Pokemon: Bounty Hunter Alex

Chapter 535: Chapter 535. Kahuna Hapu 2

For the next several hours, until early afternoon, Kahuna Hapu watched as Alex’s Guzzlord devoured the corpses of the Alolan Raticate swarm. There were an incredible number of them, with the battlefield stretching for dozens of miles, so gathering every last corpse took time.

She observed the Pokémon with keen interest, deeply impressed by their level of coordination. They operated like a well-oiled machine, working tirelessly without a single complaint. They moved with efficiency as they eagerly carried out their tasks, happily chatting with one another while they worked. Their bond with their trainer seemed as close to perfection as she had ever seen.

As a Kahuna, Hapu couldn’t help but admire it. It was rare for a trainer to forge such an extraordinary bond with their Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Alex let out a quiet sigh when he realized Kahuna Hapu wasn’t leaving. It put him in an awkward position since he could no longer have Guzzlord devour the surrounding canyon without drawing her ire. He would have to find somewhere else to finish filling the Ultra Beast’s stomach.

Still, Guzzlord was now roughly 70% full, so it wasn’t a major concern. At the very least, it wouldn’t go on another feeding frenzy for the next century or so.

"You have a remarkable bond with your Pokémon," Hapu said abruptly after silently watching for hours. "They move as if they understand their roles and your expectations perfectly without needing words. It is not something I see often, even among experienced trainers."

"That’s because of Gardevoir," Alex replied. "She’s the commander of my team and handles all the small details while I simply oversee everything."

"So you entrust much of your team’s coordination to her?" Hapu asked curiously.

"Pretty much," Alex said with a shrug. "She’s a far better battlefield commander who’s meticulous without being overbearing. It allows me to focus on the bigger picture while giving her commands to pass on to the rest of the team with minimal input. Also, each of my Pokémon is highly skilled in combat and only needs minimal instructions during battle."

"I see..." Hapu nodded thoughtfully. "A trainer who understands when to guide and when to trust. That is a difficult balance to achieve."

She glanced toward her Flygon before continuing.

"I would like to test that bond for myself through a battle. However, your Pokémon have endured much today, and it would be disrespectful to challenge them while they are exhausted. Perhaps after they have recovered?"

"Um... sure?" Alex accepted, though he was doubtful.

His Pokémon were all at Champion rank, while Kahuna Hapu’s Flygon was barely at Elite rank. As far as Alex was concerned, this wasn’t going to be much of a battle at all. Even with her Z-Move, she simply wasn’t on his level.

An hour later, they finally finished cleaning up the battlefield, leaving behind nothing but freshly turned earth where the remains of the battle had once been. The countless burrows and craters scattered across the canyon had been unintentionally filled in during the cleanup, smoothing out much of the destruction left behind. Despite the absence of the gloomy mushrooms that had covered the area, however, the landscape still felt bleak and lifeless, with the endless darkness hanging over the canyon casting a somber atmosphere.

Alex’s Pokémon then took a well-deserved rest as they filled their stomachs with Pokémon meat. Hapu simply watched, unbothered by the sight. It seemed that Pokémon meat was a fairly common source of food among trainers in this world as well, though Hapu and her Pokémon only ate salads and berries.

"As expected, you are quite wealthy to be able to feed all of your Pokémon," Hapu said. "You are very impressive to maintain such a tight command over so many Pokémon while also providing for all of them. Even I, as a Kahuna, can only raise a dozen or so with my modest farm."

"We hunt regularly in uncharted locations throughout the world, so we’re able to maintain a healthy stockpile of food at all times. Guzzlord is a bit of a special case, though, which is why I wanted to fill its stomach here."

"Understandable," Hapu replied.

Once they finished eating, Hapu excitedly sent out her Alolan Dugtrio first. It was a Ground and Steel type Pokémon with a browner coloration than a regular Dugtrio, along with a silly-looking blond tuft of hair on each of the three heads. As Alex had expected, it was only at the upper end of Expert rank, far below the level of his own Pokémon.

"I’m ready," Hapu said, placing her hands on her hips with a wide smile. "Show me the strength that comes from the bond you share with your Pokémon."

Alex turned toward his Pokémon and asked, "Who wants to have a go? It’s an official battle, though, so you’ll be on your own."

