Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Gardevoir quickly transitioned their collapsing, chaotic melee into a defensive formation before slowly retreating. The Paradox Pokémon tried to encircle and contain them, but the attack team pushed back the rear, allowing the formation to retreat through the gap. Still, the Paradox Pokémon wouldn’t simply allow them to escape. They began assaulting the formation at close range, coordinating a swift series of attacks that all landed within a second. This prevented anyone from disrupting the assault and ultimately dealt enough damage in a single burst to knock out one of the front-liners.

Gardevoir ensured the fainted Pokémon were quickly retrieved before they could die, but this only created even more disruption within the formation, allowing their enemies to continue picking them off one Pokémon at a time. It was dangerous and far from ideal, but after her failure, it was inevitable.

The Paradox Pokémon were all Master ranked and technological in nature, allowing them to coordinate with one another faster than even a Champion ranked Psychic Pokémon could think. It was absurd, but such were the capabilities of artificial intelligence in a technologically advanced world.

The situation was made worse by the fact that the only means of reviving their fainted Pokémon had been removed from the team. Alex and Rotom were supposed to break through the Protect rotation using their Faint and Phantom Force bullets, revive the fallen Pokémon with Potions, and maintain their fighting strength despite their losses. Unfortunately, they had been forced to leave the equipment behind due to the risk of their technology being hacked and turned against them. There was a very real possibility that the backpack could be compromised, with the interface Rotom used serving as a bridge through which the AI could seize control of it.

As a result, Gardevoir was forced into such a disadvantageous fight.

Fortunately, Alex wasn’t the fearful type.

High above, from within the blind spot of the government building, multiple multicolored lasers shot into the sky before raining down upon the building. They struck the perimeter, where multiple cameras had been positioned, and explosions rippled through the surroundings, destroying the cameras and tearing apart the cables connecting them to the building. A moment later, sniper fire rang out as the antenna, satellite dish, and solar panels atop the government building were destroyed, effectively robbing the artificial intelligence inside of both its sight and power source.

The effect was immediate.

The Paradox Pokémon began exhibiting a clear loss of coordination. They slowly started behaving more like ordinary wild Pokémon, still capable of coordinating their assault but no longer able to maximize their timing and efficiency.

Gardevoir didn’t miss the opportunity. She immediately transitioned the battle back into a chaotic melee, using the attack team to isolate the Paradox Pokémon one by one. In an instant, the tables turned. The formation split apart, only to begin containing their relentless assailants instead.

“That’s more like it,” Alex muttered with a satisfied smile as he swept his sights across the government building, finding no other cameras, antennas, or satellite dishes in sight.

Artificial intelligence was considered the god of information, capable of processing inhuman amounts of data in less than a second to predict the future and determine the optimal path to victory. So, he removed its greatest advantage by poking out the god’s eyes, effectively cutting it off from the information it needed to understand what was happening around it. In a way, it was the same principle this planet’s people used to combat AI by blocking its access to orbital satellites with dark clouds.

The Paradox Pokémon were slowly overwhelmed as the battle dragged on, unable to mount an effective resistance as they were divided and conquered. Whenever one fainted, it was immediately ripped to shreds, ensuring it could never return to the fight. Eventually, the battle came to an end with Alex’s Pokémon emerging victorious.

ROOOAAAR!

They roared in triumph before slumping to the ground in exhaustion. The battle had been hard-won, easily the deadliest they had fought in a very long time. Despite its short duration, it had been equally exhausting due to the constant pressure and frustration they had endured. Never in their lives had they found themselves so thoroughly outmatched by an opponent’s tactics, with Gardevoir bearing the brunt of it and emerging as the most exhausted of them all.

“You all did beautifully,” Alex said as he hopped down from the building and landed among them. “You just aren’t as efficient as machines, so that’s understandable. Get plenty of rest and eat well. You guys deserve it.”

Many Pokémon rushed over and immediately demanded some pampering, including Espeon, Zoroark, Gardevoir, and Gothitelle. Alex happily obliged, rewarding them with head pats and belly rubs. They remained like that for over an hour, giving their bodies and minds time to recover while they ate and rested. Eventually, Alex stood and gathered everyone’s attention.

