When looking for Pokémon with Friend Guard, Alex found that the only real options were Maushold and Vivillon. He did not like using baby Pokémon or unevolved forms. Between the two, Maushold stood out due to their speed.
Alex trusted that speed would make a difference. Maushold were not expected to fight, only to protect the team; speed would allow them to scurry around the battlefield unharmed.
Neutralizing Gas meanwhile was a Weezing exclusive rare Ability. He would have to use his League credits to obtain one.
In total, Alex decided he would acquire Bounsweet, Koffing, and a pair of Tandemaus. All four would be integrated into the Attack Team of the Away Team, which focused more on offense while disrupting the enemy and their team play.
As he was browsing for more potential additions, his phone suddenly rang. Jenny was calling.
"Hey, Alex. Can you come over?"
"Be right there."
Alex teleported with Arcanine and as soon as he stepped into the mansion, his eyes were drawn to an egg sitting on the table beside Jenny.
"Is that an Eevee egg?" Alex asked.
"They gave birth again," Jenny replied with a sigh of exasperation.
"What do you plan to do with it?"
"I was going to raise it myself unless you took it off my hands."
"It's not that I don't want it. I just don't know how it would fit in with the rest of the team."
"It's an Eevee, Alex. They fit into any team."
"True," he admitted. "I guess I can take it off your hands, if you don't mind."
"Great. My finances have taken a hit lately. Arcanine's been pushing to get stronger, but Elite-ranked Pokémon meat isn't cheap."
"I can share some of—"
"No," Jenny cut him off firmly. "You need it more than I do. You've got so many Pokémon to look after, and unlike me, you're regularly fighting Elite-ranked threats. You clearly need it more."
"Alright," Alex relented. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not really. I'm living comfortably. My only issue is having to keep disappointing Arcanine."
They continued talking for a while, and Alex was glad to see Jenny doing well. She had a mansion, powerful Pokémon, a stable job, a century of savings, and a boyfriend. By her own measure, she was completely satisfied with her life.
After their conversation, Alex teleported back to the farm with the Eevee egg in hand, to the delight of Vera and the others.
"Oh my gosh! An Eevee egg!" Vera gushed. "What type do you plan on giving it, Alex?"
"That depends on the Eevee. I don't believe in forcing a Pokémon into a specific path. They'll decide for themselves."
"If you could choose?" she pressed.
"Vaporeon, I guess. That team's looking a little thin. They could use the help."
"I thought for sure you'd pick Sylveon. She's super popular."
"I'm a bounty hunter. I prefer practicality over popularity."
"Makes sense."
With a new Pokémon on the way, Alex decided to finalize his selection and purchase the Pokemon.
In the end, he paid two million Pokedollars for a Bounsweet and three Tandemaus and half a million League credits on a Koffing.
The Tandemaus came as a package deal and were relatively cheap due to overbreeding, a result of their popularity in official battles. All three had Run Away, which would guarantee Friend Guard once they evolved.
He also bought enough Ability Shields to equip every Pokémon on the farm. They were mass-produced items, heavily backed by the League to protect their own Pokémon, so Alex was able to purchase a large supply for just a few million Pokédollars.
Once they arrived via PC, Alex met with them first, as he often did with new Pokémon.
"Hello, I am Alex, your new trainer. The five of you will be attackers on my bounty hunting team. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Alex introduced himself.
"Swee!" Bounsweet exclaimed excitedly.
"Tandemaus!" the three Tandemaus replied as they scurried around the room energetically.
"Koff," Koffing replied obligingly.
Bounsweet was an eager little darling, ready to begin kicking ass and taking names immediately.
The Tandemaus were very energetic and liked running around wildly, but they always stayed within each other's sight as if they had formed their own pack. Having three of them together, evolving into Maushold, would give Alex's team a 57.8% damage reduction, though it would require special training to prevent them from becoming a burden.
Speaking of burdens, Koffing looked bored as he rolled around on the floor since he didn't have Levitate. He seemed like the lazy type who didn't even bother hopping or shimmying to move.
Alex was slightly bothered by Koffing's lack of interest until he had a sudden idea.
"Tandemaus, for your special training, I want you to work together as a team to carry Koffing near fights. Can you do that for me?" Alex asked.
"Maus!" they replied, scurrying over and lifting Koffing above their heads.
Koffing accepted the sudden boost in mobility with glee. He never liked watching the other Koffings Levitate while he could not, so he was happy to be able to do something similar with his new friends.
