Spoink, feeling disappointed after a long and unsuccessful search for a pearl-bearing Clamperl, hopped away from the group and disappeared from sight.
After a while, as everyone was searching for Spoink, Isaiah ran over and reported that the blue pearl had been stolen by Spoink.
The group found this hard to believe, given their interactions with Spoink; they didn't think it capable of such an act. However, they followed Isaiah to the Clamperl Research Institute. When they arrived, Rex discovered that the so-called witnesses were none other than Team Rocket, disguised as janitors. Seeing them accusing Spoink of stealing the blue pearl with such conviction, Rex knew there must be more to the story.
Watching Ash and the others trust Team Rocket without a second thought left Rex feeling somewhat dumbfounded. Despite the obvious disguise, Ash and the others were completely taken in and were ready to confront Spoink to retrieve the blue pearl.
Rex, deciding to stay out of it for now, joined the group as they left the research institute and began searching for Spoink. After some time, they found Spoink happily hopping on a beach. To their surprise, Spoink had a pearl on its head, but it was a pink pearl, not the blue one.
As the group wondered about this, two children approached them, a boy holding a Marill and a girl holding a Shroomish, both of which had previously been used by Spoink to replace its lost pearl. The children recounted what they had witnessed: Spoink had inadvertently swapped the blue pearl with a pink one from a wild Clamperl.
Guided by the boy, the group went to a rocky area where they found the blue pearl inside a wild Clamperl's shell. May stepped forward to negotiate with Clamperl, offering Spoink's pink pearl in exchange for the blue one. Spoink cooperated by removing the pink pearl and holding it out to Clamperl.
Just as the exchange was about to happen, Team Rocket struck again. Ash sent out Torkoal to battle Jessie's Seviper. When Seviper was about to lose, Jessie ordered it to use Haze, creating a smokescreen that allowed them to steal Clamperl.
Following Team Rocket in their hot air balloon, Rex considered sending out his Swellow to help, but seeing Ash had already deployed his, he decided to stick with the group. They found Team Rocket trying to pry open Clamperl's shell with sticks, but their efforts were in vain.
Seeing Clamperl being bullied, Spoink used its psychic powers to throw Team Rocket away. Jessie and James then sent out Cacnea and Dustox to attack. This time, Ash's Grovyle joined Spoink in the fight. Together, with Clamperl's help, they sent Team Rocket blasting off again.
In gratitude, Clamperl not only returned the blue pearl but also gifted Spoink its pink pearl.
With the pearl issue resolved, the group decided to leave the island and boarded a ship to Bomba Island, while Spoink stayed behind on that Island.
"Bomba Island is a famous resort! We can have so much fun there!" Max excitedly shared from a travel brochure.
"Really? That's great!" May exclaimed with delight.
Upon arriving at Bomba Island, Rex admired the beautiful beach, clear blue skies, and perfect temperature, agreeing it lived up to its reputation as a vacation paradise. Brock, meanwhile, was mesmerized by the sight of all the swimsuit-clad women, feeling as if he had entered his dreamland.
"What's that?" Ash asked, pointing at a shadow emerging from the sea.
Before anyone could react, a figure covered in seaweed walked out of the water. Once it removed the seaweed, they saw a muscular man in his 30s, who introduced himself as Kusa, a man of the sea, having just found a precious treasure in the ocean.
This piqued Ash and the others' interest, and they followed Kusa to his family's souvenir shop to appraise the necklace he found. His wife, Rito, examined it and explained that the necklace was made of green shards, ancient materials used for decorations, but not particularly valuable.
"Why would this be in the sea?" Brock wondered.
Kusa then told them about a sunken ship filled with treasures in the nearby waters, and how he had accidentally found this necklace, originally from an ancient Relicanth's beard.
Rex listened quietly as the group discussed their plans to use a submarine to search for the Relicanth and locate the shipwreck. When Ash and the others eagerly asked to join the underwater expedition, Rex politely declined.
He knew his limits. Not being the protagonist, he preferred not to risk his life in the deep sea, especially given his history with water. Once, he had drowned while trying to save someone, leading to his previous life, and in this world, the original Rex had died in a shipwreck. It was safer to stay on land.
"I'll wait here on the shore. You guys go find that treasure!" Ash, though puzzled, didn't press the matter.
Watching the submarine disappear beneath the waves, Rex smiled, feeling content with his decision. After a relaxing nap on a lounge chair, Rex noticed that Ash and the others still hadn't returned. Feeling a bit restless, he decided to go fishing.
Finding a secluded rocky area, he began his fishing session. The first few catches were Magikarp, which he had come to expect. After a while, feeling stiff, he stood up to stretch just as his float was pulled underwater. Luckily, Poliwhirl, standing by, grabbed the rod, preventing it from being dragged away.
Realizing the strength of the Pokémon on the line, Rex joined Poliwhirl in reeling it in. It was a tough struggle, but with Poliwhirl's help, they finally pulled the Pokémon out of the water.
(End of chapter)