Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

In the underground hidden base of Team Dominion in Hoenn, Victor Arclayne, the regional head, stared at a pair of orbs in his hand. One was fiery red while the other deep blue.

They had recently succeeded in stealing the Red and Blue Orbs from Mt. Pyre for the price of a small distraction. It was nothing much, just a Champion ranked battle that nearly toppled a mountain and a thousand men armed with guns.

The League had beefed up security a few decades ago after the incident with Team Magma and Team Aqua. They had grown lax in recent times, but a powerful couple still watched over the orbs. It wasn’t a job his associate, Edwin Varow, could pull off alone or with just a few men.

The couple guarding the orbs were powerful Champion ranked individuals, so he had to personally distract them while Edwin stole the orbs during the chaos. The thousand men ensured all the guarding Pokémon were distracted as well.

With these orbs in hand, he now had a more threatening leverage to get the League to back off. He didn’t want Devon Corp and Steven Stone to even think about Move Crystals, let alone mining them.

If they didn’t comply, he would awaken Groudon and Kyogre with the orbs to cause disasters in the region. Sure, they could probably do something about it, but they would have to constantly be on guard to ensure damage was kept to a minimum.

So long as they played nice and allowed Team Dominion to continue mining unobstructed, they could continue to enjoy relative peace in the region.

As for finding them and taking the orbs back, Victor let out a chuckle. There was no way anyone would be able to find their location, not with the new signal-scrambling metal they had lining the walls of the hidden base.

New toys should be played with, after all.

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Alex and Sable finished their shopping before continuing on to the rest of the sanctuary. They made a date out of the occasion as they walked around with arms linked like a couple.

Their pokemon trailed them and watched with awe at the new environment. In particular, they took interest in the battles the Elite ranked dragons fought in the distance.

"You guys go have fun," Alex said. "Just make sure you respect the rules of the place."

They nodded at Alex’s instructions before running off to play, all 34 of them free to enjoy themselves so long as they followed the rules and showed respect.

Ditto and Aegislash stayed by Alex’s side. They had gotten used to simply staying with him at all times and didn’t like moving around as much. Play was never a concept either of them were familiar with. Even at the farm, Ditto usually preferred to stay as Alex’s watch, while Aegislash focused solely on training.

Espeon tagged along with Alex as usual, while Hydreigon hovered possessively from behind. Both kept wary eyes on the dragons that were sizing their trainer up like a piece of meat.

The water team was released into the lake to socialize, while the rest scattered, looking for a challenge to fight. As for bullying, only the Champions could get away with it, but they weren’t about to lower themselves to bother with those beneath them.

Alex and Sable, meanwhile, continued their tour. They passed by the gardens, orchards, and crops, enjoying the peace. They watched a few Elite ranked dragons train, including Alex’s Kommo-o, which grappled another to the ground before knocking it out with a chokehold. Walking along the side of the lake, they took in the calming atmosphere. Finally, they reached what appeared to be the meditation area, where trainers sat atop pillars, channeling their dragon energy.

"Welcome, guests," an elderly man said in a low voice. "This is the Dragonspire, where we train and strengthen our Dragon type energy."

"Is it different from training Aura?" Alex asked.

The elderly man took a closer look at Alex before nodding appreciatively. "I see you meditate as well. You have an impressive amount of energy in your body, young man."

"Thank you, elder."

"As for your question, yes, it is different. Training your aura strengthens the connection with your sense of self, a very useful meditation technique that calms the Pokémon’s energy and gives your will more power. This meditation technique we practice, however, is different. It aims to increase the effectiveness of our energy rather than improve its control."

"Effectiveness rather than control? Wouldn’t you lose your mind if the energy became even more powerful?"

"No, it doesn’t enhance the feral desires of Pokémon. Instead, it enhances the effect of the energy. There isn’t more of it; it is simply higher in quality."

