Chapter 414. Mark of the Forest

As Grimmsnarl savoured its meal, Alex took a moment to think about what had happened the day before. Clearly, something was going on in the forest for Pokémon of all kinds to suddenly target them.

It didn’t take long for Alex to realise it was because he and Cormac were destroying parts of the forest with their battle, which led to a grim realisation. Someone was controlling the forest and wanted to protect it.

Ideas flooded Alex’s mind as he considered the possibilities. It could be the Gym Leader of Ballonlea City, Bede, with his Pokémon enforcing rules and boundaries. It could be the forest itself, some entity that had full control over the entirety of Glimwood Tangle.

The most likely scenario, however, was a wild Master ranked Pokémon. One with full mental faculties that allowed it to establish rules within its forest. One with great age and wisdom that would cooperate with humans rather than fight them blindly.

“Either way, this place isn’t somewhere any Underworld organisation would mess with.”

To better understand what had happened, Alex released Gardevoir and asked her, receiving an answer that greatly surprised him. Apparently, the Champion ranked Hatterene Alex first saw had let out a psychic cry that all the Pokémon in the surroundings recognised. It was a call to arms to protect the forest.

At the same time, it marked Alex and every one of his Pokémon, ensuring that any time they entered the forest, they would be targeted for elimination no matter the cost. It was meant to ensure they never set foot in the forest again as long as the mark remained on them.

“Can you get it off?” Alex asked.

Gardevoir concentrated, filling their accommodation’s living room with Psychic energy. It increased in density, stifling the surroundings until it broke like shattering glass, the energy breaking apart into sparkling pink dust that quickly disintegrated.

Gardevoir turned to Alex and shook her head, disappointed at failing his request.

“That’s not good,” Alex said, tapping his chin in thought. “Hm… It’s Psychic energy, right? Let me try something.”

Alex focused, bringing his Dark type energy to the surface of his skin and expanding it to cover the surroundings. In no time, the entire living room was smothered and constricted by a thick, gooey, dark mass that clung to the skin. It writhed and rolled like mud before quickly retreating to reveal Alex, Gardevoir, and an astonished Grimmsnarl, who had just finished eating.

“Did that work?” Alex asked, receiving an astounded nod from both Gardevoir and Grimmsnarl. “Good. At least we won’t be targeted anymore if we head back into the forest. We still have a mission from Mustard to accomplish in this city.”

Afterwards, Alex repeated the process for each of his Pokémon, ensuring none of them still bore the mark. It was truly fortunate that Dark type energy was strong against it. Otherwise, he would have had no choice but to leave Glimwood Tangle and Ballonlea City for good.

“It’s a good thing we escaped as soon as possible. Otherwise, we definitely would have been swarmed and killed. We might have even had to contend with a Master ranked Pokémon or two. Not to mention the sanctions from the League for fucking around and finding out.”

Grimmsnarl nodded, agreeing with Alex’s sentiment. It was fortunate it had been brought along rather than left to die, since it hadn’t yet decided whether to join him.

“Oh, you’ve finished eating?” Alex asked. “So, what do you think? Do you still want to join, or do you want to be free? I’ve removed the mark, so you should be good to go.”

Grimmsnarl didn’t hesitate to accept Alex’s offer. It had seen firsthand his power, capability, and resources, and most of all, his Dark type energy. It was beautiful, it thought, and it would be foolish to refuse someone whose energy was even stronger than its own.

“That’s great,” Alex said, patting Grimmsnarl’s head to solidify their bond.

Without a fuss, their bond snapped into place, officially adding Grimmsnarl to his team. Alex could sense Grimmsnarl’s sincerity through it while the Pokémon froze in amazement as his energy coursed through its body.

“Now that you’re officially part of the team, why don’t we go over your stats?” Alex said, taking out his phone to scan it with the Pokédex app.

It wouldn’t be enough to figure out its moves, but a preliminary check to determine its ability and at least its gender would be helpful.

However, before Alex could complete the scan, the door to his accommodations opened, revealing a rather angry Champion ranked trainer whom Alex instantly recognized. It was Bede, the Gym Leader of Ballonlea City.

He had a slender, angular frame and precise posture, pale skin, and narrow lavender eyes that cut a sharp, calculating gaze in Alex’s direction. His platinum-blonde hair was soft and curly, styled with volume and a distinct swirl at the top, while his sharp facial features and thin, angled eyebrows made his expression seem even colder. He wore a long, oversized purple coat with geometric patterns and large sleeves, fitted white leggings with hexagonal detailing, and black slip-on shoes with thick soles, all combining to emphasize a controlled, deliberate, and imposing silhouette.

