"Officer Jenny, have you not had a proper rest in a long time?"
Rex asked with concern.
"Ever since this storm hit, I haven't had a moment to rest. There are people in need everywhere."
"The storm in Slateport City is even worse than here, so they couldn't spare anyone to come help us."
On the other end of the call, Officer Jenny responded with a wry smile.
To be honest, the past few days had been incredibly difficult for both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. They barely had any time to rest, only managing to squeeze in short breaks whenever possible.
If the storm continued to rage on, the disaster would undoubtedly worsen and might spiral completely out of control.
The people of Slateport City and even Fallarbor Town had all underestimated this natural disaster. Everyone thought it would pass quickly, so no one seriously considered evacuating to safer areas.
But once the storm hit, the violent winds and torrential rain made it nearly impossible for most people to venture out. Unless they had powerful Pokémon protecting them, escaping the area was extremely difficult.
"Officer Jenny, don't worry. I'll bring the Nozawa couple back to town safely."
Realizing how serious things had become, Rex also wanted to do his part and help as many people as he could.
"Thank you so much, Rex. Once the storm is over, I'll recommend you to the Pokémon League for a commendation."
Hearing that Rex agreed to assist with the rescue efforts, Officer Jenny was visibly relieved and happy.
She was one of the few people in Fallarbor Town who knew how strong a trainer Rex was. She also knew that the Rex Farm was home to many Swellow. With those Swellow joining the rescue effort, the damage to the townspeople could be minimized.
Knowing the urgency of the situation, Rex wasted no time. After instructing Yuli to stay at the farm, he headed straight to the shelter where the Swellow flock was currently resting.
He left a few Swellow behind to guard the farm and gathered the remaining dozen or so. Then he mounted his lead Swellow and took to the skies, flying toward the Nozawa Breeding House.
Because the sky was filled with roaring winds and pounding rain, visibility was extremely poor and flying required tremendous effort. To conserve energy, Rex organized his Swellow into a flight formation with his lead Swellow at the center.
Soon, Rex arrived above the Nozawa Breeding House and quickly spotted the Nozawa couple anxiously peering out the window.
At this point, the floodwaters had already submerged everything at ground level and were still rising. It wouldn't be long before the second floor, where the Nozawas were, would be underwater—and their house might even collapse.
Seeing this, Rex couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. Although the Rex Farm was at a higher elevation, it wouldn't hold out for much longer. If the storm didn't stop soon, even his farm would be drowned in a sea of water.
"Thank you so much, Rex!"
As Rex reached the window where the Nozawas were, they were so overjoyed they burst into tears.
"No need to thank me. This is what I should be doing. Let's get back to town quickly!"
Without spending much time on pleasantries, Rex helped them each mount a Swellow and began the return flight toward Fallarbor Town.
Fallarbor Town was situated at the highest elevation in the area, so it hadn't been hit by the floodwaters. However, many houses had been damaged by debris swept up by the fierce winds.
That was one of the downsides of living in town—there was simply too much loose debris for the storm to toss around.
When Rex arrived at the town's police station, he found it already crowded with residents whom Officer Jenny had rescued. Many were there because their homes had been damaged and they had no choice but to take shelter at the station.
"Officer Jenny, I've brought the Nozawa couple back safely!"
Inside the police station, Rex quickly found Officer Jenny squatting down to comfort a young girl. She was in bad shape, soaked to the bone, clearly just returned from a rescue mission.
Not far from her was her Arcanine. Its fur was dripping wet, and its breathing was weak—clearly, it had expended a massive amount of energy.
"Thank you so much, Rex!"
Officer Jenny tried to stand up quickly, but she was so exhausted that she nearly collapsed from dizziness. Fortunately, Rex rushed over and caught her just in time, helping her into a chair.
"Officer Jenny, have some Sweet Honey to restore your energy."
Once she was seated, Rex handed her a bottle of Sweet Honey.
This wasn't just any Sweet Honey—it was the highest quality kind. Rex had discovered it was incredibly effective at replenishing energy, so he always carried some just in case.
Officer Jenny didn't refuse his kind offer. She took the bottle and drank a few sips, but almost immediately she felt something change.
A soothing warmth spread through her stomach, and her completely drained body started to revive, energy flooding back into her limbs.
At that moment, Officer Jenny felt like she could keep going.
"Rex, this Sweet Honey must be really valuable, isn't it?"
She realized then that the honey Rex had given her probably wasn't ordinary at all.
"This was made by the Combee at my farm. Don't worry about it, Officer Jenny. Just use it."
Rex replied without hesitation.
"Please, Officer Jenny, we're trapped! You have to help us..."
While Rex and Officer Jenny were talking, the police station's emergency line rang. When she answered, a desperate voice of a middle-aged man pleaded for help.
"No time to waste. Officer Jenny, I'll take the Swellow squad and head out. You stay here and answer rescue calls."
Without waiting for her to respond, Rex turned and rushed out the door.
For the rest of the day, Rex led the Swellow rescue team through Fallarbor Town and the surrounding areas, rescuing people and Pokémon in danger.
The town itself was relatively safe from flooding, but the lower-lying surrounding areas had already become a vast expanse of water.
Luckily, Rex's highly mobile Swellow team could often arrive just in time to bring people and Pokémon to safety before the flood swallowed them up.
Still, Rex wasn't a god. Amid the endless floodwaters, some people and Pokémon had already lost their lives—and there was nothing he could do about it.
He kept rescuing until late at night. Only after bringing in the last person who had called for help did he finally return to the police station, utterly exhausted. His Swellow were in the same state.
The Swellow had collapsed onto the ground, drained like Arcanine earlier. Flying through storm and rain had burned through their energy far faster than normal.
"Rex, you've worked so hard today."
Officer Jenny said gratefully.
If Rex hadn't joined the rescue effort, she didn't even dare to imagine how many casualties there might have been.
"This is what I should be doing. But if we don't stop this storm soon, all of this might be for nothing."
Rex said bitterly, gazing into the stormy distance.
(End of Chapter)