As dusk settled over the beach, Rex and the others packed up their belongings and rode Gyarados and Lapras back to Rex Farm.
Everyone was satisfied with the day's beach trip—especially Yuli and the other girls, who got to experience an adventure unlike anything they'd encountered at the farm.
The happiest of them all was Karen. Her Swellow had finally evolved into a full-fledged Swellow, and with a bit more training, it would be strong enough to carry her through the skies—something she had long dreamed of: the freedom and exhilaration of flying.
By the time the group returned to Rex Farm, night had already fallen. After dinner, they each went their separate ways, and Rex returned to his quarters beside the breeding barn.
He went through his usual round of Heartforce Body Technique training, and was about to shower and sleep when his phone suddenly rang.
"Mai? What brings you calling at this hour?"
Rex wiped the sweat from his body with a towel, breathing a little heavily as he answered.
"Rex, I'm calling to say goodbye. I'll be leaving for the Kalos region tomorrow."
After several days of rest at Professor Birch's lab, Mai had recovered and built a basic bond of trust with her Aerodactyl.
Though the ancient Pokémon was still distant, it no longer outright rejected her commands. Mai believed that with time and effort, Aerodactyl would eventually accept her completely.
"I see. I hope your journey goes just the way you want it to."
Rex had already known that Mai planned to travel to Kalos; he just hadn't known the exact departure date. So he sent her his well-wishes.
"Thanks, Rex. I'll try to get you a Key Stone while I'm there! That way you'll have everything you need for Mega Evolution too!"
Mai still didn't know that Rex already had a Key Stone. She wanted to repay him for gifting her Aerodactyl, and getting a Key Stone for him felt like the best way.
"Uh… Mai, you should focus on your own goals. I'm not in a rush. Bagon's still young—it'll be a while before it evolves into Salamence anyway."
Rex felt a little awkward. He'd deliberately kept the truth from Mai so as not to dampen her motivation, but now that she was offering to get him a Key Stone, he was stuck in a corner.
In the end, Rex decided to keep the secret a little longer. Telling her now would only make things more awkward.
"Alright then! Just wait for my good news!"
With that, Mai ended the call.
Rex remained in thought for a while. He would look for a chance to tell her the truth later.
For the next half-month, Rex focused entirely on training Chimchar and Bagon at Rex Farm, helping them build a strong foundation and deepen their potential.
During that time, Chimchar learned the Fighting-type move Power-Up Punch. Every successful hit boosted its Attack by one stage. Paired with its Iron Fist ability, Chimchar's offensive power surged dramatically.
At its current level of physical conditioning, Chimchar could only use Power-Up Punch twice in a row—any more, and the recoil would strain its body and cause the move to fail.
Still, even with just two stacks, Chimchar could easily dominate Bagon in sparring. Bagon's thick skin and strong physique weren't enough—one fully boosted punch had it howling in pain for half a day.
With Power-Up Punch, Chimchar's confidence soared. The rapid power gain made it even more motivated in training. Pain aside, nothing beat the thrill of getting stronger.
And with Bagon constantly chasing it from behind, every time Chimchar came out on top, it felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
But Bagon wasn't slacking off either. Over the past two weeks, it had increased its jump height twice.
The improvement in its vertical leap was a direct sign that its physical stats had improved. With Swellow's help, Bagon could safely test and push its limits—much better than wild Bagon, who jumped off cliffs to toughen up and often misjudged their own durability.
Wild Bagon frequently injured themselves by miscalculating the height of their leaps, resulting in long recovery times. Choosing a cliff that was too low, on the other hand, meant their training wasn't effective enough, slowing their growth and delaying evolution into Shelgon.
Rex's Bagon had a major advantage. With Swellow helping measure heights, Shaymin's healing to treat internal injuries, and energy cubes to replenish stamina, Bagon could consistently break its limits without risk.
Thanks to these conditions, Bagon made impressive progress in just two weeks.
And it wasn't just Chimchar who learned a new move—Bagon mastered both Iron Head and Flamethrower.
Rex wasn't surprised by Iron Head. Bagon had been slamming its head into the ground daily, and once it learned to coat its skull with Steel-type energy, the move came naturally. Rex explained the move's mechanics, and Bagon quickly grasped it, expanding its attack options.
But Flamethrower caught Rex off guard. Normally, Bagon wouldn't learn that move until after evolving into Shelgon.
Rex guessed that constant exposure to Chimchar's fire attacks had deepened Bagon's understanding of Fire-type energy. Since it already knew Ember, that foundation likely helped it unlock the more advanced move.
That said, Bagon could only fire off Flamethrower once per battle. Its energy reserves weren't high enough for multiple uses—it had to rest and recharge before trying again.
Sadly, even though Bagon had learned one more move than Chimchar, the power gap between them had widened.
Flamethrower didn't hurt Chimchar much, while Power-Up Punch massively boosted Chimchar's combat power. This left Bagon frustrated—so much so that even meals weren't as enjoyable anymore.
(End of Chapter)