“You!” Bede shouted, pointing at Alex accusingly. “I had to placate an army of Pokémon because of you! Do you even realize how dangerous your stunt was for the rest of the city? Do you know how close we were to having to fend off a Pokémon flood? You went out and caused devastation for miles with a Champion ranked battle in the middle of the forest. Close to their territory, no less!”

“In my defense,” Alex said, raising his hands, “it was in self-defense.”

“Self-defense? You purposefully led them deeper into their territory before starting your battle. You could have fought further southeast and everything would have been fine, but you had to move towards them instead.”

“All I was considering was taking the battle away from the public path to avoid dragging travelers and trainers along. I didn’t know I was supposed to fight near them instead.”

Bede’s expression was pure fury as he listened to Alex’s excuses. True, Alex’s reasoning had some merit, but because of it, he had been woken in the middle of the night by his Pokémon to placate the angry mob just outside the city’s border. It would have been a disaster if they had chosen to forgo pleasantries and head straight for violence.

It was fortunate that Alex was capable enough to remove the Psychic mark. Now, they probably believed he had left the forest for good. Otherwise, the standoff could have ended in a fight that even he might not have been able to win, since he wasn’t yet as strong as Opal, his mentor.

As for a fitting punishment, he hated that he couldn’t think of one. Alex was new, had acted logically given the circumstances, and in the end, no real damage had been done, aside from the deaths of a few worthless hooligans. Ultimately, he couldn’t charge Alex with anything more than a symbolic slap on the wrist.

“A million credits as compensation for the trouble you’ve caused, and I’ll include a mark on your records with the League,” Bede spat out before storming out.

“Wait!” Alex called after him. “There’s a Master ranked Pokémon out there who established rules, right? That’s the only reason Glimwood Tangle can be protected like this without constant floods battering Ballonlea City.”

Bede turned his head back to Alex, his furious expression unchanged, and instead of answering, left him with a warning.

“Finish your business in Ballonlea and leave. One more mark from the forest, and I’ll make sure you never set foot in my city again,” Bede said before storming off.

Alex watched the door to his room slam shut, followed by the angry stomping of feet reverberating throughout the inn. He hadn’t gotten an answer to his question, but the slow pause as Bede turned was all the answer he needed. There was, in fact, something out there in the forest, and it was threatening enough to rile Bede up. Then again, it could have just been the lack of sleep.

“Oh, well. I guess I’d better take his advice and leave as soon as I’m done with Mustard’s request. No point sticking around and worsening my record with the League,” Alex said, turning to Grimmsnarl. “Why don’t we find an open space so I can figure out your moveset?”

With that ordeal behind them, Alex headed to a public arena that catered to powerful trainers and booked an Elite ranked room with proper reinforcements. Grimmsnarl then proudly demonstrated its skills, though Dark Pulse took a while before it could unleash it properly.

Name: Grimmsnarl, Elite lvl 75

Type: Dark Fairy, Male

Ability: Prankster

Moves:

Basic: Dark Pulse

Advanced:

(+50% Damage): False Surrender, Fake Out, Bite, Spirit Break, Assurance, Sucker Punch, Play Rough, Foul Play, Hammer Arm

(Priority+1): Bulk Up, Confide, Flatter, Fake Tears, Swagger, Torment, Nasty Plot,

Description: Grimmsnarl, the Bulk Up Pokémon. With its hair wrapped around its body like muscles, it possesses enough physical strength to overpower even Machamp. This hair acts like a secondary nervous system, allowing it to sense the movements of others and react instantly. It is notorious for its mischievous and aggressive nature, using its long, wiry locks to ensnare and pummel its opponents.

“Oh, you’re a male… All Grimmsnarl are male and are considered Hatterene’s counterpart, which are all female. I guess I missed that,” Alex said, scratching his head before continuing to read the rest of Grimmsnarl’s information.

“Your movesets are solid. At this rate, it won’t take long to bring them up to Expert. As for Dark Pulse, don’t worry about it. Your Physical and Status moves are your most important tools as part of the attack team, so we can streamline your build by dropping Special Attacks.”

Ultimately, Alex was very satisfied with his new Pokémon. He would fit in well with Azuking as a supporter capable of harassing enemies. All they needed now was one more physical attacker to complete the team before they could finally start training together.

Speaking of which, there was a Pokémon causing trouble at the Daycare in the city, worth a look to see if it could fill the final spot on the team. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too troublesome, considering the chaos Alex had already caused in Ballonlea.

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