A few days had passed since Ursaring and the others had evolved. Ever since their evolution, Rex had been even stricter with their training.
To maximize their strength during this post-evolution period, Rex had Machoke lead their training.
Coincidentally, Machoke had also been intensely training its right arm recently, aiming to make it as strong as its left arm. With Machoke leading, Ursaring and the others definitely couldn't slack off.
Today, the Rex Farm would welcome two guests, so Rex and Yuli started preparing early. After all, visitors were a rare sight on the farm.
It had been a while since the end of the Ever Grande Conference. Yesterday, Rex received a call from Max, saying that he and his sister May wanted to visit Rex Farm. Rex was naturally very welcoming.
Around 10 AM, Rex finally saw May and Max. They were riding a majestic Pidgeot, which landed on the grass in front of the house.
Rex could tell from Pidgeot's aura that it was a very powerful Pokémon, likely trained by their father, Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader.
"Welcome, May and Max!" Rex greeted them with a smile.
"Thank you for having us, Rex," May replied with a smile.
"Rex, can I go see Lapras first? I've missed it so much!" Max tugged at Rex's sleeve, requesting eagerly.
"Haha, of course. But Lapras is living at Jade Moon Lake now. Let me grab my backpack, and we'll head there!" Rex patted Max on the shoulder and responded with a smile.
"Max, you're so rude! We're already here, and you're still so impatient," May said, covering her face in embarrassment at her brother's behavior.
"Yuli, you entertain May for now. I'll take Max to Jade Moon Lake!" Rex said to Yuli. The three of them were already familiar with May, so this arrangement wasn't awkward.
"Of course, boss. You take Max first; we'll prepare and then join you at the lake," Yuli responded and then led May into the house.
"Alright, let's go, Max!" Rex summoned Swellow, letting it carry them to Jade Moon Lake.
"Rex, your Swellow is even faster and smoother in flight than Dad's Pidgeot!" Max exclaimed after experiencing Swellow's flight.
Since the lake wasn't far, they arrived quickly. The scenery at Jade Moon Lake was as beautiful as ever, with clear water sparkling under the sun. Near the water, a group of Lotad was sunbathing leisurely.
Soon, Gyarados, Milotic, and Lapras also swam over. Lapras had been training with Gyarados and Milotic these past few days.
When Gyarados and Milotic battled, they would seek a secluded place to avoid disturbing other Pokémon.
"Lapras, how have you been?" Max waved excitedly upon seeing Lapras.
Lapras smiled upon seeing Max. Their bond was strong, and Lapras was delighted to see Max again.
Soon, Lapras and the others reached the shore. Max eagerly climbed onto Lapras's back and started chatting with it. Mostly, it was Max talking while Lapras listened.
Meanwhile, Rex jumped onto Gyarados's back, noticing that it seemed to have grown significantly. He wondered if this was due to its increased strength or because it was following the path of a Totem Pokémon like Swellow.
"Max, let's take a tour of the lake!" Rex called out to Max, who was engrossed in his conversation with Lapras.
Max readily agreed and cheerfully had Lapras swim toward the lake's center.
Taking this opportunity, Rex took out his Pokédex to check the training progress of the three Pokémon.
First, Gyarados had learned Ice Beam and Aqua Tail, likely from training with Lapras and Milotic.
Milotic had learned Ice Beam, and Lapras had learned Hyper Beam. The three Pokémon had been learning moves from each other with considerable success.
Upon reaching the lake's center, Rex had the three Pokémon use Ice Beam together to create an ice platform.
He wanted to see how well they had mastered Ice Beam. Soon, the three Pokémon took positions and shot Ice Beam from their mouths, quickly freezing a large area of water. As they continued, the ice grew thicker.
Since Rex planned to use the ice platform for activities, he had them stop once it was thick enough for people to walk on, rather than creating a large iceberg like Lapras did previously.
Soon, they had created an ice platform about the size of a basketball court floating on the lake.
Rex jumped onto the ice, feeling the chill immediately. Lapras, with Max on its back, jumped onto the ice and started gliding happily. As a Water/Ice-type Pokémon, Lapras loved this environment.
Max, holding onto Lapras's neck, was so excited that he seemed to ignore the cold.
Rex thought this would be a great spot for a picnic. He figured Yuli and the others should be at the lake by now. After calling out to Max, he had Gyarados take him back to the shore.
Soon, Rex reached the shore and saw Yuli and the others. He directed Gyarados to approach them.
"Rex, where's Max? I don't see him," May asked upon seeing Rex return alone.
"He's playing with Lapras. Come on up, and I'll take you to him," Rex said, motioning for the four of them to get on Gyarados's back. Despite its nearly ten-meter length, there was plenty of room for everyone.
Though unsure of Rex's plan, Yuli and the others got onto Gyarados's back. Gyarados then carried them toward the lake's center.
"May, what are your plans now?" Rex asked.
"I've decided to pursue the path of a top Coordinator and will be participating in various contests across different regions," May replied with a look of anticipation.
"Having a clear goal in life is wonderful. I'm sure you'll succeed," Rex said sincerely.
(End of the chapter)