Alex had to admit he was impressed. This thing definitely had the power and energy levels of an early Champion ranked Pokemon. He, as indicated by the tone of his voice, was strong enough to wipe the floor with Alex and was armed with a pair of thick cannons on each arm. Judging by their size, it could probably fire Champion ranked projectiles similar to the ones he had found in Paldea that were meant to be equipped on the Titans.
By the way he spoke, his slightly unnatural movements for a Conkeldurr, and the way he wielded the cannons like long neck rifles that doubled as canes to support his upper body, he was clearly a human mind wearing a Pokemon's skin. Among Champion ranked Pokemon, Alex would not doubt that the one standing in front of him was the most deadly simply because of that human intelligence.
'I wonder how difficult it would be to fight him?' Alex thought as the thrill of battle ignited within him.
He didn't doubt that he would lose. The Pokemon was at his rank, which meant it was stronger than him while also possessing human intelligence. If the human inside had knowledge of hand to hand combat techniques as well, then he would be a formidable opponent to overcome.
Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a job, so Alex couldn't afford to indulge himself. That left him with only one option, to put down this monstrosity as efficiently as possible. Fortunately, this Conkeldurr had a weakness, one that Alex could easily exploit.
He was alone.
"Get him," Alex commanded as he released Raticate's attack team along with Gardevoir, Alcremie, Knight, Frosmoth, and Altaria. "Hold him back, Raticate, Arcanine. The rest of you, Dazzling Gleam!"
"There you are!" the Conkeldurr shouted before aiming his cannons at Alex and opening fire.
Thunder reverberated off the walls as the cannons discharged, launching a pair of crystals the size of heads. Even so, the energy within them was only Elite ranked at best regardless of the volume, meaning the output merely reached Champion ranked levels.
Raticate and Arcanine rushed forward and used Protect, each blocking a shot and nullifying both the force of the crystal projectile and the resulting explosion of energy. They then flanked Conkeldurr on either side, clearing the path for the incoming bombardment.
Gardevoir, Alcremie, Knight, Frosmoth, and Altaria simultaneously unleashed Dazzling Gleam, flooding the lab with resplendent light that honed in on Conkeldurr.
He crossed both guns in front of himself and deployed Protect in defense, but it wasn't enough.
Ceruledge, who had immediately used Phantom Force upon release, emerged from Conkeldurr's shadow and struck from behind with Ghost type energy, shattering the Protect barrier just as the Dazzling Gleams connected.
"Arghhh!" Conkeldurr shouted in agony before he was overwhelmed by the attacks and eventually fainted.
Alex nodded. "As expected. In the end, it's still just a single Pokemon."
He approached and tossed out a Poke Ball, only for it to bounce back. He read the prompt on the Poke Ball, which stated that the capture had failed because the target wasn't a Pokemon.
"Interesting," he said. "So it really was a genetically modified human turned Pokemon."
"I'm done with this last one," Rhea said. "We'd better get out of here."
"Got it," Alex replied before rounding up those they had released from their containment units.
"Listen up," Alex called out. "We're going to leave this place and take you to the League, who will take care of you from now on. I know you're all scared, but so will everyone else once they see you. That fear will push people to make sure something like this never happens again. All you have to do is stay calm and follow behind me. Do you understand?"
He received nods in response as the experiment subjects acknowledged their position. They had been illegally experimented on, so the more people who learned about these horrid procedures, the more likely it was that they would never be repeated.
Of course, Alex knew better. There was a very high probability that they would end up right back in laboratories, either to be cured of their affliction or to continue what the researchers here had started. It was simply human nature to explore the limits of their own capabilities. The only saving grace would be that they would be granted human rights, which meant they would at least be compensated for their suffering.
Alex led the way, past the Conkeldurr's fainted body, as he left the lab with Rhea and the subjects in tow. He walked into a hall filled with security guards who didn't hesitate to open fire once they noticed the monstrosity they had sent inside was taken out.
Alex's attack team didn't hesitate to charge in and disrupt the formation as they dealt with their assailants. Whether the guards lived or died was of no concern to them.
