In the midst of such intense and exciting training, three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this period, what surprised Rex the most was that after jointly defeating Swellow once, Ghastly successfully evolved into Haunter and even learned the Shadow Punch.
Yes, it was indeed Swellow who was defeated by Poliwhirl, Flaaffy, and Ghastly working together.
Firstly, praise must be given to Poliwhirl. In the water, its strength had indeed improved significantly. When the situation was unfavorable, it could dive into the sea to avoid attacks, making it difficult for Swellow to handle it as casually as before.
Meanwhile, Flaaffy and Ghastly harassed from the sidelines. Finally, during one of Swellow's attacks, they seized the opportunity. Swellow was hit head-on by electromagnetic waves and terrifying faces, becoming paralyzed and slowed. Taking advantage of this, Poliwhirl and Flaaffy used Water Gun and Thunderbolt from the sky, knocking Swellow down.
The consequences of Swellow becoming grounded don't need much explanation. Rex felt a bit sorry to see it, but fortunately, Swellow had the Roost ability, which allowed it to recover quickly.
It was this victory that led to Ghastly successfully evolving into Haunter and learning the Shadow Punch. With this powerful move, Haunter's attacks finally became somewhat formidable, no longer restricted to merely providing support as before.
In subsequent battles, Swellow became much more cautious. Its recent failure completely dispelled its impetuosity, making it take the battles with Poliwhirl and the others seriously.
In these three days, both sides could be said to be evenly matched. It was no longer a one-sided crushing by Swellow, which was exactly the result Rex hoped for—only through this could both sides progress together.
Even Sandslash hadn't wasted these three days. Through practicing Sand Attack and Sand Tomb, it had grasped the knack of stirring up sandstorms.
Now it could combine Sand Attack and Sand Tomb in a small area to create a scene resembling a sandstorm.
However, the area affected was still too small, and the duration too short. But with this rudimentary fusion skill resembling a sandstorm, Sandslash believed it wouldn't be long before it mastered the true Sandstorm.
Sandslash was quite confident about this, practicing even harder. After all, having a hopeful goal was the best way to stimulate its enthusiasm.
The showdowns between Heracross and Machop also grew increasingly intense. Feeling inferior in physical quality compared to Heracross, Machop developed the Bulk Up ability.
Through multiple uses of Bulk Up, it could temporarily boost its attack and defense to match Heracross's level. In this state, its punches became more powerful, demanding Heracross's serious attention.
Machop could stack the Bulk Up state up to three times. Any more and its current physical condition wouldn't support it, potentially resulting in serious injuries due to excessive strain.
Of course, Heracross didn't stop Machop from strengthening itself. As a Fighting-type Pokémon, it thoroughly enjoyed such intense confrontations. Previously, Machop's strength was too weak to arouse its competitiveness, but now, with Machop strengthened, they could engage in evenly matched battles!
However, this enhancement was temporary. So in these three days, Machop was often rendered unable to battle by Heracross.
Moreover, because it repeatedly used the Bulk Up ability to strengthen itself, it sustained significant internal damage. Many of these injuries were permanent, and the recovery skills of Victreebel's Grassy Terrain couldn't heal them quickly.
Therefore, Rex had to use his own abilities multiple times during these three days to restore Machop. It was precisely because of this that Machop became stronger through each battle. Compared to three days ago, its strength had improved significantly.
With an ample supply of Energy Blocks from Rex, he believed the day Machop evolved into Machoke was not far off. However, he wasn't sure if the miraculous Evolution Light could repair Machop's missing right hand.
During these three days, Magikarp and Feebas continued their intense collision training in the water. Their aura had changed significantly compared to their previous lethargic states.
Overall, they were evenly matched opponents, receiving similar rewards in Energy Blocks.
With sufficient nutrients and extensive battle experience, Magikarp's body length had exceeded one meter. Its scales, having shed and regrown multiple times, had become tougher, and the light in its eyes had grown stronger, devoid of its previous dullness.
In contrast to Magikarp's changes in body size, Feebas's length hadn't changed much. However, due to needing to actively dodge Magikarp's attacks, its body had become more symmetrical.
The pockmarked surface of its body, battered by Magikarp's collisions, was now scarred. But after Rex used his abilities to help it recover to its optimal state, its appearance had changed significantly.
The newly grown scales were more orderly, and the pockmarks on the surface had decreased.
Although it still looked ugly on the outside, at least in Rex's eyes, it was much more pleasing than before—no longer evoking a feeling of disgust at first glance.
In reality, the one who felt the deepest change was Feebas itself. It had always been very self-conscious, ridiculed by other Pokémon from birth, making it only dare to hide in the mud and never show itself.
Now, it considered itself relatively beautiful among its Feebas peers. Of course, this was far from enough, and it needed to continue striving to become even more beautiful.
Therefore, even without Rex's Energy Block rewards, Feebas would continue to train diligently. This was the pursuit of its Feebas clan.
The remaining Torchic also worked very hard in training. For its naturally energetic disposition, running exercises suited its character.
However, because it had stones tied to its legs, each step required much more effort than usual, and it initially struggled to adapt.
With Rex's company, it eventually adapted and progressed rapidly. At least now, the stones tied to its legs were more than twice the size of the first day.
In a race with Rex, Torchic even comprehended the Flame Charge move, which boosted its speed. However, using this skill covered its body in flames, causing the rope tied to its legs to burn and break.
At that moment, Torchic, with its legs lightened, couldn't control its body and shot out at an incredibly fast speed, heading towards the sea. It skidded across the water, drifting far out before sinking.
Rex had to seek the help of Magikarp and Feebas to rescue Torchic. Seeing Torchic's soaked appearance and its bulging belly, Rex couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Since then, during running exercises, Torchic no longer dared to use Flame Charge. Instead, it ran honestly with its short legs. This illustrated how great an impact falling into the sea had on it.
(End of Chapter)