Alex thought about it and equated it to how his Aura hadn’t grown despite the meditation he did daily. It was still the same minuscule amount that no amount of talent could make use of. Instead, its effectiveness had grown, able to enhance his sense of self despite the disparity in quantity with the energy it was supposed to control.

"May we learn this meditation technique?"

"Of course. It isn’t as though this is a secret technique of the tribe. Those, you will never see performed outside."

That intrigued Alex, but it was ultimately useless to him. He didn’t have a talent for Dragon type energy. Even if he knew their secrets, he wouldn’t be able to make use of it.

"This meditation technique relies on the energy to grow the physical body. It enhances the organ the energy is most attuned to. For Dragon type energy, it is the heart. We strengthen our hearts and are able to multiply the effect of the energy when used."

Alex understood it as a more efficient energy conversion. If the relevant part of the body is enhanced, the energy conversion increases, resulting in more energy produced from the same amount of energy invested. It doesn’t mean energy is produced from nothing; it simply means less is lost during the conversion.

It would allow Alex to prolong his use of Dark type energy, letting him stay hidden longer, defend his mind better, and see even further in the dark.

The elder explained that to practice this technique, one only needed to circulate energy through specific parts of the body depending on the type of energy and let it linger. Each Pokémon type was tied to a particular part, and by focusing the flow there, the output would grow with each cycle.

Normal energy lives in the ears, keeping balance steady and the body grounded in its natural state. Fire energy lives in the stomach, burning and breaking down what sustains the body, feeding its strength. Water energy lives in the blood, flowing through every part of the body and carrying life to every cell. Grass energy lives in the hair and nails, always growing and renewing, a constant sign of vitality.

Flying energy lives in the lungs, pulling in air and pushing it out in rhythm. Fighting energy lives in the muscles, built for force, control, and endurance. Poison energy lives in the liver, burning away toxins and filtering corruption. Electric energy lives in the nerves, carrying signals like live current, from spine to fingertips.

Ground energy lives in the feet, the anchors that root the body to the earth. Rock energy lives in the bones and teeth, providing unshakable structure and stability. Psychic energy lives in the brain, the core of awareness, intent, and focus. Ice energy lives in the skin, regulating temperature and shielding the body against the elements.

Bug energy lives in the reproductive system, tied to fertility, persistence, and survival of the species. Ghost energy lives in the spirit, untethered and beyond the body. Dragon energy lives in the heart, driving power, vitality, and will.

Dark energy lives in the eyes, piercing through shadow and seeing what others cannot. Steel energy lives in the joints, providing strength, flexibility, and resilience. Fairy energy lives in the mouth and voice, shaping words, influence, and song.

Alex and Sable paid careful attention. This was something both of them could benefit from. They had the requisite talent to manipulate their energies, so they focused whenever theirs came up.

Alex felt more conscious of his eyes while Sable nodded in understanding. It had always been her feet that made the most use of her Ground type energy. It seemed she would have to start setting aside time to try this meditation technique.

Once the old man finished explaining, the pair walked away enlightened. They had never realized there was an extra component to how they could utilize their talents.

They continued walking while digesting the information until Zinnia approached in a hurry.

"Alex, Sable, I am so sorry, but you will have to leave the sanctuary. I can’t stay to watch over you anymore."

"What happened?" Alex asked. "Is it something we can help with?"

"I don’t think so. It’s a problem at the Champion rank, and you’re both still Elite."

Sable nodded and accepted easily. She was strong for an Elite, but Champion ranked problems were far beyond her. Only Alex was crazy enough to actually think he could fight back. Then again, he did take down Captain Blackwake.

"That’s fine," Alex said. "We were more than compensated already, and we wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome."

"You’re not a bother, really, but it’s the rule of the tribe that unless you are married to a tribesman, you cannot stay without the person who invited you. I have to leave for an emergency, so you have to go as well."

"Understood. Just let us pick up our Pokémon, and we’ll be out of here with Teleport."

"Thank you, and sorry."

"No problem."

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