"Yuli, I'm back!"
Even before Rex stepped into the main hall, his loud voice had already reached Yuli's ears.
"Did you finish picking all the Gracidea flowers for Miss Koko?"
As soon as she saw him, Yuli asked, stepping forward and reaching up to remove a stray blade of grass tangled in his hair.
"Yep, they're all packed and stored in the space backpack."
Rex gave the backpack a pat as he responded.
"I see. So, when are you heading over there?"
"I'm not going alone. We're going together."
Rex corrected her with a grin.
"Me? I don't think that's a good idea… What about the farm? We can't both just leave it unattended."
Surprise flickered in Yuli's eyes, quickly replaced by hesitation.
"You can come in now!"
Rex, clearly anticipating her reaction, called toward the door.
Moments later, Machamp and Heracross stepped into the hall.
"With Machamp and Heracross here, you don't need to worry about anything at the farm."
Rex gestured confidently toward the two powerful Pokémon.
"Di!"
Diancie, feeling neglected, gave a protesting cry.
"Oh, right—how could I forget our lovely Diancie? With her here too, everything on the farm will be well taken care of."
He quickly added, smiling.
Before Yuli could argue further, Rex took her hand and pulled her outside. Swellow was already waiting on the lawn.
A sharp gust of wind followed as a sleek silhouette shot skyward—then vanished into the horizon.
Thanks to Swellow's strength, even carrying both Rex and Yuli, it maintained an impressive speed.
"It's so beautiful…"
Yuli couldn't help but marvel at the sea of clouds drifting past.
It wasn't her first time flying on Rex's Swellow, but this time felt different.
She knew Rex had dragged her along because he didn't want her left alone on the farm feeling down. But instead of being annoyed, she felt… grateful.
Soaring through the sky like this, Yuli's heart felt lighter and freer—she finally understood Karen's obsession with the skies.
For children who grew up in an orphanage, the feeling of freedom was especially precious.
Unfortunately, good things never last long. Just as Yuli was fully immersed in the breathtaking scenery, Swellow began to descend—landing squarely in Verdanturf's trainer plaza.
Its massive size and impressive presence instantly drew a crowd of curious trainers.
Rex quickly recalled Swellow after landing and led Yuli away from the crowd.
"Miss Koko, I'm here!"
Yuli pushed open the glass doors of the Blooming Flower Shop, spotted Koko arranging a bouquet, and rushed over to hug her arm with a bright smile.
"Yuli! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
Koko was just as delighted to see her, though she lightly scolded her for the surprise visit.
"Well, I didn't even know I was coming until just before we left—blame him."
Yuli glanced over at Rex with mock indignation.
"It's been a while, Miss Koko."
Rex greeted Koko politely with a smile, following a few steps behind.
"Wait—how come you two are here? Did something happen with Karen?"
Koko poured tea for them as she gestured for them to sit, her tone concerned.
Rex briefly explained how Karen and Yui had set out on their journey that morning.
"I see… I can't believe Karen didn't tell me. Next time I see her, I'm giving her a proper scolding!"
Koko pouted dramatically.
"You two chat—I'll go put the Gracidea flowers in storage."
Rex, who had delivered flowers here before, knew the drill. With practiced ease, he headed for the back of the shop.
"Thanks, Rex!"
Koko smiled brightly.
She and Yuli immediately launched into a passionate conversation about flower cultivation—one of the biggest reasons they'd become such close friends.
Back in the storage room, Rex spotted a familiar sight: Bellossom, fast asleep nestled among the flower bundles.
"Oops, didn't mean to wake you, Bellossom."
The moment he stepped in, Bellossom leapt up, momentarily alarmed by the unfamiliar presence.
But as soon as it recognized Rex, it relaxed and greeted him cheerfully.
After all, Bellossom had spent quite a while at the farm when learning Grassy Terrain, and had gotten along very well with Rex.
He gave its head a fond pat before pulling Gracidea flowers out of his backpack and placing them into the designated containers.
Later, Koko would turn them into beautiful bouquets for display and sale.
By the time he finished unloading all the flowers, the shop was bustling.
Koko was helping a customer choose a bouquet while Yuli organized the storefront displays.
And for some reason, business was booming today—customers flowed in nonstop.
Rex naturally pitched in, ferrying fresh bouquets from storage to the front as needed.
By evening, the rush finally died down, and the flower shop quieted once more. Koko and Yuli collapsed onto the couch, exhausted.
"Was today some kind of special holiday? Why were there so many customers?"
Rex poured water for both of them and asked curiously.
"It's Mauville's founding day. That's why everyone was buying flowers. I'm so glad you two came—there's no way I could've handled all that alone."
Koko downed her glass and let out a relieved sigh.
"Don't leave just yet. There's going to be a big bonfire festival tonight. The whole city will be out celebrating. I think you'll really enjoy it."
She added with a smile.
"Sounds like we picked the perfect day to visit, huh, Yuli?"
Rex chuckled with interest.
"But what about the farm…?"
Yuli looked tempted but still voiced her concern.
(To be continued)