Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 35: Chapter 35. Wild Pokemon

This was the first time Alex had seen a wild, unbonded Pokémon. He had to admit—they were exactly as advertised. These creatures would tear him apart if given the chance.

There was no intellect in their eyes. No clear emotion. They looked like rabid animals.

It was terrifying to even think about what lay beyond the thick, towering walls of Saffron City. Alex realized he may have underestimated just how dangerous the wild truly was.

It now made much more sense why some people chose to hide in the city and turn to crime rather than risk becoming trainers. If they had seen an army of these creatures outside, survival might have seemed impossible.

Alex now considered his current situation a blessing.

”Poor creatures, aren’t they?” The floor coordinator’s voice was calm, almost rehearsed. ”Stuck in cages when some of them haven’t even lived for more than a year. But trust me when I say, this is for the better. For us—and for them.”

It was clear that many people must have protested the severe treatment of these Pokémon, forcing the man to develop this well-practiced speech for anyone seeing young wild Pokémon for the first time.

It was understandable, though. Most people grew up surrounded by their parents’ affectionate, well-trained Pokémon. Seeing these young creatures locked away like dangerous criminals would be shocking. It could easily spark outrage among those unaware of the reality. After all, the League had spent decades advertising how safe and reliable Pokémon were.

But this didn’t apply to Alex. He understood how terrifying even regular animals could be—let alone creatures that defied the laws of physics through their type energy and moves.

”So, how does this work?” Alex asked, deciding to skip the man’s introduction.

”First, wear this mask.” The man handed Alex a plain white full-face mask.

”Next, you go around and take your pick. Just make sure not to accidentally bond with any of them by communicating in any way, shape, or form—otherwise, that would be considered your unchangeable choice. Once you’ve made your choice, inform me, and I’ll isolate it for you to bond with.” the man explained.

”Are all of them available?”

”Yes.”

”What does training entail exactly?”

”We introduce stimuli, then either punish or reward them depending on the desired outcome. Once they understand the dos and don’ts, we test them. If they pass, they’re sent to the League.”

This training was specifically for Pokémon that would be given to children, as forming a bond could be a dangerous process. If a Pokémon immediately attacked or startled a child, it could cause undue stress, potentially traumatizing a future trainer. These extensive measures were necessary to ensure a safe and stable bonding process.

Alex nodded, then donned the mask and pulled his hood up for good measure. With his hands in his pockets, he started looking around.

The floor housed a variety of Fighting-type Pokémon: Mankey, Machop, Tyrogue, Heracross, Pancham, Croagunk, Scraggy, Crabrawler, Makuhita, Timburr, Meditite, Clobbopus, and Falinks.

’Machop seems agreeable. Machamps would make great sparring partners in the future. They’re quite tall too. The only problem is their evolution condition... They need to defeat a strong opponent or win consecutive battles, I think?’ Alex thought as he continued to stroll around.

There were also non-Fighting-types like Aipom, Buneary, Munchlax, Slakoth, Kangaskhan, and Stufful.

’Buneary is a pipe dream. Where am I supposed to get a Mega Stone? Those things are expensive. Kangaskhan is the same—it used to be impossible to find, and now I’m not even considering it. Slaking... nah. Snorlax? Powerful, but I’m not rich enough yet.’

Scattered among the other Pokémon were a few unexpected species: Sunkern, Hoppip, Azurill, Kricketot, Scatterbug, Tynamo, Blipbug, Chewtle, and—

’Hm? Clauncher? That thing’s a healer, right? It restores 75% HP with Heal Pulse. Slow, but Water Pulse is a guaranteed hit and Aqua Jet is Priority +1... It’ll need support, but that’s not bad at all.’

Alex mentally noted Clauncher and continued his search. As he walked, he found himself ignoring the other Pokémon, his thoughts lingering on his new healer.

Sure, Clawitzer couldn’t cure status conditions, but its Heal Pulse was powerful. If only he could get a Clefairy, Comfey, or Flabébé... Healing Pokémon were always in high demand, even though Flabébé was fairly common in Kalos and Paldea.

By the time Alex had circled the entire floor, his decision was made. It would have to be Clauncher.

