Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 190: Chapter 190. Veiled Threat

The young man turned back and made his way out of the house after delivering his last words.

Alex, meanwhile, stood in shock as he ran through his memories, trying to figure out how he could possibly have a daughter.

He had plenty of sex, that was for sure, but they had all used birth control. He thought back to who he could have gotten pregnant and immediately eliminated the Kimono Girl Midori from the list. He had worn a condom, and it was too soon for a child to have been born.

If it were any of his girls at the farm, Nyx would have given him a heads-up, so it wasn’t any of them either. That only left Lyra, Mika, Maris, or Vera, since they hadn’t been at the farm the entire time. They were also out in public, well within the reach of Umbraline.

In any case, he had to get back to Kanto to find out who it could possibly be.

He hurriedly packed all his things before mounting Arcanine and teleporting back to Kanto. It took twelve teleportations before he managed to reach the farm, then he rushed over to Nyx in the server room, almost breaking the door down as he entered.

”Nyx, status report on Lyra, Mika, Maris, and Vera. Now!” Alex yelled, catching Nyx off guard.

”Alex? What’s wrong?” Nyx asked as she stood from her chair in alarm.

”I have a daughter I knew nothing about, and it might be from one of them.”

”That’s impossible. I’ve made sure to check up on all of them,” Nyx said as she sat back down and began typing on her computer. ”Lyra and Mika went to Fuchsia City, then Lavender Town on foot since they left. They couldn’t have been carrying a child. Maris has had public appearances, so she likely isn’t pregnant either. Vera has been sending regular reports and has been busy at Professor Oak’s lab ever since.”

”Well, one of them is pregnant, and I had to find out from Umbraline. So I want you to find out which one it is.”

”Alright, but I’ll need my other computer. Leave Rotom here,” Nyx said as she got up and rushed to her house, where her dark web setup was located.

Alex followed, leaving Rotom behind as instructed.

Nyx opened her dark web computer and began searching PokéCenter databases for any of the girls’ names, until she found a match.

”No way!” Nyx exclaimed.

”What?”

”It’s Vera. She was admitted to the PokéCenter in Pallet Town a few days ago. She gave birth to a daughter named Alvera who has blonde hair and black eyes. The father is recorded as Elliot Sharpe,” Nyx said while pulling up the father’s information. ”It says here he is a field researcher working for Professor Oak’s lab focused on Pokémon behavior and he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is definitely not the father. I can’t believe Vera would hide this from us.”

Alex left while Nyx continued searching for more information amid exclamations.

He called out Gardevoir and teleported to Pallet Town, then rushed to the PokéCenter.

”Welcome to the PokéCenter. How can I help you?” Nurse Joy asked.

”I’m looking for Vera Madison.”

”Name and relationship to the patient?”

”Alex Wattson, father of her child.”

”Oh!” she replied cheerfully before checking the information. ”Oh... third floor, to the right.”

”Thank you,” Alex said as he walked toward Vera’s room, where he could already hear an argument underway.

”I can’t believe you used me like this,” Elliot shouted just as Alex entered.

”Alex!” Vera exclaimed, her face shifting from guilt to relief as Alex entered.

”This is the guy?” Elliot shouted, directing his fury onto Alex, who ignored him.

”How are you? How’s the baby?” Alex asked with concern.

”I’m fine. Alvera is fine.”

”Don’t fucking ignore me!” Elliot screamed as he tried to punch Alex in the face.

Alex let the punch land, absorbing and neutralizing the blow completely as he continued to talk to Vera.

”Why didn’t you tell me?”

”I didn’t want Alvera to grow up feeling trapped, like a bird in a cage, or to live her life in fear, always glancing over her shoulder and surrounded by bodyguards. I just wanted her to have a normal, peaceful childhood. The kind she could have had here in Pallet Town, especially with someone like Elliot to help raise her. I was afraid that if you knew about her, you would become too protective and that would only draw more attention. So I tried to keep her hidden, hoping your enemies would never find out she existed.”

