Under the eaves, even the proud leader of the Murkrow had to bow its head. Seeing that Rex was truly prepared to take action against them, the Honchkrow reluctantly led Rex to their nest.
The Honchkrow's and Murkrow's nest wasn't far from where they had intercepted Rex. Surprisingly, they hadn't chosen to build their nest in a tree but rather in a cave on a nearby cliffside.
This location was well-hidden, nearly inaccessible to non-flying Pokémon. Rex realized that without Honchkrow's guidance, he likely wouldn't have found the entrance to the cave.
Even in broad daylight, the cave was pitch black once they entered. Not wanting to take any chances, Rex released all of his Pokémon except for Lapras and Lileep, who weren't suited for moving on land.
Soon after, Carbink used its Flash move, illuminating the cave and allowing Rex to finally see his surroundings.
Initially, Honchkrow had considered using the darkness of the cave as an opportunity to escape. However, seeing the light, it abandoned that plan and obediently led Rex to where it had hidden its treasures.
After scanning the area to ensure there were no other dangers, Rex instructed Combusken to keep a close watch on Honchkrow, while he began sifting through the bird's collection.
Before long, Rex picked out the valuable items, leaving behind mostly glass beads, bottles, and other junk. While these might have fascinated the Murkrow, to Rex, they were just garbage.
However, among Honchkrow's hoard, Rex found some pleasant surprises: a Magnet, a Shiny Stone, a necklace, and three Gold Nuggets.
But the item that thrilled Rex the most wasn't the Magnet—it was the necklace. Embedded within it was a Key Stone.
Yes, it was one of those mysterious stones that could enable a Pokémon to Mega Evolve when paired with the corresponding Mega Stone.
With this Key Stone in hand, Rex was halfway to unlocking Mega Evolution. All he needed now was the Mega Stone for one of his Pokémon and enough bond strength to trigger the transformation.
Rex then questioned Honchkrow about the origin of the necklace, but unfortunately, the bird didn't know. While it often led the Murkrow in raiding Trainers, most of the shiny items were brought back by the Murkrow themselves during their foraging.
So, even Honchkrow had no idea where the necklace came from. It hadn't realized the necklace's value and had simply kept it as part of its collection.
Rex expressed some sympathy for the Trainer who had lost this Key Stone, whether it was stolen or snatched. However, there was no way he'd turn it in. After all, he had acquired it fair and square through his own strength in the wild.
To avoid future complications, Rex planned to extract the Key Stone from the necklace and craft a custom bracelet of his own.
Having gained significant loot from Honchkrow, Rex decided not to press them further. However, before leaving, he issued a few warnings.
Whether Honchkrow heeded those warnings was out of Rex's hands. But as long as the bird continued leading raids on travelers, it was only a matter of time before they encountered someone who could defeat them—or worse, attract the attention of powerful Trainers hunting them down.
Rex, now riding on Swellow's back, continued his flight towards Floaroma Town. Yet his mind remained restless.
The unexpected acquisition of the Key Stone left Rex longing for more. He began to envision his future, where he could Mega Evolve his Pokémon.
However, Mega Stones were even rarer than Key Stones. Even if he found one, there was no guarantee it would be for the Pokémon he needed.
Trading for the right Mega Stone would also require luck and the right connections.
Lost in these fluctuating thoughts, Rex eventually arrived at Floaroma Town. From the sky, he could see fields of flowers surrounding the town, with numerous Pokémon flitting through the blossoms—Combee, Beautifly, Dustox, Butterfree, and Mothim.
Among them, Combee were the most numerous, clearly being kept by the local farmers for honey production.
Even within the town, many houses had gardens filled with flowers, giving the entire place a picturesque atmosphere.
However, Rex did not spot any Gracidea flowers. Whether it was due to the climate or some other reason, they seemed absent here.
Not wanting to attract too much attention, Rex had Swellow land at the entrance to Floaroma Town. He decided to explore on foot, first seeking out Yuki's cousin to gather some information before proceeding further.
"Hello, I'm Rex. Are you Miss Yuki's cousin?" Rex called after dialing the number Yuki had given him earlier. When he heard a gentle female voice on the other end, he quickly introduced himself.
"Oh, so you're the friend Yuki mentioned who wants to buy a Combee! Have you arrived in Sinnoh yet?" Yuki's cousin asked, realizing who Rex was.
"I'm already in Floaroma Town, but I'm not sure where your berry shop is located."
Following Yuki's cousin's directions, Rex soon found himself in front of a small berry shop. Given the modest size of Floaroma Town, locating it hadn't been too difficult.
"You're Rex, right? Welcome! Let me introduce myself—I'm Ayano Maeno, Yuki's cousin."
Upon entering the shop, Rex was greeted by a modestly dressed young woman who quickly welcomed him and introduced herself.
"Miss Ayano, thank you for having me. I apologize for the sudden visit!" Rex responded politely.
"You're too kind, Rex. It's no trouble at all, especially since you're a friend of Yuki's."
Ayano led Rex to a seat and placed a platter of berries before him, clearly intending to make him feel welcome.
She then began explaining the process of purchasing a Combee in Floaroma Town. Thanks to her detailed explanation, Rex gained a clearer understanding of what to expect.
According to Ayano, many of the town's residents made a living by raising Combee and producing honey. Buying a Combee from these farmers wasn't easy, as they'd grown attached to their Combee over the years and were reluctant to part with them.
Therefore, Rex had two options for obtaining a Combee: either purchasing a Combee egg from a breeding facility or venturing into the forest to try his luck finding a wild Combee colony.
Buying a Combee egg from the breeding center would be expensive, and there wouldn't be many eggs available at one time.
On the other hand, searching for a wild Combee colony in the forest would be unpredictable. He might search for ages and come up empty-handed, all while dealing with the dangers posed by wild Pokémon.