BOOM!
The sound barrier shattered as the Pokémon fusion in front of Alex launched a powerful front kick, enhanced with the energy of Mega Kick. It was aimed directly at Alex, which meant it didn't appreciate humans very much.
Raticate, standing front and center of the formation, blocked the attack with Protect, completely canceling the damage that would have crashed into Alex. It did nothing for the residual energy of the attack, however, causing the base to shake under its lingering power.
"Definitely Master rank in damage," Alex calculated. "Reminds me of the Snorlax we fought in the Distortion World."
It immediately became obvious to Alex that this particular Pokémon had the innate stats of Slaking combined with Azumarill's Ability, Huge Power. Theoretically speaking, Alex was staring at a Pokémon with the highest Attack stat in the entire world, assuming stats even applied to Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, of course.
Fortunately for Alex, it didn't matter that its damage was at the Master rank, considering his Pokémon were at Champion rank, with Protect at Expert proficiency and boosted by Effect Up +2, guaranteeing that even a Master ranked Pokémon wouldn't be able to break it outright or send them flying.
Enraged, the Pokémon fusion continued its rampage, using one powerful move after another, unleashing Hammer Arm, Hydro Pump, Double-Edge, Superpower, and Rollout. Meanwhile, Alex's team held the submarine bay, ensuring nothing slipped past them in the chaos while fending off the raging fusion and slowly chipping away at its health whenever openings appeared.
Eventually, it grew tired, its energy spent from both attacking and the wild power rampaging through its body. It slumped to the ground and fainted soon after.
Alex, not one to miss an opportunity, threw a Poké Ball and captured it. He still had two more attack team slots to fill, and obtaining a Pokémon like this was a no-brainer if he could manage to gain its loyalty.
What came next was knocking out every rampaging experimental Pokémon and killing any survivors in the base, which happened to include the base leader, a Champion ranked trainer with a single Champion ranked Pokémon that was easily taken care of. Afterward, Rotom secured the files stored in the base's data center while Gardevoir read through the scientists' memories in an attempt to figure out how to fix the fusion, if that was even possible.
As for the rest, they were simply left behind. Alex didn't need the base's paltry resources and supplies, so he didn't bother taking anything, especially since he needed to paint a picture.
Holes were then blasted through the base's ceiling until they reached the sea, flooding the entire facility. What remained was a submerged base, with clear signs that fusion Pokémon had rampaged before escaping, effectively ensuring that anyone who investigated would see only that.
Once they were done, Alex teleported back to Hulbury City and strolled through its streets as if everything were normal, moving openly so anyone could follow.
Hulbury City ran along the coast, a jumble of streets and tall buildings pressed close to the sea, their foundations supported by the fishing and travel industry that made the city one of Galar's major ports. Ships of all sizes came and went constantly, their sails and hulls marking the city as a hub for trade, travel, and the endless movement of people and goods.
The seaside market was always busy, with stalls spilling over with fish, herbs, and small trinkets. People shouted, Pokémon ran through the crowds, and gulls circled overhead, screeching as if they owned the place. It smelled of salt, smoke, and something sweet from the food stalls, and the noise never really stopped.
The piers jutted far into the water, lined with ships of all shapes and sizes. Ferries carried travelers off to other regions while cargo vessels waited to be loaded. Dockhands yelled and shoved crates, ropes swung, and the smell of tar and seaweed hung heavy in the air.
Nessa's Gym sat right on the water, its glass walls catching the sun. She had a reputation that stretched far beyond Hulbury, Champion ranked, famous on TV, and impossible to miss. Fans gathered outside just to watch her train, surf, or catch a glimpse during a broadcast battle.
As he strolled around leisurely, Alex thought about his current Pokémon lineup. They were good enough, he concluded. The 50 he carried with him at all times was diverse enough to handle any opponent or even groups of opponents while guaranteeing his escape at the very least. He was very proud of the team he had assembled and raised over the past two and a half decades.
Still, he couldn't deny that he was missing 6 Pokémon to complete his attack team lineup, which would give him 18 attack-focused Pokémon capable of locking down any trainer in the world. If he wanted to be even more critical, he could argue that he only really had 3 teams rather than 4, since Grim's team was almost exclusively used for aerial combat. The same applied to Altaria's team with Alcremie and Frosmoth, so even the defense team needed reinforcing.
He quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn't like he particularly needed an aerial team when he already had 2 teams of 3 to cover his needs. Besides, Mantine, their flying platform, was more than enough to secure aerial superiority. It was more important to focus on his attack team and guarantee a lineup that could lock down even a Master ranked trainer.
With that in mind, the Pokémon fusion was a good start. It was a behemoth in terms of attacking, second to none, in fact. He now needed to fill out the rest of the roster, and what better place to look than here in the Galar region.
