"Mai, when did you wake up?"
Rex finally realized he had entered a meditative state—no wonder he felt so refreshed, as if he'd just experienced a deep and dreamless sleep.
Glancing at his phone, he saw that over two hours had passed. He hadn't expected his first attempt at meditation to last so long.
"I woke up about half an hour ago. But Rex, are you sure this is really your first time doing this kind of training? I couldn't even get into a meditative state for the first few days."
Mai spoke with a hint of envy.
When she had first started, her experience had mirrored Rex's initial struggle—unable to quiet her thoughts, her mind too restless to remain still.
It had taken her three whole days just to barely enter a proper meditative state. For Rex to do it so quickly made her question her own talent.
In truth, Mai's ability to enter meditation so quickly was already impressive. That was why Gurkinn had accepted her as a disciple.
"No need to compare yourself to Rex," came a voice behind them. Unbeknownst to them, Gurkinn had approached silently. "He's nearly at the threshold of becoming a full-fledged martial artist. With his foundation, of course he'd advance through the basics faster than most."
Gurkinn clearly wasn't surprised by Rex's progress. Anyone who had trained their body to Rex's level would naturally have developed extraordinary mental strength as well.
Mai felt a little better after hearing this and silently vowed never to compare herself to this abnormal monster of a peer again.
"Well then, I'll leave you young folks to it. I've earned a bit of rest after today's work."
With that, Gurkinn strolled off with his Lucario in tow, hands clasped behind his back.
"Do you do this kind of training every day?" Rex asked softly, eyeing Korrina, who was still sitting in deep meditation alongside her Lucario.
"Only when Master Gurkinn has the time," Mai replied. "Normally, it's just Korrina and me. He's usually busy managing the gym and dealing with visiting challengers."
"But he's planning to hand over the gym to Korrina soon. That's why she's been training so seriously."
She glanced toward her friend still lost in meditation.
"By the way, how's your bond with Aerodactyl coming along?"
With Korrina still deep in meditation, Rex and Mai had some time to chat. He was curious how her relationship with her Aerodactyl had developed. Fossil Pokémon often had difficulty adjusting to the modern world, and a predator like Aerodactyl could be especially hard to handle.
"Ugh, don't get me started. Aerodactyl recognizes me as its trainer now, but it's still pretty distant. According to Master Gurkinn, with the way things are right now, there's no way we can achieve Mega Evolution."
"But ever since I started training here at the gym, I feel like our communication's improved a lot."
Mai lit up as she spoke of her Aerodactyl, describing how they had slowly begun to understand each other better.
Despite her efforts, Aerodactyl remained aloof. It followed commands during battles but kept its emotional distance. That sense of disconnection was one of the reasons she had chosen to stay at the gym. She hoped training in aura techniques would help her perceive Aerodactyl's thoughts—and allow her to express her own in turn.
And it seemed to be working. The longer they trained under Gurkinn's guidance, the more that invisible wall seemed to fade.
"That's a great sign," Rex said. "As long as things are improving, I believe the time will come when Aerodactyl truly accepts you."
There wasn't much more he could do besides offer encouragement. Forming a deep enough bond for Mega Evolution had to come from within.
"Korrina looks like she's done meditating—let's go over."
Sure enough, she and her Lucario had stood up. Rex and Mai made their way over.
"Korrina, you're up. How are you feeling?"
Mai got there first and asked the question both of them were wondering: had Korrina finally achieved that perfect connection with her Lucario?
"Not quite there yet," Korrina admitted, smiling, "but we're close. I know we'll reach that level soon."
After that, the group spent the next few hours training their Pokémon in the quiet solitude of the cavern. It was, after all, their true calling as trainers.
Rex let Sludgeweed and Haunter train on their own, while Sea Cucumber and Gulpweed were placed in the deep pool beneath the waterfall—land was far from ideal for their mobility.
His attention was focused on Chimchar and Bagon, using Blaziken as their sparring partner.
Rex could sense that Chimchar was nearing evolution. While Bagon had no idea yet, it was clear the upcoming change would be a blow to its pride.
Interestingly, the rivalry between Chimchar and Bagon had shifted. Working together against Blaziken made them allies, and their bond had become much stronger since.
As for Swellow, there wasn't much for it to do in the cramped cavern. Rex simply let it rest and absorb ambient Z-energy to recover the dominant aura it had lost during the last battle.
Though the Z-energy in Kalos was much thinner than in Alola, it was still present—and Swellow would make use of every bit.