Liora, promising to show Alex where to hunt for bandits, circled the suspected hunting grounds on his map of the Wild Area. Afterward, they went their separate ways, with Liora heading south toward Wedgehurst.
Alex, meanwhile, rode Mantine and headed northeast, flying over the Wild Area at a much lower altitude than before. He had realized it was pointless to spot Max Pokémon from so high up, as it took too long to catch up once they began their rampage. More often than not, they would have already been defeated by the time he reached them. Flying lower, however, meant he would be close enough to intercept one and start a battle.
Their journey lasted half a day before Alex finally called it quits. He decided to relax for the rest of the evening and simply continue tomorrow, so he pulled out his new house.
Similar to Alvera's, it was rated for Elite rank and even had turrets for Rotom to inhabit and control. It measured 30 x 30 m and stood 3 stories tall, which made it large enough to hold all his Pokémon.
It was all thanks to Rhea, who had created her own space bags that were large enough to hold the Azure Voyager. This time, however, one was being used to store an entire house instead of simple camping gear.
The top floor was home to the Flying types, who enjoyed the open area and the wind blowing through the large windows. This included Mantine, who took up a third of the space, dominating the room with his size. The second floor housed the rest, each with their own individual rooms. The first floor contained a large pool for the water team at the back, with Alex's personal living space at the front of the house.
There wasn't much there for him, as it had been built with only the bare necessities in mind, but it still included a bed, bath, kitchen, study, and living room. The bed was, of course, Champion ranked, standing on Champion ranked foundations to prevent the building from collapsing. The bath featured a hot tub and a rain shower, which Alex was starting to think he couldn't live without. The study and living room were fairly basic, but the kitchen was more than enough for a professional cook like Lina.
Speaking of which, he had to prepare dinner for himself and his Pokémon. Sure, Lina had already prepared more than enough meals for them, but he was currently in the Galar region, and Galar was famous for its obsession with curry dishes. He had to try it for himself.
He first took out some Champion ranked precooked burgers and let them defrost while heating a large pot of water over medium heat. Then he prepared a Galar League-approved curry pack, mixing the powdery substance into the water.
Once the water began to boil, he added whole Enigma, Micle, Custap, Jaboca, and Rowap berries, stirring the pot under a simmer. After the flavors began to incorporate, he lowered the heat and started to prepare the rice.
He cleaned the grains, placed them in a rice cooker, and set it to cook before returning to the precooked burgers. They had defrosted enough, so he simply added them to the pot to let the flavors meld.
He simmered the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the rice was done. He plated the rice, added the burgers, and topped the dish with the curry sauce from the pot.
The end result didn't look like much, but what it lacked in visual presentation it more than made up for in its delectable aroma. He could immediately tell this was going to be an amazing meal.
He took a tentative bite and understood the fuss. In his opinion, the curry was perfect, with a balanced mix of spicy, dry, sweet, bitter, and sour, while the burger complemented it flawlessly. He was genuinely impressed.
He finished three plates before deciding to make more for his Pokémon, who would surely enjoy the treat. This time, he used a larger pot to repeat the process and spent the rest of the evening cooking for them. Eventually, he managed to feed all 50 of his Pokémon.
"What did you all think?" Alex asked, noting their pleased expressions.
The dish wasn't for everyone; a small minority thought it was just okay, but at least no one complained, or so Gardevoir reported. That meant it really was a good dish, with only personal preferences affecting the judgment.
Alex stayed outside while his Pokémon digested their meal, enjoying the midnight air under the stars. He looked over each of them and reminisced their adventures, lamenting that Steelix and Forretress couldn't join.
He shook off the depressing thoughts and focused on the present, noting that his Pokémon were content and happy. He wondered if he had managed to fulfill his promise to them when he had failed two of his own.
"Gardevoir," she said, indicating that they were all happy and content, preferring this life of danger with him over anything else.
She floated over to his side, took a seat on the ground next to him, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Emotions flooded Alex's mind, the pure joy and peace Gardevoir was feeling. She was happy, content, and satisfied, with feelings insisting she couldn't ask for more, accompanied by a deep sense of peace that resonated with Alex whenever he was with his girls and his Pokémon.
He nodded, accepting her emotions, and sat with a small hope that the life he was living wasn't just death and destruction.
Gardevoir answered his hope with so much more, sharing feelings of camaraderie, purpose, and fulfillment, along with a deep peace in knowing he was exactly where he belonged.
"Thank you," he whispered, letting the emotions wash over him as he continued to watch over his Pokémon."
Arcanine lay on his back with Raticate resting on his stomach. Clawitzer was deep in conversation with Gyarados and Milotic, while the six Wishiwashi and the Araquanid pair observed quietly. Rotom stayed inside the house, keeping watch over the area. Altaria, Frosmoth, Togekiss, Hydreigon, and Grim circled overhead, either scouting or burning off the calories from their recent heavy meal. The Crobat couple kept Mantine company.
Aegislash, Dusknoir, and Ceruledge were training nearby. Alcremie inspected the Burger-Steak Curry pot with a thoughtful expression, while Kommo-o and the pair of Goodra stood by her side, wondering if there was more food. Gardevoir rested beside Alex, with Espeon curled at his feet. Ditto had taken the form of a familiar rock, which Alex leaned against for comfort. Tsareena held an intense discussion with Zoroark and Weezing, while the three Maushold acted as his feet, tiptoeing and lifting him in sync with each outburst.
The Chandelure pair danced above the center of the gathering, their ghostly glow providing light while warding off any unwelcome spirits. The Rhyperior pair were already asleep, unmoving. The Vikavolt charged the house with sparks of electricity. Shiny Lucario and Lopunny flirted with a blushing Gallade, while the other Lucario pair watched, half interested and half seemingly indifferent. Knight stood by the house, interfacing with Rotom.
It was a comforting sight, with Alex simply enjoying the moment alongside his Pokémon.
The next morning, Alex rode Mantine and set out with the clear purpose of hunting bandits. He and his Pokémon were well fed and rested, ready for some intense bloodshed.
They flew for a few hours before finally reaching the center of the location Liora indicated. It was a bridge placed between Bridge Field and North Lake Milock that sat atop a river that carried mildly polluted waters from Motostoke City to the east of the continent.
From a quick scan, nothing seemed suspicious. The wooden bridge carried some foot traffic from trainers, serving as the connection between the northern and southern Wild Area. Apart from that, Pokémon kept their distance, and there were no apparent dangers in the water.
"Fly higher," Alex instructed. "We're sticking out like a sore thumb at this altitude."
Mantine obeyed, climbing higher as Alex released his flying team.
"Scout the area, but stay hidden. We don't want to scare off our prey."
Grim and Altaria led the flying team, spreading out to perform reconnaissance while keeping an eye out for any suspicious humans.
For the next three hours, Alex and his Pokémon searched from the skies, finding nothing suspicious. Perhaps it was still early, and the roads were too crowded. Perhaps potential threats were wary of his presence. Who knew? All Alex knew was that he had spotted something interesting.
Between the two bridges in the Bridge Field, far to the west at the foot of a mountain, lay a dark forest. Just outside it sat a house, positioned almost like a gateway. It looked like a Pokémon ranch, where Pokémon were raised, bred, and sold, a legitimate business with no obvious reason to hide anything.
Still, Alex's instincts told him to check it out. With no leads other than a wide expanse showing no signs of danger, he decided it was worth spending some time investigating.
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