The moment Landorus set foot on the Hoenn mainland, it immediately sensed something was wrong. The Slateport region was devastated—clearly the aftermath of Tornadus and Thundurus's unleashed power.
Landorus was deeply remorseful for not arriving in time to stop his brothers' recklessness.
So instead of rushing to find Tornadus and Thundurus, he first activated his powers, absorbing the remnants of their origin energy that still lingered across the land and sky.
Blending this stolen power with his own, Landorus transformed it into a force that nourished the soil. He then scattered this energy across the land below.
Almost instantly, the earth seemed to come alive. Withered trees began to regain their vitality, flowers and grass sprouted from the ground, and farmlands once again showed signs of life.
Crops that had been on the verge of failure absorbed nutrients from the newly enriched soil, rapidly replenishing themselves—many growing even better than before the disaster.
Thanks to Landorus's power, the land could remain fertile for decades, allowing the people to enjoy bountiful harvests—a blessing that had earned Landorus the title of "Guardian of the Fields."
As the miraculous energy spread, Rex noticed the rare berry trees that had been nearly dead were now blooming. Some had even started flowering just moments after showing signs of life.
It meant these precious trees had not only survived but had enough nutrients to begin producing fruit again.
"What… is going on?"
Rex looked down in astonishment at the land beneath his feet. He could feel an overwhelming surge of life flowing through the soil—far stronger than anything before.
If Shaymin hadn't been right beside him, he might have assumed this was her doing.
But Rex could tell this energy was fundamentally different from Shaymin's. Shaymin's power couldn't transform the land itself into fertile soil like this.
He didn't have to wonder for long. A Pokémon similar in appearance to Tornadus and Thundurus—but radiating a calm, peaceful aura—descended in front of him.
Uncertain whether Landorus was friend or foe, Shaymin instantly shifted into her Sky Form and took position alongside Diancie, shielding Rex.
Though Landorus had a rather fierce appearance, Rex wasn't particularly alarmed. He already understood why the land had changed the way it had.
Landorus was revered as the Guardian of the Fields. Wherever he appeared, the land would become fertile and prosperous—unlike his two brothers, who brought only storms and chaos.
"Landorus, what brings you here?"
Rex asked calmly.
"Young one," a deep, gravelly voice echoed in Rex's mind, "this may be abrupt, but I wish to ask you to release Tornadus and Thundurus. I will keep them in check and ensure they cause no more harm."
Clearly, Landorus already knew his brothers had been captured. Despite everything, the bond between them ran deep—he couldn't abandon them.
More importantly, Landorus's own power relied on the combined presence of his brothers. Only together could they fully restore and enrich the earth.
"They caused a disaster, Landorus—do you understand how many lives were lost?"
Rex asked, his tone serious. As expected, he wasn't ready to let them off so easily.
The destruction Tornadus and Thundurus had wrought was immense. No amount of recovery could bring back those who had died.
"I am truly sorry, young one. Their actions were my failure—I should've sensed the danger sooner and stopped them."
Landorus's voice was full of regret. As he flew across the region, he had seen firsthand how much suffering had been caused.
"It wasn't your fault, Landorus. I know this disaster wasn't because of you."
Rex reassured him. He understood that Landorus hadn't participated in the destruction. Still, he couldn't just let the others go without consequence.
If they didn't face the results of their actions, they would never learn from them—and would likely repeat their mistakes.
"I understand. But without their power, I cannot fully restore the land. It's a balance we must uphold."
Landorus knew what Rex was implying—but he also had his own reasons.
"Then how about this: Hoenn still has many impoverished regions with barren soil. If you three work together to restore those lands, it can be their way of atoning. Would you accept that?"
Rex offered a solution after a moment of thought—something both sides could agree on.
"I accept. Though it will drain much of our origin energy, if it helps redeem them, it is worth it."
Landorus studied Rex for a long moment, then nodded.
With that settled, Rex didn't hesitate—he released Tornadus and Thundurus.
Still weakened, they emerged only to immediately destroy the Ultra Balls that had contained them for days.
The moment they turned to lash out at Rex, Landorus clenched his fists and sent each of them flying with a punch—slamming them into the ground hard enough to carve deep trenches in the earth.
After that, neither dared act out again. They hovered quietly behind Landorus, clearly chastised.
Seeing this, Rex gulped. He was glad he hadn't gotten on Landorus's bad side.
Given Landorus's display of power, Rex couldn't say for sure that even Mega Diancie could defeat him.
Rex had proposed the atonement mission not just to punish the trio but for another reason—he valued Hoenn League goodwill more than any favor from the Forces of Nature.
He planned to contact Professor Birch and report everything that had happened, ensuring the League knew the full extent of his role.
Now that he'd stepped up, he knew the Hoenn League would no longer ignore him. This was his chance to send them a major gift.
And by doing so, Rex hoped to prove both his power and character to the League. If anyone ever tried to come after Rex Farm, he believed there would be those within the Pokémon League ready to shield him from the shadows.
(End of Chapter)