Chapter 64. Stakeout

Words : 1623 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Alex changed out of his ignorant teen trainer outfit and into his bounty hunter gear—a black full bodysuit with silver highlights, combat boots, a body holster, and a long black coat. The bodysuit reduced damage from elemental energy, while the coat mitigated impact damage. As they waited, Alex had his Pokémon stack their stats in shifts, ensuring they maintained the upper hand when ambushing a team. They hadn't been able to do this earlier since they were acting as bait. Now, they were in peak form, ready to take down criminals with greater ease than before. With their weapons equipped, Alex doubted even an Elite trainer could match him and his team. Alex and his team waited for a few hours before spotting their first targets—a group of five men riding three Rhyhorns, their faces lit with carefree smiles as they slowly made their way toward the camp from the east. Rotom scanned them, identifying three with bounties while the other two were newcomers to the scene. That was a problem. The most Alex could do was arrest them and charge them for their current crimes, which wouldn't earn him much money. Still, a hunt was a hunt. He took off, riding Hydreigon, while those with fully stacked stats either ran or flew alongside him. Clawitzer, fully powered up with Decorate, was carried by Hydreigon, while Alcremie, having maxed out Calm Mind, perched atop Hydreigon's head. They intercepted the group before they got too close to the camp, meaning they could afford to be loud. "You're all under arrest for the crimes of poaching, theft, murder, and accessory to these crimes," Alex declared, flashing his badge as he descended on Hydreigon, releasing all his Pokémon. As he predicted—and hoped—they responded by releasing their own Pokémon and attacking immediately. Now, the ones without bounties were guilty of resisting arrest at best and assault at worst. A Surf from Clawitzer and a Dazzling Gleam from Alcremie knocked out more than half their Pokémon, while the rest managed to react with Protect just in time. But they were disorganized, and the next wave of attacks finished the job. The criminals cooperated once all their Pokémon were subdued. Alex collected their Poké Balls, separating those belonging to the ones without prior crimes. He also confiscated the captured Pokémon in their bags, just in case any of their victims were still alive. Next, he imprisoned them back at the cave before returning to the south of the camp to continue his stakeout. A day passed without any new teams returning to the camp before Rotom informed Alex of a group approaching from the east. The only issue was that none of them had bounties, meaning Alex had no legal grounds to arrest them. These teams weren't necessarily engaging in illegal activities. They could be legitimate capture teams operating within their rights to catch wild Pokémon. Alex couldn't assume they were carrying illicit goods, and even if they were, he had no way of confirming it. With no justification for interference, Alex had no choice but to let them pass into the camp. A few hours later, after the first group had completed their business and left with heavier wallets, another team arrived atop an Onix—this time, with a bound and gagged girl being carried by a Hypno on its shoulder. Judging by her torn clothes and vacant eyes, she had been assaulted recently. She looked young—likely a new graduate on her first journey into the wild. The two men leading the group looked quite pleased with their catch. Alex could have let them enter the camp, recording the entire transaction as evidence to incriminate everyone involved. However, doing so would immediately expose his surveillance and force the operation to shut down before he could gather enough bounties and assets. Instead, he decided to take this team down immediately. Aboard Hydreigon, Alex descended with a powered-up Kommo-o and Arcanine flanking him. The two circled the area as Alex declared, "You're under arrest for kidnapping, assault, theft-" Before he could say more, the criminals released their Pokémon and attacked. 