Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 21: Chapter 21. Learning A Lesson

After breakfast, Alex, Raticate, and Growlithe went down for some training.

Excited to discover which moves Growlithe might have inherited, Alex asked him to perform all his moves while he scanned with the Pokédex.

After the final move— which involved Growlithe happily looking up at the ceiling with his eyes closed and a contented expression— the Pokédex beeped, signaling the updated status.

Name: Growlithe, Novice

Type: Fire, Male

Ability: Justified

Moves:

Novice: Covet(Egg Move), Double-Edge(Egg Move), Morning Sun(Egg Move), Ember, Leer, Howl, Bite

Description: Growlithe, the Puppy Pokémon. Known for its fierce loyalty and protective nature, it will bark and bite at any intruder that threatens its territory. Its exceptional sense of smell allows it to remember scents for life, making it an excellent tracker. Though naturally friendly and playful, Growlithe is fearless in battle, using its powerful fire breath to ward off enemies. It thrives on companionship and training, growing stronger through discipline and care. When properly raised, it becomes a steadfast guardian, always ready to defend its pack.

’Jackpot! All the moves he could have gotten from Espeon,’ Alex thought with excitement.

Alex had asked Jenny what possible Egg Moves Growlithe could have inherited, and she simply listed all the moves Espeon knew so he could find out for himself. Alex had hoped to at least get Morning Sun, as it was a powerful healing move, so he was ecstatic with the results.

”Alright, Growlithe. This will be our first training together, so give it your best,” Alex said as he started stretching while Growlithe followed along excitedly.

When it came time to sprint until all their stamina was expended, Raticate took off like a silver bolt of light, and Growlithe excitedly followed after him. Alex sprinted as well, but he was no match for a Pokémon’s speed.

By the end, Raticate was exhausted from repeatedly using Quick Attack, which consumed a significant amount of stamina. Alex was also exhausted, as he had to start with sprinting and couldn’t save up stamina for a light jog. Growlithe, however, was still fine, hardly even panting. This showed that his stamina was high enough to keep him sprinting for a full 30 minutes without stopping.

This was no longer considered training for Growlithe because of how little it actually tired him out. Alex would either have to prolong the cardio session or place some weights on him.

’Between stamina and strength, building strength is more important, so it’ll have to be weights. I’ll swing by the market later and see what they have,’ Alex thought.

Next came Move training, which finally tired out Growlithe. Using Moves required more than just physical stamina; it drained the innate energy that Pokémon possessed. Overusing and restoring this energy continuously accelerated their growth.

Finally, it was time for sparring matches.

There were multiple reasons why Alex insisted on sparring with his Pokémon. One was to get some exercise himself and familiarize himself with Pokémon attacks, even if he couldn’t withstand a single hit. Another was to help his Pokémon get accustomed to fighting humans. They needed to understand human limitations and what humans were capable of. Finally, it was to build their bond—nothing strengthened bonds better than trying to understand one’s opponent.

This was a lesson he had learned from his sparring partners at the gym.

He started by putting on his padded gear, then explained the rules of the sparring match to Growlithe. Afterward, he began with Raticate so Growlithe could observe and learn firsthand what sparring was all about.

Alex and Raticate squared up, and immediately, their auras changed. Alex got into his standard boxing stance, while Raticate crouched on all fours, ready to pounce.

Alex shifted his weight back onto his right foot and prepared to take a half-step forward with his left when Raticate chose that moment to pounce, targeting Alex’s left leg.

But it was a feint. Alex bent his left foot, angling his knee to the right, while dropping his left shoulder and bending his waist forward. As he did, he brought down his left fist, landing a solid hit on the top of Raticate’s butt.

Raticate managed to paw at Alex’s left shin guard but couldn’t avoid the retaliation. Fortunately, he was quite a bit faster than Alex, so Alex only managed to tap Raticate’s butt with his gloves.

Still, both Alex and Raticate counted this as a point for Alex. Raticate was already at the top of Adept level, and soon, these spars would have to stop, as Alex was simply too slow to be a challenge for him. But until then, these almost-pointless little spars were valuable bonding time.