“I need a strike force to clear the building. I don’t know if they have any Paradox Pokémon left, so we need to be careful. We need to keep the damage to a minimum, though, so you can’t go wild. Who wants to come with me?”

All of them immediately volunteered, with Gardevoir the most eager among them. It was clear they were more interested in redemption than anything else.

“I can’t take all of you. I only need a small strike force. Let me see,” Alex said as he looked over the group, selecting only those best suited for the task. “The Vikavolt pair and Raichu for detection. Ceruledge and the Chandelure pair for scouting. Lucario’s team for muscle and containment. Raticate for his hearing. Gardevoir, Espeon, and Gothitelle for support. That should be more than enough.”

The rest were simply too large or too powerful to move efficiently through the building without risking unnecessary damage.

“Watch out for cameras and microphones, and disable them as quickly as possible. Try to shut down any power sources you find as well. Be careful of any automated defenses and move cautiously. Got it?”

They responded with nods of agreement before moving out, starting from the top of the building and working their way down. Those who remained behind circled the building, eliminating the remaining security cameras and cutting off its power supply to ensure the AI was completely blind to the outside.

They swept through the floors systematically, clearing each one before moving to the next. The Ghost types slipped through walls and checked rooms from every angle, searching for hidden enemies and concealed defenses. The Electric types focused on locating electronic devices, tracing power lines, and disabling anything that could potentially be used against them. Meanwhile, the Fighting types stayed close, ready to provide immediate support if anything went wrong.

Alex and the Psychic types remained behind the advancing group, coordinating their movements and directing them toward anything suspicious. Their methodical approach allowed them to clear one floor after another without giving the building’s defenses an opportunity to catch them off guard.

They encountered plenty of robots along the way, most of which were easily disabled before they could pose a threat. Automated turrets were hidden behind walls and concealed panels, but the Electric types detected and disabled their power systems before they could activate. Several explosives were discovered in stairwells, maintenance rooms, and behind false walls. Rather than risk triggering them, the Ghost types carefully disconnected and gathered them for later use.

There were other surprises as well. Reinforced doors concealed small armories, maintenance corridors provided unexpected routes between floors, and several sections of the building contained equipment that seemed designed to operate independently of the main network. Each was searched, disabled, and secured before the team continued.

The deeper they went, the more heavily fortified the building became. Yet none of its defenses managed to stop them. Eventually, after clearing floor after floor, they reached the basement.

It was by far the most heavily defended section of the building, with numerous robots, both civilian and military, deployed as defenses. Traps were everywhere, including more explosives and concealed turrets. Even the ventilation ducts contained small machines positioned as lookouts. The Ghost and Electric types systematically hunted them down, slipping through walls and tracing electrical signals to eliminate each threat before it could show any effectiveness.

Finally, they reached the bottom floor, where the servers were housed. A deep mechanical hum filled the room, accompanied by the constant rush of water circulating through the cooling systems. Rows of towering server racks stretched across the chamber, their indicator lights blinking steadily as thick cables disappeared into the floor and ceiling.

The entire system was still running despite the building’s power being cut off. A massive battery array occupied one side of the room, its charge indicator showing that it was only about half full. Alex immediately realized that the battle outside had already drained a considerable amount of its stored energy.

Under normal circumstances, the few solar panels on the roof would have slowly replenished the batteries over the course of months or even years, as the dark clouds made them highly inefficient. With most of the panels destroyed, the AI had only its remaining battery charge to rely on.

“Drain the battery,” Alex commanded.

The Vikavolt pair immediately went to work, settling onto the battery array and draining its remaining energy until the massive server finally shut down.

“Sweep the area and make sure there aren’t any more surprises,” Alex ordered before turning his attention to the server.

He stared at the now-silent machine for a moment, brow furrowed as he pondered how he could possibly tackle such a dangerous behemoth.

“Now... what to do with you?”