Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

High above Hammerlocke Hills, a pair of Corviknight fitted with Dominion Restraints around their necks hovered in place, their unnatural movements under the control of their riders, two Team Dominion operatives in their distinctive body armor. They were among the many deployed to investigate the loss of two bases in the region, tasked specifically with keeping tabs on Alex Wattson, the bounty hunter.

It was obvious from Alex’s track record that he was responsible for the destruction of both bases, but it was also clear there wasn’t much they could do about it. He was a Champion ranked trainer that even their headquarters couldn’t handle, so at minimum they had to keep tabs on him at all times.

"There he is. Alex Wattson, the bounty hunter who took down two of our bases," one of the men said.

"Are we really sure he’s responsible?" the other asked. "The investigation team didn’t find any direct evidence linking him to the attacks."

"Did you even read his records before we left? Every time we lose a base, he’s in the area. It’s obvious he’s responsible. He’s just good at covering his tracks."

"I did, but that still feels like a stretch. We’re blaming him for being nearby."

"It doesn’t matter at this point. We just need to keep track of him," the first man said, shaking his head, done arguing.

They followed Alex past Hammerlocke Hills as he made his way toward the Lake of Outrage, then continued after him as he rode Arcanine across its surface, heading deeper in.

"This should be as far as we go," the first man said. "The mist is too thick. We’d need to be closer to keep track of him. Since we can’t risk being found, we should report back."

As they were about to retreat, a massive explosion erupted from the lake, catching them off guard and dispersing the mist above the water. A Dynamax Gyarados burst to the surface, its body swelling to several times its normal size until it towered over the water, its head alone now roughly 30 meters (98 feet) tall.

"Holy shit!" they exclaimed.

The Gyarados immediately turned toward Alex and Arcanine before firing a massive column of water with relentless force. It was Max Geyser, the Dynamax version of a Special Water type move, sending rain crashing down across the Lake of Outrage.

The pair immediately dodged that attack as Arcanine used Extreme Speed to circle around Gyarados, slipping into its blind spot. Then, with a powerful leap, Arcanine leapt toward Gyarados’s back, but the moment its paws left the water it was returned to its Poké Ball, leaving Alex soaring through the air with a wild grin on his face.

"Quick! Grab the camera and start recording. We have to send his combat data to headquarters," the first henchman shouted.

The second henchman scrambled to grab the camera, switched it on for a live broadcast to their base in Galar, and began recording the battle.

Alex, meanwhile, had finally managed to get his hands on a Max Pokémon to battle personally. He had been itching to fight one ever since he learned about them, and now was finally his chance.

Once he was on Gyarados’s back, he coated himself in Dark type energy and clung to the spine while delivering devastating stomps that seemed to do little damage. He made sure to pour copious amounts of his own energy into each strike, and they appeared to be disappearing into Gyarados’s body. It just wasn’t visually satisfying, as his physical strength didn’t seem to be enough to register any visible damage.

"He’s a madman," the second henchman commented as he watched in awe. "He really thinks he can take down a Max Gyarados all by himself with his bare hands."

"You’d have to be a madman to think you can fight against Team Dominion and survive," the first one said, terrified by what their organization was up against. "The insane part is that he isn’t an idiot. He has a powerful army, an impregnable base, and powerful Pokémon at his side. No wonder all those bases were destroyed. He’s like a rabid Legendary Pokémon."

Gyarados, having lost its mind in the rampage and detecting a threat on its back that it couldn’t reach, began thrashing wildly. It launched itself through the air, snaking across the sky before twisting and diving back into the lake below. It plunged underwater in an unstoppable rampage, generating tornadoes, tidal waves, and whirlpools in an effort to shake Alex off its back.

Alex, meanwhile, ducked low and hugged Gyarados’s body to avoid being swept away by the rushing water. He didn’t stop attacking, punching down with all his might while feeding Dark type energy into Gyarados’s back. He was like a bull rider, doing his best to stay on while wearing his opponent down.

Minutes passed, then an entire hour, before a change finally happened. A shattering sound echoed across the entire Lake of Outrage as Gyarados’s ethereal shield broke.

Alex noticed it immediately as the next punch he landed finally broke through Gyarados’s scales, caving the surface inward.

"Finally!" Alex shouted in victory before laughing wildly like a madman. "Ahahaha."

Chills ran up both henchmen’s spines as they watched Alex begin to beat the Gyarados left and right, no longer just a parasite on its back. They saw him kick at its spines, snapping them off, then striking its head, forcing it to face-plant onto the shores of the lake, before rushing its side and throwing a punch that sent Gyarados ragdolling across the ground.

A 30-meter-tall draconic beast was being manhandled by a man tiny in comparison, the contrast painting a terrifying picture of raw force in such a small body. And this entity was supposed to be their enemy.

For the next 10 minutes, Alex wailed on the weakened Gyarados, every attempt to retaliate evaded, every attempt to escape blocked. It was being toyed with as it was battered and bruised across its entire body.

Then, with a final roundhouse kick to the face, the Gyarados finally lost its Dynamax state as it reverted to a fainted Gyarados on the shores of the Lake of Outrage.

Alex stood in front of it, still small in comparison, though his silhouette felt larger than ever. He took a deep breath, savoring his victory, and finally relaxed his steaming muscles, the overabundant energy in his body easing at last.

"That hit the spot," Alex said with pure relief, as if an itch had finally been scratched.

Then he felt two pairs of eyes staring at him from a distance. He turned toward the sky and noticed a pair of onlookers riding Corviknights. They looked like Team Dominion henchmen, likely scouts sent to keep tabs on him.

"AHHHH!" the first henchman shouted in fright. "He saw us! Run! We have to get out of here!"

Quickly, they commanded the Corviknight to turn and retreat back to the base. They were tasked with keeping tabs on him, but that would be impossible if they were caught.

They didn’t manage to get far, though, as a pair of Crobat swooped in with Quick Attack before locking them in place with Mean Look and putting them to sleep with Hypnosis. They followed up by breaking the Dominion Restraints on the Corviknight, setting them free and inadvertently causing the two henchmen to fall off.

Fortunately for them, they were rescued by the Crobat couple, but unfortunately, they were brought before Alex, who immediately killed them with a stomp to the neck. He also seemed to notice the camera that had caught the whole thing and destroyed it outright, finally cutting off the live feed as his terrifying visage filled the frame before the transmission cut.

"What do we do, sir?" an operator asked the leader of the Team Dominion branch in Galar.

"Forward the footage to headquarters along with everything we managed to find about him and his activities, and recall all our operatives. We’re shutting down operations until Alex Wattson leaves the region."

"Is that wise, sir? Won’t headquarters complain?"

"If even they can’t do anything about this maniac, I see no reason for us to kill ourselves trying to fight him. That madman might even enjoy it if we send an army against him. Rather than continuing to waste resources, we’ll leave everything to headquarters to sort out," the leader said before continuing. "Also send a region-wide announcement to all bases that they are to move out of the base and take a vacation until Alex Wattson leaves the region."

The operator suppressed his excitement at the sudden vacation and quickly forwarded the leader’s message to every base in the region.

"This should be enough to minimize losses until he leaves and we resume operations. The data shows he goes around picking fights like a wild Pokémon, but he also focuses on his objective. He was in Sinnoh for a long time and didn’t take down a single base there. So long as we stay out of his way, we should be able to survive his visit."

Meanwhile, in Team Dominion headquarters, Alaric’s secretary entered his office with a video file on her tablet, presenting it as she stepped inside.

"Sir, I think you need to see this."

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