"This is the Ultra Ball developed by the Aether Foundation. These specialized Poké Balls allow you to capture Ultra Beasts after they've been weakened in battle. But even if you manage to catch one, we'll be sending it back to its original world. You need to understand that, Rex."
After explaining the trial, Hala handed Rex six uniquely shaped Poké Balls and made his point clear.
"Got it, Island King Hala," Rex nodded without hesitation.
He understood the implications. Ultra Beasts were immensely powerful, and catching one would be a huge win for any trainer. But Hala had clearly stated his stance upfront to avoid any future misunderstandings.
Rex wasn't the kind to defy that. As strong as the Ultra Beasts were, they were still foreign life forms—outsiders in this world. Keeping one could easily land him in trouble he hadn't foreseen.
More than that, their biology and instincts were vastly different from native Pokémon. Rex worried that one might even turn on him. With how powerful they were, a sneak attack could very well succeed. He wasn't about to carry around a walking time bomb.
So he agreed readily: if the chance came to capture an Ultra Beast, he wouldn't hold on to it.
With the mission in hand, Rex didn't linger at Hala's home. He mounted Swellow and took off toward the areas Hala had identified based on abnormal readings around Melemele Island—potential Ultra Beast sightings.
If Rex wanted to pass this trial, he had to locate the Ultra Beast before Hala did. There was certainly an element of luck involved, but Rex didn't plan to rely on that. With Swellow's speed, he could turn luck into strength.
Melemele Island wasn't large, not for a flyer like Swellow. In a short span of time, they could comb the whole island—unless the Ultra Beast actively avoided detection. But if it was moving around at all, Swellow would find it.
And find it he did.
After checking the locations Hala had marked and coming up empty, Swellow expanded its search to the entire island. Eventually, it picked up a disturbance in a forested area—loud, violent. Upon arrival, they spotted a flash of white darting between the trees, locked in combat with a Bewear.
Even with such speed, occasional clashes with Bewear revealed enough of its form for Rex to confirm its identity. He opened his upgraded Pokédex—courtesy of Professor Kukui—and quickly matched it to a known Ultra Beast.
Pheromosa. Code Name: UB-02 Beauty.
It had a humanoid figure, slim and willowy, with a body that was almost entirely white. Its flat head featured long, drooping eyelashes and violet-blue eyes. A yellow, crown-like structure rested above its eyes, extending into long antennae. Its limbs were delicate and elongated, its fingers resembling golden claws. A layered, skirt-like torso flared out elegantly. From the back of its head, a veil-like structure trailed down, shaped like an inward-curving crescent.
Though elegant, its legs were unusually thick compared to its otherwise slender form. Each leg ended in two pointed, golden tips that resembled high heels.
Pheromosa was a dangerous Ultra Beast from another world. Though here it was considered a rare and powerful anomaly, back in its home dimension, it was apparently a common species.
Its delicate-looking body held terrifying power. Its legs could accelerate with such explosive force that it was said to dodge lightning itself. Witnesses claimed to have seen it sprinting across terrain at impossible speeds.
Possibly disgusted by the world's impurity, it avoided touching anything with its hands. Some Pokémon—even those of the same gender—were said to become entranced by its beauty and unable to act against it. Whether this was due to pheromones or some hypnotic effect remained unconfirmed.
As for the Bewear fighting it, Rex could tell immediately—it was the Bewear from the anime. Its strength was monstrous.
Rex's sudden arrival had alerted both combatants. After one final explosive clash, they pulled apart and formed a tense triangle with Rex and Swellow.
Neither made a move.
They were both wary of Swellow. They could sense it—this bird radiated the presence of an equal. And until they knew whether it was friend or foe, neither was eager to resume fighting.
As it turned out, the battle had started when the Bewear, out foraging, happened upon Pheromosa's temporary resting place. Alarmed by the intrusion, the Ultra Beast had attacked, and the two had clashed—language and species differences quickly escalating things.
Unlike Pheromosa, Bewear was native to the region and understood humans. It gave Rex a brief wave before leaping away into the forest—no longer interested in pointless fighting, especially on an empty stomach.
Now that its opponent was gone, Pheromosa turned its full attention to Rex and Swellow, silently gauging their strength.
Rex knew well how dangerous Pheromosa was—high attack, incredible speed. Most Pokémon couldn't even land a hit before being overwhelmed.
But Swellow was an exception.
Once it activated Tailwind, Swellow's speed wouldn't lose out to anyone.
And with Pheromosa's Bug and Fighting typing, it was four-times weak to Flying-type moves. Swellow had a clear advantage in this matchup.
With that in mind, Rex saw no need to call Hala just yet.
He planned to capture Pheromosa himself—with Swellow.
(End of Chapter)