48 Chapter 48: Museum - I

Among the nine main cities of the Kanto Region, Pewter City ranked 7th in population, and despite being one the oldest cities, it was not a metropolis with tall buildings as one would expect.

The biggest attraction in the city was either the Pewter City Rock-type Gym or The Pewter City Museum.

"Are you sure you don't want to fight Flint for the Boulder Badge?"

"No." Aeron shook his head at Nessa's words. "Firstly, I need to get home as soon as possible, and secondly, I want to keep Pewter City Gym for last."

"Why is that?" Misty asked with a frown.

After a stressful night that significantly changed their relationship, the trio walked toward the museum for a...date. It was supposed to be a regular museum tour, but the intent behind it had changed.

"My father was once a trainer, and he challenged the Pewter City Gym as his first." He smiled as he recounted all the stories his father had shared with him. Some were very thrilling, some were embarrassing, and some were scary.

"And?"

"He lost." Aeron chuckled as he imagined his father's face when his mom told him the truth. His old man had bragged about how he fought a great battle with the Gym Leader...but his mom had said otherwise.

"So it's revenge?" Misty asked with a grin, knowing what the boy was planning.

"Not revenge...but I want to make sure my dad can brag about his son beating the Pewter City Gym Leader at the highest difficulty." Aeron knew his father would be more than happy if he could make it possible, which he would.

"Once a trainer has eight badges, the Gym Leaders use their strongest Pokémon outside their main roster." Nessa recounted the rules set by the League. "So, you will be back after eight badges?"

"Yes." Aeron nodded before adding. "We are here."

The girls looked forward and saw a giant board that said three words in beautiful calligraphy.

[Pewter City Museum]

Aeron looked at the trainers who were standing in lines for tickets. However, he led the girls straight toward the entrance.

"Tickets, please." The guard asked politely, and Aeron handed him his Pokedex, which had three tickets for the Museum. "Done." He checked the validity of the tickets before handing the Pokedex back to Aeron. "You three can enter. And just a reminder, you have until 5 in the evening. After 5 p.m., the Museum closes, and if you lose anything inside, we won't be responsible. Moreover, you can take your Pokémon unless they are S-Class, A-Class or B-Class. Failing the rules set by the museum will lead to problems regardless of your status."

"Thank you."

The trio passed through the entrance doors and was welcomed by an enormous hall with high ceilings.

"I bet Nayla can easily move around in this place." Misty looked at the ceiling of the Museum, which was a bit more than twice the size of her Pokémon. "I heard the first floor has a very high ceiling, but this is beyond my expectations."

"True." Nessa agreed with her friend. "Let's call out our Pokémon."

She immediately called Horsea and Pidgey. The Water-type stayed in Nessa's arms while Pidgey landed on her head, looking around with a surprised expression.

"Pree."

"We are in a Museum; you will see the remains of many historic Pokémon here."

"Sea, Horsea."

"Pree."

Horsea had been to museums before and was used to the atmosphere. However, it was the first for Pidgey. The bird Pokémon could not hide the amazement in its tiny eyes; it was not the only one.

"Xew..."

"Lar?"

"Woof!"

"...Ra..."

Axew, Larvesta and Growlithe showed similar expressions when they came out of their Pokeballs. But unlike Axew and Growlithe, who were itching to run away to explore the place, Larvesta, who was shy, sneaked glances at Aeron to take it along with him. On the other hand, Abra sneaked a peek around the museum before it floated into Aeron's arms and went straight to sleep.

"Abra has its priorities straight." Nessa chuckled when she saw the Psychic type not care about the trip.

"Cool?" Aeron, who knew the Abra was not sleeping but meditating, said nothing and asked his other Pokémon with a smile, and the trio nodded. "But you can't run around here and have to stick close to either me, Nessa or Misty; otherwise, we will be kicked out of here." Axew and Growlithe sulked at his words while Larvesta sighed in relief. The little bug will no longer be dragged around by its two brothers.

"Why are both my Pokémon S-class or A-class?" Misty sulked when she was once again unable to call out her Pokémon.

"Woof!"

