Alex stood on the plateau overlooking the Lake of Outrage, watching Gothitelle argue with Gardevoir as the pieces of the situation slowly began to fall into place. Gothitelle might have orchestrated this entire kidnapping just to set the stage for meeting him.
He didn't know if that was even possible, since it would imply that observers of the future can be controlled by their own visions, or that he might even be able to gain the same benefit if he saw the future through Gothitelle.
Unfortunately, a well-known tale about these Pokémon was that their Trainer should never try to insist on seeing the future themselves. There had once been someone who did so and simply disappeared, never to be seen again, leaving a lonely Gothitelle as an echo of his existence.
"Whatever," Alex said with a shrug, unwilling to think about it any further.
He was never good when it came to understanding the intricacies of time travel, future sight, or anything too complex in that area. He was more attuned to the present and things he could punch at that very moment.
"So, you want to join us?" Alex asked, interrupting their little spat.
Gothitelle ignored Gardevoir and immediately turned to Alex before nodding rapidly. She was practically beaming with excitement.
"Alright then, welcome to the team," Alex said, opening his arms.
Gothitelle rushed in without hesitation and threw herself onto Alex's chest. She snuggled in close before glowing pink, her eyes turning completely white.
Meanwhile, Alex felt her love and sincerity flood through him as their bond snapped into place. It was warm and overwhelming, carrying a depth of conviction that left no room for doubt.
Then his vision twisted, swallowed by a cold, lifeless void of pure darkness that felt disturbingly familiar. He had been here before. He had seen this exact scene, felt this exact feeling, endured this same existential dread. Terror and familiarity screamed in his mind, but he couldn't place where, when, or how.
As quickly as it came, his vision snapped back to the present. His eyes refocused on a suspicious Gardevoir staring at their hug, which had gone on just a bit too long. Espeon beside her shared the sentiment, narrowing her eyes at Gothitelle, who still refused to let go.
Alex probed his mind, trying to dig out the source of that familiarity, but came up empty handed. Try as he might, he simply couldn't grasp that wispy memory.
Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, he refocused on the present. He had trainers to rescue and a new Pokémon to consider. He figured he would understand more about this and himself when the time came. It was pointless to worry about something he couldn't control.
"Why don't we go and fix the mess you made, then you can introduce me to your friends," Alex said, receiving a nod from Gothitelle, who still wouldn't let go.
So he carried her in his arms like a spoiled child as he walked toward the gathering of trainers and Pokémon, much to Gardevoir and Espeon's displeasure. He couldn't help but indulge her a little if he considered her emotions for even a second. She simply missed him too much for it to be easy to let go, as odd as that sounded considering this was their first meeting.
"You!" a man among the gathered trainers shouted, pointing at Alex in rage. "Are you responsible for this? Why did you capture us? What do you want?"
"My name is Alex Wattson, a bounty hunter hired to find you," Alex answered, releasing his aura and quickly quelling any thoughts of resistance from the gathered people and their Pokémon. "This little Gothitelle is the cause of your problems, and I've captured her. I will now bring you back to the Pokémon Nursery. Is that understood?"
The trainers and their Pokémon all nodded in understanding, unwilling to challenge the powerful trainer and the intimidating army of Pokémon surrounding him. It was clear they were outmatched, so it didn't matter whether they were being moved to a new location or actually rescued. For now, they would follow along, fully aware they couldn't resist.
Alex recalled his Pokémon, then took a moment to take note of Gothitelle's friends who had the place surrounded. Around him, he could see his own Pokémon trying to stave off the playful energy of the Pokémon they had targeted and pinned down.
It was a complete set of Eeveelutions without Eevee. Included among them were Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon, all of them rambunctiously playing with his Pokémon to an almost annoying degree. It seemed these Eeveelutions were simply excited to finally interact with Pokémon strong enough to roughhouse with.
"Do you want to bring them along?" Alex asked Gothitelle, receiving a nod in response. "Alright, tell them to stay still and behave for now. We'll have plenty of time to catch up and play once I'm done handling these trainers."
One by one, Alex tossed out Poké Balls and captured the entire set of Elite ranked Eeveelutions. They didn't seem like the type with the discipline to join his away team, but they would be an excellent addition to the home team. After all, Eeveelutions were still incredibly popular, so plenty of people at the base would work their asses off to get the chance to train one of their own in the future.
Once all the Pokémon were returned to their Poké Balls, including the trainers' own, with the exception of Gothitelle who still refused to let go, Gardevoir teleported the entire group back to the Pokémon Nursery much to everyone's surprise.
