Rex patted Milotic's head and then took out his Pokédex to check the moves Milotic had learned upon evolution.
Tackle, Water Gun, Water Pulse, Disarming Voice, Twister, Aqua Ring, Captivate, Life Dew, Dragon Tail
Compared to the previously unevolved Feebas, Milotic had automatically acquired a series of moves upon evolution, drastically changing its power level. This is why Feebas' evolution is considered a miracle of life.
Rex believed that given time to adapt, Milotic's strength would undoubtedly grow much stronger. With its enhanced life energy, Milotic would experience a period of rapid growth, potentially rivaling Politoed in power.
The entire process of Feebas evolving into Milotic was observed by Magikarp from a distance. Captured at the same time as Feebas, it now watched as Feebas successfully evolved, while it remained a struggling fish.
However, witnessing Feebas' successful transformation gave Magikarp a boost of confidence, affirming that its efforts were not in vain. It became more determined to eventually evolve into a formidable Gyarados.
Rex knew that Feebas' evolution would greatly impact Magikarp, but instead of lecturing, he simply fed it some Pokéblocks and let it continue training.
Only by enduring this challenging period could Magikarp hope to leap over the dragon gate and achieve its evolution.
Watching Yuli happily interacting with Milotic, Rex chose not to disturb them and quietly walked into the orchard.
He could see Yuli's affection for Milotic, or rather, the general love people had for Milotic. However, few knew how difficult Feebas' early life had been before becoming this beautiful creature.
Strolling alone in the orchard, Rex picked a berry from a tree, wiped it on his clothes, and began eating. Milotic's evolution had noticeably lifted his spirits for the day.
Looking at the blossoming flowers on the fruit trees, Rex thought about the soon-to-bloom Gracidea flowers and realized that introducing a honey-gathering Pokémon species to the farm should be prioritized.
Rex favored the Combee species because capturing or evolving a Vespiquen would motivate the Combee to tirelessly collect nectar and produce honey to please their queen.
The honey produced by Combee, called Sweet Honey, was not only delicious and precious but also highly attractive to both humans and Pokémon.
However, Combee primarily lived in the Sinnoh region. Rex knew that many Combee resided near Floaroma Town, making it an ideal place to catch them.
Thinking about this, Rex realized that his post-Ever Grande Conference schedule seemed busy, requiring travel across two regions.
Fortunately, modern transportation was quite advanced. As long as he didn't encounter any unstoppable natural disasters, having numerous Pokémon by his side meant he would be safe.
After spending some time with the Polteageist in the orchard, Rex headed to the central area where Swellow resided. This area had become a sanctuary for Taillow on the outskirts of Orange Forest, with most Taillow considering it an honor to join.
Here, Taillow didn't need to struggle daily for food and had Swellow to guide their training, quickly enhancing their strength.
Rex had given Swellow permission to recruit Taillow into its group, though with some limitations. Only Taillow with outstanding potential could pass Swellow's test and join Rex Farm.
This approach ensured the Taillow population at Rex Farm remained dynamic, with a constant influx of new members to keep the group strong.
Additionally, if any Swellow or Taillow at the farm wanted to explore the outside world, Rex allowed them the freedom to leave and return as they pleased.
At that moment, Swellow was leading other Swellow in practicing Hyper Beam. After learning the move from Rex's Swellow, the others could now use it, though they experienced significant cooldown times after each use.
To make training more interesting, Swellow had brought along its fellows for joint practice.
Through consistent training, Swellow had reduced the Hyper Beam's cooldown to about five seconds, a significant advantage in battle.
Rex decided that Swellow's Hyper Beam training was sufficient for now. Further reducing the cooldown would require excessive time and effort, better spent on other training.
Swellow noticed Rex's arrival and landed in front of him, curious about his purpose.
Without keeping Swellow in suspense, Rex took out two Technical Machines (TMs) from his backpack. He had purchased these from Slateport City: one for Protect and one for Facade.
These were the moves Rex wanted Swellow to master before the Ever Grande Conference. Protect would provide a defensive option against unavoidable attacks, while Facade would enhance Swellow's offensive capabilities.
Rex believed that a Swellow powered up by Facade would be a nightmare for opponents.
Swellow had no objections to Rex's plan. It was bored with constant Hyper Beam and Aerial Ace training, and the new moves piqued its interest.
After arranging Swellow's training, Rex left the orchard. Swellow was now a mature Pokémon, capable of managing its own training without Rex's constant supervision.
Next, Rex sought out Machoke. Its rapid post-evolution growth had stabilized, though its strength continued to improve steadily. This was why Rex was not in a hurry to evolve it into Machamp.
Rex believed in solidifying each stage of a Pokémon's development before evolution to maximize its potential.
For instance, Ash's Charizard evolved from Charmeleon in a single day without proper foundation, resulting in both a drastic change in temperament and being one of the weakest Charizard. It took rigorous training in the Charicific Valley to remedy this and improve its strength.
Rex trusted that a Charizard with an unstable foundation would require far more time and effort to reach its potential compared to one that evolved naturally.