Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 417: Chapter 417. Spikemuth City

Spikemuth City is a jagged, salt-sprayed sprawl where industrial grit meets the defiant energy of a coastal rebel colony. The city is a labyrinth of narrow, winding alleyways draped in flickering neon signage and layers of wheat-pasted battle posters. Tall, weathered stone buildings lean over the pathways, housing independent record stores, DIY berry-blend shops, greasy car garages, and basement boutiques selling spiked leather-wear. The air smells of sea salt, oiled metal, and car exhaust, with the constant thrum of local bands vibrating through the pavement from the ”backstage” bars that populate every crooked corner.

Despite its rough exterior, one of the city’s defining features lies along its scenic, storm-lashed beaches where the sand is dark and the cliffs are jagged. Here, the traditional seaside aesthetic is turned on its head; instead of colorful stalls, you’ll find rusted shipping containers converted into pop-up art galleries and skate parks for urban Pokémon training. The shoreline serves as a natural amphitheater for a thriving music scene, where guerrilla gigs take place under the moonlight, and local artists use the sea-worn walls as ever-changing canvases for massive, glowing murals of legendary Dark type icons.

The layout is a chaotic masterpiece of art and culture, centered around a ”living gallery” where the architecture itself, covered in graffiti and structural metalwork, tells the story of a community that thrives on its own terms. At night, the city transforms into a glowing hive of underground venues and rooftop markets. This isn’t a place of polished, corporate stadiums, but a raw, authentic stronghold where the rebellious spirit of the Galar region stays alive through loud music and late-night Pokémon battles.

At the city’s easternmost point, the shoreline gives way to the formidable Spikemuth Stadium, a massive open-air arena that serves as the crown jewel of the Dark type circuit. Unlike the high-tech stadiums found elsewhere in Galar, this venue is a gritty, high-octane stage draped in Team Yell banners and piercing spotlights.

It belongs to the Gym Leader Marnie, a stoic idol whose calm demeanor contrasts with the explosive cheers of her devoted fanbase. When she takes the field, the stadium becomes the ultimate fusion of a rock concert and a championship battle, cementing her status as the heart and soul of Spikemuth’s enduring punk legacy.

Alex found himself in such a city first thing in the morning when he teleported over via Interpol’s teleportation network. His impressions, on the other hand, were a bit different.

First off, the city was quite dead early in the morning. The wide main street that cut from west to east along the city’s center was empty, save for delivery drivers out restocking shelves quite late in the morning. The only sounds that could be heard was the sea wind blowing in and distant crashing waves along the shorelines surrounding the city.

”I guess mornings are for sleeping, afternoons for recovering, and evenings for partying until morning,” Alex said with a chuckle.

The city prided itself on its punk, grunge, and goth identity and leaned heavily into concert and rave nightlife culture, so naturally the nights were alive while the mornings were quite dead. This quiet made it the perfect time for Alex to avoid all the traffic as he headed north toward the beach.

Winding through the narrow side streets away from the city’s center, he noticed certain shops that caught his eye. Gun stores, brothels, and gambling dens were mixed in with nightclubs, eateries, and independent shops. It was clear the city catered to the Underworld just as much as it did to its thriving arts and music scene.

”I guess it makes sense,” Alex noted. ”What better way to rebel than to tolerate criminal elements for the sake of independence and culture?”

Eventually, he made his way out of the concrete jungle and found himself staring at a beach marred by the occasional jagged cliff. Farther east in the distance, he could see the Pokémon Nursery’s mansion-style building, its back door opening onto a private section of the open sea.

He made his way over leisurely, taking in the sights and breathing in the clean, salty air until he finally arrived at his destination.

Once he opened the door, he found himself in the familiar waiting room, with someone already inside talking with the clerk. It was a woman standing around 5’8” (1.73 m) tall, with an innocent-looking Morpeko on her shoulder.

Like lightning, a spark of desire shot through Alex as he took in her form. He would have sworn it was love at first sight if he didn’t know better. No doubt the old Alex would have called it love outright and done everything in his power to have her. After all, it would have been the first time he’d experienced such an overwhelming attraction to any woman.

The Alex of now, however, knew better thanks to Mespirit. Rather than blindly calling it love, he let himself carefully gauge the energy around this mysterious woman. She was a Champion ranked Dark type specialist, with an energy density that matched his own. It was clear she had a powerful affinity for Dark type energy, which was the likely reason for the attraction. This was probably what it felt like for his own Dark type Pokémon when they encountered him.

