roar—!!!"
Aerodactyl let out a pained and unwilling roar, completely losing its balance and plummeting towards the ground like a kite with its string cut.
Watching Aerodactyl's falling figure, Shinji didn't hesitate for a moment. With a thought, he exchanged for a Poké Ball from the system shop.
With a flick of his wrist, the Poké Ball traced a precise arc, landing squarely on the falling Aerodactyl.
A red light flashed, and Aerodactyl was sucked into the ball.
The Poké Ball fell to the ground and began shaking violently from side to side, the red light on top blinking rapidly, indicating the Pokémon's struggle inside.
Once, twice, thrice...
"Ding—"
Accompanied by a crisp locking sound, the Poké Ball stopped shaking, the red light extinguishing.
Capture successful.
"That's great, Shinji!" Dawn's heart, which had been tightly clenched, finally relaxed. A relieved smile bloomed on her face as she quickly walked to Shinji's side. "You successfully captured Aerodactyl, and you also stopped it from further destroying the city. That's truly amazing."
Shinji gave a slight nod. He raised his hand to recall Murkrow with a Poké Ball, then walked over, picked up the ball containing Aerodactyl, shrank it, and clipped it to the fastener on his waist.
"Let's go," Shinji said, turning around, his tone returning to its usual coolness. "First, back to the Pokémon Center. Aerodactyl needs examination and treatment."
"Mm-hmm," Dawn nodded emphatically, walking beside him.
As soon as the two left the wasteland area and returned to the road leading to the city, they saw a large group of people hurriedly running towards them.
At the forefront were Roark, along with Ash and Brock.
"Mr. Roark, Ash, Brock, what are you all doing here?" Dawn recognized the familiar faces and quickly waved in greeting.
"Oh! It's Shinji and Dawn!" Seeing them, Roark visibly relaxed, though his face still held traces of anxiety. "Are you both alright? We were chasing that Aerodactyl. It flew into this area and then vanished. Did you see it?"
Ash also rushed forward eagerly. "Yeah, where's that Aerodactyl?"
Shinji gave a slight nod to the group, acknowledging their presence.
Dawn chuckled lightly, her tone carrying a hint of pride as she explained, "Don't worry. That Aerodactyl has already been captured by Shinji. We were just about to head back to the Pokémon Center to give Aerodactyl a detailed check-up."
"Captured?" Hearing this, the tense expression on Roark's face instantly relaxed. He let out a long sigh of relief. "That's wonderful... As long as Aerodactyl is no longer destroying the city, that's the best outcome. Shinji, we owe you thanks this time."
"It's nothing," Shinji replied, his tone still flat.
After understanding the situation, Roark bid farewell to the group. "Since the matter is resolved, I'll return to the coal mine to continue the fossil excavation. The museum will cooperate with the subsequent city repair work." With that, he turned and walked back towards the coal mine.
Hearing that Shinji had captured another powerful Pokémon, Ash was stunned for a moment, then an even fiercer fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.
He strode up to Shinji, his expression unprecedentedly serious, his gaze burning as he stared at Shinji. "Shinji, the next time we meet, let's have a battle. I'll show you the effort my Pokémon and I have put in."
Feeling Dawn gently tug at his sleeve, Shinji glanced at Ash's eyes, filled with persistence and seriousness. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded, responding succinctly, "Fine."
Ash would make a decent opponent to test Monferno and the others' strength, Shinji added in his mind.
Receiving the affirmative reply, Ash clenched his fist tightly. "Good. It's a promise."
Shinji said no more, turning and walking towards the direction of the Pokémon Center.
Dawn waved goodbye to Ash and Brock, then quickly caught up with Shinji.
Ash stood in place, watching Shinji's back disappear around the street corner, an unyielding fire burning in his eyes.
He turned to Pikachu on his shoulder, his voice full of vigor as he shouted, "Alright! Pikachu, we can't lose either! Come on, let's head back to the coal mine for more training. Our first goal is to defeat Mr. Roark and get the coal badge!"
"Pika—chu!"
Under the sunlight, Ash and Pikachu's figures ran towards the direction of the coal mine, brimming with vitality and determination.