They strode through the hallways, made their way up the stairs, and finally exited the building, only to step past the lab's small army of security into another army of policemen. This time, the officers had firearms trained on Alex as he emerged from the building.
Normally, at this point, they would have retreated upon realizing Alex was Champion rank. But because they had been paid to ruin his reputation, the lieutenant in command didn't hesitate to break protocol, hoping that real policemen would die and further incriminate their target.
"Attack! Open fire! Gun them down!" the lieutenant commanded as the police opened fire on Alex.
"Surf," Alex ordered, releasing his water team.
They immediately created a tidal wave that blocked the incoming bullets, flooded the streets, and swept away the police and their cars surrounding them. This time, Alex was careful to make sure they survived, as many of the officers were likely innocent and, amusingly, included a young Officer Jenny.
A commotion erupted as the streets at the center of Opelucid City were swept up in the chaos of a sudden flood, halting traffic, washing away pedestrians, and damaging ground-level businesses. No doubt the repairs would cost millions of Pokedollars.
As expected, a pair of Gym Leaders flew down on their Pokémon before releasing their teams to surround Alex.
Jarek, the Electric type Gym Leader responsible for maintaining the city's electricity, rode down on his Kilowatrel and sent out his Champion rank electric team, including Electivire, Zebstrika, Eelektross, Emolga, and Galvantula. He also released over three dozen Elite rank Electric type Pokémon and moved to surround Alex and his Pokémon on one side.
Torin, the Steel type Gym Leader who had spent decades helping build the city's infrastructure, rode down on his Corviknight and released his Champion rank steel team, including Klinklang, Excadrill, Escavalier, Ferrothorn, and Bisharp. He followed with over three dozen Elite rank Steel type Pokémon and moved to surround Alex and his Pokémon on the other side.
Alex responded to their threatening presence by releasing all of his Pokémon in a defensive formation, ready to protect himself if necessary.
"Surrender and submit peacefully or we will resort to violence!" Jarek demanded.
Between Jarek and Torin, the matchup against Alex's Pokémon was roughly even, though they held the advantage in the number of Elite Pokémon. It was shaping up to be a fight that could easily end in the city's destruction if they came to blows, with the Gym Leaders holding only a slight edge due to their numbers and the support of the surrounding police.
"I refuse," Alex replied without hesitation. "I know you're both working for Team Dominion, so you can bet I will fight with everything I have. If you insist on taking me down here and now, you'll have to risk dying along with this city."
Jarek and Torin turned to each other and nodded resolutely. They had been given memos regarding Alex, so they knew they had to further incriminate him in the eyes of the League. That meant breaking protocol and forcing him to destroy the city and its inhabitants. This would leave him with no way out and ensure he was hunted by the very League he relied on, doing Team Dominion's work for them in eliminating their pest.
Just as they opened their mouths to command their Pokémon to begin the assault, a thunderous dragon's cry erupted from Opelucid Gym, reverberating throughout the entire city. It was followed by the sound of hundreds of wings flapping as over a dozen Champion rank dragons and more than a hundred Elite rank dragons took to the air and flew overhead in a circular formation, ready to strike anyone who stepped out of line.
A Salamence quickly flew in with Drayden riding on its back, taking position between Jarek and Torin against Alex. He then released his own team of top-level Champion rank Dragon type Pokémon, including Haxorus, Druddigon, Hydreigon, Flygon, and Altaria.
The wind from the dragons' wings tore through the streets, forcing Jarek and Torin to pause mid-command. Drayden's voice cut through the tension.
"Enough," he said, natural authority bleeding through his tone. "This will stop at once. You threaten my city, its people, and all the Pokémon within it. I will not allow this recklessness to continue. Stand down immediately, or face the wrath of every Dragon I command. You have been warned."
The dragons above roared in unison, a warning none dared to ignore. Jarek and Torin faltered, caught between the orders they'd been given and the fury of the Opelucid Gym Leader.
Alex's eyes met Drayden's, and for a moment, the tension in the city froze. No one moved. No one dared.
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