Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Alex headed back to Kanto first thing the next morning and had an in-depth discussion with Rhea about the Psychic energy-enhancing crystal he had found. Apparently, it was a sought-after resource that consumed its own mass in exchange for amplifying any Psychic energy that was passed through it.

With it, any Psychic type Pokemon or individual with Psychic affinity could project their energy much farther, although its power would remain relatively similar. It was as if the crystal acted as a wrapper that protected the energy as it spread out or traveled, allowing for greater reach. On its own, it allowed significantly farther teleportation and communication with a range covering an entire region.

When processed and supported by technology and fed Infinity energy, it could allow any Psychic move to reach anywhere on the planet from the comfort of home. It was a terrifying resource that the League considers a strategic resource, considering the significant amount of damage that could be done if it fell into the wrong hands.

The right thing to do would be to hand it over to the League for a tidy sum, but Alex had other plans. This would be the pair’s little secret for now, as Rhea developed the supporting technology for it while Gardevoir began training to utilize it properly.

With Alex’s new toy taken care of, he teleported back to Stow-on-Side in the Galar region. There, he simply toured the city, making sure to show his face. He planned to head out the next morning and continue his travels, considering he had spent most of the day with his kids and his girls.

Stow-on-Side was a dry, dusty city built around history. The land around it was rocky and sunbaked, with little in the way of greenery, and the wind often carried dust through the streets and between the old stone buildings. Most structures were built low and sturdy, clearly designed to withstand both the weather and the passage of time. Even before its recent surge in popularity, the city had always been known for the ancient mural that had stood there for centuries, drawing historians, trainers, and the occasional tourist.

Everything changed after the Second Darkest Day a few decades ago, when the mural was destroyed and revealed the ancient statue hidden behind it. What was once just an old piece of artwork turned into one of the most important historical sites in the region overnight. The mural was eventually restored and placed in a proper exhibit, built right beside the statue so visitors could see both the restored artwork and the newly revealed relic together. Since then, people have been coming from all over Galar to see the site for themselves, many treating it as a place to pay respects.

Shops, inns, and restaurants catered heavily to visitors, tour guides were always busy, and the local Gym ensured a steady flow of trainers passing through. Between the historical site, the Gym challenge, and the constant stream of tourists, Stow-on-Side had grown far more prosperous than its dry climate and remote location would normally allow. Even with the dust, the heat, and the wind, the city thrived. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Alex spent some time weaving through the streets and examining the statue and the mural before getting bored. The exhibit about the Second Darkest Day, which detailed the events surrounding Eternatus, was interesting, but there was little else to keep him entertained. In the end, he simply got a massage at his luxury hotel and called it an early night before heading north toward Glimwood Tangle the next morning.

He checked out of his hotel first thing and made his way to the northeast of the city, heading toward the trail that led into Glimwood Tangle. He walked along with the crowd, moving as if he were just another traveler, tourist, or trainer, despite his extremely well-dressed outfit.

Eventually, he entered the dark forest and followed the path north toward Ballonlea City.

Glimwood Tangle was a beautiful dark forest, but in a way that made Alex keep his guard up. The sunlight was completely blocked under its thick canopy, but here and there soft light spilled from glowing mushrooms, drifting spores, and pale bioluminescent plants. Some patches were dim and shadowy, while others shimmered in faint blues, purples, and greens, giving the place a strange, otherworldly glow. The trees twisted and bent in odd directions, and the plants along the forest floor were unlike anything Alex had seen before, alien and almost deliberately unnatural. It was beautiful, but it didn’t feel safe, and that difference made it almost mesmerizing.

The forest reminded him of the old Celtic stories about fairies, the ones with rules that were impossible to understand and consequences that were deadly. In those tales, a single wrong word or a single wrong gesture could end in death or, worse, with them bound as a servant or property for life. Glimwood Tangle had that same uneasy feeling that made him watch every step he took. Every glowing patch, every twisted tree, every strange plant, and every shadowed corner seemed to follow its own rules, as if the forest had a will of its own.

Walking through it, Alex felt like he had stepped straight into one of those old stories, a place where beauty and danger were inseparable and even the smallest mistake could have serious consequences.

At least, that held mostly true for the group of people who had begun following him ever since he entered the forest.

’12 Expert ranked trainers, three Elites, and a Champion. This time, they’re definitely trainers with Pokémon rather than fusions with guns. They’re also moving as a team, with the Elites up front to cut me off and the Champion with the Experts as the main force. Not bad, pretty decent tactics for assassins or bounty hunters,’ Alex analyzed.

There was a reason he had decided to spend the previous day just walking around after coming back from Kanto. He wanted to attract more assassins by increasing his visibility, and sure enough, he had been followed as he went about yesterday. They probably hadn’t attacked in his sleep to keep the peace and to gather more reinforcements. Now, they were ready to start a battle in this well-known, dangerous forest as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

And, eager for a fight, Alex presented them with the opportunity they had been waiting for as he left the established safe path between Stow-on-Side and Ballonlea. Instead, he went west toward the untrodden path deeper into the dark forest, closer to where the stronger nests had taken up territory.

Immediately, he felt the assassins accelerate their pace, the Elites moving to flank him and cut off his escape, while the Champion, followed by the Experts, trailed behind, spread out to ensure Alex didn’t suddenly double back.

Alex, meanwhile, took his time, trying to find the ideal location. Preferably, he wanted an open area so as not to devastate the forest. That was until he came across a stream cutting north across his path, with a fallen tree serving as a conveniently laid-out bridge before him.

Without a doubt, this was a trap, an ambush of another kind, but Alex, unbothered by his pursuers, decided to check it out. He was always up for anything fun, so long as it involved combat.

He hopped onto the bridge and made his way across, only to be intercepted by a Fairy type Pokémon.

It stood hunched along the fallen trunk, green-skinned and wrapped almost entirely in long, dark purple hair that coiled around its body like muscle, giving it a bulk it didn’t truly have. Strands spilled behind it like a tattered cape, while others shifted and twitched with a life of their own, ready to lash out and ensnare. Its exposed face was sharp and unsettling, with crescent-shaped ears, a long hooked nose, pale eyes with red irises, and a wide grin that showed flat teeth and pointed fangs.

Alex examined the Pokémon with intrigue. It was an Elite ranked Grimmsnarl that was close to Champion, but it preferred to work alone. This little bridge setup was likely its trick, a way to ambush weak trainers and Pokémon passing through. It clearly hadn’t detected Alex’s strength, given that he was deliberately trying to appear weak for his assassins.

It held out its hand to Alex with a beckoning gesture, indicating that he should pay a toll or face a battle where they stood.

"Look, little fella," Alex said with a chuckle. "You don’t want to mess with me or get caught up in the coming fight, so I suggest you head deeper into the forest before things get ugly."

The Grimmsnarl’s brow quirked, having never been truly challenged. At most, its victims would cower beneath its aura, at least since it had reached Elite rank and started avoiding the stronger nests deeper west in the woods.

It double-checked what it knew of its prey and judged him to be at the same rank, but quite a bit weaker. It was a challenge it was willing to face. Still, there was something interesting about this particular prey, something that drew it in and made it hesitate, perhaps even consider avoiding a fight.

As it was considering Alex’s offer, three Elite ranked trainers riding on Luxray jumped over the stream and landed on the other side. They were followed by the Champion and a dozen trainers who fanned out in a loose encirclement, with Alex and Grimmsnarl in the center.

"Too late, little fella. I hope you survive the battle to come," Alex said before turning to the Champion ranked trainer in the lead.

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