The crowd gathered inside was surprised it hadn't taken Alex long to find the missing people, while the missing people were surprised that Alex had made good on his word. If they were being honest, they had been prepared to be thrown into a training facility and mind-controlled, as they had sometimes heard in dark stories and horrid rumors.
Alex then immediately left after dropping off the trainers, teleporting back to the base in Kanto to sort out his new additions.
"Hey, Dad. You done with your hunting?" Alvera greeted. "Is that a Gothitelle you're carrying?"
"Not quite done yet, and yes, it's a Gothitelle," Alex answered as he made his way to the backyard. "I came across some new Pokémon and wanted them to get comfortable first, so I stopped by. Why don't you go call your mother over so they can get acquainted?"
"Okie," Alvera said, before bouncing toward the back of the main hub where Vera usually spent her time looking over the Pokémon.
Once Alex reached the backyard, he called over the leaders of the Pokémon, including the Lucario nest and his own home team. He then released all the rambunctious Eeveelutions, who understandably shied away from being surrounded by so many powerful Pokémon.
"Get them comfortable," Alex instructed Gothitelle, "and get them to show all of their moves as well."
Gothitelle hopped out of Alex's arms and started coaxing the Eeveelutions into revealing their stats and move pools. From their performance, Alex could immediately tell they were completely wild. They didn't have any TM moves, and their proficiencies weren't practiced enough.
Gothitelle, however, was a complete surprise.
Name: Gothitelle, Champion lvl 82
Type: Psychic, Female
Ability: Shadow Tag
Moves:
Expert:
(+100% Damage): Pound, Confusion, Psybeam, Psyshock, Psychic, Future Sight,
(Effect Up +2): Tickle, Play Nice, Charm, Hypnosis, Fake Tears,
(Priority+2): Psych Up, Flatter, Magic Room
Description: Gothitelle, the Astral Pokémon. It uses its immense psychic power to distort the space around it, allowing it to see the positions of distant stars and even catch glimpses of the future. By observing the movements of these celestial bodies, it can predict the life spans of people and Pokémon alike. It is known for its detached and solemn temperament, often appearing as though its mind is fixated on the vastness of the cosmos rather than its immediate surroundings.
All her moves were already at Expert ranked proficiency, so it shouldn't take long for any new moves to reach the same level. She might not even take long to reach Master ranked proficiency either. It was clear she had already adapted to Alex's teaching before he even had to put in the effort.
"I'm assuming you want to join the away team, specifically the defense team?" Alex asked, receiving a nod from Gothitelle. "I thought so. Alright, I'm sure it won't take you long to fit in with the rest, since you're already getting along with Gardevoir so well."
Gardevoir turned to Alex with an offended expression.
"Give her a chance," Alex said, his voice soft and placating, as he rubbed her head. "She's been swimming in memories with you for most of her life. You never know, you might actually end up as best friends."
Gardevoir slowly turned to Gothitelle with a raised brow, unconvinced, while Gothitelle looked back with quiet fondness, clearly aware of what she was doing.
Alex shook his head and washed his hands of the matter. Social relationships needed time to develop, so he hoped they could sort out their dynamic soon enough.
"Kyaaa! Eevees!" Alvera shouted as she rushed toward the playing Eeveelutions, getting electrocuted by Jolteon without any effect as she hugged it tightly. "Aren't you just the cutest thing! Do you want to come with me from now on?"
Jolteon struggled out of Alvera's grasp, its refusal clear. It wanted to stay with its siblings.
"Are these the new additions?" Vera asked as she leaned against Alex, watching Alvera chase after the Eeveelutions to their annoyance.
"Found them in the Lake of Outrage along with Gothitelle. They should make for popular options for the employees."
"The kids are going to go wild if they start having children."
"My thoughts exactly," Alex said with a smile.
The pair enjoyed the scene a bit longer until Vera suddenly asked,
"Are you almost done in Galar?"
"I have one more mission in Wyndon, then I'm finally going to meet with Mustard. I'll see what he and his famous Isle of Armor have to offer, then I'll be done with the region."
"You know, we've been talking with Leilani, and I think it's about time we make good on our promise and visit them."
"Sure, after I'm done with Galar. It'll be a good chance to take Rhea's project out for a spin once she's finished with it. I should also know around that time if Team Dominion still has any plans for me or the base. If they still don't attack by then, I'll take it as a sign they're no longer interested in revenge."
"Good," Vera replied as she took Alex's hand and rested her head on his shoulder, quietly looking forward to another vacation after such a long time.
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