Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 218: Chapter 218. S.S. Wave

Alex studied Captain Blackwake’s files until the following day, when his spa treatment began. He spent a day there with his Pokémon resting before teleporting to Slateport City to start his investigation.

Alex was excited for this bounty; he had been preparing for pirate hunting for years. His water team was finally at Elite rank and needed a win to justify their training.

Sure, the target was a Champion and would be fighting in his element, but Alex had a powerful team capable of taking down a Champion ranked Pokémon or three. Neither he nor his team feared the challenge.

Captain Blackwake was a notorious pirate who preyed on wealthy cruise liners traveling between Slateport City and Lilycove City. His attacks had been infrequent, less disruptive, and often unsuccessful. Still, he always managed to slip away and finding him was difficult.

His base was thought to be hidden either underwater, along the southern coast, or on a remote island deep in treacherous waters. Trying to locate him at sea was far from a promising endeavor.

Lately, he had shifted his focus to Devon Corp’s shipping routes between Slateport and Lilycove. His raids had grown into a serious problem, prompting an increase in both his bounty and threat level. The League now suspected he was working with Team Dominion and wanted him dealt with.

Alex doubted that Blackwake chose his targets at random. More likely, operatives inside Devon Corp were feeding him information, and the only way to catch the pirate was to trace the breadcrumbs those insiders left behind.

From the reports he had reviewed, the shipments most frequently attacked were those carrying either ammunition or raw Move Crystals for processing. With that in mind, he called Janet to try and determine the next target.

”What can I do for you, Mr. Wattson?” Janet asked over the phone.

”Send me the files on any outgoing shipments containing ammunition or Move Crystals between Slateport and Lilycove.”

”Will that be all?”

”I want you to be the only one who knows I asked. Tell no one else, and keep it discreet.”

”I have executive access, so no one will know. What is this about?”

”It’s better if you find out after it’s done.”

”Alright.”

Alex hung up and waited for the files to arrive before reviewing them. Most of the outgoing shipments were well-protected, each guarded by Elite ranked trainers. The majority carried raw metals, low-level tech, store supplies, and personnel transfers. Ammunition and raw Move Crystals were included as well, though they made up only a small portion of the total.

One entry, however, stood out. It wasn’t a cargo shipment at all, but a cruise liner bound for Lilycove.

”Why would that appear on the list?”

Alex suspected there was a covert transfer of resources hidden on board, possibly space bags carrying large quantities of raw materials. If so, the courier likely traveled without guards, appearing to be nothing more than a regular passenger.

”There are also quite a few wealthy trainers on the ship, which would make it an attractive target, and the nostalgia would only sweeten the prize for him.”

Alex decided to try his luck with this particular ship. It might just be a waste of time, but it was a better waste of time to spend on a cruise liner rather than a cargo ship.

Having found his bait, Alex decided to call Nyx.

”Hey, Alex. What’s up?”

”I need a ticket for the S.S. Wave. Also, I want to stay anonymous.”

”Give me a sec,” Nyx replied, the sound of typing carrying through the line. ”S.S. Wave from Slateport to Lilycove, departing tonight at 6 PM?”

”That’s the one.”

”I’ve registered you as Alex Ashford, a Pokémon photographer from Kanto. A minor background check won’t raise any flags, but a deeper one could still reveal your identity.”

”That’s good enough. I just need it to pass with the regular employees.”

”Then you’re all set.”

”Thanks, Nyx.”

”Anytime.”

Once Alex ended the call, he changed into clothes that would pass for a traveling photographer, wearing comfortable jeans, a casual shirt, and a weathered jacket with plenty of pockets. He slung a camera bag over his shoulder, which held the high-definition camera he had bought to take pictures of Alvera.

He rarely used it, since a phone’s camera was usually more than enough and far more easily accessible than the high-definition one. He was happy to finally put it to use as part of his disguise.

He waited until boarding time, then got on the ship, found his room, and took a look around. He didn’t expect to locate the courier, but perhaps he could spot some scouts Blackwake had sent.

As he wandered the ship, he photographed anything that caught his eye, from travelers of every social class and Pokémon small enough to accompany them, to the glow of the setting sun and the crowded docks filled with eager vacationers.

Alex took a moment to really look at the people and the enjoyment on their faces before snapping the picture. He rarely considered the general populace beyond the danger they might pose, so seeing them this way felt like a fresh perspective.

’It would have been nice to have the girls and Alvera with me,’ Alex thought.

