"Well, I guess it's time for me to go."
Rex gently ruffled Keldeo's mane as he spoke, feeling the slight tug of reluctance in the little unicorn's eyes.
Deoxys had already left the region with its companion's life core, and the Pokémon that had once been driven from their homes had returned to their habitats. Thanks to the combined efforts of Rex, Cynthia, and Diantha, everything had ended peacefully. Both Keldeo and the Swords of Justice were deeply grateful.
"Rex, come visit when you can, alright? Just follow the feather—it'll lead you straight to us!"
Though clearly unwilling to part, Keldeo understood that Rex had a life of his own and couldn't stay with them forever.
"I will," Rex said with a nod, carefully holding the feather now transformed by power.
During their parting, Keldeo had recharged the feather with its own source energy. The Swords of Justice—Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion—had also added theirs in thanks, all carefully attuned to Fighting-type energy to avoid conflicting traits.
With the combined essence of four Legendary Pokémon, the once-colorful feather had crystallized into a shimmering, translucent gem—more an artifact than a mere token. It had become an extraordinary item that would rapidly empower any Fighting-type Pokémon who carried it.
But that wasn't all.
Before leaving, Deoxys had used a massive amount of its psychic-type origin energy to form a pearl-like crystal—an iridescent pink orb glowing with psychic force. As a gesture of gratitude, it had gifted this "Psychic Core" to Rex.
Infused with pure origin power, the crystal could be fused into a Psychic-type Pokémon, accelerating its growth and unlocking new levels of potential until the core's energy was spent.
Rex already had the perfect candidate in mind: the Ralts egg he'd received from Caitlin. The little one hadn't even hatched yet, but its future was already paved in stardust. Not even his Totem Swellow had been treated to such rare and potent resources.
With Caitlin's egg, Deoxys's Psychic Core, and Diantha's future guidance, Rex was convinced this Ralts was destined for greatness.
As the thought crossed his mind, Rex couldn't help but chuckle. The baby hadn't even hatched yet, and already it was carrying the hopes of a champion.
Before leaving Unova, Rex made one last stop in Nimbasa City to say goodbye to Mira and Roxie. He didn't want to vanish without a word.
Mira was all smiles when she saw him again, but Roxie looked conflicted. Though she'd cooled off since their last meeting, she still hadn't quite let go of the grudge—Rex hadn't used Totem Swellow in their earlier battle, and she'd taken that as an insult.
To settle it once and for all, Roxie challenged Rex to a match: her Ampharos against his Swellow. She wanted to see how wide the gap in their strength really was.
She got her answer.
Fresh from battle with Deoxys and stronger than ever, Totem Swellow blitzed Ampharos before she could even activate Mega Evolution. The match ended swiftly.
Roxie nearly lost it on the spot—but she'd asked for the battle, and now she had to live with the result. Swearing vengeance, she vowed that someday Ampharos would rise again and defeat Swellow.
After parting ways, Rex called his master Layton and senior brother Kenshiro to say goodbye. Then he boarded a plane bound for the Hoenn Region.
The moment he stepped off in Slateport City, Rex felt something deep inside settle. He'd traveled across many regions, but only here—only in Hoenn—did he truly feel at home.
"Rex?"
As he strolled through the city streets, a familiar voice called out behind him.
He turned to see Officer Jenny riding up on her Arcanine.
"It's me," Rex said, smiling. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"I'm here helping my cousin with a case. A gang's been robbing travelers near Slateport, so she called me in for backup."
This particular Jenny was from Verdanturf Town—Rex remembered her and her Arcanine well.
Compared to the quiet life back home, Slateport was chaotic. Still, she didn't mind helping out. The only thing she hated was how slippery these criminals were. Even after days of patrols, they hadn't caught a single one—and the number of victims kept rising.
"Well then," Rex said, "I hope you catch them soon."
"I will," she replied with a determined nod.
After some small talk, Rex left Jenny behind and continued toward the Pokémon Square, eager to return to his farm.
But fate had other plans.
As he stepped into a quiet alleyway shortcut, an ambush awaited him.
From the shadows, a figure swung a heavy stick at the back of his head—an attack that would have knocked any normal person unconscious.
But Rex wasn't just any person. As a martial artist, he had sensed the man's presence long before the strike came.
Effortlessly catching the weapon mid-swing, Rex twisted around and slammed the would-be attacker into the alley wall.
And then, from both ends of the alley, more figures emerged—along with several snarling Pokémon at their feet.
It was a whole gang, clearly organized. The plan had been simple: knock him out, loot him, and run.
Now that their ambusher had failed, the others began to circle in.
"If you hand over your valuables, we might let you walk away," one of them sneered, still thinking Rex had nowhere to run.
Rex's only response was a faint smirk.
They had no idea what they were up against.
(End of Chapter)