Fossil
- If you were looking for the TCG set, see Fossil (TCG).
Fossils are a trace or piece of an organism of the past, such as a skeleton, shell, or leaf, preserved in the earth.
In the Pokémon world, fossils of extinct Pokémon can be revived to life using techniques developed by the Devon Corporation, and a research laboratory on Cinnabar Island. The two processes were supposedly developed independently of each other at around the same time.
Pokémon that can be revived from fossils currently include Omanyte, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Lileep, and Anorith. These and their evolutions are commonly referred to as fossil Pokémon.
In Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon Green, Pokémon Yellow, and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen; Aerodactyl, Kabuto, and Omanyte can be revived using the Old Amber, Dome Fossil, and Helix Fossil respectively.
In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Pokémon Emerald, Anorith and Lileep can be revived using the Claw and Root Fossils.
Pokémon who are revived using fossils are always part Rock-type. It is unknown if this is because that's the way they were in the past and their Rock-type allowed them to leave behind more complete remains, or if their Rock-type status is a side-affect of their origins.
In the games, relatively few Pokémon trainers possess Pokémon revived from fossils. Lance was the first, possessing an Aerodactyl due to its Dragon-like appearance. Brock, being a fossil enthusiast, has an Omastar and Kabutops in Generation II and in the Pokémon Stadium games. Steven Stone, a rock collector whose father is head of the Devon Corporation, has two as well, Armaldo and Cradily. In Emerald, Roxanne will eventually gain an Aerodactyl, Omastar, and Kabutops for her team. Miror B. has an Armaldo on his team in Pokémon Colosseum.
In the anime, most fossil Pokémon are in fact, not extinct, but have simply been hibernating underground for millions of years. However, Dr. Moroboshi and Gary have both used research to directly revive fossil Pokémon.
In the Pokémon Special manga, Lance and Brock both have fossil Pokémon, just as in the games. In addition, Red uses Blaine's laboratory to revive an Aerodactyl. And in Hoenn, Ruby fights two revived Pokémon at a house in Fallarbor Town.
