Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

"Slow down! Stop panicking. I left most of my Elites there, including Hydreigon. It shouldn’t be that much of a threat," Alex replied to Nyx’s frantic report.

While he was getting the full story from Nyx, Alex observed the outcome of Milotic and Gyarados’s battle.

The second exchange was close, but Milotic barely held on. The third and final strike, however, proved too much. Milotic fainted, leaving Gyarados standing with less than a third of its health remaining.

Alex had planned to gather more leverage before facing Misty’s final Pokémon, but the circumstances didn’t allow it. In the end, there was no point in dragging things out. He already had the advantage, it was time to end the battle.

Alex returned Milotic to her ball and sent out his own Gyarados. The moment it entered the field, Intimidate took effect. Then, with a swift and empowered Lash Out, it struck down Misty’s Gyarados, ending its frenzy.

"You’ve got some nerve getting distracted while battling me," Misty accused. "Even though you can pull it off, it’s still rude."

Misty recalled her fainted Gyarados and released her fourth and final Pokémon, an Expert-ranked Starmie. She would not allow Alex leeway to be distracted.

"Reflect!" Misty called out immediately.

"Taunt!" Alex ordered quickly, but he was a second too late.

"The farm is being overrun by a Pokémon Flood! We need your help, Alex," Nyx continued over the phone.

Starmie erected a shimmering barrier, cutting incoming physical damage and sealing Gyarados’s fate. The next moment, Taunt struck, preventing Starmie from using any non-damaging moves.

"Gardevoir and Hydreigon should be able to keep the farm safe. Tell Rhea to try out her toys as well. She has been pestering me for a testing ground and this seems like the perfect chance," Alex said, turning his attention back to the battle. "Lash Out."

"Thunder!" Misty ordered.

Gyarados moved first, its Priority-enhanced Lash Out dealing significant damage and knocking out nearly half of Starmie’s health. But it couldn’t withstand what came next.

A bolt of lightning crashed from the sky, striking the water near Gyarados. Though it hadn’t hit directly, Starmie’s Thunder was empowered with Advanced Proficiency, increasing its damage by fifty percent.

With Gyarados already weakened from the earlier battle and its severe vulnerability to Electric-type attacks, the move’s splash damage from the water had just enough power to bring him down.

"There are too many of them. Gardevoir can’t keep up the offense for long. We need help," Nyx continued.

"Alright, I’ll be there. Don’t worry," Alex reassured her before ending the call.

He had a general idea of the situation, and it probably wasn’t as dire as she made it out to be. After all, Alex knew just how devastating his Gardevoir could be. He also knew this was Metagross’s time to shine, to prove to Alex it could keep the farm safe and earn more time to play its games.

Alex recalled Gyarados and sent out Tsareena to end the battle. With Starmie still under the effects of Taunt, victory was already all but guaranteed.

"Blizzard."

"Power Whip."

Starmie launched an Advanced Proficiency Blizzard, its power amplified by fifty percent. The frigid storm tore across the waters, battering Tsareena as she charged forward.

Despite the freezing assault, Tsareena pushed through and lashed out with a powerful strike, swinging her long hair like a whip. The blow landed cleanly, delivering a devastating Power Whip that drained the last of Starmie’s health, even with Reflect active.

Tsareena stood barely upright, teetering on the edge, but in the end, she emerged victorious.

"Winner, Challenger Alex," the referee declared.

"You got me pretty good with that bait and switch earlier," Misty said with a smile. "Still, congratulations on earning your fourth badge, though I doubt you would need it for anything given your accomplishments."

She released a Champion-ranked Gyarados that towered over Alex’s own. Its powerful aura was overwhelming, yet it stirred a spark of excitement in him.

’If I remember right, this was the Gyarados that belonged to her parents. The source of her trauma, which she eventually overcame,’ Alex thought.

He had wondered how Misty could own a Champion-ranked Pokémon so young, but then recalled that this particular Gyarados was inherited rather than personally raised.

What intrigued him more was whether Misty’s other Pokémon had reached Champion rank over the past twenty years. It seemed plausible, especially if they had been fed a diet consisting exclusively of Champion-ranked Pokémon meat for a few years.

Misty rode the massive serpent across the water to Alex’s platform and handed him the Cascade Badge.

"Thank you," he said, accepting it.

"You deserve it," she replied. "Now, what was so important it couldn’t wait until after the battle?"

Alex thought about it briefly before deciding to take a chance.

