Chapter 136. Pokemon Nests 2

"Lyra," Alex called out as he slowly approached their campsite, careful to avoid startling them. "Alex!" she shouted, rushing forward to give him a big hug before turning to introduce her friend. "Mika, this is Alex. Alex, this is—" "Mika Foster. It's good to see you doing well," Alex interrupted. Mika had been the first girl he rescued three years ago, back when he had just started officially as a bounty hunter. She had been moments away from being sold to human traffickers when Alex intervened. Once she recognized him, Mika ran forward and hugged him tightly as well. "I'm sorry I never properly thanked you for saving me back then. I was still in shock and just wanted to get home," she said, hugging him tightly. "Alex was your savior? The one you said you'd gladly bend over for—" Lyra began teasing, only to be tackled mid-sentence. "Lyra! Stop! You're embarrassing me!" Mika shouted as she lightly pummeled her friend with flustered little fists. Alex watched the two of them bicker like sisters and felt genuinely happy for them. They had survived experiences that would have broken most people, yet here they were, smiling, playful, and content with their lives. Mika stood at 5'4" (1.63 m) with short black hair, styled similarly to Lyra's. In fact, the two looked so alike with their small frames, matching haircuts, and similar energy that they could easily be mistaken for siblings. The only real difference was the hair color. Lyra's hair was blue, while Mika's was black.  Seeing Mika like this was a far cry from the defensive girl he had rescued all those years ago. "Alright! Alright, I'll shut up about it. Calm down, girl," Lyra shouted over Mika's beating. "Where's the rest of your group?" Alex asked. "They bailed as soon as they heard we were going after the Hypno nest. Bunch of pussies," Mika grumbled. "That's not what you said when Rick was balls deep in—" Mika tackled Lyra again before she could finish.  "So, how did you two meet? And what's your experience with Pokémon nests?" Alex asked, steering the conversation back on track. The group settled around the campfire as the early evening settled in, the flames crackling softly while they eased into their story. Ever since Mika had been rescued, she was out of it for weeks. Quiet, withdrawn, just trying to keep it together. Eventually, she got tired of feeling like a victim and decided to do something about it. Instead of continuing on her journey, she headed into the wilds and started hunting Pokémon for food and survival. She figured the bastards kidnapping and raping people had probably backed off after Alex started hunting them down. With that in mind and more than a little anxiety, she returned to the forest to train her team. She trained her Nidorino, Nidorina, and Pidgeotto to work together better and started seeking out stronger Pokémon to battle. All of it was to sharpen her team to protect her better. Everything changed when she met Lyra about a year later, after coming back from a hunt. Lyra was impressed by how coordinated Mika's team worked, despite being made up of weaker Pokémon. Lyra chose to travel with her and even offered to sponsor her. She bought Mika a pair of Moon Stones so she could evolve Nidorino and Nidorina into Nidoking and Nidoqueen. With Pidgeot freshly evolved, Mika suddenly had a solid trio of powerhouses that could take on Expert ranked threats. The two bonded over their shared trauma and became determined to never experience it ever again. They would make every predator regret ever thinking they could get away with human trafficking or rape. They built up their teams and began doing what Alex did. Pretending to be weak trainers to bait the sick bastards. Lyra caught a Poliwag that became a Poliwhirl, but she avoided evolving it into Poliwrath. Mika picked up a Liepard. Flashy, fast, and just rare enough in Kanto to catch the eye. It did not take long before they caught their first predator. A group of guys who saw only Adept Pokémon and thought they were easy prey. The girls kept calm, recorded their threats, then let loose their real teams. Three Expert ranked Pokémon each. The bastards did not stand a chance. They turned in the recordings and had the entire group arrested. It turns out the group had minor bounties on them for pulling the same stunt. That was when they realized they could have made money off of it had they been bounty hunters. If they were already risking their lives doing this, why not get paid like Alex? So they signed up for the police academy and graduated a year later as bounty hunters. As for the requirement of taking down an Elite with their Expert ranked Pokémon? Not hard when three trained Experts attacked one early Elite all at once. "Congratulations," Alex said with a grin. "We are all bounty hunters now." "Hehehe, I get why you chose this path, Alex," Lyra said with a proud smirk. "Nothing feels better than beating the shit out of human traffickers and rapists and getting paid for it." "Yeah," Mika added. "The look of panic on their faces when they realized we weren't helpless little girls? Fucking euphoric." For the next year, the pair traveled through nearby cities, hunting down predators. On top of that, they each managed to earn two gym badges while they were at it. The Fighting Gym at Saffron City while they were attending the police academy, and the Grass Gym in Celadon City during their journey. Next, the conversation shifted to Pokémon nests and their personal experiences dealing with them. Alex learned that the nests targeted for elimination missions were usually the ones that had killed and eaten humans. Once a nest developed a taste for people and started actively hunting them, it became a serious threat.  