Pokemon: I'm a Farmer

With the dual effects of Roost and Grassy Terrain, Swellow's scorched feathers rapidly regenerated. In just a short while, it stood tall once again, fully recovered. Turtonator, meanwhile, was still under the healing effects of Jumpluff's grassy field. Though it had regained consciousness, it remained sluggish and clearly drained.

"I lost... Rex, your Swellow is just too strong. It actually tanked my Z-Move head-on," Kiawe admitted, more excited than disappointed.

In Alola, most trainers shared a general belief—that only another Z-Move could withstand a Z-Move. Given the nature of this unique power, it often seemed unfair to pit against regular Pokémon. But Rex's Swellow had just shattered that notion.

It proved that a Pokémon could, through pure grit and dedication, push its strength to a level capable of defying what was thought to be the limits of battle.

Professor Kukui, who had watched the entire match, now had a much clearer understanding of Swellow's power. He was convinced that, aside from Z-Moves, Swellow's strength wasn't any weaker than his own ace, Incineroar.

Of course, the effectiveness of Z-Moves still varied. The stronger a Pokémon's base power, the more forcefully it could channel Z-energy. To Kukui, the problem with Kiawe's Turtonator was that its foundation wasn't quite there yet—not due to Kiawe's lack of effort, but rather a lack of proper rivals. No one at the Trainer School could push him.

But now, with Rex's arrival, that gap was filled. This match would surely motivate Kiawe to focus more on base strength instead of relying too heavily on Z-Moves.

"Rex, your Swellow is amazing! I've never seen Kiawe lose this badly!"Māmane beamed as he cradled his Togedemaru.

Everyone in Class 3A—except Lillie, who didn't battle—had lost to Kiawe at some point. In battle class, he was the opponent no one wanted to face. It wasn't that Kiawe meant harm, but once the heat of battle set in, he often went full throttle, forgetting his opponents were still beginners.

And while he always apologized afterward, Māmane had long hoped someone could finally give Kiawe a taste of his own medicine—to let him feel what it was like to watch your partner get badly beaten.

Thanks to Jumpluff's healing, Turtonator eventually made a full recovery. Rex then spent the rest of the afternoon attending class alongside the others.

After experiencing a full day of student life, Rex found it refreshingly novel—but if asked to stay in school long-term? Not a chance. He'd traveled across worlds; no way was he going back to a desk and lectures every day.

"Well then, until next time, everyone!"Rex waved as his new classmates packed up for the day.

"See you, Rex! You better come back and visit us again!" Kiawe called out, reluctant to see his new rival leave.

To him, Rex was the long-awaited worthy opponent he'd hoped for.

"See you, Rex! Let's go fishing again sometime!" Lana gave a wave as well.

After bidding farewell, Rex followed Professor Kukui back to his residence.

To Rex's surprise, Kukui's home was just a modest three-story wooden house—clearly a personal space, not a laboratory.

"This is just where I live. My lab is tucked behind the school on the hillside," Kukui explained, catching Rex's curious glance.

"Rex, I'll be honest—there's not much I can do to help you directly. But what I can offer are the known locations of Alola's Totem Pokémon. That way, you can observe them up close. All I ask is that you don't hurt them unnecessarily. Can you promise me that?"

His expression turned serious.

Though Kukui genuinely hoped Rex's theory would prove successful, he wouldn't sacrifice the well-being of the Totem Pokémon to make it happen.

"Don't worry, Professor Kukui. I won't do anything reckless," Rex replied sincerely.

He knew better than to expect cooperation from wild Pokémon. He'd likely have to defeat them before he could even begin his research—such was the law of the wild. But killing them? That was never the goal. If anything, he'd treat their injuries afterward.

After all, these so-called "wild" Totem Pokémon were probably semi-domesticated—maintained by Alola's League to serve as trial bosses for new trainers.

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page. Now then, I'll start preparing dinner. You can stay here for the night."

Kukui's serious expression faded, replaced once more by his usual relaxed smile. He headed for the kitchen, while Rex received a data file on his Pokédex—one containing every Totem Pokémon location Kukui had documented, along with relevant notes and conditions.

This intel would save Rex enormous time on scouting. Now he could go straight to the source.

The closest Totem Pokémon? A Gumshoos in Verdant Cavern, west-central Melemele Island. It led a pack of Yungoos under its command.

"Dinner's ready, Rex. Come and eat!"

Kukui's shout pulled Rex from his research.

"Coming! Thanks for the meal, Professor."

Rex shut the Pokédex and joined Kukui at the table for a hearty dinner. Afterward, Kukui showed him to the guest room he'd prepared.

Once the space was tidied up, Rex dove straight back into the Totem data, determined to prepare for the next phase of his mission.

(End of Chapter)