Lottery

Lin Mo was not surprised that he could get close to Tyrantrum so easily. In his previous life, Bonnie and her Tyrantrum had left a deep impression on him in the anime.

Bonnie, in particular, was the trainer Lin Mo had envied most in the anime he watched in his previous life. At the age of seven, she had already been destined to become one of Kalos's future Elite Four—no, even an Elite Four title would not have been worthy of Bonnie.

When she set out on her journey at ten, only the title of Pokémon League Champion, the strongest trainer in the world, would have barely suited Bonnie.

"Dedenne, come back! You've already worked very hard!"

"Very good, you defeated my Tyrantrum again. Now go, Squishy!"

"Squishy? What a ridiculous name! Make him give up, Charizard! Gigantamax!!"

(The Poké Ball hit the ground, and Bonnie released Squishy—Zygarde.)

Leon's Gigantamax Charizard: ?

Zygarde: "If 50% Forme Fusion doesn't kill you, then I'll have to cut loose with my Gundam!"

Referee: "Ooh, ooh, ooh! This is unbelievable!!!"

"What Pokémon has contestant Bonnie sent out?"

"It's actually the legendary Pokémon Zygarde, the God of Order, said to stand alongside the God of Life and the God of Death! Can Leon still win?"

Lin Mo's wild thoughts came to a stop, and his attention returned to Tyrantrum.

Tyrantrum was one of the Pokémon with the greatest contrast between appearance and personality. It looked mighty and imposing, but inside lived a little sweetheart. Aside from biting things with its huge jaws, its favorite thing was acting cute.

This was not merely ordinary cuteness. It had already formed into the move [Charm: Gazes adorably at the opponent, causing them to lower their guard and greatly reducing their Attack].

Who would have thought that a Rock- and Dragon-type Pokémon would learn Charm as one of its very first moves?

The old researcher saved the last genetic profile into the database. The progress bar on the screen reached its end, and a notification window popped up: "Archiving Complete."

He let out a long breath, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning to Lin Mo.

"All right, the revival project for this ancient fossil has finally been successfully completed. If this little fellow evolves into Tyrantrum someday, please bring it back when you have the chance. I'd like to accurately record its post-evolution genetic data and physical characteristics again. It will be very important for our future fossil research."

Lin Mo nodded solemnly at that, his tone earnest. "Don't worry, Professor. Once it evolves, I'll definitely bring it back to assist with your research."

As they spoke, the Tyrantrum by Lin Mo's feet had long since been drawn to something else.

Its thick, short tail swayed as its round eyes stared fixedly at the inflatable fish tank hanging on Lin Mo's chest. It tilted its little head from time to time, brimming with curiosity.

Sensing the attention, the Feebas inside swam back and forth through the water with a flick of its fins. Every now and then, it gently rubbed its snout against the tank wall, as though greeting its new companion.

Tyrantrum immediately let out a low cry and pawed at Lin Mo's pant leg with its little claws. It looked utterly adorable.

"It seems the two of you have already built up some initial trust."

Steven walked over at an unhurried pace. His gaze fell on the Tyrantrum rubbing against Lin Mo, and a gentle, gratified smile spread across his face.

"I still have some company matters to handle, so I won't keep you any longer. If you need anything in Rustboro City, contact me directly."

As he spoke, he took a heavy metal card from his pocket and handed it over. Its surface bore only a simple string of numbers and the sharp-edged Devon Corporation logo, understated yet weighty.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Steven!" Lin Mo hurriedly rose to his feet and gave him a deep, solemn bow.

From their chance encounter in the cave, to receiving the fossil Pokémon, to witnessing Tyrantrum awaken from its slumber, the chain of events that had unfolded in this single short day felt like an ethereal dream.

Steven lightly waved a hand. His gaze returned to Tyrantrum's round eyes, his voice full of anticipation.

"Raise it well. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like when it evolves into Tyrantrum. And when that time comes, don't forget the battle we agreed on."

