Cave Exploration (5): Fossil Pokémon

Lin Mo's breath caught sharply.

Devon Corporation! The Fossil Revival Project!

How could he not have heard of it?!

As a technological giant of immense importance in the Hoenn Region and even the entire Pokémon world, Devon Corporation's accomplishments in Pokémon research had always drawn worldwide attention.

And the Fossil Revival Project launched two years ago had shaken the entire Pokémon academic community—

This technology could use precise gene recombination and biological cultivation to restore life to fossils of ancient Pokémon, extinct for tens of millions of years and buried deep underground, allowing those ancient Pokémon that existed only in fossils to reappear in the world!

Ever since this fossil revival technology had been developed, Devon Corporation had kept it under the highest level of secrecy.

Across the entire Pokémon world, only Devon Corporation's core researchers and a handful of specially authorized individuals had the chance to access the heart of the project.

Aerodactyl, Kabutops, Omastar, and other ancient Pokémon had appeared one after another. Many Trainers were even willing to spend enormous sums buying Pokémon fossils, all for the chance to use Devon Corporation's technology to revive these sleeping ancient Pokémon.

Lin Mo's heart began pounding uncontrollably. His eyes shone with disbelief as he stared fixedly at Steven, terrified that he had misheard.

Seeing his expression, Steven's smile widened.

"As long as you pass my test, I'll take you to my private collection vault. You can pick any fossil in there."

Steven's tone was certain as he added,

"Oh, and over the past few years, while mining in various cave ruins around the world, I was lucky enough to dig up several different Pokémon fossils. I'll add those to my private collection for you to choose from as well.

"Once you've made your selection, I'll directly arrange for Devon Corporation's top revival team to assist you through the entire process. Once it's successfully revived, that ancient Pokémon will officially belong to you."

Boom—!

The words exploded in Lin Mo's mind like thunder, leaving him utterly dazed, as though an overwhelming stroke of fortune had smashed into him and made his head spin.

A private collection vault? He could choose any Pokémon fossil he wanted? And it would belong to him after revival?

This was like pie falling from the sky! No, it was ten thousand times more valuable than pie!

After all, Steven was Hoenn's former Champion and Devon Corporation's heir. The fossils in his private collection were bound to be the finest of the finest.

And Steven had excavated several different ones in regions across the country over the years. Some of them might even be fossils that had never appeared before!

Being able to choose any one of them was simply an unimaginable stroke of luck!

Lin Mo took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. Even his voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Champion Steven... are you serious?"

"I always keep my word." Steven raised a brow, his tone firm. "But the prerequisite is that you pass my test."

"I accept!"

Lin Mo nodded almost without hesitation, his eyes filled with determination and anticipation.

"Please tell me what the test is. I'll definitely give it everything I have!"

The Feebas in the inflatable fish tank hanging from Lin Mo's chest did not understand the situation, but it was infected by Lin Mo's emotions and stopped swimming around lazily.

Instead, it circled the fish tank, occasionally bumping its head lightly against the glass, as though telling Lin Mo, I'll work hard with you, cheering him on with its adorably clumsy actions.

The viewers in the livestream, meanwhile, had already gone completely wild upon hearing the words "Fossil Revival Project" and "ancient Pokémon." Comments surged forth like a breached flood, instantly covering the entire screen so thoroughly that even the footage was blocked.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Ancient Pokémon fossils? Did I hear that right?!"

"Champion Steven is way too generous! He's letting him choose anything from his private collection!"

"My eyes are red with jealousy right now! What kind of godly luck does this streamer have?! First a Shiny Feebas, then he runs into Steven, and now he might actually get an ancient Pokémon?!"

"Ancient Pokémon, everyone! They used to exist only in textbooks! Kabuto, Omanyte, Lileep, Anorith, Aerodactyl—each of those five that have appeared is stronger than the last!"

"Doesn't matter what it is. As long as it's an ancient Pokémon, that's already insane enough! I accept this test on the streamer's behalf! It'd be worth it even if he had to climb mountains of blades and plunge into seas of fire!"

"Streamer, you have to do your best! This is a chance to change your fate! We all support you!"

"I'm suddenly curious—what exactly is Champion Steven's test? He isn't going to make the streamer fight Aggron, is he? (Trembling)"

"It probably won't be that hard. Champion Steven said it was a small test. Maybe something about Pokémon knowledge or basic battle skills?"

The comments were filled with all kinds of speculation. Everyone was thrilled by this sudden, enormous temptation, while also overflowing with curiosity about the nature of the test.

Steven seemed to sense the viewers' agitation as well. He glanced at the floating livestream device, then turned his gaze back to Lin Mo. With a mysterious smile, he slowly said,

"My test is simple—battle my Metagross. If you can hurt it, you pass."

The instant those words fell, the entire cave seemed to fall silent.

The excited smile on Lin Mo's face froze instantly. His pupils contracted as though he could not believe what he had heard.

Battle Metagross? And he had to hurt it?

That was Steven's Metagross! A fully evolved Pokémon with both Steel and Psychic types, possessing exceptional physical and special defenses. Among Pokémon of the same level, it practically stood at the very top.

What was more, Metagross had once fought alongside a Champion in competitions. Its combat strength and battle experience were nothing ordinary wild Pokémon or an average Trainer's Pokémon could compare to!

Had Steven mistaken him for Wallace or something?! How was he supposed to fight this? Lin Mo's heart went cold in an instant.

The only moves Feebas could currently bring to the table were Water Pulse and Icy Wind, neither of which had any type advantage against Metagross.

Forget hurting Metagross—he was afraid he could not even make it budge!

It felt as if an invisible hand had clenched Lin Mo's heart. The passion that had flared up over the ancient Pokémon instantly cooled by more than half, replaced by enormous pressure and bewilderment.

He was not afraid of a challenge, but a task that was nearly impossible to complete left him feeling deeply powerless.

"Champion Steven..."

Lin Mo's voice was dry. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, yet he did not know what he could say.

The Feebas in his arms seemed to sense Lin Mo's dejection. It stopped circling and gently rubbed its little head against the tank wall, making soft thumping sounds as though comforting him.

After their brief shock, the livestream viewers erupted completely. The tone of the comments instantly shifted from anticipation to shock and confusion.

"??? Did I hear that right? You want Feebas to battle Metagross and hurt it?"

"Is Champion Steven joking? How is this a test? This is straight-up making things difficult!"

"The streamer must be completely stunned right now... I'd be stunned too! There's no way to fight this!"

"Could Champion Steven be testing the streamer's courage? Even if he knows he can't win, he still has to go for it?"

"I don't believe Champion Steven would deliberately make things difficult for a newbie. Could there be some deeper meaning here?"

The comments buzzed with discussion. Some spoke up for Lin Mo, some questioned the fairness of the test, while a small number tried to guess Steven's true intentions.

Steven watched the changing expressions on Lin Mo's face. The smile on his face did not fade, but his gaze grew deeper. "What? Afraid to accept?"

"I accept. If I gain it, I'm fortunate; if I lose it, it's fate. For Feebas, simply receiving guidance from Champion Steven's Metagross would already be enough."

Lin Mo took a deep breath, raised his head, and met Steven's gaze. Though there was still some nervousness in his eyes, they now held even more determination.

"Please go easy on us, Champion Steven."

"Alright." Steven nodded, his tone calm. "Don't worry. Metagross will control its strength. It won't hurt your Feebas."