Now that Chimchar and Bagon had passed through their rapid growth phase and built solid foundations, their progress began to slow. From this point on, they'd need consistent training and effort to develop their potential further, until the time came when they could evolve into Infernape and Shelgon.
After laying out individualized training plans for the two, Rex decided to let them start training on their own. After all, if they only pushed themselves when their trainer was watching, there would be little hope for them to reach their true potential.
What Rex wanted was for his Pokémon to train because they wanted to grow stronger—not because they were forced to.
That philosophy was why Rex usually trained with his Pokémon in the beginning, but eventually stepped back once they reached a certain level of discipline, giving them the space to grow independently.
Of course, Chimchar and Bagon were still quite young, so Rex wouldn't be letting go completely.
He planned to pit them against each other in battles at regular intervals, rewarding the winner. That would be enough to keep both of them motivated. With the natural rivalry already between them, this healthy competition would only help accelerate their growth.
Though most of his focus lately had been on Chimchar and Bagon, Rex hadn't neglected the other Pokémon on the farm.
Take his shiny Flaaffy, for example—it was among the first Pokémon Rex had ever caught. Yet it still hadn't evolved into Ampharos, and Rex knew that was largely due to its peaceful, carefree nature.
When Rex Farm was first established, Flaaffy—then still a Mareep—had stood up to protect its flock from wild Pokémon. It trained hard out of necessity.
But now that the farm was secure, with plenty of strong Pokémon and the Swellow clan providing air patrols, the urgency had disappeared. Flaaffy no longer felt the pressure to grow stronger.
As a result, its progress had stalled completely. Flaaffy didn't seem to mind—every day it simply grazed and wandered with the rest of its group, carefree and content.
But Rex hadn't raised it to be a background Pokémon. To reignite its fighting spirit, he paired it with Combusken for regular sparring matches.
Combusken's strength had already caught up to, and in some areas surpassed, Flaaffy's—despite being younger.
Thankfully, once it had a rival, Flaaffy finally realized how much it had fallen behind. Its drive returned, and the matches with Combusken became mutual progress sessions.
"Machoke, are you ready?"
Rex turned to the muscular Pokémon with thick, powerful arms and confirmed one last time.
"Machoo!"
Machoke nodded firmly—he was ready to evolve.
After intense and grueling training, Machoke had finally balanced the strength in both arms, bringing them to equal power.
But it felt like training alone wouldn't cut it anymore. Without evolving, it would hit a plateau. Evolution was the key to breaking through and entering a new phase of accelerated growth.
"Since you've made up your mind, of course I'll support you. Let's head to Fallarbor Town."
Rex summoned Swellow, mounted up, and flew straight to the Pokémon Center in Fallabor Town. Once there, he contacted Professor Birch.
"Hello, Professor Birch. I need a favor."
Once the call connected, Rex quickly explained Machoke's desire to evolve via trade.
"No problem at all! I'm ready whenever you are. Just send Machoke over."
Professor Birch agreed without hesitation.
After letting Nurse Joy know, Rex used the transfer machine to begin the link trade.
As he watched the silhouettes of the Pokémon cross the screen, Rex knew the evolution was now in motion.
Moments later, the second transfer began, and Machamp was returned to Rex's Poké Ball.
"Oh, Rex—by the way, the Salamencite you left with me is fully analyzed. You can come by and pick it up whenever you're free."
Just as Rex was about to end the call, Professor Birch remembered the Mega Stone and mentioned it.
"Got it, Professor. I'll stop by when I have a chance. Thanks again for everything."
After the call, Rex released Machamp from its Poké Ball.
Machamp's form was humanoid, with light-blue skin and muscular arms—four of them now. Its skeletal and muscular structure closely resembled that of a human.
With its four powerful arms, Machamp had no blind spots in melee combat. It was said to have mastered all martial arts and would unleash a flurry of a thousand punches from every angle the moment it faced a strong opponent—true to its title as a battle master.
Machamp could lock down enemies with all four arms, twist them into complicated positions, and toss them beyond the horizon—a technique known as the "Machamp Hold."
Just one of its arms could move a boulder. With all four, it could throw punches strong enough to lift a dump truck with ease.
However, its fingers were clumsy. It couldn't perform delicate tasks; its limbs would tangle up if it tried anything precise. Its body usually acted faster than its brain. On the other hand, its well-trained limbs made it an excellent swimmer—faster even than many aquatic Pokémon.
"Congrats on evolving, Machamp!"
Rex smiled at the newly evolved Pokémon, now sporting two extra arms, and congratulated him.
Machamp clearly loved its new form. It kept admiring its limbs, flexing with visible joy.
Now, with its power further enhanced, Machamp felt unstoppable. It could barely wait to get back and have a real showdown with Heracross.
"Nurse Joy, thanks again for letting me use the trading terminal. I'll be heading off now."
With his mission complete, Rex turned to thank the nurse at the counter.
"Wait, Rex—just a moment. There's something I need your permission for."
Just as Rex was about to leave, Nurse Joy called out.
He turned back, puzzled by the request, curious to hear what she had to say.
(End of Chapter)