After hanging up the phone, Rex hurriedly checked the flight information from Ever Grande City to Slateport City for the next day. He found a flight departing at 9:00 AM with available seats, so he quickly booked a ticket through his phone.
Rex breathed a sigh of relief after securing the flight. He was worried there might be no available flights or that they might be fully booked, which would prevent him from returning to his farm in time.
Traveling such a long distance wasn't feasible on Swellow's back. It would not only take a long time, but the cross-sea flight without reference points could easily result in losing direction. Moreover, the potential attacks from wild Pokémon and harsh sea weather posed significant risks.
"Rina, are you asleep?"
Rex knocked on Rina's door and asked.
Soon, Rina, dressed in pajamas, opened the door and looked at Rex with some confusion, waiting for an explanation.
"I'm here to say goodbye. I'll be heading back to Slateport City tomorrow morning."
Rex said directly, not beating around the bush.
"Why? You've worked so hard to get into the top 16. Why give up so easily?"
Rina, initially groggy from being woken up, quickly became alert and asked in shock.
"It's not easy, but my farm has some issues that I must handle immediately. The farm means everything to me. Do you understand?"
Rex patiently explained.
Rex decided to explain to Rina first because he had just eliminated her from the tournament, cutting off her path to advance. Now, he seemed indifferent to the Ever Grande Conference rankings, easily abandoning it, which was a bit inconsiderate.
Rex wished he had known about his farm's situation earlier, but now it was too late to think about it.
"Is it serious? Do you need me to go with you? I can help."
Rina, understanding it was about Rex's home, no longer showed a stern face and offered her help.
"Don't worry, I can handle this. I came mainly to apologize. After eliminating you today, I have to give up the competition now. I feel like I've wronged you."
Rex said apologetically.
"You don't need to feel guilty. I lost to you because of my own lack of skill. It shows my current level. But I won't give up; I'll keep getting stronger until I surpass you!"
Rina didn't expect Rex's visit was mainly due to his guilt, so she quickly reassured him.
Rina was satisfied with her battle against Rex, feeling she had performed at her best. Her loss was due to her own shortcomings, with no grievances.
Although she wanted to follow Rex back, she accepted his refusal and decided to stay and watch the remaining matches, albeit with some regret.
After chatting briefly, Rex asked Rina to explain the situation to Ash and the others tomorrow, then returned to his room to rest.
Rina, however, tossed and turned, feeling inexplicably uneasy.
The next morning, Rex got ready early and went to the Pokémon Center hall to inform Nurse Joy about his decision to withdraw, hoping she could report it to the organizers.
A top 16 contestant suddenly disappearing might cause unnecessary misunderstandings and speculation, so he needed to inform the Pokémon League.
Despite Nurse Joy's attempts to persuade him otherwise, she reluctantly agreed.
Determined, Rex headed to the airport. There was no turning back now; he had no other choice.
Soon, it was time to board the plane. Rex took one last look in the direction of the Ever Grande Conference arena before boarding the plane with a resolute stride.
After a four-hour flight, the plane landed smoothly at Slateport City's airport. Rex had worried about potential obstacles, but the journey went smoothly, allowing him to land safely.
After leaving the airport, Rex rushed to the Pokémon Plaza and took Swellow back to his farm.
Observing, he noticed that everything in Slateport City was normal, with no wild Pokémon disturbances.
Worried about his farm, Rex urged Swellow to fly back as quickly as possible, reaching the farm in less than ten minutes.
Rex didn't rush to meet Yuli and the others. He wanted to observe from above.
Soon, they were spotted by a Taillow patrolling the farm. Recognizing Rex, the Taillow seemed delighted.
Riding on Swellow's back, Rex quickly noticed the anomaly: a large number of wild Pokémon gathered on the land west of Jade Moon Lake.
Although wild Pokémon had been present there before, Rex had not driven them away since he didn't plan to develop the area yet. However, the current number of wild Pokémon was significantly higher.
Seeing the large number of wild Pokémon, Rex felt a sense of dread. If Yuli hadn't called him back in time, these Pokémon would have inevitably attacked his orchards after exhausting food resources on the south bank.
At that time, the Taillow group might not have been able to fend off such a large number of wild Pokémon, or even if they did, the losses would have been severe.
As Rex saw more wild Pokémon fleeing from the depths of Petalburg Woods and their increasing strength, he realized the situation was dire.
He needed to find out why these Pokémon were fleeing from Petalburg Woods quickly. Otherwise, once these wild Pokémon turned into a beast tide for survival, his farm might not survive either.
There had been many instances in history where wild Pokémon formed beast tides and destroyed towns. Such situations usually occurred when humans invaded Pokémon habitats, prompting Pokémon to fight back for their land.
(Chapter End)