It didn't surprise Lionel that he could get close to Tyrunt so easily; in his past life, Bonnie and her Tyrunt from the anime had left a deep impression on him.
Especially Bonnie—she was the trainer Lionel envied most in the anime. At the age of seven, she was already destined to be a future member of the Kalos Elite. No, the title of Elite didn't even do Bonnie justice.
When she set off on her journey at the age of ten, only the titles of Pokémon League Champion and the strongest trainer in the world would barely be a match for her.
[Bonnie: Come back, Dedenne! You did your best!
Bonnie: Great, you've defeated my Tyrantrum again. Now, go! Squishy!
Leon: Squishy? What a ridiculous name! Let him give up, Charizard! Gigantamax!!
(The Poké Ball hits the ground, and Bonnie releases Squishy—Zygarde.)
Leon and Gigantamax Charizard: ?
Zygarde: If the 50% fusion didn't kill you, then I'll just have to switch to Gundam mode!
Referee: Ohhh! Unbelievable!!! What is this Pokémon that contestant Bonnie just sent out? It's actually the legendary Pokémon Zygarde, the God of Order, who is as famous as the God of Life and the God of Death! Can Leon still win?]
Lionel's idle thoughts came to a halt as his mind returned to Tyrunt.
Tyrunt was one of the Pokémon with the biggest contrast between appearance and personality. It looked majestic and domineering, but a little cutie lived inside. Its favorite thing to do, besides biting things with its large mouth, was to use Charm.
This wasn't just simple acting cute; it had already formed the skill [Charm: Gazing cutely to induce the opponent to lower their guard, thereby drastically reducing the opponent's Attack.]
Who would have thought that the first skill a Rock/Dragon-type Pokémon learned would be Charm?
The old researcher saved the final genetic map into the database. The progress bar on the screen reached the end, and an "Archiving complete" prompt popped up.
He let out a long breath, took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and turned to look at Lionel.
"Alright, the resurrection project for this ancient fossil is finally a complete success. If this little guy successfully evolves into a Tyrantrum in the future, please take some time to bring it back if you have the chance. I want to accurately record its genetic data and morphological characteristics after evolution once more; this is very important for our subsequent fossil research."
Hearing this, Lionel nodded solemnly, his tone sincere. "Don't worry, Doctor. Once it evolves, I will definitely bring it back to assist with your research."
While the two were talking, the Tyrunt at Lionel's feet had already been attracted by something else.
It wagged its short, thick tail, its round eyes staring intently at the inflatable fish tank on Lionel's chest, its little head tilting from side to side in curiosity.
The Feebas in the tank noticed this gaze and swished its fins to swim back and forth, occasionally rubbing its snout gently against the tank wall as if greeting its new partner.
Seeing this, Tyrunt immediately emitted a low Growl and tugged at Lionel's pant leg with its little claws, looking exceptionally adorable.
"It seems you two have already built some preliminary trust."
Steven walked forward slowly, his gaze falling on the Tyrunt nuzzling against Lionel, a gentle and gratified smile spreading across his face.
"The company still has some business to handle, so I won't accompany you any longer. If you have any needs or help in Rustboro City, contact me directly."
As he spoke, he took out a heavy metal card from his pocket and handed it over. The surface of the card was only printed with a simple string of numbers and the sharp-edged Devon Corporation logo—low-key yet carrying significant weight.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Steven!" Lionel quickly stood up and gave him a deep, solemn bow.
From the first meeting by chance in the cave to receiving the gift of a fossil Pokémon and then witnessing Tyrunt wake up from its slumber, this series of experiences in just one short day felt like a hazy dream.
Steven waved his hand gently, his eyes returning to Tyrunt's round eyes, his tone full of expectation.
"Train it well. I look forward to seeing it evolve into a Tyrantrum. When that time comes, don't forget the battle we agreed upon."
"I definitely won't forget, and I won't let your expectations down!" Lionel said with a firm tone, his eyes reflecting his certainty about the future... Lionel recalled Tyrunt into its Poké Ball, bid farewell to Steven, and left the Devon Corporation.
Stepping out of the Devon Corporation building, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves of the roadside trees, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
The streets of Rustboro City were very lively, with shops along the way hanging advertisements for Pokémon supplies, and trainers occasionally hurrying past with their Pokémon. The air was mixed with a faint scent of greenery.
Lionel followed the direction of the signposts and soon saw the sign for a hotel in Rustboro City that partnered with the Pokémon Center; its red and white color scheme was particularly eye-catching.
Walking into the hotel lobby, the front desk staff immediately greeted him with a smile. Their gaze lingered briefly on the Feebas in the inflatable tank on his chest, but they didn't ask much, only inquiring warmly:
"Hello, are you checking in? Would you like a room suitable for Pokémon activities?"
"Yes, please." Lionel handed over his identification and added, "I have two Pokémon, so I hope the room can be a bit spacious."
The staff member efficiently completed the check-in process and handed a room card printed with the hotel logo to Lionel, their tone thoughtful and clear.
"Your room is on the 3rd floor. It comes with a private balcony and is equipped with a water-purifying tank. It's convenient for using and changing water, making it especially suitable for trainers carrying Water-type Pokémon."
"Thank you very much, I appreciate it."
Lionel took the room card, nodded in thanks, and turned toward the elevator in the corner of the lobby.
After pressing the button for the 3rd floor, the elevator rose smoothly. He touched the inflatable tank on his chest—Feebas was quietly pressed against the tank wall, seemingly curious about the surroundings.
With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened.
Lionel followed the room numbers to find his room, inserted the card, and turned the lock. As he pushed the door open, his gaze first landed on the transparent fish tank in the center of the room, and a smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"This is much more convenient."
Lionel walked forward with a smile, carefully checked the tank in the room, adjusted the switch to release water, and then placed Feebas into its new home.
As soon as the little guy entered the spacious water, it immediately perked up, swishing its fins to swim two laps around the tank while curiously taking in its new environment.
Having done all this, he fished Tyrunt's Poké Ball out of his coat pocket and gently pressed the button with his fingertip.
With a flash of red light, Tyrunt landed on the soft carpet, wobbling on its short, thick legs.
It first perked up its ears alertly, its little head scanning the room. Once it confirmed there was no danger, it immediately turned to stare at Lionel, letting out soft "Awoo awoo" sounds from its throat. Its little claws tugged at his pant leg repeatedly; its urgent manner made it clear it was hungry again and was cutely begging for food.
Lionel was amused by its behavior and leaned down to rub the top of its head. "I know you're hungry."
He turned to open his backpack and took out two different bags of Pokémon food. One was for Feebas, and the other was the food suitable for carnivorous Pokémon given to him by the old researcher.
Lionel first poured some into the food bowl on the carpet. Tyrunt immediately hurried over, its little fangs quickly munching away, its tail wagging triumphantly.
Then, Lionel walked over to the fish tank and scattered a few handfuls of floating feed.
Sensing the food, Feebas immediately swished its silvery fins and swam over, nibbling at the feed on the water's surface.
After finishing all this, Lionel leaned against the bed and let out a sigh of relief. While watching Tyrunt and Feebas eat, he opened his panel, intending to convert the points he had gained since the Granite Cave into strength through a wave of lucky draws.
Looking at the 280,000 points on the panel, Lionel chose two Intermediate draws and eight Primary Draws.
[Dragon Dance x1, Attack Power-Up x1, Hypnosis x1, Intermediate Energy Cluster x3, Whirlpool x1, Thunder Stone x1...]