After spending a week reading through the handbook, resting, and adjusting to their new environment, the bounty hunters finally began their training in earnest. Their day started in the assembly hall, where Simone stood before them with rows of neatly arranged equipment courtesy of Rhea.
"This," Simone said, gesturing to the combat gear laid out before them, "is your standard uniform. It includes an energy-resistant bodysuit, reinforced vest, armored pants with space pockets, fingerless gloves, combat boots, a long coat, and a tactical helmet equipped with night vision and communication systems. Each piece is durable enough to resist Elite ranked damage. It only comes in black, so don't complain."
A few chuckles rippled through the crowd before Simone continued.
"Next, we have your weapons," she said, motioning to another table. "There are several options depending on your preferred style, including pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, sniper rifles, and light machine guns. All of them use standardized 6mm crystal bullets. The guns are free; the ammo isn't, so use it wisely."
Rhea had been busy ever since Alex sent her photos of Devon Corp's latest tech.
Instead of copying their sleek, plastic, sci-fi designs, she created Alex's own versions with a metal-built aesthetic that suited his taste. The weapons resembled a Desert Eagle, M16, MP5, Beretta M9, and an M249.
They used a new type of launcher that fired multiple crystals in an alternating pattern through a single barrel, replacing Rhea's initial multi-barrel design.
"Finally, we have this," Simone said, holding up a phone. "It's the latest model on the market, modified for increased security to make hacking much more difficult. You can let a Rotom inhabit it if you want, though it's not required. Inside are apps that will help you stay in contact with Silver Network, track assignments, and access the support you need for each job.
"It's also recommended that you keep it recording from the vest's breast pocket while on missions. Recordings serve as evidence during operations. Remember, we're law-abiding bounty hunters, not criminals or vigilantes running wild. We follow protocol. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they responded in unison.
After putting on their gear, they headed outside for basic training led by Simone. This included sprinting around the property at their top speed, running through an obstacle course, and an hour of exercise under Gravity while wearing their full combat loadout, which initially weighed a hundred pounds. To make things even harder, they were also fitted with resistive restraints that further limited their movements and strained their bodies throughout the session.
Their Pokémon stayed right beside them the entire time, running and training alongside their trainers. Faster Pokémon had an easier time keeping up, while slower ones struggled depending on their species. They were allowed to help each other, but the training had to be completed one way or another.
Once that was done, they moved to the lake at the center of the property for target practice with Mika. Hovering above the water were hundreds of target drones Alex had purchased in bulk, each programmed with different difficulty settings.
Some stayed stationary, while others drifted from side to side or followed fixed flight paths. A few darted about in erratic, unpredictable patterns, and the more advanced models actively dodged incoming shots.
There were even specialized drones that acted as bodyguards, shielding the target and only exposing it for a brief moment, forcing the recruits to time their shots with precision.
"Listen up!" Mika shouted. "You might think a month of basic firearms training and field experience makes you experts, but that was just to keep you from shooting yourselves in the face. There are better ways to use your weapons, and your accuracy can always improve."
"This training will push you to perform at your best in realistic scenarios, starting with strict adherence to the gun-safety and management protocols in the guidelines. I don't want to hear any complaints, see any shortcuts, or hear about anyone accidentally shooting themselves or others."
Mika made sure each recruit mastered the basics of every weapon while strictly enforcing proper gun safety.
In the future, this training would also include shooting while in formation and learning proper building-clearing techniques, skills Alex had picked up during his time at the police academy, adapted with added considerations for firearms.
As before, their Pokémon trained alongside them, using special attacks to practice accuracy and refine their own move proficiency.
Next, they moved on to basic hand-to-hand combat training under Morgan's supervision. She wasn't exactly a martial arts expert, so the session focused on fundamentals such as proper stances, footwork, balance, spacing, punches and kicks, and grappling, without anything flashy or advanced.
"This may seem stupid and pointless, but at the very least, you get to train your body and look good after enduring this for a few months," Morgan shouted encouragingly as they went through basic drills.
Actual sparring wasn't on the table yet. Most of them were still inexperienced in close-quarters combat, far too accustomed to standing behind their Pokémon and letting the battles play out from a distance. For now, only Lyra and Mika sparred to demonstrate the basics, showing the others what proper movement and timing looked like.
This time, the Pokémon engaged in actual battles, free to use any moves they could think of without guidance from their trainers. This allowed them to develop proficiency with both physical and status moves while learning from each other, rather than relying solely on their trainers' instructions. They could also go all out, as Alex had stationed several healing Pokémon nearby to keep the battles going without interruption.
