After his battle with Korrina, Rex toured the Shalour Gym under the guidance of Mai and Korrina.
The gym was built around the Tower of Mastery, with surrounding buildings supporting its function. Though led by Gurkinn and Korrina, the island housed many students and staff, giving it a lively atmosphere unlike the usual somber air of ancient castles.
Students here had daily duties assigned by the gym, but much of their time was spent training Pokémon and practicing the Aura Breathing Technique.
The group sessions led by Gurkinn were held roughly once a week—not daily—and served to help him monitor each student's progress.
The Aura Breathing Technique was easy to learn but difficult to master. Only a rare few could persist in training long enough to reach the level of an Aura Guardian.
Most students had no intention of becoming one. They practiced mainly to enhance their skill in training Fighting-type Pokémon, using the breathing techniques as a support method rather than a path to mastery.
In fact, if Gurkinn hadn't mandated the practice and held regular assessments, many likely would have abandoned the routine entirely.
Lucario were simply too rare. Rex hadn't seen a single student with another Lucario or even a Riolu. Without the aid of the Lucario line, cultivating aura energy using only the breathing techniques was painstakingly slow.
Despite Rex's apparent ease with the forms, the results were limited. He saw early benefits, but the rate of progress would inevitably drop.
"Rex, Grandpa's going to guide Mai and me in aura meditation soon. Want to join us?" Korrina asked around 3 p.m.
"If it's not inconvenient. If it's private training, I don't want to intrude—I can go explore Shalour City on my own."
Rex understood this might be more advanced or secretive training. As an outsider, he wasn't sure how welcome he would be.
"Don't worry. It's nothing confidential," Korrina said with a wave.
"She's right, Rex. If I'm allowed to go, you definitely can too," Mai added with a smile.
Since both reassured him, Rex gladly accepted. Besides, he was quite interested in strengthening his aura.
Even if he didn't plan to use aura to become a Guardian, enhancing his mental strength could help him resist the influence of Psychic-types.
The trio descended to the lowest level of the Tower of Mastery. The vast underground space had barely any modern construction—it seemed like a naturally formed cavern.
After walking through a passageway, they reached a node along an underground waterway. To Rex's surprise, a small waterfall poured into a deep, shadowy pool below.
There, on a stone near the falls, sat Gurkinn in meditation, his Lucario beside him, both perfectly still. Even as the three approached, neither stirred—it was as if the outside world had ceased to exist for them.
"Rex, find a stone and try entering a meditative state. Grandpa says this area is ideal for mental training—quiet and free from interruption."
After giving him a few tips, Korrina and her Lucario also began their meditation. Mai didn't summon any Pokémon—she simply chose a stone and sat cross-legged.
Rex had studied meditation before. Known as "sitting in stillness," it helped improve circulation, ease stress, and calm the mind—something ancient texts in his past life had praised for both physical and spiritual well-being.
In this magical world, though, meditation might carry even more mystical benefits—clearly enough to earn the esteem of a master like Gurkinn.
Putting theory into practice, Rex selected a stone far enough from the others to avoid disturbing them, then adopted the same seated posture as Gurkinn.
Thanks to his physical flexibility developed through his body-tempering techniques, Rex easily mirrored the pose.
But he knew posture alone wasn't enough—true meditation required silencing the mind and casting aside distractions.
At first, the harder Rex tried to clear his thoughts, the more they surged—memories, images, voices all flashed through his head, growing louder and more irritating. He nearly shouted out in frustration, but forced himself to endure.
After about ten minutes of struggle, Rex changed his approach. Instead of resisting, he let go. He let his mind drift naturally, focusing on comfort rather than control.
Surprisingly, this worked. The mental noise faded. A gentle stillness took hold.
Soon, Rex entered a dreamlike state—half-asleep, half-aware—as if the world around him had vanished. He didn't know how long it lasted, only that when he finally returned to awareness, the connection had been lost and wouldn't come back.
He opened his eyes without regret.
"Rex, you're awake! I can't believe your first session lasted that long. I feel like such a dummy compared to you!"
Mai had already finished her meditation and came over, clearly impressed.
Only then did Rex look around. Korrina and Gurkinn were both still seated, deep in their meditative state.