Hearing the news that the Jaw Fossil was about to be successfully revived, Lionel's heart rate accelerated along with his footsteps. As he followed Steven through the corridor, he couldn't help but lighten his breathing.
Inside the inflatable fish tank on his chest, Feebas seemed to sense his nervousness, gently bumping its small head against the tank wall as if to say, "Don't worry."
Pushing open the metal door of the revival laboratory, a mixture of nutrient solution and ozone wafted towards him.
The laboratory was quieter now than before. Every researcher's gaze was focused on the central Revival Pod No. 3—
Inside that translucent cylindrical container, the pale green liquid had become clear, and in the center of the liquid, a small figure was slowly stretching its body.
"It's awake."
The old researcher's voice carried an irrepressible excitement as he pointed to the jumping vital signs curve on the revival pod's screen.
"Vital signs are stable, the gene sequence expression is complete, and no rejection reaction has occurred!"
Lionel quickly walked to the front of the pod, staring unblinkingly at the little fellow inside.
It was a small dinosaur about half a meter tall, its entire body covered in dark gray scales. The edges of the scales shimmered with a faint metallic luster, looking as if it were wearing a layer of fine rock armor.
Its head was large and round, with a protruding bony lump on its forehead. Its two amber eyes were round and bright, curiously surveying the world outside the pod. The laboratory lights reflected in its pupils like two flickering flames.
Most striking was its large mouth—the bones of its upper and lower jaws were exceptionally prominent, and the corners of its mouth curled up slightly to reveal two rows of fine, sharp little teeth. It possessed both a touch of childishness and the dominance of an ancient predator.
Its limbs were short but sturdy, with white tips on its claws that left faint scratches when they lightly brushed against the pod wall. Its tail was short and thick, restlessly swaying from side to side and stirring up circles of ripples.
"So this is... Tyrunt?"
Lionel stared at the Pokémon before him, silently reciting the little fellow's name in his heart.
Tyrunt's appearance was just like the one Bonnie had in the anime from his previous life, but compared to the cute look in the anime, the real Tyrunt before him had a bit more of a majestic and domineering posture.
The old researcher pushed up his glasses and pulled up a 3D projection report.
"According to the ancient Pokémon database, the revived Pokémon before us is scientifically named 'Tyrunt.' It has the dual Rock and Dragon typing, making it the only Pokémon currently known to possess both types simultaneously.
The bony layer beneath its scales is 1.5 times denser than that of ordinary Rock-type Pokémon, retaining the hardness of rock without losing the resilience of the Dragon-type."
In the projection, Tyrunt's bone structure was clearly visible, especially the jaw area, which was nearly a third thicker than Pokémon of similar size and covered with dense muscle attachment points.
"This gives it incredible Bite force; it can even crush steel once it reaches adulthood."
Lionel looked at the Tyrunt inside the pod. The little fellow seemed to sense his gaze and suddenly opened its mouth, letting out a babyish "Awoo." The sound wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable aura.
It patted the pod wall with its claws, as if urging them for something.
"Can we open the pod door now?"
Lionel asked, his fingertips already itching to touch that transparent barrier.
"Wait a moment, let's look at the evolved form within Tyrunt's gene fragments!"
The old researcher pointed to another set of data on the screen: "This is information left behind in its DNA fragments, an extracted evolved form."
Following the old researcher's words, the 3D projection suddenly switched—a massive dinosaur Pokémon appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was nearly two meters tall, its entire body covered in dark brown rock scales. The bony spikes protruding from its back were like a range of mountains, and the bony lump on its forehead had evolved into a pair of crown-like horns that glinted coldly.
Most astonishing was its jaw; the upper and lower jaws were like two massive battle-axes with exposed canines over thirty centimeters long. Their opening and closing seemed capable of tearing through the air.
"This is its evolved form, Tyrantrum, the king Pokémon of the ancient era and one of the strongest predators on land."
The old researcher's voice was filled with wonder.
