"Tsk, getting more and more out of hand. Rex, come have a drink with me."
Watching his granddaughter flee the scene, Gurkinn muttered as he turned and led Rex to a guest lounge. The two sat sipping tea while discussing various aspects of the martial artist's path.
Most of the conversation was Rex asking questions and Gurkinn patiently explaining. Perhaps because of Rex's outstanding aptitude, Gurkinn found him particularly agreeable—otherwise, even common knowledge about martial arts wouldn't be shared so casually.
During their chat, Gurkinn also inquired about Rex's background and was surprised to learn that Rex ran a farm. For someone his age to manage such a responsibility without relying on family support was no small feat.
"You young folks go have fun. This old man's been up since early morning and needs a proper rest."
After a rather hearty lunch at the Shalour Gym, Gurkinn waved the group off with a smile.
"Rex, now we can finish that battle we didn't get to this morning!"
Korrina grinned as soon as her grandfather left, eyes shining with excitement.
Rex readily accepted the challenge. Since Swellow had become a Totem Pokémon, it had only battled Charizard once. He welcomed the chance for more battles to showcase Swellow's progress.
Soon, the three of them arrived at an indoor battle arena. The space was large, with bleachers on both sides—clearly used for official gym matches.
Once Rex and Korrina took their places, both sent out their Pokémon: Swellow versus Lucario.
Compared to Swellow, Korrina's Lucario looked much smaller, but it didn't flinch. Its sharp eyes locked onto Swellow's as they squared off in the air and on the ground.
"Lucario, use Extreme Speed!"
As soon as Mai, acting as referee, announced the start of the match, Korrina made the first move.
Utilizing the stone pillars scattered across the battlefield and Lucario's explosive agility, it launched upward with blinding speed, a white blur aimed at Swellow mid-air.
"Swellow, use Protect!"
In a flash, a transparent barrier shimmered before Swellow. Lucario's strike landed with a bang, causing only a faint ripple before it was repelled backward by the force.
Swellow didn't let up—several Air Slashes followed immediately, slicing through the air and scoring clean hits on Lucario, leaving gashes along its frame.
Lucario twisted in midair and landed steadily on the ground, though it was forced to backstep several paces from the momentum.
"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"
Back on its feet, Korrina pressed the attack.
A deep blue sphere of energy began forming between Lucario's palms. With a thrust, it fired upward like a comet, zeroing in on Swellow.
But even with the force behind it, Swellow easily dodged by banking slightly to the side. The orb missed, flying past harmlessly.
"Now, Lucario!"
Korrina grinned. Her voice carried sharp confidence.
At her signal, Lucario reached out and clutched at the air. The Aura Sphere suddenly changed direction mid-flight and slammed into Swellow's back.
Caught off guard, Rex frowned. He hadn't expected Lucario to control the orb remotely—a clever feint.
Still, Korrina's tactic wasn't enough to turn the tide. The Aura Sphere failed to even break Swellow's Totem Aura. Despite the direct hit, Swellow remained unharmed.
Korrina, unaware of the Totem Aura's properties, mistakenly assumed the attack had inflicted serious damage and called out another command.
"Lucario, use Vacuum Wave—rapid fire!"
Lucario raised its fists, unleashing a flurry of Vacuum Waves. Each punch summoned a compressed arc of wind energy, pelting the sky like machine-gun fire.
"Swellow, Brave Bird!"
For Swellow now, there was no need for strategy—just brute force.
With Brave Bird activated, Swellow's entire body shimmered in an aura of gold and blue energy. Its Totem Aura flared outward as it plowed straight through the oncoming blasts, streaking toward Lucario like a falling meteor.
"Lucario, Counter it with Payback!"
Korrina made a final bet, hoping Lucario could tank the hit and return it with twice the force.
Boom!
Swellow crashed into Lucario with earth-shaking force, throwing up dust and debris in every direction. Both Pokémon vanished inside the cloud.
Everyone fell silent. Both Korrina and Rex focused intently, eyes glued to the swirling dust, waiting to see who would emerge.
If Lucario managed to endure the impact and land a successful Payback, it could still win.
But when the dust cleared, Lucario was sprawled motionless in a shallow crater, unconscious. Swellow stood beside it, still upright, calmly using Roost to heal its minor injuries.
Korrina had underestimated Swellow's sheer power—her misjudgment had cost her the match.
She didn't linger on the loss, though. Her first concern was Lucario's well-being. Fortunately, Rex had already sent out Jumpluff, who began tending to both Pokémon.
Swellow, after using Roost, was fully recovered. Lucario, with Jumpluff's soothing Grass Terrain and Aromatherapy, soon regained consciousness as well.
"Rex, I lost this time. But Lucario and I will keep training hard. Next time, we'll challenge you again!"
Korrina clenched her fists, determination blazing in her eyes.
Rex smiled back. "Swellow and I are always ready. I look forward to our next match."
Korrina wasn't yet able to Mega Evolve her Lucario. Until that happened, she wouldn't be able to fight at her full strength.
But when she did—Rex knew the real battle would begin.