"Sabrina, executive of Team Rocket—you are under arrest!"
Not long after Sabrina regained consciousness, Officer Jenny from Slateport arrived to formally inform her of the situation.
Indeed, after the Officer Jenny from Springdew Town discovered Sabrina's true identity, she had immediately transferred her to Slateport's central police station for detainment.
While Sabrina's presence in Hoenn wasn't widely known, her prior role as the Psychic-type Gym Leader of Saffron City in Kanto meant her identity could still be verified through regional League records.
The Slateport Officer Jenny took her case seriously. Sabrina, after all, was a key figure in the notorious Team Rocket organization.
From the captured grunts, they'd already extracted troubling intel: Team Rocket was making a significant push into the Hoenn region.
This revelation had the Hoenn League brass on high alert. Among the many underworld groups, Team Rocket was one of the most powerful.
A rare syndicate that operated across multiple regions, Team Rocket lurked in the shadows, engaging in all manner of forbidden acts.
"Hmph. Since you've already caught me, there's nothing more to say."
Sabrina's expression remained cold and unreadable as she spoke each word slowly.
She wasn't particularly worried about her current predicament. After all, she hadn't committed any major crimes in Hoenn, so at worst she would be extradited to Kanto.
And she was confident: with her strength and value to Team Rocket, Giovanni would move mountains to rescue her.
Her heart was still calm… until she thought of Rex.
That name made her blood boil. This was the most humiliating defeat she'd ever suffered since awakening her psychic powers.
"Then I'll leave it at that. You'll be extradited to Kanto soon enough."
Seeing that Sabrina had no intention of cooperating, Officer Jenny didn't waste further words and turned to leave.
After all, Sabrina's movements in Hoenn were well-documented, and she hadn't broken any local laws. The best they could do was hand her over to the Kanto League—where she was a wanted criminal and would face much harsher punishment.
"What did you say? Sabrina was captured in Hoenn?!"
Back at Team Rocket's Kanto headquarters, Giovanni had just received word of the arrest—and his expression immediately darkened.
Even his prized Persian, which had been enjoying the boss's affection, promptly jumped away to avoid catching his wrath.
Sabrina wasn't just any member—she was one of Team Rocket's most elite executives. Since joining the organization, she'd played a pivotal role in many key operations.
Giovanni had sent her to Hoenn merely for a relatively low-risk assignment. To hear she'd been captured? Unacceptable.
After reviewing the details, he couldn't help but grow curious about Rex—the trainer who had managed to subdue that monster of a woman.
Even though Giovanni's Pokémon were on par with Champion-level elites, he himself was still just a normal man.
If he were to ever fall out with Sabrina directly, he'd never dare appear before her—her psychic powers could immobilize him in an instant.
"Matori, you'll head to Hoenn and bring Sabrina back."
After a long silence, Giovanni finally spoke to his assistant, Matori, who was standing quietly nearby.
"Understood, Boss. I'll retrieve Miss Sabrina."
Pushing her glasses up with a cold gleam in her eyes, Matori turned and departed, already assembling a team and boarding a massive aerial craft bound for Hoenn.
As Giovanni's trusted aide, Matori knew better than most how dangerous Sabrina could be.
To be captured so easily? That only heightened her wariness toward Rex. She now ranked him on par with Sabrina in terms of threat level.
She had no intention of making an enemy out of him—her mission was simply to extract Sabrina from the League's hands.
Meanwhile, back at Rex Farm, a new life had just entered the world.
"Welcome to this world, Ralts."
Rex smiled warmly at the small Pokémon, who looked around curiously, its red eyes peeking out from beneath its green helmet-like hair.
This Ralts had just hatched from the egg he'd received during his visit to Caitlin's Battle Castle.
Its small white body stood upright, and the two flat red horns that split its hair distinguished its gentle front-facing and smaller back-facing sides.
Rex couldn't help but note how expressive the little creature was—Ralts could sense the emotions of people and Pokémon through the red horn on its head.
While it rarely appeared in front of humans, it would instinctively approach those radiating joy, and avoid those with negative energy.
Legend said that Ralts appeared before cheerful people, showing no preference for age or gender—only their mood.
When it sensed kindness, its own body would warm slightly, and it shared in the trainer's joy when they were happy.
"Ralts!"
Sensing the affection in Rex's heart, Ralts let out a soft, pleased cry as if to say: "You're my master—wait, no, wrong franchise—my trainer, right?"
That adorable behavior was too much for Rex to resist. He gently scooped it up, then offered it a specially prepared bottle.
Inside was MooMoo Milk, enriched with a few drops of royal-grade Honey—sweet nectar from a Vespiquen's own supply used to nourish young Combee.
"Ralts!"
After the first sip, Ralts's eyes lit up, and it began drinking eagerly—clearly a hit.
Once it had eaten its fill, Rex spent the day guiding Ralts around the farm.
Its cute appearance and infant-like charm made it instantly popular among the other Pokémon. Soon, they were all eager to play with it.
Ralts, too, seemed to enjoy the lively, joyful atmosphere—delighted to meet so many new friends.
Still, being newly born and a bit timid, it would glance back at Rex often, making sure he was still nearby before continuing to play.
Only with its trainer in sight could it truly feel at ease.
(End of Chapter)