Now that he thought about it, there was a mission from Mustard involving a rogue Champion ranked Pokémon causing trouble in Ballonlea City. It would be worth checking out once he reached it, while handling the Pokémon Nursery's problems along the way.
After a few hours of showing his face, Alex headed out of the city heading west through Route 5. Supposedly, there was a Pokemon Nursery there that was encountering some trouble that he could help with.
He mounted Arcanine and raced through the crowd of trainers on their journeys, weaving past delivery drivers moving goods between Turffield's farms and Hulbury's ports. By afternoon, he reached the bridge that spanned the north section of the Wild Area above the Bridge Field. Rather than continue across, he turned south, heading into the wilderness just beyond the forests surrounding the Pokémon Nursery on the cliffs.
Once he found a secluded spot, Alex released the fainted Pokémon fusion and used a Revive to wake it.
It stumbled at first, taking in its surroundings before recognizing Alex. Rage, fear, and a desire for freedom bubbled to the surface of its thoughts, only to be interrupted when Alex spoke.
"My name is Alex Wattson, and I'm a bounty hunter, someone who hunts people and Pokémon who cause trouble, like the ones who held you captive and experimented on you."
Intrigue flickered behind its eyes as it processed his words, tempered by mistrust and the deceit it had learned from humans. Still, with the power radiating from the Arcanine at Alex's side, it hesitated, choosing to listen for the moment.
"And I want you to join me as one of my Pokémon. In exchange, I will guarantee food, training, battles, and care for your health. Judging by what your captors know about you, you don't have long to live unless something is done about the conflicting energies in your body. I can help with that if you accept my offer. Alternatively, I can set you free here and now, leaving you to your fate in the wilds."
It hesitated, staring up at Alex's stoic expression as it lay on the grass in an open field with the sun in its eyes. It turned to the open wilderness, the outside it had been dreaming of, beckoning to it and asking it to forgo the human's lies and live in freedom in its final days.
It couldn't be denied, however, that Alex was right. It could feel the energies in its body slowly killing it, leaving it with only a few years at most to live freely. It considered Alex's offer seriously and wanted to join if what was offered was indeed given, but it needed more proof.
"Arc!" Arcanine barked, indicating as much to Alex.
Alex released Gardevoir to act as evidence of the matter, providing the Pokémon with memories of their time together, of their battles, their woes, and their victories.
From those memories, it had to admit that it was a pleasant life, a worthy existence froth with danger, luxuries, and, more importantly, purpose. It took one final glance at Alex and found his expression stoic but not cold as his captors had been. There was warmth in there deep down, hidden by a wall of violence and honor.
It nodded, accepting the terms while hoping for the best.
"Good, let's start with a Pokédex scan and move from there," Alex said, taking out his phone to record. "Use all the moves you know."
Name: Error Unknown Pokemon, Champion lvl 80
Type: Normal Water
Ability: Huge Power
Moves: Sucker Punch, Scratch, Yawn, Encore, Slack Off, Swagger, Amnesia, Covet, Throat Chop, Counter, Flail, Fling, Mega Kick, Hammer Arm, Rollout, Defense Curl, Tackle, Water Gun, Tail Whip, Helping Hand, Bubble Beam, Charm, Slam, Bounce, Aqua Tail, Play Rough, Aqua Ring, Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Double-Edge, Superpower
Description: This Pokémon Fusion exhibits the cranial structure of Azumarill combined with the body morphology of Slaking. Physical attributes conform to Slaking's baseline, while health and special statistics align with Azumarill's parameters. Despite exceptional potential, systemic analysis identifies a high probability of premature mortality due to unstable, conflicting energies. Immediate consultation with a certified Pokémon professor is recommended to update Pokédex records.
As Alex had expected, this fusion was a mix of Slaking and Azumarill, with Slaking's physical stats and Azumarill's Huge Power. It didn't have a name in the Pokédex, indicating it was fairly new, and it didn't even have a gender, so it likely wouldn't be able to reproduce. Its moves were as poor as expected, likely the result of having been caged and never trained in battle. And as the research had indicated, it didn't have much longer to live.
"Let's call you Azuking from now on," Alex said. "It's a fitting name given your strength and origin."
Azuking nodded, accepting the designation without a fuss.
"As for your energies, let me do some preliminary fixes before I send you to someone who might be able to help," Alex said as he approached Azuking and placed his hands on its back.
Alex began working on the energies, coaxing them to mix and settle. It was a delicate process, not unlike what had been happening with Dale's body, slowly undone by uncontrolled power.
Then, without warning, a brilliant light burst from Azuking's body. It pulsed and shimmered in a way that made Alex freeze, a strange familiarity tugging at the edge of his mind. Whatever was happening, it was far beyond anything he had anticipated.
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