As the fight continued, Growlithe watched intently, confused. Why were they fighting? Why did they look so serious? Why weren’t they using moves?

It wasn’t until the five-minute timer on the Pokédex rang that he began to understand what all of this was about.

Alex turned off the timer, patted Raticate playfully, then reiterated the rules to Growlithe, who nodded along.

Alex and Growlithe squared up, and for the first time, Growlithe felt Alex’s aura change. This wasn’t playtime anymore—this was a serious spar. Alex’s gaze bore into him, making him feel small. That was when he finally started taking the fight seriously.

Shifting from his usual sitting position, Growlithe crouched low, mirroring Raticate’s stance.

Then, without hesitation, he charged straight at Alex’s stomach.

Caught off guard, Alex quickly crouched, catching Growlithe mid-air with both hands. Using the momentum, he rolled backward, letting his shoulders absorb the weight until he completed the roll—pinning Growlithe beneath him.

Then, he tickled him.

Growlithe wriggled in pure agony. It was too much. Too much! Desperate, he cried out for help.

”Grau! Grau! (Help! Help!)” he wailed in dismay.

Raticate, watching from the sidelines, placed a paw under his chin and nodded as if he had just unraveled one of life’s great truths.

”Rrraticate. (Yes, this is the trial you must face, young one),” Raticate declared, nodding sagely.

He, too, remembered when Alex had once pinned him during their spars. He was young then—foolish, even.

It happened when he got overconfident and decided to target the back of Alex’s head.

With a mighty leap, he was certain Alex couldn’t possibly turn around in time to catch him—and he was right. Alex was far too slow. Victory was within his grasp.

Or so he thought.

Just as he soared through the air, he suddenly felt hands clamp around him mid-leap. ’What?!’ Alex hadn’t turned around; he hadn’t needed to. Instead, he had reached both arms over his head, blindly catching him in midair. Before Rattata could even process his mistake, he was pulled forward and smothered against Alex’s face, his soft, fluffy belly subjected to an undignified assault—an affectionate nuzzle.

It was a travesty.

From then on, he never targeted the back of Alex’s head with a full-body tackle. He had learned his lesson.

Instead, he would use Tail Whip while jumping off Alex’s shoulders. It was a much safer area to target. At worst, he would bounce off Alex’s arm as he slowly turned.

As Raticate continued to reminisce, Growlithe, meanwhile, was suffering. For a full minute, he endured the relentless tickling before he was finally released.

He scampered away to a safe distance, panting, before turning around—only to see Alex still standing there, poised in his standard boxing stance, ready for round two.

With a smirk, Alex taunted Growlithe by raising a gloved hand and motioning for him to come forward, his stance unwavering.

From then on, Growlithe finally took the spar seriously. Like Raticate, he focused on targeting the shin guards, the sides, or the back.

He had learned his lesson. Never again would he attempt a full-body tackle from the front. He would avoid those hands like his life depended on it. Petting was fine, but tickles? That was simply taking things too far.

Once the five minutes were up, it was time for Raticate and Growlithe’s sparring match.

To ensure a balanced fight, Raticate wasn’t allowed to use any moves, while Growlithe had access to all of his.

From a game’s perspective, this would be a guaranteed win for Growlithe—he could just spam Ember with its 100% accuracy and eventually come out on top. But in reality, Raticate had an easy time dodging all of Growlithe’s attacks while still managing to thwack him with a paw or a flick of his tail.

In fact, Raticate found this match even easier than sparring with Alex. Growlithe was just too slow, sometimes even failing to execute his moves properly.

On top of that, Growlithe didn’t have hands. Those dangerous, evil hands—too nimble, too flexible. They were definitely created with sinister purposes in mind. Anyone who had hands was simply a villain.

Once their spar ended, they reset the rotation and continued until they had trained for a full hour.

Their session had been quite fruitful, especially for Growlithe, who was starting to learn the rhythm of battle. His starting point had been quite a bit lower than Rattata’s, but he was gradually getting into it. It wouldn’t be long before Growlithe was ready for real combat.

After Alex packed up his gear, all three started heading for the elevator—only to be interrupted by a sudden shout.

”Hey, you!”

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