As Alex stood by the doorway like a deer in headlights, the woman he was staring at felt the same level of attraction toward the man behind her. She sensed his power, his dense Dark type energy that reminded her of her brother’s, but there was an added pull she found hard to resist. Whoever was behind her was a powerful Champion ranked trainer with a strong affinity for Dark type energy, just like her.

Ignoring the ongoing conversation and the spark of interest in the eyes of the woman she was speaking with, she slowly turned and took in Alex’s form. Her first impression was that he was well-dressed and professional, then that he was tall and handsome. In particular, his deep black eyes drew her gaze, making them impossible to ignore. His short blonde hair and the rippling muscles his suit couldn’t hide were a striking bonus, but his eyes were the centerpiece of the display.

Alex, meanwhile, finally got a good look at the woman. She had a tall, curvaceous stature and a calm, composed presence. Her facial features were sharp yet delicate, with pale skin, striking teal eyes that had a slight downward tilt giving her a cool, distant look, small pink lips held in a neutral or mildly pouty expression, and black nail polish adorning her fingers. Her jet-black hair was styled into twin pointed pigtails tied with red bands, with jagged bangs framing her face, adding to her edgy and distinctive appearance.

She wore a cropped black leather jacket covered in spikes, a silver choker with a matching spiked pendant, and a pink crop top that barely contained her massive breasts while leaving her toned midriff exposed. Her short black leather skirt was studded with spikes, and fishnet thigh-high stockings clung tightly to her thick thighs. On her feet were spiked black combat boots that completed the look. Every detail of her, from the dangerous edge to the sensual curves and the magnetic confidence, made her utterly irresistible to him, sparking a desire he found difficult to ignore.

’Shit!’ Alex immediately thought.

She was without a doubt his dream girl, a woman with Maris’s sexy, full physique and Nyx’s dark, edgy aesthetics. She looked like the perfect stereotype of a dominant goth girl he would want to dominate instead.

He didn’t let any of his thoughts slip, though, because he immediately recognized who she was. She was Marnie, the Gym Leader of Spikemuth, the idol of Team Yell, and the second most desired woman in the Galar League, ranking between Nessa and Melony.

”Alex Wattson, bounty hunter, here for the missing trainer mission from Mustard,” Alex said without missing a beat.

”You’re finally here,” the woman behind the counter said. ”We’ve been waiting for your arrival for the past few days.”

”Yeah, where were you?” Marnie added, her tone rather crossed.

”Apologies,” Alex said with a light bow. ”The other Nurseries in the region have been having equally high-ranked problems of their own, and I’ve had to run around fixing them. Now, how about filling me in on the details so I can get started?”

”Her name’s Eliza, an Expert ranked trainer who has been missing for a week now,” Marnie said immediately, her concern far more evident than the clerk’s. ”She works here as a trainer for the Nursery, and her last known location was north of here, toward Route 9, Circhester Bay. I’ve already gone out to look for her, but with the sea water, tracking her by scent is impossible. I’m at my wit’s end.”

It seemed that Eliza was Marnie’s acquaintance or friend, given how distraught she was over her disappearance. It made sense why she was here, trying to gather as many clues as she could.

”May I have anything of hers that carries her scent?” Alex asked.

”Like I said, I’ve already done that, and it didn’t work,” Marnie said desperately.

”I know, but my Arcanine has one of the best noses in the world among Pokémon, so there’s a greater chance he can pick up her trail. Even if he doesn’t, he might be able to find something by accident.”

That made sense to Marnie. It was better to have more people looking than to give in to despair. She produced a scarf that Eliza wore most of the time, one she had found in her room.

With the scarf in hand, Alex headed outside and released Arcanine, who immediately memorized the scent but only turned north toward Route 9. At this rate, it was unlikely he would find anything different from Marnie’s investigation. She had been right, any trail over the sea water was effectively lost.

Alex, however, had a few more ideas that might lead them to the missing trainer.

”So, where are we going?” Marnie asked as she followed Alex outside, watching Arcanine take in Eliza’s scent.

”We? Aren’t you the Gym Leader? Don’t you have official business to keep you busy?”

”Not when my friend is out there in the cold.”

Alex shrugged, not minding the attractive company. ”I’m thinking of heading for a Team Dominion base nearby.”

”You think they’re responsible?” she asked, her tone laced with anger.

”I don’t know, but busting up their base to check wouldn’t hurt.”

”I guess that makes sense. It’s not like they don’t deserve it.”

With that, the pair set out to find Eliza, determined to overturn every rock or Underworld base in their way.

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