’I’ll just have to stock up on status potions, I guess.’

Alex returned to the floor coordinator and declared his choice.

”A Clauncher? Here? Wait a minute,” the man said before running down the stairs.

Alex had a bad feeling. Healers were a big deal. They saved the gym’s martial artists tons of money on potions and reduced trips to the Pokécenter. He had no doubt the gym would want to keep it.

A few minutes later, the man returned with a downcast expression.

”Alright, go in that room and wait with your Pokémon out. I’ll go get Clauncher’s Pokéball,” he said, pointing to a room off to the side.

Secretly delighted, Alex entered the room. It was a simple space, just large enough for a battle between Novice ranked Pokémon.

A few minutes later, the man returned and handed Alex the Pokéball.

”All you need to do is convince it to join you. Do what you must. Pokéblocks are the most effective way, as well as the strength of your Pokémon. Just make sure she doesn’t faint. You want consent, not a capture.”

”Alright, thanks,” Alex said, taking the Pokéball.

After the man left and closed the door, Alex released his Pokémon and gave them an update.

With their agreement and excitement, Alex released Clauncher onto the other side of the battlefield.

”Claw!”

She immediately burst into a charge using Aqua Jet, targeting Alex, the closest target.

Raticate reacted instantly, blocking the glowing blue crustacean with Protect just before Alex swung his fist down, striking the top of her head.

Clauncher looked slightly dazed before repeating the attack. This time, Growlithe blocked it, and Alex responded in kind.

After several rounds of this, Clauncher looked tired and irritated but no longer launched Aqua Jets. Instead, she glared at Alex with barely restrained rage.

Kneeling, Alex presented some Expert-ranked Pokémon meat, immediately catching Clauncher’s interest.

She snatched the meat and began eating while Alex placed a hand on her shell, gently stroking her.

”Stick with me, and you’ll never go hungry. I’ll make you stronger—stronger than you can ever imagine. Just like my friends here,” Alex said, coaxing her as she ate.

The food was good. The meat was powerful. She was weak. She wanted strength.

Finally, Clauncher looked up, locking eyes with Alex. Gone was the raw savagery, the instinct to fight or flee. Now, she was thinking.

After a moment, she nodded.

Alex smiled. ”Nice to have you on the team, Clauncher. I’m Alex, your trainer. This is Raticate and Growlithe. Let’s get stronger together.”

He extended his hand.

Clauncher hesitated before lightly pinching it.

Alex nodded, gently shaking her claw up and down before picking her up, carrying her like a teddy bear.

He wanted to solidify the bond as soon as possible.

Alex made his way outside and down the stairs after paying 50,000 Pokédollars to the floor coordinator. He only needed to pay when the bonding succeeded.

He then headed down to the third floor, where he bowed to the Gym Leader before making his way out of the Fighting Dojo and heading to a fish pet store. He also planned to visit the school to purchase some TMs for Clauncher, as well as a Choice Specs, Expert Belt, and Leftovers that he kept forgetting to get for Growlithe.

Meanwhile, back at the Fighting Dojo, a middle-aged man with black hair was being questioned by his disciples. He was the Koichi, the Gym Leader of Fighting Dojo.

”Master, are you sure it was okay to give him the healer? He has potential, but an extra healer in the gym could give our healers some extra rest.”

They were a gym. Of course, they had healers. It was just an expensive initial investment before yielding decent returns in reduced spending on potions. The off-the-wall healing stations had a healing Pokémon in the back, working their magic as Pokémon were submitted for treatment. It was free as well.

”He has potential. He’s worth it. Besides, aren’t you curious? How will he train the Clauncher? Will he come back and challenge another battleground to help train our trainers? Is he going to make it a dedicated healer? I’m excited to see his progress.”

Ever since Raticate no longer needed Alex’s direct input to execute his hit-and-run strategy, he had been given a battleground of his own rather than sharing one with Growlithe. The floor coordinator had been that impressed with the gym trainer’s progress.

The gym trainers around Koichi considered his words and nodded in agreement. They would wait and see what their little regular had in store for them. For now, they withheld judgment. Hopefully, his growth would be significant enough to justify the perceived expenditure.

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