27 Chapter 27: Return to the Farm

"Rex, hurry up and come down, the water feels so nice!"

Flannery and Yuki called out to Rex, who was standing on the beach.

In reality, Rex was somewhat fearful of water now. In his previous life, he had submerged himself to save someone, experiencing the suffocating feeling, which still haunted him to this day.

Moreover, in this world, Rex had experienced a natural disaster that tragically claimed the lives of his entire family by sweeping them into the sea.

Rex felt a sense of conflict with water, but he knew it was just a coincidence. He simply couldn't overcome his fear of water temporarily.

"Come out, Poliwag!"

Released from its Poké Ball, Poliwag looked around. The morning's experience had left it somewhat shaken.

However, upon seeing the vast ocean, it forgot all about its previous unease. With a few hops, it jumped into the sea with a splash.

Once in the water, Poliwag felt like it was back home. It waved its tail fin, leisurely swimming around in the sea.

With Poliwag around, Rex's heart finally settled a bit.

At this moment, Rex was also trying to overcome his fear of water. Slowly, he walked into the sea, but he didn't dare to go too deep. He stopped when the water reached his chest.

This kind of fear couldn't be overcome in a short time. To reach this point, he had already shown considerable courage.

Seeing Rex's demeanor, Flannery and Yuki understood that he might not be very good at swimming. They didn't urge him further and began playing in the water on their own.

Rex stayed in the water for a while but found it uninteresting. He went to a nearby store to buy some drinks for everyone, feeling thirsty himself.

"Hello, I noticed that you've raised your Poliwag quite well. Would you like to have a Pokémon battle with my Poliwag?" 

As Rex finished buying drinks and returned to his beach chair, a slightly younger boy ran up to him and asked.

"Hello, I'm Rex. I generally don't refuse requests for Pokémon battles!"

Rex was feeling a bit bored, so a Pokémon battle sounded like a good idea.

"Great! I'm Takano Ryuji. Let's go to the less crowded beach over there!"

The young boy introduced himself enthusiastically.

Afterward, Rex waved to Poliwag. Seeing Rex's signal, Poliwag didn't hesitate and hopped over to him.

"Poliwag, we have a Pokémon battle coming up. You need to do your best! 

If you embarrass us with a poor performance, you'll undergo double training when we get back, understood?"

Hearing Rex's words, Poliwag shivered, immediately promising to give its all.

Yuki and Flannery, noticing the impending battle, emerged from the sea. Each grabbed a drink and started sipping.

Upon learning about Rex's upcoming battle, they expressed their support.

Eventually, the group arrived at a less crowded area of the beach. This section had fewer visitors due to the poor quality of the sand.

"Rex and Takano Ryuji will have a 1v1 Pokémon duel. Please release your Pokémon!"

Flannery volunteered to be the referee. Rex felt a bit speechless at her formal behavior.

"Go, Poliwag!"

Takano Ryuji called out with vigor, showing he was quite passionate.

"You go too, Poliwag!"

Rex said to his Poliwag.

"Both Pokémon are ready. Let the match begin!"

Flannery announced energetically.

"Show your spirit, Poliwag! Use Water Gun!"

Takano Ryuji shouted confidently.

"Poliwag, use Water Gun too!"

Rex opted not to use any fancy tactics, just a straightforward test of strength.

However, seeing the intensity of both Water Guns, Rex couldn't help but feel speechless.

It seemed Takano Ryuji's Poliwag was recently captured and hadn't undergone much training. Its Water Gun was weak and got pushed back by Poliwag's stronger Water Gun, ultimately hitting Poliwag.

Fortunately, Poliwag was a Water-type Pokémon, so the damage from Water Gun wasn't too severe.

"Poliwag, show your courage! Charge forward and use Tackle!"

Takano Ryuji didn't dwell on the earlier defeat and continued to command Poliwag.

"Poliwag, use Slap!"

Rex saw Poliwag charging toward Poliwag and gave his command.

*Slap, slap, slap, slap!*

Due to the intimidation before the match, Poliwag didn't dare to hold back. It used all its strength to slap the incoming Poliwag four times, dizzying it and causing it to fall to the ground.

"Poliwag, are you okay?"

Seeing his Poliwag unable to get up, Takano Ryuji hurried over to check. Seeing that Poliwag was just temporarily stunned, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Rex had trained Poliwag with weighted exercises. Now, its tail strength had increased significantly, and each slap felt like a whip.

"The match is over. Poliwag wins!"

Flannery declared at the right moment.

"Rex, your Poliwag is amazing! But I won't give up. After I train Poliwag to be stronger, I'll challenge you again!"

After saying this, Takano Ryuji hugged Poliwag and ran off, probably to take it to the Pokémon Center for treatment.

Rex felt a bit speechless after hearing this. He hadn't exchanged contact information with Takano Ryuji, so how would he contact him for future challenges?

"Rex, your Poliwag is trained so well!"

Flannery approached and patted Rex on the shoulder.

"Torkoal, I also put in a lot of effort in training!"

Rex looked at Flannery speechlessly.

"Why don't you become a Pokémon Trainer instead of running a farm?"

Flannery was puzzled. Rex's Swellow had defeated her main Pokémon, Torkoal. She thought he was wasting his talent by not becoming a Trainer.

"I am a Trainer now. I just run the farm as a part-time job!"

Rex explained.

Flannery wasn't satisfied with Rex's explanation, but since he didn't want to talk about it, she didn't press further.

The group played on the beach until evening before returning to the same restaurant as yesterday for dinner.

"Rex, why don't you stay a few more days in Slateport before returning?"

Yuki planned to stay in Slateport for a few more days, so she suggested Rex to stay longer.

"No, I've been away for 3 days already. If I don't go back soon, I'm afraid something might happen at the farm!"

Rex could only apologize.

"Alright, Rex, if you have something, then go ahead. I'll stay here for a few more days."

Yuki held onto Flannery's arm and said.

Yuki had come to Slateport to relax, so staying a few more days wouldn't be a problem.

"Then it's settled. But if I come to Fallabor again in the future, can I visit your farm?"

Flannery asked tentatively.

She was curious about the farm Rex described and planned to visit when she had time.

"Of course, you're welcome anytime. Flannery, the same goes for you. Whenever you have time, you can come to my farm for a visit!"

Rex extended the invitation to both of them.

"Alright, it's a deal. You can't back out later!"

Afterward, Rex bid farewell to the two and went back to the Pokémon Center to retrieve his belongings.

"Come out, Swellow!"

Rex released his fully recovered Swellow. Its eyes were sharp, and it seemed completely rejuvenated compared to yesterday.

Rex felt that this trip to Slateport was perfect, allowing him to truly experience the beauty of the Pokémon world.

It was a stark contrast to his initial survival experience in the wilderness. This was the life he had yearned for and looked forward to in his previous life.

"Boss, you're back!"

Yuli greeted Rex with joy.

"Yes, I'm back. You've worked hard these past few days, Yuli!"

Rex returned to the farm around 7:30 in the evening. Swellow's speed returning from Slateport was even faster than when they went. They arrived at the Rex Farm in less than half an hour.

"Boss, have you had dinner yet? If not, I can make something for you."

Yuli asked.

"I already had dinner before coming back. Don't worry!"

Rex smiled and replied.

Returning to Rex Farm gave Rex a sense of peace, as if this place was his roots, and the outside world was just a fleeting scenery. Only here was his eternal belonging.

Your support is my motivation!

(End of Chapter)

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