John stood on the third floor of the Mirage Tower, his eyes fixed on the fossils before him. Both were intriguing yet distinct. One had a fragile feathered texture, as though it might crumble at the slightest touch. The other, larger and sturdier, had a carapace-like surface with intricate patterns etched into its fossilized form.
He reached for the second fossil, its solidity inspiring confidence. "Looks like fossils from other regions can show up here," John mused, brushing sand off its surface. "That means there's hope for Aerodactyl or Tyrantrum after all."
The moment his fingers closed around the fossil, a flash of light engulfed him. In an instant, he found himself back in his room. The Mirage Tower had collapsed.
John sat on the edge of his bed, opening his inventory to inspect his find. Two items now appeared in the "valuables" tab:
[Decayed Dome Fossil: Fossils of ancient Pokemon that once lived in the sea. Appears to be part of a carapace.]
[Dome Fossil: Fossils of ancient Pokemon that once lived in the sea. Appears to be part of a carapace.]
Though the descriptions were identical, their names suggested a difference in quality. John furrowed his brow, pondering the implications.
"Good fossils and bad fossils, huh?" he muttered. "Guess there's only one way to find out."
Determined to learn more, John headed straight to Devon Manufacturing Co. in Rustboro City to resurrect the fossils.
First up was the Decayed Dome Fossil. Within moments, a Kabuto appeared in John's Pokemon roster. He navigated to its stats, eager to assess his new companion:
[Kabuto (Rock, Water-Type)]
[Ability: Battle Armor (prevents critical hits)]
[Individual Values (IVs): HP (12), Attack (1), Sp. Atk (12), Defense (23), Sp. Def (14), Speed (7)]
[Moves: Harden, Scratch]
John winced. "Yikes. That's... underwhelming."
Next, he resurrected the standard Dome Fossil. The resulting Kabuto was a significant improvement:
[Kabuto (Rock, Water-Type)]
[Ability: Battle Armor (prevents critical hits)]
[IVs: HP (23), Attack (31), Sp. Atk (22), Defense (13), Sp. Def (7), Speed (31)]
[Moves: Absorb, Harden, Sand Attack, Scratch]
"Now we're talking!" John said, a grin spreading across his face. With two perfect IVs in Attack and Speed, plus a more versatile moveset, this Kabuto was clearly superior.
The results were clear: a standard fossil produced a stronger Pokemon than its decayed counterpart. But John couldn't help but wonder—could there be even better fossils out there?
Back in the desert region, John resumed his search for the elusive Mirage Tower. Each tower would disappear after claiming its fossil or three hours, forcing him to explore methodically. He encountered several two- and three-story towers, but none offered anything groundbreaking.
By evening, he had gathered some valuable insights: Pokemon in the Mirage Tower weren't limited to Ground-types. Rock- and Steel-types could appear as well.
"That means Tyranitar or Metagross might be in the rotation," John speculated, excitement building. However, neither had made an appearance yet.
Despite hours of gameplay, John felt his body begin to tire. "Three more towers," he promised himself. "Then I'm calling it a night."
It was past midnight when John's door creaked open. Pocobi, his Togepi, waddled in, its tiny arms flapping as it climbed onto the bed.
"Hey, Togepi" John said with a tired smile. "Looking for Wynaut? It's already asleep."
"To-ge-pi!" Togepi chirped, shaking its head. It snuggled onto the pillow beside John, its round body a comforting presence.
John chuckled, gently poking its cheek. "You're staying here tonight, huh? Alright, you little rascal. Just don't hog the blanket."
He turned back to his Gameboy, intending to wrap up his session. But his fatigue vanished the moment he spotted something extraordinary on the screen.
"One, two, three... four floors!" John exclaimed, his eyes widening.
It was the first four-story Mirage Tower he'd encountered. The sudden stroke of luck felt almost too good to be true. He glanced at the snuggling Pokemon besides him, then back at the Gameboy.
"Wait a minute..." A shiver ran down his spine as memories of past improbable events flooded his mind: a shiny Ralts, a shiny Aron...
"Hehe, might be time to add another Shiny to the collection," John said with a mischievous grin, already eyeing his next target.