More punches were thrown and ignored before Elliot gave up on targeting Alex, who was clearly stronger than him. He turned his rage onto Vera instead who also started ignoring him.

As he was about to rush her, Alex grabbed him by the back of the neck and held him up like a cat who was misbehaving. Elliot was about the same height as Alex, so it was effortless for him to restrain him.

”Well, they found out anyway. It was pretty obvious since you chose someone with different-colored eyes.”

”I couldn’t find anyone with the same deep black eyes as you.”

Elliot finally stopped screaming when he felt Alex’s tight grip on him. He knew there was nothing he could possibly do given the difference in strength, so he quelled his fury and released his Pokémon.

They had to be locked because of the rules in the lab, so they couldn’t aid him.

Once they were unlocked, six Steel types were released into the room: two at Expert rank, Magneton and Scizor, and four at Adept rank, Skarmory, Mawile, Lairon, and Doublade. It was clear he was not a trainer who trained his Pokémon for battle.

From Alex’s shadow, Aegislash, Dusknoir, and Ceruledge emerged, all Elite rank, exuding overwhelming pressure as they stared down the six Steel types, who didn’t move an inch as Alex released Elliot onto his Pokémon.

”So, what happens now?” Vera asked, clearly embarrassed for having been discovered on day one.

”You and the baby will come back to the farm.”

”Aren’t we safe here at Oak’s lab?”

”Umbraline found out about you the day you gave birth. If they can do that, they can kill you whenever they want. All it would take is someone like him and a poisoned pill,” Alex said, pointing to Elliot with his thumb, who stood frozen from the violent pressure being directed at him and his Pokémon.

”I guess you’re right. I’m sorry for not telling you, Alex. I just really wanted your child. I thought I could hide us here until you were strong enough.”

”I know. It’s alright. I can’t say I’m ready to protect her, but I’ll try my best. When can you be discharged?”

”I’m fine to leave, but Alvera needs to stay for a few more days to make sure she’s okay.”

”Nothing’s wrong though, right?”

”No.”

”Good. I’ll take care of everything. You stay here and resign from your job at Oak’s lab. Be ready to leave for the farm today.”

”Okay.”

Alex released Raticate, Espeon, Zoroark, and Gardevoir just in case before heading back down to Nurse Joy.

Along the way, he called Talia and confirmed that she could take care of the baby and identify anything that was wrong with her in the same capacity as the Pokécenter.

Alex settled the bill, making sure both Vera and Alvera were officially discharged. With everything in order, he headed upstairs, pace steady but heart racing, ready to meet his daughter for the very first time in the nursery.

Nurse Joy personally escorted Alex before handing him his daughter, Alvera. She was a tiny little thing, soft and surprisingly limp. Her neck in particular felt like it would snap from the slightest lack of attention. She had golden hair and deep black eyes, and she was unmistakably his daughter.

As Alex held her, he felt the most powerful form of love he had ever experienced in either of his lives. Not romantic, but familial, like what he felt for Jenny, only stronger. So much stronger that he felt overwhelmed and paranoid just from holding her.

Paranoid to the point that he finally recognized that sly expression from the young man in Violet City. It was the expression of someone who had power over him. Someone who would not hesitate to use his child against him.

His refusal to continue working for Umbraline had been met with a veiled threat. They likely now knew how close Alex was to all his employees, which meant Maris, Lyra, Mika, and perhaps even Elara in Hoenn were in danger.

They knew he had a daughter, which meant they could use her against him in the future if they ever wanted to manipulate him.

Alex, meanwhile, had to choose between being an overprotective father or a man enslaved to Umbraline. He could either ensure Alvera and all his associates never left the farm or accept any request Umbraline had of him for fear of them targeting his loved ones.

That meant Alex had only one way to escape his plight.

He had to reach Champion rank as soon as possible.

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