One day, Rex took some time to visit Slateport City. He went to a jewelry store and handed over a glass bead, the same size as a Key Stone, that he had prepared in advance. He asked the shop to make a bracelet that could hold the bead.
The shop owner, a middle-aged man, was a bit puzzled by Rex's request. However, since Rex was paying with Alliance coins, he didn't ask too many questions. After confirming the style of the bracelet, the owner told Rex to come back in three days to pick it up.
Since he was already in Slateport City, Rex decided not to rush back home. Instead, he planned to visit the department store to stock up on some supplies. If he could find some rare berry seeds, that would be even better.
As Rex walked through the streets of Slateport, he watched the bustling crowd with interest. Suddenly, he noticed a gathering of people up ahead. Curious, he quickened his pace and joined the crowd.
Indeed, no matter the world, watching commotion is as instinctive as eating or drinking water. Wherever there's something to see, there's always a crowd.
The area was packed with onlookers. After circling around for a bit, Rex finally squeezed his way to the front and discovered that someone was performing a challenging act of body art.
A muscular man, dressed in a martial arts uniform, was balancing himself on one hand, sitting upside down. His eyes were closed, seemingly asleep. If it weren't for the fact that he had rolled up his sleeves, exposing his strong arms, Rex might have thought he was using some kind of hidden support.
As Rex stared at the man, he began to feel a sense of familiarity, though he couldn't immediately recall why. The man's upside-down posture distorted his face, making it harder to recognize him.
Then, in a flash of realization, Rex remembered who the man was—none other than Rocky, the man who had taught him body strengthening techniques.
Although Rex and Rocky had only spent less than a day together, Rex had a lasting impression of the martial artist who had taught him those techniques.
It seemed like Rocky was in the middle of some sort of martial arts training, so Rex wasn't sure if he should greet him. For now, he simply watched alongside the rest of the crowd.
"You folks shouldn't be gathering here! You're going to block traffic on this road!"
Not long after, Officer Jenny, who was patrolling the city, noticed the scene. She was more concerned about the crowd potentially blocking the roadway. Although it hadn't caused a traffic jam yet, it was only a matter of time if people kept gathering.
Officer Jenny was well respected in Slateport City. After hearing her words, the crowd began to disperse in small groups. Soon, only Rex, Officer Jenny, and Rocky remained.
"Huh, Rex? What are you doing here?"
Officer Jenny finally noticed Rex. She had a rather deep impression of the young man, partly because her cousin from Fallarbor Town often shared information about him.
"Hello, Officer Jenny. It's great to see you here. I just happened to visit Slateport and passed by," Rex replied politely as he walked up to her.
Officer Jenny nodded in understanding, then turned to look at Rocky, who was still sitting with his eyes closed.
"Sir, please don't perform such actions here. You're going to cause a traffic issue," she said, her tone slightly stern.
Rocky, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and, with a push of his hand, flipped into the air and landed in front of Rex and Officer Jenny.
"My apologies. I didn't consider that. I won't do this again. Sorry for causing you any trouble," Rocky said sincerely, a look of regret on his face.
"As long as there's no issue, that's fine. Thank you for your understanding!"
Officer Jenny, satisfied with Rocky's apology, then turned to Rex. "Rex, I need to continue my patrol. See you next time!"
"Goodbye, Officer Jenny!"
After saying goodbye to her, Rex turned to Rocky and said, "Rocky-sensei, long time no see! I didn't expect to run into you here in Slateport."
Rocky, who had been about to pack his things and leave, was surprised to hear the young man call out to him. He hadn't been paying much attention to Rex earlier, his focus being on Officer Jenny.
"It's you! How's the body strengthening technique coming along?"
After taking a closer look at Rex, Rocky finally recognized him. He had a good impression of Rex, believing him to have great potential as a martial artist. After all, Rex was one of the few who could quickly learn the body strengthening technique Rocky had taught. It was a shame that Rex didn't intend to pursue that path, something Rocky had regretted for a while.
"I think it's going well. But recently, practicing the technique doesn't seem to improve my physical condition as much anymore," Rex said, scratching his head with a troubled expression.
Since his practice in the Lava Cave had further enhanced his body, the effects of the body strengthening technique in a normal environment had become negligible.
This suggested that Rex's physical condition had surpassed the limits that the technique could enhance. Unless he continued training in an environment like the Lava Cave, further improvement would be minimal.
Rocky, upon hearing Rex's words, couldn't believe it. Suddenly, he swung a punch toward Rex, a powerful strike aimed directly at his chest. The force of the punch was immense, and the sound of it cutting through the air showed it was no mere feint.
Without thinking, Rex instinctively crossed his arms to protect his vital areas, hoping to block the attack.
Bang!
Rocky's punch landed squarely on Rex's crossed arms, the impact forcing him to stagger back several steps. His arms tingled from the blow, but the pain was manageable.
"It seems you weren't lying. But how did you achieve this? It's only been a short time since I taught you the technique, and you've already improved your physical condition to this extent?"
Rocky withdrew his hand after the punch, not intending to attack again. This made Haunter, who had been lurking in Rex's shadow, retreat as well. It had been ready to intervene with a Protect move if Rocky had shown any real intent to harm Rex.
"When did this become a problem?" Rex asked, shaking off the numbness in his arms.
"Of course, it's a problem! It took me three full years to reach your level using this technique, and that was with rigorous training. If I had slacked off even a little, it would have taken even longer."
Rocky's voice was filled with disbelief as he looked at Rex, clearly impressed but also bewildered.
"And yet, in less than a year, you've already reached this level."
Rocky's gaze softened as he spoke, his complex emotions evident in his tone.
(End of Chapter)