"Koffing(Onwards!)" he called, and the Tandemaus obliged by running in different directions, dropping Koffing on the floor.
"Tande!" they exclaimed in shock before apologizing to Koffing. "Tandemaus(Sorry)…"
"Kof, Koffing. (It's fine. We'll work on it,)" Koffing said.
"Tandemaus, Maus (We'll do better, Boss!)" they promised.
'I feel slightly conflicted that they elevated Koffing above me in the hierarchy, but as long as they still obey commands, it's fine,' Alex thought
"Swee," Bounsweet consoled him.
"Thank you, Bounsweet."
Alex had them demonstrate their moves while he checked their Pokédex entries one by one.
Name: Bounsweet, Novice
Type: Grass, Female
Ability: Oblivious
Moves:
Novice: Synthesis(Egg Move), Splash, Play Nice, Rapid Spin, Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent
Description: Bounsweet, the Fruit Pokémon. It smells like a fresh fruit garden. It uses its sweet aroma to attract friends and fend off foes. Though small, it's surprisingly tough when defending itself.
'Synthesis? Very nice,' Alex thought.
As a frontliner, it would be incredibly useful if she could heal herself mid-battle and avoid relying on Clawitzer for recovery.
He decided to train her in Health and Speed. Her other potential stats were already high enough, so boosting her Health would improve sustainability, while Speed would help her keep up with the rest of the team.
Speed was simply more valuable for Alex's combat style.
Name: Koffing, Novice
Type: Poison, Male
Ability: Neutralizing Gas
Moves:
Novice: Poison Gas, Tackle, Smog, Smokescreen, Clear Smog, Assurance
Description: Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokémon. It floats by releasing toxic gases from its body. The gases are flammable and can cause explosions when ignited. Koffing often drifts through polluted areas.
'He can't Levitate as an ability, but he should still be able to float, right?' Alex thought, confused.
He had Koffing try, but the Neutralizing Gas wasn't being expelled fast enough to generate thrust. It did, however, force Alex to open the windows.
'Maybe the composition of the Neutralizing Gas is too thin, requiring more pressure to build up before release?' Alex analyzed.
Theoretically, if Koffing used a move like Poison Gas or Smoke Screen, he could temporarily gain mobility, but it wouldn't be enough for sustainable floating or levitation.
"Thanks for trying, Koffing."
"Kof," he replied with a shrug.
As for his build, Health and Special Defense. Since his own transportation system was in the works, he could eventually serve as a shield for the Maushold in battle.
Name: Tandemaus, Novice
Type: Normal, Male
Ability: Run Away
Moves:
Novice: Baton Pass(Egg Move), Pound, Baby-Doll Eyes, Echoed Voice, Helping Hand, Super Fang, Double Hit
Description: Tandemaus, the Couple Pokémon. These two always stick together, acting in perfect sync. They share everything and rarely leave each other's side. Some say they even battle as one.
'Helping Hand,' Alex exclaimed in his mind, eyes widened.
Alex rarely encouraged the use of Helping Hand, as it was essentially just half a move. A Pokémon could often contribute more by attacking directly.
With the Tandemaus, however, it was different. They could support the Attack Team by using Helping Hand on-site. Coordinating their efforts while also managing Koffing would be challenging, but it opened up the possibility of expanding their role even further.
For these three, Alex decided on Defense and Speed. Defense to defend themselves on the front lines and Speed to keep up with the team or evade if needed.
Once Alex had documented their current states, he introduced them to the farm while carrying Bounsweet and allowing Koffing and his palanquin to practice movement on their own.
Bounsweet was adored by the girls, while Koffing drew amused stares as he proudly commanded his "legs" to carry him around. The whole scene was endearingly amusing.
It did not take long for the new Pokémon to integrate into the training. All Pokémon, whether Elite, Expert, or Adept, had free access to the training grounds, and participation was encouraged across the board.
Their specific training was overseen by Raticate, who was fascinated by the Tandemaus and their unique role of staying close enough to the battle to support, yet keeping themselves safe. Even Metagross came by from time to time to check on the new recruits, curious about the team it would soon be commanding.
By evening, the new Pokémon had settled into the farm and found their place among Alex's team.
Meanwhile, Alex returned to his computer to investigate a potential new addition to the Away Team, one he had stumbled upon during his earlier research.
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