It was rare for him to feel this emotional. He usually maintained a stoic exterior, even in the face of death. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, he simply had to stay calm at all times.

Now, surrounded by people and trying to blend in among them, he found himself thinking more about his family and the girls back home.

”I never thought I’d have anything to miss this much,” Alex muttered.

”I feel your pain.”

Alex turned toward the feminine voice, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see a familiar face here of all places.

The woman smiled at Alex’s reaction. She liked to believe she was attractive enough to earn wide-eyed looks when men saw her up close, but witnessing it firsthand was always satisfying, especially coming from someone as handsome as Alex.

”Would you mind joining me for the departure?” Alex offered.

He was seated at a table on the dockside, with a clear view of the port and the sun setting over the horizon ahead of the ship. Across from him was an empty chair he had offered to the woman.

”Don’t mind if I do,” the woman said as she took the seat.

”Alex Ashford,” Alex introduced himself.

”Sally Mercury,” she replied.

The woman had olive skin, angular features, dark brown hair tied in a braid, and amber eyes, with a faint scar marking her right cheek. She wore a burnt orange sundress paired with a sunhat that suited her beautifully.

”So, pleasure or business?” Alex asked.

”A bit of both. I messed up at my temp job, and now they’re shipping me off to who knows where to make up for it. Figured I’d enjoy a little peace of mind while I still can.”

”Sounds rough. I’m just out here trying to put food on the table,” Alex said, waving his camera.

”Photographer?”

”Yes.”

”What do you shoot?”

”People and Pokémon, mostly. Though lately, I’ve been taking plenty of scenic shots.”

”May I see?”

”Sure,” Alex replied, handing her his phone with the photos he’d taken for Alvera.

She scrolled through his gallery and found plenty of pictures from when he first began his journey in Hoenn. There were aerial shots of the lone islands, photos of Torterra Island, the view of Ever Grande City from his hotel, and countless other places where Pokémon roamed.

”These are... um... pretty good. Yeah, really great,” she said with a grin, clearly holding back a laugh.

The shots Alex had taken looked more like the casual snapshots of a tourist than the work of a professional photographer. They captured big, sweeping scenes without much focus, giving them an endearingly amateurish feel.

”I never said I was good at it,” Alex defended.

”No, they’re... um... great. What about the photos of people and Pokémon?”

Alex took the phone back, pulled up the shots from his camera, and handed it to her again.

This time, her reaction was one of genuine awe.

The photos were nothing like the touristy landscapes from before. When Alex turned his eye to people, he brought out subtleties others might overlook, scars that told stories, tattoos inked with meaning, and lines of age or exhaustion that hinted at a life lived.

He caught fleeting expressions and unguarded moments that revealed more truth than a posed smile ever could. They were the kind of shots meant to capture a person’s identity in full, something he had honed during his time at the Police Academy.

Subconsciously, he carried that same discipline into these photos, framing people naturally in their environments. The result was a series that felt deliberate and professional, each image threaded with focus and intent.

”These are amazing!” she exclaimed. ”I can see how you’d put food on the table as a photographer.”

”Thanks,” Alex replied, genuinely pleased.

He liked to think he had an eye for picking out the unique details of a person. After all, it was standard procedure to make sure he had the right target.

”What about you? What do you do to put food on the table?” Alex asked.

”I dig,” she replied without looking up from his phone.

”Archaeology? Construction? Mining?”

”That one.”

”Mining? You don’t exactly have the look.”

”Well, I don’t usually wear a sundress into the mines.”

”That’s a shame. You would brighten up the place.”

The woman laughed at Alex’s well-timed flirt.

She took a moment to look at him and instantly regretted it. His gaze burned with intensity, his muscles defined beneath his shirt, and the wind tousled his hair.

He lingered on her eyes, traced the curve of her smile, and dipped briefly to her chest before returning. The casual way he leaned toward her left little doubt about his interest.

An unmistakable attraction was building between them, something she felt in the subtle shift of his posture and the unspoken warmth behind his words. Heat surged through her, leaving her flushed and restless.

’Fuck, he’s hot,’ she thought, subconsciously biting her lower lip.

Maybe she could loosen up, relax, and enjoy her trip. She had been under a lot of stress lately, having lost her Pokémon and failed at her simple job. Perhaps a single night of indulgence wouldn’t do much harm. She certainly deserved a break.

Their conversation shifted from casual and playful to suggestive and charged. The tension between them grew as the ship finally set sail.

Once they were on their way, they couldn’t hold back any longer.

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