"After evolving, its Dragon typing becomes even more prominent. Its rock armor can withstand most physical attacks, and its Bite force reaches an incredible level, making it a veritable 'mobile crusher.'"
In the projection, Tyrantrum opened its giant maw and roared. A dark red energy wave shot from its mouth, hitting a virtual rock and instantly blasting it into powder.
That world-destroying aura caused everyone in the laboratory to hold their breath.
Lionel's heart began to pound wildly.
Tyrunt was already a pleasant enough surprise, but Tyrantrum's posture was the perfect definition of the word 'domineering.'
He could almost see the future, where this little fellow, under his nurturing, would grow into a majestic figure just like the one in the projection.
The laboratory lights focused on the central 3D projection. Tyrantrum's silhouette was clear and three-dimensional; every scale's texture and the white mane at its neck were lifelike.
Steven stood with his arms crossed, his gaze full of praise, while the researchers beside him nodded frequently, their eyes unable to hide their admiration.
"Congratulations, Lionel," Steven spoke first, his tone full of sincerity. "Your luck is truly excellent. You picked an extremely powerful Fossil Pokémon on your first try. This little fellow's future growth potential is limitless."
The 3D image was still slowly rotating. Lionel looked at the projected Tyrantrum and responded quickly, his tone full of gratitude:
"This is all thanks to you, Mr. Steven. It was because of your generosity that I had the chance to choose Tyrunt."
Steven laughed loudly upon hearing this, waving his hand with a relaxed yet expectant tone:
"Hahaha, you've forgotten, this is the reward you earned by passing the 'test.' I hope you will raise this Tyrunt well. Once it grows up and you've accumulated enough experience, I want to have an official battle with you!"
"Mr. Steven, I will definitely raise Tyrunt well. I won't let you down."
Lionel answered firmly.
"Lionel, step forward and get ready. I'm going to release Tyrunt now."
The old researcher held a small bag of exquisitely packaged Pokémon food. While giving gentle instructions, he signaled Lionel to walk to the front of the revival pod.
"This is nutritional food specifically prepared for carnivorous Pokémon. Take it and use the food to greet Tyrunt; it will help close the distance between you faster."
Lionel quickly thanked him and stepped forward to take the Pokémon food. Once he was positioned by the revival pod, the old researcher pressed the pod door button.
With a soft "click," the revival pod's door slowly opened. The pale green revival liquid trickled down the pod walls and fell into the collection trough on the floor.
Inside the pod, Tyrunt shook its scales, which were still wet with liquid, wobbled its round head, and took short little steps, walking out of the container with a hint of caution and trial.
As soon as it stepped out of the pod, it immediately turned its head alertly to look around, its small nose gently sniffing the air.
Until its gaze fell on Lionel and it spotted the bag of Pokémon food in his hand. Those amber eyes instantly lit up, and much of its previous alertness dissipated. It suddenly began running toward Lionel with slightly stumbling steps.
Lionel instinctively crouched down, his fingertips gently tearing open the packaging of the Pokémon food. He took out a small kibble and slowly extended his hand.
Tyrunt didn't hesitate at all. It first leaned in to sniff his palm, then gently rubbed its head against his hand—
Immediately after, Tyrunt opened its large mouth and swallowed the kibble in one Bite. After swallowing, it instinctively smacked its lips, clearly not having had enough. It then leaned back toward Lionel's hand, tilting its head up and letting out two soft Roars, obviously asking Lionel for more Pokémon food.
Lionel continued to feed Tyrunt.
At that moment, Tyrunt's status panel appeared before his eyes.
[Pokémon: Tyrunt]
[Type: Rock, Dragon]
[Category: Royal Heir Pokémon]
[Ability: Strong Jaw (Because its jaws are strong, the power of biting moves is increased)]
[Skills: Tail Whip, Roar, Charm, Tackle (proficient), Ancient Power (Beginner), Bite (proficient), Dragon Tail (proficient)]