Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Grimmsnarl had been doing well for itself here by its lonesome, having reached Elite rank through cunning, wit, and instinct. Now, faced with Alex’s offer, it considered its options. Ultimately, it decided not to accept, as it would lose its freedom and, rather than remain unique, become just one of many in the group.

As it was about to answer, it had a sudden realisation. Every single one of Alex’s Pokémon was powerful, so was losing its freedom really that bad? There was also something intriguing about Alex that it couldn’t resist. It felt like peace and tranquillity being offered on a plate in exchange for its loyalty, which was a difficult concept to accept.

It paused, claws tapping lightly against the forest floor, weighing its past victories against the strange calm Alex seemed to exude. Freedom was all it had ever known, yet there was something in the trainer’s aura that made Grimmsnarl’s instincts tingle in a way it couldn’t ignore.

It decided to wait until after the battle to see how Alex would end the fight before giving its answer.

Meanwhile, Alex read Grimmsnarl’s expression and saw the conflict in its eyes. It wanted to join but wanted its freedom as well. He would have to impress it further if he wanted this cunning Pokémon by his side.

"Take your time," Alex said. "We’ll need to clean up after this battle, so you have until tomorrow to decide."

Returning his focus to the battle, Alex looked around at the devastated forest without a hint of remorse. The ground was cracked from repeated Earthquakes and gouged out by powerful single target attacks that had missed. Smoke curled from the splintered remains of trees, mingling with the scent of scorched earth. The faint trickle of the stream was gone, swallowed by the cracked ground, while distant cries of fleeing Pokémon echoed through the clearing. Even the wind seemed cautious, carrying whispers of the chaos that had just unfolded.

As for the battle itself, he estimated it wouldn’t take much longer before Cormac and his gang gave out. Their Elite ranks had been crippled, with only a single trainer left fighting off Hydreigon, Altaria, Alcremie, Frosmoth, Dusknoir, and Ceruledge, along with two Expert ranked trainers who were too far away to regroup with Cormac.

The Champions under him were doing a good job matching Alex’s Pokémon, but with Lucario’s team joining the fight, they were starting to dwindle. Meanwhile, Alex’s own Pokémon were being healed by Togekiss and Clawitzer, who had begun spamming Wish, Life Dew, and Heal Pulse.

Cormac and his group of Experts were completely bogged down by the defense team, who were advancing while maintaining their triple bombardment, preventing them from providing any support. It was a battle nearing its conclusion if nothing else happened.

Suddenly, from the forest came a pain filled cry that was a mix of a wail and a song, projecting Psychic energy filled with sadness and rage. The cry grew in power as it slowly drowned out the noise of battle, swelling into a chorus as if a choir were singing in suffering.

The ground trembled as groups of Pokémon gathered from all directions, approaching the devastated battlefield. In no time, Alex and Cormac were surrounded from every direction by the Pokémon of Glimwood Tangle, mostly a mix of Grass and Fairy types.

Before Gardevoir could explain, Ditto used Transform and shifted into the Deep Suit, completely concealing Alex and preventing him from breathing in the surrounding air. It proved fortunate, as Spores began drifting in from all directions, released by an army of Morelull, Shiinotic, Foongus, Amoonguss, Paras, and Parasect.

"What’s all this, then?" Cormac exclaimed, protected by his underling’s Electric Terrain.

Cormac and his group of Expert ranked trainers were protected because they had grouped together atop a constant stream of Electric Terrain, which empowered their Electric type attacks. It also coincidentally prevented the Sleep status condition from taking hold, neutralising the effects of Sleep Powder and Spores.

Meanwhile, his Champions, left out in the open without protection, began falling asleep along with Alex’s own. The Elites and the pair of Experts blocking Alex’s path soon followed, too disorganised from the chaotic melee to maintain Electric Terrain to their advantage.

Alex didn’t hesitate and commanded Rotom to retrieve all his Pokémon, except Gardevoir and Arcanine, both of whom he had equipped with Safety Goggles. He had a feeling this fight wasn’t meant to be fought, so he prepared to escape while he still could. As for the Grimmsnarl sleeping by his feet, he captured it with a Poké Ball, deciding its fate would be grim if left here alone.

"Ha! Looks like you can’t handle a bit of Spore and Sleep Powder," Cormac boasted. "Brilliant, the price on your head’s mine now! Attack!"

