D-Lab

The D-Lab is a dinosaur researching laboratory owned by Dr. Spike Taylor and Reese Drake, topped with near-future technology that allows the D-Team to teleport and contact people from far away places. It has different appearances and functionalities but similar story roles in each of the anime and DS game. It is seen in many episodes of the first season, and is one of the most frequently seen locations and establishing shots alongside Max's house and Zeta Point.

Anime

Description

D-Lab anime exterior

It is located on a hilltop overlooking Sanjo City, Japan. The appearance of the D-lab is based mostly on prehistoric things, the front being based on a ceratopsian head (seemingly Triceratops), and featuring a plesiosaur statue outside near a small flower patch shaped like a stegosaur. Inside the building there are paintings of dinosaurs and lots of fossils, including three giant fossils of a Tyrannosaurus, Placerias, and a Tupuxuara. Many of the devices, like the display screens, are also dinosaur-themed in aesthetic, and stylized theropod footprints are stamped all over.

Purpose

The D-Lab is the D-Team's headquarters, from which they teleport to other countries in the first series to capture the wild dinosaurs. Reese keeps the captured dinosaur cards and also made and modifies the Dino Holders here. Its computer can also more precisely pin down where the Dino Holders have detected the new dinosaur, though in some episodes the Holders alone are enough for the D-Team to name its location.

This building may be Reese's private building, as she tells Zoe in the second episode, "Zoe, didn't I tell you not to come in without asking?"

D-Lab anime interior (left pan)

D-Lab anime interior (right pan)

D-Lab anime teleporter

DS Game

Description

D-Lab DS exterior

D-Lab DS Map

With a rather simple exterior design still featuring what appears to be minimalist stegosaur plates, the D-Lab is run by Reese Drake with help from Dr. Taylor; unlike the anime, there are a host of unnamed scientists and researchers who aid in its operation. Inside is rather sparse with several bookcases, computer desks, some scientific machinery, a Teleporter, and Reese's computer station with a large floating globe. The D-Lab is a hub of dinosaur research and fossil digs and expeditions, managing to uncover two Stones and a Stone Fragment prior to the story, allowing the creation of the DinoShots by Reese to summon dinosaur cards created from revived fossils. While not actually a part of it, various D-Sites across the world work in partnership with the D-Lab, but are headed by other individual owners. While its location is never specified, its teleporter mark being a name tag box in the corner of the map, it is likely in Japan like in the anime. Being a peaceful location, its interior map is unlocked by default, and no drilling spots spawn.

D-Lab DS dialogue backdrop and interior

Story

After Reese invents the DinoShots, Dr. Z steals one with the Stone Fragment inside, summoning a Tyrannosaurus. The player can select to play as Max or Rex to obtain their starting Dinosaur and engage in the tutorial battle they are scripted to win.

During the story, it serves as the main hub of the player's activity, Max and Rex gathering information about the world and gameplay mechanics by speaking to all of the scientists before getting updated by Reese on the latest problems caused by the Alpha Gang and heading out via the Teleporter to the various D-Sites for the next Chapter of the storyline; they can call back via the DinoShot to be hinted how to progress by Reese, Dr. Taylor, or Zoe if they become stuck or lost, who also call the player during various story beats. In the postgame, they gain the ability to teleport back to the D-Lab from any D-Site, allowing Reese to revive the Giant Fossil into an Isisaurus card once they acquire it.

Battles

See also: DS Game Battles

Boss (tutorial)

Dr. Z (1) [30 Exp, 30 chell; very rare Workbook, very rare Small Dino Drink] [scripted win, you will never be attacked]

• Tyrannosaurus P (? Type) LV1 (Tail, Ram, Throw)
  • This Tyrannosaurus notably has half the HP it should at this level (100 instead of 200), making the battle 2 turns regardless of your starter choice, as Carnotaurus' attacks are dampened by the bad Element match-up. Its Moves are assumed to be the weaker 1MP-cost Moves of each Sign that appear on other early foes, as it can't win and use them to confirm their names, nor its Battle Type by damage dealt.

Dinosaur Cards

The following can be acquired as set Dinosaurs Cards.

• Gift LV1 cards:
  • Triceratops (Tie, 3 star, Lightning) / Carnotaurus (Attack, 3 star, Wind); Introduction, select Max/Rex as player character
  • Isisaurus (Super Defense, 6 star, Water); Postgame, revive Giant Fossil

Trivia

• Possibly by typographical error, the DS game's dialogue from one of the D-Lab scientists in Chapter 4 claims the extinction of the dinosaurs to have taken place only 6.5 million years ago instead of the real world's correct 65 million years (66 million by later estimates).
  • Text on the second intro scene says the same thing, implying a common mistake or perhaps differing lore in-game, though if it was intentional, the difference to reality plays no known role.

Gallery

D-Lab toy playset also featuring Sanjo City and Acrocanthosaurus