"You don’t happen to be free after this, are you?" he asked.

"You’re my only appointment today, so yes, I’m free. Why? You want to ask me out?" she asked with a teasing smile.

Misty was definitely a catch but Alex wasn’t the dating type. He was more interested in a sexual relationship than a romantic one. Plus, he would never date when he had four girls waiting for him back at the farm. Vera would kill him if she found out he was romantically involved.

"Something like that," Alex replied. "My farm in Saffron City is currently under attack by a Pokémon Flood. It’s at the northeasternmost edge, so it’ll be the first place hit on the way to the city."

"A flood?" she exclaimed. "This soon? There shouldn’t be that many Pokémon yet after the one from a decade ago."

"Well, the farm’s under attack, which is why Rotom pushed the call through despite our battle," Alex said. "Want to come along?"

"I can’t. Not now that I know there’s a flood coming from that direction," she said, her expression turning serious. "This city could be hit in a few hours, or a day at most. I have to prepare."

"Ah, right. Gym Leader duties," he replied with a nod. "No problem. It shouldn’t be that big of an issue."

"You’re either very brave or very stupid. A flood isn’t something to underestimate. Keep yourself safe."

"I will. Thanks for the badge."

"Sure."

Alex first healed his Pokémon on the spot, using Revives and Heal Pulses before putting all his gear back on. Then, he called out Arcanine.

Misty had given him permission to teleport out, even from inside the Gym. It was an emergency, after all.

Once everyone was ready, Alex returned them to their Poké Balls, and Arcanine teleported them back to the farm.

Once they arrived, Alex saw chaos in every direction as a literal flood of Pokémon crashed down on the farm. An irritating siren blared from the device he’d been required to install, while the distant wail of another echoed from the direction of the city.

He shot a passing Pidgey with a Beat Up bullet, knocking it out mid-air while quickly surveying the area.

Gardevoir was positioned at the northeastern corner of the property, beyond the training grounds, holding the front line. Psychic Terrain and Gravity were deployed, covering a range nearly a city block and a half wide. She waited for the space to fill with slowed Pokémon before unleashing a devastating Expanding Force that launched Experts and Elites backward while crushing Adepts and lower-ranked foes into meat paste.

Overhead, Hydreigon flew in sweeping arcs, sending Roars and Snarls in every direction. Flying-types died, fainted, or scattered, temporarily clearing the skies and giving the Pokemon on the ground some much-needed breathing room.

The rest of the Pokémon were loosely stationed around the perimeter, doing their best to hold the line. They mainly relied on area attacks like Earthquake, Dazzling Gleam, Heat Wave, and Roar to take out as many opposing Pokémon as possible within their immediate range.

Still, plenty of critters slipped through and began wreaking havoc inside the farm itself. There was simply too much open space to cover. However, his Pokemon ensured that Elite and Expert-ranked threats were kept away, minimizing large-scale damage.

Those Elite and Expert ranked Pokémon were the main reason many of the lower-ranked ones could slip through, despite Alex’s many Elite ranked Pokémon capable of devastating an entire city block with their area attacks.

Alex released his team and ordered them to eliminate the enemies that had breached the perimeter before reinforcing the defense line. They quickly dashed off, mowing down the Novice and Adept-ranked Pokémon that had made it inside.

"Metagross," Alex called out.

A psychic connection was immediately established.

’Status report,’ Alex sent through the link.

’Playing tower defense. Minimal damage so far. The women are in the shelter beneath the mansion. Should be able to hold for another hour. Enemies sighted for miles. Will need backup eventually,’ Metagross responded.

’Rhea?’

’In the lab. Playing with her toys.’

’You mean calibrating?’

’Sure.’

’Coordinate with her once she’s done. Make sure the Pokémon get some rest, meat, and healing supplies from the emergency storage.’

’Sure thing, boss.’

Given the situation, Alex jumped into the fray. In one hand, he wielded a silver gun loaded with Coaching, Decorate, and Heal Pulse rounds to support his Pokémon; in the other, a black gun loaded with Feint and Phantom Force rounds, meant for killing. His presence immediately boosted the team’s combat efficiency.

He moved along the northeastern perimeter of the property, firing support rounds at his Pokémon to enhance their performance while swiftly dispatching any enemy Pokémon that got too close.

Half an hour into the relentless battle, a low buzz cut through the chaos, growing louder and more intense with every passing second. Alex looked up, tense and alert. Something was coming, something that would change their current situation.

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