Lyra led the next training session, focusing on combat formations for both their Pokémon and the recruits as a whole. This included Protect rotations, Alex's cornering formation, his integrated attack and defensive formations, as well as several others designed for sweeping, aerial maneuvers, underwater tactics, and more.
"I know you all understand what a good formation can do, but you don't yet realize how far it can be taken or how much benefit can be drawn from perfect teamwork and flawless execution," Lyra said after giving them a rundown of the types of formations they would need to practice. "To give you a better idea, Alex will demonstrate his usual training routine with his Pokémon."
Alex called over all of his Pokémon, including the home and away teams, before stepping into the center with Gardevoir. The defensive team, along with the home team, began shifting and shuffling in accordance with their typings, weaving between each other as they moved to different positions as ordered.
At the same time, they unleashed attacks in triples while alternating Protect. Those using Protect held their positions as the attackers moved swiftly around them. Then they would shift locations, passing Protect to the next Pokémon in line. The result was an ever-changing rhythm that was both beautiful and deadly.
The attack team joined in, covering the outer layer while occasionally darting out in pairs or triples before merging back seamlessly.
Suddenly, they all scattered, with Alex moving alongside them, surrounding an invisible enemy just as he had encircled the recruits on their first day. They then targeted the center with a barrage of area-of-effect attacks, but their aim was skewed slightly to the right, creating a controlled tornado of energy instead of a chaotic clash.
This was a new technique Alex had developed to prevent retaliatory attacks from weaker opponents, including gunfire. It would gradually wear down the opponent while keeping them contained, forcing them to take damage if they tried to break through the rotating wall of energy.
It was a marvel to witness what they had accomplished in just half a year, driven by Steelix and Forretress's sacrifices and their own determination to improve.
After the demonstration, Alex addressed the recruits with a serious demeanor.
"I'm sure some of you are thinking this is the peak of what Pokémon and their trainer can achieve together, but it's not. Look at coordinators and Pokémon contests to see the true potential of perfect teamwork. I'm far from a professional coordinator, and this is the best I can do with my experience and time. I want all of you to learn this, improve on it once mastered, and help us all benefit the way you are benefiting now," Alex said.
He then handed things over to Lyra, who began instructing them on the training.
After witnessing firsthand what Alex could accomplish with flawless teamwork, all the recruits, including their leaders, dedicated themselves to mastering his methods. Progress was naturally slow, especially without a psychic Pokémon to coordinate and lead them, but improvements were achieved steadily. With enough practice and time, they would eventually be able to move seamlessly in perfect sync with any teammates, regardless of familiarity.
Capping off their training schedule, Dale led the recruits through a meditation session. He hadn't progressed far yet, considering it had only been a week, but Alex guided him in the same way he had first learned Aura meditation at Sprout Tower.
Meditating this way was much harder than doing it alone, as Alex had learned from navigating Dale's chaotic, energy-filled pathways. Still, progress was clear. Dale could now complete a rotation on his own and could immediately feel the aches and pains in his body ease.
"This meditation technique has the guaranteed benefit of helping you bond with more Pokémon," Dale stated clearly. "The progress will be agonizingly slow, and it may feel like a complete waste of time. Some of you might even fall asleep. But if you persevere and make this part of your daily routine, I guarantee you'll see a significant improvement in your bonds with your Pokémon."
They spent an hour meditating with little visible effect. Some did, in fact, fall asleep, but the point of the exercise was to build a habit, one that would eventually pay off in time.
After an hour, a few select recruits were called to another room with Sable, while the rest continued with an additional hour of Aura meditation.
"The reason you were called here is because you have the talent to manipulate Pokémon energy," Sable explained. "That means you can develop and harness special abilities based on the type of energy you naturally resonate with. To help you strengthen those abilities, we'll meditate the same way as before, but this time, instead of using Aura to circulate our energy, we'll directly move our energy through specific parts of the body."
This session applied to fewer than a dozen people who possessed the necessary aptitude. None of the leaders qualified, and Alex didn't want to spend time training anyone personally, so he left the responsibility to Sable, offering her extra credits as an incentive.
"How did it go?" Vera asked after dinner.
"Pretty good, all things considered. They seemed especially motivated after the demonstration," Alex replied before asking, "How did it go on your end?"
"Pretty good too. I think we have some strong candidates for staffing, and Alvera might finally make some friends."
"Oh? Tell me more."
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