"Island King Hala, sorry to bother you again!"
Rex smiled as he greeted Hala at the door.
"Oh? Back so soon, little Rex? Don't tell me you think the challenge is too difficult and want to change it. I mean, I wouldn't be against that..."
Seeing Rex return in less than half a day, Hala assumed he had given up. Though a little disappointed, he was still willing to offer the boy a second chance.
"Of course not. I've already completed the trial you gave me."
As he spoke, Rex pulled out the Ultra Ball containing Pheromosa and handed it to Hala.
"You actually defeated that Ultra Beast? That's incredible!"
Hala examined the ball closely and immediately recognized it had been used. Since Ultra Balls could only capture Ultra Beasts, there was no doubt what was inside.
Having battled many of these interdimensional invaders himself over the years, Hala knew just how dangerous they could be. Even as an Island King, there were times he had to join forces with others to defeat some of the stronger ones.
He hadn't expected Rex to actually subdue the Ultra Beast. The whole point of giving him the trial was because his Swellow was fast—useful for tracking, not fighting. But this result far exceeded expectations.
Rex briefly explained how he encountered and battled Pheromosa but didn't take all the credit. He acknowledged that if Bewear hadn't weakened it beforehand, capturing it would've been much harder.
"You've completed the first trial perfectly. Get a good rest tonight—tomorrow morning we'll begin Melemele Island's Grand Trial."
Hala had no doubts about Rex's strength anymore and immediately scheduled the final test.
"Then I won't take up more of your time. I'll be back tomorrow morning for the challenge!"
After saying goodbye, Rex flew on Swellow to Hau'oli City. He wanted a good night's rest before facing the Grand Trial.
It was evening when he arrived. The streets were lively—locals relaxing after a day's work. Life here moved at a calm, steady pace. Thanks to abundant natural resources and the city's status as a tourist hub, the people were cheerful and well-off.
Even strangers greeted Rex with warm "Alola"s as he passed by.
After dinner, Rex checked into a clean, comfortable inn. Once in his room, he released all his Pokémon.
Since Skrelp and Pyukumuku struggled outside of water, Rex found a large enough tank to house them during their stay.
Then he dialed Kukui.
"Professor Kukui, I've completed the first trial. I'll be taking the Grand Trial tomorrow morning."
"That's fantastic news, Rex! I didn't expect you to move so fast. I'll bring your classmates over to cheer you on. I know they'll love to see your battle with Island King Hala."
Kukui was genuinely happy for him. He had worked hard behind the scenes to persuade Hala to give this opportunity to an outsider.
Though their time together hadn't been long, Kukui respected Rex's resolve—especially how he'd come to a foreign region just to help Swellow break past its limits.
Kukui himself had begun testing whether his own Pokémon could absorb Z-energy from the air like Swellow. So far, none had shown results, but he wasn't discouraged. Once Swellow succeeded, he knew others would follow.
"I'm glad to have you all there, Professor."
Rex appreciated the support. Having witnesses for his Grand Trial made it even more meaningful.
After a bit more chatting, Rex hung up and turned his focus to preparing Swellow and Combusken. Using his healing ability, he brought both to peak condition.
From Hala, he already knew what the trial entailed: a 2v2 battle. If he could defeat both of Hala's Pokémon, he'd earn the Z-Ring.
He'd considered asking Yuri Terada to send over Machamp via Pokémon Center transfer, but decided against it.
This time, he wanted Combusken and Swellow to handle it.
Combusken was right on the verge of evolution. A high-level battle might be just the push it needed to become Blaziken.
And even if it lost, Rex was confident Swellow could carry the match.
After healing them, Rex noticed Combusken pacing around the room, too hyped to sit still. Clearly, it had been waiting for this kind of fight for a long time.
"Alright, Combusken. Calm down. I'm counting on you tomorrow."
Combusken's constant circling made Rex a little dizzy, so he gently tried to ease its excitement.
Meanwhile, Chimchar and Bagon were lying on the floor, carefree as ever. The battle wasn't theirs, and they were just happy to be with their trainer.
(End of Chapter)