"I definitely won't forget, and I won't let down your expectations!" Lin Mo said firmly, his eyes filled with certainty for the future.

Lin Mo recalled Tyrantrum into its Poké Ball, bid Steven farewell, and left Devon Corporation.

As he stepped out of the Devon Corporation building, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the roadside trees, scattering mottled patches of light across the ground.

Rustboro City's streets were bustling. Shops along the road displayed advertisements for Pokémon supplies, while trainers occasionally hurried past with their Pokémon. The air carried a faint scent of grass and trees.

Following the directions on the signs, Lin Mo soon spotted the sign for a hotel partnered with the Pokémon Center in Rustboro City. Its red-and-white color scheme was particularly eye-catching.

When he entered the hotel lobby, a front desk attendant immediately greeted him with a smile. Her gaze paused briefly on the Feebas in the inflatable fish tank on his chest, but she did not ask any questions. Instead, she gently asked,

"Hello, are you checking in? Would you like me to arrange a room suitable for Pokémon activities?"

"Yes, please." Lin Mo handed over his identification, then added, "I have two Pokémon, so I'd like a more spacious room."

The attendant swiftly completed the check-in procedures and handed Lin Mo a room card printed with the hotel's emblem. Her explanation was clear and considerate.

"Your room is on the third floor. It has a private balcony, and there is a purified fish tank in the room, so using and changing the water will be convenient. It's especially suitable for trainers traveling with Water-type Pokémon."

"Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble."

Lin Mo accepted the room card with a nod of thanks, then turned toward the elevator in the corner of the lobby.

After pressing the button for the third floor, the elevator rose smoothly. He touched the inflatable fish tank on his chest—Feebas was quietly pressed against the tank wall, seemingly curious about the activity around it.

With a ding, the elevator doors slowly opened.

Following the room numbers, Lin Mo found his room. He inserted the key card, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. His eyes first landed on the transparent fish tank in the center of the room, and an unconscious smile tugged at his lips.

"This will be much more convenient."

Smiling, Lin Mo walked over and carefully inspected the fish tank in the room. After adjusting the controls and filling it with water, he placed Feebas into its new home.

The moment it entered the spacious water, the little fellow immediately perked up. It flicked its fins and swam two laps around the tank, curiously inspecting its new surroundings.

After finishing all that, he took Tyrantrum's Poké Ball from his coat pocket and gently pressed the switch with his fingertip.

A flash of red light appeared, and Tyrantrum landed on the soft carpet, its short, sturdy legs wobbling.

It first pricked up its ears warily and swept its little head around the room. After confirming that nothing was amiss, it immediately turned to stare at Lin Mo. A soft "Awoo, awoo" squeezed from its throat as its little claws repeatedly hooked at his pant leg. Its eager appearance made it obvious that it was hungry again and obediently begging for food.

Lin Mo laughed at the sight and bent down to rub the top of its head. "I know you're hungry."

As he spoke, he turned and opened his backpack, taking out two different bags of Pokémon food. One was for Feebas, while the other was food suitable for carnivorous Pokémon that the old researcher had given him.

Lin Mo first poured some into the food bowl on the carpet. Tyrantrum immediately rushed over and began gnawing away with its sharp little teeth, its tail swaying smugly without stopping.

Then Lin Mo walked over to the fish tank and scattered several handfuls of floating feed.

Sensing the food, Feebas immediately swam over with a flick of its silver fins and pecked at the feed floating on the water's surface with its tiny mouth.

After finishing everything, Lin Mo leaned against the bed and let out a breath. As he watched Tyrantrum and Feebas eat, he opened his own panel, planning to turn the points he had earned since Granite Cave into strength through a round of draws.

Looking at the 280,000 points on the panel, Lin Mo chose two advanced draws and eight medium draws:

[Dragon Dance ×1, Attack Enhancer ×1, Hypnosis ×1, Medium Energy Orb ×3, Whirlpool ×1, Thunder Stone ×1...]