'Earthquake to destabilize, Gravity to prevent escape, Extreme Speed on that Hypno to secure the hostage,' Alex commanded through telepathy to Metagross, who floated beside him. Arcanine struck first, slamming into Hypno with a max-Attack-stacked Extreme Speed, knocking it out instantly and launching it away. As the hostage fell, Arcanine caught the girl on his back, securing her safety. At the same moment, Metagross activated Gravity, grounding any potential aerial escape. Then, a powerful Earthquake shook the battlefield, instantly knocking out the remaining Pokémon and sending their trainers tumbling. One of the men tried to flee on his Fearow, but Gravity prevented them from gaining altitude. Moments later, the Earthquake struck, bringing Fearow crashing down. With all their Pokémon defeated and their escape options gone, the criminals surrendered without further resistance. Alex approached and untied the girl, who was still visibly shaken. He knelt beside her and spoke calmly. "I'm a bounty hunter who just witnessed a crime in progress. Would you be willing to clarify the situation on record to justify their arrest? Otherwise, I'll have no legal grounds to hold them." The girl's empty stare sharpened with fury. "They kidnapped me, stole my belongings, raped me, and planned to sell me. I have everything recorded on my phone, but they took it," she stated with cold anger. "That's sufficient testimony. I'd also like a copy of that recording to submit to the police later. Now, for the record, please state your name and where this happened." "My name is Mika Foster. They captured me two hours east of Saffron City, along the trail leading to Lavender Town." "Perfect. That's all I need." Alex secured the prisoners before turning back to Mika. "I plan to remain in the area to continue my work. I can't escort you back to the city. You have two choices—you can leave on your own and report the incident to the police, or you can stay here with the captives until I finish in a few days and personally escort you back. Your call." "I'll take my things and leave." "Understood. But remember, I'm recording, so only take what belongs to you." "Alright." Mika retrieved her bag, then rummaged through two others to recover her Pokéballs, phone, and wallet before shakily getting to her feet. As she turned to leave, Alex stopped her. "Let me escort you to my camp first. I'll point you toward Saffron City from there. Also, I strongly advise you to wait a week before reporting the incident. If they catch wind of this too soon, they'll halt operations temporarily and resume later. I'll contact you for more details once I'm done." "…Okay." She relented, following Alex back to his cave, where Forretress was keeping watch over the prisoners. Before leaving, she turned to Alex one last time. "Thank you… for rescuing me." Then, she set off alone toward Saffron City. Alex watched her go, impressed by her resilience. Despite everything she had endured, she still had the strength to keep moving forward. He had heard of the stories and these victims would sometimes just give up on life. Over the next three days, Alex successfully captured five more teams using the same tactics—bringing the total to eight, including the group that ambushed him and the two teams he took down. Now, 32 criminals were being held captive under Alex's watch. This was legal in the wilds, as long as he ensured they weren't subjected to abuse, starvation, or inhumane living conditions. There was plenty of local Pokémon to feed them, and they were allowed to roam within the cave—under constant supervision. Forretress, Frosmoth, and Togekiss guarded in shifts, ensuring at least two of them remained awake at all times. By the fifth day, no more teams appeared. It was likely the camp had discovered his operations and sent out a warning, instructing their teams to lay low until the situation was handled. With his presence now compromised, Alex decided it was time to leave. He had already collected enough Pokémon to sustain his team for the next six months from the criminals alone. Before departing, he set up hidden monitoring devices around the camp to track their transactions and gather evidence. This would allow him to take down the entire operation when he returned. Binding the prisoners, Alex had them airlifted to the eastern gates of Saffron City, where he handed them, all their belongings, and his recordings over to the police for processing. This would undoubtedly alert the camp's leaders, so for now, he withdrew. His hidden cameras would continue collecting evidence, and in a month, when the heat died down, he would return to retrieve them. By then, there should be more than enough proof to take down the entire camp. Two days later, Alex received his bounty rewards, totaling 950,000 Pokédollars. Some of the criminals had no bounties, while others had only minor ones, but overall, it was a solid amount for a week's work. Additionally, he claimed the Pokémon and some assets of those sentenced to life imprisonment or execution, securing a five-month supply of food for his own team. The meat quality matched their current standards—Expert-ranked. With everything processed, Alex returned home to Jenny, giving his Pokémon time to train their proficiencies. They also needed to prepare for their upcoming Gym challenge, so they stayed put for the time being. Three weeks later, it was finally time to challenge the Fighting Dojo. ----- Support me on Patreon patreon/babywrath

Chapter 64. Stakeout

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