This return flight to the Hoenn region was not as smooth as the previous one. After flying for about 5 to 6 hours, the flight encountered a large cumulonimbus cloud.
Rex looked out the window at the dark clouds filling the sky. Lightning flashed within the clouds, thunder roared, and strong winds carried heavy rain that pounded against the plane, creating loud noises.
At this moment, the plane was no longer as stable as before. The turbulence grew stronger, making it seem as if the plane might break apart at any second.
The passengers in the cabin were pale with fear. Some superstitious individuals had already begun to pray, though Rex hadn't heard of many of the beliefs they followed in this world.
Despite the flight attendants' best efforts to calm the passengers, the worsening weather caused everyone to feel increasingly terrified.
Rex was no exception. He vividly remembered how a natural disaster had taken his family in this world. It was a stark reminder of how human strength alone could hardly stand against the forces of nature.
Rex tightly held Swellow's Pokéball in his hand. If anything happened to the plane, he would release Swellow immediately. He believed that with Swellow's protection, he could safely survive this crisis.
There were actually quite a few people in the cabin who shared Rex's thoughts. Those who had flying Pokémon had a higher chance of surviving, even if the plane crashed.
The most terrified were those who couldn't protect themselves in a disaster. They could only hope the plane would be safe or pray for divine protection to miraculously survive the catastrophe.
"Everyone, don't worry! We'll be out of this cumulonimbus cloud soon!"
At this moment, a young man dressed as a trainer emerged from the cockpit and spoke loudly.
Rex knew that this person was likely a member of the plane's escort team. After all, the plane was on an inter-regional flight, flying over the ocean. Anything could happen along the way, and without powerful trainers on board, the passengers' safety couldn't be guaranteed.
He also knew that these escorts were mainly responsible for driving away wild Pokémon that might attack the plane. They couldn't do much against bad weather. In fact, if the plane broke apart, they could only ensure their own safety and perhaps save a few passengers if they had the strength.
Soon, the chatter in the cabin died down. The passengers listened to the escort, knowing their safety depended on him. After all, the plane had only been turbulent so far, and no other issues had occurred.
The young escort breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the situation was under control. His biggest fear was that a passenger might do something irrational out of fear.
There had been incidents where panicked passengers used their Pokémon to break the plane and escape on their own. Such actions had turned a safe flight into a disaster, leading to the deaths of many passengers. Although the selfish passenger was later arrested by the Alliance and sentenced to prison, the damage was irreversible.
Because of that incident, many passengers who originally planned to fly chose to take cruises instead. Although cruises took longer, they were easier to escape from in case of an emergency.
The Pokémon Alliance took a long time to eliminate the negative impact of that incident. Afterward, the Alliance even considered requiring passengers to hand over their Pokéballs when boarding flights.
Of course, such a proposal was met with strong opposition from passengers, and nothing came of it. But since then, escorts would always enter the cabin immediately when a plane encountered bad weather. If they saw a passenger trying to use their Pokémon to break the plane and escape, they would subdue that person immediately.
Rex supported this approach. Everyone reacts differently when facing death, and extreme fear can lead people to do irrational things.
Just then, another gust of wind shook the plane even more violently than before, making it feel as if it would fall apart at any moment.
"No! The plane is going to crash! We need to break the door open and escape!"
A middle-aged man in a suit shouted in panic.
He then released a Fearow from his Pokéball and ordered it to break down the plane's door.
"Alakazam, use Psychic to stop them!"
Seeing this, the young escort immediately released his Pokémon and gave the order.
Just as Fearow's attack was about to hit the plane's door, it was stopped mid-air by Alakazam's Psychic. No matter how hard it struggled, Fearow couldn't move an inch further.
"I must get out of here! You won't stop me! Come out, ah!"
Seeing his Fearow restrained, the man in the suit refused to give up and prepared to release another Pokémon.
Watching this unfold, Rex knew he had to act. Although he had Swellow, who could fly over the ocean, the dangers of crossing the sea were unpredictable.
At least while on the plane, the high altitude could avoid many risks, and it was a more comfortable and energy-saving option.
So, while the man in the suit was still talking, Rex undid his seatbelt, walked up behind him, and struck the man on the back of the neck with a quick chop.
Even though Rex held back some of his strength, it was enough to knock the panicked man unconscious.
Rex then picked up the Pokéball the man had dropped, returned Fearow to it, and locked the ball to prevent further use.
Not wanting to be misunderstood by the young escort, Rex quietly returned to his seat, fastened his seatbelt, and acted as if nothing had happened.
The young escort gave Rex an appreciative look before using Alakazam's Psychic to lift the unconscious man and take him to the cockpit for detention.
When the plane landed, the man in the suit would face punishment from the Alliance, though Rex had no idea what the outcome would be.
"Thank you for your help just now. What's your name? I'm Koi, one of the escorts on this flight. I really appreciate what you did!"
After dealing with the man in the suit, the young escort approached Rex to express his gratitude.
"My name is Rex. I just didn't want to end up swimming in the ocean because of that guy's actions!"
Rex joked.
Hearing his words, many passengers laughed. They knew all too well what fate awaited them if the plane was damaged.
After exchanging contact information with Rex, Koi didn't chat much longer. He became more vigilant, patrolling the cabin to ensure there wouldn't be another incident like the one with the man in the suit.
Fortunately, after half an hour of flying, the plane finally left the storm clouds behind, and sunlight shone through the windows once again.
Seeing that the danger had passed, all the passengers breathed a sigh of relief and thanked both Rex and Koi.
If the man in the suit had damaged the plane's door, many of them would not have survived.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. The plane landed safely at Slateport City Airport late at night, without further incidents.
As the passengers disembarked, they all felt as if they had returned to the land of the living. (End of Chapter)