Quite a few immediately raised their hands, with his usual sparring partners, Kommo-o and Urshifu, being the most eager. Raticate, Arcanine, Grim, and Knight also wanted a chance to battle, so Alex decided to let each of them have a turn.

"Arcanine, you’ll go first, followed by Raticate, Kommo-o, Urshifu, Grim, and finally Knight," Alex decided. "Only one battle each, though, so everyone gets a turn."

"You’re that confident?" Hapu asked.

"They’re just a little bloodthirsty and want a chance to fight," Alex replied. "I hope you don’t find this insulting."

"Not at all," Hapu said.

Arcanine stepped forward, facing off against the Alolan Dugtrio.

"Dig!" Hapu commanded, starting the battle immediately, but it was already too late.

Arcanine simply opened its jaws and released a powerful Heat Wave, engulfing the battlefield in a wave of radiating heat. The attack overwhelmed the Alolan Dugtrio instantly, knocking it out before it could even disappear underground.

Hapu stood there in shock while Alex’s Pokémon sighed in disappointment. This wasn’t going to be much of a battle if their opponents were going to be this far below their rank.

"Y-your Pokémon are quite powerful," Hapu said nervously as she returned her fainted Alolan Dugtrio to its Poké Ball.

"Thanks," Alex said. "They deserve it after working so hard to reach their current level of strength."

’As I expected,’ Alex thought. ’The trainers in this world can’t utilize aura to determine how powerful their opponents are. As far as the people in this world are concerned, all Pokémon essentially look the same unless they have a noticeable size advantage.’

Tangible bonds and the ability to sense the strength of their opponents were likely unique aspects of the Pokémon world Alex had come from. They likely didn’t exist here because Arceus might not have allowed them to develop. It was only a guess, but it seemed obvious that Alex’s original Pokémon world was leagues above the one he had found himself in. The primary reason for this difference was likely the black hole in the Distortion World, which had pushed both Arceus and Giratina into desperate measures.

The next five battles ended up being roughly as one-sided as the first. Raticate defeated Golurk with a single Shadow Ball. Gastrodon was taken down after Kommo-o used Belly Drum and followed up with Close Combat, even while enduring an Ice Beam at half health. Krookodile was knocked out by a single, swift Close Combat from Urshifu. Flygon attempted to rely on Dig and use status moves from underground, but Grim followed it down with Dig and finished the battle with Jaw Lock before dragging Flygon back to the surface. Finally, Mudsdale was easily defeated by a single Spirit Break from Knight, bringing the battle to an end after a completely one-sided series of matches.

Hapu could tell she wasn’t in a position to judge Alex as she normally would with most trainers, given how one-sided the battles had been. Even his Pokémon watching from the sidelines had lost interest, choosing instead to relax after their meals.

"I seem to have put on a shameful display," Hapu said, visibly frustrated.

She was still quite young, after all.

"Don’t let it get you down," Alex consoled her. "My Pokémon are trained in extreme environments out in the wilds, so they’re used to a much more savage style of combat. As a Kahuna, your job isn’t to overpower every trainer you face with brutality but to guide them. I think you’re doing a good enough job at that."

"Thank you for your kind words," Hapu replied.

Alex handed Hapu several Max Revives to help recover her Pokémon. He then began packing up the computer station and stored all of his Pokémon in his backpack, including Guzzlord, which had reached roughly 80% satiety.

Once everything was secured, he released Mantine, his Champion ranked mobile fortress. The moment it emerged, its enormous wings unfolded, revealing a staggering 20-meter wingspan. Its entire body was covered in metal armor, making the normally graceful Pokémon look more like a living battleship.

"What an impressive Mantine..." Hapu gawked in awe.

"The trick is using Herba Mystica from Paldea," Alex said. "Would you like a ride back to your place? It’ll be a comfortable trip."

"Yes, please," she said with a childlike, excited smile.

Alex still needed to feed Guzzlord the remaining 20% of its satiety, so taking Hapu home first would be the best option. Once she was out of the way, he could slowly make his way toward Aether Paradise while exploring the rest of Poni Island and find somewhere suitable to let Guzzlord finish feeding without an authoritative figure watching over him.

At least, that was the plan.

"If it’s you, I think you can do it," Hapu said suddenly, her voice filled with hope. "Will you lend Alola your strength and help us break free from the Eternal Eclipse?"

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