Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 60: Chapter 60. Pokemon Affinity

”Alright,” Alex said with determination before picking Togetic up and sitting him on his lap.

”It’s not your fault. Your trainer just didn’t have good taste. How about this? I give you this Shiny Stone so you can evolve further into Togekiss. That way, you’ll be even prettier than you are now,” Alex said as he petted him while handing him a Shiny Stone.

Togetic regarded Alex’s words. He said he was pretty, and he could be even prettier.

”Toge? (Are you sure?)”

”You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I promise to love you either way, no matter what you look like. Okay?”

”Toge,” he nodded, then took the stone.

Light covered him as he started to expand. Alex retreated from the glow as his new form grew larger. The light receded, revealing Togekiss in all his splendor.

”Togekiss? (How do I look?)” Togekiss asked carefully.

”You look beautiful. Right, Alcremie?”

”Al, Al, Alcremie! (Yes, yes, so pretty!)”

Togekiss circled the room in excitement before settling on Alex’s head. He was quite heavy, but Alex could handle it.

”Congratulations on your evolution, Togekiss. I’m Alex, and I’ll be your trainer. I promise to never abandon you. So, will you train with me?”

”Toge!” he nodded from atop Alex’s head.

He had found a trainer who appreciated him, unlike that bitch. She would rue the day she abandoned him. He would be the prettiest, no matter what his previous trainer said.

Alex noted the shift in his demeanor and started getting concerned. He couldn’t shake off the fact that he might fail as a father in the future. He hoped he would train and fight properly, at least.

Name: Togekiss, Adept

Type: Fairy Flying, Male

Ability: Hustle

Moves:

Novice: Charm, Ancient Power, Yawn, Metronome, After You

Basic: Growl, Pound, Sweet Kiss, Life Dew

Description: Togekiss, the Jubilee Pokémon. Known for its gentle nature, it appears only in peaceful places, spreading joy and blessings to those it trusts.

Togekiss’s previous trainer was an 8-year-old girl who received Togepi as an egg. When he hatched, she adored him because he was cute. She carried him everywhere, and they did everything together. She even trained him with the best resources money could buy, courtesy of her parents.

Unfortunately, her love led to his evolution, and his new form wasn’t to her taste. She immediately abandoned him and never played with him again, even when her parents tried to convince her that he was strong and would change his looks upon evolving again. She wasn’t interested.

So, her parents sold Togetic to the market while buying her another cute Pokémon, like an Eevee.

Togetic, meanwhile, had received top-notch food and some low level training, but he was never properly trained for proficiency in moves. He simply repeated the same moves he had learned at the beginning. Training him would take some time.

Finally, it was time for the problem child. Alex made sure to prepare properly for this particular Pokémon. She was an Elite-ranked Pokémon and a hardcore Dragon type as well. They were known to be chaotic because of their three heads, and this one, in particular, was even more chaotic.

Alex had Alcremie on his head, Rotom in his chest pocket, and Aegislash in his shadow. His other Pokémon surrounded the field, with those who could fly circling in the air. Alex made sure they acted casual but were prepared to toss out Protect to prevent damage to the backyard.

Alex released Hydreigon onto the field, and immediately, her six eyes locked onto him with an intense stare. She floated closer, towering over him while maintaining unwavering eye contact. Dragon-type energy surrounded her, flowing across her skin in a steady circulation, ready to be unleashed.

Alex didn’t flinch. His Pokémon surrounded him, and he could take a hit or two if needed, so even the pressure of her Elite-ranked aura didn’t faze him.

Then, without warning—BANG!—she plopped onto the ground and began nuzzling him, emitting soft purring sounds. All three heads rubbed against him with unmistakable affection.

Alex was too shocked to react—his body moved on instinct as he reached up and petted her heads. His other Pokémon watched with interest but quickly lost focus once they realized there was no danger.

As he processed what was happening, Alex felt an instant bond snap into place with Hydreigon. It wasn’t just any bond—it was even stronger than the one he had with Raticate, his starter.

A surge of energy coursed through him from their connection. It felt like finding a long-lost child. The power circulated between them in a steady cycle, flowing from him to Hydreigon and back again. Alex was bewildered—he needed answers.

”Rotom, search for information regarding strong immediate bonds,” Alex requested.

