Rex rolled up his pants and sleeves, jumped down from above, and picked up a shovel to help Machop load the soil.
Of course, Machop's efficiency was ten times higher than his. Therefore, Rex's role in working alongside them was more about calming and encouraging them. After all, Pokémon had simple minds but their own thoughts.
They had their temperaments, and this repetitive labor was quite different from their usual training.
If Rex, as a Trainer, continued to be absent, it wouldn't be long before they went on strike.
Since Rex arrived, the originally somewhat dull excavation site seemed to have injected a burst of vitality. Although the efficiency of the work did not significantly improve, the eyes of each Pokémon seemed much livelier, at least not as absent-minded as before.
"Beep!"
Suddenly, a cry entered Rex's ears. He could tell that this sound was not from his own Pokémon.
Rex became alert, stopped digging, and looked towards the source of the sound. He saw a Pidgeot in the sky approaching him.
However, before it could come closer, Swellow intercepted it and used its sharp gaze to deter the other Pokémon, preventing it from taking another step forward.
"Um, I mean no harm. I just saw a lot of activity over here and wanted to come and see. I hope you don't misunderstand!"
At this moment, a clear female voice came from the back of the Pidgeot. Obviously, she was the Trainer of this Pidgeot.
"Swellow, come back!"
Seeing this scene, Rex recalled Swellow. Knowing that a Trainer had come to visit, he couldn't act distant. Moreover, this was his territory, so he wasn't afraid of any ill intentions from the other party.
With Swellow no longer blocking it, Pidgeot smoothly landed on the ground. Then, a redhead girl jumped down from its back. She was wearing a trench coat similar to an explorer's outfit, looking very capable and mature.
"Hello, I'm Ivy. I just came out of curiosity. I hope I didn't disturb your work."
The girl Ivy smiled and introduced herself to Rex.
"Hello, I'm Rex. Welcome to our Rex Farm. Just now, Swellow mistook it for a wild Pokémon intrusion, so it intercepted you."
Although somewhat surprised by Ivy's sudden appearance, Rex, taking advantage of having a guest at his farm, adopted a friendly and hospitable attitude.
"Wow, it's really lively here. I noticed the situation here from far above in the sky, so I came over out of curiosity. I hope you don't mind, and your Swellow is the largest I've ever seen. It suddenly appeared in front of us earlier, and I was also startled!"
Ivy looked at Rex, who was covered in soil, and continued speaking.
"As you can see, we're just digging soil here or trying to expand the lake area over there. As for Swellow, this guy indeed grew quite fast. If it startled you earlier, let me apologize on its behalf."
Rex apologized after glancing at Swellow.
Ivy was quite surprised to see so many Pokémon mobilized.
She had originally thought that a powerful Trainer was commanding these Pokémon. However, after observing for a while, she realized that the young man in front of her was leading everything. This was somewhat unexpected.
"Are these Taillows all your Pokémon?"
Ivy pointed at the Taillows transporting soil and asked.
"They are members of our Farm, but strictly speaking, they are not my Pokémon. They are currently following my Swellow."
Rex explained.
Although he treated Ivy as a guest, Rex didn't want to follow her train of thought. He changed the subject and asked, "Miss Ivy, are you traveling in the Hoenn region?"
The reason for asking this was that Pidgeots were not native to the Hoenn region. It would be rare to see a group of Pidgeots in Hoenn. Therefore, she was likely a Trainer from another region.
"I come from the Celadon City in the Kanto region. I am a Coordinator Trainer. I came to the Hoenn region this time to participate in the Coordinator Pokémon Contest held in Slateport City next week."
Ivy responded.
Rex also had some understanding of the Coordinator Contest, which emphasized showcasing the elegance of Pokémon's appearance and skills.
In the first round of the competition, participants needed to demonstrate the elegance of their Pokémon's skills. Then, several judges would score them, selecting those with high scores to enter the second round.
The second round was a Pokémon battle with only a five-minute countdown. The main purpose was not to win the battle but to have a higher score remaining before the countdown ended to win.
Trainers participating in the Coordinator Contest were also called Coordinator Trainers. They worked hard every day to showcase their Pokémon's abilities more charmingly.
To enhance the precision of skills, they used various props and sometimes combined skills to create larger-scale effects.
"Coordinator Trainer, although I haven't interacted much with them, I know it's a very elegant profession. Miss Ivy, you must be a top Coordinator Trainer."
From Ivy's every move, Rex could see a self-confidence that came from within. Especially when she mentioned being a Coordinator Trainer, there was a sense of pride and confidence. If she wasn't at the pinnacle of this profession, she couldn't have cultivated this temperament.
Just like Swellow, if it hadn't become the leader of the Taillows, its temperament wouldn't be as majestic as it was now. Before becoming the leader, Swellow was more like a lone wolf, somewhat unruly.
"Rex, why don't you try to become a Coordinator Trainer? I see that you can organize so many Pokémon to act according to your will. This ability can definitely take you far on this path."
Ivy looked at the busy scene before her, unaffected by her arrival. Each Pokémon was still orderly completing its task, and she suggested.
"Um, thank you for your kind words, Miss Ivy, but for now, I'm focusing on the development of the farm. Also, I want to challenge this year's Ever Grande Conference, so I have to apologize."
Rex had no interest in becoming a Coordinator Trainer. Perhaps his poor artistic sense was to blame; he simply couldn't appreciate the way of the Coordinator Contest.
Seeing that Rex wasn't interested in becoming a Coordinator Trainer, Ivy was somewhat disappointed.
The mainstream of this world was still Pokémon Trainers, so she hoped to attract more talented people to become Coordinator Trainers and garner more attention for the Coordinator Contest.
"Miss Ivy, I hope we'll meet again sometime. I'll definitely challenge you when that day comes!"
"I look forward to that day. Goodbye!"
After bidding farewell to Rex, Ivy directly mounted the Pidgeot and flew towards Slateport City. Perhaps for her, meeting Rex was just a small pleasure on her journey.
After experiencing Ivy's unexpected visit, Rex continued to immerse himself in the expansion project of the artificial lake. This time, nothing happened until the sun set.
However, Rex and the Pokémon enjoyed the grassy terrain service of the Glooms together, restoring his slightly sore body from the labor.
(End of this chapter)