Rangers would prioritize wiping those out. But some nests never stayed in one place for long, making them hard to track. That was when missions were posted, either to keep watch or to take them out entirely. One particularly nasty case was the Hypno nest that had been stalking the area near the girls. They were infamous for sneaking into camps at night, raping humans, and eating them afterward. It was a nightmare to deal with. Hypnos were not regulated Pokémon because their hypnosis had a limit. It would break if the hypnotized person was commanded to do something that crossed their personal boundaries. Still, it was often enough to keep a human under control for a while. The girls could handle themselves, especially with Mika's Nidoking and Nidoqueen on guard, but the Hypno never fought a direct battle. They avoided direct confrontation and instead harassed them every night with underlings, making sure they never got proper rest. As it turned out, the guys they had hooked up with that afternoon were actually their shift buddies for the route. They rotated lookout duties and helped each other move through the area safely. But even with extra support, the Hypno would not back off. They were relentless, always watching, always waiting. "They were probably scared off by that Arcanine earlier," Mika commented. "True. They only ever target trainers like us." "Horny, pretty girls?" Alex joked. "Pretty horny girls," Lyra corrected with a smirk. "Well, they couldn't have gotten far. Do you have a scent?" Alex asked. "It's useless. They know how to cover their tracks. My Mightyena can't find them," Lyra replied as she handed Alex a pendulum sealed in a plastic bag. "My Arcanine should be able to track them anyway," Alex said, holding the item out for Arcanine to sniff. After a few sniffs, Arcanine gave a short nod and signaled that he had caught the trail. "He's got something. We should move before they get too far," Alex said. "Finally, revenge!" Lyra shouted, summoning her Mightyenas. Alex climbed onto Arcanine's back while Lyra and Mika each mounted a Mightyena, then the three of them took off into the forest, heading north. Not even an hour into tracking, they came across the nest in question. An Elite-ranked Hypno was leading more than a dozen others, with around fifty Drowzee following close behind as they moved deeper into the woods. Bringing up the rear were several Hypno dragging the corpses of Glooms, using their rotting stench to mask the group's scent and erase their trail. "They're quite intelligent," Alex noted as he summoned his entire team. "Do you mind if we take this one, Alex? We really want some revenge," Lyra requested. "Sure, just be safe." "Aww, you're sweet. Let's go, Mika." "Right behind you," she replied as the pair summoned their Pokemon and charged ahead. "Encircle the nest and make sure none escape," Alex commanded Gardevoir. "Gar," she replied, quickly spreading Alex's Pokémon to completely surround the nest. Lyra had her Corviknight intercept the leader while her Mightyena circled around the nest and flanked the leader from both sides. Meanwhile, Mika faced the army of Drowzee and Hypno, with Nidoking and Nidoqueen on each side. Before the Drowzee could unleash their psychic attacks, Nidoking and Nidoqueen struck with Earthquake, devastating the entire nest. Even the Hypno were unable to mount a defense. 'Wild Pokémon are easier to fight since they usually lack Protect,' Alex realized. He had been too busy taking down Pokémon during the flood to notice, but hunting Pokémon was significantly easier than hunting humans. Humans had Protect and even expanded it to form combat formations, while wild Pokémon could only fight as a mob at best. This was the kind of knowledge Alex had been wanting to learn. He also noticed how the Hypno acted as direct commanders who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice the mob to save themselves. That's why Gardevoir had to order Alex's Pokémon to intercept those trying to escape. 'It's also messier,' Alex noted. Without coordination, everything was unpredictable. Pokémon would suddenly decide to flee, only to turn back and attack without warning. Humans, on the other hand, usually stuck to their decision and often fled after their leader had been taken down. Once all the Pokémon were dealt with, Lyra and Mika began collecting the corpses and capturing the survivors with practiced ease. Even Pokémon marked for elimination could still be sold. A proper bond would ensure they adhered to human boundaries. Alex, meanwhile, relished the learning opportunity. "Great job, girls. That went better than I expected," he said with a smile. "Another predator taken down," Lyra replied, high-fiving Mika, who returned it without hesitation. "I want a shower though," Mika complained. "You can spend the night at my place before I take you back to the camp if you want," Alex offered. "I want to go! I haven't seen the others in years," Lyra said excitedly. "If you don't mind having us," Mika added more quietly. "It's settled then." As they prepared to teleport, Lyra gave Alex a sultry look. There was more than just the others she hadn't seen in years. With a knowing smile, Alex had Gardevoir teleport them back to the farm for a shower, rest, and perhaps something more.