Pokemon: Master of tactics

One week later,

Mauville City had already begun to recover. Although the casualties were high, they weren't severe enough to cause lasting panic among the population.

Thanks to the interview with Drake, Wattson, and Alex—an interview that had quickly spread across major news outlets—the fear in the city stabilized. Within a few days, life returned almost completely to normal.

Alex's reputation also rose slightly after the broadcast, especially because people learned that he had defended the most dangerous zone alone and hadn't let a "single" Pokémon pass through. The female reporter had attempted to twist the story, but her implication didn't gain much traction.

Curious about her intentions, Alex did a light investigation, but she turned out to be just an ordinary reporter—someone he had never met before, with no hidden background or connection. Losing interest immediately, he stopped looking into it.

Having haters for no reason was something every well-known person eventually had to accept. Alex understood that perfectly, and he refused to waste time trying to understand people who acted out of pettiness or envy.

Instead, he focused on something useful: earning more money.

He needed a Dragon Gem, and his current funds weren't enough for 3. Each Dragon Gem was valued around 30 to 35 million Poké Dollars, while Alex only had about 45 million left.

Before the Pokémon raid he had possessed around 30 million, and selling the Pokemon corpses earned him another 15 million, but it still wasn't enough to comfortably buy all the gems he needed.

He contacted Ivy and requested a Dragon Gem immediately. Since he wanted it as fast as possible, he didn't hesitate to pay extra.

In the end, he bought 1 Dragon Gem from her shop for 40 million.

He also arranged with Ivy to purchase two additional Dragon Gems a month later, each for the standard price of 35 million.

After the transaction, Alex was left with barely 5 million Poké Dollars. That amount was far too low, so he headed back into the wilderness to earn more.

This time, however, luck wasn't particularly on his side. He didn't encounter many valuable items or resource-rich areas. Even so, he still managed to earn around 25 million Poké Dollars, an amount that would thrill most trainers, but compared to the 436 million he had once obtained in a single haul, it didn't feel like much.

…

Alex flew with Crobat toward the Desert Ruins, the same desert the mutated Flygon originated from.

He knew this trip came with enormous risks. Because of that, he had prepared several fallback plans and escape strategies. No matter how slim the chance, he wasn't going to be caught unprepared.

As he flew through the sky, the world beneath him gradually transformed. Fields and greenery gave way to rocky soil, then dry patches, and finally endless stretches of golden sand.

The moment he saw the last hint of green disappear behind him, He had officially entered the Desert Ruins.

Thanks to the Flying-type energy that Crobat subtly manipulated around them, the sand that constantly drifted through the air never reached Alex's face, allowing him to fly through the desert in relative comfort despite the harsh environment.

Alex continued flying deeper into the desert, scanning his surroundings with both his eyes and his psychic perception. It didn't take long before he noticed an elite-level Pokémon moving through the sand below.

Without hesitation, he telepathically instructed Crobat to descend and intercept it.

-------

Pokémon: Sandslash

LV: 46

Type: Ground

Ability: Sand Veil

Gender: Male

Potential: Shallow Gold (2%)

Moves:

- Defense Curl, Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Swift, Fury Swipes, Dig, Swords Dance [E]

- (Innate Talent) Scratch [E], (Innate Talent) Aerial Ace [E], (Innate Talent) Earthquake [M]

-------

Alex briefly examined the information and noted that the Sandslash had decent potential, but not enough to truly interest him. After a short glance, he lost interest and signaled Crobat to land.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he released all his Pokémon.

One by one, they emerged from their Poké Balls, forming a loose circle around him. The desert wind brushed against them.

Alex smiled slightly and said, "Which one of you wants to bring that Sandslash here?"

Crobat, Scizor, and Pupitar didn't even react. Their expressions made it clear that they considered the task beneath them.

Alex glanced at Pupitar for a moment, slightly puzzled. At level 43, he was still weaker than the Sandslash, yet he acted as if he were far above such work.

He didn't comment on it, however, and instead looked at the others.

Most of them showed little to no interest. Even Blaziken, who was usually eager to fight, looked completely indifferent.

Alex raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What's wrong, Blaziken? Don't you like this kind of task?"

Blaziken replied telepathically, her tone carrying a hint of boredom, "Uh, Dad… these kinds of easy tasks are getting really boring. How am I supposed to get excited about something like this? But if you really want me to, I'll do it."

Alex chuckled softly. "No, it's fine, I'll call you when I find something that actually interests you."

Then he turned to Banette. he asked, "Can you bring that Sandslash over here? Preferably without knocking it unconscious."

Banette nodded immediately and floated forward, his body swaying slightly as he moved toward the distant Sandslash.

Alex and the others watched from afar.

The moment the Sandslash noticed Banette approaching, he reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he began digging into the ground, attempting to escape using Dig.

Banette's expression turned slightly intrigued.

Without any sign of hesitation, he followed it straight into the hole, his small hands already reaching forward as if he intended to embrace Sandslash as soon as he saw him.

Alex watched this calmly. He already knew how it would end. The Sandslash had no chance of escaping Banette.

With that thought, he shifted his attention elsewhere.

His gaze landed on Kingdra, who stood slightly apart from the others. Although his expression was subtle, Alex immediately noticed the discomfort.

he asked. "What's wrong, Kingdra?"

Kingdra hesitated briefly before replying, "It's this desert… I don't like it. The air, the dryness… it feels really bad. I can endure it for a while, but it's really unpleasant."

Alex nodded in understanding. "Ohh, then just go back into your Poké Ball, I'll call you if I need you ,don't worry."

Without hesitation, he take the Dive Ball and returned Kingdra to it.

Less than a minute later, Banette reappeared.

He floated out of the hole with Sandslash in his arms as if he had simply picked it up without any resistance.

The Sandslash, however, looked completely different. his body was stiff, his expression tense, and fear was clearly visible in his eyes.

Alex blinked once, slightly confused. He didn't quite understand why it was so afraid of Banette.

From his perspective, Banette looked… harmless. Cute, even.

Ignoring that, Alex stepped forward and looked at the Sandslash. "You've lived here for a long time, right? Then you should know where the special Flygon lives. Can you take me there?"

The Sandslash's eyes widened, and it let out a panicked cry.

Gardevoir, standing quietly beside Alex, translated without delay. "He says: No! I can't tell you that! If I do, he'll kill me! Forget it, human!"

Alex smiled slightly and he said in a relaxed tone. "Don't worry, I already have a deal with the Flygon, so it won't harm you."

He paused briefly before adding, his voice just a little colder, "…Besides, I wasn't asking."

The Sandslash looked at him, then at the group of powerful Pokémon surrounding him. his expression slowly shifted into one of despair.

Gardevoir watched this and seemed to feel a hint of sympathy.

She stepped forward slightly and said gently, "Don't worry. We really do have a deal with the Flygon. Nothing will happen to you."

The Sandslash hesitated. Then, slowly, its panic faded, replaced by relief. he seemed to believe her.

Alex noticed this immediately. A faint trace of dissatisfaction appeared in his expression. The difference between how the Sandslash reacted to him and to Gardevoir was too obvious.

Like night and day.

*******

if the story total of 250 powerstones in 24 hours, I will upload 1 bonus chapter tomorrow.

-----

If you want to see the next chapters (40+ chapters) earlier or just want to support me

https://www.--/alex02373