Alex took out his Stormline and countered the attacks raining down on him with an offensive barrage, punching through the waves of Electric type Special moves heading straight for him. Fortunately, he was no longer surrounded and could focus his attacks in a single direction. Swinging Stormline back and forth, he bought precious space and time for Gardevoir and Arcanine to complete their combined enhanced Teleport.

Normally, he would have relished exactly this type of battle, surrounded by enemies, outnumbered, and outgunned. But his instincts were screaming at him to run, not out of fear for his safety or his ability to survive, but because of the consequences of winning or losing. His pragmatic nature warned him that this wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

After all, the signs posted just outside Glimwood Tangle warned against messing about in the forest. They weren’t put there for the safety of travellers. In the Pokémon world, trainers were often left to die during their journeys, especially in regions like Kanto, Johto, and Galar, where the policy was to respect Pokémon and their territories.

"Gardevoir!" Gardevoir exclaimed, signaling that it would take a bit longer to complete the teleportation.

"What’s wrong?" Alex asked, turning to see Arcanine and Gardevoir struggling.

"Arc! Arc!" Arcanine barked, indicating they were being blocked from escaping by a powerful Psychic type energy.

Alex looked around and spotted the source. Behind him, a gathering of Hatterene mounted on Galarian Rapidash had arrived, their song calling in nearby Pokémon. It seemed they were using their Psychic energy to block Teleport and prevent their escape.

Quickly, Alex had Rotom release Espeon and Gallade, both of whom immediately donned Safety Goggles before moving to assist. Using their powers, they strengthened Gardevoir and Arcanine just enough to break through the Psychic barrier blocking their escape, creating an opening for the teleportation to succeed.

Fortunately, there was only a single Champion ranked Hatterene among the approaching Pokémon, accompanied by a few Elite ranked Galarian Rapidash. It didn’t seem like a group capable of maintaining the blockade for long, meaning Alex and his team had a real chance to get away.

The same couldn’t be said of Cormac who suddenly found his payday had escaped. Now, he was surrounded by a powerful nest with his Champions and Elites asleep on the other side of the battlefield.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed. "Alright, gents, time to bugger off."

He retrieved his Pokémon, leaving his Elites behind, and began a slow retreat with his Experts. Unfortunately, more Pokémon emerged from the dark forest, cutting off their escape. They tried to fight back, but with only Experts and weakened Champions, they stood little chance, especially as increasingly powerful Pokémon kept pouring out of the forest until even his own Champions were outnumbered. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Meanwhile, Alex arrived back at the main trail of Glimwood Tangle, where curious onlookers watched him materialize. Without wasting time, he retrieved his Pokémon, rode Arcanine, and continued north toward Ballonlea, unwilling to tangle with the forest any longer.

The battle had been exciting and a good test of his Pokémon’s tactical strength, but the escape had been far more intense. His need for adrenaline was properly sated, so for now, it was better to press on with his journey.

Riding on Arcanine, the pair blitzed along the trail and continued through the middle of the night until they finally exited the forest. It was better to be as far away from the forest as possible while giving it time to settle. As for Cormac, he didn’t care in the slightest. It was one thing to kill them with his own hands and another thing entirely to avoid saving them. They kind of had it coming, given that they had started the battle.

By morning, although the dense canopy above completely blocked the sunlight, Alex arrived at Ballonlea. His first impression was that of a whimsical theme park. The city was alive with colorful lights, cozy homes nestled beneath towering trees, and pockets of cold, lingering shadows. Somehow, the place felt like home.

He found the most luxurious accommodations he could locate in a large inn and booked their best room. Finally, he remembered his little companion from the previous day. He released Grimmsnarl and spoke to the distraught Pokémon, noting its blank gaze.

"Sorry about kidnapping you, but I don’t think you would have survived if I had just left you there. Have some meat to fill your belly, and then we can talk," Alex said, handing over a generous plate of cooked Champion ranked meat.

He hadn’t stopped considering adding this Grimmsnarl to his team, given its combat experience out in the wild. It would make the perfect supporter for Azuking.

Meanwhile, the little Pokémon was terrified. It remembered the song, the call to arms that all Pokémon must answer to protect the forest. It remembered being branded the cause, never allowed to return. Even as it began to fall asleep, it realized its freedom in the forest was gone. It had no choice but to go with Alex from now on.

It would have continued to lament its situation if it hadn’t been for the delicious smell of the Champion ranked meat, something it had never tasted before. Once it took a bite, its eyes lit up in absolute delight.

Perhaps being Alex’s Pokémon wasn’t so bad after all.

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