Ever Grande City is located on an island in the eastern part of the Hoenn region, where beautiful flowers bloom everywhere.
Rex departed from Slateport City Airport and took a flight that lasted over four hours to reach Ever Grande City, arriving in the late afternoon.
After getting off the plane, Rex saw many trainers with their Pokémon, many of whom were also participants in the upcoming conference.
Since there were still six days before the start of the Ever Grande Conference, Rex had plenty of free time and decided to take the opportunity to explore Ever Grande City.
The city's prosperity was entirely supported by the Ever Grande Conference. If the conference were to be held elsewhere, this now bustling tourist city would quickly decline within a few years.
However, these matters were of little concern to Rex. He searched on his phone for some well-known local food stores, and since he had only had some biscuits for lunch, he planned to treat himself.
Soon, Rex arrived at a nearby ramen shop, reputed for its delicious ramen and a must-visit for tourists in Ever Grande City.
Although it wasn't mealtime yet, the ramen shop was already quite full, and the diners seemed very satisfied with their meals, evident from their focus on the food before them.
Rex quickly found an empty seat, ordered the shop's signature seafood ramen and a few side dishes, and then waited for his food.
Due to the high number of orders, Rex waited about ten minutes before his ramen arrived. In that short time, the ramen shop had filled up completely.
After taking a bite of the ramen, Rex was pleasantly surprised. The ramen was perfectly cooked, with a chewy and bouncy texture, and the broth was rich and flavorful, meeting his expectations.
"Hello, may I sit here?"
Just as Rex was focused on enjoying his meal, a gentle male voice came from across the table.
Rex looked up to see a young man with brown hair, accompanied by a Meowth wearing boots, a ranger hat, and a red scarf around its neck. The young man seemed familiar, as if Rex had seen him in an anime in his previous life, but he couldn't remember clearly.
"Of course, I'm here alone."
Rex responded politely without making the young man wait too long.
"Thank you, my name is Tyson. Are you also here for the Ever Grande Conference?"
Tyson introduced himself with a smile as he sat down.
"Yes, my name is Rex. It seems we are competitors."
Rex extended his hand for a handshake and introduced himself.
"Haha, I look forward to meeting you in the tournament, Rex."
Tyson responded with a laugh.
"Tyson, you've dressed your Meowth very coolly. I'm sure you'd do well in a Pokémon Contest."
"Well, maybe we can try that in the future, right, Meowth?"
Tyson asked Meowth, who just turned its head away, pretending not to know him.
"Don't be shy, Meowth."
Tyson knew his Meowth's proud nature and took the opportunity to tease it.
Tyson then explained the reason for Meowth's attire. Before Tyson captured Meowth, it had injured its leg badly in a fight for leadership with a Persian. Tyson had the boots custom-made to help Meowth walk.
However, since that battle, Meowth seemed to have a psychological block. Despite its strength, it resisted evolving into a Persian.
After finishing their meal, Rex and Tyson exchanged phone numbers and parted ways, as they were just acquaintances.
As night fell, Rex decided to head to the Pokémon Center to check in.
To accommodate trainers from all over Hoenn, the Ever Grande City Pokémon Center was located near the conference venue.
When Rex arrived at the Pokémon Center, he found it housed in a large building, with at least three Officer Jennys maintaining order inside.
"Hello, Nurse Joy, I'd like to register for the conference and check in."
Rex found Nurse Joy, who was registering participants, and handed her his badge case.
"Sure, please wait a moment."
Nurse Joy took the badge case with a smile.
After scanning all the badges with a device, Rex completed the registration and received a room key.
"Hey, Rex, you're finally here."
As Rex was about to head to his room, a familiar voice called out to him.
"It's you, Rina. Long time no see."
Rex turned to see Rina, whom he hadn't seen in a while, accompanied by a girl about her age.
"Why are you so late? I arrived a week ago. By the way, this is my friend Vivica, whom I met during my travels. She's also participating in the Ever Grande Conference."
Rina first teased Rex, then introduced the girl beside her.
"Uh, I thought arriving today was early enough. Nice to meet you, Vivica. I'm Rex. I hope we all do well in the tournament."
Rex responded to Rina's teasing and shook hands with Vivica.
"Hello, Rex. Rina talks about you often, and she's been asking Nurse Joy every day if you've registered yet."
Vivica teased Rina back.
"Vivica, how dare you reveal my secrets. Take this tickle attack!"
Rina, embarrassed by Vivica's words, started tickling her.
In the end, Vivica surrendered to Rina's tickle attack, raising her hands in defeat.
Watching the two playfully banter, Rex felt quite happy. The three of them found a spot in the lobby to chat about their recent experiences.
During this time, Rina and Vivica had been training together. From their confident expressions, Rex could tell their training had been effective.
Interestingly, Vivica's starter Pokémon was also a Meowth, but it had since evolved into a Persian. This amused Rex, as both new acquaintances had connections to Meowth.
Rex shared some of his recent experiences, and it was clear that Rina and Vivica were quite interested.
As the three chatted, Rex noticed some familiar faces entering the Pokémon Center—Ash and his friends.
(Chapter End)