Alex, deciding to check out the house by the woods, released Ditto and had it use Transform on a passing Corviknight. He couldn't use his gigantic Mantine without scaring his targets, so he had to play it safe and seem like a weak trainer.
He set the aura he emitted to match that of his Elite ranked Ditto before mounting and flying down, leaving his Pokémon to continue scouting. He landed in front of the mansion-sized house and immediately noted the signage. It said "Pokémon Nursery" in white letters, with a sign of three egg-shaped Poké Balls under it.
As he entered, he found himself in a homely room with couches to the sides, Pokémon treats on shelves displayed for sale, and a desk in the center with a middle-aged woman in uniform behind it.
"Welcome to the Pokémon Nursery. My name is Janet. How can I help you?" the clerk said as Alex entered, offering a polite smile.
"I was just wondering what a place like this is doing in the middle of the Wild Area," Alex replied, glancing around the room.
"Oh, well, our boss thought it would be a good idea to have a location in the Wild Area so our trainers can have access to plenty of wild Pokémon to battle and feed our charges."
"What about that forest in the back?"
"It's where we usually leave the Pokémon to relax. It's under the territory of our boss's Champion ranked Pokémon, who guards it, preventing wild Pokémon from entering or approaching this place."
"I see. So, how does this work exactly?"
"You leave your Pokémon with us, and for every day that passes, we charge 1,000 Pokédollars to take care of them," she explained. "While they are under our services, they will be asked to fight other Pokémon to gain combat experience, be fed their kills, and be groomed regularly. You pay upon retrieval of your Pokémon."
"As your Pokémon will be living in a communal environment, they may occasionally be responsible for producing eggs," Janet added. "We collect them and discuss with the Pokémon's owners who should keep them once they come to retrieve their Pokémon."
"So it's the same as a Day Care," Alex said.
He was familiar with the Day Care business from his previous life. It basically operated in the exact same manner in this world, except the pricing was quite different. Also, similar to those raised by the Day Care, Pokémon who grew in power through it were much weaker than those that were personally trained. This was because the bond between the Pokémon and their trainer wouldn't grow, so only non-trainers ever used the service.
"You must be from the other regions. Here in Galar, we call it a Pokémon Nursery, and we have an establishment in every city. Are you interested in leaving your Pokémon with us?" Janet asked.
"No, thank you," Alex replied. "Although, I would like to ask about the area. I'm a bounty hunter, you see, and I heard there were some trainers being attacked around the bridge south of here. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."
"Yes, we've been receiving some rather distressed customers as of late, trainers who were attacked and managed to escape," Janet said, her smile fading slightly. "They won't come anywhere near here because of our guardian, but they don't hesitate to attack any lone trainers running around. They've even targeted our own trainers before, losing quite a lot of Pokémon. If you could get rid of them, our boss would definitely thank you for it."
"Do you have any idea where they could be located?" Alex asked.
"Not anywhere inside the Wild Area," she said, shaking her head. "The place may be huge and full of Pokémon, with plenty of places to hide, but too many trainers come and go for them to have avoided being found. Personally, I think they come from further east, downriver."
"Thank you, Janet, for the information," Alex said as he turned and made his way out.
"Oh! Be sure to come back and let me know if you do find anything. They've taken quite a lot of our trainers and Pokémon, so our boss would definitely thank you if you manage to bring them back."
"Sure," Alex said as he left.
With a new clue to work with, Alex flew up and got back onto Mantine before heading east, following the river.
They flew for over five hours before reaching the 50-meter-tall walls surrounding the Wild Area and continued on their way, taking note of any place that might seem like a base of operations. They continued for another hour, flying over the wilderness, before finally spotting a crudely built dock on the river.
The dock seemed abandoned or simply in disrepair, but judging by the muddy footprints, it had been recently used, which meant someone lived in the area. A footpath led from the dock deep into the forest heading north, obscuring Alex's vision from above, which meant he would have to start investigating from the ground.
"Land there, Mantine," Alex commanded as he stored his scouting Pokémon.
Once they landed, Alex released Arcanine and gave him instructions.
"Try to locate their base by following the tracks. If they suddenly disappear, try to find the smell of humans," Alex instructed.
"Arc!" Arcanine barked before taking off, heading north to follow the tracks with Alex riding on his back.
They rode for an hour through the dense forest while Alex scanned his surroundings, taking in the towering trees and the thick tangle of vines and underbrush. Shafts of sunlight struggled to break through the canopy, casting mottled patterns on the forest floor. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and moss, and the distant calls of wild Pokémon echoed.
The immediate area was strangely empty of Pokémon, as if they instinctively avoided this territory. It was clear that the bandits were strong enough to keep their paths free.
The footpath they were following showed signs of regular weekly use, with no fewer than a dozen people or Pokémon passing through. The shrubs and small plants along the trail refused to grow, trampled down or cut back so that the path remained clear. Every step they took stirred up leaves and broken twigs, leaving a tangible trail of repeated activity in their wake.
They continued until they emerged from the forest at the foot of a mountain. Checking his map, Alex realized they were close to Galar Mine No. 2, which served as the passageway between Motostoke Outskirts and Hulbury City.
Ahead of them, the path continued up the mountain. Since they were no longer in the forest, Alex released Mantine to continue following the path from the air. It gave a better vantage point and faster travel now that they no longer had to weave between towering trees.
Halfway up the mountain, Alex saw the path end at the mouth of a dark cave. It was clear the bandits were hiding inside, which explained why they had been so difficult to find. The area was remote, far from any route most trainers would take.
The river had washed away their scent, and the dense forest confused anyone attempting to follow them. Arcanine's keen tracking had been essential to keep the path. Now, nestled in a cave high on the mountain, they were almost invisible from above.
It put into perspective the lengths these bandits went to in order to avoid capture by the League or any bounty hunters. It also explained why Alex hadn't been able to find them all day. They were likely hiding at the base after scoring big, avoiding the long trek between here and the Wild Area.
Alex approached the mouth of the cave and released Raticate and Rotom, the former to ensure the tracks were followed, and the latter to guard against any hidden surveillance methods. They moved cautiously down the tunnel until Rotom suddenly zipped toward an unassuming gouge in the wall.
It returned to Alex's phone and announced, "Surveillance device detected. Stored data indicates two dozen trainers passed by a day ago. The device is connected to a data server deeper inside."
"Good," Alex said with a smile. "You know what to do."
"Affirmative," Rotom replied before zipping back into the small crevice.
"Let's go, Raticate. They shouldn't be far now that they have surveillance up," Alex said, moving forward.
They followed the bandits' tracks through winding tunnels, confusing forks, and dead ends blocked by false walls, until they came across a pair of guards standing outside a well-lit cavern. They had likely found the bandits' hideout.
Alex released his Pokémon and had Gardevoir prepare for a basic volatile infiltration, the kind designed to secure hostages before the base's occupants even realized what was happening. Instructions were handed out, the Pokémon split into teams with assigned responsibilities, and finally, Gardevoir nodded at Alex, signaling they were ready.
"All right, you all know what to do. Let's get this party started," Alex said with a bloodthirsty smile.
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