"Of course, no problem at all, Master Layton!"
Rex didn't hesitate to accept Layton's request. After all, he had been living and training at the All Star Fitness Club without paying for anything, so it only felt right to repay some of that generosity.
"Then I'll leave Aliza and Machop in your care, Rex."
With so many things to manage around the club, Layton didn't linger. He left after a few quick words.
That left Aliza and Machop standing there, a bit confused. Aliza had no idea how things had ended up like this.
"Rex, I'm counting on you to take care of Machop!"
Aliza quickly accepted reality and gave Rex a polite bow, her voice sweet and sincere.
"Uh, you don't have to be so formal, Aliza. I'll have Machamp handle his training."
Rex smiled at her. He found her respectful demeanor quite endearing.
Machop, however, was starting to get nervous. As soon as he realized that Rex's Machamp would be his trainer, a sense of unease washed over him.
For a brief moment, Machop felt like prey being watched by a predator. Cold sweat ran down his back.
But after glancing around and not noticing anything strange, he chalked it up to his imagination.
"Machamp, you're up. I'll leave Machop's training to you."
Rex waved toward the rooftop.
As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow dropped down from above—it was his Machamp.
It had been sunbathing up there, but had been watching the whole time.
Machop stared up at the Machamp, who exuded even more pressure than Layton's. He immediately stood at attention, stiff and upright like a student called on in class.
Machamp gave Machop a quick glance, then casually grabbed him like a ragdoll and leapt away, vanishing over the roof in just a few steps.
"Ah! Rex, your Machamp took Machop away!"
Aliza panicked. She didn't know what Machamp was planning to do, and while Machop could be mischievous, she really did care for him.
Seeing her Pokémon carried off by a Machamp even scarier than her grandpa's made her worry instinctively.
"Relax, Aliza. Machamp's just taking him for training. They'll be back once they're done. Why don't you sit down and take a break for now?"
Rex turned and went into his room, returning shortly with some sweet honey from his farm and a spread of delicious local snacks.
"Here. Eat as much as you want while you wait."
Before Aliza could even respond, he was already off practicing Brick Break nearby.
"Wow! So much good food… I won't hold back then!"
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the treats. Her worries about Machop instantly vanished as she happily dug in.
While Aliza enjoyed her feast, Machop was getting thoroughly worked over by Machamp.
Their sparring was simple and direct. Machop's punches barely made a dent, while Machamp's blows made him cry out every time.
It wasn't that Machamp was being cruel—his hits looked light—but they hurt more than anything Machop had ever felt, even worse than Layton's Machamp.
Still, Machop knew he couldn't resist. He quickly stopped fooling around and focused entirely on the battle.
As a Fighting-type, Machop naturally loved combat. Once he got into the rhythm, his skills steadily improved.
Machamp was guiding him intentionally—not overwhelming him, but applying just enough pressure to force Machop to push himself without breaking.
"Rex, I have to go back to school now! I'll come train again next break!"
Aliza now wore a cute dress and a Psyduck-shaped backpack, waving goodbye with a hint of reluctance.
"Sure, I'll be looking forward to it."
Rex patted her head and smiled warmly.
Over the past few days, he and Aliza had grown close. She had come every day to practice her body-strengthening techniques, and he had patiently helped her correct her form.
Unlike her grandfather, Rex never scolded her. That made Aliza feel completely comfortable training with him.
Combined with the delicious food he always had, her days had been nothing short of wonderful—she didn't want them to end.
Just then, Machamp returned with Machop in tow.
After several days of intense training, Machop's entire demeanor had changed. He was calmer and more focused.
Where once he had resisted Machamp's instruction, he now fully accepted him as a teacher. He'd learned a lot in just a few days—not just strength, but technique.
Most notably, Machop had even begun to grasp Dynamic Punch, a powerful Fighting-type move.
Though his control over it was still rudimentary, Machop could feel the skill's incredible potential.
He was confident now that he could easily defeat the version of himself from just a few days ago.
After seeing Aliza off, Rex resumed his own training. Thanks to days of focused effort, he could now execute Brick Break more fluidly, responding to his instincts in real-time during battle.
In sparring matches against Rocky, the results spoke for themselves—Rocky could no longer beat him. At best, he could fight Rex to a draw.
"Rex? It's Caitlin. I heard you're in Unova right now, so I hope you don't mind me reaching out. I'd like to invite you to visit my estate."
One day, Rex was surprised to receive a call from Caitlin.
He hadn't expected it—after all, they'd only met once, and weren't exactly close.
The matter of Caitlin purchasing berries from Rex Farm had been entirely handled by Yuli. Rex hadn't really followed up on it.
What he didn't know was that Yuli and Caitlin had kept in touch and become good friends.
Caitlin had very few close connections due to her volatile psychic powers, and Yuli, who spent most of her time tending the farm, had been eager to make a new friend. The two had hit it off.
When Caitlin learned from Yuli that Rex was now in Unova, she'd decided to extend an invitation.
Truth be told, Caitlin had always had a favorable impression of Rex.
After all, the berries from his farm were of exceptional quality, and her Pokémon absolutely loved the Pokéblocks made from them.
So she'd figured—it couldn't hurt to invite him over in person.