"You have to keep working hard too, Lapras!"
Seeing Lapras swimming over, Rex encouraged it as well.
Rex had been quite lenient with Lapras lately, only requiring it to practice its moves daily, hoping it would soon convert what it learned from Melotic's Milotic into its own skills.
Fortunately, Lapras hadn't disappointed Rex. Besides continuing to practice the moves it had already mastered, it had also learned Rain Dance and Hydro Pump.
Rex was quite satisfied with Lapras's learning progress, so he hadn't assigned it any additional training tasks.
Lapras's favorite activity now was watching Milotic and Magikarp train because it found it very interesting, especially as Magikarp became more resilient.
Milotic and Magikarp didn't mind having Lapras as a spectator as long as it didn't interfere with their training.
After receiving Rex's treatment, Magikarp felt a significant boost in strength and charged at Milotic once again.
Rex was amazed at Magikarp's swift movements, noticing it had become much faster.
Milotic didn't expect Magikarp to improve so much. In a moment of carelessness, it was knocked backward by Magikarp, splashing into the water.
For Milotic, this attack wasn't even a minor injury. It quickly surfaced, but its mood was clearly affected. Being successfully ambushed by Magikarp was embarrassing for the proud Milotic.
With Milotic taking things seriously, Magikarp soon found itself at a disadvantage. Whenever it got close, it was met with Milotic's Aqua Tail.
Despite Magikarp's efforts to dodge, it was inevitably sent flying by Milotic's powerful tail, landing even farther away than before, showing that Milotic had increased its attack strength.
Watching the training between Milotic and Magikarp, Rex fell into deep thought. He believed that Magikarp had met all the conditions for evolution. The only thing missing was a catalyst.
Continuous training could further enhance Magikarp's strength, but it had grown accustomed to battling Milotic. These exercises wouldn't cause significant emotional changes for Magikarp.
"Lapras, come here for a moment."
Rex called to Lapras, who was watching the training with great interest.
Hearing its trainer, Lapras was momentarily stunned but quickly swam over to the shore.
"Lapras, can you take me to the center of the lake?"
As Lapras approached, Rex jumped onto its back and patted its neck.
Though puzzled by Rex's request, Lapras happily carried its trainer toward the center of the lake.
Compared to being a mere observer of Milotic and Magikarp's training, Lapras found more joy in carrying its trainer around the lake.
"Lapras, can you use Ice Beam to create an iceberg here?"
Upon reaching the center of the lake, Rex asked Lapras to stop and inquired if it could create an iceberg.
Lapras cheerfully nodded, thinking its trainer wanted to play a game, and happily used Ice Beam on the lake's surface.
The area hit by Ice Beam quickly formed a thick layer of ice. As Lapras continued using Ice Beam, the ice grew higher and larger.
The temperature around them dropped significantly. Rex could feel the biting cold, but thanks to his body-strengthening exercises, he was much stronger, and the cold didn't affect him much.
Soon, a massive iceberg, several dozen meters high, stood before Rex. Lapras, having exhausted its energy, was panting heavily, clearly at its limit, barely holding on.
"Thank you, Lapras, that's enough!"
Rex patted Lapras, signaling it to stop.
Lapras, struggling, immediately ceased using Ice Beam. Seeing the enormous iceberg it had created filled it with pride.
Creating such a magnificent iceberg with its own power made Lapras happy, especially after receiving praise from its trainer.
Rex then brought Milotic and Magikarp over and explained his plan in detail.
After listening, Magikarp was very excited, expressing its enthusiasm by splashing around Rex. Milotic, more composed, simply nodded to show its understanding.
Milotic swam to the backside of the iceberg and shot a Hydro Pump at its top, creating a waterfall cascading down the iceberg, forming a spectacular icy waterfall.
"Go, Magikarp!"
Seeing his plan come to life through Lapras and Milotic's efforts, Rex patted Magikarp, signaling it to start leaping over the waterfall.
Magikarp nodded to Rex and, with a determined spirit, swam toward the icy waterfall.
Rex recalled an island in the anime where countless Magikarp swam upstream. Those who successfully climbed the waterfall had a high chance of evolving into Gyarados.
Inspired by this, Rex designed the icy waterfall, hoping it would trigger Magikarp's evolution into Gyarados by challenging it.
Rex believed this icy waterfall was even more challenging than a regular waterfall. Besides swimming upstream, Magikarp had to resist the cold from the iceberg, adding to the difficulty.
Magikarp made its first attempt, swimming upstream with determination. Unfortunately, halfway up, it ran out of strength and was swept back down by the current.
Undeterred, Magikarp tried again and again. By the end, it was covered in wounds and frostbite but refused to give up, determined to keep climbing.
"Alright, Magikarp, let's call it a day. We'll continue tomorrow!"
Rex stopped the exhausted Magikarp.
Rex hadn't expected Magikarp to succeed immediately. After a long training session with Milotic, it wasn't in its best condition, making it unlikely to succeed today.
Though reluctant, Magikarp obeyed Rex and stopped.
Milotic also stopped using Hydro Pump. Prolonged use of the move was taxing for Milotic, but being in the lake, where the water was abundant, helped reduce its energy consumption.
"Milotic, please heal Magikarp, and then you both can rest. We'll continue tomorrow!"
Rex instructed Milotic and Magikarp.
He then asked Lapras to maintain the iceberg. Maintaining the already-formed iceberg was easier for Lapras, requiring only occasional use of Ice Beam, which wouldn't drain much of its energy.
(Chapter End)