Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Alex rode on Arcanine and headed west along Route 29. The path led through an ordinary forest, not much different from the ones he had seen before, so he didn’t pay much attention to the surroundings.

What caught his eye, however, were the Johto-specific Pokémon such as Sentret, Hoothoot, Hoppip, Ledyba, and Spinarak. These species were considered rare in Kanto, so he was still adjusting to the unfamiliar environment.

Eventually, though, he had gotten used to it by the time they arrived at Cherrygrove City late in the evening.

The city itself was quiet and modest, nestled along the coast with a soft breeze rolling in from the sea. Small houses with red-tiled roofs lined the streets, and many of the buildings seemed older but well cared for, giving the place a comfortable, lived-in charm. Flowers bloomed in neatly tended gardens, and the air carried a faint scent of salt mixed with fresh grass.

It was a far cry from the larger cities of Kanto. There were no towering buildings here, no loud crowds filling the streets. Instead, the roads remained calm, with only a few locals walking about, going through their daily routines at an easy pace.

Even so, Cherrygrove had earned its status as a city for good reason.

A sturdy stone wall surrounded the settlement, a reminder of its old defensive needs. These days, the wall mostly served as a boundary between the town and the wilderness beyond.

Near the heart of the city, a small commercial district was beginning to take shape. Shops, inns, and supply stores clustered together, catering to the needs of both travelers and locals.

Most notably, the city had recently established a new Water type Gym, drawing both trainers and visitors eager to face a fresh challenge.

Between its protective walls, its growing marketplace, and its newly built Gym, Cherrygrove had just enough presence to be called a city, even if it still felt more like a quiet seaside town at its core.

Alex quickly found an inn to stay the night and got up early the next morning to start investigating the city.

Umbraline’s report states the city was starting to collect a good number of human supremacists from the peaceful methods they had employed. As usual, it was through forums, orphanages, businesses, arts, and the media that they would evoke the wrath of those who had suffered.

Unlike in Kanto, however, the flow of life in Cherrygrove City was quite slow, so even if they had a decent following, it would still take another decade for the powder keg to explode.

As Alex toured the city, he took note of the sparse stares. Occasionally, he would catch hateful glances directed at Espeon by his side and Pikachu on his shoulders. Walking with Pokémon was still the best way to spot human supremacists.

He noted that even if they hated Pokémon, the level of it was quite subdued compared to those in Kanto. It further proved that people here were mostly non-confrontational and preferred a slow, quiet life over one filled with conflict.

Alex continued his tour of the city until he reached the western side, where several piers stretched out toward the open ocean. According to Umbraline’s intel, the human supremacists maintained a base in this area, using it as a training ground for new recruits.

He took out his DEEP suit, put it on, and then released his water team, which consisted of Gyarados, Milotic, six Wishiwashi, and Clawitzer. Once they were ready, he rode out into the open sea.

After an hour of traveling southwest, Alex had Gyarados dive to the seafloor, where he found the human supremacists’ underwater base.

It was similar to the one Gravik had used, an earthen dome resting at the bottom of the ocean. However, this base was still fully operational, rather than being submerged and broken through.

Alex wasn’t sure why Umbraline hadn’t simply destroyed the base themselves, but he wasn’t about to question a profitable opportunity. So, he released Kommo-o and Hydreigon, then fired Decorate bullets at both of them to max out their Attack and Special Attack.

Once they were fully prepared, he swam a safe distance away on Gyarados before signaling for them to begin.

Both dragons grabbed onto the earthen dome and began stomping in unison, triggering a powerful combined Earthquake. The synchronized tremors sent Ground type energy rippling through the structure, weakening it. Cracks began to spread across the dome as the earthen shell buckled under the strain.

Unfortunately, it was clear that two Earthquakes weren’t enough to fully break through. Still, the damage was severe and it wouldn’t take more than another push to cause a collapse.

Alex ordered both of them to follow up with Draco Meteor.

The two swam back to a safe distance, then opened their jaws wide, gathering Dragon type energy into massive spheres. They took their time, pouring every bit of power they had into the attack before launching the twin Draco Meteors toward the weakened dome.

The Draco Meteors struck with devastating force, shattering the already damaged structure. The cracks widened until the entire dome collapsed inward, and within moments, seawater rushed in and completely flooded the base.

Alex recalled Kommo-o and Hydreigon, as both were starting to run out of air, before he and his water team swam away to escape being pulled in by the rush of water.

As the water began to settle and the last of the trapped air bubbled up to the surface, Alex signaled for Wishiwashi to transform. He had a feeling a fight was inevitable.

The Wishiwashi let out a call that resonated through the water, summoning others to form a single Schooling Form Wishiwashi. However, its size was relatively small, standing only about as tall as Alex himself, making it clear that more numbers were needed to fully empower the transformation. Gathering enough would take some time.

’Mental note: next time, have them transform sooner," Alex thought.

Just then, he noticed trainers escaping from the base, desperately clinging to their Pokémon as they swam toward the surface for air.

Alex decided to let them go. He was more focused on a particular individual than a group of grunts. So what if they continued spreading their ideologies? If anything, it might even lead to more bounties for him in the future.

Suddenly, from the remains of the dome, a man escaped, clinging to an Elite ranked Skarmory that glided effortlessly through the water toward the surface.

Alex immediately recognized him as the one in charge of the faction here in Cherrygrove City.

Without hesitation, he signaled his Pokémon to pursue. They swam quickly, intercepting the escapees’ path to the surface.

Alex then signaled Clawitzer, who began bombarding them with bursts of Water Pulse.

Skarmory were fast, even underwater, but they couldn’t dodge projectiles in this environment, especially not Water Pulses that tracked their targets. It tried to defend itself with Protect, but it was no use. The Water Pulses kept coming, and after only a few hits, Skarmory was taken down.

Desperate for air, the man tried to delay the inevitable by releasing the rest of his team. Unfortunately for him, they were all dense Steel type Pokémon that immediately sank toward the ocean floor. The rest of his team consisted of Steelix, Mawile, Aggron, Forretress, and Scizor.

Among them, only Scizor managed to fight back, using its wings to struggle through the water. Even so, the battle didn’t last long. Clawitzer kept her distance, fully using her speed in the water to strike from afar with ease.

The other Pokémon attempted long-range attacks while their trainer swam toward the surface, but it was futile. Alex’s team shielded him without difficulty as the Steel types continued to sink, completely unable to swim.

With a signal from Alex, they ignored the helpless Pokémon and focused on the man once more. A few Water Pulses later, the air was knocked from his lungs. He quickly lost consciousness and drowned as his body sank.

Alex made sure the man was dead before storing his body in his space bag as part of his spoils. He then captured and locked away the man’s Pokémon in their Poké Balls before swimming back down to the flooded base.

He had not forgotten the true reason he came here. He and his team spent the next few hours gathering corpses, ammunition, and gear, storing everything they could salvage.

Once they were finished, Alex released Gardevoir, who calmly teleported him back to his inn.

After removing his suit, Alex glanced out the window and noticed it was still afternoon. With time to spare, he decided to take care of some business. He went to the drop-off point for Umbraline, which was another restaurant where he submitted the corpses he had collected.

"The total comes to 30 million Pokédollars, Mr. Wattson. Excellent work, as always," said the young woman in charge of corpse disposals.

"I would like these delivered to my farm," Alex said as he handed her a space bag containing his personal spoils.

"I don’t usually handle these, but consider it done," she replied.

Alex nodded before returning to his inn to get some rest.

Tomorrow, he would start hunting bounties in earnest considering his next destination.

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