Rex spent the entire morning exploring Nimbasa City under Mira's enthusiastic guidance, visiting nearly every major attraction the city had to offer.
Perhaps because Machamp had effortlessly defeated Mira's Serperior, she had developed complicated feelings toward Rex—part rivalry, part admiration. On one hand, she now saw him as a formidable opponent she wanted to beat; on the other, she respected his strength and wanted to become friends.
It was this mix of emotions that led her to invite Rex backstage at the Nimbasa Gym, where the afternoon fashion show would be held.
"Mira, who's this?"
When Rex followed her backstage, the place was already buzzing with staff preparing for the show. A sophisticated woman wearing glasses stopped to ask when she saw Rex.
"This is Rex, a friend of mine. I brought him along to help," Mira replied, winking at Rex to play along.
"Oh, I see. I'm Becky, the show's lead coordinator. Thanks for lending a hand!"
Becky didn't pry. With the show about to start and things behind schedule, she was more than happy to have another set of capable hands.
Soon enough, Rex found himself swept into the chaos. Once Becky realized how strong he was, all the heavy-lifting jobs that others struggled with were quickly handed off to him.
Rex didn't mind. Compared to his usual training, this barely counted as a warm-up.
"Rex, have some water—take a break," Mira said, a little embarrassed as she handed him a bottle.
She'd only wanted to sneak Rex in so he could enjoy the show up close. She hadn't expected him to end up doing so much work, and now she felt a bit guilty.
"Thanks, I was getting thirsty anyway."
Rex took it in stride. He knew he'd taken a shortcut by coming in this way—doing some work in return was only fair.
"Rex, seriously—thank you. We wouldn't have finished on time without you."
Becky walked over and thanked him sincerely. Originally, the prep work was expected to take much longer, but Rex's contributions had sped everything up significantly.
In fact, Becky had known what Mira was up to from the start—others had tried to sneak in guests before. To deter the practice, she made a point of putting those guests to work. She just hadn't expected Rex to be so capable.
As a thank-you, Becky handed Rex a ticket for a front-row seat.
Caught off guard but thrilled by the reward, Rex made his way to his assigned seat just as the doors to the auditorium opened. Mira plopped down in the seat next to his.
"Yo! You got a great seat, huh?" she teased.
"Hmph! You ditched me to sit here alone. Luckily, I begged Becky and she gave me this ticket," Mira huffed, waving her own pass proudly.
"Hey now—I earned mine with sweat and labor," Rex laughed, trying to ease the sting.
Before they could banter further, the venue lights suddenly dimmed, plunging the auditorium into darkness.
Then the runway burst into life—dazzling spotlights swept across the stage in every color imaginable, illuminating the catwalk in vibrant hues.
Pulsing music filled the room, and a graceful figure stepped onto the stage from behind the curtains.
"Elesa!"
"Elesa!"
The crowd erupted as a tall, radiant young woman strode into the spotlight. Her long legs and commanding presence sent waves of excitement through the audience.
Even Mira was swept up in the fervor, chanting and waving glow sticks. Rex felt oddly out of place, unsure if he could match the wild enthusiasm around him.
Still, to blend in, he picked up a glow stick and gave it a few tentative waves.
He had to admit—the show was impressively well-done. Elesa's ever-changing outfits and confident runway strut captivated the entire audience. It was easy to see why she had such a massive following.
As the performance reached its peak, Elesa brought out her Pokémon to join her: Emolga, Zebstrika, Ampharos—all took the stage, each adding flair and energy to the show with synchronized poses and movements.
Rex quickly realized Elesa wasn't just a Gym Leader—she was also a skilled Contest-style Coordinator, seamlessly integrating her Pokémon's natural traits into the fashion showcase.
Eventually, the lights dimmed once more, signaling the end of the show. Mira's voice had gone hoarse from all the shouting, but her eyes still sparkled with excitement.
Despite the intense energy throughout, she didn't look tired in the slightest.
When Elesa and her Pokémon took their final bow and exited the stage, the crowd began to settle, many already talking excitedly about the next show as they filed out of the auditorium.
"Mira, I should get going," Rex said, standing to leave.
"You're leaving already? I was gonna introduce you to Elesa!" she said, clearly disappointed.
"Oh… well, if you're offering an introduction, I guess I'm not in that much of a hurry," Rex said, quickly reversing course.
Ahem… it wasn't like he was captivated by her beauty or anything. He just wanted to make more friends.
Yes… friends. That's all.
Or so Rex told himself—trying not to blush.
(End of Chapter)