This lunch lasted over two hours. During the meal, Rex briefly recounted his recent travel experiences.
After listening, the girls exclaimed in amazement. After all, Groudon and Kyogre were legendary Pokémon, and getting close to them was enviable. There was also the giant Baltoy sealed away; such an extraordinary Pokémon was extremely rare.
They hadn't expected Rex to have gone through so much in such a short time. Especially Karen, who felt like she was listening to a legend. If Rex hadn't shown them the photos he took on his phone, she wouldn't have believed it.
After all, Karen wasn't a trainer before. She felt that what Rex described was too far removed from her reality. For her, just protecting herself and living happily was already challenging.
Coming to Rex Farm erased the last bit of doubt she had about Rex, especially after learning that both Yuli and Yui grew up in an orphanage, and Rex himself was now an orphan too.
Not to mention, she heard about the benefits of being an employee at Rex Farm from Yuli and Yui. For a moment, she couldn't believe she could have such a job.
Karen secretly resolved to cherish this job. Here, she saw hope for the future and wanted to become a Pokémon trainer. Rex Farm was the best choice for an orphan like her.
In her work life, Karen had seen a lot of darkness that those with family support couldn't understand. She wanted a stable job, but as an ordinary person without power, she was easily targeted and victimized.
From conversations with Yuli and Yui, Rex learned that Yuli could now make high-grade Pokéblocks, though not consistently. Yui could stably produce basic Pokéblocks and occasionally make intermediate ones.
Adding Karen, whom he just recruited, Rex decided to update their labor contracts. Only Yuli was officially an employee, while Yui was still an intern.
So, Rex shared his plan with them: Yuli's monthly salary would increase to 15,000 Alliance Coins, Yui would become an official employee with a salary of 8,000 Alliance Coins per month, and Karen would have a three-month probation period with a salary of 3,000 Alliance Coins per month, increasing to 5,000 after that.
For someone who could make high-grade Pokéblocks, Yuli's salary was a bit low, but it was the highest Rex could offer given his own Pokémon's needs.
Yuli considered Rex Farm her home now. Though she wanted to refuse the raise, she couldn't win against her boss. She secretly decided to save money so she could help if the farm faced financial difficulties.
Yui, less contemplative than Yuli, knew the raise was because she learned to make intermediate Pokéblocks. She resolved to keep improving to make high-grade Pokéblocks. She was already thinking about how to spend her salary: gifts for her siblings at the orphanage and some nice clothes she saw online.
Karen was thrilled. Her post-probation salary matched what she earned on the Dazzling Star, and the workload wasn't heavy. Most importantly, she could learn to make Pokéblocks. If she could produce intermediate ones or better, her salary would increase further.
As a properly run farm, contract signing and changes had to be done at Fallarbor Town's police station. Rex also wanted to visit Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, so he decided to go to Fallarbor Town.
He prepared many berries and two bottles of Berry Juice made by the Pokémon Polteageist, intending to give them to Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy as thanks for their help when he first arrived in Fallarbor Town.
Rex planned to leave Akiko at the farm since they were going for official business. But when she looked at him pitifully, as if she was being abandoned, he couldn't resist and agreed to take her along. She immediately cheered up and started happily chasing Marill.
Rex then had Taillow, his messenger, notify Swellow and the three other rideable Swellow to come over.
Yes, the orchard now had four Swellow capable of carrying people, aside from Rex's Swellow. While they might not manage long flights, they could easily go back and forth to Fallarbor Town.
Soon, Swellow arrived with its subordinates. Compared to Rex's Swellow, the others seemed immature.
Knowing she could ride a Swellow alone, Karen was excited. This was her first flying experience, though brief. She was thrilled to fly again so soon.
Rex, holding Akiko, rode his Swellow, while the other girls each rode a subordinate Swellow.
Swellow had to slow down for its subordinates, which it found frustrating. It resolved to train them harder when they got back.
The subordinate Swellow felt uneasy but relaxed seeing their leader in front, unaware the source of their anxiety was their leader.
"Sister Jenny, we came to see you!"
Yuli, familiar with Officer Jenny, greeted her first. Officer Jenny was idly passing time, as Fallarbor Town was peaceful, with the biggest recent incident being the orphanage fire. With Rex's help, the culprits were caught, deterring other developers. So, Officer Jenny had a lot of free time.
After explaining their purpose, Officer Jenny quickly printed the employment contracts. These were standard forms, just needing salary adjustments.
Officer Jenny was surprised at the high salaries Rex offered. The average wage in Fallarbor Town was 3,000 Alliance Coins, recently raised by hiring developers; it used to be even lower.
Rex explained why he offered such high salaries. Officer Jenny was impressed, especially since the best Pokéblocks sold in the local shop were only intermediate quality, while Yuli could make high-grade ones.
Rex then gave Officer Jenny the gifts he prepared. She initially refused but accepted them after Rex insisted, seeing them as farm produce rather than a bribe.