The orange puppy approached the youngest Waterflower before nudging her legs with his fluffy head.

"Woof!"

"Now, aren't you the most considerate?" Misty smiled as the orange puppy ran a circle around her. It was Growlithe's way of saying, 'Pick me up.'

"Here." She opened her arms, and the doggo jumped into her embrace. Holding the fluffy doggo in her arms, Misty was reminded once again. "I want a Growlithe for myself."

"You can always apply for one. With your connections, it will be super easy." Aeron suggested as the group started walking deeper into the museum. Axew was on his head, Larvesta was on his shoulders, and Abra was silently sleeping in his arms while feeding on its trainer's Psychic Energy.

"If only it were that easy." Misty shook her head and then looked at the high ceilings.

"Why would they need to make it so huge?"

"Maybe because of that?" Nessa, who had walked a bit further than them, said while pointing in a particular direction, and when Aeron and Misty looked over, they were left shell-shocked.

The Pokémon were also left speechless except Abra, who just opened an eye, took a look and went back to sleep.

"...Ra..."

"I-Is that what I think it is?" Misty's jaw dropped to the ground when she saw the massive skeleton. "Is that a real thing?"

"Xew?"

The trio walked toward the skeleton along with their Pokémon, and the closer they got, the scarier it became.

"Even when I know it's dead, the mere presence of its skeleton grips my heart."

"Aerodactyle, a fossil Pokémon and an apex predator of the skies." Aeron read the information displayed before the skeleton. "This skeleton is more than 5,000 years old. It belongs to the leader of the Aerodactyle Tribe that once lived in the region we now know as Kanto..."

He read through all the information and then looked back toward the skeleton. It was at least 37 feet tall, while its wing span was twice its height.

"How can there be such a giant Pokémon?" Nessa wondered out loud. "According to Pokedex, an average Aerodactyle is only 10-12 feet tall; however, this one...it's beyond that."

Aeron and Misty shared Nessa's confusion since they knew nothing about the subject. Although they were natives of Kanto, they didn't know about such a giant fossil placed within the Pewter City Museum, or maybe they never bothered to search since they were not too interested in sightseeing.

"Were all the Pokémon from ancient times so huge?" Misty wondered as she looked at the skeleton and then at the skeletal remains of another Aerodactyle. However, this one was a bit more normal, with a height of about 13 feet, closer to the average size of its species.

"Maybe this one had mutated?" Aeron wondered. "Or some kind of unique trait like Shiny?"

"Possible." Misty and Nessa agreed, but these were just guesses with no proof.

Aeron took dozens of photos of it from all angles. 'They may be useful later on.'

"Axew!"

"You want to get that big?" Aeron asked his Dragon, who was intently looking at the giant skeleton.

"Xew!"

"Let's see the rest of the fossils." Once they were done admiring the giant Aerodactyle, Misty dragged them deeper into the museum and started exploring.

It took them an hour to finish seeing all the exhibits on the first floor. From fossils of Kabuto and Omanyte found in the Kanto Region to some of the fossils from different regions, such as Claw and Root fossils of Anorith and Lileep.

Pewter City Museum had two floors. One held fossil Pokémon of the past, while the second floor held remnants of technology that were supposed to have come from space or some historical objects.

"Let's check out the second floor." Misty climbed the stairs with her long leg, followed by Aeron and Nessa.

"You seem more excited to for the second floor." Aeron had picked up on her restlessness for going to the next floor.

"Of course I am!." Misty stopped on the stairs and looked back at her friends. "The second floor is said to have something Sir Aaron once used."

"You mean THE Sir Aaron?" Nessa's eyes could not hold her surprise, and Misty's nod made the girl hurry along. "Why didn't you tell me this beforehand."

Aeron watched as the two girls ran upstairs and walked after them. He knew about Sir Aaron as well and held nothing but respect for the man who sacrificed his life for the safety of this world.

Even though he was a resident of the region now called Kanto, his feats were taught to every kid around the world during history classes. He was a great Pokémon Trainer and a Knight of the Rota Empire who stopped the war that had engulfed this world for centuries, if not more.

A true hero worthy of everyone's respect.