A beat after Alex's declaration, auras flared, faces hardened, and combat stances tightened. A charged atmosphere settled between both groups, the hostility radiating with the promise of an imminent clash.
"To be more specific," Alex continued with a smirk. "I want to hire your nest as defenders for my base against an annual Pokémon flood."
The tension remained but those in charge regained their senses and began considering Alex's proposal. Although, their muscles remained tightened ready for battle at a moment's notice.
'What do you offer in exchange?' came their reply.
"Expert ranked kibble for those below Elite rank; Elite ranked meat for those above it. A walled-off enclosure four times larger than your current territory, shared with the other defenders. An agreement permitting members of your nest who are willing to join my bounty hunters to be recruited. Freedom of access to the northern mountainous wilds beyond my base. And most importantly, you get to live outside again in relative peace."
The leaders deliberated through Gardevoir's telepathy as they considered the offer. It was enticing, not only for themselves but for their entire nest. Their prosperity would be guaranteed, so long as they were truly provided for as promised.
'How can we trust you? You may promise us this, but capture and sell us the moment you have the chance. Humans… are hard to trust.'
"I will allow you to search my memories for your trust. Within reason, of course."
Alex's Gardevoir floated forward and positioned herself beside him, wary and alert. Any hint of foul play from the Psychic Pokémon across from her would trigger an immediate retaliation.
Their Gardevoir turned to Lucario, who gave a small nod.
With permission from both Lucario and Alex, she dove in and uncovered the truth.
Alex was lying. He didn't want all of them to defend his base; he only wanted a powerful Lucario to include in his attack team. He was simply willing to offer greater benefits in exchange. Everything else was just icing on the cake.
As for his promises, he was telling the truth. He would give them everything he mentioned, but nothing more. Anyone who didn't contribute to him or the base would receive only standard meals based on rank, and that would be the extent of it. Beyond that, they were free to live their lives however they pleased, as long as they didn't cause trouble.
She also read that he knew they were a dead trainer's Pokémon, given their rarity and their basic but coordinated combat formations. And he understood that none of the leaders who had belonged to that trainer would ever be interested in becoming his Pokémon. Their cherished bonds were wounds that never fully healed, preventing them from forming new ones. Now, they lived only for the sake of the nest, longing for peace rather than growth.
She was genuinely moved by how clearly he understood them and their desires.
With tears escaping her eyes at the memory of their trainer and Alex's generosity, she relayed her findings to her teammates and awaited Lucario's decision.
After deliberating, they easily accepted. No battle was necessary, as they never wanted to fight again if they could help it. Alex's offer was a path to the life they desired.
"Excellent," Alex said with a clap of his hands, prompting his Pokémon to retreat behind him, with Lyra's and Mika's following in tow. "Now, would you mind telling me about your trainer?"
Lucario considered the request before nodding at Gardevoir, who then turned to Alex.
'Let me show you.'
Alex was shown a young girl by the name of Jenna Hartwell, not to be confused with his current bounty, Brutus Hardwell. She came from a modest family in Veilstone City and aspired to be a Pokémon Master. Growing up, she trained in the Fighting type gym with a younger Maylene and grew to love Fighting type Pokémon.
At the age of 16, she received her starter, Chimchar, before setting off on her journey. It was relatively peaceful for the most part, as she had never encountered the seedier side of the world.
A decade later, she returned with 5 Pokémon and joined Veilstone Gym under Maylene's urging, becoming a Gym Trainer until she reached Elite rank. She then left the gym and journeyed to Iron Island in hopes of earning the loyalty of a Lucario.
She succeeded in bonding with an Elite ranked one that was close to reaching the next rank. They spent some time training together on the island and strengthening their bond before deciding to leave.
On her way back home, she was ambushed by the man who had befriended her on the island, along with his group. They specifically hunted anyone with a Lucario, and Jenna was the perfect target.
She dove into the Grand Underground to escape but didn't get far before she was killed while her Pokémon were distracted. Enraged, they caused a cave-in, taking out her pursuers, but the Pokémon survived.
They continued fighting their enemies' Pokémon until everyone was dead and, in the end, decided to start a nest here in the Spacious Hideaway.
Time passed, and Lucario had become Champion, leading their group. Now, their territory was being challenged by the Tauros nest, which had recently begun an aggressive expansion due to their bloated numbers.
They have been fighting to maintain their piece of the 11th level ever since.
"Thank you for sharing," Alex said solemnly.
He realized there might be more to the situation than he had initially thought. For one, her family was still alive, which meant the League might have a claim on the Pokémon in exchange for some monetary equivalent if he decided to report it.
There was also Maylene, who was undoubtedly Jenna's friend. If he didn't report it and it was discovered later that he had withheld information about her death, it could create complications with the League.
Finally, the Pokémon's side also had to be considered. They might prefer to make use of the League's accommodations instead of his own.
In the end, he had no choice but to call Maylene to straighten things out before staking any claims. He definitely didn't want to make an enemy of an established Champion rank gym leader who had more friends in the League.
While Alex was ruminating on the complexity of the situation, Lucario turned around and called out to the nest. From the formation ran a yellow Lucario at Elite rank, which immediately stood at attention in front of the leaders.
'This is the Champion's daughter, one of our best fighters, who would be willing to bond with you.'
Alex ignored the fact that she was a Shiny with top-class progeny and took a proper look at her.
She put up a strong front, but her eyes shifted awkwardly, as if unsure about the decision. Something was anchoring her to the nest.
'Because of the color of her pelt, she was ostracized from a young age among her siblings. None dared to bully her because of the Champion, but none accepted her either, save for a few.'
Out of the formation came a Kirlia and a Lopunny, both at Expert rank. They rushed to the leaders before being seized by a psychic force and made to grovel on the ground. They pleaded and begged the leaders to take them instead of her.
'Our apologies for the interruption. These are her friends.'
The Shiny Lucario turned back to her friends with concern, while Lopunny and Kirlia continued pleading, tears in their eyes. They could tell she was being offered to the evil human as a sacrifice to save the nest.
Alex stood bewildered at suddenly becoming the "evil emperor," forcing the village chief to enslave his daughter. He wasn't a good person, but he wasn't that bad, was he?
On second thought, this might be the only benefit he could get from this nest.
Technically, these were wild Pokémon, free for him to bond with. The League wouldn't be able to claim them or the nest, since their only claims were on the leaders. Sure, the leaders would be distraught from losing their nest, but perhaps there was some wiggle room if he took just these three.
"They seem quite attached," Alex said. "I'm willing to bond with all three of them and allow them to fight together if they are willing."
Relief washed over the three at the evil human's decision before turning to the leaders with pleading eyes.
'Very well, but we have one last request.'
"Sure."
'We want your help in taking down the Tauros nest. They have been a thorn in our side for months and have managed to take down a significant number of our own. Help us with this revenge, and we will follow you obediently.'
Alex smiled menacingly. He had never planned to let that delicious nest go. It was filled with large, Elite ranked Pokémon that would feed his team for a long time.
If he was lucky, he might even find a few to bring back to the base for Kaia to domesticate. And besides, Champion ranked Tauros steaks sounded delicious.
"You've got yourself a deal."
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