”Establishing a strong bond with a Pokémon can be achieved through various methods: consistent team inclusion, participating in picnics, utilizing the Soothe Bell, feeding friendship-enhancing berries, catching with Luxury or Friend Balls...” Rotom began listing.

”Stop. Never mind,” Alex said, exasperated.

The results yielded nothing useful, which meant the League was likely suppressing relevant information. He tried other keywords—affinity, energy, human typing—but everything he found was irrelevant.

Deciding to shelve the mystery for now, Alex refocused. He had a Hydreigon to train.

”Hello, I’m Alex. I’ll be your trainer from now on,” he greeted.

”Gon. (Pleasure.),” she replied.

”Can you tell me why you’re so affectionate? They said you were difficult—even more so than usual for your species.”

”Gon! Hydreigon. (They sucked! You smell nice, though.)”

”What is it that you find nice?”

”Hy... drei? Gon? Hydrei. Dreigon. (Hmm... Aura? Looks? I don’t know. I just like you.)”

That was all Alex could get out of her, so he moved on to the next step.

”Alright, show me your moves.”

Name: Hydreigon, Elite

Type: Dark Dragon, Female

Ability: Levitate

Moves:

Novice: Tri Attack

Basic: Tackle, Focus Energy, Bite, Roar, Assurance, Headbutt, Work Up, Slam, Crunch, Scary Face, Body Slam, Hyper Voice, Double Hit, Nasty Plot

Advanced: Dragon Breath(+50% Damage), Dragon Pulse(+50% Damage), Dragon Rush(+50% Damage)

Description: Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokemon. Hydreigon is a brutal and relentless predator, using its three heads to destroy anything that moves. It is known to mercilessly attack with overwhelming force, leaving devastation in its wake.

It was decent, but it could use more status moves. Scratch that—it could use all the moves.

Alex stored his new Pokémon, updated their move pools, and assigned each of them homework. They needed to achieve at least Basic proficiency in all their moves. This way, they would always have options in battle.

The four staggering Pokémon were shocked. They turned to Alex’s other Pokémon, who nodded solemnly. They too had gone through the same training.

Metagross had protested at first—until Rotom explained how its gaming skills had improved because of it. Metagross didn’t believe it until it was utterly crushed in their shared games. So badly, in fact, that it had become the most dedicated trainee among Alex’s Pokémon.

Kommo-o was resistant as well. He had always relied on sheer force, attacking at full strength. But when Alex explained how they had to fend off over a hundred trainers just a month ago—over three hundred Pokémon charging from every direction—Kommo-o stopped listening. He was already consumed by battle lust, dreaming of tearing through waves of enemies. If Alex was capable of providing such a battlefield, then he would make sure he was ready for it.

Before long, Kommo-o was right next to Metagross, practicing with fervor—almost like a pair of addicts chasing a high.

Togekiss didn’t complain. He enjoyed training and didn’t want to disappoint Alex, his new trainer, so he trained hard.

Hydreigon, however, was a drama queen. She would throw a tantrum until she met Alex’s stern gaze and relented. Then, after receiving his affection, she would take training seriously.

Alex was relieved that his new Pokémon were on board with his program. He knew it was demanding—far beyond the current standards—but he believed that flexibility in battle brought peace of mind, so he insisted on it.

During dinner, Alex asked Jenny about affinity with Pokémon, but her answer left much to be desired.

”Jennys and Joys have always had an affinity with Growlithes and Chanseys. It started with our ancestors taking them in as Pokemon then passing their eggs over to their children.”

”Over time, it became both a genetic trait and a family tradition. When I first met Arcanine as a Growlithe, our bond snapped into place instantly—just like what happened between you and Hydreigon. It was powerful, and to this day, it’s the strongest bond I have.”

She paused before adding, ”Boltund and Espeon share strong bonds with me too, but... it just doesn’t compare.”

Jenny frowned in thought. ”I don’t know anything about energy transfer. Wait... I think I experienced something similar when Arcanine reached Elite rank, but it was subtle. It wasn’t a rush—more like a warmth. Maybe you have a talent similar to psychics, but with Dark-type or Dragon-type energy?”

Failing to get a satisfactory answer from Jenny, Alex decided to ask his instructor at the academy. With at least three Elite-ranked Pokémon under his belt, he should have the security clearance to know, right?

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